GRAVETTE — We certainly can’t complain about the garden being dry anymore as we’ve had rain several days this week. I read somewhere recently that if it rains on Monday it will rain three more days that week. Well, it proved true this week. It rained Monday and not three, but four more days! The mock orange and wisteria are still pretty and fragrant but the fluffy peony blooms shattered quickly under the onslaught of the rain and wind. We haven’t had to add water to the fish pond this week as it was filled naturally from the rain.

We started the week with a rainy Monday. Storm warnings crawled across the TV screen that evening but fortunately we escaped the severe weather. Tuesday was cool and cloudy but at least it wasn’t raining when I took Mama out for her checkup at the clinic that afternoon. She got a good report and after I took her home I went out to do a little grocery shopping and made a few calls to sell hamburger fry tickets.

Jim went to help a friend put a tarp on a damaged roof Thursday morning. The forecast was for rain so he chose an indoor job next, removing tile from a bathroom floor at a home a few blocks away. I made to accompany our cheeseburger pizza for supper.

Rainy weather continued Friday and it was pouring when niece Laura arrived early that morning. Her grandmother and sisterin-law came to pick her up about eight to go on a shopping trip so I soon went to work. Our editor was out of town so I helddown the fort at the office all day. I had a call giving us news of an upcoming fiftieth wedding anniversary and received information on Students of the Month. It was a busy day and I was pleased when I returned home to find that Jim had put up the arch our neighbor recently gave us. It provides another lovely backyard ornament beside the fish pond.

It was raining when we awoke Sunday morning and showers continued off and on most of the day. We made a trip to Southwest City and sister Nancy brought us some of her nice brown eggs when we returned. She reported the culvert north of her house was washed out. I clipped the coupons from the Sunday paper while Jim watched golf and auto racing on TV and we cooked a pot of lentils and smoked sausage for our evening meal.

The frequent rains have watered the garden nicely and plants are growing every day. Wet weather has interfered with outdoor work though and the yard didn’t get mowed this weekend. We are hoping for a clear, sunny day Friday when our library commission hamburger fry is scheduled. Tickets are only $5.00 and burgers will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the library. Come join us for lunch and shop for bargains in reading material at the book sale on the grounds.

-Susan Holland

Susan Holland, who works for The News Herald, is a lifelong Benton County resident.

Opinion, Pages 4 on 05/19/2010