Flood

At least this toad enjoyed the rain

Rain. So much rain. 11 inches in a few hours type of rain. I’m grateful for the moisture, but the dusty soil just couldn’t take it in. 

With rain gauges and water collection tank full, we turned our sights on the native garden beds. The sloped hill made the rain pool behind some of the boxes. Then, the water broke through underneath the bed, sucking the soil and plants along with its current.

Thankfully, having gone to the land the following morning, many of the plant now sitting on top of the eroded soil, were still green-leaved. We hauled more soil from our dwindling dirt pile, and tenderly placed them back in the bed. We’re desperately hoping for more moderate weather in the future. 

Goodness this year is tough. A week after the torrential floods, we returned to the land to find the soil returned to dust. 

My mind flips between exhaustion with starting a garden in this insanity, and the other part thinks, “hey, we can plan our homestead better because of these experiences.” Going with the latter, Dan and I have discussed water collection with our home versus a well; solar versus grid hookup, what type of heating system. All questions that warranted a great deal of debate in any case, but having such unpredictable weather is making sure that we weigh those decisions heavily.

As for harvests, the peas are doing well, but appear to have bug issues. I’ve gathered a grocery bag full of turnips, which made me wonder, “why did I plant turnips again.” Now, I’m looking for recipes. *sigh*

Soon, very soon, I suspect I’ll have tomatoes, which really is the purest joy. The cherry varieties are growing, turning darker and darker green. We’ve also collected wild berries (unsure if they’re black caps, black raspberries, etc.). In any case, they’re absolutely delectable, and I made them into a few jars of jam. Carex got in on the tasting as well. 

We’ll see what the next few weeks bring; hopefully more weather moderation.