Thursday May 4th
The temperature outside this morning is 67°. Which is 6° cooler than inside the house, but it feels warmer. That is a perfect representation of what summer feels like on the southeast Texas coast.
For me, Houston’s summer typically runs from about mid-May through mid-October. Here are the four phases:
* Early summer: When we first start to see 90-degree temperatures with some regularity, but some nights in the 60s are still possible, and there’s still the thinnest hope of a weak front
* Mid summer: When highs run from 90 to 95 degrees, and nights are sultry, but you know it could still get worse
* High summer: Somewhere between late July and early September there’s a period where temperatures reach the upper 90s to low 100s and you realize, “Ok, this really is the worst.”
* Late summer: This is the period in September and early October when days grow shorter and we usually see the first front or two of the season. But most of the time it’s still hot.
We’re going to reach early summer this weekend, when we probably will see a handful of 90-degree days.
So by Eric’s definition we are definitely entering early summer… And as the pictures show, moisture fills the air in the way of a general overcast. And, according to the 10-day forecast, this is going to be the prevalent condition for almost the entire 10 days.
It was Tuesday night that I first heard that Gordon Lightfoot had passed away. It’s only been in the past few months that his songs have shown up scattered through my playlist. It wasn’t random, I actually added him as an artist. Like a lot of artists at my playlist I had pretty much forgotten about him. I did watch a documentary on his life maybe 5 years ago. But other than that his music had slipped into the long lost memories.
But his passing has set my mind to wandering.. through the mini singer songwriters of my life.. and how, so very many of them are reaching their own ends…
Even many of the singers that I thought of as kids back in my day.. or now entering their ’50s. And the singers I grew up with.. many have passed through their 70s already.
And yet, for many of us, life still goes on. And, unless we plan on living a life of nostalgia.. we have to look for new artists to get excited about.
So for now, my Gordon Lightfoot rest in peace. He left a hell of a legacy.
And so, as I sit on the front porch waiting for the bus.. I wish you all a good day and I’ll catch y’all on the other side..
