Is it possible to manifest cooler weather? To will it into being during the long summer months in Texas? That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Weather
Windmills: A Memory of Spring
When I was fifteen, weighed down by concerns about high school – algebra tests, term papers, girls – there was no better spot in the world to silence the mind than on top of a 35 foot windmill at my uncle’s farm. In the spring, it was heaven up there on that platform. To the north I could see hundreds of black angus cattle dotting the new grass of irrigated pastures, a scene fitting for Van Gogh’s brush. To the south, way south, there were citrus orchards. The southern breeze blew in the sweet smell of orange blossoms. In the brushlands of south Texas, that was the second harbinger of spring.
The first I could see to the west, the new sheen of emerald green covering miles of mesquite. The huisache trees, too, were adding their bright golds to the mix.
Just a few days before it had been a bleak, brown landscape, but overnight, nature turned on her lights and from the platform high above it all, as birds sang with greater enthusiasm, and butterflies fluttered among the bluebonnets far below, I could witness the world being born again.
And the windmill turned and squeaked. I think a windmill squeaking may be the only squeaking in life that is comforting. It’s soothing somehow, perhaps because it is the sound of life itself being pumped from the ground.
We used to keep metal coffee cups on hooks down by the water tank so we could get a fresh drink of water, delivered pure and cold from deep in the earth, whenever we wanted.
I think photographs of windmills are the pictures Texans seem to love most of all. There is something romantic about them. The giant turbines are not loved like windmills, perhaps because they are so enormous they overpower rather than blend with the landscape.
And windmills stand alone, never in groups of twenty of forty. Windmills seem independent and solitary, historically symbolic of the Texas character. They have a unique place in our heritage. They transformed much of the land from arid to vibrant.
This reminds me of a poem by the great cowboy poet, Mike Moutoux. He makes this point about windmills far better than I can.
A FITTING MONUMENT
by Mike Moutoux
In the dry land stands the monument of a dreamer
It is a testament to hope; to years of yearning
Standing tall above the grasses, rocks and scrub oak
Below a cloudless sky and sun so brightly burning
No babbling brooks cross here, just silent sand arroyos
Few linger here at all; fewer still would stake a claim
Only fools and dreamers could love this barren land
It does not suffer fools; dreamers love it just the same
‘Twas the Homestead Act that brought him here to dream and sweat
It was the solitude and grass that it made it feel right
But there were months when precious rains were non-existent
Each cloudless day brought another worried weary night
All that changed when the Aermotor windmill was delivered
The well was dug, the tower raised; each rod and gear in place
The wind blew as always, but now it turned a shiny fan
And both the cowman’s heart and dreams begin to race
The cowman would talk about that day for years to come
How the blades spun, the rods creaked, how he paced and paced
And then water, precious water, poured from pipe to trough
Giving hope a thing a man could actually taste
Within weeks trails appeared around the water trough
As thirsty critters, one by one, found the water there of course
Not just cows, but the antelope, fox and deer drank there
The tower, a beacon, led them to their water source
The story of the dreamer is old but not forgotten
The tower still stands although its working years are spent
A testament to one man’s hope and all those years of yearning
For a dreamer and cowman, a most fitting monument.
For more of Mike Moutoux’s work, go to www.mikemoutoux.com
Texas Standard: January 19, 2018
Not ready for Prime time? Houstonians wonder how they missed out as two other Texas cities make Amazon’s cut for a possible second HQ, we’ll have the latest. Also, when disaster strikes, who’s gotcha covered? A new investigation by the Austin American Statesman finds billions of dollars in Texas state property uninsured, and taxpayers routinely on the hook, we’ll explore. And baby its cold outside, but colder than past winters in Texas? We’ll double check the thermometer. Also, automakers spending billions hoping to win over the biggest market for pickup trucks on the planet. You know where that is, right? All that and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 16, 2018
From San Antonio to Tyler, the capital city to Corsicana, schools, businesses and roadways closed thanks to Inga. Though Dallas mostly spared, much of the rest of the state to the east and the south dealing with or bracing for a thin layer of ice causing major disruption. We’ll check in with reporters across the affected region…Also, 2017: the deadliest year in immigrant detention centers in almost a decade. What’s happening and why? And separation anxiety: the law struggling with who gets the frozen embryos after a breakup. Plus the Texan writing a new chapter in the rise of the Black Panther. All of that and more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 8, 2018
America’s farmers in the national spotlight today: we’ll hear what some in the Texas agriculture industry want to hear from President Trump. Also the Rio Grande is an important part of Texas identity, but the waters in it don’t just belong to Texas. A dispute between states in front of the nation’s highest court today. We’ll have the details. Plus: cold weather last week put natural gas in high demand. How freezing temperatures impacted the energy industry. And airlines including Southwest and American are accused of working with other carriers to limit seating choices and raise prices. How plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit allege they struck informal deals. Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: January 5, 2017
Debris is cleared then more homes are gutted and the streets are filled again. We’ll explore the reality of hurricane cleanup and one city’s message to Washington. Also in Virginia yesterday it was the luck of the draw. But how would a tied election be decided in Texas? Plus, the roadway wonder that saves drivers headaches and gas, is prolific in Texas. Why it hasn’t caught on in most other places. And those who’ve lost everything in a disaster often miss things like photo albums the most. An effort to re-create some of those washed away memories. Those stories plus the Typewriter Rodeo, politics and more, on today’s Texas Standard:
Texas Weather
You turn on the heat, then the air conditioner, then the heat again. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Texas Standard: September 1, 2017
As cleanup crews converge on Houston, just a bit to the east its still very much rescue mode. From the heart of the Golden Triangle, this is the Texas Standard.
