Thank You, Lord, For the Rain

Over 3 inches of liquid sunshine fell on my property between 6 p.m. yesterday and this morning. What a blessing!

Tomorrow is also a day.

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

Just because the sun hasn't made an appearance today doesn't mean it hasn't been a glorious day; beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  As of this writing, we've had 2.5 inches of liquid sunshine since just after 8 a.m., and it's still raining. Yay!

After receiving only a drop or two (almost literally) of rain since the last week in May, this is a most welcome relief.

The temperature is currently 70 degrees F, very much unlike the almost 100 degrees F we sweltered under at this time yesterday. 

Just about heavenly, it is.

Tomorrow is also a day.

Liquid Sunshine

There are no dry bones around here today!  The part of town I live in received 1.5 inches of liquid sunshine in a willy-waw (deluge with high wind) that lasted only about thirty minutes.  We need the moisture, so I didn't mind it raining, but since it fell so fast and furious, I was a little bit concerned that the street on which I live might experience high water.  I shared a photo of what my street looks like after a downpour in this post.  However, since I wasn't at home to watch the water rising, I didn't spend much time thinking about it -- I was on high ground at Gardening Daughter's home. 

I had "Sweetie"- duty this afternoon. My daughter and other members of her local garden club have been working for the past two days at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock, making preparations for their participation in the 2011 Arkansas Flower and Garden Show, which begins tomorrow and runs through Sunday.   Since my son-in-law works the second shift at his place of employment, when she has to be away from home in the afternoons,  I gladly stay with my granddaughter (nick-named "Sweetie," - not to be confused with Sweetie Pie, my cat). She and I have a great time together, although today she was feeling the effects of a tummy upset and took a long nap.

Sweetie's older sister, who is a junior in high school, is very active in the school's Junior ROTC,  which is assisting in a community event at the Senior Citizens Center tonight. They were to report, in uniform, at 5 p.m., which time just happened to be in the midst of the deluge. We had to dart between the raindrops to get into my car, which was parked under a deep carport, sheltered on three sides. The wind blew the rain from the entrance of the carport all the way to the back door of the house.  Wooie!   Getting her to her destination provided me with a thorough washing of my car; I don't think a paid power-wash could have done any better.  The rain all but scoured the paint.  It should gleam like liquid sunshine tomorrow.


Gardening Daughter got home around 6:30, and I got back to my house around 6:45.  I could see no evidence that high water had been in my yard;  I must remember to thank the city fathers for improving the drainage system. 

Tomorrow is also a day.

It's a Bit More Like November Today

Gone are the balmy 70+ degree temperature, blue skies, open windows and the pure pleasure of walking around on a fall day that we had yesterday. I awoke to light rain, brisk winds, and considerably cooler temperatures.  Going outside without a jacket is for those with a bit more padding than I have, and I have plenty, thank you, since the wind chill is at the 40 degree mark.

The temperature is not supposed to fall into the freezing range this week, but I really should have already begun to think about moving a few plants inside (all I have room for), and taking cuttings from those that can be carried over to spring in that way.

Since we've returned to "regular" time, I've been enjoying the earlier light, but I don't like the early darkness. As I write this, it's not quite 5:30 p.m., and it's already time to close the drapes and turn on the lights.

The early darkness also seems to make me sleepy, and I'm sometimes ready to turn in for the night at an unreasonably early hour. Yawn!   I haven't had supper yet, and I have a stamp club meeting at 7, so I can't go to bed now, but I'll bet it won't be long after I get back home before I'm tucked in.

I hope you're enjoying your mid-November weather, where ever you may be.

Update on Sweetie Pie and other Stuff

To those who have inquired, thank you, Sweetie is doing much better. So much so that she is fighting me tooth and claw over every administration of topical and/or oral medication. I will have scars to prove what a dedicated 'mother' I am.

I know she's feeling better since she has been running through the house at full tilt, jumping on the other cats, and batting around everything that she can physically move. (I have a rubber stamp that states "Everything not nailed down is a cat toy." How true!) I am much encouraged by her improvement; she had been quite lethargic.

On other subjects:

Rain -- we're about to mildew, again. My rain gauge shows over 4" since 12:01 am on Wednesday. We needed the moisture, but this liquid sunshine is really putting a crimp in my yardening.

Old Friends -- I had a serendipitous encounter and totally wonderful visit yesterday with Pepper Pepper, a young man (young being relative to my own age) who I first met in 2000 and with whom, over the intervening years, I had spent a goodly amount of time. However, I had lost touch with him and had not seen him at all for almost a year. He is a photographer, poet, and multi-media artist, a very good one, I think, and a world traveler. He has a website showcasing some of his work. If you're interested, you can see it here. I invite you to do so.

