It has been steadily raining here since about 7:30 this morning......Yahoo......Yippee.
I just LOVE the smell of Rain.
I LOVE how all the plants look and feel after a rain.
I LOVE how green the grass looks after a rain.
I LOVE how a good rain washes everything off.
I LOVE taking pictures of flowers with raindrops on them.
I LOVE having a Latte and watching the rain.
I LOVE how wonderfully everything grows after a rain.
I LOVE how it washes our veggies before we pick them.
I LOVE the feel of rain
I LOVE the smell of rain
I LOVE THE RAIN
:-)
RAIN..........YIPPEE!
Well, shoot. I'm jealous! Maybe we'll get some this afternoon??????????? My rain dance didn't do any good yesterday.
Morgan, SO happy for you! I too love the rain, including the
sound of it,
But I also love thunder....
Ir missed us but things did
cool off some thanks be
to God!
Looking forward to seeing those pics of yours..... hint, hint
; - ))
Yes, absolutely - I love all those things too.
Along with a cloudy overcast day after a heat wave. It's *only* 86º, today and looking like it wants to cook up some storms.
No rain here now, but I'm hoping it's on the way.
It started raining shortly after 3 PM, and has slowed to a drizzle. Our rain guage is bumping 1 1/4". Yipee! We won't have to water today! The well can rest!
I got a little rain this AM also and there is more to the south and west of my area I'm really praying it makes it this far. I actually stayed in the garden while it rained today it felt so good. I'm glad I live way out in the country because when I finally came in I was not a pretty sight!
Lisa
There is more rain headed our way today..........YIPPEE!!!!!
I so, so, so appreciate the rain!
I heard this distant rumble yesterday. But nothing! Only 30% chance here today...
30%????
30% would have me dancing around the house. 50% and I start doing cartwheels!!!
:-)
yesterday tuesday was so nice in Dalas. Was payday so we had
gone to Dallas and the weather
made it a doubly nice day
It stayed overcast all day which immediately keeps the temps down,
and we say about 5 1/2 droplets of
water on the windshield.
But it was sooo nice, and it was
nice NOT to heat that central a/c droning continoudly till 9 pm!
I think I got the other half a drop here, BajaBlue.
It's definitely too hot today to get the kind of work done that I did yesterday in the relative cool.
My air conditioner ran all night anyway. What can I say - I'm a wuss.
Well, we missed our half a drop! They've officially ended our chances of rain. But I guess I should be grateful that living up here in the hills we won't be heading back into triple digits soon like San Antonio (and I'm sure other areas) will. But I'm just weary of drought...and heat. Been a loooong two years! Still holding at the Exceptional Drought level here.
http://drought.unl.edu/DM/DM_state.htm?TX,S
This message was edited Jul 1, 2009 10:29 PM
QG - not only am I a wuss, but I get
plain ole MEAN when I am hot!
Linda, you live in such a beautiful
place! And the altitude there
helps a little buit with the heat. Will pray for rain for you!O am always praying fo rain here as long as it is not too much at one whack. Dear God no flooding or damages to anyone or anything. PLEASE
I admit though I was so disappointed last year at Ike, we just got a little wind and NO WATER from him!
whinnnnnnnne
We didnt get a drop in San Marcos. However, I drove out to my orchard in Staples with a 200 gallon water tank cause our water went dry and something crazy happened. While I was watering the trees a black cloud formed over the farm. I was so sick of getting passed over I yelled at it. "BRING IT ON!!!!!" I was taunting mother nature. Stupid!
Well, sure enough it started lightning and it struck the hill about a mile away TWICE in the same place. I started loading everything back up and I saw a wall of water heading out of the hills. I engulfed everything the moment it got to it. I pulled my truck out of the orchard and locked up as soon as the rain hit. It was raining really hard and I was so happy but then I saw the real storm. The wall of water had circled around to my right and was coming up the highway. The water was hitting the road and then shooting about 30 feet back into the air. It looked like it was being sucked back up. Then it hit my truck and it was like 4 guys were rocking it back and forth. I started screaming and called my wife to say goodbye. HA! The rain was completely horizontal and debris was flying all around the truck. I asked her to look on the radar for the horseshoe shape and she said there was a horseshoe around the farm on the radar. She said to jump in the ditch but I just hunkered down and the bad stuff passed in about 3 minutes.
