Soon the bluebonnets will be sharing their landscaping with some Indian paintbrushes (which are usually a little less plentiful).
And not too much later, there will be the weeds, not too pretty, but very utile to kids, known as “speargrass”. My fascination with those seemed to last a lot longer than that of my friends.
That picture is purportedly from Brazil, but looks mighty like what I used to find around my neighborhood in north Texas, while growing up. Usually I looked for them around Palm Sunday each year.
So…Stick the knife in & twist much??? Geez! We won’t have Spring flowers until at least the end of April (tulips, etc.) & don’t get into full bloom usually until end of June! Last year we were still planting in June!
@tohar1 Enjoy the snow! When my mother was alive we’d drive once a year to visit her family in Buffalo, NY area, usually around Christmas. Lotsa snow there! When fresh, very pretty; day or two later, not so much, just black mush on the streets.
Me, I’ll drive out on the bypass tomorrow when it’s light and see if I can find some bluebonnets along the right of way to enjoy. Might not be there yet. We are expecting a cold snap Friday and it might get down into the low 50’s or high 40’s. But it’s usually a wet cold, so feels worse. My aunt from Buffalo thought she felt colder in Dallas than at her home. However, we also tend to get more tornadoes. Tradeoffs!
@phendrick@tohar1 The year before last (snow belt side of Cleveland, OH), in the stealth of the night, I built a snowman for the folks in my mom’s retirement center. At dinner they had been lamenting not living where they could see all the neighborhood christmas lights and snowmen. Trouble was barely any snow (although fortunately a large pile of plowed snow although it had hardened).
I ended up starting with a big ball from the plowed pile, rounded it off, and then rolled it in the (fortunately) damp fresh snow to make it bigger and whiter. I ended up clearing a huge are of the dusting of snow to do this.I made one about 4’ high right by the main door where they could see it from the common area. Lots of comments the next day wondering who the snowman elf was and enjoying the snowman. Last year literally no snow to do that with. Some folks remembered and were disappointed.
@Kidsandliz@phendrick That’s very cool of you to come up with something special like that! Even though I do complain about the cold & snow, I should note that I’ve only lived in two states (ND & MN) my entire 52 years on this planet, so it must not bother me too much. I know for a fact that 115+ temps of the desert Southwest would be too much for me (no scorpions up here either) and have been to Tennessee & Florida when the humidity was so unbearable that it seemed as though I’d have to sprout gills in order to survive! Give me a zero degree day w/ sunshine any day!!
@phendrick@tohar1 Before I had lived in the south (up to that point I had always lived in the mid west, upstate NY, MN, NW Ontario, etc.) I was in Waco, TX at a carillon conference and that was the first time EVER I had crossed the street to walk in the shade. OMG I swore I’d never live in the south with that kind of heat and humidity that went on for months (yes I know the midwest can be like that briefly here and there, and as a kid my bedroom was in the attic with no AC and usually no fan). Umm yeah. Lived to eat my words.
I also find it hard to get used to how COLD the south makes buildings with A/C. It would be a heck of a lot easier to deal with the outdoor heat if the contrast between inside and outside wasn’t so big. It only takes about 3 weeks to get used to warmer temps so they don’t feel as warm - but it takes not being in freezing A/C’ed buildings all the time. No wonder your aunt thought it was colder in Dallas.
@Kidsandliz@tohar1 [Sorry for the late response, but I’ve been dealing with computer/router problems all day, and mysteriously, one that hadn’t worked on wifi in weeks started working just a bit ago.] @tohar1 I was born in the Buffalo, NY area and my Texas dad used to claim that’s why I’ve enjoyed cold weather all my life, though I grew up in Texas.
I spent the first two summers of my college with a summer job of working for a dairy in an ice cream vault where the refrigeration was set at negative 24 degrees, though it didn’t quite hold that during the day. And I enjoyed it (with appropriate clothing).
When I was 12, on a family vacation, we went through Needles, California, and I felt the famous 115 degrees in the shade, and didn’t think it was all that bad, because it was so dry. (I swear I could see the skin on the back of my hand tanning as I looked, while I stood in the sun.) Later in life, I was in Atlanta in July and the 90’s degree weather felt miserable to me, because of the humidity. I think it is just a matter of what you are used to.
@Kidsandliz How thoughtful of you for what you did for your mom and the other residents. Too bad that wouldn’t work in this part of Texas, where we get enough snow for a snowman about once every ten years, and then you had better move fast.
