Drought

May 20th 2014

I often walk at our city recharge ponds.  These large ponds are part of our water supply system, they feed our underground aquifer.  I think there are six actual ponds, they are about 20 feet deep and pretty big.  It takes about 20 minutes to walk a loop around the edge of the ponds so it must be close to a mile.  I try and walk two laps if it is not too hot.  There is one pond which is always kept full, the others vary depending on the weather and time of year.  It is a haven for migrating ducks and birds.  In the Winter there are always interesting ducks, sometimes unusual or rare ones.  There are always wading birds, herons and egrets.    The ponds themselves are fenced and the trail is gravel.  It is a great place to walk and well used by local birders and dog walkers.  Today I went because we are having a break from the 100 degree temperatures of last week.  The ponds were completely dry and the grasses bleached from the sun and heat.  Even the reliably full pond was nearly empty with a small pool in the centre.  I was sad to see it like that but the mud had attracted some avocets which I don't normally see there so despite the bleakness of the situation there was some beauty.  

The hills around us are almost completely golden now, with only faint traces of olive green.  I always think they look like crushed velvet that someone has gathered up and put down in a large heap.  All the ripples in the ground reflect the light differently.  I miss the green of Spring but these Summer hills have their own loveliness.  

Today I also picked our first raspberries, blackberries and tomatoes.