Weather Report from Central Texas by Nita Holstine

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It's been 2 weeks but the rain has now dried to a faint memory. Not much still needs watering but a few things. The cherry tomatoes are still blooming and setting fruit. Not many but hey, they keep going. We've had two more nights down into the low 50s and after a week of hot temps, we are welcoming a cold front. Complete with brisk north winds and a low tonight in the low 50s to upper 40s. We will see how cool it does get. Just the hint of fall is wonderful. As it was always called, this is true Indian Summer. When the days are often still hot and the nights are crisp and cool. 

What a week. We are so soggy now and more rain is in the forecast for this coming weekend. It started raining about 2 p.m. on this past Sunday and rained straight through yesterday afternoon. Easily another 4 to 5 inches of rain and enough for most all the counties to lift the burn bans. I can't walk to the door of the chicken coop without a hoe to help open and close the door and move pans around. The weeds have grown so well in the new garden that I can't walk inside for the devil bushes and the sticker plants. We'd planned to leave the blackeye peas to dry for next years garden and the tomatoes are all bad. 

The high for today was 79 and that was wonderful. Only had the a/c running a little this afternoon. The forecast low will be about 59 and that will give us shivers. What a treat. The cool north wind all day was so sweet, made me stop just to enjoy the breeze.

It started pouring down rain this morning about 3 a.m. and the roof was leaking by 3:15. We got about 2 inches in the first round of storms and probably 1 1/2 inches more with the second line. Much needed rain and Randy says that the now wet wood in the house will recover and dry nicely, not to worry. But he couldn't do any work on the house all day today. He'd started the first section on the roof. 

More rain in the forecast with much cooler temperatures. What a delightful treat for us. It's raining now but just a drizzle mist. I discovered Lady's house was leaking and all her bedding inside is soaked. Must drag it out for washing and drying. The monsters Beau and Sammy had dug out the inside of their house and I can't get there it is so deep. What funny guys they are. Max has a lean to house for shade and he uses it and won't go inside his house. Randy thinks it might be wasps inside but I think he just wants to be close to his Lady. What a pair. When he was little, he wouldn't get wet for anything. Now, he doesn't mind and won't let rain keep him for going out on their morning and evening walks.

We've now used up all the rain we were over for the year. We'd been 4" over but have not had measurable rain in a long old time. There have been several smatterings of "trace" amounts but it touched the top of the sand and started to evaporate. That is if it actually hit the ground.

It was exciting to see the end of the Dog Days of Summer. Our average highs finally dropped from 95 to 94 but we were still going over 100 every day last week. We're just now getting to where the highs are 96 to 99 and it did drop below 70 this morning if but for just a few minutes before the sunrise started heating up the day. We've had clouds that help keep the temps down but also makes the humidity higher. As a front moved through from the north, the level dropped to 19% humidity. Can't call it a cold front, it wasn't.

We'll keep hoping the rain will hold off until after the roof and walls are on the house. Don't want the wood getting warped. Plus Randy can't work with wet wood, he'd have to wait for it to dry before he could do more building.

We had a few drops of rain last week but just enough for me to run outside, take down the laundry and pull the blue tarp over the floor in the house. As I got back inside, the rain quit. Maybe a drop every 2 inches. We have had two weeks straight of over 100 every day and that's miserable. Today we've had a "cold front" but that only means the wind is from the north. Must be 95 and few clouds to be seen. The 20% chance of rain was the weather guy trying to me nice. It is nice to not be over 100 but a chill would be nice, too.

We went from hardly any rain to no rain. The forecast shows our temps working back up to almost 100 for highs and only down to 75 at night. But Randy is making great progress on the house and we'd just as soon the rain hold off until the roof is finished. Watering the gardens is just fine but I'll soon be watering the Pine and Cedar trees again unless we do get some good soaking rains.

We had a dribble of rain on this past Friday night. The neighbors had a live band and big crowd. It was getting close to midnight and they were going strong. The intense thunder and lightening sent everyone scurrying for shelter including me and the puppies. They left fearing a downpour and the weather guy warning of nickel sized hail. We only got a smattering of raindrops. I watched on the radar as the storm just fell apart around us. The thunder continued from the storms around but there was nothing over us. Nice and quiet again.

It's been almost 3 weeks since we had any measurable rain and that's okay. Randy is busy working on the house and if the wood is wet, he can work on it. This weekend, Memorial Day, he finished the flooring. After the walls are complete, it will get another sheet of plywood over it. This is progress. 

