California Drought – Gardens For Goldens

At the Water’s Edge

I returned to the river Thursday after the rain finally subsided.

It had been a week of almost non-stop soaking in three waves of powerful downpours and winds. Go here for a bird’s-eye view.

The Sacramento River is at its highest point since 1997. At the water’s edge, I usually find all sorts of wildlife and birds of different feathers –

most were still burrowing someplace warm and dry. And there was very little edge!

The crows, however, are opportunists;

the ducks are in their element;

and the dogs were just happy to finally get out.

For the first time that I can ever remember, Homeward Bound’s president – who lives on site – closed the rescue to all but the feeders, twice. On the worst night of all, she told even the feeders to stay home. She fed the dogs by herself and took them out for potty one quick run at a time. Leasing the property to the rescue means that she and her husband rarely get private time. Something tells me that even in the downpour, she was enjoying having the place to herself for one dark and stormy night.

The rivers have overflown all of their banks, and weirs that have not been opened in over a decade were lifted – releasing swelling waters into fields to keep cities safe. Thanks to work done over the past few years, the levees held for the most part. There have been a few breaches in rural communities, and another one currently threatened – but an amazing effort by emergency teams that worked around the clock for days to keep us out of harm’s way.

In the Sierra, rain turned snow to slush before the temperatures dropped. Then the skies dropped 10+ feet of snow – more than we have seen in years. This series of monster storms managed to lift Northern California out of five years of drought – and there is more on the way. Mid next week, another atmospheric river will add to our swollen rivers.

We get a few days to let some of the water soak in – and to wash some of the mud off.

Hark At The Rain

The most amazing thing happened in our parched Northern California valley: it’s called “rain.”

A gentle soaking rain with moments of sunshine peaking through the clouds…

which turned the garden electric.

“And now, hark at the rain,
Windless and light,
Half a kiss, half a tear,
Saying good-night.” ~ Edward Thomas, “Sowing”

Goodnight from wonderful, rain-drenched California.

Something Got Your Goat?

When four years of drought turns suburban meadows into potential tinderboxes,

it’s time to call for help.

Curious and agile,

these bucks, does, and kids will eat just about anything.

As a result, the adorable natural lawnmowers have become a favorite for clearing dry brush on California hillsides and uneven terrain without the threat of sparks.

They have been busy at work for over a week in the preserved open space behind my work. These acres of meadow, oak trees and a bone-dry creek are bordered in the distance by suburban homes. A fire here would find plenty of fuel.

With their four-chambered stomachs, goats have a preference for weeds,

woody shrubs

and the occasional tree –

making their week here a feast fit for kings (and queens).

Their horizontal, slit-shaped eyes are designed for spying predators,

And when they require assistance,

it helps to keep a trusty dog nearby.

There are over 300 different breeds of goat … more than a few of them at work here.

Billy goats: conservation grazers doing their part in drought-stricken California.

Wordless Wednesday: California Rain

Promises Kept

It wasn’t a lot … but it was something … and in our current state of drought, we are grateful for anything.

Just after all the dogs were walked,

dark skies turned to a quick downpour –

with the promise of more on Tuesday. Every drop and every cool day extends our hope for the garden (which looks lush and full in spring) to survive another California summer.

“We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.” ~ Thomas Fuller

Sixty five roses fed on Saturday before the rain … perfect timing.

And, five of our longer-term residents found their way home this week, including two pairs that we promised to keep together: Lucky … who I wrote about in January –

Dexter and Pogo …

And handsome Finnegan and Seamus.

Promise made. Promise kept.
“All that we behold is full of blessings.” ~ William Wordsworth

Do you suppose Saint Francis can request water on behalf of the dogs’ well-being as well as the garden?

Proof is in the puddles

I stand before you, falsely accused.

Ina is the horticulturist on our team of gardeners. She is expert at selecting and nurturing native or drought-tolerant plants that can survive California’s waterless years. She has taught me a lot about planting for success in our clay-heavy, sun-baked garden.

One of her first soldiers – a large silver ragwort (jacobaea maritima) – was recently lost. You can see it here in its magnificence. She suspects I snuck it water and thus, contributed to its untimely demise.

When we were deluged with two storms in December, where was Ina? Maui. While all of January was dry, we were visited by a Pineapple Express this weekend – a warm, wet storm that blows in off the Pacific – an “atmospheric river.”

Before:

After:

Here, before you I present the photographic evidence which should exonerate me: proof positive that Ina’s garden sits in one of the lowest spots of the garden. Her beautifully appointed crushed granite pathways serve as perfect vessels, creating self-contained rivers that hold water for days. Yes…those are her rosemary, lavender, tulbaghia violacea (aka…smelly society garlic), artemesia, lamb’s ear, asters, lion’s tail, and tanacetum plants and grasses sitting in the flood zone.

What say you jurors…kind blogger peers? Regardless of the verdict, the rain is SO very welcome.

Before:

After:

The downside of a Pineapple Express is that creates rain in the Sierras instead of snow pack. We depend on the snow pack to refill our rivers and reservoirs later in the year. But, at this point, we are grateful for water in whatever form it arrives.

Before:

After:

It all made for soggy, dog-walking duty this weekend at the rescue – but who can argue with the rewards?

