There Is A Change In The Air

It might sound a bit premature to some, but for an old man like me who has observed the change of seasons for well more than 60 found many in the past week. These are not just a change in temps or things like that...they are age-old signs that Native Americans taught my grandfathers and they in-turn taught me as a young boy. And yes, they are most accurate for the long term.

Early last week, I was somewhat shocked to see the leaves flipped. Some of you have heard me talk about the flipping of leaves but it is one of the early signs that fall is just around the corner. There were a stand of sycamore trees that all had leaves flipped. Flipping of leaves is when the bottom of the leaf is on top and facing upwards and not in their traditional downward position. When I see leaves flipped like that big weather changes are not far away. This strong cold front that is hitting tonight was a taste of that this morning as recorded gust of over 50 MPH were the result of thunderstorms in Oklahoma last night that  sent that burst of cool refreshing air blowing over the porch early this morning as I sipped my first cup of morning coffee. It has not been in the 70s and 80s for a full morning and part of the afternoon since June 19th. And while we have had 17 days of 100 degrees plus this month, the 100s will return next week as the first two weeks of August are considered the  most hot of the season.

A couple of Mary Kay Seminar Participants ride one of the new electric scooter rentals.

The Statler Hotel Gets A Second Life. This hotel was famous for Sinatra and his crew that stayed here and played here any time that he was in Dallas. The grand old hotel lives once more, but like all things--it now has a combo of apartments, hotel rooms and offices, too.

This is the dream of Ross Perot as the family foundation donated millions to get it built in down town. It is the Perot Museuam of Nature and Science. For our Ohio readers, it's every bit as good as COSI. It truely is a hands on learning museum. The blue glass is the escalator! Fun! Plants and native grasses grow on the roofs.

With cool and comfortable temps and sprinkles falling, I took a walk through the compound today for the first time in many years. A tulip tree had already changed to some solid yellows and dropped a lot of those leaves onto the grass, sidewalk and parking lot. It is yet, another sign, that big changes are coming sooner than we think. In reality, it's been hot since early May, or a month early. Spring came early, too. It was popping out swelled buds and new tender grown  in February this year. So, while most will be looking for fall in this part of the country around October to November, they will be a bit surprised when September will spring a little surprise on them. Nature always has a way of balancing things out in the end. I have a strong feeling that this year will not be any different for her.

The Physics of Seasons

Basically, I enjoy all four seasons and cannot imagine life without them. In other words, I could not live somewhere where the seasons never changed. Admittedly, Texas falls could not be pushed any closer to winter than they are. Our trees are just now dropping the leaves and the colors are mid peak and a little beyond. Winter begins in approximately 9 days--not looking to see the actual day this year for winters official start.

However, fall has always been my most favorite time of the year, followed by spring, then winter. Summer drops to the end of the list because of the heat, because it just does not  behave here like the summers in the Great Lakes, the mountains, or New England. When I say behave, it is fundamentally because of climatology. Every area of the country has there little idiosyncrasy(s)

Halloween Replay

Just an absolute fire-pot of color

A more traditional look for the second week of December, yet it was in the 70s today.

that if you live in that place, you expect, or accept without grumbling. For example, in the Great Lakes, about 60 miles south of the lakes, there is more cloud cover surrounding the areas. It's the moisture from such a large body of water that causes the cloud cover--stratus--if I remember correctly. As the sun gets higher in the sky, the clouds burn off. You see this more readily if you fly a lot. Here in Texas, the Gulf is as big an influence as the Great Lakes. In reverse. On a larger scale. Controlled by prevailing winds from the south, Then, about Dallas, latitude wise, the mixing bowl takes all those factors and mixes them up and then we get  the big hail storms, tornadoes and winter mix of sleet, ice pellets and those fun things.

Today, I was thinking. Spring goes into summer and that is about all you get. But Fall, gives you color, cooler temps, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and then you get winter with Christmas and  New Years, Valentines  kind of all mixed up in one big snow cone. It's like having you cake and eating it, too. It's everything except Spring and Summer. But sometimes, we get a lot of that too! 
Today I was reminded of that fact with some things that presented themselves unexpectedly. See what  you think. And as always, a quick reminder that if you click on one of the images, the total package will enlarge with a thumbnail at the bottom. When the first opens, then click on the little thumbnails and they too, will enlarge.

Don't Mess with New Year's Day!

Old Bench, hay bales and pumpkins!

A cute scarecrow in the middle of Pumpkin sales.

Yesterday, I noticed four or five large-scale landscape projects putting up Christmas lights and  it's not even Halloween. The stores are getting geared already for the holiday season as we all know. I tend to favor the traditional more than all the hype. The day after Thanksgiving is early enough for Christmas.  The sales would still be the same and everyone would not be as tired as they are when it's over. The rush to get the sales dollar for the next holiday before we've had the first one can only be described as Greed. You can't cut it any other way. If it's not Greed, then stay within the boundaries of each holiday. "Oh! I can't do that," you say.......well, my friend, then it really is Greed. Yeah, I know, some of  you like the rush of the seasons. It could explain why I have put up two Christmas trees in the past 10 years.

Going to the garden center, getting a small bundle of bow branches (for the scent), a couple of scented candles, an ornament here and there and voila! Christmas spirit. The old adage: less is more. It really has a lot more meaning than one might think. It's less habit, more mental and the spirit seems to be more genuine. That's what I like most of all.....the feeling of it being genuine.

I just had a thought. The advertising calendar is 3 to 6 months ahead of our regular calander. The thought is that I should celebrate on that schedule. Any one know where I can get Easter stuff this time of year?  Once, I knew a renown Anthropoligist that left his Christmas Tree up so that his son who was in his wife's uterus at the time would see the lights of the tree and the decorations when he was born seven months after the last Christmas.

Maybe we really need to re-think this whole thing. One wall could be Halloween, one Thanksgiving, one Christmas  and one Easter. The flag pole in the yard would do the Memorial Day, Veterans Day activities, Labor Day and Columbus Day and President's Day  could be landscapes outside with the flag pole. Cupid could be in the flower beds shooting his arrow toward the roof line near the chimney where a red  heart and ribbon would be hung.

That leaves the rest of the year time to celebrate National Ice Cream Day, National Pizza Day, National Spaghetti Day, National Chocolate Day, National Secretary's Day, Where is New Year's Day, you ask, It's right where it should be. The first day of the year when I can  sit on my rear, drink beer and watch college football! And don't even think about tampering with this day in any form. It's just fine like it is already.

This reminds me of Breckenridge, Colorado up in the mountain mining camps. The green is evenly mixed with the gold of the Aspen trees and all one hears is the sound of wind and running stream waters.