Tag Archives: Of Words and Water

Living in the desert makes one extremely aware of all things water: Rain, irrigation, harvesting water. A recent trip to Canada reminded me not everyone sees water in the same light. Normally this time of year Toronto is into the dry, with the lawns going brown in anticipation of Autumn rains. This year the rain has not let up. Everything was so amazingly green! My hostess showed me the guest bath, with such a deep tub and I immediately calculated how many times I could water my garden with what would be left after my bath. She laughed, and fill the master bathroom tub so I could enjoy the sybaritic luxury of immersing myself to the chin in hot water.  Ahhhh, bliss.

The rain continued, sheets of it plunging off her roof, but let up in time for us to stroll through lovely Elora, peer down into the gorge, and fill my camera with images of magic forests and deep set caves. Book covers? Might be.

My time in Canada was so short, but I brought home memories of water darned near everywhere, bracing myself for the extended New Mexico drought. Except. I drove through a pounding rain and hail storm, to find (sit down for the shock) MUD in my yard.  Yes, it had rained maybe an hour before I arrived home. And it has continued to rain nearly every day since. In fact the Fourth of July fireworks were provided by Mother Nature herself.

It will take a lot more mud to pull us out of the drought. But for now clouds gather and drop some moisture somewhere in the greater Albuquerque area at least once a day, and no one complains about the mud.

I joke about rain but take water issues seriously. So seriously I agreed to participate in Of Words and Water, an anthology of short stories and poetry. My contribution is “Prime Directive” and yes, it does honor Star Trek, as well as Twilight Zone. The download is free, they ask for a donation, which will benefit WaterAid, an organization dedicated to the concept of clean water for everyone.

For now, peace, love, and gorgeous skies to all