Flip side of the coin: My wife has been in Alzheimer’s care since May and members of her family have visited about once a week, but I’ve tried to keep up a schedule of three times a week, usually at her supper time. She can feed herself, but gets distracted and doesn’t always finish before the staff wants to clean up, so I try to help her eat and finish all. Last I saw her was March 10. I couldn’t visit her on the 12th because they had started a policy of only one visitation per day (because of the pandemic), and when I got there, I was refused because she had already had a visit that day (from some old friends from her single days
– wouldn’t even let me her husband see her). When I returned early in the morning on Sunday the 15th, I found a sign on the door that only “medical visitations” were now being allowed, so we have now been apart 13 days, longest by far since we were married, and I doubt she understands why I haven’t been there. I thought about hanging around on the outside of the facility by her room so we could at least see each other through the window, but I’m not sure I’d recognize the correct room from the outside, and I never know when she would be in her room anyway (I’m told she walks the halls constantly when it’s not mealtime or she’s sleeping). Probably wouldn’t be too cool if I scared some resident if I picked the wrong room. I’m afraid that she might get where she doesn’t recognize me by time this virus scourge is over.
Life has its ways!
Both of you stay safe, please. I’ve generally been a loner before marriage 24 years ago, so now I’m back to doing that, and it might keep me safe.
@phendrick I am sorry for both you and your wife that this is happening. Especially with how important it is that she see you (and for you to see her).
So far just some crocuses and a daffodil, planted by someone who lived in this house a long time ago.
I have some sprouts for Mexican Sunflowers and Cosmos in those little Jiffy peat pods. I want them to get a little bigger and the weather to get consistently warmer before I put them out.
It is 30 right now. Yesterday was mid 60’s. Crocus and daffodils are up and budding. I saw one brave little purple flower bloom at the neighbors so far.
Are those bluebells?
@therealjrn They look like blueBONNETS.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluebonnet_(plant). Just a mite early for them here (I think – at least I hadn’t noticed any yet.)
@phendrick @therealjrn
Bluebonnets. State flower of Texas. Widely planted on the verges of state and US highways for our spring driving pleasure.
Thanks, always, to First Lady Lady Bird Johnson. Her project.
They have a special variety of wonderful enormous bluebonnets in Big Bend National Park.
Soon the bluebonnets will be sharing their landscaping with some Indian paintbrushes (which are usually a little less plentiful).
And not too much later, there will be the weeds, not too pretty, but very utile to kids, known as “speargrass”. My fascination with those seemed to last a lot longer than that of my friends.
That picture is purportedly from Brazil, but looks mighty like what I used to find around my neighborhood in north Texas, while growing up. Usually I looked for them around Palm Sunday each year.
So…Stick the knife in & twist much??? Geez! We won’t have Spring flowers until at least the end of April (tulips, etc.) & don’t get into full bloom usually until end of June! Last year we were still planting in June!
@tohar1 Yeah, but you regularly get to play with snowballs, eh? Without having to make your own snow from ice cubes and a blender.
@phendrick Fresh Snow Today For You! Feels like temperature of ZERO right now!! BLEAAARGH!!!
@tohar1 Enjoy the snow! When my mother was alive we’d drive once a year to visit her family in Buffalo, NY area, usually around Christmas. Lotsa snow there! When fresh, very pretty; day or two later, not so much, just black mush on the streets.
Me, I’ll drive out on the bypass tomorrow when it’s light and see if I can find some bluebonnets along the right of way to enjoy. Might not be there yet. We are expecting a cold snap Friday and it might get down into the low 50’s or high 40’s. But it’s usually a wet cold, so feels worse. My aunt from Buffalo thought she felt colder in Dallas than at her home. However, we also tend to get more tornadoes. Tradeoffs!
@phendrick @tohar1
I saw BB’s just south of Dal today. And a few paintbrushes.
@phendrick @tohar1 The year before last (snow belt side of Cleveland, OH), in the stealth of the night, I built a snowman for the folks in my mom’s retirement center. At dinner they had been lamenting not living where they could see all the neighborhood christmas lights and snowmen. Trouble was barely any snow (although fortunately a large pile of plowed snow although it had hardened).
I ended up starting with a big ball from the plowed pile, rounded it off, and then rolled it in the (fortunately) damp fresh snow to make it bigger and whiter. I ended up clearing a huge are of the dusting of snow to do this.I made one about 4’ high right by the main door where they could see it from the common area. Lots of comments the next day wondering who the snowman elf was and enjoying the snowman. Last year literally no snow to do that with. Some folks remembered and were disappointed.
@Kidsandliz @phendrick That’s very cool of you to come up with something special like that! Even though I do complain about the cold & snow, I should note that I’ve only lived in two states (ND & MN) my entire 52 years on this planet, so it must not bother me too much. I know for a fact that 115+ temps of the desert Southwest would be too much for me (no scorpions up here either) and have been to Tennessee & Florida when the humidity was so unbearable that it seemed as though I’d have to sprout gills in order to survive! Give me a zero degree day w/ sunshine any day!!
@phendrick @tohar1 Before I had lived in the south (up to that point I had always lived in the mid west, upstate NY, MN, NW Ontario, etc.) I was in Waco, TX at a carillon conference and that was the first time EVER I had crossed the street to walk in the shade. OMG I swore I’d never live in the south with that kind of heat and humidity that went on for months (yes I know the midwest can be like that briefly here and there, and as a kid my bedroom was in the attic with no AC and usually no fan). Umm yeah. Lived to eat my words.
