No Rain

The weather has been super nice lately, which is fantastic considering the nearly unbearable heat we suffered through last week. Right now it's a pleasant fifty nine degrees out, and if yesterday is any indication it will stay cool and dry all day.

Kentucky is one of those places that never stays dry when it's hot out. I've known a lot of people from hotter states over the years (Arizona, California, etc) that have told me how oppressive the heat here is because of the humidity. I agree. The only thing worse than living inside a walled fortress under constant threat of attack by zombies is having to do it with a sweaty back and frizzy hair.

The only thing that could make this run of nice weather better would be a little rain. We're in a bit of a dry spell at the moment, which isn't all that uncommon around these parts. Fortunately the insanely heavy rainfall last month left us with full cisterns and barrels, and we have a lot of reserves to draw on. Not to mention the vast number of creeks and the river itself, which we can draw from if things get desperate. That's not an ideal choice given the face that our pumps are all manual and that we have to haul the water a good distance to get it to the compound, but it's nice to know we aren't helpless.

The farms are the larger concern. While two of them use nearby creeks as water supplies, the one out in Bald Knob has to rely on stored rainwater to feed the crops. That one has a lot of storage in their cisterns, but it won't last forever. One of the other farms closer to the compound also relies on stored water in dry times, and they are already having to haul water. Luckily Benson Creek is close, so it's not too hard, but it'd be much better if Benson actually ran through the property like the other farms.

I'm probably worrying too much here. Kentucky has been a farm state for a long, long time. We've had terrible droughts before, and farmers have always made do. We've got some of the most resourceful and experienced people I've ever seen, so I know we're in good hands. Plus, it isn't as though we're in a desperate situation or anything. The crops are OK, and the ground hasn't started to crack from lack of rain. I guess it's just my natural propensity to worry and plan for the worst that makes me even think about it. Hell, we went a lot longer than this once or twice last year and things turned out fine.

We've got a few more interviews to do this morning with the last of our new arrivals, and then my staff and I will get to work on placing everybody. My brother is working on moving a few people out of one of the larger homes in the annex portion of the compound and leveling it in order to have a space to build. The house in question is sparsely occupied, and the spot will be perfect for building a simple multi-level barrack style residence for our newbies. They very much want to stay together if possible, and Dave says he can get something built in a very short period of time. Since he's finished most of the work on the trenches, he has the time to work on it.

I don't have as much free time, though. I'll check in again tomorrow.