Fake Fall — Second Summer

 I grew up in South Texas where the weather was very tropical (aka humid).  We had hot summers and mild winters (except for 1985).  We didn’t start to school until the first Monday after Labor Day and by then we were glad to dress up in our little plaid dresses, cardigans and saddle oxfords.  I didn’t wear ankle straps like these young ladies, well, at least not to school

On Halloween, without fail, we would have our first “blue norther”.  We would all come home from school, hot and sweaty and very excited.  We would don those dreadful plastic Halloween costumes and head out to Trick or Treat for candy our mother’s never really let us eat.  Of course, back then we didn’t have daylight savings time so it got dark and by 8 pm we were home and ready for bed but, before we got home the weather turned and the wind picked up and was howling like crazy and we were cold.  It was the perfect spooky way to end Halloween.  

At that point, it was autumn and no messing around with the temps.

In 1990 we moved to North Texas and I was excited for what I figured would be four seasons.  I was wrong.  Our neighbor told us that we could expect ice almost every year and snow about every three.  I didn’t realize, however, how it would come about.

The second year we were here we had an ice storm on Thanksgiving and I was up cooking and I just kept cooking and my mother kept saying she didn’t think we were going to be able to get together and I just kept cooking but, at the end of the day, we cancelled Thanksgiving and that was a real disappointment.  

We noticed that it was summer until mid September and then it turned fall for about a couple of weeks and then it was summer again.  I like to call that Fake Fall and Second Summer.  In October we generally have Real Fall for a couple of weeks but that is as long as it lasts — then it is winter.  No “Fake” about it.  Some years it is milder but we always have at least one ice storm and sometimes snow.  

The weather here is very jarring— in San Antonio we have mild winters - here mild is not a word I would use.  In San Antonio summer is hot but you have lovely breezes off the Gulf of Mexico to cool things off —here, well, this year we had over 50 days of triple digit temps going up to 110.  And no gulf breezes.  

So, right now we are in Fake Fall but in a couple of days we will see Second Summer —and then it will start turning seasonally colder.  I would love to see all the fall decor on peoples front porches — here people like to decorate porches — but it doesn’t seem like people are in the mood — I think because it has been so hot but, if this year is like the last they need to hurry because when it gets here it will only last a little while and then the winter decor has to come out!  I think that is why I don’t do it — for the cost of it you can’t keep it out long.  

I will be glad when Second Summer passes and we get a feel for Real Fall in the air — I love seeing the trees change colors and feel the nip in the air.  But, until then I will just share this —

Have a wonderful Tuesday!  Ah, yes, Taco Tuesday!