Where There's Rain, There's Alot of Water

Duh...last time I posted on my blog about this - was in 2011.  

We had about 3 1/2 inches of rain overnight on that occasion. 

Yesterday and last night, we had over 5 inches of rain.  

To a usually dry place, which is in a drought, this is so out of the ordinary 

and often brings some added tasks after the fact - 

on clean up and mending things. 

 Here is the little trickle of a creek at it's best,

 after a rain like this.

Just replaced some ceiling tiles in the studio last weekend,

that gather some roof leaking from time to time,

DH said those NEW tiles are ruined and

one is about to come down..so out to

the studio to remedy that one 

and prepare for more 

as there is more rain in the forecast for

the next three days.

From rags to riches...

a wheat field on the road above us

in elevation has not been planted 

with wheat yet, We now have

lots of the enriched field earth

in our waterway!

3 1/2 Inches of Rain and a Spider in the Coffeemaker

Living amongst people in farm country is always interesting. Rain last night and heat (before we put the window AC in the bedroom) SLEEPING was a little haphazard, so we were sleeping in a little. Got a call bright and early from a neighbor who wanted to know 'how much rain we got'.  DH said he hadn't looked (at the rain gauge) yet.  Neighbor said he got 3.35".  Well, I know it only rained for a little bit, or at least that seemed like all the time I had to almost close the window near my side of the bed.

Upon getting out there, we too, had over 3.35".  Most rain we have had in 'a forever'! I swear, between closing the window and reopening the window, to keep rain out, it was only about 1/2 hour but it must have been longer.  Wow!  We live by a creek...it runs over fairly quickly when there is flashflooding, thank goodness we are on higher ground.  Looking skyward, we may get some more this morning..or it might just be 'burn off'. 

Water went over the road at the bridge and we have water where we usually don't have water.

And there was a spider scurrying quickly around the top of the coffeemaker as I started to make a brew..he scurried so fast, I think he may be part of what we are drinking..ewww.  Oh well.

Where I Stand in the Rain

Lots of rain - a day for staying warm and inside.

Much needed and very welcome!

Been working mega - hours at the grain elevator during this fall harvest.  Soybeans, corn - right now and then milo, as soon as there is a hard frost.  Out to the studio for the rest of the day will fix what I need!

Relativity

Yesterday, we spent the afternoon and into the evening under t-storm and tornado warnings.  It rained, it hailed, the winds swirled from all different directions.  The morning after a weather event like this, I like to take my Nikon out to capture the damage...and I do mean damage.  The photos below will show  the aftermath of  about 3 1/2 " of torrential rain and flooding waters. 

Our world is 'downstream' and many things found their way to us, which we never imagined.  In farm country and pastures there is always debris.  Many floatable loose logs are now in new areas - down spillways, over and under the bridge, up on the banks of the creek.  The ground is extremely spongy. 

Some of the road is washed away at the bridge.  The shale in the roadbase is now down over the edge of the road scattered across the property.  Our dry pond is now about 3 feet deep.  We are never prepared for the surprising force of nature. In perspective, our experience is nothing like the floods of the southern U.S.  or the tsunami's of the Far East...but it is 'relative' to our lives, all the same.

 Many of these areas in the photos are usually dry.

This is the pond.

The pond spilled over the road to the creek.

But the cornfield ate away at the bank and brought along a large log that was stuck there for several years and was a natural 'water slowdown'.  Not anymore..

There is a fence underneath that debris.

Prairie grass laying flat shows that there was a fast spilling waterfall

in that area last night.

Today they are predicting more of the same ~ and of course, LIFE goes on...

Where I Stand Sunday

Rain

I opened my eyes
And looked up at the rain,
And it dripped in my head
And flowed into my brain,
And all that I hear as I lie in my bed
Is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.


I step very softly,
I walk very slow,
I can't do a handstand--
I might overflow,
So pardon the wild crazy thing I just said--
I'm just not the same since there's rain in my head.

Shel Silverstein

One of my favorite children's authors...this damned rain has been in my head  for some time now, it needs to go away.  I am sure you feel the same, living in most parts of the U.S. 

Ok, that said - let's all think SUN!!!

Where I Stand Sunday

Lamentably so...flip flops are soon NOT to be the 'going' footwear.

A timid reflection in the water that covers the sidewalk,

Toes are pulled in tightly so as not to get wet.

The cool wind blows. There is no lightning associated with this rain.

It's the rain of change.

Where I Stand Sunday is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places I spend my life standing. Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on. The ground we tread on has its own stories to tell.

Where I Stand Sunday

Bard Rock and Rhode Island Red,
make good names for colors in my paintbox.
Buff Orpington and Maran,
and Araucana's bluish eggshells,
a mixture of sounds from the chicken coop,
welling up into the damp morning breeze.
The pullet-zer prize goes to these future 'layers',
as I accommodate the barnyard pecking order.

Being a farmer means up with the rooster, you know. That is sometimes difficult for me. Another 2 1/2 inches of rain last night. Horses seemed stranded on a dry little island, but moved themselves across the waterway created in the flash flood. Just like we do, they try to find tufts of grass and weeds to step on as they glide across the mucky and slimy mud.
These chickens are the pullets, not ready to lay yet. They are my neighbors chickens, I guess that makes us "chicken sitters" (careful how you read that). They still "peep" and are more than friendly. Guess they were raised in their "chick" days by children. You can see one standing on my foot. They let you pet them and hold them. It's more than fun!
Older hens are in another pen, their feathers plucked out by the mean and nasty roosters, who don't get to stay in the enclosure with them anymore.
Those hens are not very pretty, but good layers all the same. My favorite pullet is a little Araucana, she is the white one in this picture, sort of a runt and kind of picked on by the others. We give her special attention.

If the work inside the house slows down,

I may steal away to paint another chicken painting
within the next few days,
as I took lots of good source photos this morning.
although I AM painting (walls), I miss the "done on canvas" kind!!!!
In the meantime,
I get close to the idea of my own chickens, for next year.
The benefits are large...weed and pest control, plus eggs..and entertainment!

A River Runs Through It

Even with all the milo crops in the fields adjacent to our little 8 acres rooted in and taken hold, we are once again inundated with rivers of water flowing over the edge of the fields and into our property and pond, that was dry and is now at flood stage again. That is with 1 1/2" of rain. It is wet and has put a damper (so to speak) on the siding project, but guess who is out there in the wet and cold? Not me, but someone is...I think I will go to the studio and do something else this afternoon. Spent way too much time on computer this AM. Even went back to bed for awhile, snuggled in with those "snuggle pups" and was awakened by big dog as he was having a 'racing and barking' nightmare. I always wonder if 'I' do that when I am being chased in a dream?? LOL.

So much rain..

We have had so much rain that the milo field is falling into our property. The ground is eroding away and water and silt are cascading with a roaring force into the pond and across "Ticky Road" as we call it (that's because you can always come back from it with at least 1 tick on you or the dogs). The dogs had to stay in the muddy dog runs all day, while we did business in another town. When we got home they all had to have baths. Works out good, cause we just open the side compartment on the RV, and use the outdoor shower that is there, on them. Began getting estimates on a new roof. Why do they make things so darned expensive? And we aren't real happy with the contractors around here...so we may end up doing the roof ourselves. It is very steep. The insurance office gals said I have to stay off the roof, since I broke my wrist LAST summer. We shall see. I think I could make it with a "rescue" rope tied to my waist, just like the trapeze artists do, don't you? And I need to be able to do the alligator crawl across the face of the roof, so I had better start getting stronger for that. Ah, the joys of living in the country.