Today was mowing day around this place...Last time I mowed I picked up a bunch of nails in the tireson the Deere so the first order of business was pulling out the nails and plugging the holes. I have no idea where I managed to pick up the tire holers,…
After watching rain showers bypass us on Tuesday, we managed to be in the way of a passing cloud yesterday. With an hour of steady rain, the ground soaked up every drop as fast as it fell. Sherry and I sat on the front porch and watched the amazing sight...Water...Falling…
These clouds are moving south just west of us this evening. We have already had an hour or more of heavy rain...All soaked in. Nobody was anticipating this. The temperature after the rains moved through was registering 72°...Now back up at 76°. The lightning was amazing! The wind was blowing!…
Currently (on Thu 5:53AM CDT from Pearland Regional Airport) Cloudy Temp: 81° (Heat Index 87°) Dewpoint: 75° Wind: Calm MPH I stepped out on the back steps this morning as the coffee pot dripped and ran into a wall of heat. Yesterday at this time it the thermometer was reading 72°. What a…
I stepped out my back door as the thermometer passed 100° F today and snapped this picture. The prognosticators say we had a heat index of 108° and it will be as hot tomorrow... Statement as of 4:04 PM CDT on June 24, 2009 ... Heat advisory in effect until…
It seems the culprit in my WordPress upgrade problems was a plugin called "Events Manager" Version 2.0rc1. Once I disabled this plugin my menu problems went away on my North Carolina Mountain Dreams Blog. Now this cannot be the only problem because Virginia Mountain Dreams still works fine...Both blogs use…
Today was John Deere day on the homestead here. Spent the early, cooler half of the day out doing the Texas pinwheel. You know what I mean...'round and 'round she goes. Luckily, the wind was blowing lightly. The anticipated rain from earlier in the week bypassed us as usual. I…
Down here on the Gulf Coast of Texas barbecue season starts not too long after it ends. This year I was a little late...I fired up the smoker on Easter Sunday. Today I put a brisket on the grill to serve tomorrow afternoon. This isn't one of our big family…
Here I am, enjoying the second day of our brief return to spring-like weather. The house is open and the day is the kind California and Florida like to claim they enjoy year round. A few small, fluffy, cotton-ball clouds are scattered across a blue sky...The breeze softly caresses the…
Even now in the middle of the afternoon the temperature is just slightly higher than where it normally starts the day...I would like to place an order now for a couple of months of days just like this
Last nights batch of thunder boomers must have dropped a goodly amount (though, more normal) of rain since there are still some rather full puddles in the yard.
After hitting the 80's on Sunday, with morning rain adding to the humidity and clear afternoon skies letting the sun beat down on this part of the world, I made the walk to the road with my offering to the gods of the waste wagon while watching my breath fog…
I woke this morning to a still, clear, cold sunrise. There was a layer of frost on the freshly cut grass out back. The scratchy throat, runny eyes and stuffy nose had managed to transform into a full blown cold. Herbal teas and sweatsuit time... And yes the wildflowers have…
I woke up this morning to a blustery north wind driving temperatures into the 40's. Tonight the weather prognosticators are predicting lows in the 30's. It would appear winter (at least our kind of winter) isn't through with SE Texas. As I wait for springs return and the yard work honey-dews that will accompany it, here are some more of my spring photo's fropm last week...
Waking up...wandering into the kitchen for that first cup of coffee...firing up the laptop...opening up the morning email...checking the overnight blog stats...checking the weather forecast both here and in the mountains... It always hits me as a little odd when I check the weather and the temperature here is lower…
We had a "cool" front blow through here this morning...Cool is now at 71° and rising. The front brought an hour or so of rain and then clear blue sky. The real sign of spring though is the cardinals, you know...Red birds chasing other red birds out of their perceived…
This is the closest we have been to winter in a month or more. We woke up to the low 40's with light rain...brrr.
