Yuck!

April showers snow storms bring.... 

mud!

The snow from our blizzard at the end of the month is all gone. We have had some beautiful spring-like days, with warm temperatures and sunshine. The Meadowlark has been sitting on the fencepost while I clean up the paddock. No easy task when much of it is a mire of mud!

And, we are expecting rain. We are all thrilled!

In the Jungle

We are going green....

Our grass is green. 

The pasture is green. 

The trees are green. 

I live in an area that isn't normally very green, and it is amazing to see how things look after almost a week of rain, on top of a rainy/snowy spring. Mr. Dreamy's new weather station indicates that we have had 2.5 inches of rain in May (all of 11 days), and 4.5 inches since it was installed some time after April 1. That's a lot of water for an area that normally gets 15.24 inches of precipitation a year!

Our grass is growing, and with the wet ground and water/snow falling from the sky we haven't been able to mow. It's a jungle out there!

Elephant exits grass jungle to cross glacial snow

left over from Mother's Day storm. 

Notice the sad day lilies in the background.

Their height was somewhat compromised by our  9" of wet snow!

Things are growing so well that one community issued citations and threatened fines for not mowing lawns! The story is available on 9news.com: http://on9news.tv/1Pq0eYb.

Crazy weather...

Perhaps this week we will be able to take care of our own little jungle!

Rain, Rain...

I was wishing for rain. 

That would mean I wouldn't have to water the grass. 

Right?

"... and the rain, rain, rain came down, down, down..."

Now I'd like to rescind my order, please? 

Pretty please?

Although I live in an area that is in the 'flash flood watch', I have not been impacted by flooding. 

I don't live near a river and I live near the top of a ridge. 

I'm lucky.

Some areas of Colorado are experiencing terrible flooding.

Boulder has had over 9" of rain since the storm began on Wednesday.

This, in an area that normally gets 20"-24" of precipitation in a year!

This is 'downtown' Lyons.
Lyons is an island, for now.

Lyons, CO
source

Hwy 7 West of Lyons

source

All streets in and out of Lyons are now closed.
They are blocked, or cut, or bridges are threatened.

Flooding in Estes Park, CO


source

Estes Park, CO
Denver Post

Estes Park is practically an island.

One of the roads leading to Estes Park has washed out. Others have landslides and debris blocking the roads. The only road that remains open (as I write this) is the Trail Ridge Road through the Rocky Mountain National Park. This is the highest paved road in the US. It does not remain open once snow flies.

Commerce City

Rain is filling numerous water reservoirs and to keep them from overrunning their banks, or washing out the dams, water is being released, which compounds the problems 'down stream'.

Near Broomfield, CO

Rain is still falling, and is expected to continue through midday tomorrow. I hope that folks stay safe.

Hobby Horse Blog Hop - Week 28: Then the Rain Came

Rain, rain, I'm glad to say

You came to visit us today!

We had over an inch of rain yesterday - it was so very exciting! OK, my friends from SC can stop laughing at me! I know, an inch is a drop in the bucket for you! But, we haven't had more than a tenth of an inch of rain at any one time since the beginning of June. Our pastures have been reduced to dried out stubble and dust. It will be interesting to see if any of the grasses recover.
Our neighbor's paint horses enjoyed the cool air and the mud. Mr. Dreamy reported that when they were let out of the barn, he saw them bucking and kicking as they ran down the hill.  Then.... they rolled! They are now sporting lovely mud coats. Yuck - glad I don't have to brush them!

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Hobby Horse Blog Hop Prompts - Week 28:




What do you like to do on a rainy day?
Is there a favorite food you enjoy in the fall?
How do you manage your horses on a rainy day?


My answers:




1. If I have the opportunity, I love to sleep in with the sound of rain on the roof. But, that rarely happens - sleeping in AND the rain! And, for me, 'sleeping in' means staying in bed past 7:00 AM. Another option is to watch a movie on TV or read a good book. Today I spent some time working down in the basement - we haven't organized furniture or unpacked down there since we moved a year ago. I think it is time to do something with that space!






2. I love pumpkin spice anything!






3. My horses had the freedom to go where they wanted to go in just about all weather. I have a paddock which has an opening into a run-in area in the barn. Each of my two stalls has an opening into the run-in area. So, horses can go into the stalls, stand in the run-in area, or venture out into the rain. Many times they would be soaking wet, even having the chance to be under cover.



Summer 2011 - when we had grass in the pasture!

Which is Witch?

It's reining....

Not my picture... not my horse!

No! 

wait... 

I mean

It's reigning!

Not my picture.

No! 

that's not right....

It's raining!

There... I got it right!

It seems like we haven't had rain in months

but I guess we've had a bit here, 

and a bit there. 

Not enough.

A quick 'flash in the pan' type of storm. 

But most storm clouds have passed us by.

This evening we have enjoyed a nice, slow drizzle.

The sound of rain on the roof is so soothing.

The chill of the storm is refreshing.

The smell of moist earth is heavenly.

Ahhhh.....

The Power of Positive Thinking

We haven't had rain since the beginning of July. Well, a drop here and a drop there. But not enough to wet the ground. We've had storms go to the south of us. And there are storms that go to the north of us. 

But nothing here.

We often see dense, purply black clouds,
and even beautiful rainbows east of us. 

But nothing here!

We sit on our porch and enjoy watching
Mother Nature's fireworks shows. 

We get to watch rain fall in the distance.

But not here!

Perhaps if I put up a post about rain...

And think positive thoughts...

Maybe we'll get some rain here!