Red Dirt Ramblings®

Firmly rooted in the Oklahoma soil

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Garden Coaching
  • Travel
  • Contact
  • My Gardens
    • The Back Garden
    • The Potager
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Red Dirt Ramblings®

Firmly rooted in the Oklahoma soil

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Garden Coaching
  • Travel
  • Contact
  • My Gardens
    • The Back Garden
    • The Potager

I’m Seeing Red

5 February, 2008 By Dee Nash

by Dee Nash
5 February, 2008Filed under:
  • Gardening

Burbling StreamRain swollen streams, that is. This morning, thunder rumbled and crashed around my bedroom high in the trees. Soon, raindrops pounded against the skylight. Two hours later, as I drove ASW and Bear to school and myself to vote, big fat drops still splattered and plopped against my windshield.

Rain, glorious rain. As I took these pictures, I breathed deeply, and the air smelled like pure, cold oxygen. Normally, this month brings gray days filled with more ice and snow, not rain. Although it’s the shortest month on the calendar, it can be the longest in the year for gardeners. For those of us who live in fear of drought, rain in February is a big event.

blog-bird-bath.jpgWhile we were getting ready, Bear asked me why we had thunder. She doesn’t like the loud crashes and bangs, and much of April and May she spends in our bed, not her own. I explained that it was very warm yesterday (78 degrees; we broke a record,) and a heavy duty cold front slammed into that warm air. Thus, we had thunder. She gave me her most knowing smile and said “Or, God was sending us our guardian angels for protection, and when he does, it makes a lot of noise.” Oh.

Longhorn CattleAccording to the Cooperative Observer Site for the National Weather Service, Guthrie (i.e., central Oklahoma,) had an average rainfall of 36.09 inches for the years between 1971 and 2000. That sounds like a lot. However, native Oklahomans know most of the rain occurred during the months of May (5.48) and September (3.63) with June and October being a close second and third. The summer months in between are nearly dry, except last year, when we had 13.09 inches in June. That’s why you see soaker hoses snaking through many of my old photos. I now know better and move them out of the frame or cover them with mulch, but they’re still there. My hope for this summer is to get a sprinkler system. I’m going to take bids soon and see if they fit anywhere within my budget.

We normally get 1.85 inches of precipitation in February. So this is a double blessing. We didn’t get our usual snow and ice, and we received rain. Of course, there’s always someone who doesn’t enjoy the precip. Check out these longhorn cattle I snapped as I drove to the little Baptist church where I cast my vote. It’s out by the Lazy E Arena, and they are probably owned by the ranch. Taking shelter under some trees, they don’t look too thrilled. I wouldn’t be either if I had to stay outside.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related

Post navigation

Previous Post Muse Day: February 1
Next Post Color: Garden Navigator

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lisa at Greenbow says

    1 March, 2008 at 6:48 am

    Those cattle are such handsome creatures.

  2. Kathryn/plantwhateverbringsyoujoy.com says

    10 February, 2008 at 12:31 pm

    Hi, Dee! I love the longhorn cattle. I don’t think that’s anything I would ever see in Mendocino, but I’d like to! I saw a buck with long antlers the other day. That’s probably as close as we get that I know of! Kathryn xox

    Glad you came by to see it! You know, Kathryn, I love California. Your blog reminds me that I need to get back there sometime.~~Dee

  3. Annie in Austin says

    7 February, 2008 at 9:47 pm

    Wow – it may be a creek but that red stream sure is impressive, Dee. I’m glad you got rain and wish we did, too – the plants in Austin need a good washing – all their little pores are clogged!

    We used to head to a basement when the sirens sounded in IL, but there are few basements here. Adding a safe room during the remodeling process sure sounds like a smart idea.

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

    Hi Annie, the water does get to running out here. All that sand doesn’t hold it back.~~Dee

  4. Curtis says

    7 February, 2008 at 9:01 pm

    Glad to hear you gotten rain. We got a little then snow. It snowed today as well. Its all gone again. I don’t mind the snow whenever it melts the next day.

    My Mom always told us kids when we were younger, that God’s wagon hit a pot hole. When it Thundered. I love the red river.

