It's raining in California...finally!

[awakenedsoul]

I'm sitting inside enjoying the first real rain we've had in a long while. It's a perfect day to stay inside and knit, eat homemade barley soup, and to bake an apple cranberry cobbler! I'm loving it. We are only allowed to water two days a week now. I won't have to water tomorrow. It's been very hot here this month...in the 80's! So, I am very thankful to have some rain. Today it finally feels like Winter.

Hopefully this is a sign of a wet season for us. The last few years have been so dry...

Are the rest of you getting enough rain for your gardens?

[Miss Cellane]

Gardens?

Some of us have a foot of snow on the ground right now. The only garden I'm dealing with is a couple of pots of herbs on the kitchen windowsill.

But I'm delighted to hear that California is finally getting some rain. The drought conditions there were getting scary.

[catherine]

My ground is pretty soggy right now, and NJ is on track to get its normal 45-48 inches of precipitation this year.

I agree with Miss Cellane--the drought is concerning, so I'm glad you're enjoying the rain, awakenedsoul.

[pinkytoe]

I thought about friends and family there when I heard it was raining. Living through a drought is hard on the spirit. It really surprises me though that Californians aren't required to conserve more water in a time of drought. Also read about all the well digging going on to keep the food crops going. We have only been allowed to water here once a week for several years now.

[gimmethesimplelife]

The last I heard there was a 20% chance of that rain coming to the deserts of Arizona and I'm ready for it! Though we have been lucky in Arizona - this state has been in a drought since 1997 but this September we had the remnants of hurricanes from the Baja Coast enter Arizona and drop lots and lots and lots of rain. The record for rain in any one storm in Phoenix was broken September 8th with 3.29 inches of rain in a few hours. Then two weeks later we had another 1.6 inches of rain. Good news is that some of this rain hit the watershed and put a bandaid on our water problems for the time being.

Now....for the really good news. I remember hearing earlier this year there was a good chance of an El Nino weather pattern this winter, which is good news for Southern California and Arizona as it means the Northwest won't get as much of the jet stream and we much further south will. IF it happens. I'm hoping it does as I'd love to see Arizona in better shape with water and I know California is having a drought of historic proportions.

Here's hoping we both enjoy some wet winter days, Awakened Soul! I don't know what this looks like in Southern California, but here it means dark skies, lightning, thunder, and nice cool days in the 50's and nice cool nights and water seeping into the dry baked clay soil we have here. It's almost as if you can hear the plants saying Thank You as they green up so fast, especially the native ones. Rob

[gimmethesimplelife]

I thought about friends and family there when I heard it was raining. Living through a drought is hard on the spirit. It really surprises me though that Californians aren't required to conserve more water in a time of drought. Also read about all the well digging going on to keep the food crops going. We have only been allowed to water here once a week for several years now.Pinkytoe, you are in Austin, right? I remember when I was there last time that I was at Zilker Park by the Springs and I picked up some brochures on living water wise having to do with landscaping planting and it amazed me that some of what grows here actually grows there! A number of cacti grow there that I am familiar with along with yuccas and aloes and I even saw bougainvillea there - amazing as this plant can't deal with freezing weather well and it does get below freezing where you are. And the state tree of Arizona - the palo verde - even grows there! I was so surprised to see this growing there as I'd always thought Austin was more tropical and rainy and humid/muggy. Looks like it's drying up some, too.

And even more interesting, the local paper when I was there had an article with some feature reporter having went to Tucson to photograph plants that grew there that would be a good water wise fit for Austin. I was so surprised by this. Rob

Came back to add - even ocotillo does well there and it's something you can plant here and if you sneeze at it it's had enough water for half a year....well maybe not that little water but it sure seems like it. The ultimate low maintenance, low water plant.

[Float On]

I can't imagine living in a place where it doesn't rain on a regular basis.....even if sometimes our rains cause flooding. Today mid-70's and we are expecting ice overnight thru noon. Kids may get a snow day tomorrow from the icy roads. We'll see.

