The Sun Herald | 04/20/2006 | It's official: South Mississippi is in a DROUGHT

The Sun Herald | 04/20/2006 | It's official: South Mississippi is in a DROUGHT: "GULFPORT - For all those with sod, or tomatoes, or petunias, or anything else they're trying to grow in parched soil, it's official - South Mississippi's coastal counties are in a severe drought."

Oh gee folks! All we wanted was just a little bit of "pretty" back in our lives but looks like that isn't meant to be.... The weather forecasters are predicting severe thunderstorms Friday. You know, like we wouldn't suspect that they might be severe if it does rain. The weather is quite similar to last year with the lack of rain. Only difference is although our temperature may reach a daytime high of 85 degrees the low humidity keeps us from sweating. Don't know if that is a good thing or not because on a trip to Mexico City years ago the sun was so hot that it would burn your skin but you didn't perspire. The price to be paid, in my case anyway, was I couldn't breathe.

I have areas in my yard that I am trying to preserve as I have several "papyrus" plants. They are tall aquatic plants of the sedge family, formerly common in Egypt. They are not completely dead but they need water to survive. The pic below is of an obviously stressed papyrus.

My favorite annual is the dainty looking but surprisingly rugged "impatiens" . The container grown ones are hanging in there but the ones planted directly in the ground are beyond stressed. They won't survive.



The "monkey grass" in the yard was planted not only to frame the flower beds it discourages weeds from invading. It too looks as if it will succumb.


Spots, spots, spots all over the once green lawn.


I wonder how much my water bill will be. Couldn't be anymore than $3.00 a gallon. Huh? Like gasoline. Oh! That brings another question to mind. How much will our trip cost when we evacuate a few states away? It was suggested we bring extra cans of gasoline with us as we may run out of gas. When I drive with my 5 gallon can to get gas for my lawnmower I have all the windows rolled down to prevent the gas from igniting. Are we not to use common sense and just get out of "Dodge"?

Well that's about it from my little corner of the world. Oh! Don't take my concern over a plant or two as all that I am concerned about. Attempting to beautify one's surroundings is natural. Bringing a little color to our bleak landscape is a sign of hope. If only the weather would cooperate.

Whenever a crisis arises in our lives who hasn't at one time said, "I feel like I have been to hell and back?" The problem here is we have yet to come back.