All in all, we received 1.2 inches of rain in about 25 minutes. I took pictures the whole time but cant get them off my phone cause I cant find the usb cable. With the 1.2 inches of rain, we are a total of 6.4 inches for the year at the farm. They get more than that in the desert.
Ooooh, nice! I love those sudden soaking rains, but I think I'd have been scared to death.
What's the significance of the horseshoe on radar?
BajaBlue, I'm pretty cranky myself when I'm hot - especially if I'm sweaty.
Which is always. I haven't ceased to sweat since we moved here almost two years ago. It's like all my life I saved up sweat for when I came to Texas. Buckets.
Fortunately for me, hubs and DD agree with me that the house should feel like a refrigerator inside, so I never get any flack for running the a/c. ;)
Myself I don't like a cold house, but also I don't like when it gets hot. That storm near San Marcos must have missed us over here...maybe just as well! I can't imagine having to water a whole orchard that way. It's hard enough for me just keeping up with watering the yard plus the new plantings where they cleared near the shed! And that doesn't involve hauling a large tank of water.
Thanks for the prayers, Bajablue! And yes, the Hill Country can be beautiful!
As I've gotten older the heat definately makes me cranky ( another word discribes it better) but I'll be nice. When its cold I can put on more clothes but after a certain age you can only take off so many clothes with out offending somebody.
Linda- What city are you in?
Lisa
Linda - Methinks that little
episode of Jujube's was
something h4 conjured
just for him! (in the same
category as tempting fate)
; - E)
Qulilter where did you come
from? before Arlington?
Juju= what kind of orchard
do you have? Is it a sideline
or your main profession?
I don't live in a city or town, Lisa. Closest small towns to us are Lakehills and Pipe Creek. And Helotes and San Antonio are farther away than those.
Hey Quilter,
The horseshoe means tornado activity is possible. I thought I was going the way of Dorothy.
BajaBlue,
I have a 9-5 job but I also have 230 trees about 15 miles outside San Marcos. It is mainly asian fruits like Jujube, Persimmons and Asian Pear. I also have Che, Apricot, Pineapple Quince, Grapes, Pakistan Mulberry and Green Gage Pear. I started it up just recently and the drought has tested my resolve. I feel like I can make it through this tough patch. I am testing many more exotics at my house before trying them out at the land.
This first year I have had to deal with a grasshopper plague. I am serious! Millions of them and they are 2-3 inches big. HUGE! I setup a chicken and Guinea Hen station out there to put a dent in the population. I also have a Russian Boar infestation. I had to start hunting and trapping for the first time in my life. I now know how to kill, trap, clean and cook wild boar. I also have a terrible Johnson Grass problem and the drought as well. I take my hat off to farmers. It is quite overwelming.
Wow, I didn't know that about horseshoes, jujube. Did you see any witches riding bicycles out in that melee? ;)
Your orchards sound wonderful! If you're barely keeping them alive, you're probably not expecting much produce from them this year, are you?
You've sure dealt with some interesting problems in your garden. Boar? Good heavens!
I'm thinking of getting a few chickens, myself. Hate bugs, love old chicken poop, ideal solution.
BajaBlue, I'm originally from California, but we were a Navy family, so we've been all over. The last place we lived before here was Las Vegas. Very hot, very dry, never a chance to feel sweat on your skin. I've made up for it here. ;)
Happy Independence Day!
Elizabeth
From one California Gal to another, Welcome Elizabeth!
Here's a white Texas Star Hibiscus for you.
Thank you Annette_M. :)
That's a really beautiful and unusual flower! Where did you find it? If I could find one for my Texas husband, that would be great.
He's coming home from Iraq in a month and the yard is completely changed from how it looked when he left. There were a few pots on the deck sprouting last year's basil re-seeds, but that was about it. Now, the deck has plants sitting on it, hanging from it and growing up against it. It's covered in green and flowers and a mister system and there's barely room to move around. He's going to be so surprised!
quilter_gal,
You're welcome! BTW, my DG is a native Houstonian!
I may have some seeds around here, I'll have to look. If I do, I'll D-mail you. In the meantime, Frostweed may know of a native nursery up your way that would have it. I know the red one is fairly common, and I hear there will be more colors coming out.
Quilter....Frostweed was the one who gave me a start of the Texas Star when I first joined DG. I know she would love to share one with you...and she lives in Arlington too. I have seeds you can have also. Hope to meet you at our next RU in Arlington.
