Rain!

I put this under this category because for us, it is encouragement. We have been in a very bad drought for a while, even through this past winter, and went into this spring extremely dry. The dust has been amazing (and not in a good way). There have been numerous large grass, marsh & forest fires in many areas of my province that has often blanketed much of the population with heavy smoke.

We have been even more dry where we are than even the surrounding communities. But this morning, we got rain...and actually have a few very small puddles!

I have no idea if it will be enough to start a round of continued moisture, but we can hope.

It is good news.

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Comments

  • MaryRowe
    MaryRowe Posts: 736 ✭✭✭✭

    It is so great you are getting the rain--there's nothing like the feeling when rain finally breaks a too-long dry spell. The freshness and the sweet scent of the air after a rain like that is pure joy. I hope it does continue up there.

    And I surely with there was some way to share with you....The rain started here a week ago and has never completely let up since. The homestead is a bog, the poor chickens look like drowned rats and are really grumpy--"mad as wet hens" isn't just a saying. And there's no end in sight. The nine-day forecast is all rainy. Kansas City weathermen are saying we may be in for the longest stretch of consecutive rain days on record.

    But on the bright side, I was looking at the weather radar yesterday and the rainclouds were all headed due north, which is an unusual pattern. But I hope it means that the rain will be headed your way for some days to come yet, and you get the rain you need up there!

  • stephanie447
    stephanie447 Posts: 404 ✭✭✭

    We have the opposite, not enough rain in the past few weeks and the grass is starting to turn brown. Last spring it was the opposite - never-ending rain!

  • JodieDownUnder
    JodieDownUnder Posts: 1,483 admin

    @LaurieLovesLearning very good news indeed, I hope it continues and your farm responds accordingly.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin

    @MaryRowe It sounds like you could stand to give a couple of us rain!

    @stephanie447 We were there quite a few years ago...in the wet boggy land & weather. You aren't kidding that chickens get grumpy. Everyone does. It would be so much nicer if things were moderate, but then we may not appreciate when it rains or when it starts to dry... I think life would get kind of boring with no extremes.

    Thanks, @jodienancarrow! The land was and still actually may be pretty thirsty. A few days break and then more rain would be good. It is cool and not as viciously windy today as it has been all spring so far. That should help somewhat.

    Things are blooming. That should mark our last possible frost of the spring, believe it or not. Although if it stays cloudy & smokey, we might just skip that this year.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    @LaurieLovesLearning I've been watching the fire reports in Manitoba via Firefighting Canada's newsletters. It looks like you have one that is fairly close, although I see it is under control now. The smoke is the worst. Settles over everything like a giant depressive blanket. I'm so glad you've had some rain!

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin

    @torey We did, but even so, it was a good 20-25 minutes or more from here. It was caused by a lawnmower spark someone had said. Some of the fires in our province are/were quite large. No backcountry anything was allowed due to fire risk.

    I have to say that until it got really thick, I did enjoy the smell of the wood burning, like a campfire. Grass just doesn't have the same smell. Also, it is way better than smelling field waste (pushed trees in dirt or weedy/straw bales mixed with twine. That is the worst, and those usually smolder for a very long time.

    There was another largely grass fire east of Brandon (so about an hour from here) that started on the military range (there are conflicting reports of how it started) that got into a large marsh. They brought in large water bombers (which is uncommon in the area) and they tried to contain it in there with those. They were concerned about a provincial park nearby as well and closed most surrounding roads down.

    The rain is certainly welcomed by many. At this point, the farmers aren't complaining either. Interrupting seeding isn't a big deal when you've got most of it already done.

    I guess the city was busy today due to all the farmers needing something to do. 😆 Covid or not...rain = farmers going to town!

  • Cornelius
    Cornelius Posts: 872 ✭✭✭✭

    The end of a drought us always nice! I hope your garden grows better with the extra water!

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin

    I don't know if it the end of a drought just yet. Haha

    The puddles are long gone & the ponds/sloughs are still completely dry. No ducks nor geese stayed around here, they were greatly unimpressed. Nothing at all pooled in those areas.

    We tilled the garden today and that was no problem, so really, its still quite dry, but every drop helps.

    Potatoes go in tomorrow!

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I love the smell after rain. Everythign smells fresh and alive. I hope your plants got a good drink of water.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin

    @Denise Grant It is a wonderful smell. I even love to smell it when it's on its way!

    It did freshen things up. The trees looked more vibrant. It is good.

    I checked on blooms today. The saskatoons & haskap are almost done, one of our currants is blooming, the cherry trees have many flowers! I think we had one cherry last year that the birds got. The chokecherries are setting up to bloom next.

    Lilacs are getting ready to give a show & my double flowering almond is just coming into flower. It is one of my favorites!

  • jowitt.europe
    jowitt.europe Posts: 1,465 admin

    @LaurieLovesLearning I know I should not complain, but it rains every day. However we always have a few hours of sunshine every day. The plants LOVE that. The bees - well, they fly like mad during these few hours of sun. And we do try to get every dry moment either to walk or to do something in the garden. But the plants - well, they are just thriving.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin

    We had quite a thunderstorm last night, with an actual rain. This is what we have today with the high, drying winds. The garden is fairly protected from the wind where it is at least.

    I have never before seen the wind pick up so much dust here.


    Normally, we have a view of the far side of the valley, far away. Not today. It is like it doesn't exist.

  • karenjanicki
    karenjanicki Posts: 989 ✭✭✭✭

    Yay! We've had a really dry spring ourselves. I wish we'd get a few good rainstorms.

