§ 40 Days and 40 Nights...

We have a rain gauge in our back yard. It measures 6 inches of rain. Last week when the heavy rains poured from the sky, it was full within a couple hours. I went out in a break from the rain, and emptied it...yes, 6 inches full. By the time the rain bands ended Friday night, it was another 5 inches measured. That means in the week of July 7th during one day, we received eleven inches. No wonder it flooded. The worst part was the sewer system in and around the Coastal Bend; it wasn't working...it wasn't draining fast enough. We couldn't run water from the faucets or flush toilets. What a mess. The river and creeks were above flood stage, and the ground is still filled with puddles here and there. In the dark, I went out on the porch by the street light, and stood in about an inch or rain...the rain water was headed to the garage and the front stoop!!  And no, we don't live in a flood plain, but when we get inches of rain in 30 minutes' downpour, the drainage system bogs down and water floods the streets..then into the yard and if it continues, into the garage and through the doors to the house.  These photos are taken about an hour to two hours of heavy rain.  Before it finished that day, it was about 6 inches from our garage... 

1] just before sunrise, 2] looking from our front porch to street.  3] our sidewalk and submerged mail box, --there is a street below the water,  and 4] across the street, downed tree on corner.





In the meantime, I decided to do another sketch. Long ago, I spotted this online and when I see something that is of possible interest in drawing what I see, I saved it. This one was just irresistible. I had to try it. It made me smile. A smile much needed in these still trying times with economy, lack of government assistance and those scientific "break thrus" that really mean nothing, since one break thru changes over just a few days' time. And the news...oh the news, don't get me started. Okay...anyway: This time, it was total fun; eye lashes and all!! And, admittedly, the easiest and quickest drawing I've ever done. Just lines and round circles. Very little shading, and literally "quick on the draw"...

Ostrich

Named her - "Ostraleah" aka Ostralia


Ostrich Facts of Interest:
1] Ostriches have the largest eyes of all terrestrial animals. Their eyes are even bigger than their brains.
2] Ostriches have three stomachs. In addition to these stomachs, they also have an extremely long intestine, which takes 36 hours to digest food.
3] They have a long and sharp two-toed claw that is capable of killing a predator as dangerous and strong as a lion.
4] A newborn ostrich baby can be as big as a chicken.

source

Will continue with trolls next post.

§ Fountain at Oso Bay Wetlands, Weather, & 3rd Troll...

We've been getting heavy downpours each morning around 2 a.m. for several days now; saturating the ground. Then...Wednesday ---9-11" of rain fell in a short period of time. Within an hour: flooding streets, closing highways and roadways...even the Naval AIR station shut down because of heavy flooding.  It's to last up until 1 pm Thursday.  Naturally I haven't gone birding in quite a while; sticking close to home and dubbing around the yard [before it got so wet and pools of water lying in the low spots kept me from that]. These photos are all taken from the interior looking out windows. The last droplet is hanging onto a hurricane shutter.

Fountain video has been removed

↓ My 3rd Troll Share ↓

TROLL DOLL COLLECTION Space Cadet c: early to late 60s

§ Caution: HEAVY LOAD *picture-wise and water-wise

I was walking and got caught in a downpour! This year....especially the last couple of months, Corpus Christi has broken average records both in high temperature and rainfall!! We now are sitting on a year's total of 40+ inches of rain [average is 30"], and it's just October. It continues to look gray and bleak most days. In fact this month we've had only two days with sun for 4 hours or more. Bud and I, if we stand too still outdoors for too long, moss grows on our north sides. And these funny things are growing on our necks and shoulders...what is this? Gills?!!! [just kidding of course]

We've had so much rain lately, that the water sheds [where water is stored in reservoirs for our city's water supply] are 100% full and they are releasing water from the dams to avoid any collapse or catastrophic break. But, where does this water go? In our rivers of course. The nearest river that runs through part of the city, the Nueces River, is passed flood stage. So far, it's not that bad, but much much more water is heading our way with the release at the reservoirs. Last week, on a walk in the park along the river, I took some photos to show that the water is out of it's banks...about 8-10 feet beyond normal [in the low lying areas]....


This river is usually a very slow moving river....think Up the Lazy River....but on this day, the current was quite swift moving and very deep. As I said, it's out of its banks...the bank is just behind the tree line in the foregoround. The park road is just feet away from the river flow.







Then, curiosity got the better of me. I was wondering what the dam in a nearby park was like. On any 'regular' day, the dam is unusually quite 'dry' with a trickle of water flow. So, I got back in the car and left park number one, and headed a few miles up the interstate toward San Antonio....to the Houston Texas exit where we cross the Nueces River....this park is along the riverside. The dam:

§ C'mon Autumn!!!

Church Steeple in the Morning Mist

On a still, warm, humid, morning, I drove to the river and the park...to walk. Well, after the heavy flooding rain from the week prior there was still a lot of standing water here and there. I was amazed! At our home, the water soaked in in a couple of days... after the rain stopped falling...but I guess the difference in the 15 minute drive [at 75 MPH], the storm dropped a LOT more than in town where I live!!! There was evidence of the river being out of its banks and flooding some of the near-by park land.

Normally dry grassy picnic areas, this was still under water. And the one with the trees in the foreground, look thru the branches and you can see a bit of the remnants of river water [near center of photo]...

I didn't do too much walking. Too humid and my insect repellent wasn't working too well either. The air was close to suffocatingly still...nothing stirred; as you can see by the flag that flies over the country club golf course...

After checking for any wildlife, and finding very little, I left the park and drove a short distance on a county road to the TURF FARM thinking maybe I could find an Upland Sandpiper or two. What I found instead was the land utilized for growing turf to sell; it too was still flooded! And I had to whip a "U" turn before I came to an intersection...the road was under water and barricaded. Stopping right in the middle of the road [there were no cars to be seen 'cause of the road closure], I spotted egrets and herons taking advantage of the flooded land - hunting for breakfast...

Tho the calendar says Autumn is the 22nd, here in the Coastal Bend of Texas we still have another long month ahead with soaring temps!!!! I'm so ready for Fall!!!!!!!!

§ flood of 2018

It's been on national news...everywhere I look the last couple of days...water. Yes, if you heard or read the news from our vicinity of Texas, Corpus Christi received a whopping 12-14 inches of rain in two days! Flooding. Water began to come into our home through the patio door and back door being that that wall is lower to the ground. We were lucky tho...some had it much worse. While at the grocery store, my car was nearly flooded...water line up to the door frame in 30-45 minutes!!! All I have to do, once it clears out, is to get the carpet dried. Mold and mildew is bound to show up quickly in this humid clime!! AND...what do we have to look forward to next? The influx of MOSQUITOES!! Goody.

if you'd like to get a view of the devastation, click here. It may take a while to load, quite long.

Our yard and front street...


I didn't get very far on Wednesday afternoon when there was a lull in the storm fronts...



...road closures, flooded underpasses and water everywhere!


- - -

Our First Lady, Melania Trump came to Texas today!! She wanted to see first-hand the detention centers and treatment. Now, I just hafta say this even tho the media tends to blame President Trump.... these immigration laws are NOT HIS...they were passed by Congress in the 1980s!!!  And he is trying to change them to be more humane.

Oh, and another thing...at the time the laws were drafted and passed, it was a Democrat run Congress!!!