"LEADING EDGE OF DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE FROM THE CARIBBEAN STILL
EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE AREA MONDAY AFTERNOON STARTING A STRETCH
OF WET WEATHER (SURE HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE THAT HAS PHRASE
HAS BEEN USED IN A SOUTHEAST TEXAS WEATHER DISCUSSION) MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. STARTING TO SEE A FAVORABLE PATTERN FOR
MODERATE OR POSSIBLY HEAVY RAINFALL TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY."
(My neighbor down the street has not watered this year)
Many of my neighbors have given up on watering. I don't blame them. It takes daily watering now since all layers of the subsoil are dry. Whole trees just turn brown and die. I'm hanging on with subsistance watering, but it's been since January that we've had a good rain.
This is what my grass and yard looked like last July 2010. It rained so much more last year.
I don't like La Nina years. In fact, I vote NO for having La Nina years in the future.
Starting in February, we could easily be having the rainfall of Tucson, Arizona.
These trees died just a week ago. They are Southern Red Oaks (Quercus falcata). I've seen 4 of them dead now. We must be on the very limits of their native range. Some Magnolia trees and Sweetgum trees are also rapidly declining.
I'll end on some good news. The doodle bugs (aka ant lions) are finding lots of dry soil for their pits. I've not seen them in my yard for years. Today I found 3 more. They eat ants.
Thanks for stopping by. Here's to that hopeful news of rain for next week.
David/ :-)
First time here by way of Rock Rose. Nice blog! Love the different Kaempherias in your previous post. Yes, the threat of rain. They have said it might rain here in Austin next week. Not holding my breath....
ReplyDeleteRain!? This isn't a joke? Not sure I really believe it! If I didn't have so much invested in my flowers, I'd give up watering, too. It's not doing much anyway. I hope favorable patterns for rain really do start forming!
ReplyDeleteOoh I've got my fingers crossed for you. I know all about the 'dry' here. After a horrid, horrid 'wet' though, I'm rather enjoying the bright blue-sky sunny days without rain. Of course, the yard and surrounding bushland have dried up considerably and are starting to look brown and dying, but at least my potted plants are loving the sunshine!
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping your rain event makes it to the Baton Rouge area!
ReplyDeleteNot exactly what a tropical garden needs, is it. All this dry baking heat. But is it really true? Rain in the forecast. It was looking like it and then today, in the forecast, it seems to have gone away. It is like a blast furnace out there. I haven't seen a deer since we returned.
ReplyDeleteWe are in East Texas and are desperate for rain...I hope the weathermen are correct!
ReplyDeleteI've never had to water so much and still things wither away...;-(