As my husband’s grandmother frequently stated, “What in the Sam Hill is going on here?” We have had three consecutive years of snow and ice and four (looking like possibly five!!) recent summers of drought. We have forgotten what “normal” Texas weather patterns look like here in Central Texas. The extreme temperature swings have been hard. It is hard on people, animals, trees, grass, plants, and crops. I just looked at today’s 10-day weather forecast and saw that SIX out of the next ten days have a forecast of 100 degrees or higher. Temperatures of over 100 degrees is a common occurrence lately. It wasn’t always like this. In the past, we would have a week of extra-hot weather and then it would return to the normal low to mid-nineties for the remainder of the summer, but the constant daytime temperatures of over 100 degrees and nighttime temperatures of over 80 degrees is causing a big problem on farms all across the great state of Texas. Nothing has time to recover from the heat. Crops and people are simultaneously wilting.

I find myself praying for our trees. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I have been praying that God spares our big, beautiful trees during the extreme swings in temperatures that keeps happening each year. During the extreme swings, the temperatures have been anywhere from 3 degrees to 110 degrees (Those are the actual temperatures, not the “feels like” temperature! The feels like temperatures range from around -10 degrees to 120 degrees!!) We have already lost two huge oak trees from the extreme weather and three more huge trees due to intense lightning strikes that have been increasingly present since moving here. I’ve read that lightning will strike the tallest object in a pasture. The tallest tree left standing is RIGHT beside our house. Should I be nervous?

To combat the new Central Texas weather pattern, we have some wonderful, breaking news: As I type this blog, there are six men from an HVAC company running around the house installing the first ever HVAC system at Green Acres. Hallelujah! The Outdoorsman and I have gone back and forth for YEARS concerning this decision. We currently have five window units installed here at Green Acres! We actually enjoy having window units in our farmhouse to drown out noises both inside and outside the house and to make each bedroom as cold as the dorm rooms at a summer camp. Nothing feels better than snuggling up under several blankets while you sleep! As the years have progressed with increasing summer temperatures, the window units and our aging bodies just can’t keep up with the heat. This summer, we have been experiencing temperatures of 87 degrees INSIDE the house by late afternoon. Let me interject here that both The Outdoorsman and I both are similar to polar bears. The colder the better. Needless to say, it has been miserable for us every summer. Picture a polar bear waking up hungry and grumpy on a hot spring day after months of a hibernation. That’s about how I feel every day each summer.

Not sure if you have ever installed a complete HVAC system, but it isn’t cheap. We spent months discussing the pros and cons, but trying to cook in a kitchen that is hovering around 85 degrees just isn’t working for me anymore. So, here we are. Spending hard-earned “cow money” on installing a boring ole HVAC system!! There are so many other things I would rather be doing with that money, but we are thankful for God’s provision, nonetheless!

We are hoping that our new HVAC system makes it drastically more comfortable for us and for our guests when they visit. Removing the window units from our home will help us to tighten up the cracks in the house and will, hopefully, make it warm and cozy in the winter and nice and cool in the summer! We can’t wait to feel the comfort of regulated temperatures inside our home during the summer and the winter here at Green Acres. Although the feeling of “camping” inside our home over the past 7 and 1/2 years has been quite an adventure on both frigid and hot days, we are looking forward to being more comfortable each evening when we come inside from feeding and caring for our animals.

Now, our Green Acres Adventure can thrive in greater comfort as we wrap up year eight this December!! The Outdoorsman and I are always working towards making things better here on Green Acres. Thankfully, this is a huge step in the right direction! Let’s go make more great memories….and more muscadine jelly….in a much cooler kitchen!!!