# My Little Drought



## SlipperKing (Aug 16, 2011)

Eric mentioned in another thread he would like to see the "Earth Opening Up". I said the cracks were big enough to loose a kid in them but it's not quite that bad!









The liquid gas company came out a month ago and staked out their right-a-way so I took advantage of a stake.




As you can see the stake is 3 feet long or so.




Here I place it into one of the cracks!




The grass and trees are suffering to a point that they may not come back.












One has died already




Here I noticed this bright orange litter at the base of five of my pines. 





I first thought I had Pine Beetles but on closer examination it turns out to be crystalized sap "bleeding" from the trees. As you can see it forming on the bark then crumbles off. I would say the inner lining of the tree that keeps the moisture inside has dried to a point of splitting open and the trees are drying out.




Even the squirrels are getting down to their last pine cones!




here is the pine cone litter they are leaving for me to clean up.




Others things going on; lakes drying up and the streets have huge cracks running through them and the really bad part for me, I need foundation work now!


----------



## Shiva (Aug 16, 2011)

Nature is tough and things should return to normal once it begins to rain again, assuming all those plants are native to the area.


----------



## JeanLux (Aug 16, 2011)

Really worrying !!!! Hope you get some rain soon!!!! Jean


----------



## NYEric (Aug 16, 2011)

Thanks for sharing. That kind of dry heaving makes me hope you have flex connections on all your utilities!


----------



## gonewild (Aug 16, 2011)

Are you sure the bleeding sap is not from insect holes?


----------



## Marc (Aug 16, 2011)

Sooner or later rain will come and then nature will show how strong and versatile it is. I only hope it comes fast for you because it only takes one idiot with a sigaret to start a disaster.......


----------



## goldenrose (Aug 16, 2011)

I'm surprised that there is green grass in some of the shade, I can't imagine going that long without rain, it's approaching a year for you isn't it? I heard other areas it's already been over a year.


----------



## W. Beetus (Aug 16, 2011)

Wow! That is crazy! Let's look on the bright side, at least you don't have to mow grass...


----------



## SlipperFan (Aug 16, 2011)

That looks pretty sad, Rick.


----------



## paphioboy (Aug 16, 2011)

Ouch, that's bad. Global weather has been freaky. Floods in Korea, snow in New Zealand etc... Here in Adelaide it is raining very heavily almost everyday, almost as much as what I get back in Malaysia, which is definitely not normal for Australian weather...


----------



## koshki (Aug 16, 2011)

Ahhhh, seeing trees die makes me sad.


----------



## SlipperKing (Aug 16, 2011)

gonewild said:


> Are you sure the bleeding sap is not from insect holes?


Lance, that's one of the first things I looked for but didn't fine any. Unless their way high up and I just can't see them.


----------



## SlipperKing (Aug 16, 2011)

Marc said:


> Sooner or later rain will come and then nature will show how strong and versatile it is. I only hope it comes fast for you because it only takes one idiot with a sigaret to start a disaster.......


That's one of the biggest fears a round here. Every county in the state has had at least one "wild " fire so far but that was 1 1/2 -2 months ago.



goldenrose said:


> I'm surprised that there is green grass in some of the shade, I can't imagine going that long without rain, it's approaching a year for you isn't it? I heard other areas it's already been over a year.


 Rose, the last time we had regular rain was Feb. I think it rained twice in March and then two more times since then for about 5 minutes each. Just enough to fill my water tank.



W. Beetus said:


> Wow! That is crazy! Let's look on the bright side, at least you don't have to mow grass...


 Yea, and the kicker is... I just bought a zero turn mower last spring to buzz a round all the trees! I've gotten to use it twice this summer and both times I had to wear a dust mask to breath and was dirty black from all the dirt and sweat!



SlipperFan said:


> That looks pretty sad, Rick.


Very much so Dot.


----------



## gonewild (Aug 16, 2011)

SlipperKing said:


> Lance, that's one of the first things I looked for but didn't fine any. Unless their way high up and I just can't see them.



In the picture with the crystalized resin on the park it kind of looks like maybe the resin is being pushed out at those points. I've seen beetle damage here in California have that happen, tiny little holes under the powder.


