Letter from Lance - Feb 16 2010
16 February 10It got down to 41, and with the wind chill, a nippy 20 something. That’s no big deal in Colorado, but to all of us who are so used to heat it felt like we were near the north pole. And the rains came. Last year we had the worst drought on record and the fifth hottest average Summer temperatures. We are now 4 or 5 inches over normal – standing water fills the furrows in the plowed cotton fields. And all the old gator ponds are full again.
This is Pluto in Capricorn. Pluto rules extremes. Capricorn is the ruler of Winter. And when I hear the weatherman say this hasn’t happened in 50 years, I think: You haven’t seen the worst. Pluto hasn’t been in this sign for 250 years. It rained so hard over two days this time the city’s drainage system could barely cope and we were thinking this is about to get serious. But we escaped with just minor local flooding and now the streets are clean.
The odd nature note this week was that a dead 40 foot baleen whale washed up on the beach at Port Aransas. So huge they had to bring in four pieces of heavy equipment to dig a deep trench behind the dune line to bury the whale. No word on cause of death – they will study tissue samples in the search. No word on the whooping cranes either, but we’ll hear something next month. I cruised down to the beach twice last week when the dark storm clouds were hanging over the water. I love to be out when the weather is dramatic. It was a fun time to me growing up in Oklahoma when the sky lit up with lightning at night, and when you saw that black line of thunderstorms in the distance on a hot Summer afternoon heading your way. Logically, the locals here stay inside on the worst days while I’m out in my little truck on a two lane farm road slowing down to 55 mph as I pass through Petronila, Texas (pop. 85), heading south for a bar-b-q sandwich in Kingsville, about 25 more miles down the road. This weekend I’ll drive back up north to Rockport, about 40 miles, and pick up another quart of shucked oysters at the dock. So good. Got to get my fill before the season ends. Meanwhile Leslie is driving up to Austin this weekend to spend some time with friends and grand daughter. I’ll be working on the mail here and getting the March issue folded and stamped.You’ll be pleased to see the Mars Retrograde period end and the Skywatch improve. Note that the New Moon on March 15 is an exceptionally good signal to all of us to put new plans and ideas into motion then and during the days that follow. Every one I talk to has had their share of hassles, problems and delays of late. I’ve had my vehicles in the shop four times in two months – and sleep an hour longer than usual at night = Mars Retrograde The health care legislation is stopped. Snow and blizzards have stopped travel and the government this week. Good news? The Saints are marching in after winning the Superbowl. Yes, yes, yes. Keep the faith. Help is on the way.
it’s been a funky and uncomfortable few months all over this world – except for when it was downright catastrophic for folks. i’ve been keeping the faith, because i know, times change :).
i like reading your letters, you give me a good dose of optimism and a smile when i can usually stand a bit of both.
— tremolo Feb 16, 11:57 PM #The MINI I just got in October had tires with good tread, but they were old and dry-rotted. One blew a couple Sundays ago, and since I didn’t trust the rest (same date code—I know now how to read ‘em), new tires all ‘round, which wiped out the rest of the extra $$ from the extra January paycheck that was left from setting up my apartment.
I’m hoping to drive all the way out from AZ to do MINIs On The Dragon next year or the year after. 318 turns in 14 miles on a stretch of US 129 crossing the NC/TN border. Yowza, what fun that’ll be! The way you describe your section of Texas, it makes me want to do a road trip down there for some BBQ and a change of scenery. One of these days…. :^)
— dutch Feb 18, 02:35 AM #Thank you Lance for always making sense! Big Hug for you and Leslie from Hot Caribbean. Blessings
— HM Benitez Feb 18, 01:29 PM #I will be very glad to trade you all the snow and ice here in the North East, for what you have in the South Texas Coast. It might not always be warm there, but at least you don’t have tons of snow laying around.
— Franky Edder Feb 19, 11:08 AM #Dear Lance, it has been a long, icy and nasty winter over here. Even our government collapsed last week!
(But I’ll keep the faith!)
Blessings from Holland, for you and Leslie
Annelize
— annelize Feb 22, 03:18 AM #