Dried up livestock tank in North Texas
Here in North Texas when we say it is 110 in the shade we mean it… literally. It is now day 68 of days above 100 degrees. The longest stretch of 100 degree temperatures is currently at 42 days. Most days the wind blows at a rate of 14mps and higher so that it feels like being in front of a blow dryer. Believe it or not it is so hot that you find yourself glad there is some wind.
Area farmers and ranchers I have talked to tell me their outside work day begins at 6:00 am and they try to be done by 10:00 a.m. Then it’s to the house to work on books, or the nearest shade to do what can be done in the way of catch-up work. There are very few if any cows to feed, no calves that need working, and no fence building. Lack of water means the wheat will not grow, and the cattle have nothing to eat or drink. The ground is so hard; that driving fence post is like hitting cement with a shovel.
Cattle owners, who made the hard decision to sell, have created record numbers at local livestock barns. Most sale days find their owners working round the clock to handle the three thousand head of cattle coming through their pens.
Yet, despite the hard conditions resilience and hopeful thinking make themselves known in the form of cleaned out stock tanks that sit waiting, for when the rains do come. A retired farmer told me once that true gamblers were the ranchers and farmers who play the odds every year on crops and rain.
Connecting at home with brazosnet.com
So, what do these high temperatures and connectivity have in common? Internet Providers and their IT departments are reporting record bandwidth consumption by their customers. What are people doing with all that bandwidth? With afternoon temperatures reaching as high as 110 degrees some are watching movies, playing games, finding cool vacation spots, searching for local indoor events, trying new recipes, and writing journals. Others are checking market prices, planning for tomorrow, posting to social sites, reading online books, sharing pictures, Skyping with family members and talking about the latest wind farm construction news.
Recent throttling back on data packages by wireless companies has resulted in the discovery of how to save on wireless plan minutes by connecting using home Wi-Fi network systems. Wireless routers and Combination Modem/Router units allow home owners to stay connected using different devices at the same time. Dad in the home office on the desk top PC, Mom via her iPhone and junior on his laptop or Xbox machine.
To learn more about the freedoms of wireless home networking call Brazos Internet today at 940.564.5659 and remember to pray for rain.
Weather records courtesy of KFDX-TV Weather @ www.texhomashomepage.com
111 degrees in the friendly state