Monday, January 29, 2007

Murky depths


Still Water
Originally uploaded by egret's nest.
Water is everything in a redwood forest. Without it, we won't have redwoods. We live in a rain forest but it only rains during the winter. In the spring, summer, and fall, we get very little rain. Instead, we get fog. The redwood trees suck moisture out of the very air and drip it down on their roots. But, in the winter, it rains and rains and rains.

Not this winter, however. We have had almost no rain. I'm sure the redwoods were suffering. My hands and feet and skin were dry and parched. There wasn't enough lotion in the house to keep my skin from cracking and hurting.

And, then the rain came. Like a long cool drink of water on a hot day. Like a breath of fresh, soft air. Moisture found its way back into our pores. Mine and those on the redwood trees. You could almost hear the forest heave a sigh of relief.

Or was that just me?

8 comments:

Mary said...

Beautifully written, Liza. I especially like your last paragraph. The weather has been strange all over the country this winter. I hope you continue to have that needed rain.

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

It has been a wierd winter for weather. Too mild, too dry. But you've finally gotten your rain and Minnesota has finally gotten COLD! (Not enough snow yet though!)

Unknown said...

Here's hoping the rest of the winter is more normal all over the country!

Anonymous said...

I think it's so cool how redwoods suck the moisture out of the air, but I didn't realize you live in a rainforest! How cool! I wonder if the rest of the rainforests are suffering from a lack of water, too.

Unknown said...

Yes, we qualify as a rainforest because of the amount of rainfall we get each year. We are the southern end of the temperate rainforest of the west coast -- many other areas (Oregon and Washington get so much more rain and have more diversity in their rainforest trees).

robin andrea said...

I read that before the rains, Santa Cruz was experiencing the driest January on record. I am so glad that you are getting that much-needed moisture. The forests would have been tinder-boxes by fall without it.

amarkonmywall said...

A lovely post. We had a full 12 hours of gentle rain, right through the night the other day- it was wonderful. The sound was so perfect I was sorry when it stopped. Glad your trees got what they needed.

Anonymous said...

This weather this year has been crazy! Interesting post!