Coda, with Thunder
Jun. 21st, 2004 09:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dancinghorseI thought the clouds and moisture would blow off eastward toward evening, but they did no such thing. The south and east got blacker and blacker. When I came out in the evening, the air had that sauna sensation, and the southeast was black with rain--and there was a piece of rainbow. The storm moved in toward the Rincons, and settled a mile or two away, with the winds and thunder blustering at us. The west was almost clear, with a few clouds; the sunset was gorgeous.
We're still just outside the edge of the storm, and the wind is still blowing. I took Camilla out for walkies and she was really feeling the thunder--she was as edgy as the air. I had to bring her back before she blew. Then I took Pook out to literally head for the hills. He's had two years more of groundwork and it showed. He was edgy but attentive, and we did some nice hill work--going up them at a consistent pace, and down them in pieces, with pauses to balance, even to back up (backing up a hill is an interesting exercise for a horse). He thought that was fun.
There's a new plant nursery two houses down toward the north--I keep meaning to ask if they have a storefront. They have a little sort of greenhouse, and a lot of tagged ocotillo out in back of it, and assorted cacti. It looks as if they're taking plants off land that's being cleared for development, which is a legal and I presume lucrative occupation. In fact I think developers are required to have nurseries or accredited nonprofit groups remove the rare or endangered cacti. Ocotillo aren't in that category, I don't think, but they're a popular plant for xeriscaping. I love 'em myself.
Anyway I think it's neat that there's a desert-plant nursery in the neighborhood.
After the dinner circus, I decided on the better part of valor, and put the side tarps up on the hay--there's a roof but it's open on the sides, and rain can blow right through. I don't think the rain will come this far off the mountain, but it never hurts to be paranoid--and the forecast is for two more days (at least) of this "pre-monsoon."
It's lovely tonight, with the cool air and the smell of rain. Rain smells different in the desert--sharp and rather dry, like dust and creosote. Yes, It's A Dry Rain.
We're still just outside the edge of the storm, and the wind is still blowing. I took Camilla out for walkies and she was really feeling the thunder--she was as edgy as the air. I had to bring her back before she blew. Then I took Pook out to literally head for the hills. He's had two years more of groundwork and it showed. He was edgy but attentive, and we did some nice hill work--going up them at a consistent pace, and down them in pieces, with pauses to balance, even to back up (backing up a hill is an interesting exercise for a horse). He thought that was fun.
There's a new plant nursery two houses down toward the north--I keep meaning to ask if they have a storefront. They have a little sort of greenhouse, and a lot of tagged ocotillo out in back of it, and assorted cacti. It looks as if they're taking plants off land that's being cleared for development, which is a legal and I presume lucrative occupation. In fact I think developers are required to have nurseries or accredited nonprofit groups remove the rare or endangered cacti. Ocotillo aren't in that category, I don't think, but they're a popular plant for xeriscaping. I love 'em myself.
Anyway I think it's neat that there's a desert-plant nursery in the neighborhood.
After the dinner circus, I decided on the better part of valor, and put the side tarps up on the hay--there's a roof but it's open on the sides, and rain can blow right through. I don't think the rain will come this far off the mountain, but it never hurts to be paranoid--and the forecast is for two more days (at least) of this "pre-monsoon."
It's lovely tonight, with the cool air and the smell of rain. Rain smells different in the desert--sharp and rather dry, like dust and creosote. Yes, It's A Dry Rain.
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no subject
Date: 2004-06-22 07:35 am (UTC)As I rode to work, a shard of rainbow, barely longer than it was wide, worn by a patchy cloud like a badge.
---L.
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Date: 2004-06-22 11:17 am (UTC)smell of dust on a cool gust
splatter of first drops
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Date: 2004-06-22 11:18 am (UTC)bring creosote petrichor:
sweet dust -- end of drought
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Date: 2004-06-22 11:20 am (UTC)in the afternoon breezes--
mountain tops wear clouds
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Date: 2004-06-22 11:21 am (UTC)---l
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Date: 2004-06-22 03:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-22 08:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-23 10:42 am (UTC)I love it. Thanks, guys. :)
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Date: 2004-06-23 11:26 am (UTC)---L.