Journal - A Stormy Week

So this has been a pretty enjoyable week.

Sunday night we had some pretty intense storms. I generally like storms, especially at night, but I was worried about my pumpkins and other plantings. We got an awful lot of rain, pretty hard at times, and it also hailed for a few minutes although the hail was not very large. Also, the wind blew so hard that the rain was blowing straight across the yard at times. I just wasn’t sure if the garden would survive at all.

Monday morning I went out to take a look. The pumpkins were kind of beat up but it looked like they would survive. None of them were broken off anyway, and the hail hadn’t stripped the leaves very much. Overall I thought they would probably bounce back just fine. I did lose a sunflower and I’m pretty sure one of the two watermelons that came up won’t survive. I seem to be missing a cucumber or two as well.

Monday afternoon we went to Mom’s house. Aunt LeeDel, Uncle Marvin, and Uncle Butch were here for their annual Memorial Day visit. Mike and Bobbi were there as well, but had to go shortly after we arrived. Mike said about half of his tomatoes had been destroyed by the hail. It was a fun afternoon with the family. Uncle Butch, Uncle Marvin, Joni, Adam, and I played three games of croquet in the back yard. Mom has a large pile of bricks that were there when she moved in I think, and she said I could bring some home. She also had a few bricks from the old school building and she let me have those as well.

So on Tuesday I got to work with the bricks. The ones from the school still had a lot of mortar stuck on them so first I had to clean those up with a hammer and chisel. The mortar came off pretty easy for the most part. Then I finally finished up the brick border that I had been working on along the north and west sides of the patio. When that was done I planted some marigolds along the new section I had just put down. Joni and I really like how the brick border turned out and if we can get some flowers to come up it will be even nicer. Actually we do have a few hollyhocks coming up but they’re not very big yet. It doesn’t look like the catnip I planted is going to come up, and I’m still having trouble getting any mint to take. That stuff just doesn’t like to be moved. The other day (was it Monday?) I gave them some plant food we had on hand so maybe that will help them along a little.

Wednesday we had more storms, but nothing like the storms of Sunday night. There was plenty of lightning and thunder and rain, but not wind or hail. It rained off and on for most of the morning and afternoon. We enjoyed that but now I’m starting to worry that the pumpkins are getting too much water. Always something to worry about. I can’t imagine how farmers must feel all summer long: not enough water, too much water, wind hail, weeds, insects…

Anyway I looked at everything today it looks like they’ll bounce back just fine. They seem to have enjoyed the rain at any rate.

Nehemiah 9:6You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you. ESV

Job 26:8 He binds up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not split open under them. ESV

Job 26:11 The pillars of heaven tremble and are astounded at his rebuke. ESV

Job 26:14 Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand? ESV