Still Green on the Hills in July

Finally, we’re having some hot summer days, and evenings warm enough to sit outside and bask the glorious sunsets. It’s been an unusual rain year here on our hillside in Northern California. We had .95 inches of rain on June 18, which brought our annual rainfall to almost 66 inches. Usually, by the beginning of July, which is when we start calculating the rainfall for the next season, the hillsides are completely dry. Last year, we had less than five inches of rain after February. If you noticed the green grass on the sunset picture I posted yesterday, that is the first time ever I have seen green on the hills here in July… and I’ve been here 30 years!

We have had a few evenings lately when it was warm enough to sit outside and watch the sun set and the astonishing colors drain ever-so-slowly out of the cobalt sky. Last year this time, we were able to sit outside comfortably in most of May. This has been an unusually wet and cool season (and I must say beautiful, too).