Sprinkle yesterday

It cooled off nicely, and sprinkled enough to wet the ground, and to whet my appetite for some real rain. After such a bitterly cold February, followed by endless drought and heat, just having it cool and damp seems heavenly. Birds are plentiful, and amazingly there are quite a few juveniles. Was surprised to see a male Orchard Oriole.

Here are some of the birds hanging around the feeders.

Painted Bunting

I tried to post the preceding yesterday, but was having computer problems. The technician came out this morning to fix it right at the same time my husband came from Alpine to clean some more dried silt from the tank. So I had to leave the tank project and go to the house with the computer guy. It was scary leaving my husband alone with the tank. After the computer guy left, I rushed to the tank to see what was left of my gambusias floundering in mud, trying to survive. When Hugh takes out the mud, he scoops water with it, gambusias and all. I rushed to the lodge and bought some water and put it on the poor things. Some have survived but millions were probably lost. OK, hundreds. Here are some photos of what I found when I got down there. He dumped the muck where I had told him to put the dried stuff. (He wasn't supposed to get into the muck because it stirs things up too much and destroys too many gambusias.)

I can tell you what he was thinking. He was thinking to get as much out of the tank as he could. Get it clean. He figures the gambusias will die anyway. But I'm thinking, keep as many of them as possible alive so when it does rain the mosquitoes won't be as bad. I'm thinking a little mud in the pond is worth it to keep more gambusias alive.

If I had gotten the 3 inches of rain that fell a few miles from here yesterday, I wouldn't be having this conversation with myself. All my tanks would be full and mosquitoes and gambusias would be multiplying like crazy. Ah, well, I try not to take life too seriously. That ridge of mud is left in the tank because I wasn't there to shovel it into the loader bucket. Tomorrow I'll shovel it into my 5 gallon bucket and haul it out. Thought I'd let it dry a bit first so it'll be lighter. Probably about 10 buckets full. No rain in the forecast, but you never know.....

Speaking of plagues, I wonder how many more are in store for me. Haven't had the insect plague yet. Had the drought, cold, wind, heat, and deer plagues. Still lack the hail plague, but that usually comes with rain, so can't get that one yet. Deer. They descended on my oasis and stripped everything they could reach. Most trees had long ago been pruned up above their reach, but bushes and new trees were vulnerable. Also the apricot tree. I hadn't pruned it up because they never bother it and I like to be able to reach the apricots. Not that the birds ever leave me any, but in my optimism and all. So they pruned it up for me. I know the lower branches they stripped would eventually grow new leaves, but I went ahead and pruned them all off. To reward my pitiful tree, as I lopped, I promised it a good soaking with the sprinkler, no less. I kept my promise.

 Rain west of here today. Was to the north yesterday.

Another day in..............West Texas!