April showers bring May flowers.
Well, it isn’t something we’re accustomed to, rain at the end of April, but this year? We are happy,happy, happy to have it. This morning I awoke to the tapping of the rain on the patio outside my sliding glass door. The smell of rain is amazing, isn’t it? And somehow, a spring rain smells fresher and cleaner than any other time of year.
The ground and tree crews all started Friday morning at the normal time, ready for a days work in the orchard. No one believed the weather forecast. Rain? On April 25, 2014? No way. And then it started, softly at first, but by 10:00 am, it was raining hard. Everyone working in the fields rushed in to clock out and go home. Everyone in the offices stood staring out the windows; it was raining. Huh.
This is good timing for the trees. There is no better irrigation than the rains that fall from the sky. These rains hold energy giving nitrogen in every drop. Ever noticed how your yard seems to come alive after a spring rain? The reason is the nitrogen. Your grass loves it, your bushes and flowers adore it and your trees practically dance with joy from it. At this time of year there is nothing the rains can hurt, it’s all good. So let it rain!
Next time it rains, take a moment to go outside and see what is happening in your yards and around your neighborhoods; it’s an amazing sight. Children delight in splashing through puddles, dogs chase raindrops falling from the clouds and kitties huddle under eves waiting for it to stop. Take a deep breath and remember the moment when it’s 105 degrees and everything is parched from the blistering heat. Enjoy the beauty the rains bring.
