.... but who's counting.......
Don't kid yourself.... everyone out here has a rain gauge and they're all counting.
With all of that rain yesterday, you would think there would be more than a small puddle in the pond. Not a chance. One lonely puddle was out at the deep end of the pond this morning, but I'm sure it was all dried up by dinner-time, being that the sun was hot and broiling all afternoon. I guess we're going to need days and days of rain before the pond even begins to fill up again.
Last Spring when the pond was filled, we had a flock of wild ducks out there. Started out with half a dozen, which led to more than a dozen, and we kept counting every day as we walked down the hill for our morning walk, and the most we counted was nearly 30. Big ducks, smaller ducks, and even some cute little baby ducks swimming behind the mama ducks. So cute. But as the water in the pond went lower, the ducks all flew off to deeper ponds.
About all I've seen now by the pond is a hawk, perched and un-moving as he watches the ground for small birds and even smaller mice. Those hawks can sit quietly for hours, not moving anything but its head as he swivels it from side to side, just watching for anything that qualifies as lunch or dinner.
One of our neighbors told us that a hawk can fly at incredible speeds as it races towards the ground at its prey..... flying so fast that the hawk can break the back of a chicken or a small animal as it lands on it with its talons ready to capture it and fly off into the woods. When we lost chickens to the hawks, we could easily see the very spot where it was taken.... there would be a cloud of feathers sticking up out of the lawn...... so sad to see that, and it happened so many times.
After the rain we had yesterday, we didn't have to water the plants and flowers this morning. I don't much like dragging those heavy hoses around.... we have faucets and hoses all around the property, so it isn't like I have to carry a hose very far. But every time I turn on one of those outside faucets, I'm reminded of the in-ground sprinkler system that we had in our 'city' house. That house was sitting on just about one-fourth of an acre........ and we had a sprinkler system and never had to think about holding a hose and watering flowers. And if it rained, all I had to do was push a button so the sprinkler system wouldn't come on at all. This house sits on about three acres that has to be watered and maintained, before you get to the larger part of the property which is just pasture-land. The in-ground sprinkler system for this property is on The List Of Things To Do.
It isn't just us with that infamous List Of Things To Do. Seems that all of our neighbors have similar lists.... even those with new houses. Whether the house is two years old or 150 years old, The List is there, always, and growing every day. And when you're this far out in the country, you can't just pick up the phone and call someone to take care of The List. "Y'all live where? All the way out there? I'll have to let y'all know when I can get the time to get out there to y'all." And sometimes they give you a day and a time, and no one shows up. Other times, they pull into your driveway when you don't even know they're coming.
These handyman companies wouldn't get away with this in a city situation.... there would be too much competition and too many other companies to call up. Out here, The Country Rules seem to apply. Translation: I'll be out there on Tuesday, first thing. Unless it rains. Or unless I can get my brother-in-law's boat for some fishin'. Or unless I get a job that's closer into town.
It's the country way. Take it or leave it. When we told our Clear Lake friends that we were moving up to the Hill Country, some of them started singing the theme song to that old television show "Green Acres."
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