What a difference a week makes! A week ago exactly we were in a drought and begging for rain. Then it rained a half-inch four days in a row followed by Isaias which was gentle on us. The storm brought 4 more inches of rain on our farm, filling the pond we use to irrigate (a kind neighbor allows us to use it when it is abundant enough!) and not destroying any plants. Some plants may be stressed a bit right now from getting more rain than they prefer, but the damage should be minimal (it often takes days for the full plant stress to reveal itself) and we're heading into another notoriously dry time of year with water in the pond. So, all in all we are calling the past week a week of blessings for which we are grateful.
Over the past two winters we have installed much needed underground drainage systems in a few places around the farm. This storm was one of the first real tests of these drainage improvements and we are happy we invested in that work. 
In other exciting (but tiring) farm news: A quick trip to the gravel yard Monday afternoon for a load of gravel for a last-minute erosion prevention project found us practically being handed a pair of newborn kittens. The kittens were in the middle of the gravel yard with no evidence of the mama cat visiting them for a couple of days, and the employees were very worried about predation and the approaching potential for 6 inches of rain. We got the trailer load of gravel, picked up a can of kitten formula and two bottles, headed home to spread the gravel where needed, and settled into the comfort of our home with the tiny kittens as the storm winds picked up and the rain dumped. We're happy to report that the kittens are gaining weight nicely and show all signs of health. We'll keep you informed, and we hope these two become excellent farm mousers.
Enjoy your options this week! Eating what this soil and sun and work provide us is so delicious!
Blessings on your meals, and keep masking up and washing your hands ~
