Sunday, May 15, 2011

Even Though We Must Keep Taking Out Our Winter Coats....

... there still hasn't been enough rain.

It rained again yesterday.  Generally, there's no rain here in the HolyLand between Passover (early April) and Succot (early October.)  This year was pretty dry the first few months of winter, which is one of the reasons that the Carmel Forest burnt so uncontrollably.

We're already in the middle of May, and we've been getting good strong rain at least once a week.  Meteorologists report that we've had a record-breaking April's rainfall.  No doubt May will also reach a record.  Friday night my sleep was disturbed by loud thunder.

These things do happen here, every few years, but usually it's only once or twice past rain season.  This year it's more frequent than we've had during many winter months.  And when it rains, it sure rains.

At Yafiz, the clothing for the entire family store where I work, people keep coming in for winter clothes, but most are packed up.  We just don't have room for everything.  Last week I managed to sell a woman and her young daughter a cute shawl/poncho from the half-price-rack to keep the little girl warm.

Neighbors keep saying that the late rain is bad for the crops, but I reply that in most agricultural places it rains all year and the crops thrive.

We need the water and shouldn't complain about the timing.

2 comments:

Hadassa said...

Shalom!
I think that we have to make a distinction between rain out of season and heavy rain out of season. Temperature also affects crops. Only a farmer or someone who's studied agriculture is qualified to accurately answer whether or not the current rainfall is harming the crops. I'll try to ask one of our grower friends who, despite the governments lack of assistance, is still farming.

Batya said...

This year's warm winter in the mountain region was bad for some according to an agriculturalist neighbor.