Water In The Form Of Rain
We all depend on water in so
many ways; even the outdoor eco
system relies on the support of
water falling in drops from the
clouds-rain. When we do not get
the rain we need for long periods of
time we call that, what? You guessed
it; drought? Our region has been officially in a drought for some time now.
Dry weather will affect us all in so many
ways beyond our imagination. I have
heard reports saying that it will affect us
at the food supply stores. Yes, that will
probably mean higher food costs, higher
livestock and pet foods. But, did you even
think that it would even affect men and
women’s cosmetic preparations, hair,
nails, face creams and even toothpaste?
Some of the ingredients in those products depend on the rain. The dry Midwest
summer is not just causing problems for
plants; it is forcing animals to fight for
Spotlight on
by David Lane
Advanced Indiana
Master Naturalist
Nature
their lives too.
The drought we are experiencing here
in this Midwest region has wiped out
much of the wildlife’s natural food supplies, along with some of our foods that
we depend on.
Natural berries and nuts have died.
The creeks have dried up, there’s no crayfish or minnows. They all have moved on.
The animals like the raccoons and
moles, have to depend on other ways to
find their food, in many cases they are
heading to people’s backyards, welcome
or not.
The main diet for moles is grubs and
earthworms that thrive in moist soil.
Moist soil is a rarity right now, unless you
irrigate your lawn and or garden where
the soil may be moist enough to attract
the earthworms. I have heard some
Shipshewana Town News
Summer is well underway and in
spite of the hot and dry weather things
here in Shipshewana have been busy.
Even with the recent rains we have had
I would like to remind everyone that
due to the extremely dry weather the
town of Shipshewana has a burn ban
in place indefinitely. This means it will
take action by the town council before
the burn ban is lifted. Along the same
line, I would like to thank everyone for
their efforts to conserve water during this extremely dry spell that we
have been experiencing. Dirty cars,
driveways and brown lawns are small
sacrifices to help conserve our water
supply.
The town council recently passed
a golf cart ordinance making it legal,
with a valid driver’s license, to operate
golf carts on the streets of Shipshewana. This does not include operation
of golf carts on State Road 5. There is
a state law that prohibits operation
of golf carts on state highways. For
anyone to legally operate their golf
carts on the streets of Shipshewana
you will need to stop by the Town Hall,
fill out an application and pay the $20
annual permit fee. The Shipshewana
police department will need to do an
inspection of the golf cart before the
permit can be issued. Those interested
in obtaining a permit may want to call
the Town Hall at 768-4743 before they
bring their golf cart up for inspection
to be sure that an officer is available.
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