We’ve got zucchini squash in production and some crookneck squash we’ve started to pick. We’ve had a few tomatoes ripen. I hope to have a few cucumbers eventually. I have a tiny patch of corn, and that’s about it. Oh, I do have spaghetti squash and a pumpkin plant.

I continue to wage war on deer that seem to love the taste of tomato plants. There’s a family of deer that seems to have taken up residence in the neighborhood. I think I have some non-garden neighbors actually feed them for fun just so they can “be friends” with them.

I still like my idea of asking Donald Trump to help me build a wall or a fence. I know that I’m living on land that used to be “deer lands.” But at this point of time, my political view is that the deer are “illegal immigrants” in my yard. I have a deed, and they’re trespassing! The neighbors can continue to feed them if they want to as “reparations” for being pushed off their “native lands.”

I just wish that the Division of Wildlife Resources would put the “town deer” on a bus and send them back to the Manti-La Sal National Forest. I know, I know – the forest is only a hop, skip and a jump away. That’s the trouble – it’s a border war.

The drought thing comes up seemingly every year. It’s not really surprising. I pulled this bit of information off the Utah Division of Water Resources website a while back: “Even in normal years, Utah has a limited water supply. It is the second-driest state in the nation. Most of Utah is classified as a desert receiving less than 13 inches of annual precipitation.”

Have you seen Gunnison Reservoir and Nine Mile Reservoir lately? They’re going down fast. The waterfowl get a little confused as lakes eventually turn into dust bowls.

I’ve been hearing about water shortages and droughts since I was old enough to turn on a water tap and play in the sprinkler. Prayers in church for precipitation have been something I’ve heard my entire life.

The phase “… please bless us with rain and snow so that we’ll have sufficient water to sustain our crops and gardens …” is something most kids around here can insert into a prayer without thinking twice.

Sanpeters do a lot of praying for rain. Utahns, in general, are “pray-ers” for rain as well. Lots of times, when people pray in public, they’ll thank the Lord for the “moisture” we’ve received or pray for “moisture.”

I heard that one of the church authorities in Sanpete had a comment on the subject. He told a guy who prayed for “moisture” that from now on, we’re not to pray for “moisture,” we’re to pray for “rain.” No more pussyfootin’ around with our requests from heaven. We want rain.

Some people would have us believe that we are being deprived of rain based on our level of righteousness. “Keeping the Sabbath” is often brought up as a make-or-break behavior associated with getting rain. I know there are some Bible verses that refer to rain being withheld because of iniquity.

But, I’m not so sure it’s that simple. I wonder how Matthew 5:45 fits into the equation: “… for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Water is the lifeblood of the land. The pioneers who settled this part of the country realized that. When they arrived, there was no time wasted in getting to work on construction of reservoirs and irrigation systems.

The development of these valleys into green producing agricultural areas is really nothing short of amazing when you think about it. It happened as a result of careful and smart management of our water resources.

Regardless of how formally we’ve been put on dire drought notice or not, it’s probably a good idea to start or continue being smart about our water usage. I know some towns are on schedules and restrictions.

I hope we get some relief soon from the dry conditions and the constant threat of fires and actual fires. I’ll keep praying and hope my fellow Sanpeters do too. I may even find a drum and start beating it like Burt Lancaster did in the movie “The Rainmaker.” Hey! It can’t hurt.