You will never guess what happened yesterday?
The air changed, the molecules felt different to me.
Clouds rolled in.
I could taste it, rain would come.
I could feel it.
The news said "don't hold your breath."
I knew they were wrong.
After months of being in sun so hot, twice a day out there in a big hat, keeping my garden alive, I knew, I knew rain was on the horizon. I knew it.
Matty knew it too.
Of course, it is monsoon season after-all.
🙂
Here's the thing about monsoon season.
It can rain one street away from you, and never on your street.
Last year was not a plentiful monsoon.
So, I practically got on my knees and prayed.
Please please pleeeeeeeease, please……
Then we heard a roar two streets away, one street away, a few feet away….
Rain drops, huge ones, Mister Lovee and I looked at each other, as we literally heard the rain approach us.
Amazing.
Plunk, plunk, plunk.
THANK YOU!
And so, to show my appreciation, I took off my shoes and stayed in the rain. So did the pups.
It rained from about 1:15 to 2:15.
Stopped, and then came back in the late afternoon with strength.
Even the power went out.
Rain and dark skies.
Yumm.
Yumm.
YUMM!
We had not had rain in so long, that I can't even remember when it was?
In Winter?
I don't know.
A long time ago.
Running around in the rain, through giant bushes, the ground puddles full of warm water from the earth's heat.
It was pretty magical.
It was like being so thirsty for so long, that you don't think you can go on anymore, and then, WATER!
I can't describe it.
What a great 4th of July.
With guitars playing, Hebrew Nationals on the barbecue, and deviled egglettes…
Accented with society garlic flowers.
Flowers that taste like garlic, but are not garlic, delicious! My neighbor gave me a huge hunk of the plant in spring, and I separated it into several places and now have oodles of it everywhere. The boys loved the tale of edible garlic flavored sweet flowers. A hit!
It drizzled while I slept too.
I know some of you get lots of rain, and long for sun.
But, 100+ degree sun for months without rain, is really intense. It makes me feel for the troops out in the heat, in all their gear. Makes me feel for them so.
I can tell you one thing, the earth is buzzing with happiness today…
There are so many bees and beautiful bugs doing their jobs, it's astounding. Poor little guys needed a cup full of water too 😉
I have 5 hearty pumpkin patch areas, and two are younger than the main patches (main patch was planted in March), so there are a whole flurry of squash blossoms today in the newer patches. Must run out and pick some as soon as the bees have collected their pollen…
I love this big furry black bee.
Is he a bee?
I am not sure.
Maybe not.
But he is so cute, and follows me around the garden. Or at least, I like to think he does…
He is filling his belly up… Miam Miam!
I wonder if he scares the little bees. He is dinosaur sized compared to the other bees.
The morning after a good rain…
Which means, for the 1st time in 5 months, I didn't have to water.
I planned to sleep in.
But, of course, I was up with the sun.
And now, I am off to clean up the mud of lovely paws, left as a memory of the puddles.
Yay!
What fun!
😉
Love, V
I’m so glad you got some liquid refreshment for your garden, some that you didn’t have to supply yourself! We could use some rain, too. Society garlic flowers–such a nice name for those pretty purple devilled egglette garnishes! Enjoy your day off from watering. Go create. : )
Vanessa:
The rain sounds delicious. Boy, we could use some rain right now, too. This intense wave of heat has just about burned all my Sweet Peas out.
I believe your big, black, giant of a bee is what we always refer to as a “Carpenter Bee”. And…I do believe they sting, so be careful. They feast on my Morning Glory blossoms and if they feel at all threatened by me, they won’t hesitate to dive bomb!!
Well…if I can’t have any rain, at least you’ve shared yours with me. Just reading about it made me feel a bit cooler and hydrated.
Love Always:
Kim
Gerushia’s New World
You are one of the few people (I imagine) who would be praying for rain on the 4th of July! I’m thrilled your prayers, pleas, were answered. Summer rain, especially once it starts getting hot and dry, is such a blessing. And there is something very mystical about it, or at least I think so. That is probably the combination of growing up in a farming community where the right amount of rain was essential and also reading so many stories over the years where the need for rain played a big part in the lives of the characters.
We are entering our typically dry season and I am crossing my fingers for some regular rain throughout it, but not so much that it continues the flooding that is happening all around.
I am so so jealous of your rain. We DO get our fair share in Texas but not in a while. I’m desperate to sit on the balcony and watch the clouds roll in. Desperate, I tell ya!!!
So glad you enjoyed your drizzly 4th!!!!!
Glad it has finally rained in AZ. We are traveling about this summer and will not be there for the “monsoon season”.
Hugs,
Jo
Vanessa, how lucky to get that rain. We are so HOT & DRY here in Texas so I feel your pain. LOVE your blog. Such Magic! Enjoy your new little cottage. Can’t wait to see more about it. Charlene
Oh Miss V, I was sooo happy too! Our power also went out, but unfortunately not late enough to need to use candles. It was still fun though. I LOVE the monsoons!! It is nice to feel that humidity in the air and get some rain. And I would rather watch lightning than fireworks any day!
I remember your video a couple of years ago of you walking in the rain. I love that heavy thundery rain. It was hot here today-but we do not get the months without rain that you do.
That black bee is strange-I have not seen one like that before. x
It is so lovely that you had rain…so refreshing…probably a bit humid too, no doubt.
We get about 12 inches of rain here in the central valley… which is not much rain either. It is in the 90’s today with a steel gray sky…I don’t know if it will rain or not…I would love it if it does!
