Monday, September 12, 2011

The State of Texas

Thank you all so very much for your kind thoughts and words.  I'm working on it...I'm really trying.  But as Cat can probably attest to, it's just been SO HOT and SO DRY that NOTHING is growing...NOTHING...and my garden has never, EVER, looked so bad or so pitiful. Not to mention the horrific wildfires that much of Texas is experiencing.  Since early May 2011, South Texas has had over 55 days with temperatures over 100 degrees.  Who wants to get out and work in that heat?  And God bless those who have to. 

I've said this in an earlier post...I have lived in Texas for almost 30 years and I have never seen a summer as hot, as dry and as fire-prone as the Summer of 2011.  It's difficult to explain unless you are here and experiencing what we are living with.  As I write this, there are wildfires all around me.  How and why they have not touched us here is beyond my explanation.  The entire state is a tinderbox.  

It is now the middle of September, 2011.  South Texas has had only 6.5" of rain this year.  Think about the magnitude of that.  I don't mean to be a spoilsport or a doomsdayer, but this is the reality we are living with.

Kelsey, what has your year/summer looked like?  I know you had awful fires earlier this year.  What do things look like now?  Can you relate to this unprecedented drought? 

I do hope to be back online soon.

But if you pray in any way, we ask that you pray for the entire State of Texas and its residents.  This is more than anyone can truly fathom. 

This photo was taken by a friend.  It depicts the city of Austin in the foreground with city of Bastrop, 25 miles to the East, burning uncontrolled.  Dear God, help us; and please...pray for rain.  

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11 comments:

  1. Pam/DiggingSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:30 PM

    This has been a hard year to get through, all right. I'm very sad for the state of our once beautiful state.

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  2. Diana StuderSeptember 13, 2011 at 6:26 AM

    I do indeed pray for rain. Been there, done that. Seen the blessing of gentle rain on the ash, and watched in wonder as the green returns!

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  3. CatSeptember 13, 2011 at 6:58 PM

    Amen.

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  4. AnonymousSeptember 13, 2011 at 9:53 PM

    So taken back by what you all are experiencing. I have had Texas in my prayers for weeks. We have been getting rain each day, not much, but much needed anyway. If only it would push South where it is desperately needed for the health and well being of entire states.

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  5. Linda/patchworkSeptember 14, 2011 at 1:49 PM

    I've lived in Texas all my life. This is the driest year I can remember...and, there have been a lot of dry ones.
    The scary thing is all the fires. My heart aches for all those touched by that.
    Stay safe...we'll all keep praying for blessing of rain.

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  6. Casa MariposaSeptember 15, 2011 at 3:53 PM

    I pray for Texas every day!! I'm from CA and fear fire more than any other natural disaster. I keep hoping a tropical storm will head your way to cool you off and quench the soil.

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  7. JeanetteSeptember 16, 2011 at 2:49 PM

    Oh my word! Very frightening! We received rain Thursday in N. TX. I am hoping you did too.
    Jeanette

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  8. GaleSeptember 16, 2011 at 9:13 PM

    I am definitely praying. This reminds me of when California was ablaze and my Dad's house in the mountains was right in the middle of it...back then I was scouring the interenet for any piece of news, down to following a feed where people would listen in to police and fire service scanners and post what they heard. I'm closer physically now but not as close in other ways, as I don't have any family or friends near the blazes (not counting online friends.) But still trying to do what I can to help. Hope you stay ok.

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  9. Beth at PlantPostingsSeptember 18, 2011 at 7:24 PM

    Diane: Just getting back to Blotanical after a few days away. The people of Texas and Oklahoma have been in my thoughts and prayers for weeks. I hope that you are finding some relief now--I see that the temperatures dropped some. That must be so frustrating and disheartening, and I know you are an optimistic person (on your blog), so to hear you disheartened says a lot. Prayers and good wishes to you in the weeks ahead.

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  10. GaleSeptember 19, 2011 at 8:07 AM

    Did you get that rain last night? Here in Waco we got more rain in two hours than we had in the last 120 days! Praise God. Hope some of it hit you all too!

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  11. kelseyOctober 7, 2011 at 10:10 PM

    Oh my, yes this year was scarry in every since of the word! I mean first I felt sorry for myself because the rain wouldn't come and there wasn't pretty flowers and green grass, then I felt sorry for the people in agriculture who depend on rain to feed livestock, then I feared for everyone's houses and lives! Yes, we had the first round of wildfires out here in Alpine, then I know Ozona had fires, then Midland, then the terrible fires that seemed to ravage the whole state! Wow! Praise God we never see a year like this one again! Just praying for rain. As my little girls says, Jesus, please send rain and rainbows. Amen

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