The ground was so dry that it sucked up all the excess water like a sponge. Nothing left over to trickle down into the creek. Fish, crawfish, snails, etc., survive only in places where the water pools.
One of the ponds is so low as to be practically non-existent. The Great Blue and Green Herons are constant visitors -- to them it's a treasure trove of little fish with nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. (And Red-shouldered hawks seem happy the creek is so low, since they seem to love crawfish dinners.)
The garden loved the rain. I can water and water and water with the hose, but it's just not the same as getting rain. The garden and I had been pretty miffed lately... it was getting on our last nerve to hear the thunder and see the many dark clouds, only to have it all pass by just out of reach. Day after day after day.
But now I have to go pull weeds, or rather, grass, before it gets too hot. Always trade-offs!
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Alabama's governor has asked everyone to pray for rain. I had to roll my eyes. Call me cynical, but I don't see him asking people to pray for our dysfunctional state constitution. (Or to end poverty, stop the pedophiles, achieve world peace, etc.) So why pray for rain?
Those three words (pray for rain, not our dysfunctional constitution) always make me think of Guadalcanal Diary.
Don't call for love
Don't ask for gold
our daily bread
or no more pain
pray for rain
Thinking about Guadalcanal Diary always makes me feel better. Highly recommended for washing the bad taste of politicians out of your mouth.
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Visit the Friday Ark for your weekly dose of crittery goodness.
And don't forget the fantastic latest edition of I and the Bird. (It's Frodo-licious!)
I'm sending you rainy, cloudy thoughts. It rained here last night and is raining today a nice slow steady rain. The soil was very, very dry and everything looks so much happier now. Including the weeds.
ReplyDeleteWell, 1 inch is probably an excellent amount, given that more would probably wash away already damaged soil surfaces. Of course, one hopes for a number of 1 inch amounts spaced evenly.
ReplyDeleteVery funny about your governor - ours prayed for rain too! It became quite the joke. What kind of annoys me is that it's included here as a "significant impact", categorized under "social or other".
I got it by clicking on Georgia, and you can too by clicking on Alabama!
(I will say that the other impacts are quite interesting to read.)
Hey Karen!! We got rain too! Of course, after we got the water hooked up (finally) and I watered my garden with the hose but I'm not complaining! Oh, and wasn't it soooo frustrating to see those dark clouds EVERYWHERE and it wouldn't rain for anything!!
ReplyDeleteOh,our governors! We always have such an interesting bunch. At least Riley's not in prison (yet) unlike so many of our former ones. And there are so many smart, good people in Alabama; maybe we need a revolution.
Why pray for rain and not for the constitution? Because he wants rain. He doesn't want a reasonable, functional, empowering constitution.
ReplyDeleteOh, don't get me started. Between the Wash Post report on Cheney and this morning's Supreme Court headlines, I'm thinking I live on the wrong side of the Canadian border.
I'm so glad you got some rain. I wish the governor had done a rain dance instead of praying. Somehow that would put such silliness into proper perspective. Did you ever see the movie The Rainmaker with Burt Lancaster and Katharine Hepburn? A fantastic film. Lancaster is the rainmaker and all-around snake oil salesman.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get plenty more, and I'll do a dance for it.
Wow, I was so impressed for a few moments. I thought, "Damn, this woman has read Guadacanal Diary!"
ReplyDeleteThen I clicked on the link and it's a...a... band.
I'm still impressed of course, you are Rurality after all.
Rain missed me again, but hit within a 1000 feet of here.
That's like a wiki constitution. They should just put the constitution itself on wikipedia and let people change it as they wish.
ReplyDeleteYou took me back to some good song memories with the Guadalcanal Diary reference. Yeah! That song Litany . . . I gotta go iTune that one.
Hello Rurality,
ReplyDeleteWe were in your situation last summer, in dire need of rain. Now some parts of Texas have more than enough, and probably wish they could share.
Floridacracker cracked me up - I also thought you were referring to the book.
I hope you get that rain somehow!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I was obviously out of the country when it was decided to put an end to that silly separation of church and state. We could use a nice inch of rain here too - but I'm thinking I'll just run the sprinkler until it happens - leave the praying to the politicians.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting everybody. How to make it rain in Alabama? Make fun of the governor's asking people to pray for rain! It has since rained 3 days in a row here.
ReplyDeleteWayne that is an interesting link. Alabama has the most impacts but some of them are awfully suspect in an amateurish sort of way.
I did not see that version of The Rainmaker, but I saw one with Tommy Lee Jones that was excellent.
FC you have caused me to do a whole post just for your musical edification!
Bobby you are to be commended for your fine musical taste.
I'll do a rain dance for you if you do one for me! We've gotten specks, but not enough yet. Hey, that means no powdery mildew on the flowers, anyhow! Never heard of that music you mentioned, but after reading this and the next posts, I will absolutely investigate when I get to my home computer w/speakers!
ReplyDelete"The Rainmaker" was first a play, then a movie, then a musical, "110 In The Shade." It's currently playing in New York through July 15 (2007).
ReplyDelete"The Rainmaker" is one of only three plays in my life--I'm 66--that I've experienced catharsis.
Lisa I hope you like them! Believe it or not I didn't have to water the garden all week. Bliss.
ReplyDeleteHi Charles, I looked up the version that I saw - it was a 1982 TV production of the play (here on imdb). I remember it was very intense. Now I'm wanting to see it again! Of course like one reviewer said, it ruined the story a bit to have the "plain" girl played by Tuesday Weld.
Also, now I'm wondering what the other 2 plays were you mentioned, so if you come back this way you'll have to tell me.