----------



## chrismende (Aug 19, 2011)

Wow, Rick. How dreadful. I'm at a loss for words, since it seems so dire. By the way, did everyone know that Al Gore is coordinating a worldwide Climate Reality weekend? It starts on Sept. 14, 7PM CT. I'll be watching!


----------



## SlipperKing (Aug 19, 2011)

chrismende said:


> Wow, Rick. How dreadful. I'm at a loss for words, since it seems so dire. By the way, did everyone know that Al Gore is coordinating a worldwide Climate Reality weekend? It starts on Sept. 14, 7PM CT. I'll be watching!



I'll watch too if he can make it rain!:rollhappy:


----------



## cnycharles (Aug 19, 2011)

after he ran around so much pushing 'global warming', do you think anyone will pay any attention? sounds more like just looking for attention. 
that really does look extreme. I remember maybe twenty years ago when at the golf course I worked at didn't have rain for about two months, the trees started dropping all their leaves (rotting green leaves really stink), but nothing approaching huge cracks in the ground and cracked foundations!


----------



## SlipperKing (Aug 19, 2011)

Well I just took a quick count and there are 4 dead, totally browned off pine trees with another 3-6 looking pretty sad. I'll have to take some pics of the house and show what's going on with it this weekend.
On the lighter note; I have buds showing up!


----------



## Eric Muehlbauer (Aug 19, 2011)

Amazing! Sorry you have those conditions, although I guess as a NY'er I associate dry with Texas...meanwhile, we just got 1.5" in the last hour, after several inches last Sunday. The rain has to go somewhere...but boy, is it frustrating when it doesn't go where you want it.


----------



## SlipperFan (Aug 19, 2011)

I heard on the news that Lake Houston(?) is, for the first time, drying up, and that this drought is expected to last into next year. Terrible.


----------



## SlipperKing (Aug 20, 2011)

SlipperFan said:


> I heard on the news that Lake Houston(?) is, for the first time, drying up, and that this drought is expected to last into next year. Terrible.



:sob:is that really true?


----------



## SlipperFan (Aug 20, 2011)

SlipperKing said:


> :sob:is that really true?


That's what was said, but what do they know! Hopefully, they are wrong.


----------



## cattmad (Aug 20, 2011)

this looks like what we call blacksoil here in queensland and is fairly common, and expands when wet and contracts badly when dired over a long period of time.

I spent many years in the royal australian air force and the base I was stationed at built their golf course on this type of soil, we used to loose a lot of golf balls down cracks like those.

I hope your drought breaks soon, that soil can do massive damage to houses when it dries like that.


----------



## Erythrone (Aug 20, 2011)

OMG... Impressive drought... Too bad...

About the stuff on the trunks: This is not sap. It looks like resin, a totaly different thing. Resin is helpful for many tree because they can use it as a defense against insects and fungus. Here in Quebec we found it in some pine like Pinus resinosa (yes.... a very good name for a pine with so much resin!!!). Many years after cutting, the wood of that species can still "bleed" resin.

Here is a paper about Pinus ponderosa and drought in the Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/article/Canadian-Journal-Forest-Research/172330249.html


----------



## SlipperKing (Aug 21, 2011)

Cool Erythrone but here are those same trees today.






and here. I count at least 10 dead ones so far. This second picture doesn't show the brown off needles but is what you are looking at.


----------



## SlipperKing (Aug 21, 2011)

*The house and its stress.*

Outside
The front of the house looks normal with it five columns but on closer examination.





The last column on the right.





The front step up to the porch use to be level





On to the left side of the house where the garage is located. The first little lip in floor is normal and for the garage door to set against. The second and larger lip use to be even with the driveway that's in front of it!





I don't know for sure until the foundation folks show up but I think the whole left side of the house is being lifted up while the right side (column end) is sinking. On the right side you can see obvious brick issues starting from a bedroom window. It actually looks better then it did!




*Now the inside;*
I stopped working on the title for now. It just pops back up. Here in my daughter's room located midway in the house apparently is the stress point.








Outside of her door in the hallway.




