The Nature of Things

For the past several weeks, all the way back to the first few days of April, we have been without rain. As I worked in my garden, the soil for the first several inches on top was nothing but dust. I had started providing supplemental water for my plants that needed it. In April! But over the last few days, Mother Nature has done her best to make up for her neglect. Last Friday, we got 1.25 inches of much-needed rain. It turned out, that was just a down payment. The rain started around 11:00 last night and continued until at least 5:00 this morning. This was the rain gauge in my vegetable garden when I went to check it this morning. That's right - three glorious inches of rain fell during the night! My world looks washed clean and refreshed this morning. The bird poop has been washed off the bench under the magnolia tree. And everything else - even the tops of the bird feeders that are always covered in the poop of their visitors. It won't last long, of course, but at least it w...

Tropical Storm Lee moved into our area tonight, offering the best chance we have had in months for some substantial rainfall.  I'm just to the left of that large mass of green and yellow and so far I haven't benefited from all those rain clouds, but hope springs eternal.  It's a slow-moving system so perhaps before the night is out, Lee will actually grace us with some of its moisture. I'm trying not to get my hopes up. I've been disappointed too many times before in this interminable drought. UPDATE, SEPTEMBER 4:    Not a drop.  Not a friggin' drop!  The drought continues...