Ahhhh, it has rained

In Ohio, we are in the middle of a drought.

Cleveland rainfall and normal rainfall, April through July.

3.52 Inches of rain in April; normal, 3.37 inches.
0.66 Inches of rain in May; normal, 3.5 inches.
1.66 Inches of rain in June; normal, 3.89 inches.
0.71 Inches of rain from July 1 to 19; normal, 2.20 inches.
6.28 Inches of rain from April through July 17; normal, 12.74 inches.

Year to date rain: 17.51 inches; normal 20.67

2 to 4 Inches of rain needed to help reverse drought, spread over one or two weeks.

Yesterday, it rained .26 inches and trust me when I say, while it isn't nearly enough, it made everything cleaner, cooler and greener. Unfortunately the five day forecast does not indicate any rain, which is good for the weekend but not so good for the garden, trees and lawns. We have been watering the garden (it is, after all a vegetable garden) and the trees. I think, however, we are going to lose one of our trees as it is dropping leaves like crazy. The only lawn that gets watered is what is close to the garden and the trees.

The other advantage to the storm that blew through last night, is that it makes for incredible skyscapes over the lake. This is the view from the window by my cube . . .



By the way, my husband cut our "straw" for the first time in three weeks on Wednesday. It wasn't that the lawn overall needed cutting, it was that it looked like an old man's hair who leaves the weird tufts sticking up! Usually, this happens in August not July.