Monsoon

The phone rang early, this morning. A terse, " thirty-seven hundredths" were the first words relayed to me. My reply..." Wow! " No mistaking the message. The neighborhood watcher was reporting the first rainfall of the current weather year. I looked at the humidity level...ninety percent this morning. The monsoon season had, indeed, arrived. Gardeners and farmers, both now and dating back thousands of years, share a universal feeling of relief with the arrival of the first rain following months of dryness. There is little doubt that the ancients viewed the arrival of rain with mystical wonder and thanks. The absolute sense of relief, reverence and gratitude experienced by the drought ridden or arid land resident with the arrival of the first rain is absolutely stunning...a sense of relief, a certainty that all is well...at least for now. The surety that life will persist in this dry place! I am sure that every Borregan can sympathize with this universal thought.

The desert embraces the misty descending rainfall...passively and thirstily absorbing each precious drop. Leaves are fastidiously cleansed of months of dust. Tiny root fibers are revitalized. Moisture is taken in and stored. A promise of food for wildlife is assured. A guarantee of the continuance of life, itself is reassured.

On a more personal level, as a gardener and person who views plants as one of the most vital part of the desert scene and indispensable part of desert living, the first rain means continuance of my desert garden...both in regard to the flora and fauna. No longer will I have to worry about individual favorite native plants showing signs of stress and fatigue ( and, fret, I do during dry periods ). For now, at least, solar panels are cleansed, rainfall has revitalized all non-irrigated plants in the garden. Nutrients have been added to the soil, salts washed away and desert wildlife has been assured of sustenance.

Another plus of rainfall, as every Borregan knows, is the boon of getting a free soft water car wash. At the first sign of rain, out of the garage come our cars for a hands-free rinse. Soon, sparkling clean autos will dot our roadways!