Friday June 16th
Usually about twice per summer or so, the heat in Houston goes to what I call the next level, where it’s hot like always, but it just feels worse. This is the type of heat where your body can truly suffer if you don’t take it seriously. We’re in one of those periods right now, arguably one of the worst such periods in several summers. Heat index values yesterday were all over the place, including near 115° in spots around Houston and even near 120° in spots near Corpus Christi and Port Arthur. A more typical summer day may feel along the lines of 99 to 105° or so. So this has moved into the higher echelon of next level of heat. Hence, we are trying to convey that this is more serious than normal summer heat. And it will continue for awhile longer. Please take it seriously this holiday weekend, especially if you’ll be attending any of the Juneteenth celebrations in the area or outdoors in any capacity.
And once again, all I want to do when I step out on the back porch his turn around and go back inside.. I swear, this heat advisory fights dirty. It slaps your face from the right.. that it slaps your face from the left.. and then while you’re reeling it reaches inside and pulls out your lungs. And to think the weekend will only get worse… Check out that dewpoint. It you need a reminder of the significance of dew points check “And Summer Is Here“.
…HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM CDT THIS MORNING…
…EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM CDT SATURDAY…
* WHAT…For the Heat Advisory, heat index values up to 108. For the Excessive Heat Warning, dangerously hot conditions with heat index values up to 115 expected.
* WHERE…Portions of south central and southeast Texas.
* WHEN…For the Heat Advisory, until 11 AM CDT this morning. For the Excessive Heat Warning, from 11 AM this morning to 8 PM CDT Saturday.
* IMPACTS…Extreme heat and humidity will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities.
While we swelter down here on the coast, our family in Northeast Texas is being pounded by days and days of rain and winds and tornadoes. Everyday when I look at the radar I am amazed to see the heavy rains starting again along the Texas Oklahoma border. Yesterday where the panhandles of those states come together, they had a series of tornadoes that caused immense damage.
I find myself being a bit worried when the weather turns this bad this early in the summer. It brings back memories of one of our first summers together some 40 plus years ago… It was the year I decided to paint the outside of our first house.. only to have the temperatures run up over 100° each and every day of the two weeks I worked with a brush and a paint can after a couple of weeks using a scraper and a sander. There is absolutely nothing like working in a pair of cut-offs and respirator.. lead paint you know… Seems a little house hadn’t been painted in over 20 years. Thank God the convention business in Houston really sucked during the summer. I had plenty of time to do the job … It was probably the best tan I ever developed.
On another note…
You know what I’ve discovered here lately? Those folks up in the Midwest have a great idea with their hotdish[1]. One of the things my kids have always made fun of is my never-ending pot of soup. I tend to make an empty the frig of leftovers soup that just keeps going with additions for days and days. The really sad fact is my wife doesn’t really care for soup… But recently I’ve discovered that after a couple of days of soup and crackers adding tots to the top of a ramekin full of soup and backing that sucker in the oven or the Speedi makes a great addition to the normal rotation of lunches… Thanks Joe for the inspiration.
In light of yesterday’s post.. I heard this silly song yesterday afternoon and couldn’t resist sharing it…
Now it’s time for breakfast… I am feeling a couple of barely fried eggs over grits. My southern-ness is poking thru this morning. Y’all have a good weekend and I’ll catch y’all on the other side.
Counting Down To 70 Years – 235 Days
[1]A hotdish is a casserole dish that typically contains a starch, a meat, and a canned or frozen vegetable mixed with canned soup that must be served hot or warm. A classic example is made with ground beef, topped with tater tots, and flavored with thick condensed cream of mushroom soup sauce, but some versions in Minnesota use the official state grain wild rice, or even macaroni, in place of the potatoes. The dish originates in the Upper Midwest region of the United States, where it remains popular, particularly in Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and eastern Montana. Hotdish is cooked in a single baking dish, and served hot (per its name). It commonly appears at communal gatherings such as family reunions, potlucks, and church suppers.
Hotdish, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hotdish&oldid=1153889636 (last visited June 15, 2023).
