It is hot here in Texas. Blistering, mind-numbing hot with a wind that is leeching any drop of moisture from the soil and driving dust through any crevice in the house.
And we haven’t had any rain in forever.
Every morning, I go out in the mornings to give my animals fresh water and hay – forget about the summer pasture for my horse. It has burned up and is literally blowing away. Then I water a few flowers in pots that have managed to survive.
Last week, I watched my vegetable garden burn up – some of the tomatoes actually started cooking on the vines – and I thought about how much harder it was for the early settlers of Texas to deal with drought that would wipe out their livelihood for an entire year.
We will survive without the garden. Sure it’s nice to have the fresh produce, and when I fix a meal that is comprised primarily of items I have grown, there is a great sense of satisfaction. But even if I can’t pick a fresh tomato, we will still eat. We have a grocery store and some money. The early settlers had no such recourse. When they lost their crops, they lost everything.
When sweat is pouring off me after working outside in the heat, I can go inside where there is air-conditioning. And a shower with two speeds. Just a few generations ago there was no air-conditioning and people bathed in a wooden tub.
The only good thing about the heat and drought is that there are no mosquitoes and I haven’t had to mow or clear brush in weeks, but I would gladly take the mosquitoes and work a little harder for a good, hard, rain that lasts for a week or so. We call those a gully-washer.
Bring it on….
Veggies gone here, too. Still have some flowers. But I have to say I’m loving not having mosquitoes. We have a slight chance of rain in the forecast mid-week, but I’m not holding my breath here in our string of 100+ days.
I’m quite thankful I live now and was not an early settler in our great state.
Clouds keep teasing us here, too, Carol. I’ve learned not to count on the rain until it is hitting me in the face.
Unfortunately, we still have mosquitoes. Every morning when I get on the elliptical trainer, they swarm around me. I think they’re so starved for water, they’re trying to get at my sweat. I taunt them by wearing one of those Off repellent dealies. It doesn’t scare all of them off though.
You do the workout outside, Helen? You are a brave woman. LOL