I am starting to wonder if I still live in Saskatchewan or if this is Vancouver.
The rain, humidity, thunderstorms and funnel clouds have been regular occurrences this year.
Every day we check the satellite map several times to see when the rain will hit us on the jobsite and what we can get done before it happens.
We needed the rain, as last year was extremely dry. Everywhere the land was a crisp brown colour and so unpleasant to look at.
This year the fields are lush and green, but it is a chore to get the grass mowed without plugging up the underside.
My garden is catching up, and for some reason the weeds grow at a much faster rate, passing everything else in the garden that is edible.
I did get my garden weeded with six inches of mud on my boots, but I am not complaining about the rain. I have not needed to water my garden at all this summer, my barrels are full, and the dogs' pond has been used regularly by our dear golden retriever.
One thing we do need is heat. It seems to heat up during the day. Then a thunderstorm rolls in and the temperature drops quickly.
If I look at pictures from last year of our garden, it was twice as tall. I watered when needed, but we had a lot of heat. It is one of the things from Mother Nature that we have no control over.
Just recently, coming from the job site, my husband already said the weather was not going to be pleasant, so I followed him home.
Halfway home near Kisbey, it started to rain and soon it was coming down by the buckets. Then the hail started.
As we pulled off to the side of the road, along with 10 other vehicles, the hail began to grow. At first the pellets were pretty small, but it did not take long for them to turn into pea-sized hail, and then the small marbles started to bounce off my truck.
I turned my truck to get the hail more on the side and back, but I was becoming concerned. Not for my truck, but for my garden. If this hail hit Stoughton, and it grew bigger, my garden would be doomed.
Luckily, the balls did not grow. It never hailed at home. Slowly the hail and rain subsided, and we were on the road home.
Hail is devasting and can destroy many things in its path depending on the size, and Estevan saw this first-hand a few weeks ago with hail the size of golf balls.
Is there a way to protect our things from hail if it happens? Do you have a plan in place if you are on the road and it happens?
Depending on the direction of the wind, we have always tried to have the back of our vehicles facing towards the wind. If the back window gets knocked out, at least one can drive home.
To prevent my garden from being destroyed, I have planters filled that can easily be moved to shelter. My garden, on the other hand, will meet its fate.
And where do all the wild animals go? I am sure they go to the trees, but is this enough to protect them? I have always wondered.
Funnels clouds have also been seen regularly this year. They are the ones that do not touch the ground, but this does not mean it couldn't happen.
Do you have a plan for a tornado? Everyone in my family knows what to do during a storm. We have pets, and each one of them has their designated person. They come with us to our safe spot.
Each room in our house has a working flashlight and phones are always charged. We do not have a basement, so our bathroom is the best place.
Our prediction is it will be a stormy summer, so make a plan that everyone knows, and keep an eye on the sky.
