Stormy Weather

"The only thing that stay's the same, is that every thing changes"!

This is my 13th spring here, and all have been different.  Most were dry, but not this year. We have been in a nasty drought for the last three years, with last year being the worst. Almost all of the springs and ponds back in the Sheepsheads dried up. We lost Bone reservoir. When the drought started there were trout in it that were several pounds. It went totally dry. We really didn't have any moisture during the winter, but this spring it has RAINED! I believe our average rainfall is about 4.5 inches. I cannot tell for sure but I think we have gotten more than two inches in the last two weeks. Perhaps more. It has rained at least twice a day every day, for the last two weeks. Highly unusual in this part of the desert, but it is nature's way to make up for past dereliction. 

It has been so dark and gloomy that the sun cannot break through for either Sunsets, or Sunrises, so the chance for pictures has been pretty bleak. It was windy with a big storm brewing, so I decided to get some firewood to take the chill off. I didn't see anything of interest when I went out to chop wood. When I loaded the wheelbarrow with wood, I was able to look East, and there was a peculiar light show going on in the sky. I dropped the wheel barrow and ran for the camera, but I missed the best part anyway.

I took several bracketing shots and put the camera up, so that I could put the wheel barrow in the wood shed. Then I noticed the sky in the west. Another run for the camera.  

Looks like rain!

Sunrise this morning

It did of course rain a bit last night. There is a temporary upside to all this water however, and that is the plant life. The weeds are growing like crazy. I have never seen them so high, I can hardly wait till the sun comes out and they really take off. Naturally most of them are noxious, but hey, nobody's perfect. I did get lucky this year and I managed to lay down some "ground sterilizer" at just the right time and weather. It has to be applied so that the rain can soak it into the ground. I put it down in a drizzle that continued for a day and half afterward. It is supposed to last for 5 years. We will see.

The Mallow is coming up in profusion this year. When the pictures were taken the blooms had not opened up yet.  Mostly it is one or two plants here and there, but this time they are in big bunches. The bloom is just beginning, and things are likely to get really pretty for a while soon as the rains fade and the Sun comes out.

 The first Night Hawk this year.

 This one has a "seed" called a Goat head. I think it
was the pattern for a "Caltrops". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caltrop

Mallow and Foxtails

 This is what they do while I am getting my exercise- dig for Squirrels

The runway looks nice doesn't it. I am so pleased that I won't be spending all my time digging weeds out of the runway.