Wednesday, January 14, 2009

How Dry I Am


Whenever I think about the rain and the snow and think there's been too much, I think of this sight. It's Little Fish Lake Provincial Park just east of Drumheller, Ab.
It's a lovely spot on the open prairie. It's surrounded by farmland and you're just as likely to hear a coyote howl as a steer low, and often they sing together in glorious praise to the westering sun.
But as you can see there's not much left of the lake. That's the boat launch in the foreground, I suppose there was a time when the water came right to it. I wish it still did.
So now when I shovel snow or go check the basement to see if water has seeped in I think of this lake and I hope it is getting the benefit of the storm.

14 comments:

the Bag Lady said...

Excellent point, dfLeah! I think of our pasture crackling underfoot, and the reduced yield in our hayfields, and hope that all this snow will actually soak in when it melts!

Leah J. Utas said...

Thanks, dfBag Lady. I hope so too.

Penny said...

Good reminder that every cloud does have a silver lining - even if it's not OUR silver lining...

TA x

Leah J. Utas said...

That's it, TA. Everything's good for somebody or something.

Tom Rooney said...

Do I see a longing for the change of season? I sure hope that lake gets the snow run off it needs.

Leah J. Utas said...

I'm not bored with winter yet, Tom. But long about March I'll be aching for spring.

Crabby McSlacker said...

I KNOW I should try appreciate wet weather... there's a drought in California, yet I'm still secretly happy with the sunny weather and cranky when it rains.

Bad crab!

Leah J. Utas said...

It's natural to be happy with sunshine, Crabby. We can't help ourselves.
But I sure hope that drought gets sorted out soon.

Reb said...

I keep telling myself, that winter and snow are good for the earth and maybe we got enough cold for long enough to get rid of the Pine Beetle that is devastating our forests. It doesn't make me like it anymore though.

Leah J. Utas said...

Ah, the venerable pine beetle.I was hoping we could do that little scamp in but I don't think it's been cold enough.

I want a normal winter so we can have a normal summer. It's a simple dream.

Thomma Lyn said...

What a beautiful photo. I love the photo in your previous post, too.

I hear you on the drought. We've been in terrible drought conditions. Lately we've gotten quite a bit of rain, which helps, but we're talking several years of severe drought, and that's cumulative and can't be reversed in a season, no matter how rainy.

Leah J. Utas said...

Thank you, Thomma Lyn. I didn't know about your drought. I'm sorry to hear it.
Severe drought takes years to rectify, but we've got to start somewhere.

Barbara Martin said...

The snow protects the ground from the cold. If the ground freezes too deeply it affects the tree roots.

Have those two weeks of rain in the first part of June disappeared completely?

Anonymous said...

You'll be happy to know that the lake is slowly filling back up. It's noticeably deeper than your photo from 4 years ago.