Rain: New Storm Brings Long-awaited Rain (February 6-9, 2015)

After a January with virtually no rain, it's good to be in the middle of a substantial storm that's already dropped about an inch and a half of new rain since early in the morning of the 6th. I'll wait until the storm has passed to add to the tally, but predictions range from between three to six inches. Every drop is welcome.

[Update: On the morning of the 7th, I found 2.25 inches in the rain gauge. That brings our total for the 2014-2015 rain year to 21.40 inches. It's clear again now, but more rain is on the way....]

[Update: On the morning of the 9th, there was another 1.35 inches in the rain gauge, bringing the total to 22.75 inches. Average for this date is about 22.5 inches.]

Plants I'm Growing--First Blooms: Daffodils, Pink Flowering Plum (February 3, 2015)

A stretch of dry, unseasonably warm weather has coaxed out flowers in the garden. On February 3, the first yellow daffodil blossoms opened. The pink flowering plum tree in the side garden (Prunus blireiana) starting blooming the same day. This year the sparrows and finches left the buds alone (probably because I've not been feeding the birds), so it looks like we will have a full tree of flowers for the first time in a while. February 3 is on the early end of the normal range for both plants here. They have bloomed between February 2 and about February 20 in a typical year in the past. A storm is on the way, though. I hope these blossoms don't all get lost before we've had a chance to enjoy them.