And it was "rinse and repeat" today; hurray!
Last night we got the most spectacular thunderstorm I've seen here in 31 years; it went on for hours, accompanied by heavy rain. What a godsend! After initially barking to let the 'intruder' know she was ready for it, Poppy wasn't bothered by the noise and flashing lights so that's good. Jackson wasn't crazy about thunder, but I don't think he heard it more than three brief times in his life; that's how rare such a storm is here.
The rain last night and today has restored clean air and color to our surroundings; it is a feast for the eyes and lungs and I am relishing it. I had opportunities to enjoy it, too, because I had to drive Poppy to the vet this morning and pick her up after her spay and microchipping this afternoon. She's resting quietly now on a big, soft bed covered with a light fleece blanket after some restlessness and whining. Two days ago she got stung by at least two yellowjackets, so she's had a rough week! I did chores tonight without her, so of course I saw a mouse in the tack room for the first time in weeks....
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| A brief and short-lived semblance of her usual self |
More pleasant visitors (than a mouse) were a family of bluebirds hunting bugs in our yard yesterday afternoon, and this newt in our garage tonight (I moved him to a better location):
Yesterday just before the first few raindrops warned of weather to come, I worked with Stella, then noticed the boys hoovering up 'crispy chips.' Now the leaves are soggy and the arena is dust-free. If we get any more warm weather, I predict that our garden is going to go into last-minute overdrive. There's nothing like rain to bring out the best in plants – including weeds, of course, but I'm just so thankful for the soaking that I don't care!
That's it from a refreshed . . .
15 comments:
Excellent! So very happy for your settling rain. Poor little Poppy! What a day she had! Hope your skies are better with each day!
Haha! That Poppy, I bet she can be ready for ANYTHING - except that surgery. She will be back to her normal mouse catching self soon - probably sooner than she should! Since you get thunder storms so rarely I wonder what the horse and the sheep thought of that!
Thank God you got a good rinse off. I wonder if that storm benefited any of the fires. What you guys need on the west cost is a rain drenching hurricane. I guess you don't get those.
(I think I just lost my comment, but apologies if this is a repeat.)
How wonderful you got that good drenching of rain. It was a godsend for you. If only all of California could have gotten much of the same.
Here's hoping you can keep Poppy quiet enough to keep from popping her stitches! It's a good thing to have that operation over with.
How exciting that you got a good rain. I hope it was widespread enough to help the firefighters as well. It is great that the air is clear enough to breathe and the sky is blue for a change. Take care of you pup as she heals, I bet it is going to be a challenge to keep her calm.
Surprise! I'm finally back! I don't ever want to change my email address again! What a hassle that was!
Now to get caught up with what you've been doing... That'll take some time.
We had a downpour last evening! It was exciting, after such a long time with no rain at all! The rain gauge looks like it has about 1" in it.
Poor sweet Poppy! She's had quite a week! Not much fun for her, but she'll recover quickly, I'm sure!
Oh, I am so glad you got some rain! I sure hope it helped do a number on the fires too. Poor Poppy. Even her eyes look weary. She'll be back to normal soon though.
wyomingheart, the sky and the clouds and the colors are all glorious to see without the dingy yellow/gray veil! So wonderful to open the windows and get fresh air in the house, too.
I haven't had the news on since the storm, Elaine, to hear where the rain fell, but it can definitely be a two-edged sword. The big Beechie Creek fire burned steep hillsides and canyons bare, and now there is nothing to hold back dirt and rocks. Heavy rains can cause major mudslides and rock falls in those areas. Oh, and our version of a hurricane is called a Pineapple Express, if you want to look it up.
Mama Pea, after a tough 24 hours Poppy thinks she's ready to run and play again. We will definitely have to keep her on a leash outside so she doesn't overdo it – not much different than how we had to manage her during the worst of the terrible air quality!
We're SO thankful for the rain and the clean air, Fran! The thunder and lightning were frosting on the cake. :-)
Jeanne, I need to get another rain gauge. We heard that about an inch fell in McMinnville, so we probably got that much, too. It sure soaked into our parched earth quickly, and perked all the plants up just as quickly!
Sue, Poppy was pretty compromised from the time I picked her up through when we left for church this morning. But by the time we got home this afternoon, she's been rarin' to go!
Rain is always the best of blessings; you should see the earth responding in joy now! Glad to hear Poppy isn't bothered by thunder. On of my cats growls and it before running to hide.
WooHoo! So glad you guys got some rain!
I'm a bit confused by your remark about Lance and the other horse regarding hoovering the crispy chips. Can you explain?
Yep, Leigh, EVERYthing looks greener now – and the weeds are sprouting like CRAZY! (We've also had a fly hatch, apparently. Ugh.) Interesting about your cat; I've never heard of one reacting like that.
I know, Denise! Usually you get far more than we do!
Jeanne, the sheep and horses all like maple leaves, but in that photo it's my ram and one of my wethers eating leaves. (Lance is allergic to maple, so I try not to let him indulge.)
What a BLESSING!
I'm so glad you got a gully washer!! I hope it did its part to help clear your air. And I hope that Poppy is healing well and quickly :-)
Rain, blessed rain! Someone has been working with my two horses and both are under saddle again. The older mare, Tumbleweed, is calm and thoughtful while Dandy, younger by a few years, is typical male, "You're not the boss of ME!" When we ride, Katelyn gets Dandy and I get Tumbles . No shame here; I'm an old woman, according to statistics.
So very glad you and yours are safe. Answered prayers!
So glad to hear you're back in the saddle again, Sandra! I'm probably well past the age that most would think sensible to 'break' a youngster, but I do like to start my own and I plan to ride until I die, Lord willing.
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