Hope this isn't too presumptious of me to start another topic. If so, please slap my hand gently.

Did you get a good rain in FW? We got at least an inch. I know this because my son left a feed bucket out last night and there was about an inch of rain in it this a.m. Highly scientific measurements. I never saw my rain gauge again after the tornado last month. Big surprise.

You will laugh when I describe my current attire. Baseball cap, swimsuit, socks and boots. It was raining when my husband left for work, and since I had to clean the pool vacuum anyway, I decided to be nice and open the gate for him. No sense in us both getting soaked. It occurred to me that it was stupid to get my clothes drenched, thus, the swimsuit. Baseball cap to keep the rain out of my eyes. Boots because I also had to let the cattle out of their night pen and into the pasture, as well as liberate the chickens and turkeys from the coop, and other assorted chores that have to be done even if its raining. Its funny to tell people about this sort of thing, but I would actually be mortified if anyone ever saw me climbing over fences, etc. dressed like this! We're about 1/4 mile from the road, so I'm fairly safe most of the time.

Commenting on the amount of rain probably seems ludicrous to the Brits, but we are in the 3rd or 4th year of a drought, and every bit of rain is needed to get through the summer. Even now, with the rains we've had, and with the ground being saturated, the water level in the lakes is still way too low for going into the summer. I'm very thankful that my lake is filled to the max. I'll be able to water my stock all summer. Just 2 months ago, we had to extend the fences 30' out into the lake because the level had gotten so low, the cattle were walking in the lake bed around the ends of the fences and I was having a heck of a time keeping everybody where they were supposed to be. My husband and son called it aqua-fencing, as they had to do the last few sections from my son's little pedal boat. It worked though, however, now those extensions would pose a real water hazard for someone in a boat unaware of the fence.

I'll work on trying to post those photos a little later.

Gee, Carolyn why not post a picture of you in your swim suit and get-up.....Yes, we got rain in Arlington but not all that much.....I could go for a lot more.......

Can you believe Carolyn that we had a serious water shortage over here two years ago, talk about mismanagement, goodness knows how we would cope with your droughts, I dread to think.
Oh and by the way, I'm with David on the pic posting. :-)

Hey Maggie, have you seen that below, get Larry onto it right away...

Aghhhhhhhh it's gone now. All Carolyn's posting had repeated below the add message box and had all sorts of numbers in amongst the text...it did, honest.

Terry and David, About the picture you suggested....no way, Jose!

I did have trouble posting the rose bed picture. Kept having to downsize it before it would upload. Hope I didn't foul anything up!

Oh yeh. Its still raining, which is why I've been on the computer a lot today.

Carolyn, A swimsuit at 8 a.m.? What's the temperature down your way? I've been weeding all morning in jeans & a sweatshirt, & my feet feel like lumps of ice. (These are seedling weeds, so I'm not moving my legs much - bad for the circulation.)

Susan, I think it must have been warmer this morning than it is now. I wasn't too cold in the swimsuit and it sure was easier than doing all the stuff I had to do wearing a rain poncho. A lot easier to get the mud off - just hosed myself down. Voila! Clean again!

I sure would like to be your neighbor Carolyn. Sounds like there would never be a dull moment with a window view on you!
And how strange - I told Larry last night that I should start a weather discussion on the forum. So thank you for the helping hand - great minds etc. Everyone feel free to open new subjects. Just choose a 'topic' from the first folder under 'Discussion' to your left. When you click on the topic it will list the previous subjects and also have a button titled 'start new discussion' where you give it a title and intro post. I think I am the only one able to start new "Topics", so if there is one you would like to see added,,, just let me know. Everyone's posts inspire me to add at least 3 a day, but I have been trying to contain myself. But I can be easily swayed ;-)
Here's an overview of what brought on my intention to start a weather topic.... from just the last week's forum weather reports:
UK Terry has had Texas warmth, Ft. W had a day of Carolyn's Hillsboro wind, Gail and Terry can't stand windy days, and now Central Tex is having some all-day UK rain (hooray). All illustrating the very significance of this topic in our garden talk, our lives.
By the way, C, Larry doesn't follow our posts (this is the only page I can manage myself without his help - so far),,, so knowing how much he would enjoy reading about your communing with mud and rain this morning, I was sure to have him read it. He said for me to tell you he would be glad to help you post a pic of you wearing this morning's getup!

Another thought, since you won't model for us and we have to amuse ourselves with our own visualizations ... were those *cowboy* boots?

Hey if Larry needs any help with posting that picture I volunteer......You know I have had a vision of the fantom swim suited cow girl in my mind all day long.....thanks so much Carolyn!

Not fair, guys, how about a vision for the B____ sex?

I would fill in the blank with Better, but will leave it up to your imagination!

OK, I realize this is going to blow everyone's visualization, but the boots were barn boots: tall clunky rubber boots: remember the part I mentioned about slopping through the mud in the cow pen?

O.K. Carolyn, You are starting to dull my visual of the fantom swim suited COWGIRL.....But then again what are you suppose to have on your boots?? but cow crap.....Oh!!!the vision is starting to come back to ME..all over again.........

Larry and I ran into Carolyn at the Herb Festival yesterday, but didn't recognise her with her clothes on.

Bet that was disappointing (not seeing Carolyn, just the fact she was clothed!). Carolyn, now that we ALL have a pix of you in our heads, you shouldn't vary your attire tooooo much!

Tatoo now she has a tatooooooo......Will this ever end??????

Ok, David, here's another one for you and it even includes weather, which is where all this started, I think?
A woman sent this into Reader's Digest. One rainy day, she went down to the cellar to do laundry, saw it had flooded and removed her dress to wade around easier. It had been the only piece of clothing she'd had on, except shoes. The leak was dripping on her head, so she put on her son's football helmet. The gas meter reader came in through the outside hatch, took one look at her and said, "Lady, I don't know who you played, but I sure hope you won." and left.

That is good. This has never happened to me,but when some of my fellow Clockmakers have made service calls to the homes of customers. They ring the door bell and here comes the lady of the house in a robe. She says the clock is around the corner from the front door as they walk around to it...The woman bends down to pick something up of the floor and her robe falls to the floor...She mearly picks it up and puts it back on.....Then asked him how long will it take.......Gee I don't know......maybe a cold shower would help......

I don't believe it! Sounds just like high school boys boasting lies about their dates. Some little boys only get taller & older without growing up. If you don't believe it, ask their wives!

About that weather, what happened to our promised 5 days of rain? As I said, Weather GUESSERS. At least this garden received 1 1/2" of rain last week, instead of none. Now they are guessing we will get some again Thursday. Your club might want to arrange a rain-date after all, just in case, David. Just in case they get lucky and hit it right this time.

Sorry to say we don't do rain days.......

Ft. Worth report...
Yesterday was nearing 100; today it will make it - our first 100 of the year. Remember when that didn't happen until mid-late June. Oh for the good ol days.

