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Jan 21, 2025 3:52 PM CST
Name: Chris Pollock
Copperas Cove, Tx (Zone 8a)
Adeniums Cactus and Succulents Dog Lover Greenhouse Hibiscus Plumerias
Seed Starter Region: Texas Garden Ideas: Level 2
needrain said: Was it only due to the weather? One of the schools in my county closed for three days beginning Monday, but it was due to the number of sick students. Probably convenient to do it in the cold spell, but we were never predicted to have icy driving conditions. Didn't say if the sickness was due to anything specific.

Don't think so. The first post the city made said schools would start 2hrs late then the next said it was cancelled.
Chris - Linux since 1995
Avatar for porkpal
Jan 21, 2025 4:44 PM CST
Name: Porkpal
Richmond, TX (Zone 9a)
Cat Lover Charter ATP Member Keeper of Poultry I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Dog Lover Keeps Horses
Roses Plant Identifier Farmer Raises cows Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Level 2
Schools are cancelled here due to weather. Nobody knows how to drive on snow so a good idea.
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Jan 23, 2025 8:55 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Jay
Nederland, Texas (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Region: Gulf Coast Charter ATP Member I helped beta test the first seed swap I helped plan and beta test the plant database. I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier Tip Photographer Garden Sages Garden Ideas: Master Level Hibiscus
Well, it's two days after the snow stopped. We got above freezing for a little while yesterday so a lot has melted but there is still some on the ground. We had the second-largest snowfall recorded for this area. I got around four inches and some areas had as much as nine. We also tied a record low of 10 degrees. We have another 30 degrees projected for tomorrow morning. Then no more for the foreseeable future.
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wildflowersoftexas.com



Avatar for porkpal
Jan 23, 2025 9:38 AM CST
Name: Porkpal
Richmond, TX (Zone 9a)
Cat Lover Charter ATP Member Keeper of Poultry I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Dog Lover Keeps Horses
Roses Plant Identifier Farmer Raises cows Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Level 2
We ended up with 3" - 4" depending on where I measured. Much of it has now melted and been replaced with ice which will surly melt today but possibly refreeze tonight. Then, as Jay said, no more freezes are predicted. I expect to spend much of tomorrow reassembling and turning back on the outdoor water systems - and hoping for no breaks.
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Jan 23, 2025 10:59 AM CST
Name: Ed
South Alabama (Zone 8b)
Garden Procrastinator Region: United States of America Region: Alabama Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tomato Heads Vegetable Grower
Solar Power Bee Lover Birds Seed Starter Butterflies Container Gardener
Here in south Alabama I measured a touch over 6"...plenty still on the ground but large bare spots are appearing. Sunday is the day we're looking for...stays above freezing for the foreseeable future after then. Thumbs up We've reached 40F+ today. Granddaughters and their mother came up to play with Gena...they're nuts...been playing outside and *then* came in with a bowl of snow and made "snowcream"...which, was actually pretty good!!! Drooling

Personally, I prefer July. Thumbs up nodding
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Jan 23, 2025 9:58 PM CST
Name: Kat
Magnolia, Tx (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Dragonflies Hummingbirder Peppers Herbs Vegetable Grower
Heirlooms Moon Gardener Enjoys or suffers hot summers Winter Sowing Bookworm Container Gardener
Beautiful day here, got up to 56* with a light breeze. Felt great in the sun. Are we done? Well, no - looks like 7 days of rain coming, still in the mid 20's at night too. We seem to be overrun with people today, wrecks constantly and heavy traffic all day everywhere. I grabbed my other mother in law and we had our 5 oz chicken fried steaks at Black Bear Diner and then scooted for home. Whew. It is kinda strange that this house is colder in 57* weather than at 30* weather and the thermostat is on 66*, but it just may be the sunshine feels really good.
I wondered how bad you guys got it down there Jay. Without internet I have a hard time when people ask me" Did you know…?" What NOLa got snow! Wow! San Diego is trying to burn down now? Wow! Are we just going to burn California to the ground and start over? Maybe?
Hang in there you guys, I always knew Feb was the worst month of winter, here it comes.
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Jan 24, 2025 9:12 AM CST
Name: Alice
Fort Worth (Zone 8a)
Beekeeper Ponds Sempervivums
heat pumps are funny with when they run and when they don't apparently. My daughter has one, has had no heat half the time for a couple of weeks while the hvac guy comes back and forth making adjustments and making her miss work to do it.
cold and dry here, building a pond tomorrow. 2005 chevy headed for the shop this morning, got my oil leak checked before picking up rock and good thing I did, good thing 75 still runs
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Jan 24, 2025 11:22 AM CST
Name: Ed
South Alabama (Zone 8b)
Garden Procrastinator Region: United States of America Region: Alabama Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tomato Heads Vegetable Grower
Solar Power Bee Lover Birds Seed Starter Butterflies Container Gardener
Heat pumps are really made for "mild" weather areas. Y'all have probably already researched it, but this is a copy and paste from an outfit down around Port St Joe, FL explaining in layman's language some about heat pumps in cold temperatures.
—————————————-

