It's Hot!!

99% of the time I love living in Austin.  This summer is that one percent that is just miserable.  The average number of days over 100 degrees in Austin is 13.  This summer?  We are already over 40 days and triple digits are predicted for the next 14 days.

I've heard a lot of people say "You live in Texas, what do you expect?"  Let's be clear.  This is abnormally hot...even for Texas.  We are breaking heat and power usage records on a daily basis.  And the drought?  We haven't had any measurable rain in Austin since May and that was only 1/3 of an inch.

Well established trees...we're talking over 20 feet tall and 30 years old, are dying.  I'm in a daily battle trying to save my fruit trees and grapevines.  Flowers?  Long dead and gone.  Vegetable garden?  Deader than dead.  Grass?  Crunchy.  After this long without rain, you have to make the decision on what is important enough to save...and what you can let go.

This morning's news wasn't any better.  We are under an extreme heat advisory until next week.  Yes, I said next week.  Most weather warnings expire by the end of the day...not the end of the week!!  And our regional power authority has asked for conservation between the hours of 3 and 7 p.m. each day.  Which is really an advance warning of possible brownouts.  Can you imagine a heat index of 110 degrees and they decide to turn off the power in your neighborhood?

So I'm here at home, window coverings closed to keep out the heat.  Lights off in every room I'm not in.  Dogs inside...black dogs don't do well outside.  Just trying to survive the summer.

And those are my random thoughts this morning...