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"Possibility and promise greet me each day as I walk out into my garden. My vigor is renewed when I breathe in the earthiness and feel the dirt between my fingers. My garden is a peaceful spot to refresh my soul." Meems






Welcome to my Central Florida Garden Blog where we garden combining Florida natives, Florida-Friendly plants, and tropicals.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Texas Hot Independence


Texas hot is way different than Florida hot. In Florida, this time of year, the minute you step outside the humidity wraps around you and feels like a clammy wet blanket that you wish to rid of its weight. But escaping the muggy, sticky feeling while outdoors is near impossible.

In North Texas this week while visiting son#2 and his wife the temperatures have been in the 100's every day. That's hot!

But it is a *dry* hot. The wind blows lightly almost continually which IS some relief. I find the *dry* hot gives me more the feeling of cooking. Like if I stood still for too long I just might turn into a fried Meems. :-)

Horse and cattle ranches spread the expanse of the landscape along the highways and backroads as far as the eye can see. The skies seem to go on forever and ever.
Small towns here are much like all southern small towns. People are friendly and genuine and actually speak to passersby. I love that. The quaint hitching posts present in front of some businesses and restaurants are surely the exception and send my thoughts to times forgotten.

Southern-good home cooking is right around the corner. Almost every corner. Which works for me, too. I'm always up for tasty chicken fried chicken and mashed potatoes prepared by someone other than me.

Looking around at the flora of summer here it is interesting the crepes are blooming at the same time as they are back at home. Visiting some of the local garden centers is a must. But honestly, even with the shade coverings over them it has been a bit too hot to stroll along blissfully. Needless to say, those visits were shorter than planned.

American flags proudly displayed will forever send a chill through my soul. We're a blessed country and a banner of 50 white stars and 13 red and white stripes flapping in the breeze is still the thrilling symbol that best represents the victories and losses of this great nation. We've much to celebrate and I pray I never take for granted our freedom and independence.

Happy fourth of July! Fireworks for all!

17 comments:

  1. You are oh so right about the heat and humidity. We can have either here but most of the time it is HUMID and hot. Enjoy your visit and have a Happy 4th of July.

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  2. There is a difference in dry heat and humid heat that is for sure. When we lived in Spain, it was a dry heat. Here we sometimes feel like we need a snorkel when we walk out the door, or like we are walking into a sauna, and that can be early in the mornings not in the middle of the day. But that's one of the prices we have to pay for living in s.e. FL where winters are mild.

    What a quaint TX town. Have a wonderful holiday and visit.

    FlowerLady

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  3. In Houston we are lucky enough to get both. Yesterday it was 100, but still a bit humid. Doesn't that sound delightful?
    And yet 6 million people live in the area. We must all be crazy!
    Great post.
    Happy 4th!
    David/ Tropical Texana/ :-)

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  4. I know there is a difference between dry heat and humid heat.But hot is hot! Looks like you're having a great time! Enjoy your time with your son.
    And you have me wanting fried chicken and mashed taters and gravy,cooked by someone else!

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  5. what a great place to be for 4th July. Have a happy time with the family.

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  6. Ah, ♥ the horse pics!

    The good news is...we continue to get rain. Had a really good storm for about a half hour this afternoon!

    Enjoy your Texas 4th of July and enjoy your vacation!!

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  7. This year has been a bit odd. We usually get humid hot, but this year it has felt like we're in a convection oven! Enjoy your visit. Stay cool!

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  8. Beautiful photos! One of our sons lived in NE Texas for a while - in a little town called Blossom, between Detroit and Paris - not far from the Oklahoma border.

    Have a safe and wonderful 4th of July, Meems!!!

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  9. Much to be thankful for in our country. Great post!

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  10. Lisa,
    Try to stay cool as you celebrate your 4th of July.

    FlowerLady,
    I'm a winter girl for sure. But we make the most of our summers getting outside as much as possible to defy the muggy conditions. It is the trade off as you say and we wouldn't want to be anywhere else but Florida.

    David,
    Son says the folks around here think it is humid, too. But he compares to FL and thinks this TX heat/humidity is dry in relation. TX is a great state no matter... dry, cracked clay ground and all. :-)

    Chris,
    Hot is hot is correct and it is hot right now. Cracker Barrel maybe for that CFC cooked by someone else?

    africanaussie,
    TX knows how to celebrate her Independence! Thank you.

    Siesta Sister,
    All the rain this past week has helped me to rest easy being away from the garden. Rainy season has officially begun around home and from the sound of things the whole area has been blessed with good doses of it almost daily.

    HolleyGarden,
    Convection oven is a perfect description. Thank you for visiting.

    Patricia,
    I like the sound of a town called Blossom. It is a nice part of TX. Happy 4th of July to you and yours.

    Darla,
    Counting our blessings... as I know you are, too. Happy 4th.

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  11. Meems-Happy 4th to you and your family. My sister lives in Denton, Tx-a place for great music offerings and good town spirit. There is something wonderful about every state. We are blessed to live in the UNITED STATES! Sue

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  12. Sue,
    Antiqued with my DIL just north of Denton Saturday. We all really like the area, too. Blessings to you and thank you for your visit. Meems

    Greggo,
    Happy 4th.

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  13. Commenting as a Houstonian, North Texas should speak for itself and not for all of Texas. :P Dry heat, indeed! Gulf Coast is Gulf Coast, my friend, and our humidity is internationally renowned.

    ;_;

    so tired of summer, please make it stop...

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  14. hey, doesn't anyone have a/c? i sure do and my house is my sanctuary in the summer heat. i don't do early mornings (as you well know!), so late afternoon i might venture out in my a/c car to an a/c store/mall. unless i am at the beach that is ... that heat doesn't bother me at all ... by the seashore it's always cool!!

    my sis lives in Austin ... my in-laws in OKC ... they are having over 100o temps with no rain! it seems too hot everywhere!

    p.s. love these pics ... there is beauty in the smallest towns to the big cities in the U.S.
    "and i'm proud to be an American, where at least i know i'm free ..."

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  15. Hi Meems, those photos are really lovely, i love most the hitch posts. Thanks for visiting my post. You asked if the caladiums are also volunteers. Yes they are! The bulbs and the corms are difficult to eradicate in our area, as even a small corm can grow when the rains come. Unwanted taro are like that and i have been devoting my few visits to pull them off, let them dry in a cement pavement. Next year a lot of them are here again. For the P.lutea hedges, yes it was purposely done. I also had some amaryllis hedges, haha. Instead of removing them i just plant them in rows and thru the years they become hedges.

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  16. melissa,
    It is N. TX I was referring to... not familiar with Houston. Summer has only begun... we've a long way to go. :-)

    Gigi,
    The a/c is a lifesaver indoors... too bad we can't garden in it too.

    Andrea,
    Pretty amazing your caladiums are wild. I go to great efforts to have lots of them filling up my summer gardens.

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Have a blessed day,
Meems


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