Just how Dry is it?

I have strayed from my usual post about my kids.  Is it because nothing interesting happened? Nope, as a matter of fact, I may write about our fantastic mouse hunt, but right now, I think I want to illustrate how dry it can get, and what happens when it does.

I was out with the kids (of course), repairing our hot fence (south side, again) when I really noticed the elevation differences in the land near the fence.  I took a picture, which is, as they say, worth a 1000 words.  However, in this case, I believe some words are needed to get the full picture!
In this picture, prior to the spring winds, this area had been flat.  There was a small rise on a secondary fence that was about 15 feet to the right of those tall weeds.  Those tall weeds were shoulder height to me, at 5'4"!  There was no rise on the right side of the fence!
The only reason the left side isn't as lifted with blown in dirt, is that is where the horses walk, thus wearing it down!
There is perhaps a three foot rise in elevation behind the fence.  In some places, the lower wire, which is supposed to be about 18 inches off the ground, is buried.  We went through it all, shifting the soft piles of dirt, lifting wire and adjusting the poles.  It was hard, gritty work.  We reset all the hot wire on the insulators, cleared all debris and reset wobbly poles.
In the end, is the hot wire hot? Not really.  You see, for an electric fence to properly work, the animal must be grounded for the fence to complete the circuit and zap the animal. This is the reason birds land on the fence without harm, they aren't grounded.
This fence isn't hot.  The wires can be moved without shocking (as demonstrated by the wires consistently down on the south side).  It is literally so dry, our dirt doesn't hold enough latent moisture to complete the circuit!
So, while there are areas of the country that are bemoaning another rainfall, and eyeballing flood lines, we on the High Plains are worried.
We watch our top soil drift, we walk our pastures and see hard ground with no hint of soil.  We see the bones of the earth laid bare. Dairy farmers are having to search farther afield to find hay for their herds, and many are selling off herds because there is no hay.
You can irrigate a field to grow things, but without proper humidity, you can't bale the hay.
So as one part of the country prays that the waters recede, another part of the country prays for rain.
Hear our prayer.

And how was your day?