By By Adrienne McKenzie
'Rain rain go away, come again some other day.' I am sure some of the kids in Atmore have been singing that tune the past couple of weeks as showers have fallen almost every afternoon, ruining a perfectly good bike ride around the block or dip in the swimming pool.
The teams that played in the baseball tournaments over the past two weekends probably hoped the rain would leave also, at least for a couple of days. Although 10-to-12-year-old boys may enjoy running around in the mud, I can't imagine playing baseball in the pouring down rain is easy. But, the game must go on, and it did. The tournaments turned out to be a success for the town, even though the rain did delay some of the games.
I personally do not like rain. I don't like having to go outside in it and I don't like coming inside from it and being soaking wet, freezing cold and having damp feet from puddles.
However, with the recent drought situation that has been in the back of everyone's mind, I can deal with a little wet nastiness for a while.
I am certain the farmers in the area are singing praises of joy for the mass amounts of rain that have fallen recently.
In June I met a farmer from the Atmore area who said he had worn his knees out praying for rain. When I spoke to the farmer, Atmore crops had been 42 days without a "good rain."
The Advance did a series on the drought situation, which included the effect on farmers and water usage of the citizens in the area. It also included a story on the effect of the lack of rain at local swimming holes.
It's amazing how much rain can do for one area. Now, with the recent rainfalls, farmers can feel a little more at ease when thinking about their crops, citizens of Atmore will not have to go into an emergency water conservation situation and people can have a lot more fun at the creek.
When I spoke with the general manager at Magnolia Branch Wildlife Reserve, Billy Smith, he said people had mentioned to him that while floating down the creek, their bottoms were dragging the bottom. That could make for an annoying day out in the sun. Going to the creek is supposed to be fun and relaxing. If you have to get off your float and walk in order to make it down the creek, that may ruin the day. Thanks to recent rain, creek levels should be a little bit higher, making a day outside a little bit more enjoyable.
So, yes, while I do hate being cold, wet and having to deal with frizzy hair when it rains, I am happy for farmers who depend on their crops receiving rain to survive. I am glad Atmore does not have to go into a voluntary lawn watering program and am especially enthused about the rain effecting creek levels because I for one love to float down the creek on a nice Saturday afternoon.
Adrienne McKenzie is a staff reporter for The Atmore Advance. She can be reached at 368-2123 or via email at lifestyles@atmoreadvance.com