Yeah, Rain!

We are finally getting some good rain. The forecasters predict maybe more than an inch over this coming weekend. Thank God!

We are still in a severe drought that one weekend of rain won't cure. The deficit for the year is still right at 14 inches. Farmers and horse owners are having to import hay from Texas and other points with the price per square bale up to almost $10. It normally sells for between $3 and $5 a square bale. The big round bales, which are not as nutritious anyway, can't be purchased at any price locally. Those who have them are saving them for their own horses or cows. The governor has declared a hay emergency in our county so the feds will pay owners up to $1,500 to offset the cost of trucking in hay from other states. You can read some of the pleas for hay here. The drought is having its effect on other prices, too. Dairy farms are hurting and milk is up to more than $4 a gallon in some stores. Cheaper to drink gasoline.
The French Broad River, one of the major rivers in this area, is hurting. This is a picture of the river just across the state line in Tennessee. The French Broad flows on down into Asheville and is one of the great kayaking and rafting rivers in the area when it has enough water. Our lake, fed by the Green River, is holding its own. The power station at the dam is not generating much these days so the lake level stays normal.

Big News
The big news in our household is the addition of Buddy, a 2-year-old Corgi we adopted Dec. 21 from the Hendersonville Humane Society, where his previous owner had left him. That owner named him "bling-bling" but neither the dog nor I liked that name so now he is Buddy. He is housebroken and very smart. He's learning to sit, stay and those good things. He is also learning that his crate is a nice place to sleep.

Smaller News

Quad Goat Arrive at Polk High School
That was the headline in our little local paper earlier this month. Our high school has an educational farm, and on that farm are goats. The four baby boy goats -- called bucks --- were born to a doe earlier this month. That is unusual. Normally only two baby goats are in a litter (if litter is the right word). Students bottle-fed the bucks until they were strong enough to nurse. Last word is that they are going fine. Is this a great place to live, or what?