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    Have a better idea?

    Looking to legends to bring some rain: The end of one drought brought Texas bluebonnets

    Terry St. John
    Aug 23, 2011 | 8:24 am
    News_Bluebonnet_field_rolling_hills
    The next morning when She-Who-Is-Alone and the villagers awoke, they saw that the hills were covered with beautiful blue flowers, the same color as the doll’s feathers. They knew it was a sign from the Great Spirit. Soon it began to rain, and the drought was ended.
    Photo via Real Texas

    Emails from MoveOn.org urge me to help make Texas a blue state.

    That's hard to do, because we all know Texas is a red state in more than just politics these days. The weather graphic of the state looks like a blistering hot frying pan.

    Texas is cocooned by something the weather folks call a high pressure level, which repels any significant moisture. As someone who can barely identify a cumulus cloud from a cirrus one, it’s still a mystery to me. What can we do except pray, hope, cope and watch our green lawns wither to brown?

    What did our ancestors do? They prayed, hoped, coped and watched their crops turn brown. And without the knowledge of modern meteorology, sometimes it was logical to blame the drought on the gods.

    What can we do except pray, hope, cope and watch our green lawns wither to brown?

    A multitude of legends have been spawned by a society’s attempts to convince these fickle gods to send a little downpour their way. In desperation, people promised to sacrifice their most prized possessions —sometimes a virgin or a prized animal or a piece of valued property.

    In the good legends, the skies open up just before the horrible deed, and the verdant landscape returns, the crops are saved and the people rejoice. You usually don’t hear about those sacrifices that didn’t work. Not good folklore.

    My favorite legend is still one that J. Frank Dobie recorded in his Tales of Old Time Texas and one that I shyly recited to my first-grade classmates at Eastwood Elementary School (now Dora B. Lantrip Elementary). It goes like this:

    She-Who-Is-Alone was a young Comanche orphan living in Texas a long time ago. Her parents and her entire family had died during the drought. There was no rain to grow the crops. The people were sick and dying, and the horses and buffalo were suffering. The leaders prayed to the Great Spirits, played the drums and danced asking for help.

    Finally one of the leaders said that the Great Spirits wanted them to make a sacrifice. Everyone had to give up their most valuable possession.

    She-Who-Is-Alone had only one thing that she loved — the little doll her grandmother had made for her out of buffalo skin. The face was painted with berry juice, and beautiful blue bird feathers adorned its head. It was the only thing she had left from her family.

    But she knew what she had to do. That night she crept out from her teepee, bringing her doll with her to the fire. She kissed her doll and said, “O Great Spirit, here is the only thing I have. It is very special. Please send the rain.”

    She threw her doll into the fire and watched as the fire consumed it. When the fire grew cold, she scooped up some ashes and threw them to the winds.

    The next morning when She-Who-Is-Alone and the villagers awoke, they saw that the hills were covered with beautiful blue flowers, the same color as the doll’s feathers. They knew it was a sign from the Great Spirit. Soon it began to rain, and the drought was ended.

    The villagers changed She-Who-Is-Alone’s name to One-Who-Dearly Loves-Her-People. And each spring when the fields are covered with bluebonnets, we are reminded of the little’s maiden’s sacrifice.

    Terry St. John is a Houston native who's never seen a summer as hot as this one.

    The next morning when She-Who-Is-Alone and the villagers awoke, they saw that the hills were covered with beautiful blue flowers, the same color as the doll’s feathers. They knew it was a sign from the Great Spirit. Soon it began to rain, and the drought was ended.

    News_Bluebonnet_field_rolling_hills
      
    Photo via Real Texas
    The next morning when She-Who-Is-Alone and the villagers awoke, they saw that the hills were covered with beautiful blue flowers, the same color as the doll’s feathers. They knew it was a sign from the Great Spirit. Soon it began to rain, and the drought was ended.
    unspecified
    news/city-life

    WEATHER WATCH

    Houston will have vivid sunsets and air quality issues from Saharan dust

    Brandon Watson
    Jun 30, 2025 | 11:00 am
    Silhouette of electricity pylon against orange sky,San Antonio,Texas,United States,USA
    Getty Images
    The Saharan dust cloud causes vibrant sunrises and sunsets.

    An annual meteorological phenomenon has blown in to make Houston's sunsets a little more spectacular. A huge Sahara Desert dust cloud made its way to the Houston area on June 29, bringing hazy skies. The bad news is that air quality might worsen; the good news is that locals can expect a week of Technicolor twilights.

    According to the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, the dust is caused by the 2.5-mile-thick Saharan Air Layer, which is associated with “warmth, dryness, and strong winds.” That has strong effects on weather patterns, including lessening the intensity of cyclones. ABC13 meteorologist Travis Herzog shared an image of the dust cloud on Threads.


    View on Threads


    But Saharan dust can also wreak havoc on health. The fine particulate matter can trigger symptoms for locals with asthma, allergies, or other respiratory issues. Those sensitive to atmospheric irritation may experience sneezing, coughing, a scratchy throat, or shortness of breath. Some studies have even linked it with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality.

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recommends that people with underlying conditions stay indoors during dust storms. The vibrant red, orange, and yellow skies can still be enjoyed with the comfort of air conditioning.

    The blast of cold air will be welcome to everyone as the Sahara dust can also cause some of the hottest days of the year. NOAA says that is because the thick cloud can stifle cooling afternoon thunderstorms.

    Still, Houstonians might want to step outside to snap a pic of the breathtaking skies. The vivid dusks and dawns are caused by the sun’s rays scattering the dust particles in the atmosphere. Sunrises and sunsets typically take on warmer hues as low-angle sunlight passes through the atmosphere, but the dust particles enhance the striking effect.

    National Weather Service forecasts say that this year’s cloud will only bring light concentrations with no major impacts on visibility. The phenomenon is expected to dissipate by the end of the week.

    sahara dusthealthmeteorologysunsetsair qualitysunrisesweather
    news/city-life

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