Today, we are going to tour the neighborhood to see how folks have prepared for the below-freezing temperatures that will persist until Monday. Texas has not been spared from the misery of the massive winter storm that has affected over 240 million Americans. We are catered by Briskets in Austin. Our entertainment is Foreigner.
Menu
BISCUIT SANDWICHES
BRISKET & JELLY – Sliced Brisket with Smoked Strawberry Jelly
PORK BELLY & JELLY – Sliced Pork Belly with Spiced Apple Pear Preserves
CHOPPED BRISKET – Tossed in BBQ Sauce with Cheddar Cheese & Pickles
P.B.L.T – Smoked than Seared Pork Belly, Dressed Arugula, & Tomato with Arbol Hot Sauce
SAUSAGE & JELLY – Split 1/2 Link Hot Gut Sausage with Smoked Jalapeño Habanero Pepper Jelly
BLUEBERRY SAUSAGE & JELLY – Split 1/2 Link Blueberry Gouda Sausage with Smoked Blueberry Jam
BRISKET, EGG, & CHEDDAR – Sliced Brisket, Scrambled Egg, & Cheddar
PORK BELLY, EGG, & CHEDDAR – Sliced Pork Belly, Scrambled Egg, & Cheddar
SAUSAGE, EGG, & CHEDDAR – Split 1/2 Link Hot Gut Sausage, Scrambled Egg, & Cheddar
BACON, EGG, & CHEDDAR – Bacon, Scrambled Egg, & Cheddar
TOMATO, EGG, & CHEDDAR – Tomato, Scrambled Egg, & Cheddar
Let’s go
Here is the sleeping ghost look.
The hostage look.
Ghosts in the woods look.
Frost cloth and granny’s quilt look.
Mock turtle.
The more clutter, the better. Hold my beer.
Attention, you people down there.
Lying very low.
I love my tarp, and there is plenty of it.
There’s no mountain high enough.
I meet the ice with open arms.
Big blue.
Well, now that we are sufficiently chilled to the bone, let’s enjoy the music and the food.
Fiction Favorites 
I am preparing for a 36 to 40C few days here in Australia 🥵
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The menu made me hungry…
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My job is done here. 😄
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as you are suspiciously bereft of the flaky white stuff, I shall be shipping you some, forthwith!
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We got an inch of snow covered thank you. It is covered with sleet.
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Looks like everyone is ready. Stay warm! A perfect song too.
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Thank you, Darlene. 😄
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We’re still sitting above freezing, in the 34-36F range, but I suppose that will end shortly. The good news is that we’ll escape any serious icing, and the fun news is that I woke to the sound of thundersleet early this morning. That’s a rare one!
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We didn’t get the thunder sleet just sleet then snow and then sleet again. It’s 21 degrees with little wind. Stay warm. ❄️
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I got such a kick out of your captions! I hope you get through the storm unscathed.
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We had an inch of snow over 1/4 inch of ice and then more ice on the snow. We are not moving,
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Good decision! Those are very dangerous conditions.
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😊
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Looks like everyone’s prepared! Great captions.
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Thank you, Esther.
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Love the menu! I’ll be right over!
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Y’all come down
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That’s an interesting landscaping style.
Tell me, is Ted Cruz under one of those…?
😉
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He is in Barbados.
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Of course he is..
🥴
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Good luck staying warm.
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Thank you. You as well.
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That’s interesting landscaping, John! I feel your misery. Here in Central Illinois, we’ve had roughly 12 inches of snow, with temps in the single digits (and feels like temps way to the south of zero). It’s brutal, especially with a dog! Here’s hoping nasty old Fern blows through quickly and we can get back to more normal conditions — in the meantime, grab a good book and a nice snooze!
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I like your suggestion, Debby. Nothing is moving here, so a book and a snooze sounds like the right thing to do.
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Single digits here for the next few days. I think things will survive – we don’t generally cover anything. Fingers crossed.
So far only a half inch of the white stuff with ice on top. We tarped the car and put a light bulb under out outside faucet to prevent freezing.
Best of luck getting through this – and be sure the ladies are nice and warm.
Purist today – bacon eggs and cheddar
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We had an inch of snow with ice underneath and on top. Bulb in the greenhouse and faucets protected.
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Menu sounds better than the weather forecast. Flew from NC to CA yesterday and the country was cloud covered almost the entire way. ☁️☁️☁️
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I can imagine.
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Not as bumpy as I was expecting
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When there is cloud cover that is flat, there is usually smooth air above the clouds.
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It looked like a cotton field where the plane was a tractor over rutted roads.
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Best kind of flying. No ground thermals and no updrafts from rising thunderheads.
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Still quite bumpy. Not scary and lots of mandatory seat belt on periods.
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Balmy 18 degrees here again today. Stay out of drafts you guys.
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Thank you, Craig.
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Wow, very industrious neighbors covering their beloved plants. Hope it’s just a dash of snow and warms up.
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Well, it was an inch with ice under and on top. High today is only going to be 31.
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Uf, sorry about the ice. Not as fun as snow…
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No fun at all.