On the other side of the house, master bedroom.




In the corners of the master and other bedrooms you can see where the walls are shifting and the sheet rock tape buckles up.




Same thing in the garage, ceiling white, wall yellow (a bonus- daddy long leg spiders)


----------



## SlipperKing (Aug 21, 2011)

cattmad said:


> this looks like what we call blacksoil here in Queensland and is fairly common, and expands when wet and contracts badly when dried over a long period of time.
> 
> I spent many years in the royal Australian air force and the base I was stationed at built their golf course on this type of soil, we used to loose a lot of golf balls down cracks like those.
> 
> I hope your drought breaks soon, that soil can do massive damage to houses when it dries like that.



We call it gumbo clay here in south Texas. Like rock when hard and thick heavy clay when wet. Here is one of the repairs to the water main two months ago or so. See how the "gumbo" has shrunk a round from the original dig?


----------



## Erythrone (Aug 21, 2011)

Too bad... A disaster....

For the trees: I didn't want to say they are not dying.... Yes they are dying. I supposed that many trees probably bear green needles that are dried... Pines can do this. Just saying that this is resin, not sap. 

What species of pine are they?


----------



## cattmad (Aug 21, 2011)

sorry to see the damage this is doing to your house rick. I saw alot of this in an area I lived in about five years ago when we had our last big drought.

Foundation work is expensive, but when the drought breaks and the soil re-expands some of those cracks will close up. It might pay to look into options with the foundation, there was a guy here using a resin injection method under pressure to lift the house, it then cured like concrete under the existing house


----------



## Hien (Aug 21, 2011)

You guys may think for a person who lives in the 21st century, I am out of my mind to say this.
But I do believe that the native americans can actually call for rain with a rain dance. What if the town asks for a ceremony? it would'nt hurt to try when there is nothing else one can do about it .
I heard that asian shamans used to be able to perform other weather manipulations in ancient time as well.


----------



## SlipperFan (Aug 21, 2011)

Wow -- all that destruction because of dryness! Who would have guessed.


----------



## paphioboy (Aug 22, 2011)

Oh my... That's terrible, Rick...  I hope your home weathers through these conditions....


----------



## NYEric (Aug 22, 2011)

.......


----------



## goldenrose (Aug 22, 2011)

:sob::sob: I would guess if one doesn't do something concerning the foundation, it could be too late waiting for mother nature. Are there problems with other underground type utilites besides water, like phone, electric?


SlipperFan said:


> I heard on the news that Lake Houston(?) is, for the first time, drying up, and that this drought is expected to last into next year. Terrible.





SlipperKing said:


> :sob:is that really true?


Could very well be as I read that too. :sob:



Hien said:


> You guys may think for a person who lives in the 21st century, I am out of my mind to say this.
> But I do believe that the native americans can actually call for rain with a rain dance. What if the town asks for a ceremony? it would'nt hurt to try when there is nothing else one can do about it .
> I heard that asian shamans used to be able to perform other weather manipulations in ancient time as well.


Whatever works at this point!


----------



## SlipperKing (Aug 22, 2011)

Natural gas lines Rose


----------



## gonewild (Aug 22, 2011)

OMG! I've lived on black expansive soils before that crack like that in summer but never seen it tear apart structures. Likely will be a similar problem when the soil expand back because it won't just push things back into place. I think I would start wetting the soil around the foundation to stop further shrinkage.


----------



## SlipperKing (Aug 23, 2011)

gonewild said:


> OMG! I've lived on black expansive soils before that crack like that in summer but never seen it tear apart structures. Likely will be a similar problem when the soil expand back because it won't just push things back into place. I think I would start wetting the soil around the foundation to stop further shrinkage.


I have been. That's why its green a round the house close up but I might as well be piss'in in the wind! Too little to help much.


----------



## SlipperKing (Aug 25, 2011)

WHA WHOOOO>>>got some rain today! It filled up the water at least!


----------



## slippertalker (Aug 25, 2011)

Rick,

That is terrible, and in South Texas where rain is usually pretty plentiful.
I imagine it has cut down insects, snakes and spiders.......Hopefully it gets better, but you have some major problems with your house. Those trees are tall enough to cause trouble too..........hang in there.


