Monday, January 25, 2021

Plum and Apricot Trees

I purchased five bare root fruit trees which arrived by UPS this week.  I planted four of the five at a distance of 23' apart which should be adequate.  I intended to plant all five but when I measured out the space, the footprint was a little larger than expected so I went with three expecting from the cryptic names on the labels that I planted two plum and two apricot trees.  As luck would have it, I planted three apricot trees and one plum.  The final plum (All Red variety) is at home in a pot so I can plant it later when I arrange a spot to add a fifth tree. 


Saturday, January 2, 2021

Bluebonnet Ordinance Storage in McGregor Texas

 https://www.facebook.com/ilovethegreatstateoftexas/posts/the-remnants-of-a-naval-ordinance-facility-near-mcgregor-tx-these-bunkers-were-o/289321951169767/


https://www.kwtx.com/content/news/Before-SpaceX-McGregor-facility-produced-bombs-and-lots-of-them-430442353.html






NWIRP McGregor is a government-owned, contractor-operated facility in McGregor, Texas, approximately 20 miles southwest of Waco. The U.S. Army Ordnance Corps originally established it in 1942 as the Bluebonnet Ordnance Plant. Over the facility’s 50-year history, owners included the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and its current owner, the U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). Industrial activities at the site included weapons and solid-fuel rocket propulsion systems manufacturing.
During its prime, NWIRP McGregor utilized 1,400 workers and was the largest employer in the area. Revenues from the facility supported the economies of many local communities, such as the cities of McGregor, Waco, Temple, Killeen, and Belton. At the time of the facility’s closure in 1995, the 625 people still employed at NWIRP McGregor were released. The closure created an economic hardship for the surrounding communities and, as a result, U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards sponsored special legislation to help turn the property over to the city of McGregor for economic redevelopment. Since 1999, 3,500 of 9,600 acres have been transferred to the City of McGregor. Because of the collaboration between the Navy, the City of McGregor, the USEPA, and the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC), the City of McGregor was given with the Community Economic Development Award sponsored by the Texas Department of Economic Development.