Yellow Mellow - Fall is here

Have you ever been taken back by what you see in nature? Here on the pond near my home in The Woodlands Texas, I noticed this last week an unusual scene. Everything I saw seemed to be yellow! Well, today cool air has put it all into perspective. It is fall! This weather has brought a mellow feeling from my childhood that definitely includes Halloween and the beginning of the yellow leaves. Yellow is a harsh color to me in the summer. It reminds me of heat! By golly, we have had plenty of that this year.

What caught my eye this week was the yellow reflection on the surface of the pond. Then and only then did I become very interested in the color. Now I could see the departure of summer and coming of cool weather. On closer inspection, I found nature in change.

Honey bees were gathering honey by the bucketful.

Busy as a bee has real meaning on the pond right now. Winter is approaching and the last opportunity to collect honey in abundance will wane in the coming month.

One needs to look closely at the life on the pond  to appreciate what is going on. Small and large butterflies are also in abundance, preparing for migration to southern winter habitats. Look at the yellow reflection under the wings of this little guy. This is the hardness of the summer sunlit yellows of the flowers. This will be replaced by the more subtle colors of autumn very soon as the trees change color.

Various other butterflies are abundant as well. The pond is simply teeming with wildlife, seeking the nectar of the wild yellow flowers.

When the Monarchs suddenly showed up, their size and magnificence seemed to eclipse the colors of the other creatures. I had to say to myself, it has been a long difficult summer for many creatures, but look what is happening before my very eyes! The pond is full of creatures celebrating the coming fall and the drought has been broken.  Yellow is not so extremely hard after all. It became absolutely beautiful!

So mellow yellow? That it is!

"They call me Mellow Yellow.
Born-a high forever to fly.
Wind-a velocity nil.
Born-a high forever to fly.
If you want your cup, I will fill.
They call me Mellow Yellow"

What to expect in the mail for 2009 taxes

Your "association assessments" this year will arrive with your county tax bill. There will be one payment to the county for all your local taxes. Therefore the payment expectation will be earlier than the past. This is part of the new township method of collecting assessment dues for our local services and amenities in The Woodlands. You should receive your bill in October and pay by January 31, 2010.  Your township tax payments of residents and businesses will fund the operation of The Woodlands for the calendar year 2010.

Please call the Community Associations of The Woodlands, Assessments Department, at 281.210.3974, or e-mail, for any assessment questions during this transition period. Transition and governance information can also be reviewed on www.thewoodlandsassociations.org

Go Texans! Professional Football is back!

The Woodlands is not very far from Houston, but you can't get to the Texans Reliant Stadium ball park in 30 minutes! Not much more than that on a good traffic day, it was nevertheless our recreational destination this week. My friend has PSL seats, so we get to view the game from a terrific vantage point. Definitely an amenity, I am so glad we live here. Our neighbors to the south host football, baseball, two basketball, hockey and soccer teams at a top professional level. This time it was the preseason opener at home for the Texans against the New Orleans Saints. I took my camera to share the event with readers.

First there was the Tailgating party. And partying was what the fans was doing! First game of the season at home. The real fans show up at this. These two photos were taken at a Tailgate bus whose owner sounds a siren each time a toast is to be made and passes out a beer to everyone in the crowd. The beer is to be chug-a-lugged on the spot without spilling it all over you. It is opened at both ends. I told the guy after the first time, I need a lesson on drinking a can of beer from both ends at the same time. Well, the guys in this photo showed me that you drink from the bottom. So "TOPS UP!" or "BOTTOMS DOWN!".

You might see Texan ladies in shorts with high heels like this one. For those who don't know, the little lady is all dressed up for a Texan game, and it was very hot outside! She was just fine. Party time!

You will run across Tejanos (if you are unfamiliar with this word, you can look it up. It means a native Texan who has a Mexican heritage.) "Tejas" was a state of Mexico and is Spanish for "Texas". Remember that Texas was at one time part of Mexico and then became a nation with mixed Tejano and gringo blood lines.

