  First off, don’t forget to comment to enter our newest giveaway for this heavy, heavy, marble and wooden rolling pin and package of a Made In Oklahoma mix to roll out! Winner will be announced Labor Day weekend. As many of you have experienced yourselves, or have heard on television, Oklahoma, and its neighboring states, is experiencing severe drought. Our food prices are going to go up, I assure you. The corn crop is steadily worsening and that means higher meat prices this winter. We got a teasing of rain yesterday, but it was only just enough to remind us that we do have windshield wipers on the cars and that multiple 110º – 113º days basically disentegrates them to flopping, rubber, uselessness for rain. Here, at the Oklahoma Pastry Cloth™ acreage, the drought has reminded us that crops can be the least of our worries. With dying cedar trees, grass that crunches and a lack of water, some traveler’s cigarette butt or heat from a car muffler can turn this land into a horror movie. Such was the case this last week. A little over six miles from us, on Thursday, a fire started that became a three day inferno of Hollywood proportions. Over 100 homes and buildings were burned and, tragically, one person was unable to leave their house in time to avoid the flames. Ash rained down on our area and smoke filled the air. Everyone held their breath that no ash was hot enough to travel and start a new fire this direction. Firefighters from many Oklahoma towns converged on the Cleveland county fire, while battling other fires across the state as well. There have been plenty. Things like this have to remind us of what is important. It doesn’t matter how well you have planned and saved, it can all be gone in the blink of an eye. We have no guarantees that life will be smooth. But hearing the people talk who have lost their homes here is just such an inspiration. One man and his son had to make a dive into their pond to avoid being caught in the flames. Their home and buildings were destroyed. With a huge grin, showing sparkling, white teeth, the father simply thanked God and chuckled. He was grateful to be alive and felt that everything else could be replaced. Below, I just thought I’d give you a picture of what it looks like here right now. Not really all that pretty.  This is some of our pastureland two weeks ago. You can imagine what the weeks of triple digit temps have done to it now!!  The grass is dying and leaving bare spots. Very little green is left.  The sumac trees that make for amazing Fall foliage are wilted and dying. I don’t think that they will make it to Fall.  Even with Mr. Fix-It trying to keep everything watered, we are losing precious trees. This gargantuan Silver Maple is curling up. Mr. Fix-It is working hard to try to save it.  This is a picture of the fire nearest to the OPC™ digs.  Another fired burned at the same time, north.  While other fires rage on in other parts of the state.  I have discovered something in this hot-as-the-Sahara summer. Even with drought and all, periwinkles are miracle plants for the flower garden. I am now in love with periwinkles. It doesn’t matter if it’s 109º for a week in a row with just the bit of water that Mr. Fix-It can offer them to drink every so many days, the periwinkles seem to say, “Bring it on!! We’ll show you!!” and not only continue to bloom, but spread their foliage and blossoms in the meantime. I’m calling them my “drought flowers.” God has a way of giving us color and beauty within the desert to remind us that He is still in control!!! If you would like to donate to help victims of these fires, you can do so at the Central Oklahoma Red Cross website.  |
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