We often take for granted the little things in life. Those so very ordinary objects that we rarely even notice until they are no longer there. Such is the case of a lush green lawn that you use a mechanical lawnmower to maintain. My husband & I have lived in 6 different houses during our 10 years together. Only one house offered a private green lawn that required watering & bi weekly mowing. The remainder had a small apartment allotment or was seasonally green weeds that served as an animal feed source.
About 6 weeks ago, after much rototilling, raking & rock picking, we planted a lawn. We partitioned off the patio with wire panels, for the little cowboys to play on. The boys love to dig, excavate and make mud pies every chance they get. These were all detrimental to the growth of our new grass, so activity on the lawn portion was prohibited. Their “equipment” was relocated to a new dirt pile just beyond the yard fence. Nate spent days working on a sprinkler system to utilize the irrigation water from a nearby ditch. Then we diligently watered, watched & waited. We would admire all the growth, commmenting about the thickness, height, etc. Finally, it was time to test our success as sod farmers. The boys tuned up an old lawnmower, sharpening the blades. We officially got to mow the new lawn with great results. Both little cowboys were drawn to the fresh cut grass. They spent the next few hours wrestling, kicking balls and playing tag, soaking up the all the coolness the new lawn had to offer. We are so excited about the simple joy of having this little luxury and can’t wait to mow it again next week!
As you may have guessed by now, we are easily entertained. Nothing is more exciting for this desert family, than a dark rain cloud in July. There is much anticipation at the sight of black thunderheads forming on the skyline. Mixed emotions surge as we pray there is more moisture than lightening. Enough rain touching the parched ground to deter the sparks that accompany the lightening daggers. An official watch party is assembled under a sheltered area, waiting for any slight plume of smoke to appear. Range fires are a very serious matter in the desert. They can threaten both our livestock and livelihood if allowed to blaze out of control. Thankfully there is a local co-op of trained neighboring ranchers that have banded together as first responders on brush fires. This group has made a huge impact on the amount of local fire devastation, eliminating the wait time that comes with remote living.
Thankfully last week, the rain came. By the bucketfuls, it pounded the dry desert soil. It started with the usual strange winds that accompany a summer storm. The first system to hit came in the form of one inch hail, pelting every living thing. The hail piled up along buildings, resembling leftover snow banks. Then came the rain. In mere minutes, it looked as though a river had replaced our barnyard driveway. The water erupted as more rain fell from the sky, filling every low spot as if it were a pond. The storm tampered off, settling into a nice steady drizzle for several hours. The lightening with thunder came and went without any threat of fire.
We watched and waited for the weather to settle down. Thankfully the storm broke just as time for our evening chores arrived. We happily dug out our mud boots, dusty from lack of use these past weeks. I believe the biggest little cowboy danced in the new mud as he helped feed animals. The smell after a desert rain, the wet dirt and refreshed sagebrush, is incomparable to anything I know. It has the power to make you smile, inhaling in pure joy. We are certainly blessed for the moisture the storm brought, helping us along through the usual summer heat.