"We (Metcalf A/C) have been getting a lot of calls over the past couple days from concerned owners of heat pump systems. We wanted to give you some pointers to alleviate some concerns and save you the cost of a service call...
When operating properly, Heat pumps WILL grow a layer of ice on the outside unit. (Especially in these low temperatures)This layer of ice could grow up to a few inches thick. If your system is working properly, it will then go into a defrost cycle which will remove (most) of that ice.
When your heat pump goes into defrost, it will make a loud "whooshing" sound and will most likely begin to steam. The outdoor fan motor should stop turning while in defrost mode. It may sound like the unit is laboring . This is all normal. After several minutes of being in defrost, the ice should thaw out. When it is this cold (below 32 degrees) some of the ice may remain even after the defrost cycle. This is ok.
The main thing to worry about is if your home is staying warm. If it is, then your system is working properly. Even if it does look like an igloo.
If your heat pump is not keeping your home warm, there is a back up feature that you can use. It is called "emergency heat"
If you look on your thermostat settings, where you change it from heat to cool, you will find an emergency heat setting. By choosing this option, it will turn off your outside unit and use the electric heat strips that are installed in your air handler. (Blower unit)
As long as the proper size heat strips were installed when your system was put in, emergency heat will keep you warm.
I hope this helps.
As always, if you do need us, we will gladly come out. (As soon as the roads will let us safely do so)
-Mike Bird with Metcalf A/C".
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Jan 24, 2025 1:51 PM CST
Name: Ed
South Alabama (Zone 8b)
Garden Procrastinator Region: United States of America Region: Alabama Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tomato Heads Vegetable Grower
Solar Power Bee Lover Birds Seed Starter Butterflies Container Gardener
kittriana said: Beautiful day here, got up to 56* with a light breeze. Felt great in the sun. Are we done? Well, no - looks like 7 days of rain coming, still in the mid 20's at night too. We seem to be overrun with people today, wrecks constantly and heavy traffic all day everywhere. I grabbed my other mother in law and we had our 5 oz chicken fried steaks at Black Bear Diner and then scooted for home. Whew. It is kinda strange that this house is colder in 57* weather than at 30* weather and the thermostat is on 66*, but it just may be the sunshine feels really good.
I wondered how bad you guys got it down there Jay. Without internet I have a hard time when people ask me" Did you know…?" What NOLa got snow! Wow! San Diego is trying to burn down now? Wow! Are we just going to burn California to the ground and start over? Maybe?
Hang in there you guys, I always knew Feb was the worst month of winter, here it comes.

