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Things You Might Not Expect to See in Texas

Yesterday we went to Abilene.  I can hardly say Abilene without saying “prettiest town I’ve ever seen”.  Anyone besides me and my friend, Sarah, remember that song?  I’ve had George Hamilton, IV’s version of the song on my iPod forever.  In Missouri, since I knew no one, I had a very bad habit of running to the grocery store in horrible clothes with no makeup and just generally looking pretty bad.  I told myself I wasn’t going to do that here.  Not that it really matters . . I don’t know anyone here either.  I’ve been doing pretty good til one day early last week, before the air conditioner fiasco, I hadn’t planned to go anywhere.  I had on horrible clothes – a faded t-shirt with a hole in it and no makeup.  The radio was playing and guess who was going to be at Hastings here in Brownwood . . right then, with his new CD.  George Hamilton, IV.  If you don’t listen to country music, you probably never heard of him but if I’d been dressed decent, I would have gone right down there and bought his new CD, had it autographed and had my picture taken with him.  So then I said to myself . . I’m not going out in horrible clothes with no makeup again . . but I know I will.

Anyway, we went to Abilene yesterday (yep, decent clothes and makeup).  Vince knows exactly how to talk me into going anywhere with him.  He offered to eat lunch at a sushi restaurant.

Even though I charged the camera battery and made sure a memory stick was in it, I forgot to bring it so all the photos were taken with the cell phone.  We ate at Bonzai and it was so good.  Sometimes I’m almost disappointed when we find such a good restaurant because then I don’t want to eat anywhere else and miss out on other good restaurants.  The folks sharing our table told us about some other good places to try but I sure do love sushi and the hibachi grill.

Along the way and while there, we saw some sights that you normally would not expect to see in this part of  Texas so I thought I’d share some with you.

I love hay bales!  I didn’t expect to see any because of the drought but there they were!  Vince thinks they’re in an area that’s being irrigated but look at the weeds on the side of the road . . they’re green too.  Not much green in my yard except where my washing machine drains right out onto the ground.  I think that’s kinda weird.  It’s “gray” water and they say it’s ok.

Who would expect to see mountains in Texas?  OK . . to some of you, they’re merely hills but I think they’re mountains!

An erupting volcano!  Who knew these were here!  Oh . . wait . . that’s in the restaurant!

My parents!  OK . . I wasn’t going to say it but my dad just made a comment about my stash.  Vince and I were walking through Lowe’s and he grabbed my arm and said “Don’t look now but some of your friends from Missouri followed you?”  I turned to look and . . well, it was kinda funny!

And, lastly, blurry picture and all . . who would think . . on a late August afternoon in Texas, the outside temp would be a cool 108º?  And, I ask myself again . . why did we move here?

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Comments

  1. Judy, its going to get better the weatherman is predicting cooler weather the end of the week. It will be in the 90’s! My youngest daughter is here from California and I think she can’t wait to get out of this heat and go back to ca.

      • Don’t say ANYWHERE but Texas– Some body will pick up up and take you the North East– all that flooding, no electric !!

  2. You are too funny. I have loved every minute of your move. Makes me sound kind of sadistic, doesn’t it. You’re a great writer and your stories make me think I’ve got it pretty darn good. Thanks.

    • Seriously, the only reason we moved was so I would have something new to blog about! 🙂

      Not really . . I’m still trying to figure out the whole “why” and “what for” about this move!

  3. Judy we moved to Massachusetts a year ago and I still only know the people in the post office and my dentist and her assistant. Before we moved I lived where I’d grown up and couldn’t go into the grocery store without running into someone I knew (and even if I didn’t see anyone, it seemed someone would see me and I’d hear about it later.) I have to tell you I NEVER left home without hair done and makeup on.

    Now that we’ve moved it’s almost liberating not to know anyone. I can run into the store without makeup and know without a doubt that not a soul will give me a second glance or remember that I was there. In a way it’s kind of scary isn’t it?
    I just can’t let myself get toooo comfortable with that scenario though or next thing you know I’ll quit dying my hair and won’t bother to brush my teeth! (both send shivers up my spine!)

    I kid with my friends back home that moving has kind of been like going into the witness protection program. Do you ever feel that way? LOL.

  4. Judy, we would welcome you here in central California, where the temperature is “only” supposed to be 102 degrees today. But it’s a dry heat! 😉

    • Laura, it’s dry heat here too. My hair is straighter than it’s been ever but there’s also static electricity. This is the first time I’ve lived anywhere ever that had low humidity.

      • In fact the humidity has been so low when they say 106 and then it feels like 104! I find that really weird! Let’s hope this high pressure that has been sitting over us for so long says good bye soon!

  5. Dan told me that he heard on the radio this morning that San Antonio (where we live) hit a record breaking temperature for yesterday — 110* Gahhh! that is too dang hot!

    • Maybe your cool weather will arrive in Brownwood soon! 🙂 Days I swear it must be 120º outside, the thermometer says it’s 108º. Off and on all day I’ve thought it might rain but it hasn’t. Hope we all get some cooler weather soon.

  7. My kitchen sink drains into the sump pump hole in the basement which is directly under the kitchen sink. The washer is in the basement next to the sump pump and drains into the hole. The sump pump pumps the water out of the basement into a pipe that goes under the front yard into the ditch along the road. The hollyhocks growing there did really well! We have had volunteer tomatoes and watermelon/pumpkin/squash type plants come up there some years too. The weed eater gets them before they amount to anything though.

  8. I have loved every minute of your move but only because you have a great sense of humor! I moved to Texas 9 years ago – still don’t know ANYBODY to pal around with (i.e., go to quilt shops with)….sad but true. I miss Colorado and hope to go back some day.

  9. wow – I don’t know many people either – I have lived in this same house for 30 years and barely recognize my neighbors when I run into them at the store.
    Karen

  10. And you said I thought in one post that you figured this would be the LAST MOVE!!! You want to change that if you don’t like it there???
    Hugs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  11. Where in TX are you again? My son/daughter in law live in San Marcos, TX. Talked with them last night and at 6:00 their time it was 112 degrees. Joshua (son) said everyone in TX is angry! The weather man just says,”tomorrow will be like today”. Now that the fall weather is starting, there will probably not be any rain until April of 2012. Cooler weather I hope is coming your way. I’m still praying for a good soaking hurricane.

  12. Ah yes – Texas weather… It’s the only place I’ve ever been where you could start serving Christmas potluck dinner outside in shorts and end in a ski parka. I guess that’s why Christmas doesn’t come in August or September.

    On a brighter note, I don’t remember ever getting past October up in Abilene without needing a jacket at some point. COME ON OCTOBER!!!!

  13. “Horrible clothes and no makeup”!!! Oh, no! Not Judy!!!
    I don’t remember where I read it, but there were comments on a blog a while ago ranting about the relative un-dress of women in Walmart. Sleep clothes and bedroom slippers, hair in curlers were some of the “sins” observed.

  14. I’m almost afraid to tell you that fall is just around the corner here – I’ve been sitting out on the deck in the late afternoon and it’s just gorgeous!

    I never wear makeup (even on those rare occasions when I’m dressed up) and rarely run into to anyone I know when I’m out but a few weeks ago someone spoke to me in the library – she recognized me from reading my blog. That’s happened several times and it’s always a weird feeling!

  15. I was really surprised to see the hay bales! As I posted yesterday, my brother is hauling hay from Michigan to Abilene. It’s crazy the price the broker is paying.

    • Someone mentioned here the cost of hay and it was about 3 times what it was in MO. Guess we can expect some pretty high beef prices in the grocery store.

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