Ten days into March and the weather feels more like late spring or early summer from my childhood. This week we have seen 80's over and over again. So far the March winds (which began blowing in November) have kept the house reasonably comfortable. I don't like to think about…
Last evening as I sat with grandson in arms gooing and oogleing, my wife made the comment that it was going to get cold again this weekend. Now my wife thinks cold on the weekends is a personal affront to her happy enjoyment of her non-income producing time. Keeping in…
Looking on the weather wunderground, I see that Fred is still feeding the woodstove and wearing the multiple layers of clothes he was lamenting in his essay. While I am enjoying the open door and the porch rocker, Fred is still dreaming his summer weather dreams.
This past week the signs of the season's change have sprung up all around...The oaks that were stripped of their leaves by Ike in September, now are leafing out with all of that bright, spring green color that changes the very light. Around the edge of this little house the…
My reading on the web keeps coming across a common thread...It's that over and over in blog posts and comments people are talking about buying seeds and starting to raise vegetables again. It looks like I'm not the only one making the connection. Here is what Verlyn Klinkenborg had to…
Reading Leon Hale's column is an institution in Houston and the surrounding counties as well as my house. Mr. Hale has been published in a Houston Paper for most (if not all) of my life, and his was the only column I remember reading in my dad's paper as a…
Currently (on Mon 6:02AM CST from Pearland Regional Airport) Light Rain Temp: 66° Dewpoint: 64° Wind: SE 9 MPH The weather here this winter has seemed to be more spring (or fall) like than any I can recall seeing. Checking the almanac for the past two months is eye opening. Since…
Coffee Muse I like coffee so much that I have tea for breakfast: The first cup of the day in particular is so good that I’m afraid I won’t be able to properly appreciate it when I am half-asleep. Therefore, I celebrate it two hours later when I am fully…
Most of the evening we have been having snow flurries off and on. This following a day of falling temperatures and sleet. Considering that when I went to bed last night the temperature had just fallen into the 60's, having snow starting to accumulate is kinda strange. From air conditioning…
It's a heck of a note when the week before Thanksgiving the weather is perfect for Bar-b-Que...Only in Texas.
At about 4pm on Monday afternoon this was what the Weather Underground had to say about the conditions here... Current Conditions Alvin, Texas (PWS) 68.9 °F / 20.5 °C Clear Humidity: 17% Dew Point: 22 °F / -5 °C Wind: 0.0 mph / 0 km/h Wind Gust: 0.0 mph /…
Currently (on Sun 5:53AM CST from Pearland Regional Airport) Clear Temp: 36° Dewpoint: 34° Wind: Calm MPH After a gorgeous day yesterday, the sun is rising over the start of what looks to be another...Just cooler. This day looks and feels a lot like Saturday morning last week in…
Currently (on Tue 5:53AM CDT from Pearland Regional Airport) Clear Temp: 41° Dewpoint: 34° Wind: Calm MPH I woke up this morning at about 3:45 smelling something burning. Sherry sat up at about the same time and said something. We both jumped out of bed before I realized it was the…
While my friends on the Blue Ridge are climbing out of bed this morning and firing up their stoves to beat back the cold we finaly greeted some nice fall weather. The temperature this morning as I sit and write this is 46°. The sky is clear and we should…
For the first time in the back half of the year it really does feel like autumn this morning...We are even feeling like the mountains I long for... Alvin, TX 55.0 °F / 12.8 °C Clear Boone, NC 51.7 °F / 10.9 °C Drizzle Floyd, VA 53.4 °F / 11.9…
After the storm, once you realize you've lived through another, your awareness of your surroundings is contracted. You begin by wandering around just your own little space surrounding your home...Checking for damage, fixing the immediate needs if possible. Then you begin to expand your awareness to your neighbors. First you…
This isn't looking very good...Again. The latest 12Z (8 am EDT) computer models continue to show that Ike will track northwest into the central Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, there has been a major shift in the model tracks for Thursday and Friday. All of the models…
With Hurricane Ike set to travel nearly the length of Cuba today before heading into the Gulf of Mexico, residents from Texas to Florida face another week of worrying about whether their communities will fall in the storm's path. Some public officials said Sunday they are concerned that the frequency…
I sit here this morning for the first time in months having my morning coffee with the door open and the sounds of birds and dogs and squirrels serenading me. The temperature has dipped into the upper 60's. Can winter be far off? I am alone in the house this…
For all of you folks up north feeling the beginnings of fall in the air, here is my morning forcast of what faces me on the way out the door... Bobby Wright, Alvin, Texas (PWS) Updated: 2 sec ago Clear 79.7 °F / 26.5 °C Clear Humidity: 66% Dew Point:…
Image by Getty Images via Daylife Hurricane Gustav continues plowing inland, and is now just a Category 1 hurricane. The storm surge has peaked and is falling in New Orleans and along the Mississippi coast. A storm surge of 12 feet was recorded at Northeast Bay Gardene, and surges of…
...Eye of Gustav nearing the Louisiana coast...hurricane force winds over portions of southeastern Louisiana... A Hurricane Warning remains in effect from just east of High Island Texas eastward to the Mississippi-Alabama border...including the city of New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain. Preparations to protect life and property should have been completed.…
Just to keep up with the updates I started with this storm...
