These are the facts, folks. I'm not just whining. Here it is nearly halfway into July, and the temps are still dropping down into the 40s overnight.
Truth to tell, I'm kinda surprised things are doing as well as they are in the garden. (The weeds, of course, being super-adaptable, are growing like . . . weeds.)
The plants in the garden do look lush and green . . . or it might be mold, I'm not sure. But they're not really growing as they should. Kinda just sitting there. Waiting for some warmth and sunshine.
At least the impatiens in my window boxes are doing exceedingly well, non-sun worshipers that they are.
The plants in the two pumpkin hills in the pumpkin patch are no bigger than the weeds alongside. (Pretty pathetic, huh.) 'Tis definitely not a good growing season for squash or pumpkins. (Bird bath has stayed nice and full though.)
The continual (at least it seems that way) rain is sure putting a crimp in our wood working. Let alone the fact that the wood we do have already in the wood shed isn't doing much drying without sun and warm summer breezes.
Besides our wood supply, there are many things (like the re-roofing job . . . ugh) we could/would/should be doing outside, but the weather simply isn't cooperating.
We've had to find something constructive to do inside (which, believe me, wasn't too hard) so we've been using the time to build shelves in the basement. Years ago, we purchased some (supposedly) heavy-duty plastic shelving units, but have been really dissatisfied with them. Or maybe we just try to store items on them that are too heavy. You would think they could withstand the weight of cans of paint, jugs of motor oil, boxes of plumbing supplies (okay, maybe those are a bit hefty) and such, but they haven't.
It snowed, snowed, snowed all winter and now it's raining, raining, raining all summer. I know everyone around here is hoping our real summer weather has got to start soon. If it doesn't -- well, gee -- we won't have a chance to grump and grouch about any uncomfortable heat at all this year!
20 comments:
I was thinking of you today---we went to Traverse City (OUR version of Michigan's Tourist Trap) and OMG---people, people, people. I was half nuts by the time we got home. And I said to Don---I know someone who would TOTALLY understand this. You.
Do you have the "hordes" yet?
Our weather is cold , rainy, crappy as well--high today-62. Low 40's tonight. I don't care. It could blizzard for all I care. Just get rid of the TOURISTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Done
Whining
Now.
PS---10 (TEN!!!!) four-wheelers just raced up our little dirt road. God help me. If you here of a crazy woman out shooting....................................
Sue - I went to town yesterday and when I got home I had a headache, was extremely grouchy, trembling from a couple of near-miss fender benders and told my husband that I was never going to town again until mid-October. Maybe November. I have to fall back on that old (nasty) saying: "If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot 'em?"
Sue - Or . . . there could be that inconspicuous taut wire stretched across your little dirt road . . .
Oh, bad, Mama Pea, bad!
Oh, dear, I was hoping it would warm up, we are coming up to southern Minnesota next week. I have had enough rain here to do me for quite awhile, However, it has been warm.
You can take our sun and I'll take your rain. It's almost up to 40C today and the forecast if for sun all week. We are inside trying to stay cool all week except for when we rush out in the morning to water and in the late evening when the sun isn't so intense. I just wish the weather would give us a happy medium but I guess that's Spring and Fall.
Myrna - I don't know for sure, but I've heard the southern part of the state has had even more rain than we have. And also that temps have been way below normal. Hope the sun shines for you on your trip.
Sparkless - Yep, if we could just SOMEHOW even things out so we would all have a more tolerable temperature! But that would take all the challenges out of it, wouldn't it? ;o)
Remember, tourists do bring money to the area.
End me that rain, ten days now 100+, 107 today, and instill have 3 more months of summer to go.
I think you'll get summer eventually. Everything was a full month behind here and now we are cranking out the heat. Some of my plants are doing OK and some are stunted. My tomatoes are only 2 feet high this year!
Anonymous - Absolutely! That is a fact and the area's economy depends, to a large part, on the influx of tourists.
It's just that when some people are on "vacation" they aren't thinking as they should be. For instance, last time I was in town driving down the crowded main street, a man left his group on the sidewalk on one side of the street to cross over to the other side. He stepped off the curb (still conversing with his family/friends) in the middle of the block between two parked cars walking BACKWARDS right into the line of traffic! If I hadn't seen the disaster about to happen and stopped my car, I would have hit him. When the man realized the situation, he looked very upset with ME for being there!
Tombstone Livestock - Rain packaged up and going to UPS for you today! If only, eh? We want and need warmth, but please don't send you 100°+ temps our way. That would be overkill in my book!
Tami - Yes, from what I can gather, many parts of the country are about that full month behind this summer season. I haven't talked to anyone in these here parts who is going to get a decent apple harvest this year. Blossoms were a month late, they were few on all varieties of trees, and the apples just aren't forming right. There's always next year . . .
Our weather is yoyoing all over the place - a few days ago, it was in the 40s in the morning, then 90s during the day, then hot and dry, then strong storms and gully washers, then hot and dry. However, that sure has made an impression on the tomatoes. Hope you warm up SOON! I could give you a hug - would that help? :)
'Just got back from yet another tiring, obligatory road trip only to find the complete garden is standing in 1 inch of rain. The soil is so saturated that it has nowhere to go.The raised areas, the mounds and hills have washed away along with their seeds. Many of the germinated crops are yellowed and all are stunted. And, to add more misery, the dry, so-called weather controlled greenhouse crops were wiped out earlier this season with those blasted cutworms. Remind me, why am I here?-M
Susan - Papa Pea and I wouldn't mind the cool weather one bit (we prefer it over hot and humid, that's for sure) if we weren't trying to grow some food!! Certain things in the garden just need more warm weather than we've gotten so far. But maybe we still have time for some things to make it. We'll take what we can get!
M - I can't believe how bad you have had it! You must have had more rain than we have. My raised beds are fine and I was even able to get into the field garden today to weed. I am having trouble with my garlic being much too "yellow" in color . . . needs nitrogen. And my broccoli plants are dying one by one. Not sure what's going on there. And the green pepper plants . . . oh, heck, you'll read about all of this stuff in a future post. Sure hope things turn around for you and you get something out of your garden. This is definitely NOT the easiest climate to grow food in, is it?
Ok, I will stop complaining about our hot weather ( At least we are getting Some.) and pray for some heat and sunshine for you.
Michelle - That's okay! I feel bad "complaining" about all the rain we're getting when some folks (Tombstone Livestock!) are battling such a drought! Sure wish we could even it all out . . .
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