Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Rain -- The Sequel

Since I complained about the rain back on July 3rd, it's only gotten worse. It's rained at least a little bit, often more, almost every day since. On the 13th we got over 4 inches in 2 1/2 hours. It was like sitting under a waterfall. On the 14th it rained another inch. And though less accumulation, its rained each day since. My various gardens are totally waterlogged. Those with walking paths are not walkable without sinking into the soil. Some of the crops which don't like wet feet are deciding to give up the ghost. Others that do like wet, like the taro, are thriving. The pasture grasses are growing tall and lush, and since they are constantly wet, I haven't been able to mow them. I try to avoid having the sheep graze areas that are constantly wet due to parasites. Letting the grass dry out helps keep down the worm load in them. 

Up till now I've avoided complaining about too much rain. Knowing that next year will most likely be drought, I've been happy to see the ground get a good charge of water. But enough is enough already. It's time for a drying out break. Yeah, I love the rainbows, but I'm seeing them practically every day now when I drive to town.
The catchment tanks are overflowing, the ponds are full. I've had to take water out of the mini ponds so that the guppies don't get flushed out with each new rainfall. 
The spiders are having a hard time of it, their webs being covered in raindrops.
This has been an usually rainy year so far. Gosh, you'd think we were living in the rain forest! 

I've been thinking in hindsight about what I should have done to prepare for this summer of rain. In the gardens I should have built a lot of pallet growing boxes. Those boxes are always well drained and vegetables grow great in them even in heavy rains. I should have gotten that hugelkultur bed built at the seed farm. The rain could have helped greatly in getting it established without having to cart water in. I should have built another catchment tank for the main gardening area. Next year I'm going to regret missing the opportunity. Oh well......just be glad I'm not the wet spider. 

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3 comments:

  1. JimboJuly 16, 2014 at 8:31 AM

    Sue,

    Here on the east coast, have had the same situation. However, we have been enduring "super cells", almost daily. Straight line winds of 60 mph or more. Have constant problem of fallen trees. Rain totals of 1 - 2 inches in less than an hour, followed by VERY high humidity. All this is causing a health problem, "Black mold"

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  2. BarryJuly 16, 2014 at 9:23 AM

    OK, Su Ba, Pele will be less thirsty soon - please ask her to push the wet sky to the West Coast of the mainland. Even here in Oregon, I started some sprinkling of the driest parts of the lawn. I'll need more grass for the raised garden beds in process!

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  3. Su BaJuly 16, 2014 at 10:04 PM

    Jimmy, that high humidity is what I'm glad I no longer have to deal with. I can still vividly recall the heat & humidity combination. I use to joke about needing a machete to get through it, back in the days when I didn't really know what a machete looked like. Of course that's history. I use a machete here on a regular basis.

    So, you're having a wet summer. I guess the alternative is the common July/August drought there when lawns turn crispy brown. Happily where I'm now located the grass never gets brown even during droughts. But the seed farm browns over frequently.

    Barry, I wish I could send the rain over your way. For real! It's raining again as I write and frankly, I've had enough now.

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