Dew-lusional

Round here, when the record breaking heat broke, people's broken spirits lifted just a little. There where a few days of overcast sky's and cool nights following that slight mist of little or no accumulation of rain drops. So pretty quick folks came to their senses and realized that the weather reports where only a string of broken promises as the earth continues to dessicate around middle Tennessee. It is funny, though, how delusional you become, when a prediction of 20 percent chance of scattered showers translates in your brain as a hopeful promise of relief. But after weeks and weeks, hope begins to fade and tempers tighten again. They have begun shipping in round bales of hay from Oklahoma. A 20.00 round bale will now cost you 100, if you can get to it in time, the ads always read, first come first serve. I have notoriously been a day late and a dollar short. So far, I haven't scored hay.
Yesterday was the first day the mules sucked the water trough dry before the end of the day, guess they are not getting any moisture from the pasture plants, which pretty much look so as shriveled as if frost has already arrived. Pumping water into the trough from my little pond is still sort of a trick, I have to run back and forth, making sure there are no leaks and the mules haven't reached down and tossed the hose out with their teeth while I was down checking on the pump end.
It is disheartening to drive anywhere, because then you get a really good look at the brown pastures and dying trees, but we have been driving, anyway, any evening we can, down to the river to toss the inflatable kayaks in and bob around in a watery distraction "like a game of chess when the house is a mess" Although most of the creeks have dried up most of the way to the river, the river itself is blessedly cool and clear. Just keep your eyes off of the rock bluffs, where even the normally dry tolerant cedars are turning brown.