The Nile began to rise in the summer and go down again in late fall. The growing season was during the winter months. It was called "Sha-et" (the growing season). The second season was called "P' ru-et" (the dry season). This is the hot dry season when the grain was harvested and stored. The third season, "She" (sea) was the months during which the Nile flooded. Each season was about four months long. The fertile Nile valley is about 760 miles long and about 14 miles wide. The rest of Egypt is desert.