----------



## SlipperKing (Aug 25, 2011)

slippertalker said:


> Rick,
> 
> That is terrible, and in South Texas where rain is usually pretty plentiful.
> I imagine it has cut down insects, snakes and spiders.......Hopefully it gets better, but you have some major problems with your house. Those trees are tall enough to cause trouble too..........hang in there.



You hit my worries on the head Bill!


----------



## goldenrose (Aug 26, 2011)

SlipperKing said:


> WHA WHOOOO>>>got some rain today! It filled up the water at least!


:clap::clap::clap: Now that's what I wanted to hear!


----------



## SlipperKing (Aug 26, 2011)

Some tree trimmer came by tonight and gave me a 2600.00 price for cutting, stump removal and haul away of all my dead trees. Damn that's going to cut into my orchid mad money!


----------



## gonewild (Aug 26, 2011)

$200 chainsaw.....sell the firewood.....sell the chainsaw.....buy orchids


----------



## SlipperFan (Aug 26, 2011)

gonewild said:


> $200 chainsaw.....sell the firewood.....sell the chainsaw.....buy orchids



Funny -- but not a good idea! I've seen too many tree/chainsaw accidents. You really have to know what you are doing to cut down a tree.


----------



## Erythrone (Aug 27, 2011)

SlipperFan said:


> Funny -- but not a good idea! I've seen too many tree/chainsaw accidents. You really have to know what you are doing to cut down a tree.



I agree... It is not too difficult to learn to cut trees in a forest (although I only cut 2 trees in my life... ) but even there there it is often a challenge. Cutting trees near houses and utilities is very difficult. It can be hazardous for you, the house, etc.


----------



## Roth (Aug 27, 2011)

The Michigan Sawchain Massacre... Alternately rent Rambo with a machine gun


----------



## SlipperKing (Aug 27, 2011)

I have a chainsaw already but at 56 have no interest in busting my butt to cut down 14 trees, haul them off and grind away the stumps all in 106 degree heat.


----------



## likespaphs (Aug 27, 2011)

have chainsaw chaps?


----------



## SlipperFan (Aug 27, 2011)

SlipperKing said:


> I have a chainsaw already but at 56 have no interest in busting my butt to cut down 14 trees, haul them off and grind away the stumps all in 106 degree heat.



14 trees??? $2600 is a steal!


----------



## goldenrose (Aug 28, 2011)

I agree! Temps in the triple digits would be enough for me!


----------



## Shiva (Aug 28, 2011)

Cutting 14 trees is a lot of work, especially in three digits temps. Better let the pros do it. If they take the wood away and grind off the stumps I agree with Slipperfan, it's a steal. And I would even go so far as offering them a couple of beers after the work.


----------



## cnycharles (Aug 28, 2011)

well at least with trees if they have just died, they'll stand up for a while. can wait until winter and cut when cooler, if needed... around here there are some bosnians who if you ask them to rebuild your engine or something like that, a few bottles of vodka and a few hundred is all you need!


----------



## goldenrose (Aug 29, 2011)

cnycharles said:


> well at least with trees if they have just died, they'll stand up for a while. can wait until winter and cut when cooler, if needed...


True but if too many think like that & the tree services have a bigger demand then their price will surely go up! This price quote sounds like he wants the business, if he's reputable I'd go for it, that's not even $200/tree!
Wait on the booze til the job is done, especially with trees! Ooops as they fall out of the tree, Oooops as the tree falls the wrong way! :sob:


----------



## SlipperKing (Aug 30, 2011)

goldenrose said:


> True but if too many think like that & the tree services have a bigger demand then their price will surely go up! This price quote sounds like he wants the business, if he's reputable I'd go for it, that's not even $200/tree!
> Wait on the booze til the job is done, especially with trees! Ooops as they fall out of the tree, Oooops as the tree falls the wrong way! :sob:



I know its an very good price. I was only waiting until Monday (yesterday) for a second quote form a husband/ wife team that worked for me before. Unfortuntely they did not back to me as promised yesterday Now I'm keeping my fingers crossed my tax refund shows up in the next day or so(I know a little slow on the tax thing) I can pay the guy.


