Why is it that the weeds seem to grow in our yards and gardens, no matter what the weather conditions?  Most of our country has been in a terrible draught this year.  Ohio isn’t as bad as some other states, but we certainly haven’t had much rain.  Our grass is brown and prickly, our flowers are smaller and some couldn’t manage their second bloom cycle.  My beautiful red roses should be blooming profusely right now, instead the leaves are falling off and not one bud is in sight.

Tha farmers are in a panic because their crops will produce such little yields this year.  The corn is a mess; it’s leaves are all curled up and the ears on each stalk are almost non existent.  The soy beans, cabbage, peppers and tomatoes aren’t in much better shape.  The farmer’s market can’t even get green beans to sell.  We pulled up our first planting of green beans and are hoping that the new planting will produce something this fall.

The only thing that seems to still be growing are the weeds.  Some yards are a strange combination of Queen Anne’s Lace and Chicory.  The wild mustard and clover also seem to do pretty well.  I have shriveled up flowers right next to hardy Milk Weeds.  The fields are full of large Button Weeds, but the melons are very small.  The thistles don’t seem to mind the dry weather or the heat.  We have had many days over 100 degrees besides no rain.

My Glads and Zinnias are about four inches high and blooming.  They should be more like twelve to eighteen inches high.  We finally got some rain last week. An inch and a half of rain barely settled the dust.  We are supposed to get more rain this week, but will it be too little, to late?

The area apple and peach crops are small.  The cherries and pears aren’t doing well either.  They say the price of food, including meat will be much higher over the next few months.  Most of the livestock, even chickens, eat lots of corn…..and we don’t have lots of corn.  It would be easy to say, “Woe is me, what shall we do?”

It is a great comfort to realize that God even knows how many weeds are in your garden.  Weeds and laboring for our food are all part of the curse that we inherited when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden,( Genesis 3:17-19.)  Thank God that we can depend on Him instead of our circumstances.  Our God always provides what we need; food, money, love, compassion or understanding, He has it all. To Him be all glory and praise forever and ever!