The rain garden is working

 

These photos were taken Thursday, July 25, 2024.

I couldn't find my earlier photos of dismissing this trench of rocks as being a bit of overkill for the parking lot drainage by the lake.

But just look. It is full of water!

We've had 11 days straight with measurable amounts of rain (not continuous of course) as of last Friday. And it's due to continue all next week too.

Today's quote:

There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered. -Nelson Mandela, activist, South African president, Nobel laureate (18 Jul 1918-2013)

Sharing with Wordless Wednesday

The rain garden

 

The plants for the rain garden beside the clay studio. May 15 I took this shot.

Though in late June we've had drought conditions, there's constant water discharged from the clay studio, which may have different colors in it at times, depending on the chemicals in glazes.

There are some nice plants growing well here now.

Today's quote:

In the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

KAHLIL GIBRAN

Improvements - mainly gardeners at work

 

The drainage basin by the Clay Studio now looks like a rain garden. I took this photo May 16, 2024

Back in February it looked like this (from the other direction).

It's a bit hard to see, because it was winter, and with the shade cast by the tree. There were cattails which would come up later, but the gardeners pulled them all out. 

We shall see if they don't come back.

But the main thing is this is a basin for sludge from the pottery studio's sink. It supposedly catches solid clay waste before it is drained, but the water always has glaze chemicals in it. I can't wait to see how it looks differently in this sumer!

I salute the Beautification Committee of Black Mountain for doing so much to improve many areas of the town. However, I personally feel they put in low maintenance shrubs just so they will be convenient. A three tiered planting area by Lake Tomahawk now has this sense to me, where before an Extension member gave us interesting plants. Even volunteer elders like myself could put some veggies and flowers into the lower space. A huge lavender plant was at least saved. And now lots of little blobs of green are all in a row. But change is necessary, and having no consistent gardener to care for it meant sometimes it got weedy. Yay new things!

Today's quote:

We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us., JOSEPH CAMPBELL

Sharing with Sami's Colorful World Monday Murals

Hodge Podge

 

A boy scout troop sells pumpkins next to the Methodist Church in Black Mountain

Another view of the garden at the B&B by Lake Tomahawk

I seldom share recipes, but Fezzik's Stew (from you know, the giant in Princess Bride) does sound good, with much smaller amounts of everything! 

I just love this cardinal captured for a FB posting

At our local VFW there's a new flag collection box (well the cement looks like its' been there forever, but I never noticed it till last week) Dispose of used US flags there.

Banner left over from last holiday, waiting for next one, Nov 11, Veteran's Day, I believe.

Do you remember the construction last spring of a rain garden to capture runoff from the parking lot so it wouldn't go into the lake? Well here it is today. Still a bit of overkill I'd say...that parking lot only holds about 20 cars. This ditch is big enough for a flood.

I didn't know where else to post this. This bas relief wall is next to the Black Mountain Center for the Arts...on the side of the Clay Studio. It isn't often I get to see it at night...and I love the way it looks then.

Today's quote:

He is a hard man who is only just, and a sad one who is only wise. -Voltaire, philosopher (21 Nov 1694-1778)

And today's laugh...

Three year old Mongolian child learning to ride a horse with his father.

The rain garden at Lake Tomahawk

 At Lake Tomahawk there's now a rain garden (a trench dug by the parking lot) so runoff will not go from the pavement into the lake.

It will probably be a nice place for kids and dogs to explore as soon as the construction barriers are taken down.

Yes, there are water tollerant plants down in the bottom. And the brown woven stuff on the slopes contains grass seed. After the rain this weekend it should be starting to grow.

High winds have probably knocked down the traffic cones (or maybe some rambunctious persons)

Today's quote:

The desire for a short nap during the day does not arise out of laziness, rather the need for the body to rejuvenate. 

Two groups that met to discuss a Rain Garden

 A rain garden!

Great idea!

 

And then the design process, and then the actual digging and moving process! Then planting some shade and water tolerant plants! 

 

But wait, somehow in the middle of all the processes by various wonderful volunteer UU's the word leaked out to another group in our community! The Swannanoa WATER-shed Action Network wanted to see what UUCSV was doing for its rain garden. They asked if they could see it during their next weekly meeting, Friday, September 23. As it just so happened, Deb Evenchik, chair of our Building and Grounds Committee, was free at that time, as well as a couple more UUs who joined the meeting out at the "dirt to become garden."

 

 

Deb's "Major take-aways from our meeting with the Swannanoa WATER-shed Action Network"

• Our plan for a rain garden is seen as a very positive initiative, and one that will assist with water management for the Town as a whole
• We have some opportunities to handle more rain water at the source, which are the gutters on the building and also the parking lot. Some of these opportunities include adding rain barrels off of the gutters and adding plantings around the parking lot
• We appear to be on the right track in terms of the types of plantings we are planning
• We have a source for free wood chips, which were suggested as being better than mulch, in that wood chips absorb water, and then allow the water to evaporate.

 

This meeting was a great example of how different groups who are neighbors come together for a common purpose, demonstrating how we all are one community. Two of the candidates for the Black Mountain Town Council also came to this meeting.

 

The Swannanoa WATER-shed group uses WATER to stand for:

When All Thrive, Earth Regenerates. Here's its SwanWater.Org link. They are also on FaceBook.

Published originally in Oct. issue of Tidings Newsletter of UUCSV in Black Mountain, NC.

Post Script on my health:

Doc gave me some good advice regarding my stomach issues, and a cream for the rash on my face yesterday...and I gratefully slept in and didn't go to the gym today. Rehab happens starting at home for this old lady.

Today's quote:

The kinder and the more thoughtful a person is, the more kindness he can find in other people. Leo Tolstoy