It never rains in Plano, it only RAINS!
It doesn't mess around with whimpy drizzles or scattered droplets. Every rainshower is a complete downpour. Prior to living here, I don't ever remember using an umbrella or using the highest setting on my windshield wipers. Now I use both every time it rains. Thankfully, Plano is equipped with a terrific drainage system, saving us from the flooding that plagued surrounding areas of DFW shortly after our arrival here.
We love, love, love the libraries!
There are not one, but five fabulous libraries in the city of Plano, and a visit to any one of them is like a trip to the candy store. Sorry, Nampa, but these libraries put yours to shame. Not only do they have ample parking, designated children's sections (complete with tables and chairs--imagine!), and a huge selection of materials, but they offer a variety of activities. We could attend a super fun storytime, puppet show, lego party, or some other interactive children's event nearly every day of the week if we wanted to. And let me tell you, the kids sections are actually designed for kids! What's more, kids are actually encouraged to use them! Kids are free to walk around, explore, play with puzzles, put on puppet shows, pull books off the shelf to browse at the tables, chairs, or ampitheater. The room used for storytime at the library is actually built to look like a castle, with enormous two-story doors (along with a toddler size mini door on one side of the "castle" wall), and detailed architectural elements and life-size murals to complete the effect. I've been known to judge a city just based on it's library, and I have to say, Plano's libraries have made me fall in love with our new hometown.
There are no stray cats in our neighborhood, only wild bunnies!
Our kids are thrilled to see cute little white-tailed bunnies scooting around our yard on most mornings. They've even gone to great lengths to rig up "traps" to try to catch them (to no avail, I'm afraid). We have since learned that most people consider them pests, as they eat up your garden and wreak havoc on your landscaping. But no matter, our kids look at them as their surrogate pets anyways!
You can set your clock by the sound of the creatures outside your window.
In the mornings, we have tropical-sounding songbird that greets us from the tree in our back yard. The songs it trills are unlike any I've ever heard, and listening to it makes for a pleasant way to start your day. In the evenings, the cicadas start up--a sound that I can't even begin to describe. Something like a cross between a cricket and a car alarm. The noise can be quite deafening if you're walking directly beneath the trees they inhabit, but their serenade lasts for only a short time around dusk.
There's a reason why Plano's schools are rated among the top in the nation.
We have been blown away by the caliber of schools here. Nearly every neighborhood has its own school within it (which means no busing, by the way--you either carpool or walk, if you can stand the heat!). The staff members we have dealt with are proactive, professional, and committed to quality education. Expectations are high--the kids have at least an hour of homework every night. And it's been a big adjustment starting school so much earlier here than we did in Idaho. (Elementary kids have to be there around 7:30--yikes!) But the schools have a proven track record of success, including super high performance on standardized tests. And they also have fantastic resources for kids needing extra help. We feel very lucky to have such a great school for our kids.
