Human Flower Project
Two Planets
From the floods of Kentucky to the scorched earth of Central Texas: extremes of April 2011 show in the face of a china rose.
Betsy Pirie’s rose (Louis Philippe), April 15, 2011
Photo: Human Flower Project
We’ve lived on two planets this week – Louisville, KY, where record rains have sent the Ohio River 10 feet above flood stage, and Austin, TX, still in a severe drought.
Steven Cobb of Lubbock’s National Weather Service said the stretch since last November has been the “driest on record” in West Texas. From the soggy basement, iridescent greenery, and barricaded streets of the Falls City, we’re back home, crunching over a gray and dusty yard. Stink bugs are riding the seed pods of poppies. The wind scatters yellows blossoms of the palo verde trees.
Betsy’s rose, April 15, 2010
Photo: Human Flower Project
We don’t keep records of the garden, but have taken photos of the yard the past three years on April 15, focusing on an old rose passed along to us by Betsy Pirie and her friend and neighbor Terry Childress.
This year Betsy’s rose (Louis Philippe, we think) bloomed in mid-March. By the time of her “close up” the only blooms left were tired and puckery. The yard was parched, and the companion bluebonnets had gone to seed. (Betsy herself died October 23, 2010, at age 99.)
Weather experts are predicting that the Texas drought won’t break until July. Meanwhile Louisville’s expecting more rain Sunday and Monday.
Comments
Dear MSS—enjoyed your beautiful daffodil photo on Zanthan.
Speaking of Texas drought, we blew it last Nov.-March. Forgot this is when the city of Austin gauges wastewater consumption and we continued to irrigate pretty heavily. So we’re stuck with a $80/mo. wasterwater bill for the 12 mos. ahead. Nothing like the real problems of farmers but…Dought = ouch!
J.
I had the same experience this week travelling from New England to Austin. The flooding in Connecticut and the Ohio Valley reminded me a lot of the great Mississippi flood in 1993. That was the story that year and Texas was in drought. I think we finally got a big rain (4 inches) in August that year. I don’t have notes going back that far though. My memory could be faulty. Nice to hear that the drought might break in July this year, though.