Part of being there is to watch the game, but part is to cheer them on as well. Ya gotta watch the cheerleaders to do that part, so we were good boys and did just that! Meet Brandi, one of 29 fabulous 2009 Texan Cheerleaders. She danced good too! Then there is another aspect of the game to appreciate - the fans themselves. Cute ones, wierd ones, young ones, old ones, ... you name it, that type of fan was there!

To see more photos of fans, cheerleaders, players and the festivities, I have quite a few for you to enjoy at this site:
Woodlands Photo Studio (Woody's Photography).

Morning view of outdoors from inside

Many of us in The Woodlands Texas can relate that it feels better to have breakfast these days inside. I do it both ways, outside on the patio and inside depending on my mood. August and September typically are hot and humid months. So on this Saturday morning at the breakfast table, I looked to the west from my chair and this is what I saw. I thought, "this is why I am here". Many homes in The Woodlands have such views, because the forest surrounds the home. A home with many windows reaching high in an open house is a practical and desired design for being a part of nature. In many locations however, especially new subdivisions, this is not the case. Trees were not as valued in construction. Builders liked to remove them. Custom builders do a much better job than the traditional large companies. That is a shame! If you want such a view from inside your home and have no trees around your home, please plant them. In any home, you need trees around the house. Some people have a phobia about trees and hurricanes. The pleasure you or any new home owner will have is beyond words. Looking through glass panes to the outside world is what living should be in The Woodlands. This is the reason I am here. The squirrels are visibly playing in the trees; we have two families of fledgling Cardinals growing up in the yard, two families of Sparrows, one family of Mockingbirds, and one family of Hummingbirds. The bird feeders are apparent and I watch them as I pass through the house every day. Woodpeckers and Blue Jays are regular visitors in the yard. At times, we also have Crows. This is a great place to live and enjoy nature.

Remembering the Gardenias

Today I took photographs after the rain and was thinking about the love my mother had for gardenas. Now we always pronounced that like it was in Spanish - Gardiñas.

Mother, I remember when you told me you would love to have Gardenas because of their bright white flowers. You and I loved their smell, but you said we could not grow them well in Corpus. You could not get enough iron to their leaves;they yellowed and produced little flowers when they produced anything at all. The plants were in reality ugly, sickly. You certainly tried over and again by adding iron supplements. We have a lot of iron in our soil here. In fact we have an iron clay soil that gets harder than a rock sometimes. I bought these two Gardenas because of your love for them. Now I have two large plants and they bloom over and over in the summer. I love them. Look and see some blooms! I don't know if I ever told you some of these things.

I explained to Maria (my daughter) once that I believe it is important to say what you think and feel. That is an obligation, not an option. The other person deserves to know. You, Mother, instilled that in me. I have known it all my life but not always practiced it. I thought many times it had to be obvious. You never thought your mom loved you but she did. You were insecure in love and I don't blame you, but you were very loved by me, my brother and my sister. These flowers live and thrive; they are for you.

Galveston Island - It's back!

Guest writer, Laura Jardine, Woodlands Texas resident

I just returned from a trip to Galveston this weekend. Occasionally, I need a dose of sea air and a place to escape the summer heat. We are lucky to have such a place close to The Woodlands. It is one of the reasons we looked forward to returning to the Houston area. I start feeling landlocked if I am too far from the ocean, any ocean, and it is just minutes (okay an hour or so) away from The Woodlands.

