OH, HAIL

For the past two weeks it has rained most every day.  Beautiful storms, one 2 weeks ago even giving us 3 inches of moisture.  For those of you who live in the desert, you understand what is meant by the phrase "Gully Washer".   Well we got the gully washer of the century on Tuesday afternoon!  I'm talkin' rain so thick you couldn't see 5 feet in front of you and an hour's worth of HAIL to go with it.  Now mind you I was giddy with excitement.  Rushing here and there looking at all the water, managing to take  a few pictures before the battery ran out on my camera and I didn't have new ones anywhere in the house.  Watching the water rising higher and higher all over the ground.  Getting a bit anxious when it began to fill up the sun room, but still realizing we needed the moisture.  ( OH,  HAIL) I really didn't even mind when it reached about 7 or 8 inches between the pump house and the little red house.  I really didn't even mind when it began inching out from under my dish cupboard (OH HAIL) ) and running all over the kitchen floor.  Our house is built on a cement slab that is raised about 6 inches off the ground.   But it was at that point I quit enjoying the storm and realized I'd better do something quick.  Well, this is where I eat humble pie.  After all the griping I have done about the gophers destroying my crops, it was a pesky little gopher who saved my house.  I grabbed a shovel and began digging a deep trench, trying to get the water away from the house.  I had shoveled about 5 feet when I hit a gopher hole.  Now those of you who deal with gophers know how much water you can loose down a gopher hole.......good thing........the water immediately receded enough to quit running into the house, but the gopher hole filled up fast (that means I had a lot of water folks) and I was back to digging trenches trying to get to low ground.......which we don't have............The rain receded just enough and the water had soaked in the gopher hole enough....  that the  hole was able to drain the water away.  Thank you, little gopher, but this does not guarantee your existence.  After the storm let up a bit we hurried to the farm to do the chores.  The lightening was everywhere (oh HAIL).  I have lots of lightening stories to tell.......so I was a bit concerned about one of us getting hit.  Got the chores done and scooted back to the house.  It quit raining around 11:00 p.m. so we hopped in the car and went for a drive to see if the ponds were full at the corner,  yip they were.  The 3 or 4 foot bar pits on each side of the road were filled, and the water was across the road.  My boys got out of the car and went wadding using the headlights of the car to see.  What a hoot,  I LOVE rain in the desert !
Next morning I surveyed the damage from the hail and rain.  All the greens were destroyed (oh Hail), they were beaten to a black mush.  Cut them all back and fed to the chickens.  Hopefully they will produce enough for Saturdays CSA delivery.  The beets survived because of the protection of the weeds that have grown out of control from all the rain.  The squash leaves were full of holes.  I went to Wednesdays market and didn't have a thing (vegetable) to take, but advertised the spinning retreat and hung out with the four country gals.......www.fourcountrygals.com .  My sister Shelly felt so sorry for me she sent me home with a whole box of "ugly fruit", I like it best because it tastes wonderful.   Thanks Shelly.  Bought some batteries so I could take a few pictures.  There is still water standing in the fields after 2 days.  I still am so thankful for the rain.  We needed it so desperately.  The crops will recover just fine, in fact with all the rain, my garden looks beautiful!!!!!!!

rain running off the sun-room at the little red house

 

standing water

squash leaves looked like this

red mustard leaf

corn is all shredded

BUT,

look at how green and beautiful

this part of the garden was sheltered by trees so it didn't get damaged

broccoli will be in the large shares this Saturday

This is squash at the farm that escaped the critters

The weeds helped protect the beets (now I have an excuse not to weed!)

These few cabbage, behind a fence look good, but the others were hit hard.

Probably won't have many cabbage leaves this year at market

This Rhubarb is too beautiful for words!

Cauliflower took it hard, but it will bounce back o.k.

I know I just posted, but I had to show you this before the magic wears off. 

C/ YA at MARKET