There has been no significant rain since August.
The lawn died months ago. Only a strip fed by condensation from the roof lives.
The pastures are beyond dead grass dry.
They are barren.
The chickens hunt grasshoppers, like Jurassic Park raptors, they move with amazing speed over the barren ground. Few bugs survive the predation of the flock.
The weeds have withered, the horses move restlessly over the pastures, seeking out the few blades surviving in the low places. They drink deeply in the mornings, sucking the 100 gallon trough dry.
Blue skies are relentless. Even the deeply cloudy days cheerlessly refusing to part with any moisture.
Even now, as the sky is blurring over with high clouds, mocking the color of the sky, the ground has little hope. The wind does not bring the sharp scent of rain. The clouds merely curtain away the sun for a day.
The grass is dead, the trees suffer in silence. Birds, fox and coyote prowl, endlessly searching for water.
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A Very Old Memory
After school at West Junior High I took the bus to West 5th Street. I checked in at the Leeward, where Opal was working behind the bar, ta...
6 comments:
I'd happily send you rain if I could. We've had two very loud thunderstorms the past two nights that have accounted for some serious lack of good sleep.
We need it bad - how are the NaNo preparations going? I'm going to throw together my 3rd novel.
Drought is not fun. Many Australian regions have been through what you describe for a decade - but the drought was officially broken a month ago. Rain, when it comes is one big rush after a long drought can cause its own problems, but it is always welcome. I have written a short story about rain that comes to an outback Australian station. It's free to read at Smashwords.
We have rain tonight! May not be in time to save the winter pasture - but maybe some will grow.
I've heard about the weather in Australia - between the spiders and the desert - you can't be faint- hearted.
It's pouring with rain here today so I'd send some to you if I could. It's the poor animals I worry for. Humans can find liquid refreshment in other forms - animals can't. I hope you get some very soon. Maybe if we all do a little rain dance...
We got two days of rain earlier this week. It was enough to lay the dust and fill the low spots. We'll see if the grass bounces back.
I can only hope.
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