Over the years in the convention business, I've spent a bit of time in the city of New Awlins. I have friends who call the city home. I have co-workers who called the city home and now live in Houston. So I am saddened to see the area in the…
It's passing Cuba and the models are looking more and more like rain, rain, rain...Even if we miss the winds!
NEW ORLEANS — Hurricane Gustav strengthened into a dangerous storm today, and as city officials started evacuation plans, some residents weren't waiting to be told to leave. Cars packed with clothes, boxes and pet carriers drove north among heavy traffic on Interstate 55, a major route out of the city.…
Here it comes... MIAMI — Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami say Gustav has again strengthened into a hurricane. At around 2:15 p.m. CDT Friday, data showed the Category 1 storm had top sustained winds of around 75 miles per hour, and was still on track to hit…
Image via Wikipedia I don't know why these guys worry...My wife has already sent Gustav packing... Don't freak out about the newest models, but... The latest computer models have been released and they reflect a distinct shift westward, toward Texas, for Hurricane Gustav's path. This almost certainly presages a similar…
I took a day off from work today...It seemed like a good investment in mental health. My wife had already scheduled the day off planning for the scheduled arrival of our latest grandson. In case you are wondering, he's decided the schedule wasn't approved by his royal personage so he's…
Hurricane Rita Image by alpoma via Flickr As of this morning at 7am this was the latest on what was happening with our tropical weather As the three-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina nears, federal, state and local officials along the Gulf Coast are keeping a wary eye on Tropical Storm…
Image via Wikipedia The weather here has been very dry...at least until the past week or so. We have been having a spring-like amount of rain. After complaining for so long about the lack, it seems almost sacrilegious to say anything about the water we needed so bad. After months…
In the midst of August, spring appears to have triumphantly — if temporarily — returned to Houston. Steady rainfall has delivered a blessed week of lower-than-normal temperatures, and Tuesday's high reached only 81 degrees, which is more typical of late April than mid-August. Wednesday's mercury reached a comparatively warm 84,…
Leaving the house this morning the temperature was already passing 80°. August in SE Texas may not be as hot as other places in the country, but factor in the humidity and it ain't pretty. The prognosticator on the radio was holding forth about a high today of 96°...But then…
Up early to check on the status of Edouard...Looks like a miss for my house...Heading inland already on the Louisiana border. Should miss the majority of the Houston area, rain and moderate winds only. Sherry has headed for work already...Television on, radar on the monitor... Happy Birthday Wendell Berry It's…
All eyes in this area are watching the developements in the Gulf. It looks like we will be feeling the effects of the approaching storm tomorrow in the early pre-dawn hours. Hopefully, the storm will live down to the predictions and not become the storm it could be. All in…
First things first --- Happy Birthday Sherry. I know you never read these muses...but hell, I'll still say it here. The best present I ever got... Now to the subject of this muse...Heat. It's hot here, it's hot across the south, it's hot on the Blue Ridges of North Carolina…
The drive home yesterday was blustery but dry with lots of high clouds and rain showers off in the distance. Hurricane Dolly's approach to the Texas coast was being felt first far north of the expected landfall. The first bands of showers croosed Galveston Island early yesterday morning. The drive…
Looking out the french doors in the kitchen this morning as I read my email and check the news I am amazed at the difference a couple of weeks of hit and miss rain can make. Everything in view is green again. The grass is growing like it should have…
Ok, so it's official now...My part of the world is in severe drought conditions. I kinda' figured as much since I haven't really needed to mow in over a month. Already dealing with high fuel prices, farmers now face rare drought | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle It was only last…
While at work yesterday, most of the area received a good soaking rain. Not near enough to erase our deficit, it at least will prolong the time before we completely burn up. When I arrived home there was still water standing in some of the depressions about the yard...Rain puddles...Who…
