In case you didn’t know, most of Texas has been in a severe drought all summer. We have had many wildfires, the cattle are being sold off, and the rivers and lakes are drying up. It’s awful. But for about the past three weeks it has been raining! Hallelujah!
Dallas even had a flash flood which is not good, pray for those affected, but they needed the water. They say it flooded because the ground was so dry and hard that it couldn’t soak up the rain very well.
The first time it rained here at my house we only got 3/4 of an inch. Then it stopped. But after that it rained again, and again, and now it’s raining every day.
Our lawn had become brown, crunchy, and sad. But after the miracle of rain and nitrogen, it’s green again! Here are the before and after photos. Green grass makes me happy!
Water is the basis of life. How are things in your part of the country?
Blue Skies and Green Pastures 
Sorry for the spam, but tis is my favorite song.
I AM TEXAS IN SPRING-TIME!
With my time?
You may remember I remember I live near San Antonio and we have been at stage two for awhile now. Things are looking up because we have gotten rain at least three times in the past two weeks and it was beautiful even if it made my joints hurt.
I understand about that packed hard dirt we have that here and it is like concrete and the water does just run right off of it. One important part is this rain will help refill our aquifer The lower it gets the nastier the water is. We have a water cooler because my transplant behind cannot take so much mineral taste in the water.
Usually past May the lawns here turn brown and most stay that way until rains start again in the fall. Many people though have gotten to where they plant native so they don’t have to worry about watering through restrictions which is smart. I have a couple non-native plants on my patio a geranium and a coral drift rose in a pot. The water they take every other day doesn’t go against restrictions though.
I put a plant tray of water out for the critters such as birds, squirrels, lizards, etc because I feel so bad for them when it doesn’t rain. When I change it then a plant gets the old water and the critters get new water. That is my neck of the woods in a nutshell.
Here is Eastern NM, we are experiencing the same weather pattern. Drought with high temps, followed by monsoons and flooding the last few weeks. That’s pretty normal, to be honest.
Hot and dry is normal for us, too, but it has been extra hot and extra dry this year. We had a similar drought that lasted almost five years starting in 2010. I think we are all hoping that doesn’t happen again. I was reading how droughts are affecting hydroelectric plants in China. Back to coal!
I actually remember that drought. I moved here in 2006 and in 2007 it rained nearly non stop that entire summer. I remember we had a cricket invasion where I worked and they were everywhere. That drought was horrible and our aquifer got really low in those 5 years. I really hope that doesn’t happen again either. What is happening in China is why I think fully relying on things like hydroelectric power is foolish water is a finicky thing because of things like drought.
San Antonio (the hill country in general) has it’s own ecosystem. I live in a weird spot, close to humidity of Houston, but with hills and cedar trees. We get some rain, but not as much as Houston or Dallas or as little as SA. It’s cattle country, not farmland. I find it interesting.Thank you for taking care of the critters. ‘Restrictions’ do not apply to animals. They are thirsty! The deer and other wildlife out here have been struggling this summer. Have a good Wednesday! 🙂
I live between the city of San Antonio and the hill country. I have a friend that suffers from “Cedar fever” every year. The only time it gets humid here is right after a rain, but I grew up in Illinois next to the Mississippi River and so it isn’t so bad for me. It is interesting how diverse the weather is here in one state. I agree “Restrictions” do not apply to animals I can’t stand to see them suffer and they have as you said this year. The ones that come to my patio though get a little food and as much clean water as they can drink.
In NW New Mexico it is our wettest summer in the nine years we’ve been here. Hardly any grasshoppers this year, lots of skeeters, and the first time our summer Fire Danger rating has been ‘low’.
In Arizona we had monsoons and flooding. The Interstate 10 washed out between CA and AZ.
Crazy weather for sure!
Low fire danger is good! Skeeters bad. 😀