A Creek Runs Through It

Months ago, I posted about the dry creek behind our house.  It was very dry.  That post was before the really hot, dry summer began.  There were lots of wildflowers blooming then.

In July, the creek was dryer.  We were in the middle of record high temperatures and record number of days over 100 degrees.  The flowers were gone...except for those amazing euphorbias.  They're pretty tough.

I posted about the creek crossing over the cart path and falling down into this thirty foot deep gorge.

Like everything else, the rocks were dry, with some moss growing on them.  Rock squirrels live in the crevices of the rocks along the sides of the cliffs.  Trees and grasses grow down there, and we've seen a fox come out, just as it's getting dark.

We've had some rain, lately.  In fact, it's rained quite a bit, ever since a little after Labor Day.  It's made the area come alive.  Horseherb and Woodsorrel have covered the once dry ground with green.  And, a little water has been coming down the creek.

I climbed down a little way last week, and saw that the trickle of water going over the falls was disappearing into the ground.  I'm not sure where it was going.  The small pond, that had all but dried up, had quite a bit of water.  There are even water lilies coming up in the middle.  Now, how did they live in the cracked dry bottom?

Today, we had a bit over two inches of rain.  Not much in the scheme of things.  But, with the ground pretty saturated, there is a bit more run off.

It's enough that the small drain pipe under the cart path couldn't handle it.  So, the water was running over.

It made a pretty little waterfall, we could see from the porch.

Then, we realized we could hear rushing water.  Is it the falls?  So, I grab my camera, and go to find out.

Yep....water in the creek.  A bit dirty.  But, mulch and fall leaves, and neighborhood top soils, do make water murky.

But, on the other side of the cart path, it's looking very pretty. 

Flowing swiftly over the rocks.

And, over the big falls.

Crashing onto the rocks below.

It's no longer disappearing under ground.

It's flowing at a quick pace around the bend to the small pond...too deep to see the water lilies.

   Then, it's going over that spillway, to this big pond.

Cypress Creek is usually fed by Jacob's Well...a deep natural spring.  Jacob's Well quit flowing this summer for the first time in ages.  This creek was trickling along, maybe from some other springs along the way.  Today, it's coming over the bridge.  Not too deep to cross, yet.  But, more rain will make people turn around.

Does this mean the drought is over?  Naw....but, it's helping.  We still have a bit to go.

Does it mean I might get nervous about the water, if we have a really big rain?  Well....yes.

But, I think it'll all be ok.  This place has been here a long time.

Our neighbors have told us that the creek would flow.  But, it's been so dry since we've lived here.  Now, we see...it's quite nice to have a creek running close by.