The worst of Mother Nature...the best of Human Nature!

For those new to my blog, let me give you a little background on myself. I moved to Houston as a young adult in the late 70's after graduating from college.  I loved this town, it had everything I ever wanted and did not have in Del Rio.  No matter the day of the week there was always something to do, an event, a get-together, a party or a concert to attend...Yes, even on a Sunday, Monday or Tuesday.

One of the downsides to living on the coast is the threat of hurricanes, tropical storms, flooding and tornadoes. After 30 years of living here, I have been through many of them.  I am an only child, my father passed away many years ago and mother has always had health issues. That was the main reason we reluctantly moved from Austin, Texas to Del Rio in order to be close to affordable medical care... by that I mean close to Mexico.

Things changed back in 2013 when she had two back surgeries and could no longer live by herself. She refused to move to Houston so I moved back home to Del Rio though I still would go to Houston regularly to mow the lawn and make sure my house was ok. It was a no brainer, my mother took precedence over a house. That is why I currently live in Del Rio though my home is in Houston.

With that said, now you may understand why I have been following Harvey so closely.  Though I have to be discreet and keep my feelings to myself as I do not want my mother to feel guilty that I am here with her but worried about what is going on in Houston. By that, I don't just mean my house but I am also worried about my friends, neighbors, and acquaintances.

I have been watching the Weather Channel and CNN non-stop as sleeping does not come easily to me (I suffer from insomnia).  It is here that I have seen the worst of Mother Nature and the best of Human Nature. I am so proud of all the good Samaritans who decided to go out in the storm in their own boats and rescue people they did not even know. People carrying the elderly, the wheelchair bound, the most vulnerable of people.

I heard so many stories of people helping friends, neighbors and total strangers.  Just saw a young man about 15 or 16 years old taking water to people who had been dropped off at a staging area under the bridge at I-45 and Tidwell just because he thought they might need some water. It is so heartwarming to see such acts of kindness. These wonderful stories were repeated area wise and bear mentioning. It makes me so proud to be a Houstonian!

The worst if not over, we have received in three days the equivalent of a year's worth of rain and more rain is in the forecast. If you are so inclined, please pray for Houston...we really need it.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Catastrophic flooding in the Greater Houston area

I am kind of numb from seeing all the flooding and evacuations taking place in the Greater Houston area. I have lived through a lot of storms the first one being tropical storm Claudette in 1979 that dumped 42 inches in one day in the city of Alvin, Texas.

Lived through tropical storm Allison in 2001 which I thought would be the worst flooding I would ever see.  Water came mid way up to my driveway.  I never in my wildest dreams thought it could get any worst but tropical storm Harvey has proven me wrong.

I was finally able to talk to two of my neighbors and both say that so far the water has not come into the houses. This could change as the area where my house is located is expected to receive another 12 inches this evening.

Was able to text two of my closest friends and they and their families are doing well. Can not reach my friend who lives in the City of South Houston, that city floods very easily.

Leilani, if you can read this I hope you and yours are safe and dry.  I sincerely hope all the people in the path of these catastrophic rain storms fair well.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Cone of uncertainty

What a difference a day makes, yesterday I was streaming my favorite Houston news channel and seeing how people were preparing for tropical storm Harvey.  Was a little worried that my particular part of town was forecasted to receive 10 to 12 inches of rain.

This morning the cone of uncertainty has changed and San Antonio and surrounding area look like a more likely target for Harvey.  This is going to be a very rainy event and heavy flooding is likely.  I bought an additional 32-gallon trash can but I think I should have bought two for my primitive rain catchment system.

Gasoline prices have gone down, took the opportunity to fill the tank at $2.02 per gallon for regular unleaded.  While at Stripes I remembered that the Powerball lottery was around $700 million so for the first time in my life bought one. The clerk threw me for a loop when she asked if I wanted the $2 or the $3 ticket...perhaps I should have Googled it?

I used to buy the Texas lottery and it is in my budget but I seldom if ever purchase one. That one costs $1.00 or at least it used to. This morning I read that some lucky person or persons in Massachusetts held the winning ticket.

For three days in a row, we have been lucky enough not to have gone over the 100-degree mark. We had rain showers yesterday bringing the temperatures down to the eighties, a welcome reprieve.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.