Happiness is a Gadget - Nanette M. Holloway

Happiness is a gadget. Particularly a rain gauge. Especially one with LED lights and a humming bird. A great Mother’s Day gift from one of my sons.

Growing up in the Mojave Desert in California, rainfall was sparse and we didn’t have the need to measure rainfall (on a personal basis). Irrigation was used in the dry climate.

But when my family visited my uncle in North Eastern Oklahoma, he always had a rain gauge. A loyalty gift from the local bank, the gadget was perched on a fence post. Readily available for measurement of how many inches fell after a storm. This was important information for farmers growing wheat and soy bean crops. And certainly, a good topic of conversation over lunch with the other farmers at the local greasy spoon.

When we moved to the country, we finally got our own gauge, and I was able to carry on my uncle’s tradition.

A Forgotten Gadget

Time lapsed and gauges broke. The gadget a forgotten tool of the past. But my new device is now a nice focal point in the flower bed.

After a succession of storms, the gauge needed emptying this morning. I’m happy to report we got an inch and a tenth today with more rain in the forecast later in the week. A nice weather trend for August following high temperatures above 100 degrees.

Since I’m not a meteorologist, my predictions are limited and I can’t report on drought status. Hopefully we are above normal for rainfall in August. In the meantime, I can empty my gadget and satisfy my curiosity of how much moisture the storm deposited on my ponderosa.

I hope the weather is good in your corner of the globe. And your rain gauge filled with just the right amount of precipitation. Blessings.

Scripture for Today

^“Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen” (James 5:7 NLT).

Prayer for Today

Father, I pray for rain in due season for areas of the world where there are devastating floods and extreme drought. You are the God who controls weather temperatures and precipitation. As your children we enjoy fair weather, but know that we need rain. We ask for your grace concerning weather changes. Amen.