Hi, y’all.

The last 3 days were the first hard freeze in the Austin area, and it was grim work peeling back the sheets over our garden beds and culling the various plants. We lost a lot of plant growth including a few entire tomato plants and may lose more if they don’t survive the damage. But as someone who grew up where nothing grows at this time of year, I am still amazed at the fact that there will still be more tomatoes, okra, eggplants, likely even peppers and basil in December. Even after over decade living here, the extra-long central Texas growing season still feels exciting.

Here’s a lovely performance by Animal Collective, who I’ve been listening to today to calm my nerves.

This is the latest watercooler open thread. What’s on your mind?