Kat, that forecast sounds familiar...we climb out of the freezer on Sunday with highs hitting the mid-60's, rain chances between 20% and 60% (mostly 20%) for several days...lows dropping all the way down into the....40's!!!! Rolling on the floor laughing

Wow...no more dripping faucets....no more checking dripping faucets to be sure they didn't freeze up anyhow....no more frozen feet....no more fear of sliding down and cracking my skull...no more dressing up to look like the Pillsbury Dough-Boy....no more George running like a NASCAR cat with legs going every where as he "drifts" around the corner of the house to get inside the door...yeah,...and the biggie of not having to run the heat so much!!!!! Hurray! It's gonna be nice, ain't it!!!! nodding

I haven't heard of too many accidents around here. There was a bad accident over on I-65 west of me...I'm sure more local stories will come out as time goes by. My granddaughters' black lab did break through the ice in a pond behind their house and my SIL had to rescue it. At the very moment the dog broke through the ice my daughter was taking a picture of everybody...you could see the look on my SIL's face of...dang Green Grin!
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Jan 24, 2025 2:19 PM CST
Name: Kat
Magnolia, Tx (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Dragonflies Hummingbirder Peppers Herbs Vegetable Grower
Heirlooms Moon Gardener Enjoys or suffers hot summers Winter Sowing Bookworm Container Gardener
Love those moments of the unexpected happening in your face and caught on film, uh, photos?
Another beautiful day- my internet is promised to be fixed by dark tonight and sunset is BEFORE 6 pm tonight, barely. Our rains show nights in the 50's Ed. I started a new thread in Herbs and showed my surviving herbs, chuckl. Ouch, my tailbone is still sore, trash picked up today as I expected, I need to get some dirt and beef up my raised beds before the rains make the bags heavier, chuckl. Am yanking that 2" pad off my bed, it keeps walking off the bed, so sheets are washing, am thinking tacos and/or nachos for supper, is a good meal to reheat- Ed, I saw a snowman at a neighbors house that made me chuckl. It was made of dirty snowballs, and stood maybe 18" high. Now I hope the forecasters get the dirty word snow out of their forecasts for the year. Chores to do!
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Jan 24, 2025 4:44 PM CST
Name: Kat
Magnolia, Tx (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Dragonflies Hummingbirder Peppers Herbs Vegetable Grower
Heirlooms Moon Gardener Enjoys or suffers hot summers Winter Sowing Bookworm Container Gardener
Here is for Ed, having tacos doesn't necessarily mean traditionally tacos. I set up my frying station, got my yellow corn Mission tortillas that claim to be Super Soft. Pulled out my spider, set the deep fryer to 350* and waited for the light to go out.
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When you put a tortilla into the oil, you get lots of bubbles
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Then as the moisture reduces, the bubbles slow, and you get tender crackly crisp yumminess.
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In this case I tore the tortillas and made tostadas ( little toasts )
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and chalupas ( little boats) by

that time my shells were done and I stuck them in the oven ( electric, no pilot lights) to cool. Later tonight I will make the taco meat, and shred lettuce, chop tomatoes and heat some queso blanco, I love my HEB grocery store!

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Ooops, dinner cancelled, no one to be home! Ok, those tostadas and chalupas are just as good for lunch tomorro! Hungry yet? Chuckl
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Forgot to add, store those tostadas in a paper bag, or under a cover in the air, no refrigeration!

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Last edited by kittriana Jan 25, 2025 12:30 PM Icon for preview
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Jan 24, 2025 4:52 PM CST
Name: Ed
South Alabama (Zone 8b)
Garden Procrastinator Region: United States of America Region: Alabama Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tomato Heads Vegetable Grower
Solar Power Bee Lover Birds Seed Starter Butterflies Container Gardener
Drooling
Avatar for porkpal
Jan 24, 2025 7:22 PM CST
Name: Porkpal
Richmond, TX (Zone 9a)
Cat Lover Charter ATP Member Keeper of Poultry I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Dog Lover Keeps Horses
Roses Plant Identifier Farmer Raises cows Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Level 2
I want to know what happened to the sheets you put in the oven.
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Jan 24, 2025 7:56 PM CST
Name: Anne
Texas (Zone 8b)
Bee Lover Plant and/or Seed Trader Tomato Heads Region: Texas Seed Starter Peppers
Heirlooms Greenhouse Frogs and Toads Vegetable Grower
kittriana said: by that time my sheets were done and I stuck them in the oven ( electric, no pilot lights) to cool.


