... is now basking in the sun. And a very happy Juli [me] has hot water again! Thursday night it rained - stopped enough for Tikva to go out and pee when we surfaced, then it bucketed down nearly all day, with just a few breaks, during which she was able to go and for a pee and/or poo. Good because we desperately need rain, but the heavy rain meant I could not even have the door slightly open on the chain and all the trissim had to be closed, so it meant lights on. Rather depressing for both of us although Tikki spent most of the day curled in her "nest" on the couch sulking. My patio half flooded as the drain hole in the little wall was partially blocked and I could not get to it to poke through it to clear it [no wellies]. But when we surfaced this morning there was sun, glorious sun - Tikki could go out - the door is now open so she can go out and come in as she wants, and if she does not stay out she can sit by the open door and watch the world go by - the patio has drained so I can get to the drain hole and have a good poke through it to clear the weeds/mud that had blocked it... ... and I have hot water again!
Glad things are on the “up “ rather than the rain coming down ! Is it usual for that amount of rain at this time of year, it seems so many countries’ weather is full of surprises! Global warming OR natural weather patterns, will we ever know for sure ?
Philippa, this is actually late for the proper first rains although we have had some rain before but usually just in the night and not that much. The rainy season is November to February and we need much more rain than we had Thursday night and yesterday. The Kinneret [Sea of Galilee], which is our main fresh water supply, is below the danger line, and the Dead Sea is gradually drying up. The coastal aquifers are also very low and this amount of rain will not do much to help any of them. If it were not for the desalination plants there would be very little fresh water at all. It is that serious. We are now entering the sixth official year of drought,with many of our lakes, riverbeds and aquifers at unprecedented 100-year lows, although we have not felt the current drought - yet - as acutely as past dry spells because recent years five massive desalination plants on the Mediterranean coast that now provide some 70% of the country’s drinking water directly from the sea have been built. Also 86% of its waste water is recycled for agriculture and two more desalination plants are in the planning stages. But unless we get more rain - lots and lots of it - the consequences will be disastrous. So - whether Tikva sulks because she cannot go out, and I have to have lights on during the day and do not have any hot water, is nothing I should complain about, is it.
The weather patterns are a mess everywhere and I personally say it’s from global warming/climate change.. We have been having unprecedented amounts of large wildfires in California over the last 2-3 years. We used to have a fire “season” but now it’s pretty much year round. We’ve also been experiencing much worse hurricanes as well, in other parts of the country. Didn’t you recently have flooding where you live? I remember the pictures. Is this a normal occurrence? If it’s not from global warming then the earth must be flat too... and I’ve got some oceanfront property I could sell you in the desert.. Yea I’m a little grumpy from being inside too much because of the smoky air. Sorry for hijacking your thread Juli
We had a tiny bit of rain here maybe 2.5 months ago... We have also been experiencing drought conditions. 5 of the last 6 years have been dry and this year so far not looking very wet. There are actually areas in California where the ground level has dropped due to excessive pumping of ground water and there is also salt intrusion in wells close to the coast. I think the water I pump out of my well isn’t as clear as it used to be.. it seems more milky when first pumped but then turns ckear after it has time to settle. More minerals maybe.
We get flash floods in the Negev and the Arava, in the Negev desert. The ground is rock solid due to the heat of the summer so rain cannot soak in, so when there is heavy rain the wadis cannot cope. In April this year 10 students were killed when hiking in a dried up river bed that was hit by a sudden flash flood [a hiking trip that had not been approved by the Ministry of Education which has to approve all trips]. Last month it was announced that the flash flood season had started in the desert areas of southern Israel. I live north of that although still in the south of the country, and Ashqelon did have flooding in some parts from unexpected heavy rain in June as the drainage system could not cope, but that was not due to a flash flood, and it is most unusual to have rain at that time of year. Anyhow, it is blue skies and sunshine now, at 10am with the temperature going up to 26°- the long term forecast being sunny and warm with some light showers next Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. @who owns who - Marc, our tap water also sometimes comes out cloudy looking first thing in the morning - I do not drink or cook with tap water as something in the purifying agents upsets my stomach, plus I can smell chlorine in the water, and if it is very noticeable I put mineral water in Tikva's drinking bowl. I figure that if I will not drink it, why should she. I hope your air quality improves so that you can take the dogs out for a good walk - such terrible fires and such a ghastly loss of both human and animal lives.
