Dust Storms and Tumbleweeds!

It's funny how we end up in certain places in our lives where we never imagined or intended!  As a teenager, a simple family vacation turned into a permanent move to Houston.  A young marriage took me to Mississippi and Florida.  Years later, an empty nest and need to downsize took us to Austin.  Now, 7 years later, I ended up in West Texas.

Living in Texas the majority of my life, I had heard about this area, of course, especially from a special church minister who grew up here and included Odessa in nearly every sermon.  We had a president that lived here, and a TV show that highlighted the high school football rivalry.  But there's  no way I ever thought I'd live here.  When the "opportunity" came, I didn't want to go.  However, with the economy and job situation, we really didn't have a choice. So, I decided to make the most of it and even changed my work log in password to "Adventure" to get my mind prepared for this new phase of my life. (Don't even try to use that password!)  We packed up two U-Haul trucks, towed a car and a trailer loaded sky-high (we looked like the "Beverly Hillbillies") and headed West!

ARRIVAL

So, here we are in Gardendale, Texas!  We arrived on October 2, 2011 at 9:30 at night.  This is a rural community about halfway between Midland and Odessa about 15 miles north of each.  It's the top point of a triangle.  There is a post office, small store with gas pumps, and a cantina.  What else do you need?  Except for some trees here and there, the area is flat, flat, flat with mesquite as far as you can see.  A slight rise in the roads provide the only "hills" around.   

What the area lacks in trees is made up for in oil rigs and pumpers.  They dot the horizon every way you look.

 At night, they rise like monuments to the industry!




All in all, this was quite a change from the lush green hills of Central Texas, with the lakes, rivers, parks, and camping all around.

WEATHER

The first person I met was the property manager.  "What are the winters like here," I asked, "...because Google Earth showed snow on the ground and we don't get much snow in Austin."  "Oh..." he said, "...we don't get any snow...maybe enough to barely cover the ground."  I also heard this from my new neighbor, and my new hair stylist, the Direct TV guy, and the internet installer.  Oh, ok.  Sounds good.  So, you can imagine my surprise two months later when I woke up to this!

This was the first of FOUR snowfalls between December 2 and February 12 totaling over 19 inches!  And, a new record since 1947!  No snow....check!  (Remember that year...it will come up again!)

Spring is here!  I look forward to warm weather and flowers.  What?  No bluebonnets?  Well do you have azaleas?  Never heard of them?  Hmmm.  So what DO you have?  WIND!  Every day.  Every night.  Strong winds.    I'd experienced some rather windy weather back i, but nothing could prepare me for.....

THE DUST! 

Brown skies and hazy sunsets became the norm.  Dust under doorways, windowsills, and on every piece of furniture and floor.

So, where is the rain?

Rain?  We don't get any rain here!  Oh, ok!

So, you can imagine my surprise May 9th when it started raining.  And even more suprise when the news stations were all a-flutter that the rain had set a new record!!  Really?  It had only been raining one day!  Well, the MOST rain received in one day since 1947 (must have been a popular weather year) was 1.47"....and we just got 2.44" in ONE DAY!  Wow!  That's amazing...everyone thought.  I kept my mouth shut about the time we received 19 inches in one day back in 2006 in Marble Falls which caused flooding everywhere!

Hmmm.  So whatever will the summer bring?

Now, don't get me wrong...the best thing about living here are the people!  The people are very, very nice!  Not one person in retail, restuarants, medical, church, or neighbors have been rude or negative in any way.  I was told I would like living here because the people were great and that seems not to have changed through the years or during this huge oil boom.  People are willing to help out in any way they can.  Maybe it's living in an area with uncertain weather conditions that draws people together.  Or maybe it's just quiet, small town living.  I'm not sure how long we will live here, but I will keep you informed of this ADVENTURE as it unfolds!