I am happy to report that Galveston is back. The island was packed with people looking for summer fun. The economy, the drought conditions in the hill country’s lakes and rivers, and the excessive heat must surely have contributed to the masses on the island. However, I was happy for the local businesses, as they have really had a rough year trying to renovate and stay in business. George Mitchell was instrumental in returning the Strand to its former glory and, although the entire area was hard hit by the hurricane, progress is being made everywhere you look. The Strand is a jewel that holds much historical, cultural and architectural value. In the 1850s Galveston was considered the Wall Street of the South. It had the state’s first bank, electricity, and phone system. I have lived in the Houston area most of my life and still learn something new each time I visit the Strand, nearby museums or tour one of the lovely old stately homes lining Broadway Boulevard. The Grand Opera House has completed renovations and has posted listings for its upcoming season. A trip to the Grand makes for a great couple’s weekend by adding a stay at one of the charming period hotels or bed and breakfast inns, dinner, and an evening carriage ride. Although not all businesses are at 100%, they are certainly open and ready for your business. There are also many extra outings for children when visiting the island other than the obvious beach activities. One of my favorites is the airplane museum. I found it fascinating and informative even though I know nothing about airplanes.

While we lazed on the beach and read our novels, we did dip our toes in the water. You might ask how one could cool off when the water temperature is 91 degrees. The water temperature does vary a bit at different locations on the island, and perhaps the 10-20 mph winds and 89-degree air temperature helped. The water did not feel as warm as it did in 2005 when Katrina and twenty plus storms formed during the hurricane season. That year one could feel the overly warm water and know something was not quite right in the world. I am happy to report the water did not feel as warm as it did then but I’m not an expert.

While I was concerned the sea birds might find a new place to flock after the storm, they have returned in great numbers. I was particularly delighted to see the many brown pelicans. Every afternoon they fly in geese-like formation following the coast westward to roost for the evening. Pelicans were almost extinct on the Texas coast when I grew up, so seeing them is always an affirmation that we are doing something right. Typically Texas had 1,500 to 4,000 nests. However, by 1968, only two nests were found, and by 1970 there were none. In 1970 they were put on the Endangered Species List and two years later DDT was banned for domestic use. It appears that they have recovered and are now crowding out some of the other species on some islands. I call that a success story. I even saw two Roseate Spoonbills on the island. These birds are pink like Flamingos and it is always a treat to see them. It’s also a testament to the health of the environment.

I noticed a lot of the inner island historical homes are receiving long overdue renovations. Much of the island’s architecture is invaluable and deserves preservation. It was a bit shocking and sad to see the potential loss of most of the large Live Oak trees that line Broadway Boulevard. They are now leafless skeletons against the sky and a reminder of the sea water that inundated the island. These trees will be last on the tree removal list to give them more time to recover. They were planted after the 1900 storm and are more than 100 years old. It will be sad to lose them as they give the boulevard its southern charm. However, I am sure, with a little patience they will be replaced with something equally as lovely. So, if you need a place to entertain the kids, a quick weekend interlude, or just have the urge to feel some cool summer sea breeze, I would recommend a trip. It was good for my soul, and Galveston’s economy, to see the island booming.

Before Coffee

Hot climate does not equate to being indoors, well, some of the time. We all know it has been super hot this summer, although a little cooler the past two weeks. Heat can impact our choice of recreational activities. Sure, we all know this, but we may need just a little encouragement to brave it outside. It is difficult to acclimate to temperatures above 100 degrees, so I am finally getting out of the chair, away from the computer, in sports shorts and committing to some exercise. Do you shut down when the heat gets unbearable? I do. Yet there is at least one solution. Just get going earlier in the morning. make it number one and forget having a cup of coffee.

Sure, harder said than done I started the motor this morning even before I could see. It worked. No coffee, just some stretching and getting the heck out of the house. After a full month of "rest", I finally started back again by running (I really can't call that running, more of a jog) three miles.

We do have to look out for our health, even in the severest of climates. The gym? That is one answer, and I plan to go there as well, but the outdoors is beckoning all the time, regardless of the temperature. The gym is a good alternate if you can;t take the outdoors. I suppose if you know me, you already knew I would be out there somewhere, but I have not been running for an entire month!

Personally, I am hoping to see more faces on the pathways here. There were some this morning but not nearly as many as there were in June. I came home, showered, had breakfast and yes, I had my coffee! The day just feels better after a run! Try it for one month. Don't put it off and don't abandon it after a week. In one month you too will feel much better for the entire day and you can improve your health as you set out to do this long term.