I'm a liberal pagan living in West, Texas. Yes. That West, Texas.

Friday, March 27, 2009

WE'RE NUMBER 2

In trees that is..The first detailed statewide tree count in Texas history is headed toward the conclusion that Texas is No. 2. (who the fuck runs around counting trees?...I want that job)The results from the Texas Forest Service's first inventory outside East Texas. The state has counted trees in the Piney Woods north of the Gulf Coast since the 1930's. But this is the first scientific statewide tally.( you know the guy that did the counting was from Oklahoma, cause if a Texas did the counting he'd lie and say we're No. 1...this I know for a fact.)
Texas has (brace yoursel
f folks) 60 million acres of forest land. That ranks second to Alaska(and let me tell you..that really ranks) and is about 23 percent of the forestation in the southern U.S.
This is my favorite part of the story on the last count that was taken. "Last one we had was some dude on a horse in like 1904, rode through there and made notes," said Burl Carraway, a forest service department head.(I think his words were.."damn, they's a lot of trees around this here place.")
The ten-year study is at the halfway point. But Tom Boggus(now there's a name you can trust), the state forester and interim director of the forest service, said he doesn't expect the number to change.The projection was made from 10,000 plots of land scattered from the heavily wooded areas of East Texas to the desert plains of West Texas.
The breakdown is :35 percent of Texas forests are mesquite woodlands, 25 percent are hardwoods and 18 percent are juniper, also known as cedar.(also know as the main reason why every one in Texas has allergies).

But the most important thing is: right now it's spring time in Texas..which means one thing...bluebonnets..and since we didn't have the rain we should have the bluebonnets aren't as plentiful as they usually are. Although we did have a few days of rain so they are starting to pop up more. In case you didn't know...I love bluebonnets..it's my favorite flower and I just wish they grew all year long.There isn't a kid in Texas that doesn't have a picture of them taken in a patch of bluebonnets..

We have had lovely weather for the past 2-3 weeks..varying from 70's to 80's..Tonight it's supposed to get down to 39 or so they say...They being weathermen...and weathermen in Texas are just guessing..

This is going to be short..Will do a West, Texas update tomorrow...We had Good Hair Perry's wife here Wed. and the 16th annual West Volunteer Fire Department Cookoff last Saturday, and my nieces daughter took 2nd place in her age group..So right now..? I'm going to go put Annie back in my lap where she can finish pooping and peeing on me.

24 comments:

sageweb said...

wow for some reason when I think of Texas I dont think of forests.

Buzzardbilly said...

Me either, but what I wonder is: Who's number 1?

I covet those bluebonnets. Oh my how I do!

Raspootin said...

i THINK weather men and woman every where are just guessing. 39 degrees ? burrry cold.

yellowdoggranny said...

sage:that's why I posted it..I know people don't think of trees when they think of Texas..
buzzardbilly:Alaska..which pisses us Texans off..
I'll have to take some pictures of local bluebonnets...not a bunch like that picture but they are fat and tall.
raspootin:we have a thing in texas called a Aggie Weather Rock...it's a rock on a string that you hang on your porch. if the rock is wet...it's raining..if the rock is swinging, it's windy..if there is snow on it it's snowing..if you can fry an egg on the rock..it's summer.

Willym said...

With Sage on that one - never thought of Texas and forests. The bluebonnets are so beautiful - and they do mean spring.

Glad to hear that our Annie is on the mend.

Heidi said...

I'm glad to hear you guys rank #2 for trees; I always thought W. had chopped them all down to make room for oil rigs. ;)

That's wonderful you are having such great weather. We're supposed to be getting snow here in the Twin Cities this weekend, while my parents are bracing for another "Flood of the Century"!

Oh, oh. Does Annie need kitty diapers?

Sling said...

I think the the perception that Texas has no forests stems from the fact that everything in Texas is so big..
My Grandpa just called called 'em weedpatches.

skye said...

I was very glad the bluebonnets weren't out last week when I was in Austin. I did go prepared with a fresh box of allergy drugs.

yellowdoggranny said...

willym if i shut my eyes and just think of texas..the things that pop into my mind are bluebonnets, blue bell ice cream, dublin dr pepper and sweat.and the good news is on annie...she shit a turd..a real piece of shit..not the drippy shits ...but the real deal.hahaha.
heidi:the good news is..its sunny..the bad news? it's going to be close to freezing tonight..had to bring all my plants in..hope my garlic and the shoots that are in ground will make it..
huh? kitty diapers..i wonder if they make them..will get some ..
sling: i have to admit, our trees aren't like the forests you'll see in calif, or mountainous country but we got em..
skye:oh man..how awful to be alergic to bluebonnets..that's sad.

KrisMrsBBradley said...

LOL at the Aggie weather rock!!

The Future Was Yesterday said...

"( you know the guy that did the counting was from Oklahoma, cause if a Texas did the counting he'd lie and say we're No. 1...this I know for a fact.)"

LOL! No comment there.:) I never used to count trees in my life....until we bought this place, and fall came. 17 of the things. No wonder Texas is #2 - I've got the rest of the damn things!...(:

Intense Guy said...

The part of Texas that I saw was kind of tree-less on the whole. I got to get further south than Armarillo. I read your entry twice and didn't notice an actual number of trees. I'll starting counting the trees in Pennsylvania...umm, maybe tomorrow... :)

And good for Annie. The "real deal" is "good news!"

Josh said...

Wow, who'd a thunk it? Acres of forested land usually isn't the type of terrain one first thinks of when thinking of Texas...

billy pilgrim said...

i thought king george would have converted those trees to cash a long time ago.

i guess he was making enough off the wars.

Jan said...

I don't remember a lot of trees when i watched "Dallas."

yellowdoggranny said...

mrsb:I am going to hang one on my porch..ha
future:if you have to rake the leaves..you become a tree counter..ha
intenseguy:they didn't give a count...guess the 'dude' rode off without giving the number..she's on the mend i think...sometimes it's hard to tell.
josh:whats funny is since there is so many places with no trees, where they do have them must be really treeie...?
billy:musta been no profit in it or he would have.
jan:because Dallas was a show about rich assholes..not trees.

Pom said...

Hard to believe that the biggest state is #1 and the second biggest state is #2. Wonder if California is #3 and Montana #4? Keep the pattern going.

Doesn't really matter to me as long as I have trees around me.

BTW - lights out for 1 hour at 8:30 regardless of your time zone TODAY. I'd fucked up the information on my blog.. apologies.

yellowdoggranny said...

pom:it was an article in a texas paper about texas trees, they felt no need to report any more than that..haha..
yup..lights out.

Pom said...

LOL I know - I was just noticing that the states that are actually the largest in size are able to hold the largest number of trees.. how peculiar! ;o) LOL

texlahoma said...

"Everything's better with bluebonnet on it." Even Texas!

yellowdoggranny said...

tex:that has just become my new favorite expression..bless you my okie friend..goo sooners..they kicked ass last night.

Kulkuri said...

Had Basic and Tech School in the Air Force at Amarillo. The trees were beautiful, both of them. Heard about 20 years ago that one of them died, I guess somebody forgot to water it.

McRaven said...

I just can't believe it. When I think of Texas I think of sand and cactuses like Arizona. But you have trees. I love trees. Trees are my thing. I have several Bonsai trees. Can't wait to come visit...

tsduff said...

I love bluebonnets - are they related to Forget-Me-Nots? They look similar and I always try to grow them in my garden. I think it is too cold here.

I think I should get me a job like that tree counter - just me and the horse all day *paradise*