GardenLine

GardenLine

Skip Richter, based in Houston, is a popular speaker for garden clubs, Master Gardener programs, and other gardening events across Texas. He has...Full Bio

 

We should be perfectly happy with this year’s weather

I’m elated that our area has been blessed with some drenching downpours in the past week, because I was on the verge again writing a piece begging everyone to pray for rain! 

But, I went back a year to read what I wrote on Aug. 17, 2017.   And I scared myself with the piece titled “Rain, Rain Come Today.” As I re-read it, I was also mortified by some of the quips I thought were clever at the time:

…looking through some old files trying to muster up something “new” to write about, Googling for a new angle on the drought-like conditions for Texas, I honestly couldn’t find anything I feel is newsworthy. I did find a whole slew of “It’s so dry…” jokes.  My personal favorite has to be, “It’s so dry, even the catfish have a flea-and-tick problem.” The next-best entry was from a listener: “It’s so dry, even the atheists are praying for rain.” I then talked about the old mantra, “What You Think About, You Bring About,” and it convinced me to ask all of you to think positively about rain. That way, we are no longer manifesting “a lack of rain.”  It’s sort of a “Law of Attraction” mentality: If you believe in the concept, you know that when you act desperate about the “need” for something, often you just get more of the opposite. So, today we are going to focus positively on rain. Think about lots of rain. I don’t think we have to beg for a hurricane, but I do know many folks who are quietly hoping for a tropical disturbance in the Gulf. But I’m willing to throw myself on the proverbial sword for our collective horticultural sanity.  I’m even ready with some “It’s so wet…” jokes. “It’s so wet that, I’m moving to Seattle to get some sun.”  Oh, and everyone … go get your car washed today … you know that’ll bring on rain.

All I can say is I’m sorry, because two weeks later Hurricane Harvey hit us.  My apologies.  So, this year, I’ll be happy with what we’ve had, and be grateful for what rains we might experience over the next few weeks. 

Meanwhile, since we were apparently pretty good at group-thinking rain production last year, let’s set our minds to having the most insignificant tropical weather year in some time.  Let’s show Mother Nature our appreciation for this year’s cooler-than-normal early spring and not too many days, so far, of 100-plus degree temperatures. Not to mention blue water in Galveston twice this year!  

If you want to call the GardenLine shows this weekend and blame me for Harvey, fine. If it’ll make you feel a little better, bring on the tongue-lashing!  Meanwhile, I promise no more “what you think about you bring about” weather influencing, when it comes to rain, ever again!

PHOTO: Getty Images

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