Folks:

I need to leave again on Monday, but I just wondered. In April, we were included in an area destined for drought. It was dry in April. Since then things have changed. It started to rain. We have 20 to 30 mulberry trees [red, white and black]. Biggest crop that I have seen. Near the end of June [last two weeks] we got 15 inches of rain [by my primative weather station]. July has been regular rain and very cool temperatures. We have apple trees that are laying on the ground because of fruit. Pears are full. Wild life is doing real well. Lots of mud; my mower is 1500lb and I really can't mow. So far it doesn't sound like the doom and gloom prediction.

How is it where you are? Just wondered.

Best wishes

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), July 29, 2000

Answers

In central Indiana there has been an ideal amount of sun and rain. Corn and soybeans are bumperish. The crop of HS basketball players has been good too. My share-cropped pot crop flourishes in the hilly woodsy parts of Southern Indiana.

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), July 29, 2000.

LOL, Lars!

-- (kb8um8@yahoo.com), July 29, 2000.

Z,

We've had pretty much the same type of weather as you. But now for the last two weeks we've had no rain and the ground is drying out fast in the vegetable and flower gardens (big cracks starting to form). I was out watering the vegetable garden today and will be out tomorrow, too.

Like you, we also were in the anticipated drought area (southern edge of MN). With as much rain as we had been getting, we were cutting grass every five days but now can wait up to 8 days before cutting again. That is a big help when it takes 6 hours to cut! Oh my aching back! (and butt) :-O

-- Jim Morris (prism@bevcomm.net), July 29, 2000.

We've had perfectly clear hot days between 85 and 95 since the beginning of June. It rained for 1/2 hour one day, about 1/8 inch, and that is it.

-- frying and dying (pacific@northwest.desert), July 29, 2000.

Um, what's "rain"?

-- Patricia (in.the.l@svegas.desert), July 29, 2000.

Last year we got 42 round bales and 380 squares from our hayfield across the road. This year we got 22 rounds and 154 squares. The price for small square bales (grass) is already close to three dollars.

Neighbors are digging their dugouts deeper. Most of the water holes are dry. Our lake is dry.

But, because of the dry weather, mosquitos and gnats are way down and pheasant numbers are way up.

-- Sam Mcgee (weissacre@gwtc.net), July 30, 2000.

i,m into pheasant,s also!!--lotsa quail here,the tarantula,s are active this year!did you know that muscovy duck,s eat all-spider,s! my favorite undershort,s,are covered-in daffy-duck,s!!!

-- al-d. (dogs@zianet.com), July 30, 2000.

So far this summer in the Sonoran Desert has been hot and dry... the monsoons has been a nonsoon.... We haven't had any real rain here in Phoenix since Mid-March. Temp's this week have been well over 110:, but we only average 7 inches of rain a year, so one good storm could put us over the yearly total real fast...

-- Rob (celtic64@inficad.com), July 30, 2000.

Jim:

Second state south of you [Missouri]. The pond is as nearly as high as 1993 [the flood year; this ignores the year that the beavers decided that the overflow pipe was a leak and dammed it]. It has rained all morning. Went hiking in the state park today and needed rubber boots. It is really wet. 2:00 pm on 30 July and my weather station says it is 68F. Sure doesn't sound like the long range forecast. Then, this makes up for the fact that last summer was supposed to be wet and cool :^)

Best wishes,,,

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), July 30, 2000.

It is really wet. 2:00 pm on 30 July and my weather station says it is 68F.

I guess it's your turn for the cool weather. We had unusually cool temperatures like that on the 18th, 19th, and 20th of July. But today was pretty much average for this time of year. It got to 81F and was quite humid - perfect weather for the vegetables. I sure wish your rain would have stopped by here first though, as the ground could definitely use it.

But, maybe with this dryer weather the @#$!%& mosquitos and gnats will go away - being outdoors is almost intolerable and they seem to just LOVE the bug repellant we copiously apply... :-/

Take care,

-- Jim Morris (prism@bevcomm.net), July 30, 2000.