More Drought Gifts

It’s just one damn thing after another with this drought. As if lugging water for unimpressed ewes and hosting ever-thirsty steers with our very own water supply isn’t enough, now I discover ‘toma’. I hope I am spelling it correctly but it is no simple matter.

It all started last Friday as I sat in the kitchen playing tickle bunny with Naavah.  Yael was busy making bread (yes, super woman actually makes bread every Friday. I need a nap just watching her.). Anyway, Yael casually asked me, “Did Dan warn you about tomas when you are walking in the paddocks?”

My head snapped up. “What’s a toma?”

“I think you call it a sink hole.”

Yes, folks I definitely call it a sink hole. And now I have to walk prodding the paddocks with my cane before stepping forth.  This drought – the worst in over 50 years – has so depleted the water table that our limestone based land is now filled with air holes rather than water holes.

Farmers are losing stock into these sink holes. I assume Dan is afraid he’ll lose stock and perhaps a mother at the same time. But the fact remains that he didn’t warn me. Yael did. Perhaps I need to remind him that I carry no life insurance.

The possums have become so daring that they actually climb onto the deck and eat my cherry tomatoes from my pot plants. They are hefty little devils too. The drought doesn’t seem to be bothering them! Perhaps they see this as an opportunity to expand their horizons; brave new world, aka the Lords' deck.

The birds, specifically my beloved doves, have left. I hear the larger birds like ravens and hawks but the gentle wrens, etc. are gone. I don’t know if they are victims of the drought or if they have gone in search of water farther south but gone they are. The rabbits are also gone. No great loss there!

The omnipresent rats are still around and more visible than ever. I was looking out the window and a rat sauntered by on the roof abutting my window. The next morning I opened the garage door and there was a rat; perhaps the same rat. I don’t know. We didn’t exchange visiting cards. I just screamed at it. It turned its head and surveyed me for a moment before deliberately turning its back to me and walking slowly off. Have I ever told you how much I hate rats? Well I do and now I have sink holes to hate as well. My cup runneth over. Thanks drought for the endless parade of gifts.