I also find it hard to get used to how COLD the south makes buildings with A/C. It would be a heck of a lot easier to deal with the outdoor heat if the contrast between inside and outside wasn’t so big. It only takes about 3 weeks to get used to warmer temps so they don’t feel as warm - but it takes not being in freezing A/C’ed buildings all the time. No wonder your aunt thought it was colder in Dallas.
@Kidsandliz @tohar1 [Sorry for the late response, but I’ve been dealing with computer/router problems all day, and mysteriously, one that hadn’t worked on wifi in weeks started working just a bit ago.]
@tohar1 I was born in the Buffalo, NY area and my Texas dad used to claim that’s why I’ve enjoyed cold weather all my life, though I grew up in Texas.
I spent the first two summers of my college with a summer job of working for a dairy in an ice cream vault where the refrigeration was set at negative 24 degrees, though it didn’t quite hold that during the day. And I enjoyed it (with appropriate clothing).
When I was 12, on a family vacation, we went through Needles, California, and I felt the famous 115 degrees in the shade, and didn’t think it was all that bad, because it was so dry. (I swear I could see the skin on the back of my hand tanning as I looked, while I stood in the sun.) Later in life, I was in Atlanta in July and the 90’s degree weather felt miserable to me, because of the humidity. I think it is just a matter of what you are used to.
@Kidsandliz How thoughtful of you for what you did for your mom and the other residents. Too bad that wouldn’t work in this part of Texas, where we get enough snow for a snowman about once every ten years, and then you had better move fast.
Flip side of the coin: My wife has been in Alzheimer’s care since May and members of her family have visited about once a week, but I’ve tried to keep up a schedule of three times a week, usually at her supper time. She can feed herself, but gets distracted and doesn’t always finish before the staff wants to clean up, so I try to help her eat and finish all. Last I saw her was March 10. I couldn’t visit her on the 12th because they had started a policy of only one visitation per day (because of the pandemic), and when I got there, I was refused because she had already had a visit that day (from some old friends from her single days
– wouldn’t even let me her husband see her). When I returned early in the morning on Sunday the 15th, I found a sign on the door that only “medical visitations” were now being allowed, so we have now been apart 13 days, longest by far since we were married, and I doubt she understands why I haven’t been there. I thought about hanging around on the outside of the facility by her room so we could at least see each other through the window, but I’m not sure I’d recognize the correct room from the outside, and I never know when she would be in her room anyway (I’m told she walks the halls constantly when it’s not mealtime or she’s sleeping). Probably wouldn’t be too cool if I scared some resident if I picked the wrong room. I’m afraid that she might get where she doesn’t recognize me by time this virus scourge is over.
Life has its ways!
Both of you stay safe, please. I’ve generally been a loner before marriage 24 years ago, so now I’m back to doing that, and it might keep me safe.
@Kidsandliz @phendrick @tohar1
The assisted living and memory care facilities I sometimes deal with are setting up video and audio chat for residents and families.
Call, or go into the building as far as they will let you during the day (perhaps to the front desk or concierge?) and ask for assistance.
If you don’t get it, call everyone local at the facility and harass them. And call the Corp HQ of the facility.
Hopefully, that will get you somewhere.
If you still don’t get assistance, tell them you will report them to the state commission on aging and elder abuse if needed.
Hopefully that will be enough to get some assistance.
I am assuming that your wife’s location is “clean”.
Obviously, if the virus gets into your local facility, the staff may be overwhelmed and unable to do much other than caretaking for a while.
PS
The staff ought to be helping her finish meals, if she needs that. Make a polite, pleasant fuss over if and ask what they can do.
@phendrick I am sorry for both you and your wife that this is happening. Especially with how important it is that she see you (and for you to see her).
So far just some crocuses and a daffodil, planted by someone who lived in this house a long time ago.
I have some sprouts for Mexican Sunflowers and Cosmos in those little Jiffy peat pods. I want them to get a little bigger and the weather to get consistently warmer before I put them out.
@craigthom Looks like it’s shyly taking a quick look around.
Here in Chicago some bulbs have started flowering on the South side of buildings. They are just coming out of the ground on the North side.
Of course it snowed a bit the night before I took this pic. Poor flowers.
@fibrs86 The crocus laughs at snow.
@craigthom a lot of them were pretty roughed up. A bit like laughing like when you have a broken nose.
The Daphne near the front porch is blooming. Not so much in the looks department, but the aroma is heavenly.
Today. Mostly central TX.
Mmmm it’s going to hit 23 today. So. No.
It is 30 right now. Yesterday was mid 60’s. Crocus and daffodils are up and budding. I saw one brave little purple flower bloom at the neighbors so far.