I was out there trying to give the pot plants a drink - couldn't take it myself, poor things. We just aren't acclimated to yet!

Here's the 'it' I left out.

What I remember is the year it reached 100 in March for about 3 days! Ugh! Seems ALMOST a blessing this year.

Was that the killer '81, or when?

geez, don't make me remember the year. I just remember how we were all scared when it hit it in March! I'll have to dig up some expert ot remember the year. Someone with a younger, fresher brain than mine!

How about this cold front guys!! My thermometer read 58F this morning and steam was rising off the pool as it does on a cool autumn morning! Lets hope this is an omen of having a bearable summer this year.

Well enjoy it while it lasts!!! It will be a hot one this YEAR I am quite sure......You might have to take a dip in the pool yourself instead of her ladyship........

Looking at David's forecast above, and after Terry's ref to our last monsoons on Gails Gallery page, I thought I would pop up here (hey, on the right topic for a change;-) and just mention that it has been raining at my house almost every day since the Brits left and the temps are mostly in the 80's instead of usual 90-100s. Now the good thing about this is that I don't have to run around quenching pot plants and new plantings every day. The bad news is that all the shrubs already need a 2nd haircut in June instead of Aug-Sept. And the most amazing thing is to see my plants actually growing in June instead of going dormant for the summer! Gosh fellow Texans, this is what its like to garden outside of Hades - so much easier!

I think this is a "weather-related"...or "rain-related" query. I planted a small pot of varigated creeping thyme in a place where it has excellent drainage and bright shade. Looked to be doing well....until yesterday, when I noticed it looked a bit weakish. I'm thinking too much water and not enough sun. Any ideas? It can easily be moved, but if we get out of rain mode and into regular "Summer in Texas" mode, would that kill it?

I have a lavender and a dianthus suffering the same Caro! Those in the beds are doing fine but these two youngins in pots are def complaining, so I have set them into larger clay pots without putting any soil between their rootball and the clay (temporarily) to let them air out and moved them under cover from next monsoon. Even though yours is in the ground -- its the youth of yours and my sickies makes it hard for them to deal with the swamp conditions. Just pop yours up and nurture it till this wet wonderful madness comes to an end. (all too soon for me!) But don't let it get bone dry.

Here's where I have it planted. Between the tree roots sucking up water and the raised planter, you wouldn't think anything would stay damp. It certainly didn't last year. I watered and watered that planter, and everything just got drier and drier.

We get lots of rain in the start of summer here in WV. Remember when leaving potted plants out in the rain, the nutrients will be washed from the soil.

Today's high here is supposed to be 86 and I'm dying of heat exhaustion already. I'd never make a good Texan. Of course we don't have air conditioning, usually don't need it here. But this summer is starting out muggy and hot, instead of our usual crisp days.

Carolyn, Maggie, I have a lavender that I planted about 30 days ago too. It's complaining about so much moisture. Poor thing! I keep talking to it, telling it to wait til next week, it'll be a 100 and no rain within site. (By the way, it said "okay" back to me, but only if I promised it would only be one more week before we had Texas weather.) I told it my promises were soooo good and it could ask anyone of you on that subject.

Right Gail - that's just what I mean about those babies - even if they are root-dry types when grown.
So many drought lovin herbs are so tricky to get going here as babies, cause they dry out so fast (except during these freak rain spells) and folks tend to miss that they need to be kept evenly moist till they sink deep roots and develop more foliage. Then at a mature size, they can tolerate droughts and floods pretty good as long as they have really good drainage and enough sun. Most folks overwater them or underwater them as babies.

But after seeing that pic Carolyn, your problem might be too much shade. Although,,, I do grow 3 kinds of thyme in a lot less sun than the usual recommended "6 hours full sun" - mine get about 3hrs direct sun and bright shade otherwise. But being right under such a big tree, it looks like there would be no direct sun at all in that bed. If that's your herb site, you prob already grow several kinds of herbs that enjoy that kind of shade. If not, I'll list some that have worked for me in low light.

I know what you mean MamaKane about unbearable humidity. We are having some really steamy afternoons this week after each shower. Then some days, a great breeze blows up from the Gulf - blows the soggy air away, making for a nice evening in the garden.
Thank goodness this area is not as constantly humid like it almost always is along the coastal side of Texas - I can work in arid heat a lot easier than heavy humidity. Oh the thought of summertime, where air-conditioning is not so crucial and mornings are "crisp"!
And you are so right about hungry pot plants! Even if rain isn't washing away all their foods, the water hose will. Gail has clued me into the powers of feeding pot plants with worm castings on her organic guide page - its magic stuff! That reminds me Carolyn, you said there were no earthworms in your rose bed - here's a place to mailorder Brown Nose worms for $21.95 + tax, per pound.
Rabbit Hill Farm
288 SW CR 0020
Corsicana TX 75110
This is a family owned business and you can meet Rabbit Hill Farm Man, Jay Mertz at our October plant swap. Till then, give him a call about those wigglies. 903-872-4289
Also, you might want to drop by the Crowley Feed Store near Gail's house for some of his packaged plant foods, when we meet up next week.

Right. You know I'd forgotten Rabbit Hill Farm was in Corsicana.....probably because I'd never been to Corsicana in my life until a couple of weeks ago. I know Jay. Dan and Peggy from Crowley Feed are in the Covington garden club. Thanx for the reminder.

For people in the North Texas area, have you discovered Weather Bug? I think the address is weatherbug.com . If you watch Ch. 5 weather, they always view a school's weather readings for the day. This is the same thing. You choose a monitoring site closest to you, and the temperature is at the bottom of your screen. If there is a weather alert, the temp. flashes and makes a chirping noise. You can access 5-day forecasts, current weather, wind speeds, temps, and 3 different radars. With our crazy weather, its a really good idea, and I'd encourage everyone to check it out. David Finfrock was even nice enough to move the I-35 south marker on the doppler radar because it was situated right over my farm and messing up my view on the radar.

There seems to be a running debate about whether or not the drought that we have been in for the past several years is over now that we have had lots of rain. I asked a learned farmer/rancher friend of mine that question, and thought you would be interested in his response.

"In the old days farmers would talk about having a good bottom. As I
remember that expression it was about the ground being moist all the way
down. Right now I can dig down two feet with my back hoe and hit dry
dirt. So I guess we are still in a drought."

I think he must be right. About 5 years ago, we had so much rain, and I had received a shipment of rose bushes that absolutely had to be planted. The ground was so mushy, I literally shoved the plants into the ground...no digging was necessary or even possible actually. They did amazingly well. The point is that, even with all the rain we've had the last month, we are not even close to the soil being saturated to that extent. So, rather than our drought being over, I think we are experiencing a "break in the drought."