[awakenedsoul]

Thanks for the replies. I just shut my chicken in her coop for the night. It feels so different out there now. It's like the ground has relaxed. I'm so relieved that we finally got some water from the sky!
pinkytoe, We are allowed to water three days a week in the hot hot weather, and two days a week in the "cold" season. Even with that, a lot of the pine trees have died. It gets in the triple digits here in Aug. and Sept.
catherine, Thanks. It feels like Seattle here today!
Rob, Yes, the plants seems much happier and greener at this time of year. I still have tomato plants, and they look beautiful. Some people in our area have had their wells dry up. We receive city water, so we're lucky. It's just that it still felt like summer on Thanksgiving. It was concerning me. Now it feels natural and healthy again.
Float On, It used to rain here on a regular basis. Hopefully we are cycling back into that again...stay safe in that snow and ice!

I planted lettuce, arugula, broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower last month. They are doing really well. I like growing the cold weather veggies better. They don't need as much care or water.

[Tussiemussies]

So vrry glad to hesr this news. I love how refreshed everything is after a rainfall. Hope it continues for you!

[Teacher Terry]

WE are also in a drought long term & got the same rain. Also the big El Nino they thought was coming has now had expectations way reduced in level & intensity for Nevada. We put in astro-turf to replace our grass which saves us a lot of $ & water.

[Gardenarian]

awakened soul, I'm with you! The rain was wonderful - if only it would last.

[awakenedsoul]

tussiemussies, Thanks. I hope so, too.
Teacher Terry, That's great. The lawns really use a lot of water. Many of the lawns in our area are brown now. Some of the people break the restrictions and have super green lawns. I mulched over mine several years ago. My fruitless mulberry tree didn't even leaf out this year.

[awakenedsoul]

awakened soul, I'm with you! The rain was wonderful - if only it would last.
Hopefully Mother Nature will smile down on us again. I feel like doing a rain dance!

[Gardenarian]

Dance away! The snow pack is already up to three feet :)

[Teacher Terry]

ASoul: some people don't like the astro-turf but we bought high quality & my hubby installed with help of someone we hired ourselves so kept the cost down. Plus now we are done forever. Most people seem to like ours.

[awakenedsoul]

Teacher Terry, That's smart. I've got bulbs outside coming up now that I thought were dead! None of my irises or naked ladies bloomed last year. There's something about rain water...
We had rain all day today, and it feels like a new city! It was a little challenging on the bus...but doable. I realized this is what it would be like every day if I were to move to Oregon.
Gardenarian,That's good news! I'm so pleased.

[Lainey]

I think we're getting that Calif. rain here in Phx by tomorrow night. We're in need of rain too, so it's very welcome.

[CathyA]

Sounds like there might be more rain than the ground can handle. Seems like it's feast or famine. I hope you are all safe from any mudslides or flooding.

[awakenedsoul]

Lainey, I'm glad it's coming your way. It's made such a difference here!
Cathy A, Thanks. It's still raining. Where I live, it's been consistent but we haven't had any flooding. I don't have a television, so I haven't seen what's happening in the rest of CA. We sure did need this rain though!

[gimmethesimplelife]

I just took the bus home after finishing up an interesting focus group. It was sprinking as I walked home from the bus stop and I'm hoping this develops into a nice steady rain. I just planted basil plants and I hope they get a nice soaking. We'll see. Rob

[kib]

Been raining gently here in Tucson since last night, seems to be picking up a little this afternoon. :)

[awakenedsoul]

I just took the bus home after finishing up an interesting focus group. It was sprinking as I walked home from the bus stop and I'm hoping this develops into a nice steady rain. I just planted basil plants and I hope they get a nice soaking. We'll see. Rob
Let us know, Rob. I love it when it rains after I've just planted veggies or herbs...I've got a small pot of basil in my kitchen windowsill right now. I never thought of planting it outside this time of year...

[awakenedsoul]

Been raining gently here in Tucson since last night, seems to be picking up a little this afternoon. :)

That sound like what we had. It was a few days of steady rain. It sure mad a difference. The sun is out today.

[mschrisgo2]

Oh, I Loved the rain! I just hope we get more now.
I'm teaching in a brand new school building. They're still in the finishing stages of the landscaping. I felt so bad for those native trees and plants and bunch grasses when they started putting them in and it was still so darn hot (well into the 90's), and we're not supposed to be doing any outdoor watering... But they've all really perked up in the rain! Now the bunch grasses look like bunches, not mats! It is all really beautiful, and will be so low maintenance and no/low water.