Saturday, May 30, 2009

Tall Tales About Texas...!


You know, there are several ways to tell when it is really, really hot in Texas! If you know what to look for, the animals can tell you.

For instance, there is a lizard here that we call the "Stick Lizard". You only see them in the summer, and they can be easily recognised by the fact that they carry a long stick in their mouth. In case you are wondering why they carry the stick, they use it in crossing the hot country roads.

What they do is start across the road at a dead run, then when their feet get too hot, they take the stick and jam it into the ground. Then the lizard climbs up on the stick and allows his feet to cool off. Then he shimmies down, pulls up the stick, and goes on across the road! Pretty smart, huh?

Here are a few more little known facts about Texas that you may be interested in. Check them out and see if you already knew them.

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The Great State of Texas is where...


Armadillos sleep in the middle of the road with their feet in the air.

There are 5,000 types of snakes on earth and 4,998 live in Texas.

There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 live in Texas , plus a couple no one's seen before.

If it grows, it sticks; if it crawls, it bites.

'Twiced' is a word.

People actually grow and eat okra.

'Fixinto' is one word.

There is no such thing as 'lunch.' There is only dinner and then supper.

Iced tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it when you're two.
We do like a little tea with our sugar!

'Backwards and forwards' means I know everything about you!

Djeet is actually a phrase meaning 'Did you eat?'

You don't have to wear a watch because it doesn't matter what time it is.
You work until you're done or it's too dark to see.

You don't PUSH buttons, you MASH them.

You measure distance in hours. Like its 6 hours from Houston to Dallas .

You'll probably have to switch from 'heat' to 'A/C' in the same day.

'Fix' is a verb. Example: 'I'm fixing to go to the store.'

You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.

Yes, Friday night high school football games is serious football!

You carry jumper cables in your car .. . . for your OWN car.

There are only four spices: salt, pepper, Tabasco and ketchup.

The local papers cover national and international news on one page, but require 6 pages for local gossip and sports.

100 degrees Fahrenheit is 'a little warm.'

We have four seasons: Almost Summer, Summer, still Summer and Christmas.

Going to Wal-mart is a favorite past time known as 'goin' to Wally-World.'

Gravy is a food group.

A cool snap (below 70 degrees) is good pinto-bean weather.

A carbonated soft drink isn't a soda, cola or pop. . . . it's a Coke, regardless of brand or flavor. Example: 'What kind a coke you want?'

Fried catfish is the other white meat.

We don't need no stinking driver's ed . . . if our mama says we can drive, we can drive.


Now let's get some fresh coffee and sit on the patio for a bit...OK?

17 comments:

jaz@octoberfarm said...

that pretty much sums it up. i used to live in austin! funny stuff!!!

Rae said...

Now I know why they say "Don't mess with Texas." Ya'll got your own society down there and secret code language. LOL

Sounds like a great place - well except for the heat, spiders and snakes.

At least we still have that one thing in common - the universally excepted gotta have it -cuppa coffee. I'm drinkin mine now. Have a great weekend Jim. RAE

HermitJim said...

Hey Jaz...
Then you know all about the fun stuff in Texas...the country around Austin is beautiful, or was until expansion got to it.

Thanks,my friend, for coming by...


Hey Rae...
I have to admit, there are some interesting things about Texas critters that might spook ya. Some of them even spook me!

I guess every state has some expressions that are used mainly there...just seems that we have a few more than others at times, ya know?

Hey, thanks for coming by for the coffee club this morning!

JoJo said...

Good morning my friend,
Great post. Made me laugh. I think we have enough critters right here in Tucson for me. I just might have to take a trip out there just to see the lizard and his stick.LOL
Lets enjoy some coffee out on the patio and see if the new flowers I planted will live.
JoJo

Rod said...

I always thought gravy was a vegetable...


Rod

HermitJim said...

Hey JoJo...
I'll just bet you do have some interesting critters there! Patio time and flower watching sounds good to me!


Hey Rod...
Ya know, it may just be veggie! You can do so much with it, it can be a number of different things!

Heck, if the stove is still warn enough, put a spoon i the gravy bowl, let the gravy harden, and there you have a gravy lollipop!

Thanks for dropping in, my friend!

WrethaOffGrid said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
WrethaOffGrid said...

Hey, gotta love them gravy lollipops! Gravy isn't gravy unless you can stand a fork in it, if it's thinner than that, then it's just sauce. :)

I hear that you are moving to my neighborhood, if so, you gotta stop by and have some coffee at our cabin, we always have coffee around (MountainMan Bob drinks it all day), I even have a fancy french coffee press. ;)

Wretha

ps, write me privately to discuss where I live, I don't publicly discuss it.
wretha(at)gmail.com

HermitJim said...

Hey Wretha...I might just do that! Always on the lookout for places that keep the coffee pot going!

Looks like your place is getting a little more complete each day. The view thewre is terrific, what I can see!

Thanks for the visit!

Anonymous said...

'nother Texas tall tale . . .

The coyote who ridded itself from fleas with a stick and a pond: Coyote backed into pond with stick in his mouth. Slowly, so as to have vermin go up his coat toward his head. Backing up to his head, the vermin began evacuating to the stick held in its mouth.

Coyote ducked under water, and came back up a few feet away, vermin reduced immensely.

Mayberry said...

"We have four seasons: Almost Summer, Summer, still Summer and Christmas."

Ain't that the truth! That's why I love it here! Great post Hermit!

HermitJim said...

Hey Anon 5:38...
That's one I haven't heard! I'll have to remember it...

Thanks for the comment and the visit!


Hey Mayberry...
Does sound like home, doesn't it? poor folks that live up north can't imagine a 11 month growing season...

Thanks for the visit, buddy!

Lydia said...

Texas sounds like a great place except for the snakes and stuff. Made me laugh so much, thanks Jim!
:)
lydia

HermitJim said...

Hey Lydia...
Texas is a pretty diverse place with some fantastic scenery and some great people!

It's true that we have a lot of strange critters, in fact, I have some of them living across the street from me! Oh, sorry...that's just the neighbors!

Hey, thanks for the visit, my smiling friend!

Lydia said...

Sure sounds that way Jim. I may have to visit Texas before I Hawaii.

Heh..I have critters like those too, just down the road from here.
;)
lydia

Ryan said...

I like Okra, eaten it a couple times down here. Missed it between now and the last time I was down here.

Places with low humidity and or high elevation tend to have the hot and cold thing. Where I used to live it would be cold in the morning and quite warm during the day.

HermitJim said...

Hey TOR...
Okra has been a staple with many of our meals since I was a kid! I like it fried the best. Rolled in cornmeal first, then fried crisp.

Hot and cold in the same day is not anything new here, but it does take some getting used to. It's that way with any place, I reckon.

Hey, thanks for dropping in!