January 29, 2014

Icy Weather in South Texas

January 29, 2014

Last night was cold.  We did not get snow.  We got ice.  A lot of ice for deep South Texas!  The news says we had about 1/2 inch of ice.  Thankfully the streets didn't get too bad.  They closed all the overpasses around midnight.  Around 2:00 a.m., it was 32 degrees and ice was beginning to form on metal objects such as cars, fences, etc.  There was some on the palm trees and bushes when I went to bed around 2:30 a.m.

Snow is so rare here, that we all hope for it when it is cold and wet, but it didn't happen last night.  Many people in this area don't have proper heat or warm enough clothing for severe cold, but even they delight in seeing snow.   Instead, we all awoke this morning to a Winter Wonderland of our world coated in ice. 

As soon as I could focus, out came my camera and I stepped onto the front porch to take some photos.  Then I went to my sewing room and opened the window and took more.  Very few cars were out, so the quiet added to the beauty.  Yes, even a deaf person can enjoy the quiet in certain settings. 

Ron waited a little bit before leaving for the office.  He said the roads were fine, just the drivers were all in a panic.  At one point while I was taking photos of the backyard I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye and saw a huge branch come crashing down from our eucalyptus tree.  Later I spotted a couple of other broken branches in the tree, still attached.  The weight of the ice was just too much for them.  We lost a few more smaller branches from other trees.

The plumber who was supposed to come yesterday came today to replace the hot water heater.  He had an emergency call yesterday and had to take care of a gas leak.  A gas leak is much more serious than my small water leak.  So he worked hard to get the old heater out and then went to get a new one.  This man is in our Sunday School class and has helped Ron out on several "emergencies" at his mom's house.  In our business, we know that there are true emergencies and things that can be put off temporarily.

As we chatted in the garage, I became aware of the ice beginning to melt and fall from the trees.  This photo was taken around 11:00 and you can see how much ice was still in the trees.

While the plumber was gone I kept hearing a sound like someone knocking on the door.  I would get up and check, but no one was there.  I finally figured out it was the ice falling on the roof that I was hearing. 

The birds arrived early and some of the food was easier to get to than some other.  The Black-bellied Whistling Ducks were here in force and for some reason, they were whistling.  At times they got noisy.  I don't know if they were calling their friends to tell them that breakfast was being served or what.

There were several sounds I enjoyed hearing today, the ducks, the ice falling, the ice on the limbs crackling as the trees would sway in the winds.  I am so thankful for my Cochlear Implant.  I would hate to be without it.