Another Hot One!

I think we've recorded a record high temperature for our place here.  It was hot when we got up this morning...and humid.  As the temps rose this morning, some of the humidity burned off, but it was still hot!  The pic below shows our thermometer monitor this afternoon...even it was panting!

Toasty!

I'm glad we got the hay put up before noon and while it was still in the 100-102 degree range!

Stay cool and pray for rain.

From the Garden

The garden is suffering from the prolonged, extreme heat and lack of rain.  Any storms that have popped up have skirted around us to the north or south.  As a result, the garden is gasping.  I went out this morning and picked a mess of greenbeans, but even those are below average quality and quantity.  The tomatoes are trying to bear but are also suffering the effects of the drought.  I was able to pick some nice green peppers and pulled a few baseball-sized onions.  Patti mixed some of the peppers, onions, and some tomatoes together with some vinegar, oil, sugar and herbs and made a great salad for our lunch.  Fresh and nutritious!

While in the garden, I also pulled the few weeds I found and cut the broccoli back, in hopes of getting a few more florets before the heat bedraggled plants give out.

We are expected to experience a few more days of 102-104 degree temperatures before it 'moderates' and drops into the mid to upper 90s!  To make it worse, the humidity is creeping upwards, creating more normal July-in-southern-Indiana-like weather!  The word 'sweltering' comes to mind!  But, it could be worse...at least we are not without electrical power like the hundreds of thousands in the East.

It's Dry!

Our area is experiencing drought conditions.  It is actually early in the year to be seeing things this dry, but we deal with what we get.  There have been some burn bans put in place for some of the counties around us.  The last rain we received amounted to about a half-inch.  It's all welcome, but we sure could use some more.


The garden is well mulched and that is helping to hold moisture, but I'm keeping an eye on that.  The pole beans are really vining and blooming and the tomatoes are starting to turn.  We should have some fresh beans and 'maters really soon.

Below is a shot of the first few blackberries of the season.  I hope to get enough off the young plants to make a cobbler or two, or maybe a batch of wine.  I had a handful with breakfast this morning.

The first berries...and lots more to come!