Rain: some thoughts

Wow! We had rain, significant rain. One report said that Lago had 7 inches. The local news showed some nearby docks and a marina that were washed away. But that's often the way it goes around here: drought one day, floods the next. I'm still watching the lake level reports, and so far not much improvement, but at least levels are going back up for now. We'll probably need about forty days and forty nights of steady precipitation to see the central Texas lakes get back up to completely full. Anyway, more rain is supposed to be on the way, so we will see how it goes.

Of course, the down side to rainy days is that J tires of the clouds after about 24 hours. She's already looking for the sun. But we are both enjoying watching what passes for changing seasons here in Texas. Summer tends to hang around for at least another month, and while temperatures will cool considerably, down into the lower sixties overnight, and even sometimes in the seventies during the day, more ninety degree days are in the forecast.

Another positive is the improvement in our little patch of grass. Most of our surrounding property is "wild," or rather planted with local and drought resistant plants that need little tending to. But we have a small front lawn planted with grass that has suffered from  the drought and lack of attention. It responds quickly to rainfall, but mostly with weeds. But green is better than dirt, so we're letting the weeds grow for now and hoping the grass will start to spread a little more with a return of cooler temperatures and a bit more moisture. Soon, however, I will succumb to the desire for order and get out the weed wacker and do a little trimming.

The rain seems also to have brought out the insects. We had a small invasion of beetles last night. I remember these things from my Texas youth, but I'd forgotten the various cycles. I recall that cricket invasions can be of almost Biblical proportions, but so far we have had very few of those. I will have to consult with my friends, who know more about the local flora and fauna. Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to observing the onset of our first Texas fall and winter season since our return. I do not anticipate regretting the abandonment of my large snow shovel. But I am nevertheless glad to have a snug garage for my car.