Some bittersweet news is that he has purchased a property in Ghivizzano, Tuscany, Italy, and will be moving there at year end. He showed us dozens of photos of the town and surrounding areas, all of which took our breath away. I know there are many beautiful places on earth, but he has selected one that is nearly perfect for the variety of landscapes. And, here I am, with no passport! That situation, of course, can be remedied.

Stamping -- I have over-obligated myself in this area, and it's definitely affecting how much time I spend blogging and reading others' blogs. To wit:

* I am making cards for a stamp club on Saturday of this week.
* On the following Monday, I will be teaching a stamp class for 10 participants.
* My stamping partner and I are hosting a two-session Stamp Camp on Sept. 25 and 26, which calls for a lot of designing, cutting and creating kits, a total of 120.
* She and I will sponsor and donate all materials for an afternoon of stamping for World Card Making Day on October 3, for which I will design 4 cards and prepare materials for 30 of each design. I really don't mind about this one at all, because half of the cards go to the Ronald McDonald House in Little Rock, the other half to Cards for Soldiers.
* As soon as this almost back-to-back flurry of activity is over, we will begin preparations for another Stamp Camp on November 13-14, for which each of us will prepare materials for 480 Christmas cards.

That's about it! Look for me when you see me coming.

Walk Awash- Waskly Wabbit Wuns for Cover

As of this posting, we've had just under three (3) inches of rain since early morning, and while the area surrounding the new walk drains fairly well between downpours, it quickly becomes filled with water with each new shower. Part of the problem is that it receives runoff from the roof. The drip line was not much of problem when this area was all grass, but if I'm to have any sort of decent garden in this spot, it looks like a gutter across the porch roof is in order.

The weather forecast was a bit off. Oh, yes, showers and thunderstorms were predicted, but with total rainfall estimated to be between one-quarter and one-half inch. By 9 a.m., we had 1.66 inches, and the rain has continued through the day, alternating between sprinkles and downpours.

I've had a great time watching the birds today. They disappear into the trees, or elsewhere, during the heaviest rain, but as soon as the shower lightens to a sprinkle, they are back in force at the feeders. Even the hummingbirds will come back to their nectar almost immediately once the heaviest rain is over. I've put a small feeder in the crepe myrtle tree to the right of the new garden bed, and the young cardinals have discovered it, guided to it, no doubt, by their brilliantly colored father.

Oh: The waskly wabbit must have been under cover, because s/he has not been seen since the rain started.

What IS That?

I awoke this morning to see something strange, alien, foreign, peeping through my bedroom window! The apparition startled me into a fully awakened state. What IS that?

Sunlight!!!

Unfortunately, this break in the weather is temporary. There is another storm front headed this way, with more heavy rain, thunderstorms and potentially severe weather.


Ah, well. Until it gets here, I'm going to enjoy the sunshine! If it holds through this afternoon, my four year old granddaughter, the dogs and I will play outside for a change. Her mother has been called to jury duty, and I am her afternoon care giver for a few days. Pray for me! "Sweetie Pie's" energy level is enough to wear the horns off a brass billygoat!

Speaking of dogs: Snuggles, my granddaughter's adopted Sheltie, about whom I wrote here, and here, is doing just fine. She survived the potentially fatal treatment for heartworms and has been given a clean bill of health. She can now cavort and play without restrictions.

Rain

"The rain is raining all around" *

Mother Nature has been doing her laundry again, and must have a huge amount to do. She started throwing out the wash-water last night, tubs and tubs of it. I could hear the washtubs clanging and banging most of the night; I don't know what her tubs are made from, but they create sparks when thrown together and make a terrible noise.

Since midnight, according to my online Weather Bug, we've received well over 3" of liquid sunshine, and it's still coming down. The county in which I live is under a flood watch until Sunday night, as is most of central Arkansas. There is just so much water the ground can absorb.

I had occasion to drive across one of the Arkansas River bridges on Thursday, and the river was, as they say, "high." We've had a wet Spring. With runoff from the rain that has fallen today, flood control procedures are in place, I'm sure. Thank goodness for the locks and dams which put some restraint on the flow of the water. Even with the dams in place, I've seen the river overflow its banks several times; let's hope that doesn't happen this time.

Fortunately, I completed most of my errands yesterday, so I can enjoy watching the rain without having to get my tootsies soaked damp.