Good News In Buckets

Remember when I was whining about the injustice of the flooded rice fields adjacent to our water-starved garden? Well look at us now!

The area beyond the levy is the rice field. The area in front shows the overflown banks of our pond at Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue.

Good News #1: It rained. Buckets and buckets. For hours on end. It rained so long and so hard I thought we might float away.

Good News #2: We did not float away. But we did have some flooding, and we’re left with pooling water everywhere. Every time our pups go out, they get covered in mud. Us too. (Candy was working on manners with new arrival, Tucker. Looks like Tucker: 1; Candy: 0 so far!)

The rain created rivers of water that swept the garden’s walk-on bark paths away.

I spent the day putting down a layer of shreds to soak up the mud and make the place passable.

Good News #3: More rain is on the way, but in more manageable doses this time. We need every drop of it to help put an end to our three-year-long drought.

Good News #4: Remember scared Missy from last week’s blog post? She went to her foster home. Given that her foster mom has already renamed her Maggie, we’re pretty sure that they will be a foster failure together. We love foster failures.

When they first met, Missy was still shy.

It didn’t last long.

She jumped in the car with no prompting and said “let’s go!” Looks like a perfect match to me!

Wordless Wednesday: California Quenched

A drop in the bucket

We had an unexpected surprise this week…something we haven’t seen in a very long while: rain!

While the rainfall total is but a drop in our drought bucket, we are so grateful. It delivered a much-needed assist to the firefighters battling the massive King Fire in El Dorado County, about 70 miles from us. After two weeks and thousands displaced, the 97,000 acre fire is now 87% contained.

The garden soaked up every drop and enjoyed a few consecutive days of cloud cover.

In response, it spewed forth tiny frogs,

snails,

and a host of mushrooms…one of the gifts of our bark paths when the days are darker and there is finally moisture.

You’ll remember Moses from my Say Goodbye To Summer post? Well, your good wishes worked. He went home this weekend –

joining Carly Simon, Loki, Gordon (below right with his new sister, Sophie) –

Casey, Reacher and Ginger (pictured left with her new sugar-faced sisters).

Patsy Cline and Coki went to foster. Curious about the names? You try being original after rescuing nearly 8,000 dogs!

It was another good weekend for adoptions. Heard among our volunteers: “We have lots of open kennels.” Quickly followed by the arrival of seven (at last count) more.

Seven adoptions; two fosters…a drop in the bucket that keeps being refilled. But, like the rain, we – at Homeward Bound – are grateful for each and every one.

Brown is the New Green

This summer, it seems the weather forecast is always wrong. Friday was 110. This weekend was supposed to hover near the century mark. Instead, someone ordered up a breeze and clouds. Rainless clouds. But clouds, nevertheless. We have been surfing temperature waves all summer. Peaks and dips. They are taking their toll on the garden.

The USDA declared a drought disaster for California, now listed as being in “exceptional drought.” Fires are breaking out everywhere. The forecast calls for a warmer than normal September through November. While our friends in the east endure soggy – we sizzle. And pray for rain.

In my favorite public gardens, you will find casualties of city-imposed water cutbacks.

Brown is the new green.

In our Memorial Garden, we have reduced our water use by nearly half.

We’re fortunate to have established trees to provide more shade…for the plants – and the dogs!

The soil contains a good amount of clay to hold the moisture in…and drought tolerant plants combined with heavy mulching have kept the losses to a minimum.

In sharp contrast to the brown, dry dog walking paths at Homeward Bound –

is this strange sight: the lush green of flooded rice fields which surround us.

Don’t ask me to speak with authority on this embarrassment of riches. Apparently, if you are a farmer high enough on the water rights ladder, you have the option of paying dearly for the water you use (up to ten times the usual rate) or letting your fields go fallow and selling your rights to someone else.

Those that are less fortunate are on long waiting lists to dig ever deeper wells – hoping and praying that the ground water will be replenished this winter with rain. If not – we are all in a world of hurt.

“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.” ~ John Muir

Brown is beautiful and all of that. But please send rain.

Rain Glorious Rain

Rain. Glorious Rain.

A Pacific storm – an atmospheric “river” we refer to as the “pineapple express” – dumped a more than generous amount of rain in Northern California setting a record in Sacramento for most rainfall in a 24 hour period. It helped our nearby Folsom lake to rise nearly 3 feet in a single weekend, and the Sierras above us were topped with more than four feet of snow. While we are all soggy and practically swimming in it – we are rejoicing.

Homeward Bound might well be renamed “On Golden Pond.” Our banks have overflown…

And our parched Memorial Garden is a bit under water.

But what a glorious sight it is.

All the dogs got out despite the weather…

and Rocky, Lisa, Zoe and Eleanor managed to get adopted by devoted families that made their way to us despite the downpour.

The trees are practically bursting with joy.

“Rain is grace; rain is the sky condescending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life.” ~ John Updike

These Pacific storms – which have been absent all winter – typically deliver about a third of our annual rainfall. While this one only puts a dent in our deficit, it is a welcome gift and a hopeful sign of good things to come.

So many have shared a prayer and a rain dance for our golden state. Thank you.

“Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain.”