----------



## SlipperKing (Aug 30, 2011)

Well the husband/wife team made it by today and *came in with a lower bid!* 100.00 per tree and 50.00 to grid out the stumps plus haul off. William explained he miss the appointment due to a night at the hospital with a employee. Apparently the employee found out the hard way, the tree trimming business is hazardous! A badly cut leg


----------



## gonewild (Aug 30, 2011)

:clap: for savings
:sob: for leg


----------



## SlipperFan (Aug 30, 2011)

Nothing better than going with a known, and trusted entity. Hope the leg is OK.


----------



## cnycharles (Aug 30, 2011)

chaps are necessary for any seasoned tree cutter, hope he is okay


----------



## Shiva (Oct 6, 2011)

Rick! How are you coping with the drought these days. From what I read, the situation hasn't gotten any better.


----------



## SlipperKing (Oct 6, 2011)

Shiva said:


> Rick! How are you coping with the drought these days. From what I read, the situation hasn't gotten any better.



It still sucks! Apparently "El Nino" is back which translates to a drier then normal winter as well I finally have all the trees down and out of here. I've been busy bust'in my chaps raking and shoveling "mulch" created from 17 stumps gridded up. Took pictures but haven't been in the mood to post lately.


----------



## Shiva (Oct 6, 2011)

SlipperKing said:


> It still sucks! Apparently "El Nino" is back which translates to a drier then normal winter as well I finally have all the trees down and out of here. I've been busy bust'in my chaps raking and shoveling "mulch" created from 17 stumps gridded up. Took pictures but haven't been in the mood to post lately.



Very sorry to read this, Rick. All I can say is good luck and keep the spirit. :fight:


----------



## SlipperFan (Oct 6, 2011)

It must be terribly discouraging. I am hoping their predictions for Winter are wrong.


----------



## SlipperKing (Oct 7, 2011)

It's said that only fools and newcomers predict the weather in TX but unfortunately these fools have been right about the summer drought.


----------



## Gilda (Oct 7, 2011)

:sob: So sorry Rick...that is one tough drought !


----------



## SlipperFan (Oct 14, 2011)

Rick, did you get any of that rain that went through Texas???


----------



## SlipperKing (Oct 14, 2011)

SlipperFan said:


> Rick, did you get any of that rain that went through Texas???



We sure did Dot! It rained off and on Saturday then pour all day and into the night on Sunday! The rain barrel is full for now! Again, I took pictures of the storm but haven't bothered uploading them.


----------



## cnycharles (Oct 14, 2011)

I've been hearing on the radio about a lake in texas that a lot of municipalities take water from that's getting quite low(?) is that near you and is it still getting lower, or has the rain helped that out?


----------



## SlipperKing (Oct 14, 2011)

That could very well be here Charles. Houston is very large and all the surround cites/ communities buy there water from Houston. Houston gets it's water from two different lakes north of the city, I think their Lake Houston and Lake Conroe. One of the lakes was getting very low so they had to switch to the other lake now both were/are dangerously low. I'm not up on how well this recent rain has helped. I'm sure it had to some. The cities/ communities that buy water from Houston goes all the way south to the Gulf of Mexico (~50 miles) included La Marque, Texas City, Clear Lake, Seabrook, Pearland(me), Friendswood, League City, Bayou Vista, Hitchcock, Omega Bay and finally Galveston, TX (where hurricane Ike hit). That's just south not sure about east, west or north! At one time all where on well water but the whole huge area is sinking. Right now Houston is 4 feet below sea level from the subsidence alone! Another problem in the rural areas people with wells are finding them dry too.
Hopefully the rain from last weekend had a chance to soak in some and not all run off. 
There is a third lake some distance off, Lake Livingston but I'm not sure if Houston is set up to tap it's resources.


