Texas summer will be hot and dry
Oldtimers predicted the weather for years until weathermen came along to do that job. A weatherman has the greatest job on Earth, at least right now.
Their job, though maybe a bit monotonous, is as easy as any job might hope to be at this time of year. They can stand there and tell you without a doubt that each day will be “Hot and Dry!”
With 100+ temperatures in the forecast, they are right. We’ve been praying for rain, and I know we would all welcome a bit of cool, so I thought this would be a great time to call up a “Blue Norther!” The dictionary gives us this description; “A Blue Norther is a fast-moving cold front that causes temperatures to drop dramatically and quickly. Common characteristics are a dark blue-black sky, strong winds, and temperatures that can drop 20-30 degrees Fahrenheit in a few minutes.”
But a “Blue Norther” is more than that! Can you imagine weather that has almost made you break into a sweat and inside of a New York minute, drop to a point that you are chilled beyond belief? That is what a “Blue Norther” can do.
First, though the surrounding air is almost hot, you can feel a change. Maybe it is the stillness, or even a feeling in your bones. But you will notice a difference before you actually see anything. And then, back in the northwest you see the beginnings of a bank of clouds that grow and boil and darken.
If you are on the Great Plains of Texas, known as the Llano Estacado, your children have probably already scampered to the windmill where they can climb high enough to watch the approaching cloud throwing dust into the air as it immerses the land in an unmerciful scourging of wind and maybe moisture of some type. Then you feel the temperature dropping as the children descend from the windmill and scurry to shelter.
This storm is upon you in a twinkling of your eye and the temperature has dropped from a balmy warmth to a windblown chill that will cause you to hunker up and race for cover or at least make you grab for whatever might protect you from the sudden icy blast that is assaulting you. Tulia, Texas had a record cold temperature of 23 degrees below zero until they were tied by Seminole on Feb. 8, 1933. Folklore often mixes fantasies with fact and the old folk became masters at weather predictions.
However, Ben Franklin said, “Some of us are weather wise and some are otherwise,” and our fascination with weather continues to this day. Weather folklore is far from infallible in its predictions, but it is entertaining! Looks like the weatherman is going to be right again, giving us no chance for a “blue norther” so I guess a popsicle will be the best we can do! This poem was inspired from experiences from yesteryear!
Blue Norther
Texas is renowned for the art of telling of tales,
Be it weather, horses, or horns,
By the color you use, or the daring of trails,
A Texan’s story adorns.
Now the old folks held by tradition, hard an’ true’
Facts handed down thru eons of time,
By ancestors from yesteryear an’ then to you,
Related thru tale an’ rhyme.
Stories are often told in sunshine or shade,
Not one man would ridicule,
When you ponder the weather, predictions are made,
But only by newcomer or fool,
But to see a sign that happens again an’ again,
With facts that give you a clue,
Ponder with a furrowed brow that ends in a grin,
Your story will be pert near true.
The day dawned with a warm sun an’ a balmy breeze,
Tho, big change was in the air,
Then the wind was jerky like waves upon the seas,
Givin’ clouds a certain flare.
The horizon in the northwest began to grow dark,
Clouds took on an ominous look,
Silhouettes of faraway mountains looked cold an’ stark,
Like the lair of a crook.
An’ the horizon they saw became dark an’ blue,
The children climbed that windmill frame,
To check the progress of approaching storm within their view,
A most wonderful country game.
Then the wind picked up as clouds scudded acrost the sky,
Rumbling and roiling along,
Building and banking like the hand of God on high,
Like a wielding force grows strong.
And the warmth of the morning relinquished its grip,
As the chill of the wind bit deep,
The sudden drastic change caused temperatures to slip,
And into your very being seep.
Then came the moisture, the sleet, and the snow,
And the warmth turned into cold,
While the wind howled as only northers can blow,
And the clouds stacked up blue an’ bold.
And a dipper of water was dashed to the ground,
But froze solid on its way,
Cat took the blow of the icy club and was dead when found,
That’s how it happened that day.
Now these harsh an’ hard conditions that came our way,
With wind an’ sleet an’ maybe hail,
Brought story to mind for the old folks to say,
An’ therein lies an honest tale.
And what was seen this day stimulates a fertile mind.
Giving cause to exaggerate,
And a blueprint comes forth with nought left behind,
As a new story you create!
Texas is renowned for the art of telling of tales,
Be it weather, horses, or horns,
By the color you use, or the daring of trails,
A Texan’s story adorns.
© Ol’ Jim Cathey
Go to church! Pray for rain!
God bless each of you and God Bless America!