Rain, Rain, Don't Go Away

Melinda, Cole, and I arrived at the farm Friday night after dark. As soon as we turned into the driveway, our headlights exposed a skunk prowling in the grass. With Cole’s previous skunk-encounter still fresh in our minds, we were careful not to let him loose in the dark. We’ve not been to the farm since Labor Day, and in the six weeks we’ve been away rain has graced the land several times. So Saturday morning we were greeted by a lovely green across the property and some tall grass round the house that meant I’d be able to ride the new John Deere. (First I’d have to repair a flat rear tire. I’m getting good at this.)

I spent the morning mowing while Melinda worked on a term paper. Just as I finished up, a cool breeze blew in and rain began to fall. For fifteen minutes or so, we sat in the front porch swing and took in the sight of water falling from the sky. How sad that it takes drought for one to appreciate just how marvelous a rain shower really is – its sounds, sights, smells, and the miraculous effect it has on the land.

After lunch we made a visit to Cooper’s Nursery. I was looking for some seeds to revive the Ex-Garden a bit for the Fall. Melinda found a Fire Bush (aka, Hummingbird Plant) and I picked up some onion seeds and some Sweet Pea seeds.

When we returned to the farmhouse, I went to work in the garden and Melinda resumed her research. I planted the Sweet Peas along the row with a trellis that had supported tomatoes and zinnias during the summer. The onions and some herbs I sowed in the bed that had held our watermelons. I turned the watering system on and set the timer. While I was planting, another brief rain shower blew over and I worked in the rain, enjoying the soaking I received.

Before we went to bed we checked the weather radar and saw a huge line of storms stretching across Texas. It looked like we would have a stormy night.  Around 2:30 A.M. the storms blew through with high winds, thunder, lightning, and drenching rain. We sat in the porch swing and ate our breakfast this morning, taking in the results of the night’s weather. Cole ran free across the field, stopping at the smell of a gopher and digging furiously, head down out of sight and rear end up in the air, like an ostrich. He came up with one of those dog-smiles on his face and ran some more in the cool, damp air.

The thunder continues to rumble this morning as I write. Heavy gray clouds linger and intermittently rain mixes with the soft breeze that has the pecan and mesquite trees swaying.  It looks like we’ll see an entire day of this grace.

Despite this good news, we are a long way of being out of the drought that has withered Texas and Oklahoma with its oppressive summer heat and convection-oven-like winds. Long-range forecasts have the La Nina pattern in the Pacific strengthening this winter, portending a continuing period of drought for us in Texas.