It’s Not Nice To Fool Mother Nature

If you grew up in the 70’s – you remember the margarine commercial that ended with “It’s not NICE to fool Mother Nature” followed by her wreaking vengeance in the form of a storm.

I think about that commercial a lot these days. My parents who live in Philly suffered through the most brutal snowbound winter they could remember. It’s harder for them at their age. And then their spring and summer wasn’t so hot either with too much rainfall, an earthquake – almost unheard of in those parts – and then a hurricane and some flooding in areas near them.

And then I think about my hometown of Houston. The last two winters we have suffered a few nights of what they call “hard freezes” here. (Yes wearing a winter jacket in between the shorts and flip flops) Before the last several years, that was an almost unknown phenomenon. Pipes were put above ground because no one ever worried about freezes here in mid-tropical Houston. Palm trees abound, and they were planted everywhere by just about everyone – and yet I watched our backyard tall palm die last year in the freeze. Many, many palm trees were lost in the last two winters during an unheard of week long hard freeze. My tropical plants suffered too. First from a winter with two bitter cold freezes and then with a record breaking drought, and finally with an unprecedented heat-wave. This is disastrous because I just love the natural world, trees, plants, flowers, and the beauty they give the world.

So I get it Mother Nature. You aren’t happy with us. We have messed up your ozone, and there is climate change happening whether we want to admit it or not. I keep imagining that character actress of that commercial starting with a sweet smile and ending with a vicious face. Yep, that’s how it is about now. Crazy weather thanks to an angry, bitter Mother Nature.

I worry about our lush green city of Houston where trees and greenery and flowers are very vivid, and wonder how the drought will affect everything for years to come. It’s not just that I am personally suffering, (in the form of HUGE beyond belief water bills) I am worried about the natural world around me. I am worried about my parents who are a thousand miles from me. I am sad about New England and those who suffered from the most recent damaging hurricane. And look at what happened in Japan this year. Such immense suffering at the hands of Mother Nature this year alone.

I’m not usually doom and gloom like this. But I do plan to spend my labor day parked on my back porch, sipping a margarita, and praying, pleading and bargaining for the sky to open up with some major wet stuff. Mother Nature, you better not let me down yet again.