Rain in July

In the State of Missouri, especially Southwest Missouri we do not normally get much rain; at least in large amounts.  In the past week we have been blessed with the wonderful drops from heaven.

Yesterday alone we got at least 3 inches of rain.  Since last Saturday evening (July 20) we have received 7 inches plus.  That is practically; notice I said practically; unheard of in July.  I am thankful.  Bless the Giver and Sovereign of rain.

It is wonderful to look out the windows of our house and no longer see dry, dying grass; needing to water the trees; but seeing green grass blooming Rose of Sharon shrubs, and other flowers growing.

It is a wonderful blessing to receive rain in July.

Thank YOU LORD.

-tim

Early Fall

It has been a week now that the Autumnal Equinox occurred.  We have received a little rainfall in the past week as well which is a real blessing.  It has, however, been quite some time since there has been any water flowing over the banks of Flat Creek.  It has been at least one and one half years since the Creek flowed over the banks.

With the rain we have received our yard has needed mowing, and  I have mowed some of it, but not all.  I am back to pushing a twenty inch push mower to mow my nearly three acres of grass.  That is hard to keep up with, especially when you have other things needing done.

I am thankful for the green grass.  It was such a drab to look across our yard and only see brown, dead grass lying on the soil.  The trees I planted and the “Rose of Sharon” shrubs, as well are doing well.  At least some of the trees are doing well.  I planted eleven poplar trees, and only six are surviving.  All twelve of the “Rose of Sharon” shrubs survive.  I watered them every morning during the century degree weather; which was nearly every day for a month here in our valley.  I watered them everyday even when it was not in the hundreds of degrees.  The tallest trees are about five feet tall now.  From maybe two feet to five.  Those that are five feet; at least two of them were cut back due to dog damage, yet they have out grown the others.

It will not be long and it will be Thanksgiving.  I try to make each day a day of thanksgiving; and I fear there are days I fail to be thankful.  May there never be another.

-tim

Planting Rose Bushes

Now, I do not know if “Rose bushes” is the proper description of what we were planting or not, but that is what my wife and I did on the fifteenth of this month.

I do not believe I have ever seen the soil so dry as it was.  I dug down to nearly a foot deep, and usually in May the soil is a bit sticky with moisture, but it was not on Tuesday.  It was dry, and in much need of rain.  Anyway we got the rose bushes planted; and where my wife wanted them.

We are struggling to keep some of our trees going.  With dogs chewing some of them off; then I come along and cut them off to get a clean cut.  One I have done this with was coming back really well, then I look at it one afternoon and the pup or something had dug it up, practically destroying it.  There was still a sprig of hope in the ground, so I filled the hole in, watered it and it still has a green sprig popping its way upward.

The Rose of Sharon shrubs I panted are doing very well.  Looking forward to when they will begin to flower.  I do not expect they will this Summer, maybe next year though.

It is pretty neat watching something you have planted grow upwards toward their Creator.

-Tim

In the Ground and Growing

At least I pray they are growing.  I am speaking of trees and shrubs I have planted on our near vacant acreage.  It has been pasture land for many years; until we moved our home onto it a year and one half ago.  We just got around to getting some trees planted.

Some of them look as though they will be fine, and take off in a growth spurt.  The trees are called “hybrid poplars” and are expected to grow speedily, and do not have a very long life span either.  But I wanted something that would provide shade in a few years for a few years.  I planted eleven of them, three Colorado Blue Spruce trees and a dozen Rose of Sharon shrubs.

I completed mowing the yard again today.  It had not been mowed in a couple of weeks, and you could really tell it.  It looks wonderful now.

I thought they were gone for the season, but while I was mowing the backyard a Bald eagle flew near the tree tops over Flat Creek.

-Tim