Luke Bryan was right - rain is a good thing!!

We have had a bit of a dry spell here in central Maine, so today's rain is very welcome. Personally, I do not grow crops to speak of, but my mother and I have a small garden that's quite thirsty.  Frankly, I think everyone should have a garden or access to some sort of garden in which they have to provide labor to help its production.  I grew up on a farm, but still, I never worried about crop production. With gardening, not only am I concerned about the needs of individual plants and weeding, but the weather becomes a constant reminder of the potential security of finances and food over the coming winter months. Although it's somewhat comforting to know that should the potatoes really, truly be lost (as it appears they are), we can still find spuds in the store. Yet, for farmers to lose a crop - there isn't a back-up option. So when I hear the soft rain falling outside, not only am I thankful for our plants being nurtured by Mother Nature, but I am also thankful for the farmers receiving what they need as well. As my grandfather once said, "You never realize that the rain coming down out of the sky means literally thousands of dollars."  In many ways, rain is a good thing.