Climate Change

A dry-ish May rolled into a soaking June and hopes for a hot July were washed away with tons of rain and cold and damp. August is pulling the temps higher, but when the sun breaks out the humidity is so high from all the moisture in the ground evaporating,the rain quickly builds again.

We had a thunderstorm move through this afternoon that dumped a half inch of rain in 45 minutes. It Might have been more-I was using a bucket on the back deck, which is somewhat sheltered, as a gauge.

I believe this cool wet weather is indeed an indicator of climate change. I have been arguing for a couple of years that the melting arctic ice (two record years back to back and this year in between the two) not only melts into the oceans, but evaporates into the atmosphere. Apparently to come down in the 40's latitudes.

Gives us about 50 years, and the desert conditions across the thirties lats will start to see a trickle-down effect and higher than normal rainfall. We'll be drying out then.

The garden is really a swamp. Two rows of peas proved enough for roaming snacking for the saplings, and at the finale we had a couple of guests, one who braved the quagmire to have me picking perfect peas for fresh snacking. The other, recovering from a leg injury, had theirs hand delivered the somewhat drier driveway.

Raspberries were coming on then, too, liberal handouts all around, and then a tour of the different mint varieties, (which are thriving in the wet) applemint, spearmint, lemon balm; a fresh sprig of each crushed and offered in hand.

Bee balm just starting to bloom-each received a flower and a story of Oswego tea.

The bed with tomatoes and summer squashes is really taking off- it maybe better drained. We might have a red tomato by September if the sun stays out long enough.

Other victims to the wet: the basil, the green onions, the garlic is pathetic, the pole beans, the gourds...the pumpkins,although we have a few survivors no fruit yet which is a bad sign for August.

One bright side-the windowbox hasn't needed watering once, and the well is full. We could certainly cut back on our normal water conservation-but I'm not sure the saturated leech field could cope with it.

Animal wise, the geese are happy! The goats are suffering from rotting hooves with all this damp and my waiting list. I have a long stretch of four days off-I am going to cycle through all the goat hooves and wash daily until we get back to normal.

I have been taking the kids swimming nearly every day. Some days I don't go in for a dip, bu I always sit on the log and throw sticks for the dog. He loves it-he's manic about it, as long as I don't throw one over his head. If I do, he will go out as deep as he dares and wait for one of the kids to push it within reach.

Peko will stick his whole face in the water to pick up a stick or rock-he's not afraid to get his face wet-the mark of a swimmer if we can ever talk the chicken out of him!

I did tear out the row of bygone peas early in the week-the earth was saturated soaking wet-and replanted a row of peas. Part of the other old row I planted some more salad mix. Two days of sun and the peas were sprouting-the torrential rain this afternoon probably shacked the lettuce...again...sigh. Well, there's always hope for the taters.... :D