No rain lately but the burn ban is still lifted. The wind has not been nearly so fierce but in the last few days we have noticed it back. Randy is hoping for dry days to build on the house. He plans to attach a sheet of plywood every night to the floor. He finished putting in the insulation in the floor and is making progress. He'd had to take all the plywood and load it down with cinder blocks just to get it to flatten out. 

We have moved back into the days where the high temps are hitting 100 every day. Inside the greenhouse it's been up around 105 and 108. Miserable. Randy put up some Styrofoam board that is lined with the foil. It makes a great difference and cuts that mean afternoon sun.

Oh Hail (stones) Click here to see the photos!

Night before last, we had lots of pea sized hail but no damage. The storm last night that came near us had tornadoes but no big hail. The twisters were never spotted and never touched the ground. The worst storms seem to build up quickly coming out of nowhere.

I have been changing the critter's water pans twice a day just to have their water fresh enough for them to drink. The plants are growing very well. The lightening does wonders for their growth but the wet ground is slowing down my digging. Sure wish I was finished with what I want to plant. Randy bought more manure and such today so I will have plenty. I got one row of Zinnias planted the other day but the going is sure slow. That's one heavy shovel. 

We had rain about 2 weeks ago, 4 to 6 inches. Then this past week we had another 4 inches. Plenty that the burn bans have been lifted and we can even cook out on the grill. I got caught up with the paper trash that I burn out in the barrel and we hope to burn the brush pile behind where the house will be. That will help but it means I need to do clearing on the area. 

We've had cooler weather along with the clouds and rain. Today was back to clear skies and warm. Tomorrow begins hot and we are forecast to hit 90 again. 

The day after it rained, we had mean winds that dried everything out and the burn ban was not lifted for even one day. Behind the new house is where the courtyard will be but for now there is a big pile of brush that needs to be burned. But that will have to wait for more rain. 

Last week was back to winter with freezing at night and not out of the 40s during the day. But Friday began our warm up and now it really feels like spring time. A nice change. The oak trees are flowering and budding out. They don't all go at once but progressively. There are still a lot of leaves falling with the gusty winds. It does make the sinus miseries last for a LONG time but it will be nice to have shade in the yard. 

IT'S RAINING!!! It rained a little yesterday early and again in the evening. But today started dry and went to a nice steady rain probably up to 2 inches so far. Lots of thunder and lightening. We've not seen such weather in over 4 months now. It may not end the drought but it is sure sweet music. Okay, it makes me sleepy and gives me a big headache but we were beginning to fear a worse than ever grasshopper invasion because of no rain at all. 

For the last several weeks, we've had beautiful spring weather. The nights were barely freezing but the days warmed up nicely and I could work up a sweat every day. The forecast for tomorrow says 43 for a low with a high of 46 for a high. A cold arctic blast should hit sometime between now and then, a cold north wind to bring the wind chill to around 30. If we are lucky.

I just finished the fence on the new garden and it sure looks nice. I had the sprinkler going and have almost finished watering the whole thing. I want to move some of the "lawn grass" to near the new house. That won't be tomorrow but soon enough. I am just glad of progress.

We have not had any more rain and what we did get did little good. I had first used the sprinkler and hose to water the cedars and pine trees. They were dry as could be and not dead. They were the furtherest away from the water hydrant.

We got some rain this morning!!! It has been well over 3 weeks since we'd had any and it was difficult to remember what it sounded like. Wasn't a lot, perhaps only about an inch. But enough to wash the dirt off of everything. Made kind of a muddy paste on other things like Randy's freshly washed truck. 

Randy heard distant thunder but I slept through it. I still won't be wishing for rain until after the roof is on the house. 

We were surprised to see our humidity up above 50%  tonight. We'd been staying down around 5 to 10% and that is so dry that the skin burns. We have been under real burn bans and the brush fires have been bad and close by. The worst were no where close but one was to our north and we could smell smoke for hours. 

We have had such mild weather we are again spoiled but the weather folks says that we'll still have more winter. Randy has just finished the greenhouse and I am oh so ready to have lots of plants growing inside it and being protected from the evil sap of the oak trees. We have to keep trying to have that bumper crop of tomatoes. Some cukes would sure be great. 

