Summer is almost here...

If there is something I particularly don't like about Texas, it is the 100 degree summer days. The days are getting warmer and more sunny showing a clear sign of oncoming summer. It's going to be 90 on Saturday and I am definitely not pleased. I'd rather have an ice day with sub zero temperature than a 100 degree sultry afternoon. There is precious little anyone can do about these super hot days but complain, fret and live on. That is precisely what I am going to do also. Just go on with life... the only difference being I'd be going around in thinner clothes and will be visiting the park more often to bicycle, walk and run hopefully.

Back to Snow....

Today we are back in the business of staying at home because everything is closed in the North Texas area due to a "Blizzard". Radio stations are abuzz with news about winter storm, schools are closed and kids get to stay at home. I had early classes and went to college without waiting till the last moment to leave home only to come back disappointed that campus was closed.

Yesterday at class my professor who is from New York said he is used to this kind of weather for eight months a year. So it is good that there are only a few snow days in Dallas. For those like me from a tropical place it is too much because we are used to winters without any snow.

Fall Season Brings Cheer!!!

It is usually said that spring season brings cheer with new sprouts, blossoms and leaves, but for someone living in Dallas area the only periods to cheer are the transition times between summer and fall and winter and spring. Peak summer from May to September is searing hot and not conducive for outdoor activities during the day and sun sets at 9 pm in the night. Winter is the other extreme it is too cold to get out of the house. So that leaves us the four months that are the transition times between these extremes. Which is right now... great weather for outdoor activities and fun. All sports leagues are full now and every park, trail, and outdoor space will be packed with people trying to get their share of outdoor life.

Unfortunately for people like me students who are full time in school and have a weekend job, there is no respite. Couple of years down the road maybe we will get some time off during these pleasant period, but for now it is books, labs, classes and of course work.

Spring Forward

One of the annual rituals in the US that kinda makes life go slower or faster... at least for a day... is the daylight savings time. In fall the nation falls backward by one hour... all the clocks are reset one hour backward on on particular day (First Sunday of November). Then three months the clocks run an hour slower through the cold winter months only to get reset one hour ahead at the beginning of Spring (Second Sunday of March).

I really wonder why such a big deal is made about this daylight savings considering that the number of hours in a day does not change irrespective of the season. It only increases or decreases one hour on that particular day. This is the way the US has decided to handle daylight savings.... Till I came here I had not heard about this concept at all. I may have studied about it in my high-school geography... I don't remember any of it, anyway.

Cold Wave Hits DFW

Today has been by far the coldest day in Dallas since I moved here two years ago. The precipitation was so high that there was black ice all over the roadways which resulted in couple of accidents. Our college closed for the day so as all the schools and few offices. Driving was supposed to be a pain in the metroplex... I was wondering how it would be in far northern parts of the US where it snows for 6 months and there is freezing temperatures.

Christmas Snow

This is the first snowy Christmas in the past 3 years that I have been here. It started off as a mild rain yesterday morning and soon turned into a snowfall and by nightfall it was a full blown snow fall. The roads were covered with a carpet of snow and it was dangerous to drive.

Cold, boring but hectic winter days

The best thing about blogs, they just keep going. Hence I continue to blog about what's happening in my life even if it is most boring even for me to write about. I have been raving and ranting about winter and how the cold windy weather is preventing me from getting outdoors and doing something. Something good about winter though is that there is a lot of part time/ temp jobs available... so I am at least able to make some money during the holiday season... I hope the job streak continues into spring and summer....

Fall and Winter chills!!!

Image by brewbooks via Flickr

It is that time of the year when I regret being in Dallas. It doesn't snow and transform the surroundings to milky white complexion, the sun never shines through the misty, foggy and cloudy atmosphere. The trees shorn of leaves and brown grass make the already bleak scenery appear duller. There is nothing one could do during the fall other than go out and eat. Winters in Dallas are punishment for outdoor lovers like me. Three more months of pain before I can go out and enjoy activities... unless there is a sudden miraculous burst of sunshine, which can happen in Dallas.
Most outdoors people in Dallas survive the winter with this hope that there will be some days in between which are warm and sunny...

Snow and Ice Heralds Winter in DFW

The weather in Dallas is quite similar to Delhi, searing hot summers and freezing cold winters. It rarely snows and usually towards the end of winter sometime in January/ February. This year was an aberration, it snowed this morning. I woke up to see the roofs and lawns of our apartment swathed in white powdery snow. The cold and white brought memories of my stint in the Himalayas rushing back to my mind. I smiled as I thought of those footloose days when I would just quit the job and head off to enjoy the unending mystic of the snow capped Mountains. It was so easy to land a job those days. Today the picture is quite different... almost a decade older, with lot more responsibilities... my life has certainly changed....

Winter is crawling into town!!!

Last month I was cribbing about the searing heat which prevented me from enjoying the outdoor activities. Now I find myself ruing the rains and cold winds which are once again deterring me from going out and enjoying the bicycling trails or parks or swimming. The transformation from summer to winter was almost instant.
One day it was very hot and suddenly a thunderstorm warning came through and it rained flat out for the next two days. After that it has been mostly cloudy humid days with sparse showers which has kept me and my bicycle most indoors. I wish it would get sunny again but not as searing hot as summer.
I don't think it would get too warm because winter seems to have set in with the nip in the air. It looks like this weather will continue for quite sometime and will get colder as the months roll by.....

Colorful Texas Summer

Summer has started and heat is back with vengeance. But this is also the time when we get to see color in nature. A welcome change of scene from the boring grey and brown, leafless trees. This is the season when wild flowers blossom everywhere, in the parks, along side walks, creek sides, beside highways etc. I took this opportunity to shoot some of these wild flowers and here they are for you all to see.

Freezing cold creates ice everywhere

Temperatures really dropped to sub-zero levels for a few days during last week and I was walking around wearing 3-4 layers of warm clothes. One morning I came out of the house to find my car caked completely in ice and had to wait for about half an hour after switching the car heater for the ice to melt and then start off my day. The same evening as we sauntered out to get some fresh cold air, I thought I'd capture some images of the ice and here they are for your reference. Ice is on the plants, trees, bushes, homes, roofs, cars and on the floor. The most dangerous part of all this is if you are not careful you will most definitely slip and fall and break your bones.