Where's the Rain?

  After a gorgeous summer filled with almost daily thunderstorms and lots of life-giving rains, fall has arrived bone dry.  Nary a drop of rain has fallen in nigh on a month now.  For some folks, this is happy weather. For me, it means dragging a hose about the yard trying to keep the garden alive.  It ain't happenin', Folks, it ain't happenin'.  Things are starting to wither and crisp even over night.  The garden doesn't bother me much as the producing season is about finished but all of this dry weather has brought down nearly every leaf on the old Black Gum trees. Feeling poorly has kept me from my usual fall duty of raking these leaves so the yard is quite crunchy.  I meandered outside a bit earlier and sounded not unlike a herd of elephants doing a tap dance in the leaves.  Even though I had the camera with me, there is no way on earth that I would ever get any photos of critters with all the racket I was making!  What worries me most is that all of these dry leaves present a fire hazard.  

  As my short hike took me through the garden gate, I noticed that despite my efforts, the Purple Basil has just about met its demise.  Poor plants!  Just this morning, I watered and, yet, this evening the plants are wilted flat. Not just the few in pots looked bad but even those planted directly in the ground.  Shriveled, dried and most likely beyond healing, the plants will have to soon be pulled and added to the compost.  

  Hopefully, once the gardens are cleared, rains will return and the fall garden can be put in place.  I am later in planting this year than ever before so hopefully, the plants will have a chance to produce before the winter freezes.  Yep, all this is wishful thinking...rains, mild weather and a lush garden may just not be a reality this winter.  Things are changing.