Yep.  It’s no longer summer.  On September 22, the Earth reached its “Autumnal Equinox.”  That’s when the Sun crossed over the equator, providing Earth with equal day and night.  Now it is headed down to position itself with the Tropic of Capricorn on December 21.  But is the Sun really headed down there, or is Earth headed somewhere?  What’s going on?

The Earth is tilted around 23.5 degrees, so in summer, the North Pole and Northern Hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun, so it’s warmer out here in Texas.  Oddly enough, Earth is furthest away from the Sun – around 94.5 million miles from us during the Summer Solstice.  In winter (Winter Solstice) the North Pole is tilted 23.5 degrees away from the Sun, so it’s colder in the Northern Hemisphere (but only 91.4 million miles from it).

Does this tilt your mind???  Let’s clarify it – get the scoop from NASA Space Place!  Click Here.

We are starting to experience milder temperatures now, and believe it or not, it will get cooler soon!  So it’s time to think about starting a plan on how to protect your home and landscape for the cooler weather.

It’s never too early to start preparing to Protect Your Pipes.  Click Here to learn how.

Here are some tips to prepare your landscape for the cooler weather.

• Water Less: Lower ground temperatures mean less evaporation, so dial back your sprinkler schedule to avoid root rot and fungus.
• Sprinkler Logic: Check your sprinkler system before the really cold temperatures come. Repair broken heads and check to be sure they reach all parts of your garden.
• Postpone Heavy Pruning: Avoid heavy pruning or high-nitrogen fertilizers in late fall.  Pruning and high-nitrogen fertilizer can trigger new growth that can be damaged by unexpected winter freezes.
• Mulch Mulch Mulch: Add shredded bark or compost mulch around flower beds and tree bases to trap warmth in the soil and block cool-season weeds. [1, 2]
• Plant Cool Stuff: Plant cool-season color like pansies, snapdragons, and hardy vegetables. This is also the ideal time for planting trees and shrubs so they establish roots before summer.

Just a reminder to keep your kiddies and pets safe during our Trick or Treat time of year. Keep your children safe as they go home to home by escorting them, and ensuring they have flashlights or glow sticks.  Keep your pets safe by keeping them away from your front door as you greet our trick or treaters!  Thanks!

Know your risk! Take a look at our Hurricane Preparedness page where you can find a bunch of useful information on how to get ready for a storm that may come our way!

Check out the The WaterMyYard program, from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. This program uses local weather data to provide free weekly watering advice. This data is collected from an extensive network of weather stations and rain gauges, and, along with research-based understanding of plant water needs, allow experts to send customized weekly water advice for your specific lawn and irrigation system.

You may have heard about the Minnesota water systems being infiltrated by a possible Iranian cyberattack.

Fortunately, our MUD doesn’t have the capability to operate or control our water or wastewater plants online or from a distance. The system whereby Operators can control Water Plants online, at home or anywhere is called a SCADA system (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition).  SCADA handles real-time monitoring and automated plant adjustments. Rest assured, as our MUD is not connected online, the hackers, Iranian or otherwise cannot touch us. In general, we remain vigilant with ensuring our systems, physically and otherwise, are safeguarded against any internal, external or online attacks.

Should you have any questions, please use our Contact Form or stop by our meeting, scheduled for Wed. Aug. 19th, 2026 @ 4:00 pm at the Lake Olympia clubhouse, 180 Island Blvd, Missouri City, TX 77459.