Carolyn,

Reading about the drought brings up so many images of my Grandfather standing on the the front porch of his West Texas farmhouse, staring off to the distance, looking for any sign of rain, day after day , after day, and only seeing dust-devils and clear blue sky. This was in the 1950', when the Southwest suffered a drought that lasted for many years, so many in fact, that at one point he and my Grandmother boarded up their house and moved to the city to find work.

I remember that several of the neighboring farmers lost their farms during this period;
my G'paw was able to return after the drought, only because he had managed to pay the farm off prior to this.

I spent most of my summers on that farm; to me it was a great adventure, on reflection now I realize that it was hard work; very hard work.

Indoor plumbing arrived in th 60's, as did a washing machine. Before that my Grandmother used to wash clothes every week in a large iron pot placed over a fire that she had to build. The clothes were placed into this pot along with a bottle of "Blueing" and then scrubbed by hand on a washboard.

Bathing was a once a week affair; outside in a large metal tub. Water boiled on the indoor kerosene stove was added to give you a warm bath, if you hurried. Water was so precious that the bath water was always shared by the kids, so we would draw straws to see who got the first bath.

The farm is still in my family, though now there is no "farming" done; it is leased out to a cattle rancher for grazing.

Boy did you get me rambling!

Okay, enough

Oh good, its the weekend and he has time to reminisce and ramble on MY forum. Now neither of us will find time to make new pages.

Rambling should be allowed for all. Larry, where in West Texas? Have we talked about this, and I've forgotten...I lived in Lubbock from the 70's on through college. Sonny is from little ole' Memphis, Texas.

As far as the drought, I heard via weather guys, we're still VERY short before we get caught up. Maybe this week. I hope we do get caught up. Not only does everything look better, I won't have to cringe everytime I hear a grass fire has started. I know that supposedly "it's good" for the prairie but I still hate it when they start saying hundreds of acres have been burned.

Good ramble there Larry, brought back memories of the tin bath in front of the fire at my grandparents in the 50's.

Larry, what interesting reflections. I had no idea that rural electric didn't get to West Texas until the 60's. Your poor grandmother! What back-breaking work! I thoroughly enjoyed your story.

It has become habit to pick on each other here lately, so now I will begin my penance ... I really was pleased to see Lars share that with you guys too - and really enjoyed seeing your responses. I've heard lots of great stories from Lars summer trips to the farm. Maybe he'll share more of them with us if I'm nicer :-)

Maggie, we knew you were giving him a hard time. Afterall, I still say we should LIMIT the spouses on topics so a certain one doesn't see all MY ramblings.

I can actually provide a hidden thread Gail, for us scheming gardeners, but ya know Lars would crack it and tell Sonny what you and I were up to anyway. ;-)

Carolyn, I love that term 'a good bottom' that your learned friend used. It is a condition that determines whether or not I will dig in the
garden after a rain and its been a long time since it has happened. As of today, there are some lower beds that now, finally have 'a good
bottom' and I will gladly leave them alone for a while!

Terry and Mama Kane have asked how we can stand to garden (or live?) in 100F summer weather. I have a couple of answers:
air-conditioning indoors and a swimming pool outside. Otherwise, I know I could never tend a garden through the summers here. But
even without a pool to cool down the blood, I always recommend to others: keep your shirt wet! Evaporation is air conditioning - a wet
shirts adjuncts our cooling glands - ok, I'll say it, sweat.

About the weather bug site C, I had a look there and it appears to be a great thing, but am wondering if you have had annoying junk
mail from having downloaded and receiving a cookie thing?
And, I'm not surprised to hear you had David Finfrock move the radar thingie. What a 'Can-do Woman'!

Maybe I should post this in the Rant topic, but just had to gripe about it somewhere. While we were in a parking lot yesterday, the temperature there registered 113. Now that's disgusting.

I heard on a weather report that if we don't get any by Sunday, that it will break the all-time record of longest stretch yet, without rain. Usually we've had the tail end of a hurricane or two by now, to bring in some summer showers, but it doesn't look like Debbie is going to get close enough - fortunately for Florida thou, I'm sure. My Rain Lilies haven't even made foliage yet, never mind blooms!!!

Carolyn, are you south-enough to get some of what they described as 'showers possible, South of the Metroplex'? Hope so,,, hope they called it right this time.

No rain here. I've lost count, but I think we are around 69-70 days without any measureable rain. A couple of times we have had sprinkles, but just enough to turn the dust on the vehicles into ick, and it evaporated on the concrete as soon as it hit. I am trying to keep the lawn alive, but for some reason, it actually looks worse when I water it.

Today, at 8:30 a.m., the sky is clear, it looks like the wind is picking up....which means it will feel like a blast furnace in a few hours.

It was a hot wind today, wasn't it? I know it's awful to pray for a hurricane but I think it's the only way we're going to get any moisture! The rain dances are working. Is it just me -- I get soooo apathetic about gardening when it's been this dry for this long. Every August for the past three years, I've sworn we're going to move to an apartment where I won't have wilting flowers and dry grass out my windows.

I know of the perfect pet for you if you do move to an apartment ;-). Hang in there Gail, our longgggg Texas autumn gardens make up for these Hades summers.

The nerve of those Brits baiting us with rain stories. When is YOUR first expected frost date Mates ? heehee

L

It was 101 when we started evening chores tonite. With 57% humidity. That should about say it all!

Init fun Caro! Hang in there, I can hear Oct. on the way.
But Lars gave up on waiting for rain and went to where there was lots a water. He’s now on his way back from the Gulf and I’m wondering how we are going to get 3 ft. long fishies into the freezer compartment. Provided it will all fit once cleaned, I would just love to share it with you uns. E me if you would like to come get some really fresh mackerel, red fish, sea trout,,, they threw the sharks back.
(the guts and stuff are already spoken for by my garden!)

Maybe I should really put this under my critters-in-the-garden thread, since pieces of them will be living in my garden now ;-)

Just to update everyone on our horrendous weather. By 1:00 it was 111 degrees. It will likely pick up another few degrees yet this afternoon. Robs and I are checking animals and their water supplies every hour. He takes the dog down to the lake for a swim every hour as well. I just checked and the heat index is 120 degrees. This is beyond belief!

You should round up ALL the animals and herd them to the water. It's the only way we're all going to survive this weekend. Or you could just leave town like I am! It's suppose to be all the way down to 98 degrees in the panhandle where I'm headed. Break out my sweater weather! ha!

Know I know where those morning clouds came from. My swimming pool is empty.

A cold front moved in last night. It was still below 80F by 8am. Felt like heaven!!!!!

Who would have ever thought that a high of 97 would seem cool and comfortable???? Jeez!!! Are we desperate or what???

My barn kitties were going crazy in the cool morning air. They were dashing here and there and pouncing on air. The pigs were out rooting around instead of slugging away in their mud waller. The poultry were all running around chasing grasshoppers. All the animals were invigorated.

I, on the other hand, just sat on the porch with my cup of java and soaked up the cool air.

