![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rain-gauge-1853b-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"rain-gauge-1853b-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nSorry folks, no birds today. I’ve had other priorities.<\/p>\n
Our long term, severe drought has been devastating for Utah and the rest of the western US but for the last two days, thanks to monsoonal flow coming up from the south, we’ve had the opposite extreme. It may not seem like all that much rain to some folks back east and in the south but here in the high desert it’s a deluge that stretches our resources and capabilities and blows our little minds.<\/p>\n
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This was my rain gauge yesterday afternoon. Most of that 2+ inches of rain fell in a three hour period just after noon yesterday. Streets have been flooded, a freeway closed, school opening has been delayed in some districts and there have been power outages and temporary evacuations with lots of flooding in some homes.<\/p>\n
The upside is that we needed this rain desperately. There’s no question that it will help with our critical water situation but a surprising number of folks seem to think it puts an end to the drought, when in reality it barely puts a dent in it. Utah water managers are saying we “need at least 11.5 inches of precipitation between now and snowfall to get to an “average” water year”. That just ain’t gonna happen, not in Utah.<\/p>\n
But this storm will green things up temporarily and slow down the depletion of our reservoirs which are at record lows right now. The increase in soil moisture content should also help with our runoff from the mountains next spring, assuming we get significant snow next winter which is far from guaranteed.<\/p>\n
The wind and rain were intense but my house and yard survived intact, mostly. As you can see in the background in the photo above, even my 11′ tall amaranth survived those incredible winds. But I know from experience in past years that if I hadn’t staked them they’d either have blown over or their stalks would have been broken at mid-stem. Probably some of both.<\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/gutter-and-trumpet-vine-1862-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"gutter-and-trumpet-vine-1862-ron-dudley\\"")
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However, “mostly intact” doesn’t mean completely.<\/p>\n
The wind battered the hell out of my beautiful Trumpet Vine with most of its flowers ending up on the ground but that’s not why I’m including this photo. When I mow what’s left of my lawn in this drought I have to move this gutter downspout extension out of the way of the mower. Last time I mowed I forgot to move it back and the result was minor flooding in my basement yesterday afternoon.<\/p>\n
And that’s why there are no birds in today’s post. I spent much of late yesterday afternoon dealing with the aftermath of the water leak into my basement, which tweaked my bad back so last night I laid low. That’s the time I usually spend preparing my bird posts.<\/p>\n
And I can only blame it on myself. In the future I doubt I’ll forget to put that gutter extension back where it belongs.<\/p>\n
Ron<\/p>\n
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Notes: <\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sorry folks, no birds today. I’ve had other priorities.<\/p>\n\n