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| Jack Russel Maud: Basking |
We’re all at it.
Basking.
The dogs, the chickens, the pigeons. the moorhen. Not in the same place I hasten to add –that would be a miracle. But we are all enjoying the sunshine and warmth after a few cold grey days.
But I am worried.
I love the sunshine, don’t get me wrong, it’s just that we are in a drought area and while it may be glorious today I am concerned that in a few months’ time it will look more like the Navarro Desert out there.
I am not looking forward to it. It was bad enough last year with me spending up to 3 hours a night watering the newly planted hedges and trying to keep the vegetable plot alive.
This year we already know that we have a hosepipe ban starting on April 5th – just in time for Easter.
So I am strategically planning and I can add another 10 water butts to the 8 we already have round the barn. I dread to think of the capital outlay but in order to keep my precious plants alive I think it will be worth the investment. It is going to be a lot of hard work fitting everything and then praying for a little rain.
If we don’t get the rain then I’ll just fill the butts up with water from the condenser in my drying machine the washing up bowls and of course the bath. I had better change my cleaning liquids to organic ones so my plants don’t die when I use the water.
I am trying to think ahead.
While trying to remember the Drought of 1976.
I am that old.
I do remember it being very hot. Hot all day and hot all night.
I remember having to share baths and having a plumb line which we couldn’t go over.
I remember going to the seaside.
I remember the great big cracks in the ground and everything drooping and being brown.
The ponds and rivers drying up and the dead fish.
As I said I am not looking forward to it….but damn me I am going to be prepared!
5 comments:
You story is about as horrid (perhaps more) than what we are experiencing on the Canadian prairies. Less-than-usual snow; spring runoff well below normal. We could be in for a dry year, here, too.
Gosh yes, I'd forgotten the big cracks in the ground.
My lawn is still absolutely soaking despite the lovely weather. Hard to think of your corner being so dry.
Isn't it nuts! Can't believe we're getting a flipping hosepipe ban in our part of the country... like Suburbia, our ground is still soaking!
My husband gets a kick out of the fact that every Brit over 40 cites 1976 as that really hot year. But it was wasn't it? One thing I remember was that anything made of tarmac melted. I walked through a car park (or something) and didn't realise till I was halfway through that my shoes were actually sticking to the ground. Ruined they were.
I remember that too - walking along where once there had been a river, and being able to get to the island in the middle of the cracked desert.
I'm not far from you, and my soil is dry and sandy. It rained yesterday, but today when I was gardening it had already lost all moisture. I am watering my very sunny front garden and mulching it with deep layers of bark bit by bit before the 5th, I hope I can get it all done in time. I have spent a small fortune on plants, it's hard enough trying to get them to stay alive as it is.
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