60 degrees for a high is still above average and not breaking any records. The lows have been barely freezing to about 50 and that's mild. It has now been over 3 months since we had any rain at all. I am not yet wishing for any since Randy is about half finished with the floor on the house. We need no rain and to hurry and build the house. This old place is falling apart around us. 

Christmas is so close now that it is too late to do anymore than to just enjoy the season. We were at 75 degrees yesterday and today. Tomorrow, too. But then we'll only be up in the 60s. I worked up a sweat today so 60 sounds very good. Yesterday the Ryobi brush cutter still wouldn't start. It only has an hour of use on it so you'd figure it would still work. But the Troy Bilt ran like a top. Considering it only has about half an hour of time on it, it should do fine. BUT it is a replacement for a unit that could not be fixed. Took 4 months for them to decide to get us a new brush cutter but we know that if it quits, it cannot be fixed. 

Last week was cold and gloomy, day after day of heavy clouds and still no rain. Every night was freezing and every day was carrying jugs of water so the critters could all have something to drink. When we went to town we stopped at Dollar General Store and bought 5 new dishpans. They are now water pans for the puppies, wild birds and chickens. With just a mild freeze, I only have to break up the ice and they have water. When the pan is very shallow, it is frozen solid and I can only pour in a little more.

No rain in weeks but it's back in the forecast for the coming Saturday and Sunday. Thanksgiving promises to be 75 and quite lovely. We'll stay home, cook and work on the new house and eat the turkey. 

Our temps have been down near or right at freezing every night. Some days stay cold with a 45 high and mean North Wind Chill. No clouds so the sun keeps us warm on the south side of the house. Today is in the 70s so I will be out and about this afternoon to get more chores done. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. (Nita)

What lovely weather we've had. Some nights not cold at all but right now, it is chilly inside. The winds died down after 3 days of gusting. But to look at the forecast, this coming Tuesday will bring a strong cold front that will drop us down into the 20s. That could freeze our water lines but only the ones above ground. No mention of rain in the forecast but also no ice.

63° was the high for today and it's very nice out of that mean North wind. But forecast guy says that the low for tonight will be in the mid to upper 30s. That's cold. The cold front hit here right at 7 a.m. complete with debris in the air but also rain. Torrential rain but it only lasted about 15 minutes. It cleared off and another line moved through with just a bit more rain. Perhaps half an inch in all. The wind is still gusting to about 40 mph and that makes me run or at least most along as fast as I can. We should warm up to the lower 80s by the end of the week. That will be fine.

We had a few more hot days and then we caught another cold front. There was a little rain yesterday and even a little bit of sleet. If I had not been looking, I would have never known. It was maybe 38° so it did not accumulate but it only lasted about 10 minutes. But the sunshine is back today. It was not quite as cold as predicted; the wet roads were not icy as they'd thought. The sun is out and the wind is light so today is probably the 65 they'd guessed. 

So glad Randy filled the propane tanks and we could make it nice and toasty in the house. The price has gone up greatly so we want these two tanks to last as long as possible. 

Week before last saw lows in the 40s with days not out of the 40s. Brisk North wind that made us dig out the winter clothes. But once that was past, we've warmed up a bit and cannot complain when we're up in the middle 80s. There is talk that we'll be just over 90 but then we'll start getting the next cold front. 

With the low temps, we saw about 4 inches of rain but nothing since then with hardly a cloud to be found. If we had not had trouble with the pressure tank to the water well, we would still have tomatoes and cucumbers but since they were on the soaker hoses, we had to leave them off. They were doing very poorly at best.

10-01-05

We'd hit 105° again this week before the front could hit. It broke a longstanding record high and we were all miserable. Just getting used to the cool early morning temps and surprise, back to super hot. The puppies all need to start growing their heavy winter coat not keep shedding it due to the heat.

This just past week we had two days where we barely got over 70 with sweet clouds and delicious mornings in the mid 50s. The cold north wind made me remember the winter earaches and dig out the wide headband. We've gone to a few more days of mid 90s but it's just the hot push ahead of the next cold front. We'll be ready. This is our Indian Summer and that is said with all fondness of the season. It means changing winds and relief from the brutal heat of summer. A rekindling of the inner spirit.

We have almost no rain in the forecast. The storms were all shown to be moving away from us last night and within an hour, we had a 2 minute downpour. By 2 a.m., it was raining lightly but in all, the top of the sand was barely wet. It was only enough to make ALL the puppies bark and complain. They like sleeping outside.