In this week’s Western View, Len Wilcox shares his experiences from the last few rain storms.
My daughter called me the other day, she was very excited – she’d seen a frog and a mosquito. Both of those things had not been seen around here the last few years, and they only came back because the rain was falling, seemingly in buckets around the state.
But really, it only seems to be in buckets. Rainfall amounts are above average, and it feels like a lot after these years of drought, but really, my rain gauge shows only about 9 inches of rain so far. Back east they’ve gotten that in one day. And I haven’t seen any frogs yet myself, though I’m looking forward to their return – my place used to be swarmed with those tiny tree frogs, and I miss them.
It’s been interesting to watch the ground change with the rains. At first the water was absorbed slowly, like the ground was reluctant to accept the gift of moisture after being so dry so long.
But now, several months into our rain season, the ground is drinking it all in just like it used to, and the water is welcome. El Nino is still ahead, perhaps not arriving until later in February or maybe March, and we’ll see what that delivers.
It’s the unusual nature of California rain – the fact we get it all in one season — it reminds me how California’s weather is so different than everyone else’s. This is the time of year I like to post pictures on my Facebook page for my eastern family to see. I only put up the pictures with bright sunshine and people outside in shirtsleeves – with no jackets in sight – those folks back in cold country don’t need to know any different. Where they are, there is snow and cold and misery, with the bright days of spring still months away. We’re about to have bud break and very soon we’ll have the gorgeous floral displays of the orchards. Days like that, you got to love California.
I’m Len Wilcox, and that’s the Western View from AgNet West.