so, it is July 16th

[Kali]

it was 103 today, it hasn't rained since September of last year (well, there was the 14/100ths on june 30, but that didn't grow much grass), the oaks look dead, no leaves - and I am sure quite a few ARE dead, manzanitas are dying, even the ash trees down IN the wash are curling up and the leaves are turning brown. The wait-a-minute (small thorny acacia) hasn't leafed out at all. about the only thing green around here is the mesquites (and thank DOG for them or the cows would be dead or sold off).

this week we got a little behind in water pumping because of vehicular issues (:grr: ) so of course what happens? yes a pump self destructed. OH YAY! on the weekend of course. Pump guy came out today to pull it out and loaned us a 600 gallon trailer so we can haul for a couple of days. because the pump can't even be ordered until Monday morning and won't be here from El Paso until Tuesday or Wednesday. On Wednesday it will finally rain. Anybody want to bet?

Hauling water for livestock is a guaranteed FAIL. I hope this works. Cows drink 5 times as much water when you haul as when it is easy to get. Water is heavy, and trucks are old. This is going to be interesting. And of course, I need a shower.:cry:


:rant:

[21st Century FDR]

1. I could use a little desert heat right now

Up here in the Pacific Northwest, Mid July is looking more like Mid March. Rainy and in the low 60's. Can't remember the last time July was like this.

[Kali]

2. wwaahhh

:cry: :spank:

see THIS is why star trek teletransporters MUST be invented...SOON!

[freshwest]

3. Yes, we can't complain here in the PNW. DOG loves us, SHE sends us water!

[csziggy]

4. Kali, I hope it does rain soon - you must be getting desperate

To think I was complaining about five weeks with only a trace of rain - which was probably three times what you have had since last September!

We've only had to haul water one time - after a hurricane knocked out power for a week. I loaded 55 gallon drums in the horse trailer, drove to a friend's, filled them up, siphoned the water out, and unloaded the drums. Just as I finished the power coop trucks showed up and got our power working again. I didn't even wait for the water heater to take my shower.

I hope your vehicular issues are resolved, the pump fixed, and you get rain at least once a week for the next ten years.

[XemaSab]

5. Sending

a strong monsoon in your direction. :pals:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. I'm so sorry, my dear Kali...

I wish it would rain on all of you...

:hug:

[rug]

7. Jeez, this is getting primal.

14/100ths of an inch of rain in ten months?

:wow:

[Kali]

9. well, there has been a few 3/100ths showers here and there

:eyes: .33 since January and .92 for Oct - Dec last fall

yeah worst "winter" 6 months (October1 - March 30) in over 60 years of daily records kept here at the house

makes me long for the winter we had 2 and 1/2 inches (which at the time was the worst on record)

this used to be a 16 inch average rainfall area but when I played around with our records, the last 10-15 years have dropped the average over half an inch.

[freshwest]

8. Scary stuff, there, Kali. I remember watching ranches that had been in families for 5 generations..

Go under in an extended drought. That and competition from scrub cattle shipped across the border that ran the beef producers out of business. And the dairymen having to slaughter calves, because they couldn't get enough money to get them ready for sale, the prices were so low at the auction barns. And watched my trees die off, the ones that weren't taken by twisters or grasshoppers, and the grass turn not yellow, but white with drought.

No rain at all for a long time, and a few of my neighbors lost their wells, and naturally it was a struggle for me to do the laundry, cook and keep my small garden. No water for the trees or the grass, that was a luxury my well wouldn't permit. The soil was good, but there was no rain, except in the winter.

There came a point where I lived, that the ranchers had to lease out their pasture to city slickers who came out from town, all down up like big game hunters, to shoot mourning doves. Revolting people, also some GOPher politicians would come out. It wasn't Darth Cheney, but I think you get the picture of the desperation of the folks before they lost the whole thing.

Dryland ranching and farming is a tricky business. I ran cattle on my place for almost nothing, just to keep the tax rate down, but didn't have the funds to take the risk of owning my own. I learned fast what the pressures were, although I met some good people and it was an adventure to be out in an area that was just on the edge of being wilderness in a lot of ways.

So quiet, just the wind howling and the coyotes (learned to hate them, though) and the birds. I hope that this water situation gets relieved for you soon. I don't know which end of AZ you live in, but have always been told that there is plenty of water at the base of the mountains in the northern part of the state. Good luck!

:hug:

[Kali]

10. sounds like dustbowl times in west Texas

We have a good deep well, just need to keep the pumps functional! Used to have several hand dug shallow wells, but they are mostly dead now. We also have 3 really good stock ponds, and a couple of them will hold very close to year round most of the time, but not this year, for sure. I'm in Cochise county in the SE corner of the state. My understanding about the northern part of the state is there is a lot of water but it is REALLY deep = thick volcanic soils that drain fast. 1000 foot wells are pretty common and I think Flagstaff has wells that go twice that??? I could be misremembering - I'm kind of beat. Going to crash now, sorry to be sort of short and rude (because normally I can talk about water and ranch stuff until the rudeness goes the other way - boring the crap out of people :rofl: )

[Kali]

11. precious water

[Texasgal]

12. I feel your pain here Kali..

Although I have no farm animals to care for and water! Wow! Poor cows!

We haven't had any mesurable rain since september either, my live oaks are starting to look scraggly and thirsty. I hope we all get some rain soon!

[dana_b]

13. wow - that is scary and dangerous

it is also a sign that things are getting worse with our environment and will get worse on a more widespread basis. We need a nation wide rain dance for all of you in the south/southwest.

[kimi]

14. Ah, best wishes to you all

Here in Iowa we've had enough on the farm down south that I'd be happy to share.

I hope Wednesday brings you more than a fraction of a hundredth of an inch! A lot more.

[Kali]

15. RAIN!!!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

we finally got some!

After a friend who lives about 20 miles away emailed me yesterday with news that they have had almost 3.5 inches of rain so far this summer, it rained a little over 1/2 inch yesterday. we had a little shower sunday night too, so that gave us almost .75 in 24 hours. we are now at 1.09 inches for the year!!! :eyes: (hell of a lot better than nothing though, and no cows hovering around begging for water this morning, and no hauling 3 or 4 tons of water trailer with our poor old truck)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

16. YAY!

I'm so glad!

Hey, any news on MFM? Did he have his surgery yesterday?

I'm going to call him later...

He IS still there, right?

:hi:

[Kali]

17. I didn't talk to him yesterday (insane day for me)

but yes he is still at UMC - good idea to call - will let you do that today and please tell him I will call tomorrow night or Thursday morning (unless he says he needs me to call sooner)

Going to be working on the well tomorrow.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

18. I will do all those things!

Good luck with the well...

[Kali]

19. actually he just called me

things are so damn frustrating, I need to get in there an get his laptop - wish he would have brought it with him

[CaliforniaPeggy]

20. I just got off the phone with him!

He sounded the BEST I've heard since this whole mess started.

He told me he'd talked to you...

I did not hear one little bit of any shortness of breath. Not one bit.

He'll know tonight if/when he goes somewhere else. It depends on what his doc says. And on the insurance, or lack thereof.

We did talk about cobra.

[Kali]

21. I have another call in to the doc.

He never got back to me from last time we crossed wires so I left another message today.