Visitors to my garden often exclaim about the view from my back garden, which overlooks the Port of Los Angeles. It can be attractive and interesting but its appearance is frequently blurred by a dingy gray-brown blanket of smog. Rain, when it comes, usually scrubs the horizon clean, at least for a time; however, we haven't had any significant precipitation since early May. I know many gardeners feel melancholic when freezes bring an abrupt end to their growing season, as has happened to so many in the US this month. I feel much the same kind of melancholy when I look out over the harbor and see this day after day:
The recent fires made the air even dirtier than usual. I check the weather forecasts regularly to see if there's any chance of rain in the offing. Yesterday was the first time I found forecasts showing a 40% possibility of rain during the middle of next week. Hope springs eternal.
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All material © 2012-2019 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
We all seem to find something disheartening in our environment this time of year. That dirty smudge on the horizon is not very nice to look at, and the news about the wildfires in California is so disturbing.
ReplyDeleteClimate change has heightened the problem with fire in California but the failure of our public utilities to perform proper maintenance is also a major factor.
DeleteOh dear, that would be depressing to see. :( I do hope those 40% grow to a near foolproof number, and that it does it fast. Thinking of you guys down there.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anna. We are badly in need of rain.
DeleteYou are not alone, with the bush fires and gale force winds here in NSW Australia, it's been very dirty and smoky.
ReplyDeleteI was very sorry to hear about the situation in New South Wales, Karen. It seems that our 2 parts of the world share some sad similarities as climate change progresses.
DeleteI heard that you *might* be having some rain soon... fingers crossed!
ReplyDeleteI just checked and the rain's still in the forecast - sometimes these predictions just evaporate overnight (pun intended). As a friend and I have a garden outing planned for the day currently pinpointed by forecasters, that may increase the probability that it'll actually materialize...
DeleteThat brown smear does ruin the beauty. Yet our air is cleaner than it was in the 60's.
ReplyDeleteThe encouraging thing is that the nights are quite cool. Here's hoping the pattern will shift soon and the low pressure systems will start coming south.
Yes, mercifully the cooler nights do distinguish this warm spell from the summer heatwaves when we have 90F temperatures at 11pm. We've had a good marine layer the last couple of mornings as well, although they're burning off relatively early.
DeleteI hope you receive the rain, Kris. I know so well what it’s like to live in anticipation. We had rain forecast a couple of weeks ago, but we received 8 mm which did nothing to ease the drought conditions. We have had dust in the air as well, and the fires to the north of us ( a long way from us) have been dreadful...about 1 million hectares burnt. My heart bleeds for the untold numbers of animals lost in the conflagration.
ReplyDeleteWe were so lucky with rain last year, Jane, it's hard not to wish for a repeat of that even though I know it's unlikely. In truth, I'll be happy if we get something on the level of our "normal" rainfall (on the order of 15 inches for the year). What I fear is what we faced the year before last when we got less than 4 inches in total. I'm sorry about the fires your're dealing with in Australia. Sadly, they've become an annual norm here too it seems.
DeleteOh I will be hoping that you get some of that much wished for and needed rain Kris.
ReplyDeleteI do too, Anna!
DeleteThat layer of smog is familiar to me too. That is why we call our summer Southeaster the Cape Doctor. It looks better when blown 'away'.
ReplyDeleteI wish our Santa Ana winds (another round of which are expected this weekend) pushed out the smog but all they seem to do is fan more fires.
DeleteI hope you get that rain which might take care of smoke and your garden.
ReplyDeleteIf it's a really good soak, the rain will do the job but unfortunately that looks unlikely at the moment.
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