Anyone have an Ark?

If the rain keeps up we're going to need an ark to get around. The last 5 days have been one rainshower after another. We've received about 7 inches, while other areas in Florida have received much more.

Our neighbor called yesterday evening to tell us that one of the trees in our backyard just tumbled into the lake.

Sure enough, the roots of one of the oaks on the hillside snapped right off. We need the rain, just wish we could have spread it out over a period of weeks. Oh well, my yard and I are both extremely grateful for this timely deluge!

Hip, Hip, Hooray!

It finally happened! Following our unusually cold and dry winter we finally got our first thunderstorm of the summer season, and not any too soon. You could just hear the shriveled up dry grass and plants sighing with relief as their thirst was quenched. As the rain ended a beautiful double rainbow could be seen sprawled across the evening sky. The perfect ending to the day! In this photo you can just barely see the second rainbow perched atop the brighter bottom one.

Hopefully, the rains will continue to come and our dried up grass will repair itself.

Capturing the Rain

As you can see, I've got my ducks (I mean buckets) in a row to capture some rainwater for my potted plants - 4 on the patio and 2 more on the side of the house.

Drought conditions have meant more expensive water in our area, so I've been saving two buckets of water - that would have gone down the drain - a day from the indoor shower and kitchen sink to water my plants on the patio. My buckets fill up so fast that I end up with more water than I need for my potted plants - somewhere around 54, yes 54 potted plants (and that's not counting our orchids). Somehow, they just seem to multiply like rabbits!



Before I started doing this I had no conception of how much water I was wasting. It's a real eye opener -I wish I could save all the gray water that leaves our home.
When I heard the weatherman say 80% chance of rain I squealed in delight, quickly gathered up all the empty containers I could find and put them in position. I didn't know I could get so excited over a little rainfall - something I usually take for granted.
Fortunately, it rained from 10:00 to 4:00 yesterday giving our plants and grass a good soaking and filling up my 6 containers and upside down garbage can lid (thanks to the garbageman). When I poured the contents into one bucket I was pleasanty surprised to see how much rain I had actually captured - almost a full container.

At the end of the day my bedraggled plants were drooping from the weight of the water hanging from their tender branches, but they were all refreshed and smiling. You just can't beat or duplicate the results of a good rainshower.

Oh, How Sweet the Sound...

Finally, the soft sound of rain gently falling could be heard again in our backyard. It has been so long since we've had a rainshower, and our winter-damaged plants and thirsty yards were desperate for a good dose of it. It is a miracle-tonic for grass, as I could see our neighbor's parched, unwatered grass turn a soft shade of green by the end of the shower.

Let it Rain!

The sun was shining when all of a sudden a passing cloud burst and showered us with much needed rain. I quickly grabbed my camera to see if I could photograph the rain. Rain is one of those elements that is very difficult to photograph. It just doesn't stand still! But my little Sony did a pretty good job as the sun lit up the background. I love the way the old oak is illuminated and serves as a background to capture the torrent of rain drops that fell on us this day.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Rain in Summer sums up my thoughts on the rain perfectly - How beautiful is the rain! After the dust and the heat, In the broad and fiery street, In the narrow lane, How beautiful is the rain!