The rain that missed us the last two days has caused problems all over. THE MIRACLE RESCUE: When the powerful storms hit near New Braunfels in central Texas and dumped up to a foot of rain, one family was swept away from their campsite by a huge wall of water that came from somewhere upstream and seemed to come out of nowhere. The mother held on to a tree for a couple of hours before being resuced, the 11-year-old daughter put on a lifevest/floatation device that came floating by (believe in miracles?), and was in the water for over 2 hours before a retired firefighter from Colorado rescued her.The father, himself currently a Fort Worth firefighter, was swept 32 MILES downstream by the waters before he was rescued. It was several hours before each family member learned the others had survived and they were eventually reunited. Yesterday the flooding continued just south and east of Dallas, including in the Hillsboro area where flash floods closed some highways and one county announded the entire county was underwater and travel was impossible. Imagine that! Now that same storm has moved across Arkansas where I understand it has hit another campground like the one in New Braunfels. I don't know if they've found everyone yet. I was so frustrated when the rain missed us, but then horribly relieved we didn't have the very heavy rains here and all the problems that come with it. I hope they find all the folks from the Arkansas campground. Moni, I caught tons and tons of rain (about 600 gallons) from the last big rainstorm here in mid-May, using my one rain barrel, 5-gallon buckets, tons of cat litter buckets that I've save for years, Rubbermaid roughneck totes....anything I could find and set out to catch the water. I thought that 600 gallons would last forever, but with three weeks of no rain and a couple of acres of plants to water, it didn't last long at all. My poor old rain barrel has been empty for so long now. Our granddaughter doesn't understand why the ground is 'broken' (cracking clay) and offered to fix it by pouring dirt, water and birdseed down it. I told her that I thought we should just wait for rain to come and fix things. The question is, when is that rain going to come? We have fairly good subsoil moisture from rain earlier in the year, but the top 6" or so are drying out pretty quickly. No matter how much I water, just a day or two later you can't even tell I watered because the ground is as dry as a bone. I am sure this dryness is going to result in reduced yields from the veggie garden. At least the trees and shrubs shouldn't suffer because we have great deep, deep moisture from last year's near-record rainfall. That's how it is here for us with rainfall---feast or famine. Already, some of the gardeners here that we know are saying they won't water....if rain doesn't fall, their gardens will die. Water is so expensive and it takes so much to keep clay well-watered (once it is dry, water just rolls off of it like it is concrete) that they feel like they'd spend more money on water than their garden produce would be worth. I have hit that point before, and sometimes as early as mid-June if the drought began in winter, but I'm going to try to keep watering as long as possible...at least until mid-July. That's assuming no watering restrictions. Some folks who water with well water are having trouble maintaining enough water pressure to water. That's not good. A lot of Oklahoma is getting rain, but we aren't, and it doesn't seem likely to improve. Ironically, I've decided I don't want for any rain to fall here until after I harvest the peach crop at mid-month. If a heavy rain falls now, it will water down the peach flavor and make the peaches and plums split. Since I don't 'need' or want rain this week, watch it show up now.

Well, Diana, you've just broken the poor "teddy bear"'s heart! See how dejected she is? Actually that's her usual pose, in the middle of the kitchen floor with her legs folded up underneath her like a camel. She is a goofball! And she's also as fat as a toad thanks to all of the treats that she's been getting lately (the vet says that she isn't...SHE insists that she isn't but I know the truth). She was delighted enough to give the box a big "snoof", that was treat enough for her. Plus she helped my son play with all of the bubblewrap :-). But thank you. She is very cute and very goofy and she makes us laugh a lot. She's a rescue rottie. Nina

Several years ago, when we were redoing the basement family room, I repeatedly asked my hubby about running cable outlets. Each time, he said "no, don't bother, the cable is only for the internet service." Of course, shortly after finishing the room, teenage daughter sets up her video game stuff and wants to move the tv to the adjacent wall. Hubby than asks me why if we can put in another cable outlet on that wall. I said sure but that's more money and that's why I asked you that question multiple times. So, he said to me "I know I said that, but why didn't you just do it anyway?" My husband is a consultant...he can think of many different ways to backpedal from a definite answer or to provide a intelligent-sounding meaningless answer to darn near any direct question. One time, my partner attempted to clarify one of his vague points..."So, I understand that you want the gutters to be the top priority, is that right?" "Well, yes, that is important and I would like to have it done soon but there's several other items that need to be done also. I don't think you should stop working on the current items just to get the gutter project finished" As always, it reminds me that the FBI does not have the 21,453 Most Wanted list instead of the 10 Most Wanted list. There's only so much space at the top of the priority list and someone has to make that list.

I'm glad you're doing OK, and have a way to get rid of the nest. I'm pretty casual about bees in the garden, all types, tolerant of yellow jackets if they are not close enough to be bothering us or guests (or mail or UPS), but I've got no tolerance at all for the black and white (bald faced) hornets. Very worst sting of my life one year - I really didn't feel well and had a pounding headache from a behind the ear sting. I called my nurse friend and she said Advil, Ice, Benadryl all at once and do it right now. It took a couple of days before I felt myself again. Year before last I called an exterminator for a black and white hornets nest above my circle driveway. Appeared in a cherry almost out of nowhere and right above where a friend will typically park every time he stops in. I really didn't want to deal with a ladder, flashlight after dark to take care of it myself but I won't admit how much I paid to have it removed ;0) Shortly after, I found a company that will come and remove all but yellow jackets, free. Only if no attempts have been made to get rid of them yourself, including water sprays. They extract the venom for medication for those allergic and make their profit there, not in charging the homeowner. They don't address yellow jackets because those are so plentiful, the venom not in high demand. I've got the number - someplace ;0) But haven't had reason to ask for help since having the fully suited exterminator here that day. Very nice guy, just expensive.