Yes, ladies and gents, I am living in Houston. Texas. Someplace I never imagined myself visiting much less living. And guess what? I love Texas. I love where I live: a NE suburb of Houston (it's surrounded by Houston, in a very weird set of zoning rules that pissed off the people of Kingwood, who were swallowed by the metropolis) named "Humble" (the H is silent, which is rather odd given where we are). North of me is Kingwood, a beautifully forested upscale suburb. Wrapping around us all is Lake Houston.
I live in Atascocita and spend time in Kingwood at East End Park, my heaven. Check out the park's web site. This is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. So many people here say, "Oh, but the northwest must be much more beautiful because it's so green," but perhaps I'm too used to that. It is beautiful. But now I am in a subtropical zone, with a subtropical forest on my doorstep. And it's stunning.
Everything is different in this forest. Winding trees. Vines. Trailers. Palmettos. Cypress trees with their feet in the water and these little stubs sticking up around them called "Cypress knees." The birds sound different. And instead of the ubiquitous crow, we have the ubiquitous grackle, which is exotic to me as much of the wildlife here is. I have so far seen only one alligator. Not in the park, but that will change come summer. And the place will supposedly be teeming with poisonous snakes: timber rattlers, regular rattlers, water moccasins, copperheads, and coral snakes. But only the rattlers and aggressive. Cheery, no?
I entered Texas at El Paso on the 3rd of December. I arrived in Houston the day it snowed for the first time in 20 years. December 12 or 13, I think. I have not yet had an experience that makes me regret coming here.
In Texas, people are very, very polite. I don't mind being "yes, ma'am"-ed; all adult women get that, not just us middle-aged ladies. And men get "yes, sir." The store staffs are polite, cheerful, and helpful: much more so than Nordstrom's! They are warm and friendly. I am stunned by how much I love it here. Even though I am still unemployed. But I'd have less chance of being unemployed up in the PNW. Here, the unemployment rate only rose above 5% last month!
I'm including some pics and I'll get back into my Flickr site, update it, and include a link hereabouts. Because I have quite a few to share, for those of you who have never been here.
I wish I had come here sooner.
