The 2024 hurricane season in Texas lasts six-months, from June 1 to November 30. Storms can potentially form any time of the year. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the 2024 season is expected to be very active, with an 85% chance of being above normal. NOAA predicts that 17 to 25 named…
Keep ReadingThe Texas Almanac tells us that, as of 2019, there are 1,223 incorporated municipalities in Texas and range in population from 18 in Los Ybanez to 2,325,489 in Houston. Texas has over 4,000 unincorporated communities. In 2024, there are 1225 incorporated Texas cities, which include 971 cities, 231 towns, and 23 villages. In Texas, cities are…
Keep ReadingImagine a weekend filled with thrilling adventures, breathtaking scenery, and delicious food, all set in the heart of the Texas Panhandle. Palo Duro Canyon, often called the "Grand Canyon of Texas," is a destination that promises all this and more. Just picture it: starting your day with a hike through the stunning canyon trails, followed…
Keep ReadingDid you know about the hybrid zeedonk, a crossbreed between a zebra and a donkey? The North Texas Fair and Rodeo (NTFR) featured zeedonks in the NTFR opening parade in 2009. The Denton County Fair and Blooded Stock Association (DCFBSA) hosted the first Denton County Fair in 1885. This year’s 2024 NTFR kicks off for…
Keep ReadingTexas Outside covers the entire state of Texas divided into these regions. The Hill Country / Central Texas The Piney Woods / East Texas The North Central Plains / North Texas The Great Plains / Panhandle The Gulf Coastal Plains / South Texas (Gulf Coast (Padre Island?) The Big Bend Country / West Texas We…
Keep ReadingThis is a question we can sink our teeth into. Fairly recently (in terms of a historical time frame), in 2019, a book brought about a Texas historical scholarly debate on this issue. Archeologist and historian Jorge Luis Garcia Ruiz published Texas: The False Origin of the Name. Mr. Ruiz has a point—a well-researched point. …
Keep ReadingStrawn, Texas, opens into Palo Pinto Mountains State Park, where the park’s centerpiece is Tucker Lake. Texas established its relatively new Palo Pinto Mountains State Park in 2011. Clear spring water feeds the 90-acre Tucker Lake surrounded by white sand beaches and a diversity of wildlife and flora, and live oak, mesquite, cedar elms, and…
Keep ReadingHurricane Beryl led to widespread power outages, initially affecting over 2.5 million people. Entergy Texas in a 6 p.m., July 15, Monday update reported that power has been restored to over 96% of its 252,000-plus customers who lost power during Hurricane Beryl. July 15 begins the second week that Centerpoint Energy customers are still without…
Keep ReadingWe always want to avoid misjudging conditions when swimming, boating, or enjoying the multitude of water sports. The most common cause of boating accidents is operator inattention. As always, it never hurts to refresh safety precautions when we take our families to have summer fun on lakes, rivers, and oceans. Avoid Alcohol Operating a watercraft…
Keep ReadingThe one silver lining to a grasshopper infestation cloud is that kids can easily catch them for fishing bait or a pet with little energy. Texas witnessed an overabundance of grasshopper nymphs this spring. Farmers, gardeners, ranchers detest seeing them at the beginning of each growing season. While some regions in Texas have received significant…
Keep Reading