today is...

... another rainy day. 

We are certainly not getting pounded as badly as Louisiana is. But it's been raining and raining and raining for several weeks. Low water crossings are plentiful in central Texas, and if you're not familiar with them, they're pretty dangerous when it's perpetually rainy.

Flash floods are common here, and when a large amount of rain falls in a very short time, the low water crossings can rise in a matter of minutes. And when they rise, it's hard to tell exactly how deep the water is. There are gauges, but too many folks think they can drive through the water because the slope of the road makes it look shallow. But all too often the strong current sweeps the car off the roadway and scores of people lose their lives that way. There's a slogan to remind people not to try and cross them: Turn around. Don't drown. 

We have three low water crossings near our new house. The road was closed last night due to flash flooding, which meant I had to turn around and go around through a neighboring town to get home. We're grateful that we live in a spot where there's another way to get out of our neighborhood. Some of our neighbors get stranded every time the creek rises. But it's so beautiful out here, it's worth it.

We went down to the low water crossings today to see what we could see. They were back open, but in the following photos you can see how if there was a deluge it could become a dangerous situation very quickly. The cypress trees along the creek are so dreamy. I still can't believe this is my 'hood. 

In case you're wondering just how volatile these currents can be, take a glance at this video clip from today.

Today is also a day of spending some much needed time with my youngest daughter, who is soon moving to Nashville. We took a bike ride together this morning; it wasn't terribly hot (in the 80's) but the humidity was suffocating.

As you can see, Anna is a badass. 

And finally, I had to include a couple of photos of a beautiful weed I kept seeing along the way. Yes, sometimes weeds can be lovely. I especially love the symmetry of the leaves.