Extreme Drought Conditions

Since we are on a rainwater collections system for the house, I started keeping a rain chart a couple of years ago. We would almost run out of water, necessitating us to switch to the well, when we would get just enough rain to allow us to stay with the rain water. Our well water is not good. Yuk! According to my records, we've received a little over 11 inches of rain this year.

Our top soil is powdery; when the wind blows, top soil accumulates on the porch; and if the wind is high, the top soil stings as it hits your face and arms.

I put these two pictures in to show how very, very dry it is around here. Looks awful, doesn't it?! We do not water our yard because this area without drought conditions borders on a shortage of water. We consider it irresponsible to water a yard considering water shortages and since there is a population explosion, with no end in sight, in Central Texas which extends to San Antonio and beyond. While it is winter and dogs have a tendency to tear up a yard, there is no grass. We had drought resistant Bermuda planted, but after a year of very little rain, there is nothing but powdery dirt as you can see from the picture on the right.

According to my rain chart, we experienced biblical rains of about 40 inches in 2007 and this year less than 12 inches. The NOAA has a Palmer Drought Index, which I found particularly interesting. Check out their website for your area of the country. Not only will you find what your area has experienced but predictions for the upcoming months.

It is also a little discombobulating to look out a window to see waves of dirt blowing by in the wind. If one dusted every time the furniture needed it, there wouldn't be much time for other things to do because it would be every ten minutes. You learn to live with it, set your daily/weekly dusting schedule, and keep it. At least that is what I do. :D

We've had magnificent days, crisp, cool, sun shining; but when we have the gray skies and a cool front coming, that is all we have -- gray skies, wind, and cold air -- no rain! We did get about 10 drops of rain with a little snow on December 9, totaling about 3 tenths of an inch. I took the picture to the right just before dawn and liked the light shining on the overturned livestock tank sprinkled with snow. All in all, though, magnificent days are wonderful but too many in a row can have disastrous affects.