In the city, there were more cars on the road as if everyone felt it was suddenly safe to venture out! Larry said that everywhere he went, everyone was in such a good mood, even in mid-afternoon. Whenever I walked out of airconditioning, it was such a shock to breathe in air that didn't seem to scorch the innards. Felt like there was more oxygen in the air. Yes, amazing isn't it that 95-97 can feel so good and so cool! And they promise us no more 100s for the rest of the week, knock wood.

We had a frost warning 2 nights ago. But it only got down to 40 degrees. I was tempted to turn the stove on come morning. It has warmed up today, but nothing like your weather. I would definitely wilt in TX!

Take care and stay cool!

Hi MK! So glad you dropped in and I LOVED hearing about your season-changing there. I enjoyed imagining the anticipation it brings, how your daily-routines are adjusting and about the new autumn scenery in those beautiful scapes around your Va farm. Such cozy thoughts. xoxox

Oh Mamakane! Frost warning! Its just a bit after noon here and 92 degrees, which seems quite pleasant after the horrendous heat we've had. However, working outside like I was just doing, eventually you realize that you can't kid yourself...its hot.

I'm curious. Do you adjust your am and pm chores to the daylight hours? My animals get their evening feed about 9:00 pm in the summer, but I've noticed that we are feeding them earlier and earlier.

Yes, we adjust feed times according to the daylight. The animals seem to do it automatically too. I'm really glad that feed time is now about 7:30 instead of the 9 pm - that was past my natural bedtime.

I'm now taking a flashlight with me to find the eggs on my way in at night. (The new hens are laying!) Our pet deer have adjusted to the shorter days too. After a couple of nights scaring them with the flash, they now know it signals food.

Carolyn, do your animals start to eat more this time of year? Here, even on the warm days, they seem to be out grazing much more - as if they want to get all the grass they can before it dies back. And I can always tell the cold weather is near, Kristy's belly is getting fuzzy, almost overnight.

I don't think my animals have started storing up for the winter yet. The poultry have at least finished molting, which is nice. We had feathers everywhere! Its still too hot for the donkeys to start getting their winter coat. You are right though. As soon as the weather cools off, the animals "will" start eating more.

I'm glad to know other people adjust their feeding schedule to the daylight hours. The hardest part was at the old farm when I was milking. That had to be done 12 hours apart. Period. Light or dark; rain, sleet, snow, or fair. Now, that was a pain!

Just picking up on the extra feed thing. My finches being small need lots of fuel to keep warm. They eat about four times as much seed in the winter months as in the summer ones.
Our hens always amaze me, they tend to stop laying sometime in October/November, but then start again about the second week in January, now that is what you call daylight sensitive.
Hope you are reading Mama Kanes post, Maggie, and noting what is a sensible time to hit the sack. J
Saw Susan's large one and couldn't resist.

Terry, my poultry supplier says grains heat up the chickens. He told me not to feed it to them in the summer or they would quit laying eggs. I feed it to them, and they quit laying eggs, but all the other feeds have junk in them that I don't want my chickens to ingest. Like antibiotics! I feed my pigs corn rather than hog chow. The reason? Hog chow has steroids in it. Ever wonder why all the 4 month old hogs at the county fairs weigh 300 lbs? Now you know the rest of the story....

I don't have any poultry contributions Guys, since Caro talked me out of peacocks ;-) but I do get up with the birds most days TERRY! So much garden, so little day light! So much site, so little night :-) And speaking of night and Alaskan latitude (in clematis thread), I seem to remember it getting dark in the North of England around 4 pm in the dead of winter - yes Terry?

Yes Maggie, and not light untill 8 am, don't remind me. L

Yes, but aren't the sunsets and sunrises a *little* bit of a 'silver lining' to help make up for it? I've never seen the sun so big on the horizon as I did there. Powerful stuff. No wonder I'm so blind now ;-)

OKAY, here is the ultimate "how hot it is here" from one of those forwarded emails with no author credited. Thanks for passing it on David - this is THE BEST!

IT'S SO HOT IN TEXAS THAT...

1. The birds have to use pot holders to pull worms out of the ground.

2. The potatoes cook underground, and all you have to do to have lunch is to pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper.

3. Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying hard-boiled eggs.

4. The cows are giving evaporated milk.

5. The trees are whistling for the dogs.

6. A sad Texan once prayed, "I wish it would rain - not so much for me, cuz I've seen it - but for my 7-year-old."

7. A visitor to Texas once asked, "Does it ever rain out here?" A rancher quickly answered "Yes, it does. Do you remember that part in the Bible where it rained for 40 days and 40 nights?" The visitor replied, Yes, I'm familiar with Noah's flood." "Well," the rancher puffed up, "we got about two and a half inches of that."

8. You no longer associate bridges (or rivers) with water.

9. You can say 110 degrees without fainting.

10. You eat hot chiles to cool your mouth off.

11. You can make instant sun tea.

12. You learn that a seat belt makes a pretty good branding iron.

13. The temperature drops below 95, you feel a bit chilly.

14. You discover that in July, it takes only 2 fingers to drive your car.

15. You discover that you can get a sunburn through your car window.

16. You notice the best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.

17. Hot water now comes out of both taps.

18. It's noon in July, kids are on summer vacation, and not one person is out on the streets.

19. You actually burn your hand opening the car door.

20. You break a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m.

21. No one would dream of putting vinyl upholstery in a car or not having air conditioning.

22. Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"

23. You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.

Not a bad one amongst em, but I love "the trees whistling for the dogs".
That stuff from the Bible, 40 days and 40 nights, if only that was all we got, and yet if we get two weeks without rain we are threatened with a hosepipe ban.

Weren't they great!!
Yesterday's 102 was a record-breaker, the hottest its been on a Sept 11 since 1945. We broke a lot of records this summer and many of them were from 1950 when my mother had just come over here from a life of cool temps w/ rain. I have thought a lot of her this summer - with 3 little kids and no airconditioning in weather like this. What with culture shock, new mother shock and language barrier on top of the heat, she must have had a wonderful time.

Hooray!! We got about a half inch of rain yesterday, and the current temp is 73 deg. and its sprinkling. Surely hope we are in for a change of weather and that this is not just a freak of nature.

Pooh, we didn't get any, but a friend got some yesterday. She lives only 5 min away, but WE DIDN'T GET ANY OF IT ! :-((((
Here's an example of what this extra-hot summer has done. The a/c exhaust was soooo hot that:

It has never done that before.

Y I P P E E! R A I N !!!

The temp started out this a.m. at 89 degrees. It is now 61 degrees. Double yippee!!

45 last night and steam is rolling off the pool. I think its finally safe to say the 100's are gone for good!!!
We only got 1/8" rain Sunday, but at least it broke the 85 day streak of no rain here. Hope you had more than that at your place Caro.

