Weather watching - let it rain!

Living in the country, i.e. rural America, I'm a bit of a weather watcher. With so many outdoor opportunities, it helps to know how wet one may get if one avails oneself of the aforementioned opportunities. Seriously.

We have a local man who maintains a climatological records website which is loaded with a lot of information. As we've entered into a rainy spell, I thought I'd go take a look at the records for July. Boredom is good for surfing the Internet. 

We tend to think of the Dog Days of Summer as a hot, dry stretch, and as we get into August that is proven true. Of course, the "Dog Days of Summer" actually refers to the position of the dog star, Sirius, in the night sky. 

This July marks a lot of "firsts" for me. Now that I'm retired, the fact that one of my Saturdays brought enough rain that going outside to do anything is impossible, doesn't make me snarl. I'm not sure how long it's been since I could simply sit with a cuppa and watch it rain. Maybe I've never enjoyed rain-watching this much before. It's a soft rain, so soft I can't hear it on the roof, but there is the rippling sound of water trickling through the downspouts that threatens to lull me into sleep. 

The rain is nurturing my garden with a good soaking and filling the rainwater catchment system I have for the garden. The grass (and clover) are green and healthy-looking, as are the trees. I don't think Loki the Cat is very happy, but he'll just have to find a quiet spot and sleep the day away. 

And with this wonderful blessing of rain, my thoughts drift toward those in the western United States who are dealing with a severe drought. Even with the drought and the potential lack of water, there are countless new houses being constructed. That's a major disconnect for me. I don't see how permits are granted to build when there are real and present water availability issues. Is this drought media hype? I don't think so but I have to ponder these things for the kernel of truth contained. 

Many times when I have questions, I look toward my faith for guidance. There is often judgment in that, and I accept it. I can't change it. But maybe I can add my voice and change something else. Maybe my voice can help bring soft, nurturing rain to the farmers around the world. No flooding - never that. Just gentle rain, in its season. 

Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. - James 5:18.

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway)

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, Book of James, rain, simple country pleasure, dog days of summer, droughts, rural living, country lifestyle, gardening, relaxing, weather watching