Oh! I made a carrot cake out of the basic one you posted…except I didn’t add raisins but added 3/4 cup of flaked coconut, and when I added the eggs I separated them and added the yolks first, then I beat the egg whites in a mixer until firm peaks appeared, and folded that into the entire cake mixture at the last. It made the cake lighter in texture and was it ever yummy! I also only used one package of cream cheese, the cube of softened butter, and about a box and a half of powered sugar for the frosting…it turned out scrumptious!
Thank you!
hugs,
Miss Teresa
Hi Vanessa, We have ah more rain than sunshine…Today is beautiful but, maybe rain tomorrow.
I love your deviled eggs and platter. The platter is so much fun.
I hope you had a great 4th.
O! I’m so glad God watered your garden for you! You have SUCH a lovely yard with all your growing spaces and creative spaces… thanks for sharing your lovely life with us! and ship some of that hot sun up to northwest washington, won’t you? purple garlic-y wishes to you!
Oh yay for you all getting some rain Ms. Vanessa!! And those deviled eggs…oh my…I love me some good deviled eggs! I usually put olives on top of mine, but how fun are those edible flowers…I want some, tee hee! I looked for you out of the plane window, and I’m pretty sure I saw you and your pretty little compound 😉 😉
Jamie 🙂
Your garden pictures make me happy:)
Glad you got the rain. We had rain yesterday, too.
Your eggs look so pretty.
so awesome for you and everyone in your area! we’ve had a lot of rain of late, and the days leading up to the 4th, we had on and off T storms. I love T storms and always have. I even wrote a poem about them (it is actually mild erotica–Tee hee, and has been published in a few places..not for $$ though )
I am very happy for you! We being purveyors of fresh eggs for most of our married life (have no chickens at the moment) LOVE, LOVE, LOVE frsh eggs and especially deviled eggs, though, fresh eggs are very hard to peel compared to store bought ones, as I am sure you also are aware.
I am in absolute LOVE with that chicken egg dish of yours (as I love chickens and roosters period) May I ask you where you got it?
and those flowers are so cool, never even heard of them. (and we are of the gardening type) If you are able, do you think you could share a small plant or 2…perhaps next season even?
I am still visiting some of the tea parties in between other stuff, but at least I am approaching the end.
AND… you are right, many of US can tell when rain is coming. I could always smell it, really even as far back as I remember as a youngster. That still works, but my best indicator sadly are my knees.
A simple rule of thumb, if the barometer number is dropping, that is a sign of precipitation coming.
Hugs to you my wet friend, enjoy it while it lasts!
Susan
Hurray for rain!!!! I am so happy that you received such a great gift for your garden. Thanks for sharing your 4th. We have deviled eggs, too. I made them but I don’t eat them! LOL Isn’t that too funny? I don’t even taste them – my hubby does and gives the approval! We had a nice relaxing day. And I’m glad you did, too. Aren’t bees just amazing? I love watching them so hard at work in the flowers. They don’t even notice you’re there watching them and trying to take photos! 🙂 I hope you enjoy a most beautiful week, dear friend! 🙂 xoxo
HOOOORAY for RAIN!!! I’m thrilled for you and the bees and flowers!! YIPEEEEEE!
Definately been dry in your neck of the woods….er… desert. In fact you’ve had only 1/2 inch of rain since Christmas, until this week, of course, and humidity down to 3%. Can’t hardly imagin that. Must be kinda what a cookie feels like in the oven. Enjoy your lovely monsoon. Tasty lookin’ eggs, by the way.
So glad the precipitation decided to give the garden a visit. It has been extremely dry here too. I so wish I could come spend the night in your garden sometime. I truly think you might have fairies that live there ~ LOL!!
I love your garden..it is so beautiful!!! and all the awesome life (the bees) buzzing around it…it makes my soul smile when I read your post..:)
Yay for your rain. When something so rare, it is not an overstatement to say it is magical when it comes. For us on the coast of Maine, we’ve had a rainy couple of months, so we hold fast to those warm, sunny days when they come.
I love your garden. It’s wonderful how you’ve posted about it so much in your blog, but I think you should consider putting together a book proposal and sending it off to a publisher (you know, in all of your free time. 🙂 )
We’ve been experiencing a drought here in Houston and finally got some rain yesterday. Yay! Your garden is gorgeous.
Oh how I wish it would rain here. Though I am grateful to have only 100-102 degree temps as opposed to your higher ones.
Your garden is so very inspiring, Vanessa!
Ooh I just love that smell of rain on the air and sense that the mood is changing from hot lathargy to exciting drama… So glad you got to enjoy a little break from the heat. And I *love* your gnome: reminds me of Gnomeo & Juliet 🙂
So love the smell of dirt after a good rain (I hope & prayer you get more) and you gotta LOVE those bEes always buzzin around & spreadin some love around to the plants… from my point of view it truly looked like a honey of a day for you and the boyz ;O)
Hello Again, Dear Vanessa,
I’m still catching up on my blogging! I am so very, very glad you were able to have some rain in your lovely part of the world! I would have sent you buckets of ours sooner if I could have only figured out how!! But I think we might have bees of the same family or something!!! As I water my little flowers and herbs on the porch, there are HUGE bees that come around! I call them The Flying Hamsters! I let them do their work with the flowers before I come back around because they do important work, but because I would not want to run afoul of them! Did I mention they are HUGE???
Wishing you and your lovely family more and more of a lovely summer!
Betty
yes! our zucchini flowers get the little bees and the big black bees! I’m scared, but I have to stand still and not run away like I usually do, because they are so beautiful and purposeful. I tell you, we never had zucchini before, but they are wonderful. Big and fat! And all organic!
When we were in Sedona two years ago, it was monsoon season. There was even some hail! And we loved it. it kept things cool in mid July, and the skies filled with colors and lights and shadows and the rains were short and you could see them in one place and not the other… I’ll never forget how beautiful it was.
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