We got over an inch. I actually had to bring in a few plants night before last. Steam is rising off my pool too. Ain't it great!!

wait, wait. How'd I miss that much rain in between you two!? I got about 1/4". The steam is rising off my head!

Texas Weather! Looks like we are in for another drastic change. At 1:19 p.m., the current temp is 89 degrees. Supposedly the low temperature tomorrow is to be in the 40's. About a 50 degree difference. There is also a 70% chance of rain the next couple of days, and strong north winds. Interesting, eh?

Preparing for weather changes is one of the more interesting parts of farming. Fortunately, the only animals at all vulnerable to the weather are the poultry. Robert and I have devised a method of weather-proofing their mobile cages, but it does involve a little work. Suffice it to say, we found a use for those old windows that were replaced.

I picked up a truck load of "feed bread" today. For $20 I can fill up the back of my truck with old but not moldy bread, which my animals feast on for a couple of weeks in addition to their grain. We have plenty of feed and the waterers are all full. So, the animals are pretty well set for a bit of rough weather.

My attention turns to my plants. I think I have about 6 plants that I'll cover up to protect them from wind and cold. I'll take the hanging baskets from the porches to the new sunroom J, and I think that will about do it. So glad we are not having an early freeze. I'd hate to have to frantically dig up plants this afternoon, although it has happened before.

That's it for the update on Texas weather. I'll let you know how it all turns out.

Yes, here we go again... inbetween the seasons its a rollercoast of climates, from day to day or hour to hour. Poor ol gardens, its so hard on the plants.
We didn't see any rain here last night. My garden seems to have gotten the same as the DFW official count - .17 of an inch in over 90 days. Now that we will get some, it will come in with an Artic Blast.

Thought of you Terry, when reading a note from cousin C in Sussex. Even down there on the Southern coast, they too are having a miserable cold wet early winter. Then I realized she had written it from Menorca - just as the wise will jump a sinking ship ;-)

Now I remember what it's like to enjoy the garden! Been mucking around, staying on the pathways (so as not to compact soil) and reaching in to pull weeds and clip perennials. Love the natural rainwater shower I've gotten. My roses are appreciating the rain and temps too!

Had a couple of good and dry ones' although it did rain during the night. Trouble is sun is sinking low so the back garden hardly sees it.

Well, I hope everyone in North Central Texas has the hatches battened down. For those of you fortunate enough to live elsewhere, after having no rain to speak of in 5 or 6 months, there is a front moving in, and we are now under flash flood and tornado watches, including warnings of 2" hail. We just finished putting the plants on the sunporch and the vehicles in the garage. We've tried to secure everything we can outside, but there is only so much you can do. Hopefully, we will just get a lot of rain. However, it seems just when my garden starts looking great.......

We had about an inch with the roof still in tact. Hooray

Oops, just checked the guage - make that 2". Double hooray!

Great that you got so much rain, Maggie! Glad you didn't get any other heavy weather. The whole thing almost missed us. We got about 1/2" of rain, and not until 1:30 a.m. or was it 2:30?? I'm confused with the time change....anyway, it was in the early morning hours.

We've been through so many devastating hail storms and tornados, that I am almost superstitious about thinking how nice things look in the garden. I had reconciled myself last night to waking up to devastation this morning. So glad it didn't happen.

We had rain of biblical proportions last night (as we say around here "it was stair rodding it down") with winds of around 90mph. The rain was actually coming down the chimney! I have not checked out the entire garden yet but a door was ripped off my mini greenhouse at the side of the house.

I am heartsick to think.

You don't usually have storms of such intensity do you, Nicola? Hope you didn't have too much damage, although with 90mph winds, its a miracle if you don't.

I don't know, you Southern softies, up North we would call that a breeze and a light shower.

Just kidding Nicola, I know you caught it pretty bad down there. We had strong winds and heavy rain, nowhere near as bad as yours, but it did put an abrupt end to the autumn foliage display.

Gosh, I'm hoping it wasn't as bad as that killer storm that hit So England in the late 80's. Centuries-year-old trees ripped up by the roots and other horrendous damage to was done to ancient gardens. Am I hallucinating or is all this endoftheworld kind of weather new to the UK? I knew mostly civilized rains (and a lot more of them than now) around the London area - seldom ever thunder and lightning. Do you agree? I know the summers are much hotter now too, which must be bringing on the more violent storms.
I'm still panging for your garden Nicola and hoping all is righting itself by now. oxoxoxo

About thirty rivers have been on flood alert for three days. Many people have had to leave their homes due to impending floods or because they are already under water. These things are not as unusual as you may think Maggie, and what's this about warmer summers? I must have blinked and missed that one.

I said *south* England Terry ;-) All my visits in the 90's saw temps in the 90's. In the dark ages, we were always hoping the outdoor swimming pool water would get warmer than 62F, cause it felt so much better at 63. My friends and rellies concur too.

How did I miss those "It's so hot in TX that ..." back in September. They were great! Would apply to when we lived in GA too.

See what you get for calling us southern softies…York is flooded!
All the lovely red leaves from my Acer griseum are scattered all over the garden, it looked so beautiful as well.

York always floods, Nicola, there is a pub on the river bank as you enter the city, that has become famous because it gets flooded so often.
It went dark here at 2.30pm today, again due to the thickness and darkness of the cloud cover.

Oh the thought of that kind of heat along with the GA humidity, whew.

So, the Dark Ages continue, Terry

It couldn't have been as bad a storm as we worried, what with Nicola only whinging about the pretty leaves. ;-)

A bonus when there is a little break in the rain.

The formatting codes won't allow me to write as BIG a smile as is on my face.

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Would you believe it, we have now had so much rain that one of my ponds has almost dried up.

The ground is so full of water that the pressure has forced up the liner complete with 3 inches of mud and all the plants. I placed a bag of sand on on the liner to try to push it back down but it didn't budge. We have even heavier rain forecast for tomorrow and now even some of the roads in surrounding areas are cut off due to flooding. The stream just outside my fence is in full flow, never seen it this high before, another couple of inches and it will be into the bottom of my garden. Luckily it would then have to rise another four feet to reach even the lower section where my ponds and sheds are, and to do that it would need at least 100 times the volume of water.

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WOW! Stay on high ground, Terry.

This is scary, but love your watery borders :-)
With that menageri, get some ark plans, fast!

Maggie, did you lug in all your babies in prep for tonight's weather? Possibility of sleet! My parents called from Lubbock and said it looks like Christmas out their front door. About 6 inches of snow. It's been a long time since they've gotten snow this early in the season. Usually it has the decency to wait until I start driving to see them for Christmas!

Let's hope it gets the white stuff out of its system before you hit the road this time Gail! I did manage to get the greenhouse cleared up enough to tuck in potted tenders, but still didn't dig up a few things that need potting for tucking in yet. My window thermometer was reading only 38 at 5am, so maybe they will get a reprieve this time.

