Summer in southeast Texas will never, under any circumstances, be confused with a sojourn in Paradise. This summer, even though it’s officially only about two weeks old, already seems pretty much unbearable. We’ve had a ridiculous amount of rain recently, and though here on the Redneck Riviera we’ve been spared the flooding that has paralyzed the Hill Country, the ground is saturated. There’s simply nowhere for any additional rain to go except into the streets and yards…and, in some cases, people’s living rooms. Our back yard looks like a swamp, and for awhile it looked as if the deluge we got on Saturday night was going to be coming in through the back door.
Even when it’s not raining, it can be miserable here. Once the sun comes out, and the saturated ground begins to evaporate some of it’s stored water, the humidity can be miserably oppressive…and that’s on a GOOD day. Thankfully, the mosquitoes haven’t been much of a problem yet; it’s been too wet for any eggs to hatch. Once we get an extended period of dry weather, though, the little bastards will be out in force. The mosquito may be the Minnesota state bird, but here in southeast Texas it’s the state carnivorous animal.
Things could be worse, though. The temperature has yet to climb into the mid- and high-90’s…but when it does, I’ll once again be going through my annual “Will someone PLEASE remind me why in the HELL I moved to Texas??” phase. It’s as predictable as Christmas shopping and every bit as reliable. We could also be in Las Vegas, with it’s 116 and 3% humidity…come to think of it, that might actually be an improvement. The heat doesn’t really bother me; it’s the humidity that wears me down.
All in all, I suppose I probably shouldn’t be complaining. After all, my home isn’t up to it’s shingles in flood water, nor has it been devastated by a tornado. Yeah, it’s hot as hell and the humidity sucks, but I’m not walking through 18 inches of water to take a shower in the morning.
