May Rain & Then Some!!

 "Rain in the spring is as precious as oil."...Chinese

Just when you've had enough, life gives you more and just when you think it has rained enough, it starts to pour.

Wow! What an exciting afternoon and evening!  Thankfully, days ago, I cleaned out the rain gutters remarking to my hubby that "just in case we do get the forecasted rain"

Yesterday (2 days later) we had rain mostly all day and then we had a deluge!! The court yard has no gate and the drainage needs a bit of work. The water didn't get as high as the patio, but close.

Don't forget to click on the picture for larger view.
 

I think that all in all we got close to 5 inches.  It came down so hard that a wall of water headed for the house. We are on an incline, not really a hill.  There is ½ an acre up there.  We haven't had this kind of rain in years and years.  I'd like to think that this means no hot, dry, windy days ahead. I'd like to think we would have good rain all summer. I'd like to think that.....I know we are in for another drought summer.
 

 
 

 This is the court yard area I am trying to "prettyfy". It is also the bird feeder haven. The large disk is filled with sand that the birds use all the time. Now filled with water. The smaller round is my watering arrangement for the birds.  A bit of gravel in the bottom, deep enough that when I add water,  they can stand in it and bathe.   
                                                                                        
  This area is at the "higher" end of the garden. The water was 4" deep and found an exit and flooded the path on the way to the court yard.
 

This is the front of the house at the lower portion of our yard. The water was flowing through on the way to the driveway.
This is the bed I worked on earlier and am now transplanting into.
The rose bush by the white peg is all that remains of the "other side" of the
"moat" that allowed this type of heavy water flow to pass through without drowning all the flowers. I have let all but the rose bush go back to nature.

This morning, 52° cloudy and windy, I cleaned out the debris and a lot of leaves and mast. The rush of water deposited piles of leaves and mast.  When it dries, it will all blow away at some point.  Needless to say; I appreciate the rain but not the cleanup.

I have a pretty good idea of what people living on a river or creek deal with when banks overflow.

After a morning of hard work cleaning up and transferring  water from one tote to another, hubby and I sat on a damp bench and listened to the birds, felt the sun (55° and sun not too much of a prob for me), and commented on what a lovely Spring morning.

I specifically thank God that we both at our ages can still do the work.

I checked later in the day and found other things to be grateful for;  a bird house finally attached to the pole.                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Hubby got involved and done shortly.







The salvias are in bloom, blue and white. The bees should be here soon.

                                                        

 

 This wreath finally has a new home. The wrens want to build their nest in back of the houses and it was on the porch.

 This is my most successful container. The top pot has a lovely grass that is still struggling.
The allysum survived the deluge in fine style.







Lastly, this special bird house finally has a new home.
All the way from South Dakota with lots of memories, it is finally hung in the perfect spot. By the way, it has and Oklahoma license plate for a roof.