Time To Celebrate: Lake Travis Is Full And The Current Drought Is Officially Over

Yesterday, the water level of Lake Travis rose above 681 feet above mean sea level (msl) for the first time since the fall of 2007, after dropping below 630 feet msl in late September of last year. The El Nino weather pattern is what normally brings Texas out of its recurring historical droughts, and the El Nino of the last 6 months was no exception, raising the level of Lake Travis over 51 feet since its lowest water level during the current drought.

The full pool of the lake, and the end of the drought, is great news and certainly cause for celebration in the Texas Hill Country. Last summer, the low lake level closed most, if not all, of the lake’s public boat ramps. This had a negative financial impact on businesses along the lake, including marinas, waterfront restaurants, music venues, hotels, and tourist rental properties. Equally bad, “sometimes islands” appeared on the lake, causing accidents and injuries, especially among boaters unfamiliar with the lake. And, residents across the hill country, dealt with the watering restrictions common in times of drought.

This year will be much different. Currently, the lake level is 10 feet above what the level would normally be during a typical March. Businesses along all of the Highland Lakes, including Lake Travis, will no doubt thrive this year, but, then again, this is Texas, the land of feast or famine. Texans in the hill country have learned how to adapt to fast changing weather and climate over the years. One year’s prosperity might bring something quite different the next year. We’ve seen it all before, and, many times.

But, given the current conditions, it is time to celebrate the “feast” of a full lake and the end of the current drought. I will enjoy it while I can, because Texas weather history tells me, it won’t last forever.

Rolling Doubles: Double Digit Temperatures In The 80’s, Along With Double Meat And Double Cheese

Today was a fine and beautiful day, with clear and very bright blue skies, and temperatures in the low 80’s. A fine and beautiful day is one thing, but a perfect day is something altogether different. A beautiful day is exclusively defined by the weather, but the perfect day is defined by things over and above the weather. Today was, at least for me, a perfect day. And, in my case, the perfection was defined by double meat and double cheese.

Some days, when you wake up, you realize that it is going to be a great day. After a few thunderstorms last night, I woke up to a warm, but foggy morning, which soon burned off into light blue skies. In other words, it was the start of a great day, created by someone or something much more important and larger than me. But, taking a great day, and making it perfect, is all up to individual initiative.

In my case, hunger was my “individual initiative,” and I when studied the day, all I could think about was double meat and double cheese. Double meat and double cheese is found at Little Red Wagon Hamburgers, and Little Red Wagon Hamburgers is found in Round Rock, Texas. And, so, guided by my individual initiative, I got in the car and drove to Round Rock. At the end of “my Texas trail,” I pulled into the parking lot, and circled the place a time or two before finding a parking spot, in fact, the “perfect” parking spot right in front of the place.

Things move fast once you walk in the door. If you’ve not been at the Red Wagon before, it’s best to study up on the menu before you get there, because the minute you walk in, the friendly folks will be asking you what you want. In a pinch, even if you don’t have a clue what to say, just say, “Double meat, double cheese.”

The relatively small place is paneled with corrugated metal siding on the bottom half of the interior walls, but what it lacks in inside ambience, it more than makes up for in the quality of its food. The double meat, double cheese hamburger, served at the Red Wagon is beyond great, it is perfect, or nearly so. Topped off with mustard, mayonnaise, lots of tomato slices, sliced pickles, and shredded lettuce on a toasted bun, it is accompanied with a side of hot and salted fries. As you can imagine, this delicious burger is a little messy, and, thankfully, there is a fresh roll of paper towels on each table.

Along with the great double digit 80 degree day, came perfection in the form of a double meat and double cheese creation on a toasted bun, with all the trimmings. I’m glad I keep rolling doubles!

What Hath God Wrought: A Trace Of Snow And The Hill Country Shuffle

It all started yesterday, when I took my shirts to the cleaners. The laundry clerk informed me that my shirts would probably not be ready on Monday, as they normally would be, because of, what he quietly described as, the impending “snow storm.” Now, I’m originally from the north, and an avid weather checker, so I knew that the forecast called for only a trace of snow. I’m not a meteorologist, but I assume that a trace of snow means it's hardly worth mentioning. At any rate, a trace of snow does not constitute a snow storm anymore than a single hair on an upper lip, or a couple of hairs, constitutes any type of mustache.

Snow is rare in the hill country of Texas, as the winters are quite mild. Nevertheless, there was a little wintry precipitation falling from the sky this morning, and, as had been forecasted, it amounted to a trace. Nothing stuck, of course, because there wasn’t enough of anything falling to stick to anything. But, even if there had been, the ground and streets were far too warm for anything to accumulate. In the north, what happened today would not even rise to a “non-event,” in terms of snow. But down here, it was the talk of the town. It was something to behold though, I guess, especially given the fact that my oldest brother, living in Ohio, says it still has not yet snowed this winter where he lives.

The snow aside, there is something out here in the hill country called “The Hill Country Shuffle.” Sometimes it’s called the “Austin Shuffle,” but whatever the name, it means the same thing. On those relatively few winter nights when the temperatures approach or dip below the freezing mark, people grab the sensitive tropical potted plants off their patios and decks and shuffle them into the house. Then, they grab sheets and freeze blankets to cover sensitive plants in the yard. The next morning, when things warm up, the sheets and freeze blankets are pulled off the plants outside. The potted plants inside the house are then shuffled back out to the patios and decks.

