When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water. — Benjamin Franklin, Founding Father (1706-1790)
Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink. — Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1772-1834)
Wilhelmina has not been feeling very well lately. She doesn’t seem to be sick, no real symptoms, just a little lethargic. She’s spent most of the day hiding under the recliner. I’ve had to grab her by the nape of the neck and pull her out. I can’t blame her I think most all of us have been a little lethargic with everyday temperatures being near the 100s. A day arrived with a lot of cloud cover and thus cooler. The day before we had a good rain, the best in months. Watering plants with a water hose, splashing on trees, grasses and flowers doesn’t seem to fare as well as when the rain pours its nitrogen in the form of nitrates. Even though I had watered my forsythia daily they continued to wilt. After that one rain they plumped out nicely.
We access local community water since the well went dry. I do miss it. The well water was the best water I had ever tasted. I thought of the well water somewhat like rain, it has its healthy minerals drawn from the earth.
Recently I also overheard a conversation between a doctor and his patient concerning drinking water. The patient asked the doctor, “Which is better for you, tap water or bottled water.” The doctor responded tap water was the better option. He went on to explain he had asked for a review of his own community water and found it rated better than bottled water. It was mentioned bottled water is more expensive for a small amount of water. Also, there are some chemicals in plastics that can leach into the water, leaching would especially happen if the bottle has been exposed to heat or stored up for a long time.
I don’t typically use water bottles but rather fill a drinking glass while at home. If leaving home or planning travel I fill a glass water bottle from the tap. You can google a lot of information regarding plastic bottles and bacteria, microplastics, synthetic estrogen, etc. I will say I do drink water from a plastic throwaway cup when eating out at restaurants. Most of the establishments where I eat do not offer glassware.
The day the rain came last week was a real refresher in many ways. Not only did the grass perk up after having drawn up like thin needles, trees looked better, as did flowers, shrubs, and lakes. Between the community water and the rain, it looked as though everything made it through the drought days.
Another rainwater blessing was the water lilies in the fishpond. The lilies perked up and the water cleared up. There’s a large, healthy water lily with plenty of lily pads for shade and hiding. As I sat there in the perennial garden watching things come to life, I thought of having goldfish again. I purchased two and released them into the pond. So far, all is well. Living in the Prairie with many predators; we try our best not to be one.
Shannon Bardwell is a writer living quietly in the Prairie. Email reaches her at [email protected].
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