Falling Leaves

 I think a lot about my blogging friends in the South in this year of extreme drought and fire.  It was brought to mind even more clearly yesterday, when I looked at my yard, and saw all of the leaves down.  These aren't Fall leaves, they are green, but dry, crumpled and deformed.  The leaves on the trees look the same.  These leave are a product of the moderate drought we experienced this Summer.

That drought was over by August, when the rains finally started.  But, the damage had been done, and the results are still manifesting themselves.  I think to myself, if the comparatively mild drought we had here can do this, what damage is being done to all of the living things in the severe drought areas, damage that may take months, or years to show itself. 

I can't do anything to help, to make this horrible drought go away, or to stop the fires.  All I can do is say how sorry I am that all of you good people are going through this, and how much I wish that the rains would come -- nice gentle rains that fall at a steady, but not overwhelming, rate for days.  Rains that would sink deep down into the Earth, renewing the soil and refreshing all that it touches.  Rains that would fill your lakes and ponds, and put out the fires that have taken so many homes and taken away so much of your way of life.

So much hurt, to so many good people and, all I can say is "I'm sorry."