How did the sheets turn out? Got a recipe for them? 🤔
Ban the GMO tomato!
Last edited by TomatoNut95 Jan 24, 2025 7:57 PM Icon for preview
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Jan 24, 2025 8:04 PM CST
Name: Alice
Fort Worth (Zone 8a)
Beekeeper Ponds Sempervivums
hahaha - those plush memory foam mattress pads are something else, I think I have one rolled up in the closet but had no desire to use it.
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Jan 25, 2025 12:49 PM CST
Name: Kat
Magnolia, Tx (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Dragonflies Hummingbirder Peppers Herbs Vegetable Grower
Heirlooms Moon Gardener Enjoys or suffers hot summers Winter Sowing Bookworm Container Gardener
Not quite sure how 'shells' turned into sheets, chuckl. No one came home for supper, so, we had it all for lunch. Hot station - shells, refritos, and Ground chuck with onion, chopped black olives and McC taco seasoning to taste…
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Cold station, salsa verde, sour cream, queso blanco heated up, guacamole, jalapeños, grated jack cheese, lettuce, tomato…
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Each bite taken doesn't break the shell, doesn't leak off the side much, chuckl. Now I am stuffed. Oh, those churro looking things are a flaky pie crust pieces, brushed with egg whites and sprinkled with a homemade sugar/cinnamon mix, baked at 350* for 25 min.
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My grandson made the guacamole, shredded cheese, while my dau heated refritos and queso, and made the taco meat, and I chopped onions, tomato, lettuce, and watched my great grandson and his butter knife chop lettuce scraps, chuckl. There you go Ed, barely enough for leftovers.
Gray days have arrived with humidity, the grass is finally looking browned and I notice crayfish holes opening up in the yard. Mardi Gras is March 4, so I am attempting to stay close to home, though I may drop down Mueschke ( mush key)/ and Hwy 290 to Floyd's for some Boudain balls fried and dipped in Ranch. I need a nap, that foam pad might turn into body pillows or tushy cushions with a bit of material…
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Jan 25, 2025 12:58 PM CST
Name: Anne
Texas (Zone 8b)
Bee Lover Plant and/or Seed Trader Tomato Heads Region: Texas Seed Starter Peppers
Heirlooms Greenhouse Frogs and Toads Vegetable Grower
Drooling Drooling Drooling Drooling

Guess I can't plant anything yet. Soil is still too frozen. I was out pulling up frostbitten plants and they didn't pull out easy. They preferred to break at the stem instead. I'm hoping after this next rain spell it might soften the soil.
In the meantime I finished assembling my greenhouse frame. I can at least start getting stuff going in there.
Ban the GMO tomato!
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Jan 25, 2025 5:07 PM CST
Name: Ed
South Alabama (Zone 8b)
Garden Procrastinator Region: United States of America Region: Alabama Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tomato Heads Vegetable Grower
Solar Power Bee Lover Birds Seed Starter Butterflies Container Gardener
We got down to 9.9F at the lowest with 2 or 3 below-15F nights. The plants in the garden were completely covered with snow...it looks like the newly planted onion seedlings, the carrots, the collards and possibly the cabbage are gonna be fine. Thumbs up
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Jan 25, 2025 8:25 PM CST
Name: Alice
Fort Worth (Zone 8a)
Beekeeper Ponds Sempervivums
Nice today, we dug a pond
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Jan 25, 2025 11:28 PM CST
Name: Kat
Magnolia, Tx (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Dragonflies Hummingbirder Peppers Herbs Vegetable Grower
Heirlooms Moon Gardener Enjoys or suffers hot summers Winter Sowing Bookworm Container Gardener
Well, I ran to pick up new bags of dirt to deepen the yearling asparagus bed, got all loaded up and my car went , uhhh. 1 new battery later, ouch, my grandson came down to take the battery out, and Luka and I talked video game zombies while his daddy worked. I got settled at home and here comes Luka to tell me his window broke in the car. I suspect it to be after effects of the cold weather, another ouch. I sincerely hope that this trend of breaking is done. The whole day was really nice even with the gray.

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