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OCTOBER 2023 Hello family, friends, and fans, Welcome to the official Okefenokee Joe Enterprise newsletter October edition. Don't forget to get your FREE SONG! DOWNLOAD AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS NEWSLETTER, THE SONG ‘If It Wasn't For The Rain' by OKEFENOKEE JOE! ~ EARTH DAY EVERY DAY! IF IT WASN’T FOR THE RAIN You say the rain messed up your day Couldn’t go outdoors and play How could nature be so mean to you Who needs rain anyway So you just sat there in that chair By the TV and just stared Missin’ all the things you couldn’t do In the pouring rain out there Well just take a look at the clothes that you’re wearin’ And the chair that you’re sittin’ in The carpets on the floor, the curtains in your windows The house that you’re livin’ in Everything around you is a gift from Mother Earth That’s from where it came Taken from her plants and everybody knows That plants depend on rain So the next time that it rains Before you start into complain Remember all the things that couldn’t be If it wasn’t for the rain The coffee in your cup, the tires on your car A book, a magazine A peanut butter sandwich, your favorite candy bar A bowl of sweet ice cream Remember all the things that couldn’t be And wouldn’t be Includin’ you If it wasn’t for the rain ~ Okefenokee Joe 
The following is a transcript from Okefenokee Joe's series of recordings “Swampwise Secrets, Songs, And Stories From The Land of the Trembling Earth”. This is an excerpt from Volume ONE:
IF IT WASN'T FOR THE RAIN Everyone knows that rain is a part of God's plan for the life upon, and the cleansing of the earth. The plants, the wild animals, you and me, all of us must have water to live. Without it, nothing that lives and breathes the air can survive on this planet. Yet, as humans, most of us are understandably sadly disappointed when rain causes the cancellation of the game we wanted to watch on TV. Or the picnic or trip we had planned was called off because of the rain. It is disappointing. And it is sometimes dificult to appreciate rain under those circumstances. But without rain none of us could survive on this planet. As a wildlife interpreter, and lecturer, I often asked my audience,”Do you know where birds go when it rains?” Most of the time, because not many people have ever taken time out to wonder about anything like that, there would be silence in the room for quite a while. I remember once, not one of the students, but one of the science teachers finally answered with a question. In front of all of her students she asked “Home?” For more than four decades I worked hard to keep those who are interested in wildlife interested, or get those who are not interested to become interested in it. Every song I was writing, and singing, the primary focus of every presentation I gave, everything I did was designed to help create attention to the natural world around us. That thing we so nonchalantly refer to as “nature” needs our attention more today than ever. Of course there is actually a truthful answer to the question of where birds go when it rains. Most birds have certain oil glands in their skin that keeps their feathers dry, no matter how much it rains. And they merely stay on their perch wherever it is, out in the rain, tolerating it, and waiting patiently until it is over. Bear, deer, raccoons and all the furry creatures merely lie down right where they are, and they too just wait it out. The same is true when it snows. Patience and tolerance are virtues that all wild animals possess, and in many ways demonstrate. I remember as a little kid, how I hated it when it rained. That was long before TV had been invented. I'd get so bored just sitting around the house. I'm sure most kids, and some grownups these days, feel about rain that same way. As I grew older, especially after I had lived so close to the earth in the Okefenokee Swamp, I was made more aware of just how important rain is to all life on earth. Rain is also an emphatic reminder for all of us, as to exactly who is really in charge of all life, and all things on this earth! Its only natural that we are greatly disappointed when rain interferes with our plans, or an outdoor event is cancelled because of the rain. Maybe the lyrics of this song will help to console those who must cancel their plans because of the rain. I hope they will cease to hate rain, and possibly even find that they can appreciate it!
Purchase "Swampwise Secret, Songs, And Stories from the Land of the Trembling Earth" and other really awesome stuff at the SWAMP STORE.
Okefenokee Joe 1932 - 2023
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