Rain...either welcome or "go away."

Way back when our ancestors depended upon crops they raised, rain was part of the cycle of plowing and planting in the springtime.  It occurred to me when seeing a neighbor who lives up a steep slope scattering seeds on the slope yesterday...probably grass seed.  Not using anything but his hands and a bag under his arm. At any rate, everyone around here knew it was going to rain all weekend.

Well, my slightly gardening mind thought, "put seeds out before rain" is a good idea. Then I thought, they will all wash down that slope and not grow.  We'll see what happens.

This is a nice steady gentle rain this morning (Saturday.)  I finished my first cuppa coffee, put on raincoat and Nothinz (same as Crocs) plastic shoes and pushed up the umbrella and got in the car. Went past the closest coffee place, then my favorite one.  I was headed for breads...something freshly baked at the Tailgate Market.

In 8 minutes I was parked in the almost empty parking lot.  Then I saw the difference a little rain makes for the market...about 1/4 the number of tents were up...all huddled together.  And not many folks buying either.  The Mudbuddies were there! They were talking and keeping things slightly dry.  I walked by the egg people, and she was drying each egg in the carton.  I found a cinnamon roll, and paid the $3 price.  If I'd gone to a grocery and got packaged ones, I'd probably get 6 for that price.  But not whole wheat nor with local pecans.

I also bought some fresh-from-New-Bedford scalllops...they are shipped in a gallon can overnight.  They were on the ocean floor just days ago.  Yum. Tonight we have something with a white sauce and pasta...probably some cheese and sour cream in that sauce.  And butter.  I'll roast some garlic and asparagus and have some brown rice. Yes, today I am enjoying tastes.

So I am home here at computer, wiped the sticky sugar off my fingers, and have made fresh coffee.  I opened a door to the tapitap sound of rain hitting leaves and ground, and buildings.  Once I'm outside I hate the closeness of being inside without fresh air.  When I get up in the morning and its cool like this morning, I usually close my windows.  None of my neighbors are out so cars around here are all parked.

While I enjoy my present situation, I think of how flooding is probably happening from these very rains in other areas.  That is the harmful aspect of rain.  And yet many farmers chose (once upon a time I guess) to plant on river-bottom land.  These spring floods would leave the soil extra rich for crops.  And they were expected yearly.

When the Corps of Engineers built levies and dams all over, the floods were supposed to stop.  So the land didn't get replenished with natural nutrients, and when a flood did occur, it damaged homes and buildings built where the floods didn't go before these man-made structures existed.  I kid you not...some environmental scientists have said so. And look at all those photos on the news.  I lived in Houston TX for part of my life, and still have relatives there.  Drainage is a big problem on flat land with lots of concrete.

I am pretty neutral in feelings towards rain.  I am able to co-exist with it. Fortunately my home is safe, and as I just described, I can move about in it.  I wonder if my ancestors, in early American colonies and even before, in western Europe, knew which land was good to grow upon, which would be too marshy, and which made good pasture for animals.  Of course they did!  But I haven't a clue.