EMERGENCY RISK REDUCTION

It’s always amazed me when weather announcers on TV or radio almost uniformly apologize when forecasting upcoming rain. As if rain is going to irrevocably ruin the next days’ activities or permanently scar kids’ psychics when an outdoor sport is impacted or postponed. Oh, my weekend plans are disrupted.

News flash. Without rain, there is no life. No plants, no animals, no food, no drink, no you, no me. Just refer to reports of one of many space probes or deep space telescopes that are looking for life in our solar system, and beyond. Planets and moons are being sampled for signs of life, and a key is searching for water crystals. Without water, no life exists…at least, life as we know it.

I welcome the sound of the rain falling outside our farm barn, from where I am writing this blog. It is music to my ears. Maybe because of the outdoorsman in me. All the greenery we have is directly related to nourishment and the greatest of these is water. From the majestic Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, and  Spruce Pine to the lowly grass and groundcover. Also because of the farmer in me. These strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries wither without water. We found this out a few months ago. Even the apple, pear, plum, cherry, and peach trees suffer during the dry summer months. Some areas of the world are in perennial drought conditions. Devastating!

One of our greatest farm chores is irrigating the rows, to keep the plants not only alive but producing. We can’t water the entire farm at once. Only about 4 rows at a time. Between the berries and fruit trees, the farm has about 30 rows.  So it takes 7-8 cycles of irrigation to cover the entire farm. It’s work to keep changing sprinklers. And this doesn’t include watering the tree groves, lawns, and shrubs. It’s quite the operation. A small glimpse of the effort can be seen from those of you trying to keep suburban lawns green.

Alas, a cloud opens, as is happening now, and the entire farm is watered in an hour. All the rain needed for thirsty plants of all types, sizes, and shapes. Ok, I would prefer if the rains came in a timely and frequent manner, but we accept what we are given.  I cannot understand the logic of an apology from a weather announcer or anyone else for rain. Instead, we should be thrilled, delighted, and thankful. Even if it disrupts weekend plans.

Rainfall is amazing! It is a miracle! It is a time-saver. It also gives me this time to visit with you.

Thanks for reading.

Monty