The seasons in this area are becoming confused.
Do you remember last year? We were nearly swimming on my property. The lush green grass (got to do more mowing, damn it!) and the constant feeling of moisture in the air became annoying. We got sick of the rain. (Will I ever feel that way again!).
Then it stopped.
What relief!
A few sunny days and then suddenly we were in the heat of summer.
This last summer, when we should have got the rains and storms saw a very benign Mother Nature. No damaging winds, no lightening strikes and very little rain.
Then it became glaringly obvious that She had turned a nasty shade of Autumn, with no rain to speak of.
Then, before we could blink, Winter came in with a vengeance and the frosts were cruel. The whole area suffered from the lack of rain. The tanks needed replenishing, and the garden was feeling unloved and arid.
The vegetable garden struggled, some of the plants were burnt and wilted. The newly planted winter grasses didn’t stand a chance – and they turned brown and sad.
The weather bureau kept promising rain – but it passed us by. At one point a rain shower looked impressive – but the water didn’t even reach the ground. As I wrote this another shower began and lasted all of 2 minutes. There was not even enough to slip off the roof and into the tank.
It seems we are never happy with the weather – it is too wet, too hot, not wet enough, too cold, there’s global warming, there isn’t global warming. And the frost is too heavy.
I’m sure this, too, will pass.
And sure enough - Spring arrived with new hope - a little rain, a little flush of growth and then.....
Did Spring forget to give us balmy days, a sprinkle of rain here and there, an ability to plant new growth and watch it flourish?
Summer obviously decided to come early, pushed Spring aside and let us know that we can stay confused!!