More Rain Once Again

All my good intentions of mowing several trashcanfuls of grass clippings and mulching the taro and potato patches have flown the coop. It was on my morning job list, along with tilling in the rabbit manure into the greenhouse beds and numerous garden beds. Along with mulching the onions, getting the seedlings out of the mini greenhouses and into the garden. Yup, I woke up today to pounding rain. Rain. Rain. Rain. Yuck. Double yuck. My morning schedule is blown to smithereens. Looks like I'll be cleaning the refrigerator, defrosting the freezer, working on the taxes. Barf. Heaven forbid I might even have to resort to housecleaning. 

(Above, rain on a taro leaf. I took the opportunity of a break in the rain to run out and get a few photos.) 

Weather has a big bearing on the ability to farm. Not that farmers can simply take the time off during inclement weather, but it changes things. Working is more difficult and not as fun. In my case, I can't make mulch or till the soil today. I could work in the rain to do other tasks, but quite frankly, I'm not going to do that today. When rains are light, I've been known to be out there weeding, sowing seeds into trays, harvesting, clearing brush, gathering firewood. But some days I can't can't stomach the idea of getting soaking wet, having wet clothes clinging to my body, getting chilled to the bone. Not today.

 (Above, a potato patch that will have to wait for another day to be mulched.) 

I'm listening to the pounding rain (already got a half inch this early morning) and thinking......how about doing a little blogging. I normally write my entries in the evening after dinner. It sounded good to me. 

(Above, puddles in the garden. This garden sits atop a concrete slab, thus the slow drainage in a heavy downpour.)

There are still farm tasks that I cannot brush aside regardless of how unpleasant the weather is. The livestock need attention. This morning I've already tended the dogs and cats, although no one got played with or brushed. The sheep and donkey got hay today instead of fresh grass. I emptied out their water trough, brushed it clean. With this rain, it will quickly refill. The chickens won't get the opportunity to free forage in this rain today, so I gave them an extra bucket of mom's famous slop & glop. I'll check them later this afternoon to see if they need a refill. 

Most of my farming friends aren't in as good a situation as I am. They live in areas experiencing difficult weather at the moment. There are delays in getting out into the fields, which are still too wet or still too frozen. Other friends are tending livestock in the cold, and still experiencing regular snows. Yes, it's a late spring in many places. Being a farmer can be difficult and unpleasant. Listening to what my friends are putting up with makes me appreciate living where I do. It turned out to be a good choice for us. 

Above, a closeup of the water collecting in a bromeliad. The bromeliads are beautify the landscape, but they are water collectors, thus mosquito havens. I have to treat the bromeliads monthly to control mosquitoes.