Rain, Glorious Rain!

 

by Pa Rock

Water Bearer

The drought, she persists, but for the past few hours at least we have been blessed with a welcome break in the insufferable heat.

Research by a friend has revealed that the area around West Plains in south-central Missouri, the place I currently call home, last had significant rainfall (an inch-and-a-half) on May 5th of this year.  Since then there have been a few insignificant showers that amounted to a little more than heavy dew.   In the two-and-a-half ensuing months since that last major rain, Alexa has put out occasional teasers with the suggestion of "possible" scattered thunderstorms, but none materialized - until this weekend!

Alexa forecast a "chance" of thunderstorms over the weekend.  Saturday night we had a couple of quick showers that evaporated almost as quickly as they hit the hot ground and by Sunday morning all traces of the brief wetness were gone.

Late yesterday afternoon I carried water to every potted plant and young tree and rosebush on the property.  I also considered washing the car in an effort to attract rain, but, after spending much of the day in the unrelenting heat, I did not have the energy to tackle that project.  

Right before dark the wind began to blow, ferociously.  My forty-foot hickory trees and fifty-foot pines swayed vigorously in the sudden winds, and the air cooled significantly.  And then the rains came!  There were a couple of quick showers, just enough to settle the dust and give the grass a drink - and I thought that even just splash was better than no moisture at all.  But soon after the rain came again, and this time it was one of those nice slow affairs that sank into the ground.  When I went to bed an hour or so later the rain was still coming down, slow and steady.

This morning a bucket out in the garden area held about an inch of water.  The grass was already noticeably greener, and the rise of the water level in the pond was sleight, but noticeable.  (I know that the creatures living in the pond had to appreciate the arrival of fresh water.)  There was no water standing on the ground, however, because all of it had been greedily sucked down by the thirsty soil.

This was the first morning in several weeks that I have not been out lugging water to plants!

The temperature is pleasant this morning, but is expected to be in the low nineties by this afternoon.  The drought, however, is not broken.   Alexa isn't forecasting any rain for the next seven days, and she says the high temperatures will be above 100 degrees Fahrenheit for each of those seven days.

The really bad news is that the hottest and driest month in the Ozarks is traditionally August!

But, regardless of what the future may or may not hold, last night's rain was much appreciated!