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I can’t add anything, John, you picked some great titles!
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Thank you, GP. Good to “see” you today.
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It’s good that people are protecting their plants. I protect one of ours in the springtime, protecting its flowers. Getting ready for cold weather is the right thing to do, John. It was -9 degrees Fahrenheit here yesterday morning, a bit warmer today. I’ve worked pretty hard at clearing the snow from our driveway and the driveway and sidewalk of our 95-year-old neighbor across the street.
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Whew. Sounds like a lot of work and bless you for helping the neighbor.
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Oh man, you’re colder than we are and it’s been cold the two days.
I loved your captions for the images today!
Stay warm and cozy!
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Thank you, Deborah. We haven’t been out much.
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Stay safe out there, John. I’ll bet even the dogs have little interest in going outside.
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They only do what is necessary, although Tempeste likes to go out and eat the icy snow.
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The rain and wind just started here about 30 minutes ago. Temperature drop expected later this evening. Good to be in the south, right? 🙄
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🎶The sun’s so hot I froze to death, Susannah don’t you cry.🎶
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Hi John. It is incredibly hot here. It’s hard to imagine cold.
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That is how I feel when you have your winter.
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A freeze is not funny, but these just made me laugh at what we do to protect our babies! I brought a few inside and covered some on the patio. No freeze last night but one is expected tonight. Stay safe! Thanks for the warm food and appropriate transportation!
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Thanks for the visit even though the roads are terrible. I hope you have a great week, Jo.
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Great preparations, dear John. Let it pass soon!
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Another two days
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Forgive me for laughing at your freezing situation – funny descriptions!
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It’s okay. The laughs are good for us all. 😀
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Thank you, yes, they are. 🌞
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😊
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they do look like turtles – and brrrr – hope you are staying warm
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It is 18 degrees (-7C) here this morning. The furnace is running non stop
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brrrrrrr
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I know, right? 🥶
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Lots of covers in your neighborhood. We covered our tomato plants and pepper plants in the backyard. However, I am not sure they will survive. We already have more than an inch snowy ice. They gave us lots of tomatoes this fall and winter up until now. I have never had Blueberry Sausage & Jelly. Some food in Texas seem strange.
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Make that some food in Austin seems strange. I’m not sure covering the tomatoes will help if the air temperatures get below freezing. In Dallas, it looks like 12 F (-11 °C) right now (7.23 AM) with a high of only
29 F. (-1.6 C). Might be time to say goodbye. 🙁
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You are probably right. I think this might be it for the tomato plants. However, I boiled water in my wife’s pan and put it underneath the raised bed and it got a little bit warmer for a few hours. Then I did it again, etc. I did not measure the temperature so I do not know if it was enough. Another problem is that by tomorrow morning the plants have been under cover for 3 days and total darkness for a few days can kill it too.
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You will be able to take the covers off today. I would be interested to know the result.
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I picked the tomatoes but my wife threw them out. They looked funny, like dark green. However, I learned later that even though they may not have tasted good we could have used for relish or minestrone soup. Anyway, about the plants, they don’t look good but I may need to give it a few more days before I decide whether they are dead or not. However, I think the pepper plants are dead. The pepper plants look very sad. I put the cover back on because we are supposed to have below freezing again at 28 degrees.
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We have a begonia in the same condition. Going to wait and see. Meanwhile keeping it in the greenhouse with a heat bulb.
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It is great you have a green house. We don’t have that and the raised beds were too heavy to move into the house.
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Yes indeed. Unfortunately, the greenhouse’s heat was not enough to keep the delicate plants from freezing. Next year will be different.
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That was unfortunate. This winterstorm was tough on sensitive plants.
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I love that people are intent on saving their landscaping, and it’s a smart move. Hope you are all staying warm and still have electricity!
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We have not lost electricity. It seems the sleet was better for trees and wires than freezing rain.
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I’m not sure all of our bushes will survive the ice, but it’s sure pretty to look at. Perfect song choice, John.
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Thank you, Teri.
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I hope you are staying warm and all the plants survive!
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We are warm and I hope the plants survive as well
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This really is all about battening down those hatches. We had snow over the weekend, not nearly as bad as the two and a half feet many were speculating but still, a royal pain the ass. The ice didn’t prevail, thankfully. Hope you guys are doing alright.
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Still housebound at 4:46 PM 1-26. The frozen stuff made leaving almost suicidal. Low tonight 17
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Sheesh! This weather is nuts. And it ain’t over just yet. Be safe my man.
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Will do. You as well.
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Looks like a little investment in plastic can save some valuable shrubs. I hope it worked out OK.
Any Sliced Brisket, Scrambled Egg, & Cheddar left over?
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Yup. Here it is.
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Never let it be said your neighbors aren’t clever at protecting the shrubbery! And a perfect musical companion song. Love me some Foreigner! They still can rock it.
Take good care and stay safe and warm, John.
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Thank you, Monika. You as well.
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Your comments on each photo are hilarious! Stay warm, John. We hare freezing up here.
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Yes. You are supposed to have freezing. 😊
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We do!
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