Deep in the Heart of Texas!

1. Texas does not do well with cold. (see previous posts) What you cannot see in this photo is the fruit trees shriveling up and dying in front of our eyes and the water pipes freezing and the power turning off.

2. You are not Texan until you have cowboy boots. They are not just for looks, although those are good too. They are not only fashionable, but functional! They are easy to slip on, are wonderful for walks in the countryside- or even down your road or lawn- to avoid being swarmed by fire ants.

3. You are also not a smart Texan unless you have a flat-head shovel, according to a trusted source. Why, you may ask? The snakes, of course! The POISONOUS snakes that make their way into garages on a regular basis (depending on your location). Not that this has happened to us, mind you. Although a cotton mouth was allegedly spotted at the pond not 40 feet from our Sugar Land location. So there’s that.

4. Kolache. What do you think of when you hear this word? If you answered Houston Texas area donut shops with specialty sausages (read: hot dogs) wrapped with cheese (or jalapeños if the mood strikes you) and covered and baked in light fluffy bread, you are the winner! Everyone loves their kolache here.

5. Weather is a bit of a roll of the dice situation. I’ve always said this about Michigan, but this Houston weather kind of takes the cake. Between the weather patterns rolling in from the west and the weather hurtling in from the Gulf, they never really know what to expect here. Always a delight.

6. Humid. I thought I knew what this meant. I did not.

7. Everything is bigger in Texas. Except the lanes. And the parking spaces (which is odd, Texans love their big trucks).

8. The Mexican Food here is OFF THE HOOK.

9. Texas is big. You don't really realize this until you are trying to figure out what exit you're getting off at and it says 912. 912. Really.

10. The stars at night are indeed big and bright, especially in the Chihuahuan desert.

11. Texans love to buy Texas shaped or inspired products more than any other state I have been to. Lunchables in the shape of Texas. Chicken nuggets in the shape of Texas. Cereals. Aluminum foil. I could go on. I wish I'd taken photos of all the examples we've seen. Awesome.