the never-ending winter

You know how I’m always lamenting the passing of time? How quickly it goes? Well, I’m here to tell you, today, Thursday, March 23, that isn’t the case for this week. It feels like the week is crawling.

I guess that’s okay, since I do usually find the days flying faster than I prefer, but I’m chomping at the bit for this cold, rainy winter to be OVER. DONE. FINI. In the rearview mirror! How do those of you who live in cold, rainy climates do it? Day in, week after week?

I see photos from years past, taken in late March, and I’m wearing spring clothes. Ha! Not this year. I’m still wearing those warm knits. I’m still getting out hooded sweatshirts and coats. My rainboots sit out, day after day.

My car hasn’t been to the carwash since last September when I got the summer grime cleaned off and the exterior waxed.

The patio still has all of the winter muck and grime on it as it’s been too cold to use the power washer.

It’s making me depressed. Terry mentioned that I’ve always had a problem with gray winter days. True, but for this long? Usually I shake off the sadness when we have a few days with sunshine. Those have been few and far between. So much so that I have recorded the sunny days on my Instagram page so I can go there and imagine what the day could be.

I am grateful for the heater (which is running right now on our 55 degree morning). Thank God for hot water and lamps and warm beds. I am thankful that our home has not flooded nor trees or fences blown down. All of these have happened in our city.

If you watch any news from California, you have probably seen the high waters covering nearby towns and the farmland surrounding them in the San Joaquin Valley. Farmworkers have lost their home and their job. And this is before the snowmelt coming in May and June. One leader of a small community that produces food for the world has said they will be dealing with runoff until August. And that’s when harvesting should be taking place. Be prepared for very high food prices and shortages.

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First Monday in November

Rain is in the forecast for this week, the first full week of November, a good time for rain to begin and hopefully continue through till spring.

Because we are in desperate need of rain, there is no complaining about the wet, slick roads and the rain that makes outdoor work more difficult. My plan for today is to get the standing fans back to the storage unit. But, you know, if it’s raining…

There is a meeting at 4 for the church’s preschool board. This is my fourth year on the board and I don’t feel well equipped to serve, but I try to show up and be an encouraging voice for the hard work that is being done there. Right now, I’m concerned that we are looking at dollars and cents rather than ministry. After coming through the past two years, still operating, still standing, I cannot imagine thinking about making a hasty decision on closing. There is money in the bank, but it’s a fiscally conservative finance board on the church’s side that is attempting to call the shots. We must stand together, and stand firm.

Speaking of church, we had a lovely stewardship luncheon yesterday, kicking off stewardship pledge month. Large turnout for a barbecued chicken meal. Attendance has been increasing in the Sunday service, too, as people are coming out of the shadows and seeing that we are still standing, still functioning, We have visitors who I greet and many tell me they come for the peaceful calm services with the beautiful music. A drastic contrast to the outside world. It’s something people are hungry for, away from the tumult of political rhetoric and economic uncertainty. There is no rhetoric or uncertainty with God.

The election on Tuesday will either calm or stir up the marauding throngs who are determined to have their way over the way society is lived here in America. I am praying for calm acceptance of whatever may happen.

A good thing?

…or too much of a good thing?

Rain. Lots of rain has fallen in California the past three days. We need the rain, and especially snow on the mountains. There has been snow falling, too, making the ski slopes happy places. 

Farmers are breathing easier, not only for the water but also for the colder temperatures. Trees and vines need low temperatures to help them hibernate and store up energy. 

So, what’s MY complaint?  Freeway travel in a downpour is not fun. Terry and I left the Bay Area shortly after 6 this morning so as to beat the traffic and be able to get home in time for a meeting. 

We made good time getting home to find a small lake in the backyard. 

  
So much rain in a short amount of time–over one inch. It just needs to soak in. We really need all of it. 

The lights came on against the dark, stormy day. 

 

Made it hard to leave my cozy house and head out in the rain to the meeting. But I went as the group is making preparations to return to Good News Club next week. We’ve been off since Thanksgiving so we have to review materials and our roles. I enjoy working with this team. While we were meeting, the sun came out. No more rain until Friday. 

Sunday after the rain

There was quite the downpour here on Saturday morning. The backyard looked a bit like a pond for awhile with all the rain coming down from sky and downspouts. By afternoon, the sun was shining through the clouds and the water had all disappeared. We got .69 of an inch. Certainly not enough to end the drought, but enough to keep the sprinklers turned off for a few days and to settle the dust.

I actually drove across town yesterday in the pouring rain, something that is rare as of late. Driving in the rain has never been something I enjoy and since I’ve retired, and then with the drought, there has been little need to do so. The Good News Club organization, Child Evangelism Fellowship, was having its annual luncheon, a wrap-up for this current school year. Although this weekend seems to have so many activities crammed into, including the big Clovis Rodeo, the event still pulled in over 200 people. Tuesday will be the last Good News Club session for the year for my group. We will have a pizza party for the kids along with a review of the last six lessons. Many of our loyal attenders will be moving on to other schools next year.

The sun is shining brightly this Sunday morning and the yards still look well watered. I have a since of relief just knowing that the ground is damp. The air is clean, also, which may help with people’s allergies. We have all been sniffling and snuffling what with the dust, pollen, and bugs. Benadryl tablets and cream have been my companions this past week.