See Terry, this state is so big that we often have 4 or 5 climates going on at once! How's your inverted pond doing? And is the crik still rising?

Pond is back as it should be, stream is still high, but not as high as when it peaked. Still more heavy rain forecast though, you wouldn't think that rain would hurt a pond. I believe what is happening is that the lower larger pond is trapping the water in the ground above it. As I type this the sun has just come out, but the shafts of light are way above my back garden at this time and month of the year. It is lighting up the trees in the distance though, and they are glowing gold and green.

That delicious description makes me wonder .... is the rainbow scene in above pic the view from your back garden Terry?

Now that I'm heading into winter here in WV are you Texans getting any fall weather. (I assume the sleet and snow are not the norm for you this time of year)

Still lots of rain Mamakane with a touch of sleet in my area, which is not too unseasonal. There's a chance of actually hitting 32 tonight, but still no fall foliage. Hope we don't miss it out on it this year. Are you in a winter wonderland yet?

Sleet! How awful. I think of it as being much warmer there still.

Snow showers expected here the next couple of nights. But very little accumulation. Sure feels cold enough. Will be in the 20's tonight with a stiff breeze. The littlest lambs are in the barn!

It sounds like Christmas comes early for you mamakane especially with "the littlest lambs are in the barn". Hope you will be posting some of those snowy scenes for us.

Snow didn't amount to more than a dusting. I seem to take more pictures of the snow when it comes than I do the fall colors, so I'm sure I'll have some to share.

Have you tested the digital camera on snow scenes mamakane? We didn't get any last winter so it will be a first for me when it comes this winter.

I personally look forward to you two getting snowed in - so we can see the pics :-)

but, we might beat you to it... this wkends weather forecast has promised a good chance of snow for n e Texas

suddenly I can't make exclamation marks and the shift button won't work on about half the keys. now if i just knew someone who could fix it...

We just got our camera this year also, so haven't taken any snow shots yet. I was worried about taking it from the warm house to the cold outside. Didn't know if it would work or not. But tried it with the cold frosty morning last month and out of 5 or 6 floppies only 1 had a distorted picture. Camera still works too.

Our weather is calling for cold temps the rest of the week - daytime highs in the 30's. Possible snow showers are predicted, but we shouldn't have any accumulation, so Maggie will have to supply us with snow pics.

Hi guys! As Maggie indicated we are supposed to have a "winter storm" starting tomorrow. For once, my husband is off work on the day we need winterizing done. Good thing too. I have a club meeting this p.m. and a banquet tonight, so don't have time to take care of all the things here that need to be done. Looks like we will all be experimenting with snow pics on our digitals.

Promises, promises,,, I spent yesterday draggin in garden art, empty water caches, cramming too much into the greenhouse, covering green things I can't yet bear to say goodbye to yet - hours of maternal fussing and all for nought.

On the picie front, this is the best I can do. Its not from today, and wasn't even a digi.... Leaning out my study window last Jan

That's more than we got Maggie. Snow free last winter, can you believe it.

Well, I've been sitting in the house by the fire watching it snow today. Haven't braved the 8 degree windchill to take any pics though. Supposed to have 5 inches by tomorrow evening, so should be plenty of time to get some pics.

All the sheep have been hiding in the open barn today. The littlest lambs have stayed locked in the warmer side of the barn all day. Haven't seen the chickens out and about either. Hope the eggs aren't frozen this evening.

Time to go brave the cold and feed all the animals. Tomorrow morning will be a morning of cracking ice on the livestock buckets.

Stay warm!

Brrrr it would be hard for me to leave that hearth MamaKane!
Here's the only white stuff in my garden right now

Strange the paperwhites are blooming early this year. It usually shows up in Dec

Makes me feel a few degrees cooler just sitting here reading.
That surely can't be a fern in Texas, Maggie? As you probably know paperwhites are indoors only over here.

Maggie, So much green, and pretty blooms in a December garden! I'm happy to see the ragged yarrow and lamb's ear when the snow melts back.

That must be the toughest fern possible Terry. It has lived here for years, through our hot droughts, even before the sprinkler system was installed this spring. Known as 'Wood Fern' locally and native to N America. And the paper whites are so acclimated here that they outlive old homesteads - still remaining near rock chimneys of bygone farm houses.

Our long autumns really do make up for those miserable summers MamaKane. Imagine, I'm still bringing in rose bouquets! And I forgot - the paperwhites aren't the only white around right now.. there are also some nice clumps of the daisy mum that I used in the new Nov Come Stroll bouquet too, plus Iceberg roses and alyssum elsewhere. Also check out the pic of my lamb's ear below the rose bed in the comestroll. It so much prefers this weather over our summer temps - so much so, that this is a good time to transplant it here. The yarrow and lamb's ear make nice 'evergreen' edgings in this climate, but it so interesting to hear that they retain their foliage through your weather too!

Well we're having some of those drastic weather changes. Last week the windchill was 8 degrees with snow blowing. Today is in the 40's and partly cloudy. That was warm enough to work in the flower beds and yard a bit before lunch.

I never did get any pictures of our snow last week - it was just too cold to go out. But here's one from one of our early snows last year.

I guess the 40's feel real warm after that 8 degrees windchill! We rollercoast like that too MK, but not as severely and usually have a lot more sunny winter days than freezing ones down here. We've had lots of gray skies and rain this Nov, but this week is meant to be sunny and around 60, hurray! perfect gardening days!
What IS that brave soul blooming in the snow?!?!

Bragging here too about the weather, high 50's and it feels just like summer only drier. J

Maggie, that's Calendula - it doesn't usually bloom that well in the snow. But will stay green up against the warm side of the house with an ocassional bloom.

So much for working in the yard. Temps are supposed to drop during the day tomorrow with snow that night and the next day - little or no accumulation.

Love those babies MK - they are only winter 'annuals' around here - croaking in the heat. The nurseries usually stock them in spring -much too early. Wish the growers would time them for fall retailing so we could enjoy them longer. Course a fall seed sowing would do it if we could get around to everything we wanted to ;-)

Glad to hear you are finally having some dry ground and clear skies Terry! Summer in Nov - so funny. Maybe your seasons are doing a topsy turvy like ours do occasionally. It is spooky when that happens.

Your snowy flower pic has reminded me of an old one of mine MK - think its from the mid 90's - can't read the date numbers. She is 'Angel Face'

Mother nature can be amazing!

We just had a thunderstorm -- with SNOW instead of rain!



You can't here the thunder but here is the snow.

The thunder-snowstorm is over. We didn't have a rainbow, but close.

Gosh MK! That's awesome. I've never heard of a thundersnowstorm. Your digi did just fine with the snow pic, didn't it? The "after" photo is beautiful as well, with the trees nicely dusted.

Masterpieces! Absolutely Amazing Beauty!
There you are in winter and my neighborhoods trees just now turned autumn, only this week.

