Notes from the Ranch: Never Cuss A Rain
The West is known for its drought conditions from time to time. California has endured three years of extreme drought, emptying its large reservoirs and drying up stock ponds and springs.
We have learned to “never cuss a rain” and appreciate any precipitation we receive. Precipitation is a fickle beast and we do not want to jinx it.
I will say that the weather pattern since this past Christmas has caused us to wonder if we are stealing someone else’s rain. Our rain and snow has been nonstop. We typically will have a small snow event every two or three years, but the eight inches of snow in February with other smaller snow events is highly unusual – even historic for this area. We are well over 30 inches of rainfall already with more to come.
Because the ranch terrain is semi-rugged, flooding is not an issue - access can be. As the creeks rise, they become impassable by vehicle. We can get around on horseback or out with a tractor. The water is passable within a day or so.
The weather causes us some inconvenience, but nothing compared to the snow in the Sierra Nevada or flooding in other areas. Snow fall is already well over 50 feet in higher elevations – and more on the way. Many small ag communities in the San Joaquin Valley are flooded.
As hard as it seems to believe right now, another drought could be just around the corner. So we remind ourselves, “never cuss a rain.”
-Chet Vogt
2 comments
You are 125% right !!! NEVER cuss the rain!
The only time I get close to it is when it gets ion my beer unexpectedly !! I get over it though !
We have long yearlings who had never seen rain until this year !! They were startled !!
Take Care & Be Safe !!!
Never take moisture for granted. I live in Washington state in one of the biggest irrigation districts. Our water comes from Grand Coulee Dam. So we never worry about water. But we have rancher friends who depend on the rain and snow for grass in the spring and for irrigation. We’ve had a few good snow storms, but as yet rain has been hard to come by.
We do Thank God for what we get.
I’ll keep praying rain here in Washington. Praying that with the lakes and reservoirs fill up in Oregon and California you will be able to have irrigation in the summer.