    Curtis, what a cute story your mom gave you. I hope you get something other than ice soon.~~Dee

  5. Aunt Jo says

    6 February, 2008 at 4:22 pm

    Don’t you just love the red dirt. I’d never seen anything like it until we moved to Oklahoma.

    I adore your site and will be back to visit:)

    Aunt Jo, thanks for the compliment. It’s nice people like it. Yes, I used to lust after dark chocolate brown soil, but now, I love the red.~~Dee

  6. jessicab says

    6 February, 2008 at 3:32 pm

    June of last year gave us water….IN MY HOUSE…just 3 days before my son was born.

    Oh, dear, that must have challenged you. Is that why your son was born three days later?~~Dee

  7. Valerie says

    6 February, 2008 at 9:15 am

    Your pictures remind me of home!

    The other day we got a snow shower with thunder and lightening. Odd.

    Valerie, I’m so glad that my photos remind you of home. We get those thundering snowstorms too sometimes. They are weird.~~Dee

  8. Diana says

    5 February, 2008 at 10:36 pm

    I love the red river photo! I can empathize with your appreciation of rain. We seem to perpetually live in a drought here in Texas, with exception of the highly unusual summer we had last year. But now, we, too, are falling behind already. And, like MSS at Zanthan said, we need it here to control the pests in the garden, too.

    Yes, Diana, I’ve noticed that the hotter and drier it is the more insects we get. Stubborn ones, like grasshoppers. Hope you get some rain soon.~~Dee

  9. deb says

    5 February, 2008 at 10:08 pm

    Love the lovely red creek. We had rain with hail, thunder, and lightening tonight. There was so much hail on the deck it looked like it had snowed. We needed the rain so much. We have had horrible grass fires over the last ten days. Grateful.

    Deb, Glad to hear you got some rain after the wildfires. We’ve had a lot of fires here too. I see the burned patches everywhere.~~Dee

  10. The Park Wife says

    5 February, 2008 at 10:02 pm

    Oh my good friend Betty in OK stopped by your site above. She is a dear, dear woman, I just love her.

    We just had some REAL bad weather here but we are all fine. I feel like the cows as we were huddled in the hallway playing dinosaurs with the boys until the storm passed.

    I can’t believe how red the wate is!!
    The Park Wife

    PW, I’m glad you’re o.k. I’ve spent a lot of storms in the hallway. When we remodeled, we built a safe room closet in the basement.~~Dee

  11. Betty G says

    5 February, 2008 at 9:23 pm

    Loved your pictures and your story. I live
    in Edmond, just south of you. We were
    getting a sprinkling of snow, but it seems to
    have quit.

    It won’t be long until all our little plants,
    shrubs and trees begin getting leaves and
    flowers. Next month is the first day of
    Spring (March 20).

    I have visited your site a few times before.
    I can’t remember where I found your site,
    but I’ll keep coming back.

    Betty in Oklahoma
    Hi Betty, you remind me of a Betty in my Edmond Iris and Garden Society. She speaks just like you write. So glad you’ve come to the site and thrilled you’ve commented. Thanks. It is almost spring, and I’m so grateful.~~Dee

  12. jodi says

    5 February, 2008 at 5:59 pm

    Glad for the rain, Dee, hopefully not any tornadoes like they’re having in the southern US. (I’m amusing myself watching CNN and the Super Tuesday analysis. Better than watching the snow!)

    Hi Jodi, No, no tornadoes this time. We’ll see how May goes. I hope the snow stops for you soon. Spring will come.~~Dee

  13. Aiyana says

    5 February, 2008 at 4:01 pm

    I can see why your blog is named Red Dirt Ramblings. Our Sedona soil is red, and I’ve seen some in Colorado that comes close, but I think your soil is even redder, by the looks of the running river! It’s really stunning.
    Our rainfall is running above average right now. It would be nice if it kept up–we’ve been in an 11 year drought–but even if we got double for the year, it wouldn’t bring us out of it. They say it would take about three years of above average rainfall to declare an end to the drought. Here’s hoping.
    Aiyana

    Aiyana, thanks for stopping by. I really enjoy your desert blog. I’m going to pray that your drought ends. You all really need the rain. We’re caught up from last year’s monsoon, but we’ve had multiple drought years before.~~Dee

  14. Mr. McGregor's Daughter says

    5 February, 2008 at 2:35 pm

    I seem to be having message problems today – take 2.
    I’m glad you’ve gotten some much needed rain. I’ve never seen a red river – I thought that was just poetic license. It’s oddly beautiful.

