Today I paid to have some oak trees surrounding the cabin trimmed and leaves swept off the cabin roof. Water had leaked through the cabin roof and hopefully now the wind will blow the leaves away, preventing the leaves from acting like a sponge that allows water to seep through the seams of the metal roof. I will have to wait for another rain storm to see if this fixes the problem.
This morning I drove into Rocksprings and spent a few hours volunteering in the Library. For over a year now I have been scanning all the children’s books looking for those which need to be updated for the reading tests given to the school children. Rocksprings is so small that the school library is also the public library. For such a small library a lot goes on there and it has won awards.
After I left the library I went by the church to pick up my reusable water bottle which I left in the sanctuary last Sunday. When I arrived I spotted four turkeys outside the side door. The secretary told me there use to be huge flocks of them outside. This Texas drought is really hurting everyone, especially the wildlife.
After a quick visit with the church secretary, I drove over to the Rocksprings Visitor Center which is also home to the Devils’ Sinkhole where millions of bats take up residency each year, except for this year. They are blaming the drought for the lack of bats. Volunteers take folks out to the Sinkhole to watch the bats exit the sinkhole at night. They also take people during the day for hiking and birding tours. A good friend of mine is one of the volunteers and I spotted her car so I knew she was working there today. I had brought some lunch with me so I ate it there and socialized with her. It was an enjoyable afternoon.
Last week I finally got around to loading Dreamweaver onto my computer. Dreamweaver is web design software. I really need to create a new web site but finding the time to do so has been a challenge. First step is learning how to use the software. Every night this week I have been searching the internet for tutorials on how to use Dreamweaver. So far I have not found anything that is useful. The librarian gave me an idea of where to look (youtube) so maybe this evening I will find something that is actually helpful, something very basic.
I have been working on a raised bed for 
strawberries and last week I finally finished it and planted the strawberries. Hopefully next year I will have lots of yummy strawberries to eat and share.
Overall the garden has not been very productive. This drought and intense heat is really taking a toll. I am not the only one having problems. None of the neighbors have had any success growing tomatoes. The plants are a good size but no flowers. The only success I have had is growing summer squash, which is doing well. I have picked enough yellow squash and zucchini to share with several folks. I am hoping a fall garden does better.
The intense heat (over 100F or 39c daily since early May) and severe drought, not only is affecting the garden but the wildlife is suffering too. The deer really look anorexic. There is just nothing out here for them to eat. A lot of hunters and ranchers buy corn and hay for the deer and other critters, but with rising prices many are can no longer afford to do so. These animals must eat so they go after anything they can find. I planted a couple rhubarb plants but someone ate the baby shoots. The plants died after that. I also purchased and planted a yucca plant (for fun) and again the baby shoots got eaten. It is pretty hard to kill a yucca plant so when I saw new green shoots sprouting up I placed a cage over the plant to protect it. I am guessing cotton tail rabbits (which I have seen hopping around) ate the yucca and rhubarb plants. They probably are guilty of eating some of the other vegetable plants I planted in the garden. My next outdoor project is to make the garden rabbit proof. An 8 foot fence around the garden already makes it deer proof.
A friendly reminder, I am not out here just for myself. This ranch was purchased so others in need of a place to live due to Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and/or other medical issues have a place to live while seeking God’s healing. The spare bedroom in the house is now furnished and available.
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