Monday Morning Reading

I see from the weather forecast that the Blue Ridge should get a reprieve from the ice box. SE Texas is feeling a lot like a early mountain summer. Foggy morning, low 70's by afternoon.

Leon Hale had a pretty good column yesterday. A look back at the end of the world 70 or so years ago. On his blog this weekend they were discussing the "barred owl concert" at his country place.

Looking through my emails I found this story in the Washington Post. I am surprised that more in the President's Party haven't broken their necks trying to speak out of both sides of there mouths at the same time. E J Dionne makes some good points about the reasons for this administrations fall from "grace" with the American people. And as much as anything that has happened in the past decade this quote is about a succinct as it gets to summing up the disparity in what they say and what they do.

But it's certainly amusing that so many who were eager to throw Clinton out of office for perjury and obstruction of justice when he lied about sex are now livid at Fitzgerald for bringing comparable charges in a controversy over the rationale for war. Do they think sex is more important than war?

Source: E. J. Dionne Jr. - Smearing Like It's 2003 - washingtonpost.com

Time to start that morning commute...fogs a rising and so am I...later

Sunday Morning Muses

You have to love this time of year...Don't you?

Last evening we were running the AC to dry out the house after a week of humidity and temperatures in the upper 70's, something had to give. It did. Luckily, I checked the forecast before going to bed last night and switched the thermostat to the heater side.

Even with the AC side set higher than I like and the Heater side set lower than the wife likes we are eating up the Kwh this year already.

Even the flowers outside can't quite figure this year out. Last week one of my Angel's Trumpets was blooming all over. There must have been over a dozen big white blooms on the plant. Then came the freeze of the last week and all of the blooms shriveled up and hung limp and brown. Then came the week we just had. And the blooms on the plant that hadn't been burned completely...They returned. And this last week, they were joined by the Azaleas around the house. All winter long, there have been a few honeysuckle blooms on the vine in the yard...Not many, but at least a few all winter long.

It seems like a long tradition of weather myths here in the Houston area, but like all myths, there is that kernel of fact that feeds the life of the myth...It rained on the Rodeo Parade. I haven't looked at the records. I am sure they wouldn't bear up to the weight of the myth, but, every time it rains on the Trail Riders it makes the news in Houston. Many years ago (many, many) I made the trip through the parade route in a covered wagon after making many of the overnight camps on the trail (I couldn't ride for a couple of reasons: no horse and school). By best friend's brother was on the ride and we would meet at their campsites each night for a few hours before heading home for school the next day. Then on the last night before the parade we joined the Riders at Memorial Park for the night. The next morning we pulled on our boots and hats and bummed a ride on one of the wagons for the ride through downtown Houston. For some reason, every year at this time, I relive those long gone days...I wonder just what pushes those memories to the surface?



Another of my shots from Friday.

Have a great day, and I'll catch ya'll down the way.