* "Rain" from "A Child's Garden of Verses"- Robert Louis Stevenson (1883)

ABC Wednesday - "D"

"D" is for Ditched

We had a torrential rain about dawn this morning, and the flood relief ditch that runs between the neighborhood park and a housing subdivision was deep with rapidly moving water. A late afternoon visit to the area found the water level significantly lower, with more than a few pieces of trash caught in the weedy undergrowth. As I looked into a patch of weeds near the bridge on which I stood, a piece of footwear caught my eye. I couldn't help but wonder how it came to be in a place where it could be washed away, and from how far upstream it might have come. Someone is missing what looks to be a perfectly good, if currently waterlogged, left boot.

ABC Wednesday was created by Mrs. Nesbitt. Please visit the ABC Wednesday site to view others' interpretations of this week's letter, "D."

Bits of This and That

My week, so far:

Monday, December 1 - My granddaughter Juliana's 4th birthday. She had a great time at her birthday party, as did all those in attendance. She helped make and decorate/undecorate her birthday cake. I suspect that the pink frosting was especially tasty; she just couldn't wait.

She is particularly fond of musical cards, so that's what she got from Grandma (this one plays banjo music), along with more Play-Doh than any mother should have to cope with. Sorry, Jean.

Tuesday, December 2 - Mr. Abraham Lincoln (My Birds Blog, etc.) is home from the hospital. I had a nice note from Mrs. Lincoln to let me know. I'm wishing him a speedy recovery and return to blogging, when he feels like it.

This day would have been my 40th wedding anniversary. My husband died of lung cancer in 1989. Our years together were too few.

Wednesday, December 3 - We experienced a thunderstorm with heavy rain and gusty winds. Probably received an inch of rain in an hour or so. Our priest's Wednesday night homily was punctuated with a lot of lightening and thunder, perhaps to go along with the Gospel reading: ("render unto God the things that are God's.)

My husband's only remaining sibling, his sister, Dorothy, age 88, died tonight after a long illness. She always called me "Sister" and I will miss her.

This morning - Awoke with a sneezing fit, streaming eyes and a slightly sore throat. Oh, no! I'm not ready for a winter cold. I have a big pot of soup on the stove, and I put plenty of hot pepper flakes in it. That ought to cure me. While I was making soup, I put together and baked a meat loaf. That and some mac and cheese are sure-fire comfort foods.

Last night's rain and wind stripped most of the remaining leaves from my Japanese Maple tree. The grayish looking leaves are frost-damaged. It's pure-d pitiful looking. (You've never heard of "pure-d?" My translation: "sure-nuf.")

Wordless Wednesday - Backyard Rain Gauge - 24 Hours - Post 73

To see other Wordless Wednesday photos, visit here.

No Kidding! - Post 72

The National Weather Service wasn't blowing hot air when they issued Flash Flood Warnings earlier this week. Tropical Depression Gustav has dumped a lot of rain on central Arkansas. My new rain gauge, installed in the garden yesterday around 1 p.m., is currently more than half full. Looking at it from my kitchen window, I estimate we've received 5" of rain, or more, in less than 24 hours. I'll look at it again, and empty it when the 24-hour period is up.

The photo above is of the street in front of my house about an hour ago, and it's still raining -- alternating between downpours and a drizzle. The drainage system in our neighborhood is currently overwhelmed and the water has no place to go. I'm counting my blessings, though! In some places affected by Gustav, the water is probably this deep, or deeper, inside people's homes.

Someone in the vicinity has lost their car-top luggage carrier; it just washed away from wherever they had placed it. After I took this photo, it floated up even higher into the yard and is currently between the right side of the tree and the edge of the photo.

There's nothing quite like a lot of rain to show you where the low spots (or high spots) are in your yard. Looks like I have some work to do.

The robins have been having a field day on the high spot. I think some worms may have been flooded out of their holes. Some benefit, at least for the birds, comes from everything, it appears.

It's Stamp Camp Time, Again - Post 61

Yes, I really am thinking of you!

I'm up to my eyeballs in card-making stuff, again, so postings and visits to others' blogs may go begging for a bit. My stamping partner and I are hosting a Stamp Camp for 20 ladies this coming Saturday afternoon. I've been making sample cards, writing instructions, measuring and cutting card stock and decorative papers and otherwise getting my share of things prepared for our attendees. Our theme for this session is "Think Pink" and all of our cards (six of them) have the color pink in them. Some are predominately pink while others, like the one above, has a pink focal point.

It was a good day to be inside doing stuff like this, because outside was sort of yucky! I was awakened during the night by thunder which shook the window panes, followed by the sound of rain, which promptly lulled me back to sleep. It's been raining steadily all day, and we're supposed to have thunderstorms and 40% to 60% probability of rain through the weekend.

