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A whole lot of clouds brought only a modest amount of rain today. There was not enough of it to dampen the ground under the thicker bushes or the pine trees, but everywhere else got a decent soaking. When the sun finally broke through about three o'clock, the leaves and grass were covered with beads of water that sparkled brightly.
There must be quite a bit of debris in my rain gutters, as one of my downspouts trickled continuously for three hours after the rain stopped. They will have to be cleaned out, even though a rain heavy enough to make them overflow is very unlikely this spring. Dried debris in rain gutters can be a hazard during a wildfire, as embers can fall on it and cause it to ignite, threatening the roof.
The pink azalea is struggling to bloom, its buds each taking more than a week to open, and only a handful of them being open at any time. It's a very old plant, and hasn't gotten any special fertilizer for several years. Azalea food just isn't in the budget when there are so many cats to feed. Maybe if azaleas would learn to purr I'd reconsider, but even then the odds would be slim. I don't think I'd want an azalea sitting on my lap, and there's really no much there to pet.
A few jasmine blossoms opened a couple of days ago, but the rain has put the plant on hold. A couple of good, warm days ought to bring abundant flowers and much fragrance. Now, if the wind carries away the smoke from any fires that are still burning, or any new ones that might get started, May should be a pleasantly scented month. If the wind does not cooperate, it will, of course, reek.
The odds of rain tomorrow have been reduced&mdahs;apparently it arrived early—but the chance of getting at least some rain each day has now been extended through Thursday. More would be nice, but I'm still hoping there will be no lightning. Given a choice between thunderstorms and no rain at all, this late in the season, I'd prefer no rain. I'm pretty sure I don't get to choose, though.
There must be quite a bit of debris in my rain gutters, as one of my downspouts trickled continuously for three hours after the rain stopped. They will have to be cleaned out, even though a rain heavy enough to make them overflow is very unlikely this spring. Dried debris in rain gutters can be a hazard during a wildfire, as embers can fall on it and cause it to ignite, threatening the roof.
The pink azalea is struggling to bloom, its buds each taking more than a week to open, and only a handful of them being open at any time. It's a very old plant, and hasn't gotten any special fertilizer for several years. Azalea food just isn't in the budget when there are so many cats to feed. Maybe if azaleas would learn to purr I'd reconsider, but even then the odds would be slim. I don't think I'd want an azalea sitting on my lap, and there's really no much there to pet.
A few jasmine blossoms opened a couple of days ago, but the rain has put the plant on hold. A couple of good, warm days ought to bring abundant flowers and much fragrance. Now, if the wind carries away the smoke from any fires that are still burning, or any new ones that might get started, May should be a pleasantly scented month. If the wind does not cooperate, it will, of course, reek.
The odds of rain tomorrow have been reduced&mdahs;apparently it arrived early—but the chance of getting at least some rain each day has now been extended through Thursday. More would be nice, but I'm still hoping there will be no lightning. Given a choice between thunderstorms and no rain at all, this late in the season, I'd prefer no rain. I'm pretty sure I don't get to choose, though.
