Greetings from the island everyone. Hope all of you are doing well and surviving this dang south Texas heat!

I never imagined back in June, when we were getting all those inches of rain, and literally praying for it to stop already, that the ground would be this dry now. It’s unbelievable how quickly the soil sucks up all that moisture and craves more within such a short time.

The few flowering bushes and young unestablished trees that I have, are requiring constant watering just to stay alive right now. The forecast for the week of the 17th-21st does show a chance of rain, I just hope it holds up and does actually rain a little.

Not only does the lack of rain cause me to go into ultra conservative mode on my rain holding water tanks for inside water usage, but the water level for the shallow wells will also begin to drop below the well casing. The fresh water will become more brackish (salty), and could fall low enough where the water is unusable. These are all bad things! So my daily prayers always include asking for rain. Please.

And needless to say, the heat lately has been nearly unbearable. The early morning and late evening hours are about the only times to stay comfortable outside right now. A few weeks ago we did have a few mornings where we were blessed with a light north breeze. . . HEAVEN! Those mornings make me look so forward to the early Fall mornings, with that nice crisp coolness in the air. It won’t be much longer, thank goodness.

The cats, Anchor & Jetty, now nearly 1 1/2 years old, are doing just fine, coping with the heat as well as possible. They are keeping the rats and lizards in check around the place. And the 25 chickens, in spite of the oppressive heat, continue to lay great, averaging 20 eggs every single day. These are by far the best laying breed of chickens I’ve had!

Well that’s it from the island for now, everyone have a great day, pray for rain, and stay cool.