Weather

Here’s the thing:  I come from Texas.  I worked outside in one of the most hot, muggy cities in Texas all summer long, 6 days a week, during my entire high school career.  I worked with horses – big, hairy, warm beasts who thought it was amusing to watch people try to catch them in the field on a day that was 98 degrees with 98% humidity.  I drank gallons of water and sports drink every day during those summers.  I feel like I know about heat.

Which is why I now live in the Pacific Northwest, people!  I decided I didn’t like the heat.  And now that I’ve lived here for over 10 years, the prospect of spending more than, say, 20 minutes outside on a day like I described above is…not good. 

I have carefully explained to Michael that we will plan our visits to Texas – if at all possible – between October and early April.  He didn’t really understand, but he humored me anyway. 

But when one’s younger brother gets married in June in Texas, one pretty much has to visit Texas during June.  I mentioned February as a great month for getting married when they were planning the wedding, but that idea didn’t get any traction at all with them. 

This past week, we were in central Texas for the wedding.  We had a great time.  We did some sight-seeing, we played with cousins, we visited with family, we swam, we went to our friends’ farm, we praised God for the person or persons involved in inventing air conditioning, we ate snow cones, we witnessed my brother and his bride’s wedding, we learned things.  Michael learned why we don’t usually visit Texas in the summer.  I didn’t learn that – I already knew it.

It has something to do with temperatures in the mid-90s, unrelenting sun, and humidity well above 80%.  The enormous bugs may also be a factor. 

I’m not saying that we didn’t enjoy ourselves – we did!  We had fun! 

I am saying that we were not sorry to see that, on the day before summer, the weather in the Pacific Northwest on our arrival was 54 degrees and rainy. 

It’s good to be back.