Every summer, when the temperature climbs above 100 degrees and the humidity is about 90 percent (and stays there for weeks), I consider relocating to a place where it doesn’t get so hot. North, then. The mountains of New Mexico loom in my mind: high altitudes, low humidity, cool breezes in the trees; so dreamy.

Snow 24 Jan 2014

All it takes to rid me of that fantasy is the first cold snap of the central Texas winter. Our cold extremes last only a few days, but even before then I’m looking at the map to see where I can move to where the winter weather is milder. South, then. Brownsville, maybe? Unfortunately, I veto any place with “Hurricane Evacuation Route” signs.

That means that I’ll be staying right where I am and make the best with what I’ve got.

Frozen water in the yard

Icy in Maryland

Photo by Doug Bachert (my nephew), taken with his iPhone 5 in Hagerstown, Maryland.