June 3, 2008

We Finally Had Rain!

Here in Montana, we have been VERY DRY... a month ago, we were seriously concerned about summer pasture for the cattle. I mean: there just wasn't any grass even beginning to green up! It was severe enough, the cattle were turned into the hay/forage fields. That is a 'last resort' type of thing, as grazing hay fields could cut production by half -- or even more.
A week ago, it did rain... boy, did it rain! We got 2.3 inches! It came slowly, raining off and on for four days. Overnight, the hills began to show green! Things began to look up!
OH, I WAS GLAD I HAD PLANTED MY GRASS the morning it began to rain. I played in the mud, planting a few things as it rained.
It cleared off, and I began to move things from the greenhouse to the flower beds. The patio and front of the house began to take shape.
Yesterday afternoon, I got a phone call from my mother, saying a hail/rain storm was heading our way. It had been very severe in her area, with drifts of hail stones still laying in her yard.
The sky to the west of us was dark and blue... and I could hear thunder in the distance.
I frantically put up 'shingles' around some of the newly set plants, while I covered most of the roses with pots and garbage cans. Of course, I hauled in rocks and cement blocks to weigh them down. I carried the pots and misc. plants that I could lift back into the greenhouse.
Then I went into the house and waited. The thunder got closer.
It began to rain slowly and softly. Then a few tiny hail stones fell.
Suddenly the sky opened and it just dumped! We got 8 tenths in about 20 minutes.
I took a few photos from the front door.

At least it was a test of my grading away from the house! It all seemed to work! Everything ran away and didn't puddle up, considering we still don't have eaves on the house.
I was going to post a nice, pretty photo of the newly planted patio bed, but I guess this 'muddy' photo will do for now! :)