THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER

First freeze of the year for us out there at the moment, which will probably blacken the nice green elephant ears in the rancho’s front flower bed. But this is mild (only 30 degrees) compared to the one that walloped Tulia, Texas this morning back in 1899. Forty thousand cattle dying overnight? Yipes.

Driving Mr. B. to his scout meeting last night, I was startled when he suddenly said “Wow!” and pointed at the sky. It was just after dusk and the sky was still bright enough to illuminate a dense crosshatching of airliner contrails (condensed water vapor) overhead—east, west, north and south. ’Twas a busy evening up there, apparently.

Take that, Gorebot, Obozo, et al. Find your tax revenue somewhere else. Not that they’ll notice. They’re still singing the “CO2 causes global warming and the science is settled” refrain. Maybe when the glaciers move as far south as Chicago and, then, Tennessee. Ya think? Via Instapundit.

The thunderstorms overnight Tuesday into Wednesday were welcome in most places, except where they provoked trouble: power out for a few thousand homes, hail damage, street and creek flooding, emergency rescues, and at least one tornado. The National Weather Service, whose Internet radar images always seem to go down on these occasions when they’re needed, [...]

Our winter is all but officially over, about a month early, oddly enough. So we have to take snow where we can get it. No place better than the Judean Hills.

The Texas curse has my nose (and eyes and roof of my mouth) in its annual grip again. But temporary relief may be forthcoming, if the forecasted rain tonight through tomorrow night falls in sufficient quantity. It will wash the juniper pollen out of the air, at least for a day or so.

The Popular Mechanics analysis of the flight deck transcript of the 2009 Air France crash into the Atlantic is chilling: 02:14:23 (Robert) Putain, on va taper… C’est pas vrai! Damn it, we’re going to crash… This can’t be happening! 02:14:25 (Bonin) Mais qu’est-ce que se passe? But what’s happening? 02:14:27 (Captain) 10 degrès d’assiette… Ten degrees of [...]

Our several long days of soaking rain, which ended Monday, have been really welcome here at the parched rancho. According to our amateur rain gauge we’ve collected a little more than two inches since the steady showers began at the end of last week. Now Mr. B. has something extra to look forward to on his Boy [...]

So says WeatherBELL meteorologist Joe Bastardi (formerly of Accuweather): “Rain is coming for Round Rock  and surrounding environs in the southern plains  early [this] week and  it’s something that is at a premium in a La Nina winter.  The  area from the Trans Pecos  northeast through  northeast Texas and into Oklahoma and Arkansas  could have widespread [...]