82,000 homes damaged across Texas.
Harvey’s gone but it left Beaumont and Orange virtual islands…and emergencies in both cities as a military task force turns a big part of its resources to east Texas.
Water water everywhere? Not a drop to drink where we are. Nothing from the tap. Bottled water long gone…
Another growing shortage: gasoline. Rescuers say they’re running low, travelers stalled along backed up roads are running out. But the problem’s not one of supply.
Texas Standard: August 31, 2017
As waters recede, the death toll rises in the aftermath of Harvey- and fears grow of more grim discoveries. Today, from the gulf coast, this is the Texas Standard.
Coming up, the latest on rescue and recovery efforts in the states largest metropolitan area, plus, explosions reported at a flooded-out chemical plant northeast of Houston.
As the biggest rainstorm in the history of the US mainland makes it way well beyond our borders, Governor Abbott announces the worst is not over for southeast Texas.
Also, an important ruling on the eve of the so-called sanctuary city bill.
We’re live from the Galveston County Daily News. And no matter where you are, It’s Texas Standard time.
Texas Standard: August 30, 2017
Roadsigns down, trees uprooted, power and food in short supply- but on the horizon, unmistakable signs of hope. The road to recovery, today on the Texas Standard
As Tropical Storm Harvey moves northeast dumping torrential rain on the golden triangle and the Texas / Louisiana border, recovery eforts kick into gear further south. Today we’re broadcasting live from the Corpus Christi area – where Harvey first made landfall a few miles north of us: destruction so severe, there’s still a curfew in place.
We’ll hear how the area’s trying to move forward…and what’s still needed.
Also, a warning on filing insurance claims and why “500 year” floods are more frequent than the name suggests.
We’re live from the coastal bend and it’s Texas Standard time.
Texas Standard: June 28, 2017
Is it okay for Texas colleges and universities to use race as a factor in deciding who gets in and who doesn’t? We’ll explore a new legal challenge. Also, the opioid crisis is bigger than an addiction problem. In Houston, city officials warn of the arrival of an opioid variant so toxic, incidental contact could be lethal. We’ll have the latest. Plus Texas and other states offer incentives to boost the space business. Caliornia, meanwhile,is taking quite the reverse approach. We’ll hear what’s up. Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:
It’s Not The Heat, It’s The Humidity
The temperatures across Texas are climbing and, in many places, so are the humidity levels. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem.
Severe Weather Alerts
Heavy rain and thunderstorms are in the forecast for parts of the state over the weekend. Texans also know to keep there eyes and ears out for anything that could be more severe. That was the inspiration for this week’s poem.
Texas Spring
Wildflowers are dotting the highways, fireflies are flitting about during dusk and it’s still cool enough to sit outside most days. The telling signs of the spring season — and the anticipation of summer — inspired this week’s poem.
Hail in Texas
Spring weather in Texas can mean damaging hail. That was the inspiration for this week’s Typewriter Rodeo on the Texas Standard.
Texas Weather is Never Normal
When Admiral Perry arrived at the North Pole, according to legend, he said, “Must be a cold day in Amarillo!” He was referring of course to the old Texas saying that there is nothing between Amarillo and the North Pole but a barbed wire fence.
Amarillo and the Panhandle are not just famous for arctic fronts and blue northers. They are well known for wind in general. Chicago is not really the king of windy cities; Amarillo is. The Weather Channel says that Amarillo is the windiest city in America. In fact four of the top ten windiest cities in America are in Texas – Amarillo, Lubbock, Abilene and Corpus Christi. It’s tempting to add Austin for other reasons. Windy weather is why Texas is by far number one in wind energy, producing more than twice as much as number two, Iowa.