Terry and I were up very early as we are attending a six-week new members’ class at our new church. This morning’s class is meeting a bit earlier than usual as we will be combining with another class meeting on the church campus. Our teacher, the senior pastor, will be teaching the other class today as that teacher will be giving the sermon at a sister church in town. Sort of a musical chairs of pastors.

 

People who live in dust bowls…

…have to dust their furniture more often.

Due to the lack of rain, less watering, and increased wind, we are living in a dust bowl. I can dust one day and the next day every surface is covered with a fine film of the stuff.

Did I mention that I hate to dust? It is the most despised of all the household tasks around here. Fortunately, Terry runs the vacuum cleaner quite often which helps somewhat with the dust, but when I come into the living room, with the sun blazing in and lighting up the dust specks on the glass top tables, I know it’s time to get the dusting cloths and get to work. That was this morning.

Then there is the patio. It has always been hard to keep clean, but with the winds we’ve been experiencing, I am fighting a winless battle. I will sweep the patio and it will look good for a couple of hours. Then the winds start blowing in the afternoon and the dirt and leaves come sailing back in. There was a reprieve for a few days and I was just beginning to think I could sweep again and it would look good, but no, the winds whipped up overnight and now I have leaves out there again. I’m in no hurry to get the broom out and do that task knowing full well that there is a slight forecast for rain later this week. We may not get the rain, but the wind will blow.

Think I’ll just do a load of laundry before I head off to Good News Club. I feel like I accomplish something when I do laundry. Not so much with that dusting.

 

Torrential downpour

No, not really, but one would think that was what we got if you read the local Facebook posts on Sunday. It sprinkled early Sunday morning and again Sunday evening, leaving the downtown area with a few puddles. This picture was in Monday’s Fresno Bee Residents were so overjoyed at the least bit of precipitation that they called it RAIN. My parents would have called it sprinkles. However, the big news is that the precipitation we did get tied a record for the date–.18 of an inch. Like I said, torrential downpour!

An addendum: Monday’s weather is a glorious 82 degrees of fabulous sunshine. Terry decided it would be a good day to clean the rain gutters so as to be ready for the next torrential downpour.

The continuing saga of California’s drought

Although Governor Brown demanded a 20 percent decrease in water usage, most of California has done very little to conserve water.

Fresno somehow managed to decrease its usage by 25 percent, but that’s still not enough to stem the diminishing of the aquifer that we rely on so heavily for our pumped water supply.

Therefore, our watering days are being cut from three to two beginning August 1. Fines and penalties will be levied against those who insist on using water in wasteful ways.

Our yard refuses to grow flowers so we have hardy shrubs and trees in the front and back yards that should be okay in the short term. The front lawn will probably not do too well. There is no lawn in the backyard to even consider.

There is still optimism that next winter will be a rainy one. I’m not so sure. The world is being turned upside-down. God is in charge and He reminds us of that fact when He withholds water or sends it in an overabundance. We have no say in the matter except to give thanks each day for His blessings. Too many have forgotten to say ‘thank you.’

Sweet November 21-shoes

As I have written before, I have lots of shoes. So many shoes that the boxes fill two closets. So many shoes that I have a rule now: no new shoes without disposing of a pair of old shoes. Makes me think long and hard about buying more.

I am vigilant about cleaning and reboxing shoes after I wear them. Sometimes, though, I will wear the same few pair over a period of days just to keep from putting them away. Such is the case with the shoes in the photo.

I wore the brown Coach tennies on Saturday and Monday. The black patent loafer on Sunday. It rained last night so the loafer really needs to be put away as it can’t tolerate wet weather.

The purple shoe on the left was worn Tuesday when I taught an afterschool Bible class. I’m wearing it again today as it can handle some dampness. If it was raining hard I would wear my boots. But you notice they aren’t out of a box, just sitting there. It’s not raining today.

Shoes are fun. I’m glad I have a large selection from which to choose.

Greetings from sunny California

Not

The date is June 4. The average temperatures for this time of year are lows in the 60s, highs in 90s. It’s not happening this year, and today it is raining.

The view from the front porch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was cloudy yesterday, but today we have rain, not a brief shower, but rain all morning and what looks like all afternoon. Glad we aren’t invited to an outdoor wedding today.

Maybe we could huddle under a tree to stay dry.

The work to be done between the storms

It has been a stormy few days here in California. The whole state has been doused with plenty of rain and there are piles of snow for skiing in the mountains. Should make for some good Christmas fun if you like to strap sticks to your feet and sail down a steep cliff. As for us, I think we need to stay in Fresno and clean up the yards.

Here is a picture of my backyard last spring: 

As of this morning, it looks like this:

The mulberry tree in the front yard is almost bare. During the three weeks I was in San Francisco it dropped all of its golden leaves on the lawn, walkway, and shrubbery. It’s rather pretty, but a little dangerous on the front walk:

Today is clear but more storms are forecast for later in the week. At least we didn’t have a whole shrub come down like our next door neighbors. Leaves and branches are a little easier to clean up and there isn’t quite the sense of urgency. We are also grateful that we have no flooding here nor is our roof leaking, problems that many of the surrounding communities and homes are facing.