Cooler, more rain, and the morning glories on my garden fence are celebrating the new season. Now that we've passed the equinox, maybe fall is really here. But we have seen Octobers with 100-degree days, so the jury is still out. And it's official. So far, this has been the hottest, driest, most intense drought on record in the Hill Country--although not yet the longest.
And although the rains (we've gotten about 5" here) have eased the situation a little, it's still critical as far as water use is concerned. Our aquifer (always low production) seems pretty much the same--we're careful about the way we use the water. But the rains have done nothing to replenish the lakes because the soil absorbed every drop that fell and the lakes that supply the water for most of central Texas are still dropping. The LCRA, the gov't agency that controls the lakes, is curtailing agriculture use downstream, to preserve the water for human use in the cities. Curtailed water means fewer food crops, job loss, economic hardship. Serious stuff.
And climate change predictions for this area suggest that periods of extended, intense drought may be the new normal throughout the Southwest. It's going to take some getting used to, require adaptations in our use of the land and its resources, in the way we define ourselves. I hope everyone who lives here is paying attention, but I know they're not. I still see local TV ads for swimming pools and sprinkler systems.
I'm over at Blood-Red Pencil today, chatting with Dani about my new memoir. Drop in and leave a comment. And I've posted some photos of our animal friends--cows, sheep, horses, geese, dogs, cat--on the book's website. Take a look.
And one more very important note. The USDA has launched a new website: Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food. Check it out. This is a hugely significant effort, and the USDA needs all the encouragement we can give. They're also on Facebook. Please, become a fan. We need to redesign our food systems and redefine ourselves in relation to them. This is our food future. Let's all be a part of it.
Reading note: As much as we live in a place, we live in place; we inhabit a condition of the soul. We live where we have made definitions, and in the process of making definitions, we create a place in which to live. Sallie Tisdale