"Self-sufficiency does not mean 'going back' to the acceptance of a lower standard of living. On the contrary, it is the striving for a higher standard of living, for food that is organically grown and good, for the good life in pleasant surroundings... and for the satisfaction that comes from doing difficult and intricate jobs well and successfully." John Seymour ~ Self Sufficiency 2003

Tuesday 25 November 2014

What a little bit of rain can do...

Before November is done, I wanted to show you what 35mm of rain can accomplish.
An unseasonally dry winter resulted in a dam
level well below it's normal winter level.
But, peeking under the jetty in the top right
corner you can see there was still enough for
the ducks to splash about in :)
The above pic of the dam was taken in October.  As you can see there is at least 3 - 4 feet of waterproofed gum pole showing above the water line.
A dry and crumbling entrance gully...
The entrance gully was all dried and cracked.
Welcome water gushing down the gully into
the dam
And then on the 3rd and 4th of November 49mm of manna fell from the heavens in 24 hours.
The water deepened the gully, but wasn't
ferocious enough to widen it.
RMan is planning to strengthen the entrance
gully to prevent it from getting out of control.
The gully into the dam is dramatically deeper...
That's better.  What's the point of a dam if
it isn't holding much water?
... and the water level in the dam has risen by at least 2 - 2.5 feet :)  

So, not only did the rain fill the rain tanks, but it also rejuvenated the water in the dam too :)

The predicted rainfall for next week
The weather forecast that I follow shows that we can, hopefully, expect, a further 20mm of welcome water falling from the heavens over three days next week.  I hope that they don't adjust that down as is their wont... 

12 comments:

  1. We have too much of the damn stuff here so don't really appreciate how difficult it can be without it.

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    1. Ah, Chickpea - I would love to be able to say that we've had too much rain... LOL

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  2. Yeah for you guys! And, I tried your suggestion, the pic in my directory is sideways & vertical when I import it to post. Wonders never cease!

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  3. Isn't rain just amazing? Too little and it causes such damage, too much and the same thing. Without things shrivel up and die/go dormant and when it does come, everything just turns beautiful green and alive. Water=Life, right? ;-)

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    1. 1st Man - Oh, water, water, water!! We're always wanting more of it, especially in South Africa...

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  4. Glad you're getting the rain you needed. It's raining here this morning, washing out some of my plans. But your post reminds me that I should be thankful for the rain.

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    1. Bill - Always thankful - always :) Actually, thinking about it, even a flood serves a purpose - in the long term. But, a drought - well, that does permanent damage.

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  5. We got three inches of rain this week. I needed it for newly planted pasture; I just hope it stays warm enough for the stuff to grow! Here's hoping you have good rainfall this summer, but not too much.

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    1. Oh Leigh - lucky you :D

      We nomally have winter rain here in the Western Cape, but, honestly, rain any time of the year helps...

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Thank you for taking the time to comment - it makes my day and removes the "loneliness' of sitting at my screen blogging supposedly to myself ;) I try and reply as quickly as possible so please forgive me if sometimes my response is delayed.