Another common saying in Texas is this: “If you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute.” We are a region that can have the heater on in the morning and the air conditioner on at noon, only to turn the heater back on at night. In weather, we are bi-polar. I like the post floating around the net these days that goes like this: “Mother Nature says: You can’t squeeze all the weather in the world into one week. Texas says: Hold my beer and watch this.”
And then, it’s not uncommon to see signs in Texas during the summer that say: “Satan called. He wants his weather back.”
Here’s another Texas expression I love: “It’s hotter than a fur coat in Marfa.” See if you can’t work that one into conversation someday soon.
Despite the persistence of the claim that you can fry an egg on the sidewalk, it is never actually hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk. It does get hot enough to bake cookies on the dash. I’d much rather have dashboard cookies than sidewalk eggs, anyway.
My brother Redneck Dave used to be annoyed that Freer often reported the highest summertime temperature in the state. He said “I know for a fact that they keep their town thermometer in an oil field pipe yard. That ain’t right.” He seemed to think they were unfairly winning a weather Emmy of some sort – best performance in heat.
Much of Texas is known for being dry. Dry as a bone, they often say. A West Texas rancher once told me, “God ain’t much of a rainer out here, but he was mighty generous with the stars.”
And they have sandstorms in West Texas so intense that they leave sand drifts behind. In some years they have to shovel snow in the winter and sand in the summer. I bet sometimes they get to do this on the same day.
Farmers I knew as a kid would say that south Texas was so hot and dry that the “trees were whistling for the dogs.” Gotta love farmers. Humor as dry as the land.
Eventually droughts are broken and the rain comes. Then we have “gully washers and toad stranglers.” Or old timers say, “It’s raining so hard the animals are startin’ to pair up.” The great meteorologist Isaac Cline got it right when he said: “Texas is a land of eternal drought interrupted occasionally by Biblical floods.”
Houston is not known so much for rain or drought, but for humidity. It is a giant sauna much of the year. I doubt Houston would be the economic powerhouse it is if it weren’t for air-conditioning. In 1900, there were less than 50,000 Houstonians. Won’t be too long before there will be 7 million people in the greater Houston area. What happened in the last century? The invention and perfection of air-conditioning. Coincidence? I think not.
Somewhere in Houston they should have a big statue of Willis Carrier, 100 feet tall, right off the Gulf Freeway. Willis would reside comfortably inside a huge glass display case, which would be air-conditioned, of course.
In Texas we define ideal weather as Chamber of Commerce weather. It may not be unique to Texas, but it is a common expression here. But honestly that weather is rare. Most of the time I visit a Texas town for the first time people tell me, “the weather isn’t usually like this.” But from my experience it is. Texas weather is never actually normal.
Texas Standard: March 8, 2017
Obamacare, but for how much longer? How does what’s been called repeal and replace stand to affect Texans? Answers and more questions today. Also as many servicemen and women once stationed in Afghanistan return to Texas, new boots on the ground over there: Chinese boots. We’ll explore. And give me your tired, your very poor, your huddled masses yearning to be able to afford a grocery trip. What new numbers tell us about why Texas has become a beacon for California migrants. And the latest weather forecast. Same as it ever was? Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 15, 2016
Money, religion and wait, there’s something else that’s not part of polite conversation, right? Talking politics at work: a how to guide. We’ll explore. Also in the ongoing stare down between Texas and the EPA, did someone just blink? We’ll explore why Washington regulators are taking Texas off a clean air blacklist. The iconic retailer Neiman Marcus build its brand selling luxury goods to the wealthy, now it soon may be looking for a shopper of another sort, we’ll explain. And how much would you pay for the handcuffs used on Lee Harvey Oswald …do I hear 50 thousand dollars? Also remembering Gwen Ifill and much more today on the Texas Standard:
Texas Standard: November 10, 2016
Is governor Perry going to Washington after all? Why the president elect may be looking to Texas to fill some top jobs, we’ll explore. Also, a prominent congressman from Texas tells us the Senate should kill the filibuster. Not that there’s no precedent for such a rule change, as Senate democrats may recall. Plus Wendy Davis tells us this week’s vote stands for something perhaps less obvious: the need for a new focus on education. We’ll hear her explanation and the potential for a democrat challenge to Ted Cruz in 2018. And tips for your weekend getaway, how to eat tacos and write about them too and much more, today on the Texas Standard:
Waiting-For-Autumn Blues
While many Texans firmly believe seasons do not exist in our great state, we all look forward to the few weeks of cool weather in the fall. It’s the perfect time for cardigans, sweaters, and a cup of hot chocolate. The hard part is waiting for the blissful respite from the heat.