This is Texas Summer

TEXAS HEAT by manewind

I had this coversation with some of my facebook friends back in July...

ME:  Wow...it's 2:41 and ONLY 91 degrees out...no, seriously, this may be the coolest day we've had all summer!

CALIFORNIAN FRIEND:   Getting homesick for living in the shadow of the Mojave?

TEXIFORNIAN FRIEND:  Seriously!!! I know! Aren't we getting close to 30 days in a row of over 100 degrees this summer?!? I am ready for fall! :)

MY MOM (A New England Texifornian):  30 days! Try 60!!! And more of the same next week!

TEXAS FRIEND:  ‎98 here...I almost had to run back in for a jacket earlier :)

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Well, it's been another month of triple digits since then (which I was glad to be out of Texas for half of).   The heat inspired one Texas blogger to make a Texas version of "The Beat Goes On" (The HEAT goes on).  But seems we're finally getting a little relief now (at least here in Waco).  It's been comparatively "nice" the last couple days...and more rain is expected later this week.   

Rockin to the Rain Today!

We had rain today! Here in Texas!  Yeah!

(Even if the shower didn't last as long as this song...

still...we had water...falling from the sky.  It counts!)

To all the folks on the East Coast
...praying for you, and thanks for sending a sprinkle our way.
Hope you all are weathering the storm safely.

Texas Gardening Tip - Zones 7 and 8a

Though it's a horrid time to be gardening right now, if you want to have bush beans this fall now is the time to plant them! In zone 7 and 8a you want to finish planting these by September 1st. In zones 8b and 9 you can plant through early September.   Not sure what you're zone is?  You can find it here. 

I find my info about when to plant in the book Month to Month Gardening in Texas, which I highly recommend, especially if you are new to Texas!  You can also find out when to plant vegetables and herbs HERE. 

Sky Watch Friday - Mountain Moon

I noticed a lot of pictures of the huge moon last week at Sky Watch!  It was  amazing, wasn't it!  Here's mine, taken August 12th on a turn-out on Rim of the World Highway (San Bernardino Mountains).  There were at least 5 other people who stopped to snap pictures while I was taking these, and at least one had a very nice camera...so somewhere out there there are better versions of this.  :-)  

It was really beautiful.  The pictures came out pretty good, but still didn't come close to capturing what it looked like in person. 

2 Question Thursday/Aloha Friday

Vintage Family Vacation by YesterdayCafe

Every now and then I participate in Aloha Friday, where I ask a simple question for you to answer (nothing that requires a lengthy response) and Two Question Thursday (same idea...only TWO questions).

We recently got back from a Vacation with my family in California.  With three boys under 10, a 4 hour flight, and long trips in a rental car, I was very thankful to have a few things with us.  The most useful (other than diapers...diapers are definately useful) were these:

Our iPhone: Direction on google maps, Yelp for finding good restaurants and hotels, and lots of games to keep the kids occupied.  Oh, and if you are visiting San Diego might I recommend the free San Diego Hotels map and the Balboa Park ap you you plan to visit there.

Color Wonder Books:  I bought one book for each of my three boys and they were worth every penny.  They kept them busy for hours on the plane and at my Dad's nursing home, and I didn't have to worry about them coloring the seats.



So anyways, here's my questions today...

• Where have you travelled this summer?
• What are the things you found most useful while traveling?

If you have a blog and would like to post your own questions you can leave your link on the appropriate day at the linkys at 2 Questions Thursday and An Island Life.

This is California

I think I have a better understanding of California since I've left then I ever did when I lived there.  This is California...

1.  A view of mountains through the palm trees.

2.  Shredded beef tacos and churros.

3.  An item with avocado in every restaurant menu.

4.  Graffitti.

5.  Toilet seat covers (seriously...hard to find a bathroom without them in CA.  Not so in TX.). *

6.  Passing through desert, mountains, and oceans in one three hour drive.

7.  Driving "up the hill" and climbing 5,000 feet in elevation (hmm...maybe that's just San Berdo).

8.  Fast paced conversation.

9.  Stucco and red tile roofs.

10.  The stunning beauty of smog induced sunsets.

*I had to add a little extra word about the toilet seat covers.  I remember a time in CA when toilet seat covers were rare...then in the 80s AIDS hit the news and they started showing up everywhere.

Mountain Views

The pictures below show a few of my favorite things about summer in the San Bernardino Mountains where I grew up.  We were blessed to have been able to take a trip back there this August. 

Stopping to look at the view on Rim of the World Highway.

The view from Dad's porch.

 My Old Back Yard

Close up of the red wildflowers growing there.

The Strawberry Peak Fire Tower
Twin Peaks, CA

The view from the Strawberry Peak Fire Tower.

The view coming down the "shortcut" trail
in back of the tower.  Strawberry peak is a gorgeous place to hike.

Wildflowers coming back down the Rim.
(These are beautiful...but the best are when the Yarrow is
blooming...the smell is amazing!)

When I told people here in Texas I was from California, I'd often get asked, "Aren't you happy to be out of there?"...as if it were a place I should have liked to flee from.  I don't think they realized what I'd left. 

 

Back then I was so homesick for these mountains.   I've grown comfortable with Texas now and don't often long for California like I used to...but being in Twin Peaks this past week felt like home in a way that I don't know if Texas ever will.

Throwback Thursdays