Groundhog Day, that quirky celebration, arrived in the Eastern U.S. with German immigrants. In the absence of badgers, they chose groundhogs as the new weatherman for the fun tradition. This holiday comes from medieval and ancient mid-winter ceremonies marking halfway between the winter solstice and the summer equinox. Back then, farming and agriculture could still affect survival, so an earlier, gentler spring meant much more than less snow shoveling. After the birth of Christ, the Candlemas celebration started.

|| BUT TEXAS DOES NOT HAVE EASY ACCESS TO GROUNDHOGS ||

In 2010, Texas began its own lighthearted beef with the famous Pennsylvania weather prognosticator, that groundhog Punxatawney Phil. Bee Cave Bob, a trusty armadillo from the ranching town of the same name, is the Lone Star State's answer to the Teutonic tradition of the Northeasterners.

Just for good measure, an East Texas TV station consulted Longview Senior Animal Control Officer Chris Kemper. He confirmed he has never had to tangle with these squirrel cousins. "I have never had a run-in with a groundhog here in East Texas," he told KLTV.

Whether or not an animal suggests more winter, critters of all kinds will soon return to Dallas lawns as the (usually) short and tolerable winters wind down. The sun will stay out longer, making the grass thirstier, and the furry friends we keep inside will soon be scrambling again for the stick or tennis ball in the backyard.

Evolve Technologies knows that Dallas' local weather-- despite being generally warmer than much of the country--can be crazy and can affect your lawn. This post will look at the best apps to connect all your home automation and smart device needs into an easy-to-use system. With that, your lawn and your pet experience are worry-free.

Porches are part of the unique American social architecture. the space between public and private life. The US, having the second-largest average house size in the world, gives us an added location out front to chat with neighbors or throw parties. A singular display to everyone nearby, they're a veritable profile avatar. Evolve Technology will add sights, and sounds, and can resolve security issues for porches. 

Porches Are Making a Comeback

As life outside the home returns, people are rediscovering the power of community. porches can help with that. Access the neighborhood and the outdoors, but without leaving home. 

The rate in this country for new single-family homes built with porches is up 10% since 2005. and two-thirds of such houses built in 2017 had them. 

The uptick in preference for porches parallels the collective thirst for a better-connected neighborhood. in days of yore, the porch was just that, the settings for an analog social network, a kinetic next-door app.

House Warming: What's the Deal with Heating and Cooling the Home?

In the space between discovering fire (the start of humankind) and creating air conditioning (the late 1800s to 1950s), houses were invented. Today, we bring the heat and cold inside with us, and it's much better than being outside all the time.

We've created a suitable temperature range for the indoors, regardless of the season. However, that's trickier as Texas has more than four seasons.

Oh Hail No: Wacky Texas Weather Requires More than Air Conditioning

If you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes? The mortar-strike, baseball, ice hail we saw this year in Texas drove the point home. The climate here is about as ordered and predictable as the contents of a blender thanks to the gulf, the desert, and Wizard-of-Oz-style winds gifted from the Great Planes.

2021 also saw the tie for the second-coldest day on record for DFW (-2 degrees F, Jan 31). This is just ten years after the tie for the seventh-hottest day on record (110 degrees F, Aug 2, 2011). This is going back well over 100 years. (source: https://www.weather.gov/fwd/dgr8mxmn)

But, as with most of this hemisphere, Dallas Fort Worth generally gets colder in the winter months and hotter in the summer.

Smart home technology may feel a little bit like science fiction, but just walk into the appliance section of a department store--and they’re all over the place. You may be wondering: what does smart home technology mean? Well, long story short, this is the kind of technology that communicates with each other through the internet and makes your simple house tasks easier, keeps your home more secure, and helps you save energy.

But why, even with all its ubiquity, do people think that “smart home technology” is difficult to understand? In this article, we talk about (1) what it is, (2) how it works, (3) and its advantages.

Fortunately, if you are already using a smart thermostat, a video doorbell, or just using voice commands which can all be accessed through your smartphone, then you are already halfway to understanding what smart technology is all about.

Evolve Technologies Is the Perfect Partner for Your Next Project

If you’re an architect, custom builder, or interior designer, then you take great pride in the work that you do for your clients. Texas clients have Texas-sized expectations, so it’s essential to work with a reputable low voltage contractor for your next project. The work that we do can significantly impact the work you do, and ultimately affect client satisfaction.

Scroll below to learn two reasons why an expert in low voltage wiring is your best partner to integrate innovative smart home technologies on properties in the Highland Park area and beyond.