    MMD, they always look like that during and after the rain. The soil makes them truly red. If we get flood waters, the creeks and rivers churn, and we get pink foam.~~Dee

  15. kate says

    5 February, 2008 at 1:59 pm

    I love the red river – I can certainly see why rain makes such a big difference for you. What a gorgeous bird bath. The colour is my favourite one.

    The longhorns all gathered together reminds me of the way cattle here bundle together during a storm.

    When I was a child, I hated thunder. My mum used to tell me the angels were bowling overhead. It must have satisfied me because I got over my fear to now love thunderstorms.

    Kate, that’s funny. I told Bear the same thing your mum told you. I thought the longhorns were an interesting site that I don’t see that often. The “red river” is actually a creek by my house. It just looks large because of the rushing water, I think.~~Dee

  16. Anna ( flowergardengirl) says

    5 February, 2008 at 12:57 pm

    Wow—you have an amazing site. I loved the pictures and your style of conversation writing. I felt like I was right in the scene with you. I have lots to learn from your blog. Thanks for sharing and visiting my site. I’ll be back often.

    You have a connection to your soil they way I connect with mine! We both love our roots!

    Thanks, Anna, I’m blushing from your praise. I love writing this blog. I get to share info and plan the pages. It makes me very happy. I hope you will come often. I enjoyed your blog too. I do love living here.~~Dee

Primary Sidebar

About Dee

Hi, I’m Dee, a professional garden writer and speaker born and raised in Oklahoma. Here you’ll find all my best dirt on gardening and travel. Welcome!

Read More

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Subscribe Here To RDR Updates.


* indicates required
Email News
Email Format

Garden Coaching

Garden Coaching

Grow a beautiful and manageable garden with personalized pointers from Dee!

Learn More

Give my podcast a listen!

Our podcast logo! The Gardenangelists.

Search me baby!

Travel

It's time to get the leaves off of the pansies.

It’s time to plan for next year’s garden

9 November, 2022 By Dee Nash

Yes, I know we're all exhausted from the summer from hell in Oklahoma and Texas--or is that just me? But it's time to start planning for next year's dream garden. Trust me, it's time, and who knows? Maybe next Read More

Fun days at the daylily national convention

16 July, 2022 By Dee Nash

For July's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, I want to share my visit to the daylily national convention. A region of the American Daylily Society puts on the AHS National Convention each year. Region 15 put on this Read More

Road trip to Yellowstone National Park

28 October, 2019 By Dee Nash

Bill and I traveled all summer. I'm not gonna lie. It was tons of fun, but after getting back from our road trip to Yellowstone National Park last month, I am tired and will be staying home for a while. I Read More

GOW Footer Widget Header

Ask me a question!

Please feel free to ask me a question here or at my email addy: dee@deenash.com.
I’ll try to answer every question and get back to you as quickly as possible.

Contact Us

Footer

Blogs I Dig

  • Clay and Limestone–TN
  • Cold Climate Gardening–NY
  • Dirt Therapy–PNW
  • Each Little World
  • Faire Garden–TN
  • Greenbow–IN
  • Growing With Plants
  • Joanne's Cottage Garden
  • May Dreams Gardens–IN
  • Redeem Your Ground
  • Rock Rose–TX
  • Toronto Gardens–Canada

Red Dirt Sisters

  • Curtiss Ann Matlock
  • The Not Always Lazy W

Follow Us!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Let’s bring back the Monarchs

Let’s bring back the Monarchs
For more info about speaking and other work, visit my other website!

Dear Friend and Gardener

Join our virtual garden club and share all summer

Join our virtual #garden club and share all #summer

Disclosure Notice

Red Dirt Ramblings participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.com and its affiliates.

Occasionally, I also accept some garden items for review. If I review one of these items, I will let you know in the post. Thank you.

© Copyright 2023 Reddirtramblings.com · All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy · Sitemap

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT