No rain...clear skies...no rain...clear skies...day after day, after dry, earth shriveling, water draining day. Normally it rains quite a bit here in Calkington. We are fairly close to the ocean. We also get fog on a fairly regular basis. Not this summer.
The farmers are all frantic with worry. Blake has hauled water to many farms trying to help them keep their crops alive. He wore himself out working his own ranch, starting a new line of fine wines, logging, and breeding horses. Then he would get up earlier than usual and haul water to any farms around that needed water.
Blake and I had our date night last night. He told me that he was about to be out of water as well. It has been dry for so long that even the wells are drying up. I have never seen Blake look so desperate, so worried, even after he was attacked by the big cat.
A couple of the families have packed up and moved back east ward. Blake tried to reason with them. He explained that hard times come but they also go. He tried to help them understand that this amazing fertile ground will produce. This is just a hard season.
He quoted from the Bible, "To everything thing turn, turn, there is a season turn turn turn, and a time to every purpose under heaven....a time plant...a time to reap..." He said that even if the crops fail this year plowing them under will make the land even more fertile and next year we will have lots of water.
Blake is so sad when anyone leaves this place and space. He feels heavily invested in this town that he gave his name to.
Finally on the third week of August it rained, and rained, and rained, and rained, and then stopped. It rained long enough to save the crops. I have never been so grateful for rain.
I have helped Red cultivate and grow a garden at the ranch. I have also had a small garden at my place, just in back of the shop. I grow herbs, corn, and several small types of vegetables.
The harvest is beginning. It is NOT as bountiful as most years but we will not starve this winter. Sophronia Evans and I bottled 40 quarts of beans yesterday. It's so much more fun to bottle with a friend. Sophrie is the kind of friend that I could do anything with her and it would be a pleasure!
The leaves are changing. Each day I see brighter color as I take an early morning walk through town. Blake has promised to take me to Fern Falls to see the leaves this Sunday. I'm so excited!
Even though our last trip there left me feeling inadequate to his second wife Sarah, I've realized that I need to think more about the beauty of that place, and what a lovely woman Sarah was. I'm raising her son and Ardis' son. I need to understand how they want me to raise their boys. To do that I need to understand more about each of them.
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