DailyOM - Entering Awareness Our inner guidance will lead us, so that we will be drawn to the right doorway for us--a doorway that only we can recognize by the way it makes us feel inside. It could be a picture of an angel or the gift of a crystal.…
Tis a hell of a note when the temperature that greets you upon walking out of the house at 6am feels like 85°. Not a good sign for early June. And so starts my day. I see this unseasonable warmth has moved all the way to the Blue Ridge Mountains…
For those who are following the rough weather... Wunder Blog : Weather Underground The tornado that devastated Parkersburg, Iowa on Sunday has now been rated an EF-5 by the National Weather Service. An EF-5 is the strongest possible classification a tornado can receive, and is only given to those tornadoes…
Tuesday Evening It was good to get back to work after a long and busy weekend. It seems to have been one of those weekends that requires a work week to recuperate from. I spent two days finishing up a bit of remodeling and furniture construction (good ol' IKEA). You…
I know I shouldn't complain... Currently (on Sun 5:53AM CDT from Pearland Regional Airport) Cloudy Temp: 81° (Heat Index 86°) Dewpoint: 73° Wind: SE 6 MPH But come on...A heat index that tells me that it feels like 86° before 6am... No wonder this looks so good... Currently (on Sun…
But it left the humidity behind for today at least...The weather station on the shelf tells me that as the sun sets in the west the temperature is still floating at 86°. Amazingly the humidity is reading 37%...Lord it's hot for May. The prognosticator on the radio during my drive…
I woke up this morning and spring appears to have made a return...At least for a couple of days. The house is open, windows and doors, and the cool breezes are blowing through. The temperature this morning at daybreak (54°) was the same as in Floyd, Va on the Blue…
Shifting winds: A victory for island development | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle Weather forecasters and climatologists have long warned that unbridled development of the vulnerable Gulf Coast is setting the stage for a disaster that might dwarf the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Coming hard on Katrina's heels was Rita, which…
Summer's back...Both the temperature and the humidity are back. No wanting to spend the morning in the backyard today. Though I must admit the birds seem to like the weather just fine. Loud greetings to the day were heard even through the closed doors and windows. Over the weekend we…
The weekend weather was trying...Thunder boomers rolling through on Friday night. Rain off and on all day on Saturday as we were chained to the house waiting for a furniture delivery. More rain and thunder on Sunday before the front finally pushed through. This morning we had temperature more in…
We appear to have fallen off of the weather pattern we have enjoyed for the past month or so. It was nice while it lasted...Cold front on Thursday-Friday to blow out the stale air, cool it down just a bit and dry it out to a comfort level not usually…
The small number of posts this week can be blamed on the beautiful spring weather we have been experiencing. I have been spending most of my free time out in the yard enjoying the cool and the low humidity...Sadly it wont last long. Lows have been in the 40's and…
Eugene Robinson - The Surge Turns Into the Stall - washingtonpost.com Of course, Bush long ago lost any credibility with Congress and the American people on Iraq. It's understandable that he hides behind Petraeus's breastplate of medals and Crocker's thatch of gray hair, sending these loyal and able public servants…
Current Weather (on Wed 5:53AM CDT from Pearland Regional Airport) Partly Cloudy Temp: 72° Dewpoint: 66° Wind: SE 6 MPH What isn't shown in that snipit from my email is the humidity. Right now it is 94% and rising...Just think, we call this spring around these parts. You should see…
On the first day of spring I don't know whether to welcome spring or to welcome it back after our preview of summer over the weekend...This morning is starting out at 47° with the prognosticators pushing for the low 70's by afternoon. Now that is what I call spring. "What…
I see from my weather report that we are having another anomalous day where the temperature here matches my favorite ares of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Of course in order for this to have happened the mountains had to warm up 20° while we cooled down a like amount. Yesterday…
