Now this is serious … but that is funny!
If my Mother were alive this is something I’d pick up the phone and tell her and we’d just laugh and laugh! In lieu of sharing this with my Mother I will share it with you.
As you know, I live in the Panhandle of Oklahoma, which is a land like no other. There are three counties that make up the Oklahoma Panhandle and geographically they are the three largest counties in the state of Oklahoma, yet they are home to only 30,000 people.
Typically we are on the arid side of the annual rainfall numbers. We feel blessed when we get 18 or more inches of rain a year. Now, when we do have ample rain, the Panhandle of Oklahoma is P-A-R-A-D-I-S-E! I love it! I love the SPACE! But sometimes getting there, or waiting to get there is tough.
(Just to show you how precious and rare good rains are in our area … eleven years ago we took a family trip and stopped in Philadelphia to show John our son who was 13 years old at the time, and his cousin Dawson, the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, etc. While we were there the sky opened up and it rained. Precious rain, poured out of the sky as thick as water pours out of a pitcher.
There was this guy working out of a small camper on the street, and he was selling umbrellas, so I ran over and bought one for each of us. When I took them back and gave John his he looked up at me and said, “Is this an umbrella Mom?” The poor child had only heard of, but had never seen a real umbrella.)
Well, back to my story. Last year, in Texas County – Goodwell specifically – we got a paltry six inches of rain, and we’ve been way below our annual rainfall amount for several years, so it’s dry. It’s not as bad as the Drought in 2011-2013, but it’s dry. Our parched land’s suffering is exacerbated by the howling winds that come ripping off the foothills of the Rockies. This wind is mean! Put the two together and you have the Dirty Thirties all over.
In fact, about a month ago, on a Sunday afternoon right at 4:00 ,I looked up from my computer and the sky was black – as in night black! The wind was rippin’ it … I would say it was at least 65 mph. I thought, “Oh my gosh! I’ve got to put the chickens up!”
I raced outside, but I had a hard time standing up, much less seeing where I was going. I ran back into the garage, hopped in my truck, and headed to the chicken coop. My headlights showed that the chickens were huddled, still as stones, in the corner of the fence, and I knew that with the wind, I couldn’t round them up and get them in the coop. I drove back to the garage and resumed my work on my computer, (which amazingly never skipped a beat despite the howling wind.)
About 15 minutes later I looked out my window and the sky was clearing up. I checked on my chickens and they were back to scratching and eating and breeding … what they do best, because it is all that they do.
This past Sunday I was up very early and I smelled moisture in the air. I told Luke (my husband) “I smell moisture outside.”
“Really?”
With his interest perked he looked at his phone and a couple of ag reports. “No moisture in the forecast.”
“I don’t care. I smell it.” I said hopefully.
Then, there was yesterday afternoon. I’d been checking on some new trees on the river. Coming back to the house I saw a turtle crossing the caliche road that crosses the river. This is a sure sign that rain is coming.
I told Luke, “I saw a turtle crossing the road. I’ll admit it was a dirt road, not the pavement off the ranch … but still….”
Soberly he nodded his head , and I could tell that he filed this information in his brain’s “Moisture drawer.”
Then there was last night. Eating supper I looked over at Katie my cat. She was washing behind her ears. If ever there was a certain indicator of impending moisture it is when a cat washes behind its ears.
I looked at Luke and cocked my head towards the cat. “Katie is washing behind her ears Luke.”
He watched for a moment or two, and then quietly said, “Wow.” I could tell he was filing this away in his brain’s “Moisture drawer.”
This morning I walked outside early to let the chickens out and I smelled the moisture again! I ran inside and said, “Luke! I swear to goodness I smell moisture in the air!”
This time he knowingly nodded his head and said, “Yep. Yesterday those Starlings with the yellow breasts showed up at the Feedyard. Babe, rain is coming soon!”
I firmly agreed that between me smelling the moisture, the turtle crossing the road, Katie washing behind her ears, and the Starlings with the yellow breasts moving into the Feedyard, rain was just around the corner.
But then walking down the hall I thought, “Is that all you’ve got Leigh? No weather data, no forecast …no nothing?” Seems kind of crazy.
Tough. The turtles, cats, and birds know things we don’t. Rain is coming.
SWITCH GEARS
I’ve recently (like 6 weeks ago) changed video editing programs. The learning curve on this (for feeble -minded me) has been super steep … steep as in trying to climb a stick of warm butter. I’m making headway though, and I’ve slowly been creating videos at a higher level of production.
I say that to say this; in the coming weeks I will be sharing these videos with anyone that is interested, so this is a heads up.
Well, I just wanted to check in.
I don’t like this business of communicating when I don’t have anything to say, so I don’t., but I will soon, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, have a swell day. God bless you and God bless America!
And thank you Lord for the rain!