And in keeping on topic....we are getting rain today!!! Slow light but rain with hopes of more.
This message was edited Jul 5, 2009 7:28 AM
Oh my gosh - that's gorgeous! Now I have to have a red one, too.
Thanks so much for the offer of seed - that would be wonderful! I could trade you some seed from one of my basils, which I started 15 years ago when we lived in Italy.
I grew it there for two years and brought home copious amounts of seed. I haven't always been able to plant it, but it's a beautiful large-leafed variety with the most heavenly scent - just stirring the air around it will give you clouds of fragrance. It's *the* perfect basil for caprese or any dish with tomato-based sauce. :) It's the only interesting seed that I have - the rest of the yard is exceptionally ordinary. ;)
I might have some Blue Chiffon hibiscus cuttings rooted by the time RU comes around. I just cut a bunch from my in-laws tree and if I can get those to root, I'm going to plant a whole hedge between me and the neighbors. Got to run to Lowe's and get some rooting hormone. Do you think seed from Blue Chiffon would grow true, or is it a hybrid?
I hope to work with the Arlington RU team, this year and maybe find something I can do to help.
I got ten drops on the windshield coming home from FW a little while ago, and I'm praying it turns to an hour of good, soaking rain. In fact, I wish that for everyone who needs it - a good soaking. :)
Well our hopes were dashed shortly after my mention. Everything after that missed us today. Some of our DGers down south could really use a soaker.
I know nothing about the BC hibiscus but maybe someone else could help. I would love to get some basil seed from you. I may start some from seed soon too and see if I can get a jump start on one for you.
it is getting dark and thundering! praying and hoping it will produce some rain!
my texas star is blooming also. I have some white texas star seedlings that are struggling. I am babying them trying to get them to survive!
Well Ladies, It looks like missed a lot on this thread, sorry to get on so late, I have been very busy the last two days.
Two or three drops of rain fell here when I was watering my pots this morning, but no rain here either.
It did cool down and stayed cloudy, so that was a big help.
I will look through my seeds and see what I can come up with for Quilter.
Josephine.
Well, I hate to brag, but we're getting that rain that missed you in Arlington and Grapeland. Lots of thunder and lightening. We, like you, haven't had ANY for weeks. It rained all around us last week, but totally missed my yard. We're getting a good one now. I just hope it lasts for an hour or so--my gardens really need it. Hand watering isn't nearly as good. Hope you get some, too.
We've had some dark clouds, but no rain! I may have to water again tomorrow.
Quilter - I haven't found those seeds, but haven't looked "everywhere" yet. If I do find them, I will just send some to you.
Annette_M, frostweed, that's so nice of you but please don't go to any trouble on my account. Just if you happen to think of it. :)
Just a little sprinkle here so far, but there's still plenty of water in the air cooking upwards, so there's still time before sunset to work up a good shower.
I should go out and do the rain dance, but my new neighbors would think I'm off my nut when they saw me swinging that rubber chicken over my head.
And besides... that blue body paint is a real stinker to scrub off - even in a downpour. ;)
I'd do most any kind of dance if it would get us enough rain to make a difference! Just came in hot and sweaty from doing something in the yard. It seems ridiculous to be doing yard chores this late, but hey, it beats doing things in the afternoon. Only mad gardeners and Englishmen venture out then.
This message was edited Jul 5, 2009 8:21 PM
Quilter....lol!!
Linda, that's exactly what I did! I cleaned out the area where I do my potting, and did a rain dance! We got a 10 minute shower, about 20 minutes ago!!!! Now I am headed to the shower.
Not too much rain here, but lovely cloudy day. I didn't even finish my water bottle.
quilter_gal I have a few white hibiscus seeds somewhere that I got in a trade last RU. Two little plants from the seeds were just planted. It took about 2 months I think from seed and now is about 3 inches high. If you want the plants for your husband arrival, they won't impress him, but I would be happy to look for them and send you some.
You're all so kind! I think that I'm going to look at the local nurseries for the Texas stars - only because you're right - I don't have time to have them flowering before he gets home. :) I sent him in that direction with a Texas quilt - I'll bring him back here with a banner on the front door and some Texas flowers. :)
I don't have to water today - yay! I think we only got a long sprinkle, but it was enough to soak everything well, so I'm happy. And I didn't even have to do the naked chicken dance! Hope everyone else is getting plenty of rain too. :)
Have a great day!
Elizabeth