Last year I noted how it thundered during a winter downpour which was likewise unusual – after which the rain turned to brief spells of sleet and snow. But lightening during a snowstorm - really bizarre! Anyone else seen that before?

Here is my snow picture Maggie. I'll be waiting for your fall pictures! Then I can make believe it's warm here too - it was 6 degrees here this morning.



Want more snow pictures? snow pages

This wasn't the best of snow, so when we get a real snow on the ground I'll be changing these pictures for something prettier and whiter.

MK this is so pretty. I'm headed for your snow pages right now.

Love that pink sky over the smokey trees mk. The one of the house is real Christmas card stuff.

Look what I missed while I was away! You guys have been having fun without me! Love the snow pixes. We so rarely have any. My ground is covered in yellow and red and orange leaves this week. Suddenly this week EVERY tree in my yard decided the season had changed. Silly things. Anyone want to rake? There's at least 3 good compost piles sitting atop my ground.

That's exactly what I was thinking too Terry!

Missed you Gail xoxoxox Rake?? I leave them to be mowed up for the compost - hopefully this wkend. And btw Gail,,,This is the time to be glad you are without a swimming pool. Raking is nothin compared to chasing sunken leaves from a 9 ft. depth!
Our house seems to be in a little pocket amongst the hills of this neighborhood. Driving around town, I have noticed how other areas trees had dropped their leaves before ours this year.
I didn't catch this scene at the prime time, but still...in front of our house...
The red oak is much redder now, but the middle mulberry and back maple are not as good as they were then.

I missed catching pic my baby Japanese maples in its red frock, but here's the young dogwood and magnolia in the back.

Oh, and look,,, how the espl pear recovered from its a/c burn in the summer pic above. New leaves on the right have replaced the crispy black ones and are out of season-sync with the others!

The green stuff on the left is rose cane that needs to be tied elsewhere - next time I have out the tall ladder.. one of my many roundtoits, waiting to happen.

I like the arched branches on the pear, Maggie, never seen one done that way before. You sure that you're not somewhere in England pretending to be in Texas?

Thanks for the fall pics Maggie! Sitting here with snow all around outside, I can vaguely remember when we had a color other than white.

I have always admired the espl pear in all your pictures. It is especially pretty with it's fall colors. You have done a wonderful job with it.

Good morning! Bet your morning conversation didn't sound like ours.

As hubby was going out the door to work (to brush the snow off the van) I told him this morning was not too bad it had warmed up some.

His response: "it's 22 degrees". Now we were not being sarcastic - it was all said in earnest - it has warmed up some. ):

Terry - :-0 what a funny thought - but these days it could be done in this weird web world!

And here I am dreading next weeks forecast when its expected to drop into the 20s Tuesday night! We are so spoiled - our Dec is often so pleasant. Jan maybe Feb brings the icy stuff to Tex. Which is usually the coldest month in W Virginia, MK?

Probably Jan and Feb also. In MD it was Jan also.

I didn't want to mislead you about our weather here in WV so will post a quick note to let you know we had a beautiful day yesterday - in the upper 40's for a few hours in the middle of the day. I turned the heat low and opened the doors for a bit while I was going in and out washing a window or 2.

Got up this morning and saw snow coming down though. It's supposed to rain, maybe it will warm up some this afternoon. But I would still rather have the snow.

Both England and some of Texas received a white wash today, but it missed Ft. Worth completely :-( If its going to be too cold and muddy to garden, a beautiful snow sure helps make up for it. I have been so spoiled these last 2 mild winters, when it was sunny and dry enough to garden, almost every time I had the urge and the chance to. I'm getting gardening-deprived cabin fever already. The evergreens need a haircut and I would like to clear the other terraced bed and put in some more pansies. Since we seem to have had Jan weather in Dec, let's hope we get a lot of nice sunny days in the 50's in Jan - what our Dec is Supposed to be!

I'm starting to feel the cold here in WV now. And I should be used to it. We're all bundling up against the cold best we can.


All dressed up and nowhere to go.


Lucy Goose is trying to set eggs already.

And here's the creek that I shared a pic of a couple of weeks ago - iced and snowed over now.

brrrrrrrr

Take care and stay warm!

I'm starting to feel the cold here in WV now. And I should be used to it. We're all bundling up against the cold best we can.


All dressed up and nowhere to go.


Lucy Goose is trying to set eggs already.

And here's the creek that I shared a pic of a couple of weeks ago - iced and snowed over now.

brrrrrrrr

Take care and stay warm!

MK, Christy looks nice and cozy in her blanket. As we discussed earlier, our geese here are laying eggs as well. Which for you non-farmers, is about a month early. Where are you getting the water for the animals now that the creek is frozen MK?

I'm with you on this weather, Maggie. Its been swell, but enough already. Time for "Texas Winter", meaning nice weather.

We had enough snow the other day to cover the ground, but within 4 miles of my farm in every direction they had 4 to 6" of snow. Here's my snow pic, which is pitiful compared to MK's pics, but...well....lack of photographic skill and lack of snow....


I think we were still getting rain while our neighbors were getting snow. Which is really ok, as the lake is full once again, so I can go into the new year knowing I'll have enough water to get through next summer. You think about things a little differently when you are a farmer. J

Lucy goose looks pretty cosy too in all that straw. Carolyn's picture just goes to show that snow looks just as cold in Texas as anywhere else.

Carolyn, Terry is right, your snow looks just as cold as mine. Probably feels even colder to you. My pictures are run of the mill for WV. Yours are unique for TX!

I'm thinking flood when our snow melts this year. Sure hope we can have a week of gentle warming when the time comes.

I have a little hole chopped through the ice that I keep open - about 2 feet by 1 1/2 feet. I can fill buckets there, and the sheep will go down to drink. The wild birds appreciate the opening too.

Loved seeing those pics guys, thanks! Nice to know dear Kristy is cozy covered. Strange that both your ducks are laying now MK and C, is this in sync with ducks in the wild? - for the chicks to be born in winter?

Lucy Goose's eggs are freezing solid and cracking open, so I doubt that anything is going to hatch in the wild here. She's just an eager beaver this year.

Carolyn, looking through the pictures on the forum here again - what I find so striking about your picture is the size of your "spread". It just looks to go on forever. Guess what they say about things in TX being bigger are true. Like the cat Maggie just posted a picture of!

We are on a hill in a valley. At the top of the hill on the other sides of the valley is table-top flat cropland. So pics taken from the house and yard probably give the impression of the land going on forever. Which it does.