  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin

    We actually had two dry weeks.... it has been almost constant flash flooding here for over a year!

  • marjstratton
    marjstratton Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭✭

    Glad that you got the rain that you needed.

  • Michelle D
    Michelle D Posts: 1,465 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I'm so glad to hear that you are finally being blessed with rain! Our spring has been dryer than usual but not too dry so we are counting our blessings.

  • VermontCathy
    VermontCathy Posts: 1,987 ✭✭✭✭✭

    We've been getting just enough rain to tease us. It is nowhere near as dry here as it is up Laurie's way, but New England is well below normal rainfall.

    Spring was unusually dry. I keep hoping that the summer pattern thunderstorms will eventually bring water levels back to normal.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    We have not had rain in over three weeks. We are supposed to get some today and possible severe thunderstorms. We need rain desperatley so if it has to get nasty so be it.

    Our spring has been dry too and much warmer than normal. (But this weekend will be cold - just when I am getting the last of my spring/summer garden in

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @LaurieLovesLearning Your photos above are beautiful. I love seeing the difference between out properties and climates

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin

    Thank you @Denise Grant. I could find much more beautiful pictures locally than that for you!

    The second picture is/was a fence line marking the property line between quarters. Often, when there is/was a fence, it would be a place where seeds (tree, shrubs, grasses, etc.) would collect and grow. Many of these, even nearby, are very built up with topsoil that was blown around in the dirty thirties.

    In fact, one farmer we know said that the soil in these built up areas is quite rich. If you want to flatten these areas and take advantage of that soil as well, that you need to be careful. They have found old fence still buried in these places.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    We have rain!!!~

    I might go out and dance in it.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    We had a violent thunder and lightning storm last night. Lightning so close that the thunder was only a second behind it, shaking the house. And rain! It sounded like heavy hail but was only rain. Must have been nearly two inches in about an hour. I need to get a rain gauge.

    I was afraid to look at the garden this morning but it looks like everything has survived. The blossoms on the fruit trees took a beating, though. They look pretty sad.

    It won't help the situation with the roads in our area that have been washing out.

  • Brindy
    Brindy Posts: 212 ✭✭✭

    @LaurieLovesLearning , I'm glad you got rain! We were super dry here in Texas and I was really starting to worry, but then it just opened up and just like @torey was saying is how it's been pretty steady over the last few weeks. One weekend we got a little over a foot of rain in a couple of days. Our neighbors were losing their driveways left and right. The lighting took out our power for a little over 12 hours before they got it up and going. I am so grateful for the rain. Now I need to figure out what to do with all of my cucumber plants that are covered in mold/mildew.

    I really hope y'all get some more rain.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin

    It's too bad that the rain came with destruction, but it is good to hear that you did get some.

    We are dry here already, with dust flying yet again. There were a few drops before the sun went down. There is a small chance of thunderstorms tomorrow.

    We'll see about that. It may be time to water the garden as that bit of moisture underground is sure to need a boost, especially after all our strong winds again today.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 2021

    We finally have rain after close to 4 weeks with nothing. And just like @Brindy and @torey we have gone from dry to so much rain its impossible to do anything. I am waiting for a small break from pouring to just rain to get my animals done. Last night it took a few hours to dry off. One more day of rain here according to the forecast

    @Brindy I hope your cucumbers come around.

  • Brindy
    Brindy Posts: 212 ✭✭✭

    They will, I just need to find the time to do the research. Thank you @Monek Marie.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin

    There is a tiny chance of thunderstorms today and tonight, ushering in HEAT for the next 4 days or so. :(

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @LaurieLovesLearning

    This is the same loop we are in right now. There is a chance for rain or severe thiunderstorms today , then we go in to 6 hot dry days.

    We really have not caught up in out rain level and are bordering on drought but at least I can dig soil and get more of the garden in.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin

    There is supposed to be a thunderstorm tomorrow, mid heat spell.

    Good gardening news... Both our peas & corn are up. Beans & potatoes, not so much. The tomatoes are going within the next 1/2 hour.

    The kids blow up pool is going nearby so the water can do double duty...swim and then dump when it gets dirty.

    So far, this garden is doing better than last year's. Hardly any weeds & grass at that. Yay!

    May it stay better. Only time will tell.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin

    A fear...

    I am just hoping the sprayers don't appear in the fields tonight or tomorrow (heat, clouds and even a slight threat of rain seem to bring them out in droves). I have an intense dislike (hatred?) of agricultural sprays. Heat, spray & mosquitos are what I dislike most about summer. Ticks are pretty much non-existent again this year. (Hooray!) Winter only has cold, ice & blizzards, which are simple to deal with, and the air is clean.

    If they spray, then it will be a choice of opening windows letting all the spray in while still being hot or keeping it shut tight and baking in (an uninsulated) house @ 35°C/95°F plus heat. We might have to hang out all day in the basement and take the hedgehog with us...not my idea of fun, nor for the kids, as it is very unfinished. The hedgehog will die at 30°C from what we have read, so that is always top of mind. I would imagine that if that choice happened, that it could hurt my incubating eggs as well.

    They say 72 hours (or rain) should be given before opening windows or being outside after a spray application. I usually do 24 hours only, otherwise we would never be outside in the non-winter months. Outdoor animals still have to be cared for in that time. I feel bad for them having no choice but to be exposed to it too.

    Our farmer also seems to always take 2 days to finish what should take him no more than 2 hours as well, which is never pleasant for anyone. His booms are always extremely high as well when there is no need for that.

    Oh, to be able to move on to a clean area where the air is always fresh. That would truly be a dream.