Water

"I have come to terms with the future.

From this day onward I will walk

easy on the earth. Plant trees. Kill

no living things. Live in harmony with

all creatures. I will restore the earth

where I am. Use no more of its resources

than I need. And listen, listen to what

it is telling me."

                         M.J. Slim Hooey

In coming to terms with the future, my new favorite flowering plant here in the Land of Enchantment is the Tufted Evening Primrose which is pollinated during the darkness of night by Hawk moths. Below are pictures of each of the three plants calling 6790' MuRefuge home and residing along the sidewalk along the front of the house. These three plants I bought from the Plants of the Southwest in 2" pots . . . and now look at their size in less than two months.

This is the Tufted evening primrose (Oenothera caepitosa)
that bloomed first and was featured in an earlier post.

Tufted evening primrose with
many spent flowers.

The entire Southwest has been under a "severe drought" up until July. Then the monsoon weather pattern arrived in New Mexico. It is amazing to me how the rain (and hail + often high winds) occurs in some specific areas of New Mexico, even within the city of Santa Fe, and completely misses others. For example, Albuquerque, less than an hour's drive from Santa Fe, has received enough rain this monsoon season to have reached "normal" while other spots in the Land of Enchantment remain under a severe drought.

Map on sign post along the Santa Fe River.
We use to walk along the "river bank,"
but with the not one, but two huge monsoonal rainstorms
the path has been washed out in a number of places
 and the river bed has widen although it is now dry.
Trees were uprooted, huge boulders moved
downstream and several steep banks have
been washed into the river bed.

Santa Fe received two huge deluges less than two weeks apart in July, each altering the Santa Fe River bed more drastically. Individuals who have lived here all of their lives, several in their 90's, have never seen rains like these. One storm dropped 3.25" in less than 40 minutes. As you can imaging the storm drains, street, acequias (designed many years ago to deliver water to agricultural areas and now used by the city for "run off"), and arroyos were rushing and overflowing. Huge waves were created by the massive amounts of water rushing through in many cases way too narrow of a passage in some places, often filled with debris. Some of our neighbors across the street watched some of their property drop off into the rushing water; others experienced the waterline 18" in their rooms backing on the arroyo. Whew! We were spared since our house and property is on higher ground. The Stamm home we initially planned on buying just down the "circle" was one that had water inside of the house from the rushing water of the arroyo.

After these storms two "rain tanks" have been installed on our property that have the capacity of collecting over 1000 gallons of rain water from the flat roof via two canales. Better late than never! San Isidro Permaculture got to this project as soon as possible given their busy schedule. Many here in the area are going the way of water harvesting and water catchment.

Poly-Mart 500-Gallon Brown Rain Tank 
on cinder blocks for gravity watering, located 
in the front of the house between the windows
for the guest bedroom and library.
In front of the tank is a swale
which collects rain water from the
front portale via a canale.

Bushman 530-Gallon Slimline Rain Tank
on cinder blocks for gravity watering.
Installation was tricky since the cement
against the house and the cement
sidewalk slant away from the house.
All the rocks across from the tank
have now been removed and
four Heritage red raspberries and
four Prairie Clover, for nitrogen fixing,
have been planted. These plants are
loving the rain water from the tank!

Rain harvesting makes so much sense especially since during the most recent monsoon rain we have watched hundreds and hundreds gallons of water rush down the street stalling cars in their tracks. And City of Santa Fe Water gives a variety of rebates for water conservation. I am very much enjoying using rain water on all the newly planted perennials, grasses, shrubs and trees! These BEings prefer rain water to filtered city water it is very clear! 

Rainbow during lunch on 6790' MuRefuge's back portale.
No rain falling to the ground but the clouds and
the rainbow were spectacular!

Whether we get rain or just thunder and lightening, we