The past few days I've had a deal going with the "boys." I get the feed ready, and they do the feeding. I've been a bit wimpy about the cold. So, natch, they didn't bring in the eggs. Fully expect to find the remains of exploded eggs when I "do" go out today. Looks like the sun is finally coming out, so its a sure thing, I will too.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! It's 32 degrees outside right now and not supposed to get much warmer 'til tomorrow. We woke up to a phone call from Kenny's mama: "Guess what?! It's snowing here!"
I bought both Hubby and the ranch hand insulated coveralls a while back and conveniently didn't find any that fit me ;-). And if that's not enough insurance to keep weenie-me in the house on days like today, I've honed my cooking skills and gotten great at timing things just right so that something always smells GREAT when they come in from the cold. Now, when we come in on the days I do go out with them, they seem downhearted that there's nothing cooking. Tee-hee! I'd better go stoke the fire and get started on that loaf of bread so it'll be baking at just the right time...

Hmmmmm I can smell that bread baking already. I could just eat scrambled eggs on toast and as the eggs are already scrambled......now there's just the problem of a few thousand miles to overcome.

I'm with you Terry, and I sure could have used one of those thermo suits myself today too, WN. When the paper said they were sending someone out to do a photo tomorrow morning, I got real inspired to 'go tidy' the area, regardless of the 32F temperature. Ten frozen toes later (even with insulated boots), I decided that that's what I get for whining about not having been able to garden for all these cold days.

Wouldn't you know it, the area in question is line with where I stash my empty nursery pots, compost milk cartons and other assorted junk. When everything's in leaf, it doesn't show. When no one else is in the garden, I don't see it. But when expecting a visitor, esp one with camera in hand, its just like the house - suddenly all those nasty things we live in denial with, suddenly raise their ugly heads bigger than life. I would have let you stay inside MY house too WN, instead helping out, if it meant warm smelling foods for me to return too - VERY CLEVER strategy, oh Wise Woman! Surely NOTHING makes the mouth water more than bread in the oven!!

Were you serious about 'stoking the fire'? Since you guys are in the fire wood business, I'm wondering if you really do use a wood-burning oven???

Nope, I'm not THAT much of a bohemian! ;-) I was serious about stoking the fire, but I was referring to the fire in the wood stove heater, our only source of heat. We do have my grandma's small wood-burning cooking oven, but it's in the hay barn storage room at the moment. We plan to put it in the house one of these days as a conversation piece and maybe to use once in a while, but it'll have to wait 'til we add on to the house and have more room.
Speaking of ugly things rearing their heads in the garden, Maggie, you haven't lived until you wake up one morning to find cows happily munching right in the middle of the bean patch, only raising their heads to look at Kenny running out there in his undershorts, gun in hand, screaming, "I'm gong to shoot those $%#&*@s and they'd BETTER taste like corn!!!" That was a fun gardening year ~ fresh beef goes quite well with cream corn and mashed potatoes.
Terry, homemade bread makes the BEST toast and Egg-in-the-Holes! I'd send you a loaf but according to the USPS website, it'd take three days (and cost $26.50!). By then, it'd be hard due to lack of preservatives. I can send you the recipe if you or Christine would like to try your hand at bread baking. I find kneading the dough to be therapeutic ~ better to smack that dough than Hubby. ;-)

Bread making would be a good idea, if one was kneading therapy WN. teehee

Using a log fire as your only heat source nowadays, is a bit eccentric - and to me, very romantic! Now don't anyone go telling me the negative side of it, and ruining my happy thoughts of living by an open flame everyday. ;-) Bet your sales are really up this year WN. Our pile of fire wood had been sitting there untouched thru these last 2 warm years - up 'til this last month that is.

Egg in the hole - is that where you tear out the center of a slice, slap it in pan of melted butter, crack the egg into the hole? yummmmm
Callie's friends always enjoyed coming home from school with her, when I had a loaf in the oven - all except one guy. I eventually found out why he hated the smell. He used to work in a pizza place! Longer ago than that, I had neighbor who made bread with a potato starter. Such a diff taste than yeast riser and with half wheat and half white flour,,, ambrosia!
You guys have to realize I haven't been able to eat wheat for a long time. This is torture! Gotta go find a drool bag.

Christine has made bread before, Wingnut, but it was a long time ago. I seem to remember it being very dense and heavy, we used it to sink ducks at the local pond. No seriously it was good, much better than the bought stuff, but it is hard work. We would love to have the recipe, and I must try the egg in the hole.
Sorry to drag this one out Maggie, you being wheat intollerant and all.

One last bread story before I end this thread to open a new one for 2001. Amazing to learn from WG's research, the cost to mail a loaf across the pond! It reminded me of an Amer family living in UK that so missed Amer white bread that they had the father bring as much back as he could manage as hand luggage on every business trip back to the states (don't know if it was legal to back then or not, or now).
The mass produced white bread here, Terry is unlike anything else over there. Has the texture of marshmallows, if you can imagine. Half of it melts in your mouth and the other half gums up, getting stuck on the roof of the mouth if you don't chew and swallow real fast! Doesn't have a yeasty flavor. In fact, I seem to remember it tasting more like air. Anyone is welcome to defend Mrs Bairds and Wonder brands if they like ;-)

One more post before you close it, Maggie? I honestly feel for you, being wheat intolerant. Kenny was for a while until we got him eating yogurt with live and active cultures (it'll say on the label that it has them). I'll try to put it delicately as possible without going into the sordid details here (I'm sure not many want to hear it! LOL!), but suffice it to say that wheat gave him serious gastric distress due to an imbalance of natural and needed microorganisms. The yogurt replaced them and he's happily eating his bread (along with the yogurt with live and active cultures on a regular basis).
Could this be the culprit with you? I'm no doctor and don't want to be one of those people who always give advice on how to "fix yourself", but I can't help but try to help you after seeing what he went through.
Terry, to spare Maggie any more bread talk (and because it's easier to send via e-mail since it's in a file on my 'puter), I'll e-mail you the bread recipe. If anyone else wants it, let me know!

Oh my how we have strayed! Thanks for the advice WN, wish it was that simple. I try everything, except am still seeking courage to try Caro's offering - acupuncture.
On the recipe, one of you 2 will have to change the measurements - Brits do dry goods by weight - in lbs and oz instead of our cups measurements. And oven temps by reg #s instead of temps - the numbers representing how many logs to throw on the fire - Just kidding Terry !

By the way, Terry said they having a wonderful sunny day today in the North of England, as are we in NC Texas. Hope everyone else is too. Let's go diggin!

Well, thank goodness you are FINALLY going to retire this thread, Maggie. I am pretty sick of seeing that stupid swimsuit story of mine everytime I click on the weather thread. We have had some interesting weather in the past 7 or 8 months though, haven't we? Both here and in the U.K. I have enjoyed comparing and contrasting our different climates through the seasons. Isn't it interesting how our summers couldn't have been more different, but our winter has been pretty much the same?

That's it for me. Goodbye swimsuit story and good riddance!

And still no photo. L

I agree - What a rip.
I hate seeing that swimsuit story archive - it sure started a lot of fun. We could always keep posting on this thread to keep it on the board heehee or I could do a cut and paste of it onto the new Weather 2001 :-)

Cut and paste! Cut and paste! ;-)

Grrrr!