Remember how I said that it wasn't supposed to break 90 degrees the other day? Liars. Weatherfolk are a pack of liars. We are now on Day 16 of 90+ daily highs.
The purple gladiolas I planted out in the raised bed out front may not flower this year. I has a sad. :(
With no functioning external spigot and all watering done by lugging a 2-liter watering can into the yard, I've been forced into triaging plants: If it's not edible, it's just going to have to tough it out until the rains get here again. I find myself actually having to water chives and mint, something heretofore thought entirely unnecessary for these local weeds.
The hostas are looking rough and the plucky glads, which had survived having a tree dropped atop them and being under the tarp for the subsequent ent dismemberment, were so papery that I finally gave them a mercy soaking today. Maybe I'll get one half-hearted bloom out of them this year.
They're calling for spotty rain off and on from tomorrow through the weekend. I'll believe it when I see it. Don't forget that we also grow your food here.
My food? Ha. That would be nice, but the government keeps mandating that I put more and more of my food into my gas tank to make my vehicles less efficient and more polluting.
ReplyDeleteMY FOOD? HA! PISTOSH! I eat ONLY the Best Ohio Grown Corn!
ReplyDeleteWhich is Dying off worse than yours, costs an Arm and a Leg, and probably came from Indiana Seed.
And is NOT being Grown to Feed Cattle, which is why Soylent Green, err.. "Hamburger" is pushing $5 a pound up here.
But all this wouldn't be happening if Al Gore had Won, right?
"we also grow your food here"
ReplyDeleteNot this year. I've driven through hoosierland a couple of times in recent weeks. Even to my untrained eye, those cornfields look pathetic. My next run takes me through southern Illinois. It'll be interesting to see if it is bad down that way too.
not that it helps you, but the rain in Tampa right now has progressed from "sideways" to "heading back up".
ReplyDeleteIt's pouring so hard it's bouncing and coming back down for a second round.
We went from hot as hell to as humid as Savannah.
ReplyDeleteNot really an improvement IMHO.
Gerry
Remember Say Uncle's greatest comment thread?
ReplyDeleteIt's happening again ....
http://curmudgeonlyskeptical.blogspot.com/2012/07/planes-trains-and-automobiles.html?showComment=1342041500648
Corn futures and old corn price has risen to the point most of the ethanol plants are in hibernation and shut down.
ReplyDeleteThis drought is worse than anything we see in '83, '88 or '92. Yeah, it's a bad one. The trade papers I still get say you can expect a 3.5% overall jump in food prices within 6 months to a year and by next year beef at the counter will see a minimum of a 10% increase in consumer prices. Pork and poultry will be increasing as well, but not as severely, or at least that's what the article I read said.
My guess is many of the fields around here will struggle to make 100 bu/acre when they would normally be pushing well over 200. That's just an indicator of how bad this one is.
Essentially for corn production this year is O-V-E-R! Soybeans could come back IF we get some good rains in the next 3 weeks.
The real fear is, however, if we have another 'mild' winter and no periods of weeks on end of soaking rains. If that happens, this cycle could repeat itself and if it does then we face a national disaster on a scale that's never been seen before...
All The Best,
Frank W. James
Frank beat me to it, but yeah, drought IS going to raise prices (again)... But it'll ALL be Bush's fault!!!
ReplyDeleteWell we here in NW England are having our 40th day of rain (just a typical summer - Arc building being seriously considered).
ReplyDeleteI don't think that you grow that much of our food (well not mine anyway, as my hard grown garden produce is currently being washed down the River Eden towards the Solway Firth).
Oh Ok, It's not that hard to grow stuff here, as anything planted seems to suddenly be intent on taking over the world (Triffids are only scary here, needing specialist weapons and protection, over there all you'd have to do is stop watering the damn things). Apparently investing in British farmland is now recommended more than gold, I knew I'd make at least one sensible investment in my life, even if it is the size of a handherchief.
Still, thanks for cheering me up with news of the forthcoming food price rises as I squelch round the house, sodden and dripping from walking home in the torrents (am I irritating you enough yet?). Hey, if you want, I'll send you some of our rain (not sure how much will fit in an envelope though).
Whatever happened to gallons?
ReplyDeleteDo you have a window in your bathroom? If so, you can buy a 100' garden hose and hook it up the the pipe that the shower head attaches to.
ReplyDeletethe rains in Lower Alabama have been pretty heavy this week. my tomatoes are looking quite perky.
ReplyDeleteEcho OrangeNeck, do they still make those bathroom hose kits with the rubber funnel attachment that slips over most faucets? If so, it's not just for the bathroom anymore.
ReplyDeleteYou can buy a faucet to garden hose adapter at most hardware stores. Take the nozzle/aerator with you to match up the threads, as there are several different ones. Cost about $5-6.
ReplyDeleteYou could also consider setting up a drip system for the various plants, and then you just have to hook up the hose for a bit every day.
Why no outside hose faucet?
I have an outside hose attachment, but at some point I believe a previous tenant asked a half trained monkey to use a wrench to rub the threads off, as a hose will not attach to it.
ReplyDeleteIt's a moot point as I have no garden to water, the large tree in the yard ensures that anything out there would turn the same shade of brown that the yard has been the last month.
The plus side...I haven't mowed for a month. The minus side...it's been hot and dry.
No one else has said it?
ReplyDeleteCorn is what food eats.
So if corn is what food eats and corn production is down, what will the food eat?
ReplyDeleteExpect a drop in meat prices as the critters that can't be fed go through the sytem followed by the spike caused by fewer critters being available for processing.
No rain is bad for every one.
Your misfortune is my good news as the quasi-free market attempts to route around the problem and the prices for the wheat on my farmland in Idaho jump.
ReplyDelete