As temperatures are supposed to fall below freezing tonight, I did the first part of the Hill Country Shuffle today. I brought the potted split leaf philodendron, hibiscus, and bougainvillea which sit out on my back deck inside the house. I then covered my small citrus trees, along with the hibiscus and bougainvillea plants outside in my garden, with freeze blankets. I was not alone. My neighbors, too, were doing the same thing with their plants. And since the weather forecast for tomorrow, and for at least the foreseeable future, does not indicate any more freezing temperatures, tomorrow my neighbors and I will perform the second part of the shuffle, as we take the plants from our houses back outside, and remove the freeze blankets from our yard plants.

When all is said and done, I do hope my shirts are ready on Monday. The laundry clerk will have a hard time convincing me that our “snow storm” today disrupted the usual and customary pattern of cleaning and adding heavy starch to my shirts.

He Who Laughs First Is Not Necessarily The One Who Laughs Last

We’ve been trying to get my parents down to the hill country for the longest time. This summer, during our 68 days of 100 degree plus heat, my Dad resisted coming down, claiming it was too hot. And, while we had temperatures in the 90’s this past week, yesterday, on the day of their arrival, the weather was unseasonably cool. Today it’s cool and raining. It’s great to have them down here, but I wish they would have left the cooler weather back up north where it belongs. My Dad must have had this weather planned all along.

My Dad and I hopped into the golf cart this morning to take a drive around the neighborhood. By the time we got back, we were both soaked and cold. He was probably silently laughing during the entire ride. I’m sure that he was thinking that he had picked the perfect week to avoid the hot weather.

He who laughs first is not necessarily the one who laughs last. Temperatures are forecasted to be back into the 90's in a couple days. I’ll be the one laughing then.

Of Umbrellas, Plastic Grocery Bags, And Some Really Nice People

There’s an old saying in Texas, if you don’t like the weather, wait a few minutes, but what you get may be worse.

That was certainly the case today as my wife and I headed out to do a little shopping. My wife asked about taking an umbrella before we left. I took a quick look at the radar, looked up at the sky, and told her I didn’t think it would rain for a while. We left the house, and three minutes up the road, the rain started coming down in buckets. “I thought you said it wasn’t going to rain,” the wife said before quickly adding, “that’s what you always say and it always does.”

In my defense, who carries an umbrella in the hill country? As far as I’m concerned, umbrellas and windshield wipers are the most unnecessary things in this area, especially during this year’s drought. As we drove on toward the store, and the umbrella was collecting dust in some corner of the house, I assured her that the rain would stop by the time we got there. Not only did it not stop, it was raining even harder when we arrived.

We sat in the car for a few minutes hoping the rain’s intensity would let up. It never did. Since I had a hat on, and we were fairly close to the store’s entrance, I decided to go in. By the time I got inside, I was soaked. The hat didn’t help at all. A few minutes later, my wife came in looking much the same way.

We had just started to amble into the produce section, when a lady and her daughter approached us. The lady looked at us, smiled, and said, “Y’all must have forgotten your umbrella.” It wasn’t a question really, but more of a statement. To me it sounded like she wanted to say, “You have to be crazy coming out on a day like this without an umbrella.” She wasn’t being mean; it appeared she was very concerned. But, as she walked away, I imagined that she also wanted to say, “I bet you don’t use windshield wipers either.”

With the store’s air-conditioning going full blast, we shivered up and down the grocery aisles before finally reaching the check-out. The lady at the check-out station was very nice, and, again, a little concerned. She gave us large oversized plastic bags to put over our heads so we would not get wet getting the groceries out to the car. Before we even got to the store’s exit, we were approached by yet another concerned employee offering us even more plastic bags.

Nice people and they surely meant well. Bless the friendly, caring folks in the hill country. But let me tell you something. Walking through a parking lot with two or three oversized plastic grocery bags on your head is not a good look. I don't care how hard it's raining. And it’s not effective keeping the rain off either.

When we got home, I immediately grabbed the umbrella from the house and threw it into the car. After all, you’d have to be crazy to not carry an umbrella given this area's fast changing weather. Heck, even I know that.

The End Of A Long Hot And Dry Summer?

Summer 2009 was particularly hot in the hill country. Austin recorded 68 days with temperatures at or above 100 degrees fahrenheit. This is one day short of the record set back in the 1920's.

With the rains last week, temperatures have cooled off considerably back into the mid 80's. The hill country, in the midst of a two-year drought, needed the rain. Everyone was excited when the dark clouds rolled in and the skies opened up. But we need so much more. Lake Travis is currently just a tad over 631 feet above mean sea level, which is nearly 50 feet below a full lake pool. The "old-timers" who have experienced many droughts over the years say when the rains finally come, the lake will fill quickly. With the coming El Nino, the hill country is expected to experience a wet fall and winter.

Despite the drought, and the lower lake level, there is still a lot of recreation on the lake. Boats, although fewer than normal, are still plying the waters. And my evening swims in the lake attest to the fact that there is still plenty of water for whatever activity one enjoys. So, despite some of the rumors, the lake is not "gone" and it hasn't been closed. It's still here, albeit smaller, providing lots of fun and enjoyment.