Water on my Mind During a Walk After a Rain

Droplets shimmer on a Ginkgo Tree July 31.

It’s been a sometimes hot and dry, sometimes stormy July in Iowa. Today, the last day of July, we were lucky to have some rain during the night that continued until this morning.

The rain wasn’t always gentle—in fact, the county was under a tornado warning for a while late in the afternoon, although the area of concern was south and east of me.

It was muggy and in the 70s today. I’ve been on limited activity as I recover from a minor medical procedure this week, and I was feeling a little stir crazy. Since I can’t yet ride a bike or trike (although I will be able to in a few days), I took a little stroll around the damp yard after the rain eased up by midday.

The lawn hasn’t needed a lot of mowing lately due to hot, dry weather, but I suspect that will change. However, the growing grass will have to wait a few days, just like the bike and trike will.

I try not to walk around the yard too much after a rain. After all, in my shady yard, grass has enough trouble holding its own without a heavy mammal stomping on it when the ground is mushy. That, and insects abound in summer here. So, the walk was quick.

To me, it was a wonderful time to be out in this tiny spec of the world. The post-rain lawn sparkled with watery jewels. Droplets shimmered on grass and tree leaves. Of course, I took my camera with me and made some images—I am enjoined to not lift anything heavier than 5 pounds while I recover, but I think my Nikon qualifies as lighter than that. A picture is worth 1,000 words, but a modern camera is less than 5 pounds, typically.

Beside a giant Maple stump from a tree destroyed in a derecho storm in 2020. Here, six years later, the stump is sending up one root sapper. Droplets on a leaf July 31. Is it a young tree or a very old one? It's both.

I only spent a few minutes outside, but it was good to get out of the house. It was cooler than it’s been lately, but still felt heavy and muggy. It’s not a surprise that rain is returning this evening.

Water is very basic to our lives. Nonetheless, in “Project Hail Mary,” the fictional scientist Dr. Ryland Grace, through author Andy Weir, says that life and water aren’t the same.

Hosta flower July 31.

“There’s nothing magical about hydrogen and oxygen! They’re required for Earth life, sure,” Dr. Grace says. “But another planet could have completely different conditions.”

Well, it’s an interesting point, but I live on Earth and I feel a deep connection to water. In the November election, it’s a key issue to me. A local opinion writer, Todd Dorman, has written many columns on the topic, to his credit, including this one from Sunday, July 26. Water quality is an important issue, and one that’s big and complex and thus not easy for the media to consistently focus on and write about. Kudos to Dorman.

The issue of water quality is also front and center in at least one race—a Democrat, Chris Jones, is running for state Secretary of Agriculture and is a former University of Iowa researcher.

Unfortunately, Jones will face a heavy battle, I’m afraid. Iowa is a very Republican state these days. Still, the weather in Iowa changes quickly—as this cool, wet day during a dry, hot summer shows. Maybe the political climate will be as volatile and changeable. And maybe water can lead the way.