Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Hot and Dry. Very Hot and Dry.


This little clipping came from our extended family member, Sheila. Go here to see what she has helped bring back to life.  Susan swims at the Y a lot and loves the Speedo reference. 

It is funny but then it's not so funny. We are finishing up the 62nd day of this summer with a temperature reading over 100 degrees. We continue to be in what is considered an "Exceptional" drought and no, that's not like in school where it means you are doing well.  We are doing lousy. Our trees are losing leaves, we can tell who has been violating the watering restrictions because their lawns are green instead of brown, and mice are starting to invade people's homes to look for water. The first time we see one we'll be on our way to the Humane Shelter to get a mouser cat. The continual wildfires that break out near Austin make us very nervous because we are on a greenbelt area that is no longer green with a dried up creek.

The saddest part about the drought was what we saw in West Texas on our drive to and from Phoenix. Every year we marvel at the beautiful landscape and always see some sort of blooming roadside plant life. Not this year. No plants were blooming, tall cactus plants were bent over and areas still showed the blackened effects of wildfires. And the scrub trees are turning brown.  In some areas so many trees are turning rust and brown you would swear it was November. We have never seen it this dry.

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