Hello from Deep East Texas

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It's a black night my half the county is with out power, went out at 12:30.
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My whole bottom pasture is under water as well as two stock tanks. That hump in the picture is the pond dam.
Back fence was still standing by spotlight inspection.
Tree down in the lot of course it landed on the fence.
I won't be able to get a tractor in there for a month.
I wasn't able to get my back pasture last night due to water level.
We can still get to the main road using alternate routes, I ran them last night for the Commisioner. He was trying to update emergency services routes .
Might as well go fishing cause you sure ain't fixing fence till it dries a little, fwd Ranger is having a hard time .
 
Creek was running full. Hasn't done much of that lately. We got 2 3/4 inches in about 3 hours.

Water gap looks intact.
 
You guys are getting all the rain and up here we can't even buy a decent rain. I'm thankful for the 2/10ths we got last week, and maybe 1/2 inch from the storm before that. I finally got water running on the fields monday.
 
It's a black night my half the county is with out power, went out at 12:30.
View attachment 44809
My whole bottom pasture is under water as well as two stock tanks. That hump in the picture is the pond dam.
Back fence was still standing by spotlight inspection.
Tree down in the lot of course it landed on the fence.
I won't be able to get a tractor in there for a month.
I wasn't able to get my back pasture last night due to water level.
We can still get to the main road using alternate routes, I ran them last night for the Commisioner. He was trying to update emergency services routes .
Might as well go fishing cause you sure ain't fixing fence till it dries a little, fwd Ranger is having a hard time .
How are your cows?
 
And it's coming your way @Warren Allison
Supposed to have some storms tomorrow, then clearing out for Sunday. Been getting good rains every 3 or 4 days since April, and we are 7 inches above normal rainfall for the year. But, I remember in 1986, it had done this all spring...maybe we'd have 2 days in a row without rain, but not many. No one could get in to plant their beans, cotton etc. Memorial Day that year it rained for the last time until Oct 28th. Not one drop of rain for five months. We had the worst drought in my lifetime. That was the year people sent in hay from all over the country to help us.
 
Finally about to get a break. Sun shining today and forecast shows about 5 days of decent weather. I guess things will start drying out. It seems to me that this is coming later than usual (maybe not, just seems that way). I wonder if it might mean a little later growing season this year(?) Wouldn't that be nice? I've always heard that a mild winter is a sign of a mild summer to follow - don't know if that's true or not but we did have a mild winter. If so, maybe we'll get a bit of break from the droughts we've had over the last couple of years. Last July & August were just brutal for hay and grazing pastures. Looking at the very long range forecast on one of the weather websites, it shows the typical summer temps in the 90's but not the 100+ we had last summer - don't know how much to trust forecasts that far out but I can be somewhat optimistic.

Got a call from the Director of Facilities and Construction at Nacogdoches ISD today and had a good visit. They are about to post a Grounds Keeper Supervisor (crew of 3) position that I will, of course, promptly apply for. Interesting note: He said a big part of the job is training the crew - said they have trouble hiring people who know how to operate lawn mowers, string trimmers, etc. I have no frame of reference for that - how could someone NOT know how to mow? But I've trained lots of folks to do lots of things over the years so that shouldn't be any big step. (Here's hoping retirement is just around the corner)

On another note: Our Regional office has decided we need to have a Region 4 Park Superintendents Retreat on June 3-6 (don't know why). And they chose to have it in friggin' Fort Davis, Texas (about a 9-12 hour drive from here depending on traffic)...FORT DAVIS?! It will take me longer to drive to Fort Davis from here than it would take to drive from Fort Davis to California! I understand why - he wants everybody to see a different part of Texas - lots of newbies in superintendent positions in Region 4...just about everybody I knew has retired or moved on. I've been all over and seen pretty much all of Texas and beyond and it's not like it will be a vacation. Sigh - not looking forward to this at all...wouldn't mind if it was just me and the missus going on a vacation out there where we could go and see whatever strikes our fancy. The guy at Nac ISD said they will post the opening next week and leave it up for at least 10 days so even if he hires me, I won't be able to avoid the long haul to Fort Davis. sigh, again

Open to suggestions for excuses to skip the Fort Davis trip...your input is greatly appreciated...lol
 
Supposed to have some storms tomorrow, then clearing out for Sunday. Been getting good rains every 3 or 4 days since April, and we are 7 inches above normal rainfall for the year. But, I remember in 1986, it had done this all spring...maybe we'd have 2 days in a row without rain, but not many. No one could get in to plant their beans, cotton etc. Memorial Day that year it rained for the last time until Oct 28th. Not one drop of rain for five months. We had the worst drought in my lifetime. That was the year people sent in hay from all over the country to help us.
Hang tight...a few days of clear skies are on the way.
 
And the hotter temps have arrived along with the humidity. Thought I saw a big ol' skeeter wearing tactical gear this afternoon…I think some of these are actually armed…lol…hate to see what they're like down around @Caustic Burno …when I lived down there (a little east of him), they could get pretty rough…often had to blow them out of the cab of the truck with an air hose…true story.
 
The missus said she thinks she saw another late arrival down there the other day. Can't confirm that but if it's true, that would make 12…not counting the two that didn't make it. Will try to mow a widow lady's yard tomorrow morning…then see what I can get to out here…temps getting up in the high 80's and low 90's with crazy high humidity…will have to remember to pack plenty of fluids. Still chompin' at the bit…all this rain has been making me stir crazy.

Incidentally, with all the grass, the cows are getting somewhat "full figured"…if you get my meaning. Looking at the bull the other day, he looks like he has grown quite a bit (about 2 years old when we bought him in 2021)…he's looking pretty good this spring…big ol' black hulk looking beast…I'll try to get a pic. He was having a bellowing contest with a bull (possibly simmental) across the highway the other day…sounded like Jurassic Park out here.
 
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