"In every walk with nature one receives more than he seeks."
John Muir

Sunday, June 26, 2011

The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side.

The drought in Texas was very evident in the western part of the state.
The farm fields looked mostly like this.
Poor, hot and discouraged farmers.


But the wonder of modern irrigation has changed the shape and color of many of
these dry, parched lands.



Long, wheeled irrigators draw liquid gold from the source down deep in the earth
and stretch the hoses for many lengths, soaking the seedlings so they can grow into mature plants. The lush green color was refreshing to took at as the air temp was over 100 degrees.


What a difference moisture makes! The distinct lines drawn where the bright green of the irrigated soil meets the brown of the dry ground are shockingly defined. I recall seeing large green circles sitting amidst brown and tan patches while flying over the western states years ago. I never really understood how those perfect geometric shapes came to be. Now I saw it in action as if an artist swiped with a green-tipped brush.


Thanks to the wonder of irrigation techniques, the farmers in this arid, rainless land are still able to produce crops and stay in business. The massive size of this grain storage unit cried out for a photo op. AgriProducers Grain Coop. To gain perspective on its size, note the train cars and tractor-trailer at its base.
Much of our country is suffering with flooding and the imbalance of the Texas
drought is a puzzle and hardship.
Maybe that's why we saw a touch of a bad attitude on the bumper sticker of a truck in Santa Ana, Texas. It read: "Keep honking. I'm reloading."

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