----------



## Rick (Oct 15, 2011)

SlipperKing said:


> That could very well be here Charles. Houston is very large and all the surround cites/ communities buy there water from Houston. Houston gets it's water from two different lakes north of the city, I think their Lake Houston and Lake Conroe. One of the lakes was getting very low so they had to switch to the other lake now both were/are dangerously low. I'm not up on how well this recent rain has helped. I'm sure it had to some. The cities/ communities that buy water from Houston goes all the way south to the Gulf of Mexico (~50 miles) included La Marque, Texas City, Clear Lake, Seabrook, Pearland(me), Friendswood, League City, Bayou Vista, Hitchcock, Omega Bay and finally Galveston, TX (where hurricane Ike hit). That's just south not sure about east, west or north! At one time all where on well water but the whole huge area is sinking. Right now Houston is 4 feet below sea level from the subsidence alone! Another problem in the rural areas people with wells are finding them dry too.
> Hopefully the rain from last weekend had a chance to soak in some and not all run off.
> There is a third lake some distance off, Lake Livingston but I'm not sure if Houston is set up to tap it's resources.




If TX is like OK, then probably all the lakes are man made since the dust bowl era. And depending on the age often sized on the basis of the population decades ago.

Rick when I visited Austin many years ago there where local laws prohibiting people from collecting and storing rain water and gray water. Is Houston like that? Personally I think its a load of crap meant to force reliance on the centralized water/sewer authority, and legitimatized by pretense of public health concerns.


----------



## SlipperKing (Oct 15, 2011)

I have no idea Rick. I've done this for years at 4 different houses that I've moved a round to here in Pearland. No one has ever questioned me about it. As a fact, many of the society members store rain water too.


----------



## Rick (Oct 15, 2011)

SlipperKing said:


> I have no idea Rick. I've done this for years at 4 different houses that I've moved a round to here in Pearland. No one has ever questioned me about it. As a fact, many of the society members store rain water too.


Good:clap:


----------



## SlipperFan (Oct 15, 2011)

SlipperKing said:


> We sure did Dot! It rained off and on Saturday then pour all day and into the night on Sunday! The rain barrel is full for now! Again, I took pictures of the storm but haven't bothered uploading them.


:clap: It would be interesting to see the transformation!



Rick said:


> ...
> Rick when I visited Austin many years ago there where local laws prohibiting people from collecting and storing rain water and gray water. ...


That would be classified as one of the stupidest laws on the books!


----------



## Rick (Oct 16, 2011)

SlipperFan said:


> That would be classified as one of the stupidest laws on the books!



It's a surprisingly common law in many municipalities. Usually not well enforced. It often pops up when someone is building a "green" house, and the codes people get all over it.

Kind of like when Al Gore wanted to add solar to his house in Nashville, but local codes shut him down because the roof panels were not aesthetically in line with neighborhood standards. He finally got to put a modest installation in the back yard (below the fence line), but I'm sure it reduced performance.


----------



## SlipperKing (Oct 16, 2011)

OK Dot, I finally uploaded a few Pics. Here is tree cutting day






team effort!





Lance the tree climber doing his thing. Notice the rope on the right side of the picture(blue sky behind it) The rope id used to tie onto the cut branch and hung in the next tree over to swing the branch away from the barn after cut




What's left after clean up. Not much!













Kids can still have fun




Then the rain a few weeks later


----------



## SlipperKing (Oct 16, 2011)

The kids and I took a tripe to the "Big Thicket", central, east Texas. A few Pics here.
My step son standing on the "new" shoreline of the lake at sun rise.





Another shot





Here I swing the camera to my right to shoe the old shoreline





We foumd lots of clam shell in among the grsses now growing where the lake use to be.





Here is a long shot showing all the grass taking over the sandy bottom lake. To the right are old sunken tree stumps





Closeup





Some birds working the waters edge in a boat cut area





same birds


----------



## Rick (Oct 16, 2011)

Those rain pics feel good just looking at them.


----------



## SlipperFan (Oct 16, 2011)

Rick said:


> Those rain pics feel good just looking at them.



Yes -- I could feel a smile coming over my face when I saw them. What a relief!

It's possible the lake will return to it's old shore line. But that will mean a lot of rain!


----------



## NYEric (Oct 17, 2011)

Good to see the respite and some recovery.


----------

