I have discovered why farmers are usually unhappy when it comes to the weather in the spring.

They pay way too much attention. They are anxious to plant. Anxious about drought. Anxious about the soil warming up. Anxious about the soil being too wet. And, the whole thing just goes in this exhausting circle.

Last Saturday, John and I were on our way to town and he said, “What we really need is a warm, slow, soaking rain. That will bring the frost out of the ground and warm up the soil. Snow won’t help. But, we don’t want the calving pastures to get muddy again – so just about two-tenths or one-quarter inch would be right.”

He was totally serious.

I said, “THIS IS WHY FARMERS ARE ALWAYS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE WEATHER! What if we got three-tenths? Would you tell Mother Nature to take her one-tenth of rain back – thank you? Or, what if we got two-tenths but it came too quickly?”

So, we laughed about this and I teased him about being FAR too specific when it comes to his demands on the weather.

Two mornings it has gently rained here, I think that’s a wonderful, peaceful way to wake up. I can’t resist the urge, I just have to tease.

“Hum…” I say, “Looks like about two-tenths. Just what the farmers ordered.”

But, someday, as in maybe by next week…Mother Nature isn’t going to cooperate with the farmer’s needs.

And, then I’ll be hearing things like…

“It’s too wet to plant.”

“Well, we got the crop in. Now, we need a soaking rain.”

“It’s starting to look a little dry. Hope we don’t have a drought. The Farmers Almanac is predicting a dry summer until about July 15, but then El Nino (goggle it) is supposed to come in and we’ll be wet. But, you know, if we don’t get rain between now and July 15 – it will all be over by then.”