After living in Tucson AZ for 20 years where summer temps reached into the 110's on "bad" days lol I think I can take Texas...getting used to the heat mixed with humidity is a whole nother can of worms though! Now I understand why Arizonians defend the phrase "at least its a dry heat!" It sure does make a difference in how hot it actually feels and there, you can at least take a cool shower and stay dry while you are toweling off!
Moni
I won't knock Texas any farther than that though...at least here you can get more than cactus to grow! I did have roses in AZ but the yard itself was gravel, otherwise it would have been dirt from lack of funds to water every other day and a waste of precious resources as well.
Saz, our home here is a modest cottage type built in the 1930's. It is surrounded by a fence (an ancient white picket in the front and chain link around the back) covered in greenery (once it gets going) and trees that boast hosting some of the Queen's Crown vines as well as their own beauty. Up against the front of the house are the Asian ferns, Wandering Jew, Queen's Crown, and some type of ivy that grows thick and strong. There are a variety of trees here...Chinaberry, Chinese Tallow, Mesquite, Oak, Pecan, and the one that I forgot the name of with the pretty white flowers that I don't get to enjoy until they fall on the ground (it is a tall tall tree!).
By mid-summer (provided we remember to and are allowed to water) the place looks almost like something from a fairy tale. I remember when Rex brought me here, admiring the place as we turned the corner on his street. I was beyond delighted when he pulled up and parked in front of the place announcing "We're here!"
I love being able to take care of it and look forward to my additions to the greenery (the roses I am planting later this month and the stuff my lady friend planted) taking life and continuing to add to its charm.
It will be sad here when my "job" ends and I am no longer needed by the family. Hopefully that will not be for years to come and by that time, I will be a fixture like every other living thing here.
Moni