I thought it was still "tonight" but I see from looking at the clock that it's already "tomorrow," so it's off to bed with me.

I'll be back, soon.

When the Rain Came Down - Post 50

Didn't it rain, children?!

I had just started checking out the links on Sky Watch this week, when all heck broke loose! Lightening, and thunder so loud the windows rattled. I had to shut down my computer, of course, so what else was there to do than to stand in the doorway and click off a few shots. While I'm happy for the rain, I should have checked the forecast, I think, and saved myself some $$ on what will turn out to be a large water bill, I fear. It has been so dry that I ran a nice trickle of water in my flower beds for about 36 hours, moving the hose from place to place after several hours in each bed. And, then... it rained! And rained, and rained! I expect we received a full inch of water before the storm was over. My flower beds have had their fill, and more.

Crepe Myrtle

Standing in my front doorway, one of the things that caught my attention was the Crepe Myrtle. This particular shrub was planted on my mother's 75th birthday, August 8, 1976. I trim it occasionally, but it's currently higher than the roof. In the horrific heat we had in July, it began to shed its bark, something it does from time to time, taking on a piebald appearance. I can't remember taking a good look at it during a pouring down rain, but I should have; the rain, which was still coming down pretty hard, as evidenced in the background, gave a sort of glow to the limbs, and the shed bark on the grass took on a distinctly cinnamon hue.

Tattered Bark

After the rain stopped, and I could safely take my camera out without also having to carry an umbrella, I took this shot of some of the peeling bark, and the bare spots on the limbs. This loose piece must have grown on the north side of the limb, because it definitely has some moss/lichen on it.

More Peeled Bark

You're probably tired of looking at Crepe Myrtle bark by now, but this piece had such lovely colors that I had to capture them.

Crepe Myrtle Blossoms

Just so you won't believe that all I have to offer are photos of peeling bark, I present one of the still rain-damp blossoms.

Raindrops on Japanese Maple Branch

These lovely droplets of water clinging to the branches of my Japanese Maple also caught my eye. I bought this tree when it was less than 2 feet high; it's now taller than the Crepe Myrtle, and has the most glorious spring and fall foliage. Almost done... just one more.

After the Storm

To look at this sky, you'd never believe there had been a torrential rainstorm just minutes before. As I've reported before, "if you don't like the weather in Arkansas, just wait a minute." I swear on a stack of pancakes that this photo was taken within two hours of the first one.

Remembrances of Rain -- Post 2

From time to time, the Poetry Muse visits me. I have never (ever) been able to just decide I'm going to write a poem; the words come on their own, unbidden, and I write them down. Sometimes I wrangle them a bit but, by and large, what I write is what I receive; I'm just a tool.

One spring afternoon several years ago, I had been working at the computer for a couple of hours and needed a break. I went to the kitchen to fix something to drink. It was raining briskly and as I stood by the stove, I could hear the rain drumming on the pipe that leads from my Vent-a-Hood. At the time, I was over 60 years old, but the sound of that rain triggered a memory -- and a poem.

REMEMBRANCES OF RAIN - 1997

Rain, especially when blown by a west wind,
Plays melodious chimes on the metal vents
Protruding from my roof. I listen, and
Although I am now old, and city-bound,
My undirected thoughts leap back through time
To the loft of our tin-roofed barn
Where I spent rainy weekends
With my favorite book in hand,
Snuggled down in sweet, loose hay,
Munching on raw peanuts picked from shocks
That Dad had stored nearby.

First, I'd read, lying on my belly,
Squinting my eyes a bit to take
Advantage of the moist, gray light
That drifted through the loft door,
Turning the pages of my book in
Counterpoint to the rhythm of the rain
As it beat against the old tin roof
With the briskness of a snare-drum.
Then, when the rhythm slowed, and
Soft rain played the calm, low notes
Of lullabies, I'd doze; storing up
The memories created by books and rain,
Against the dry tomorrows of my life.

**

This poem will always be very, very special to me. Not because I think it's so great, or anything, but because a dear friend (my Other Mother, Mary P.) liked it so much that she instructed her only son that it be printed in the pamphlet used at her Memorial Service. I cannot begin to tell you how deeply that affected me. Mary P., who was one of the most brilliant women I've ever met, had been a great reader, but had lost most of her vision by the time she died. When I first read the poem to her, she said she could certainly relate to "the dry tomorrows" of her life.

More about Mary P. at a later time. I said these would be random recollections.