Wet Years

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For city dwellers, rain is a bad thing.  It's an inconvenience.  It coops your kids up indoors.  It seeps into your basement.  If it persists, it's even worse.  "Where's summer"?  people whine.  How awful, when we are hit with cold, rainy weather.

Even farmers complain when there's too much rain.  But dig a little deeper.  It's not too much rain, until they (farmer or city dweller alike) are personally affected.  When their fields flood.  When their basement fills with water.  Don't mistake me, my heart goes out to people who have their lives turned upside down by weather.  But so many things can do this to you.  Recession, border regulations, disease. 

Rain is life. 

It comforts me.  Yes, it seeps into my basement, and I miss the sunshine.  But growing up, I heard so many stories about the dust bowl.  And a friend of mine told me all about the drought in Saskatchewan a few years back, while it was happening.  The river near her house darn near dried up.  She told me about ruined farmers, about watching the clouds gather, letting your hope gather, only to have it scattered when the rain just doesn't come.  A professor at university told us similar stories and was overcome with emotion. 

What happens when there's no water?  

So I like wet years.  We had a few dry ones, but last year was wet.  Looks like this one is going to be wet too!

That was a long preamble, to a photograph that no longer seems relevant!  I'll include it anyways.  This is a photo of a flooded ditch.  Flooded ditches are great.  Lots of birds use 'em!  When it's also humid enough for mist, all seems right with the world. 

Taken near Hartney, Manitoba, July 31, 2005.  One of the last wet years.  2006, 2007 and 2008 were drier and drier.  2009 was a wet year.  And how!  Summer didn't arrive until September.  We had plenty of rain last year as well.  I love every drop.

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