E. J. Dionne Jr. - The Street on Welfare - washingtonpost.com Never do I want to hear again from my conservative friends about how brilliant capitalists are, how much they deserve their seven-figure salaries and how government should keep its hands off the private economy. The Wall Street titans have…
The sunset last evening was fairly nice. Clearing skies after a round of rough weather blew through on a cold front. Here is a shot of the abandoned jeep my ex-neighbors left behind... The back door is closed this morning and the heat pump is on in the heating cycle. …
From my Wednesday drive... Deserted beaches are why I spend my birthday watching waves...Texas winter weather is what makes it worthwhile. Handbook of Texas Online - SURFSIDE BEACH, TX SURFSIDE BEACH, TEXAS. Surfside Beach, also known as Surfside and Follett's Island, at the mouth of the Brazos River on the…
It was a great trip...not so great for pictures, but a hell of a way to recharge the psychic batteries. The weather was beautiful. Nothing but blue skies and sunshine. Temperatures started out cool in the low 40's but by afternoon had warmed up into the low 60's. The wind…
No matter what the weather brings tomorrow, I will spend the day on my annual photo road trip/beach meditation party. This will be the third annual event. A holiday from work I present to myself. A day of wandering the countryside of my life. If the prognosticators are right, the…
I read this in the latest "News From Vermont" sent out by Burr Morse...This issue was written by Weston Cate. It doesn't make any difference whether or not the Ground Hog sees his shadow on February 2. What does matter is that date marks the halfway point in the winter.…
Our run of not half bad weekends continues...The sun is out in a mostly clear sky. The temperature is already threatening to pass 60 degrees on this midwinter Saturday morning. As I sat here musing this morning, I was struck again by the amount of green I still see through…
'Tis the last day of January and the month has flown. We seem to be riding a weather roller coaster this week. Three mornings ago it was in the low 40's the next day was 70. Yesterday we were back in the 40's. Today it's in the mid 60's. They…
It ain't much of a question...But lately as I get up in the morning or read email of a evening, I find myself searching for a reason to start a conversation. Even if I'm only talking to myself...You would think I could come up with something to say...But, no, the…
The level of concentration that has been required for the past few weeks at my day job has had consequences on the level of posting going on at this blog. By the time I get home each day all I want to do is vegetate. By the time I drag…
I saw this in my morning email. Dear Sir/Madam, You have won One Million Pounds Pounds Sterling on the Uk Lotto-GmbH) . Always Quote the information below to us: Reference Number:EUM-347-DGS-689 Batch:538901527-Bc65 Contact Agent Below Mr Tony Risby London Representative Office. Phone Number:(0044) 7960021562 Best Regard, Mr John Williams For…
The weather out this morning was frightful...windy, cold (for SE Texas), and wet. So here is a sunrise from earlier this month. I was a little late to get the full effect...What a gorgeous morning... Y'all have a great weekend.
After three days of enjoying blue skies and shorts and t-shirt weather, it's back to the office cubicle. Low light levels and mood music as I spend the day working in virtual 3d worlds. Ever since the first of the year the workload has spiked. So that by the days…
When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe. – John Muir ++++++++++ As I wandered by the weather station above the coffeepot this morning I was struck by the 6am temperature...68°! Now, the question that raises is; did I…
It's not quite sunup outside and I've made it through my email and the necessary blogs before work. I've been playing with Twitter a bit over the past few days but I'm still not quite sure why. It seems like broadcast IM and I never saw the real reason for…
Yesterday morning at this time the temperature outside my door was 36°...Today it's 61. When the sun rose yesterday the ground was white with the second frost of the year. I'll be surprised if we see the sun this morning. I see this toasty weather outside my door isn't being…
The cold front that is putting a big chunk of the country in winter stalled just north of my house yesterday. The cooler air made it as far south as the office before deciding to run back north to more friendly environs. Though this mornings presentation is in the 60's...barely...…