Drought

The rain we had so hoped for …………

that 30% chance……..

didn’t happen…….

still no rain. 

The drought continues……………

DIXIE

Oh, I wish I was in the land of cotton, Ole times there are not forgotten.

I know I have already been to the cotton patch once this year, but I heard they were pickin’ and just had to make another trip! This time, the leaves are gone and I saw acres and acres of white fields seeming to stretch forever. These pictures were taken in Dixie, La. They were from several different plantations and farms along the river.



The cotton bolls are dried out making it easy to release the cotton. And the cotton is all fluffy and white and ready for harvest.


Isn’t this pretty?


 Here is what the field looks like after the cotton picker has been through. It does a pretty good job of getting all the cotton, however my daddy would always fret over all those bits of cotton left behind. He wanted to harvest every single bit!
 


Here is cotton, picked and waiting to be taken to the cotton gin for processing. In the picture below, you can see them lined up at the edge of the field waiting for pick up.

 



There were lots of thunderheads in the sky, but no rain is predicted for the next seven days, so they should have no problem getting all the cotton picked before any wet weather sets in. Good news for the farmers and plantation owners!




The rains came at the right time in the spring and this has been a very hot summer and a dry fall so far, which is perfect for growing cotton. As you can see from the picture above, it will be a good  harvest this year.



Looks like it was a good year for hay as well. I think these bales are so pretty all rolled and lined up next to one of the cotton fields.


This will be my last trip to the cotton patch this year. By this time next week, all the cotton will have been picked and stacked, ready for the gin.

I am thankful to still live in the “land of cotton” where “ole times are not forgotten”. I was born in the South and have lived here all my life. I have wonderful “ole times” to remember and the cotton patch is one of the best of them.

SURPRISES AND MOSSY THINGS

The drought conditions in our area are affecting one of my favorite September blooms. I have been anticipating the Surprise Lilies……expecting them to start popping up....... here and there.....all around the yard. There are only a few so far, and only in the area where the sprinklers water. This is the only bloom actually open now.



They are strange little flowers, nothing but a stem with a pretty spidery flower atop. Their color is usually a little darker than this, but I think maybe the dry weather has affected that also.




  


The boards are a wonderful bright mossy green from being watered often.  As you know from previous posts, I am a fan of moss. It adds character and a sense of age and permanence. I found a couple more mossy things of a different kind. This bird house for instance, and this old board with a pretty gray-blue-green patina.






As of today, the weather shows possible triple digit temperatures again through Sunday, then a slight cool down, still with no rain in sight. The “surprise” in Surprise Lily this year may just be the fact there will be few to none!

Have a good weekend and I hope all your surprises are good ones.

A BOW IN THE SKY

Once again, I am in awe of the heavens!

One afternoon, as I was finishing my walk, I happened to look to the east and saw this beautiful rainbow. The sky was just amazing that day and this was such a special treat.

The power lines were unavoidable, but I just couldn't resist taking the pictures anyway.

Alas, no pot of gold was found at the end, but riches received in beauty far exceeded earthly treasures.

EFFECTS OF A DRY SUMMER

This is a Cypress tree root, commonly called a Cypress Knee for obvious reasons. These roots come up around the Cypress trees and we have an abundance of Knees here on the swamp which makes mowing and trimming around the lake a bit of a challenge at times. This summer has been especially hot and dry. 

When the water level falls this low, the lake or swamp bed is filled with all kinds of interesting plants and flowers. I thought you might be interested in seeing what is blooming in the Cypress Knee Swamp.

There are spots of this ground cover in places. It is a really pretty color and appears to be a succulent of some kind. I am sorry I can't name of any of these plants. I haven't found a good resource for identifying them.

Isn't this a pretty one?

I think this may be a Button Willow, but not sure.

This, of course, is the Cypress Tree.

This looks a little "other worldly" don't you think?

There are hundreds of these little lavender flowers everywhere.

These tiny stems of white flowers are on grasses and they are blooming in mass.

And there are several spots where this beautiful flower is blooming. I was unable to get a closer shot because I am terrified and I do mean terrified of snakes. I am not brave enough to wade through all the grasses and foliage covering the swamp to get better pictures. I can imagine sneeky snake in there somewhere, just waiting for me to take the wrong step!

(That is also probably why the photo quality of these pictures is not as sharp as I would like. I think my hand was a little more shaky than usual)

Hope you enjoyed a look at what's growing in the swamp!

We finally had a rainshower today, so it probably won't be long before the swamp begins to fill up with water and these blooms will be gone until next summer.

CHANGES

Muscadines Ripening

Black Gum Berries Forming

Cypress Trees Coloring

Leaves Falling

Acorns Maturing

It's finally beginning to look like Fall!

Have a good weekend!