Rain

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Cloudy with a Chance

chance of rain

I’m trying not to get my hopes up too high, but I’m a hopeful person by nature.  The local paper says “Chance of Rain” over the next three days.  It’s cooler today; breezy too with clouds coming and going.  It feels like rain for the first time in weeks. I’m ready!

Here are the current stats for San Jose:

  • Rainfall month to date: 0.01″
  • Normal month to date: 2.63″
  • Season to date: 1:57″
  • Normal season to date: 7.64″

According to International Business Times:

California is facing a severe water crisis, and experts fear it could get worse. Climatologists report that the 2013-2014 rainfall season is well on its way to becoming California’s driest period in more than 400 years. The country’s most populous state is entering its third year of record-low rainfall, and now scientists are raising the alarm that “megadroughts,” which haven’t been seen in hundreds of years, could be just around the corner.

By all accounts, the weather is off kilter around the globe.  We’re desperate for rain, while others have too much.  The east coast has record lows, the Canadian prairies have an early and heavy winter and New Zealand is only now seeing true summer days.

Is this the new normal?

Meanwhile, please enjoy the talented Gene Kelly, singing and dancing in the rain in one of my favorite movie scenes of all times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1ZYhVpdXbQ

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Rain, Glorious Rain

After an incredibly dry year, I’m so happy it finally rained.  Twice!  That’s a bit of a big deal around here after one of the driest years in memory.  We’re semi-arid to begin with.  We need all the rain we can get.

sweet peas in the rain

Sweet Peas refreshed

The air smells wonderful.  After a few hours of grey clouds, followed by sunshine, I feared we had already seen the last of it.  Then around 1:00 this afternoon, another storm blew in.  I’m loving it and enjoying it while I can.  We’re back to ‘sunny and 68′ F (20’ C) by the weekend.

hyacinth emerge

Hyacinth emerge

Our season runs from July through June.  Season to date is typically 2.18″. We’ve recorded 0.66.”

I realize it’s all relative.  Parts of the world are shoveling out snow.  Others are already fed up  with wind and rain.   Super Typhoon Haiyan besieged the Philippines and the mid west state of Illinois will take years to recover from late-season, powerful tornadoes.  Such devastating losses our weather can bring.  My heart goes out to everyone suffering  these profound injuries and loss.

Today, in my little corner of the world, I’m happy the rains are falling.  I’m also filled with gratitude for all I have.

'Maori Sunrise' New Zealand Flax

‘Maori Sunrise’ New Zealand Flax

Relief Efforts Around the Globe:

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Rain, Glorious Rain!

rain globeWe’ve had abysmal rain fall this year, one of the driest winters in two centuries.  Spring arrived, but omitted the April showers.  Last month ended with stifling heat waves. Though areas of the country and the world wish the rain would stop, it’s a welcome respite here from so many dry, dry months.

If you’re among those fed up with umbrellas, boots and long days indoors, my apologies.  Too much of anything tries our patience and gets on our nerves.

Our skies are already clearing, with sun in the forecast tomorrow.  So, just for a while, I’m enjoying our rainy day.

salivia in the rain

Salvia Refreshed (Is it just me, or do those tiny raindrops look like a pair of eyes?)

sunflower gathers rain

A tiny pool of rain gathers in the center of a sunflower

hummingbird in the rain

I think the hummingbirds are enjoying the rain too.

lavender reflections

Lavender reflections on the rainy deck.

DSC_0274

Rain= snails and weeds
It’s a gardener’s life

What is Nature up to in your corner of the world?

 

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Raindrops on Petals

My Favorite Raindrop of the Day

It’s nothing to write home about, but we finally got a bit of the wet stuff.  Drizzle. Precipitation. Rain.  According to our local paper we can expect more storms this week. I’m pretty excited.

What fun I had today chasing down raindrops gathering in the recesses of plants. I spotted the first snail of the season, too, but so it goes with gardening.  Nature vs nature.  It’s hard to take sides.

I am sure it is a great mistake always to know enough to go in when it rains.  One may keep snug and dry by such knowledge, but one misses a world of loveliness.  ~Adeline Knapp

Refreshed

Lemon Drops

The Pause that Refreshes

Slipping and Sliding

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Eudora: Greek Goddess of Rain

When Life Gives You Lemons...

It rained today!  The real deal, too, not just a sprinkle.  I can’t remember a time when so many of us welcomed a cold, February rain.**

If my plants could talk, they would be singing the praises of Eudora.  Their blooms, buds and branches relished every drop.

Thirsty Cyclamen

Camellia Buds

Lavender Reflections

Perfection at the end of a Branch

**San Jose’s arid climate averages  just 15 inches or rain a season.  To date (2/13/12) we’ve recorded a mere 2.78 inches of rain, only 30% of normal.