Maybe a Summer Thunderstorm

[thistlebloom]

We got a pretty good dousing in the morning. It seemed like more than it probably really was, because it coincided with the garden class.
We sheltered under the maple trees for a bit then came in the house so they could keep their journals dry.
It stopped in time to get back outside and garden.

It was raining again when I went to bed, pleasant sound to fall asleep to.

 

[flowerbug]

because we are in a valley a lot of storms will break up before getting to us. a few miles north or south of us will get a much different amount of rainfall each season.

right now it is cold here. after it being so warm i'm freezing...

if you are in an arid/semi-arid climate and get bursts of rain you should be putting in swales to capture that rain when it happens. you'll see a large change in your ability to support ground covers when you do this and from there you can get trees/shrubs going for shade and more cover and animal/people feed. it's a very effective cycle to establish (it works in the middle of some of the harshest climates on the planet).

 

[flowerbug]

two examples of extreme areas:

the first is a permaculture site that has been taken care of and even expanded for about 8-10yrs - at first it was as bare as the hills around it, completely alkaline dust soil and hard pan, everything running off. apply some good principles, capture rainwater, reuse all available nutrients possible and it comes around...


https://www.google.com/maps/place/31°52'19.1"N+35°37'53.4"E/@31.8719389,35.6313918,169m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d31.8719722!4d35.6315?hl=en


the second is a site the same guy designed for an organic grower that irrigated in the desert, they had back pressure leaking water available at times (you can see the well head to the north of the patch where the green is in the desert) so they wanted to try it out. later they abandoned it because they didn't know what they were doing and didn't want to follow his methods, but you can see the remains are still growing things here or there and that eventually this area will be growing even more as those plants that exist capture more moisture, make more detritus and cast shade. it may be slow, but it can work. i'd love to visit it just to look around and see it close up... it's been abandoned for about six years.


https://www.google.com/maps/place/29°35'50.5"N+35°36'09.8"E/@29.5933929,35.6046171,1363m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d29.5973611!4d35.6027222?hl=en

 

[digitS']

Jordan?? (I looked over Jordan and what did I see?)

There is a rapidly flowing aquifer beneath the gravel, beneath my feet.

If you get there before I do
Coming for to carry me home
Tell all my friends I'm coming too
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot

Steve