Drooping August

They say confession is good for the soul. Always wondered if “they” started with my grandmother!
However, on my new web page at http://lizwritesintexas.yolasite.com/  I’ve written glowing reports—and shown awesome photographs—about life on our little mound in the Texas Hill Country. Actually, the pictures and words are true; I just forgot about August.

August
in
Texas:
Brutal.
Dry.


Put another way:

HOT

Horrible

Oppressive

Torture!

Okay! Okay! I know there are other places, like Kentucky for instance, that get high temperatures and high humidity. I understand how that feels because I lived one-third of my life in Hearne, Texas which sits right on the Brazos River. Now that is dripping hot.
I also know that in places like Lubbock the thermometer will hit 110—but there is NO MOISTURE. For a few years I lived across the street from Lubbock, Texas—in Carlsbad, New Mexico and even with intermittent windstorms, I’ll take their dry heat any August of any year!
So I’ll never complain about the Texas Hill Country. We have moderate amounts of everything. Except allergens. We have all YOUR pollens, mold, airborne stuff, mold, allergens, and mold…oh, ’scuse me; I said I would not complain.
The bottom line is that a friend caught me—red handed! She sent a message about my new blog and commented:
"..the photo of your home! Wow! You must keep your camera ready. With this heat my flowers look tired."
Well, yes. And no. On the home page of my new website (address above), I note that ‘we pray and write on the front porch from March through October.’  I penned those words on one of our pleasant 83° July days--and my flowers were glorious. I forgot that August would arrive in all her parched droopiness.

Here is our front, scorched flowerbed 3 days ago when the thermometer hit 104 !

Why, even the hummingbirds neglected the feeders on the front porch. I’ve had to put up six feeders around the back porch and fill all of them daily!

So, just come on inside where the ceiling fans whir and the a/c comes on just enough to keep it tolerable while we write, pray, knit, give thanks, and sip mint iced tea!
We’ll go back to the front porch long about mid-September.
Meanwhile, August is hot and dry and parched. And today, even my prayers languish and my spirit is dry. So while the sun bakes the earth and worry fills my heart, this is a good day to pray a renewing prayer with David—a man who knew the touch of God’s hand; a man who also knew sin, fear, and exhaustion; a man whom God loved. And he prayed:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit.”  PSALM 51:10-12

Blessings,

   Liz