Friday and Saturday were absolutely glorious days in Central Texas. Beautiful blue skies, nice breeze, great temperatures.
The heat is gone. The 105-106 degree temperatures we had all summer had dissipated down to the mid-90's. Now, at long last we are in the 70-degree range.
We are also in the midst of what is classified as an extreme drought. Our rain levels have been bad for almost 2 years. Our lakes are all down, with our main lake (the one from which all the other lakes draw water, and the one from which we all draw our water - for drinking, watering the yard, cooking - everything) is way down.
This lake, called Travis, was down 50 feet from its “normal” point. We would be happy if we could get it back up to a “low average”. We had rain off and on for the last month or so, and we were thrilled. Unfortunately, those rains only served to get the parched ground saturated, and to refill some of our aquifers - but, all of it was necessary, and so we *were* thrilled, even if those rains didn’t refill our lakes.
Last week we had a couple of days of some real, soaking rain, and because the ground has had some relief, this rain actually *ran off*! That means it started to refill our lakes. Travis is now up 8 feet!! If we can get 20 more feet in there it will be at its low average.
Now, think about that. We had a couple of days of high volume rain, and it only raised the lake 8 feet. Think of how many days and days of rain it will take to get us back up to just “low average” (20 more feet). Then think how long it will be before we see our “normal” levels again (another 30 feet from there).
I’m telling you this is way worse than any drought I have seen here. It is tied with the worst drought on record, I believe. Drought like this is scary. Crops here have failed (expect cotton clothing, or anything cotton to go up in price, because Texas is the biggest cotton producer). Cattle have died, or been auctioned off before they could get into bad shape (expect the price of beef to go up).
Thank God we live in a country where bottled water, and food can be had at the grocery store (shipped in from other places). We are on water rationing here, and if we lived in an undeveloped country, we would all be starving and in dire straights. It is, therefore, a little scary to see our beautiful Central Texas landscape in this state.
I will not be complaining about rainy days for a long, long time. Even after the drought is relieved, I think I will re-adjust my thinking about what a “bummer” a rainy day can be.
In here I think there is a lesson on the adjustment of thought. How we can look at something we thought was a negative, or something which made us cranky, and turn it around to see how it might be a good thing - or, at the very least, a not-so-bad thing. I’ve been reading some good essays and books on this subject lately, and I’m connecting with it in light of this situation. This summer has made me pause and re-think.
There is such a thing as too much rain - rain which floods and kills. There are also far worse things than rainstorms and droughts. I’m not saying there aren’t terrible things which happen - things which tear you down. I’ve had my share of those things, for sure.
I’m saying the attitude of complaint may need to be modified. I know it does need modification in me. I am going to alter my attitude to something far more positive. It does not mean I will suddenly become stupid happy, grinning in the face of all adversity. It does mean I think there is some better attitude than the attitude of complaint. There is something above it - something more noble which does not involve whining, *or* idiotic grinning. It is a state of mind of much more positive thought.
It’s not a switch to turn on. It requires me to make a decision, and then do what needs to be done to make it stick. I’m more willing to do it - to make it happen - than I ever have been before.
I believe it starts with a memory of how bad things were, and the gratitude for the relief which came, and it builds from there.
On this beautiful, sunny day, with the temperatures so pleasant and the rain returning our landscape to something less severe, I am re-thinking my attitude. I’m going to “make hay” while this sun shines. I’m going to take the relief of this day, and the strength of mind which came with it, and use it to make an adjustment I hope will last into the rainy days, droughts and floods, and anything else which comes along to try and knock me down.
My friends, there is power in this.
Polla Filia,
J.F.
