Blessed be the Rains!

We are in a drought. We have been in it for the last few years and I, for one, am most certainly ready to see this drought end. Although it may be a backyard bar-b-cue buster, let's pray for a rainy weekend to extend the rain we've seen the last few days. But you say, "I don't like rainy weekends!" or "I have outdoor plans today." Well think about a few things from Mother Nature's point of view.

This drought has really taken it's toll on our local environment. According to count in September of 2012 by the Texas A&M Forrest Service,  Texas had lost 301 million trees, with Harris County having lost about 19 million of the total number. If that isn't enough to make you pop that umbrella and revel in a little rain, I don't know what will.

How about this, the rain will also save your foundation of your home. I'll let you all in on a nasty little embarrassing secret. The Girl on the Grow doesn't like to water. There, I said it. I don't like to move the sprinkler around the yard during the summer. That's why I buy native plants that are drought tolerant. This has served my flower beds well, but not my foundation. I live in an older home, so I am seeing the results of the lack of rain & my negligence in watering in the sticking doors & such around the house. So rain, means less hose moving for me. Yea!

Today I will begin classes to become a certified Texas Master Naturalist. This means that I will be spending the next couple of months in the swamps, bayous and prairie lands in & around Houston and the Gulf Coast area studying our ecology. I am so excited about this, I can hardly stand it, but I'm not looking forward to seeing the toll the drought has taken on the environment. Lot's of animals depended on those trees that have been lost in the drought and it seems that everyday a patch of land is being cleared to make room for some new concrete structure. Every time we build, some wildlife lose their homes. When it doesn't rain people and animals suffer. So praise God for the rain we've had the last few days and smile at Him if you have to open your umbrella today! Happy rainy Saturday, hopefully! :-)