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

I thought it might take longer...

I've been retired for six weeks, and this is the week Lazy came to visit. She's not a welcome guest, but since her visit does coincide with the beginning of the Dog Days of Summer, I can't fault her timing. 

It's too hot to be outside during the middle of the day. If I'm going to do anything, I'd best be done no later than about ten o'clock. That's why it took several mornings to paint the porch ramps. As soon as the sun rose above the trees, I was finished for the day. Seriously. 

To make it worse, the spousal unit and I didn't do anything productive during the afternoon hours, but quiet time spent together likely did us a lot of good. Being together 24/7 is a big change for both of us. Not even during the Covid lockdown of 2020 were we always home together. I escaped every weekday to go get the mail and check to make sure the office was still standing. No one else was in the building so I accomplished a lot - A LOT - in a short amount of time. 

Today I met a co-worker for lunch, which was very nice. We chatted and she caught me up on the latest gossip. It was a pleasant interlude, but I was happy to hop into my car and make my way home. 

So I could be lazy for the rest of the day.

It was raining by the time I got home so that last statement isn't as bad as it seems. I've been working since I got my first part-time job at the tender age of sixteen. That is a long time to be gainfully employed. 

I knew Lazy would arrive. I can indulge her for a few days, but no more. She won't get the better of me. 

Oh, but doing nothing feels as good as I always dreamt it would. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway)

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, Dog Days of Summer, lazy afternoon, retirement, life changes, black Labrador Retriever, country living, rural lifestyle, coworkers, simple country pleasures

Summer heat is here - go read a book

Summer heat sounds like a good book title. I've considered using it a few times but it's already been overused. Actually, it's been used to death so I will avoid it. The summer heat we're experiencing is not at all romantic. It's hot, sticky, and exhausting. Maybe it is romantic, after all. 

The stretch of days between the first of July and the middle of August used to be called the "dog days of summer." I suspect the younger crowd has forgotten all about that just as they've conveniently forgotten so many other things that don't fit their climate change narrative. 

I hear the "news" reporters crying about how it's never been this hot. Really? Temperatures in the low to mid-nineties in July is new? I don't think so, kids. It's the dog days of summer, remember. It's supposed to be hot. And, in case you don't know, locally our hottest day in July happened in 1954 where the mercury reached 105F. 

What? You don't get the mercury reference? Read a history book. 

The dog days of summer also mark the rising of the dog star, Sirius, in Hellenistic astrology. Hellenistic being what historians usually classify the era from about the first or second century BC to the sixth or seventh century AD. Again, read a book. 

This is the time of year when the garden harvest begins. We've been eating a lot of cucumbers this year. I've made a couple of batches of refrigerator pickles, and next year plan to can bread and butter pickles. "Old-fashioned" food without chemical preservatives appeals to me. 

I've room for a good-sized garden here on the manor, but there are precautions to be made. We have a lot of deer, rabbit, raccoon, squirrel, and birds around. They can decimate a garden so one must prepare and then be constantly vigilant. My solution will be an electrified fence. 

I'm looking forward to growing more of my own veggies. The notion takes me back to my girlhood days and my grandfather's garden. It will keep me connected to him, and that is a good thing. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor


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