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.