The drought of '09

[Chris_W]

Well, this rain situation is getting downright depressing... I think I can count on one hand the number of times we've had any significant rainfall in the last 2 1/2 months, and those times were either flooding rains for a short time or not really enough to soak in. We've watched rain showers fall just hundreds of feet away, drenching the fields around us, plus we've seen storms come right up to us, dry up, then start raining again after they pass, while we get nothing. We keep running the sprinklers, but it is never enough, and something always seems to get missed.

So please send some good vibes our way for some rain. We really need it!

Thanks!

Chris

[anitamo]

Doing the rain dance for you Chris. Gotta protect those hostas! We've been rain deprived, too, but finally got some today.

[govgirl75]

Here's wishing you a couple days of slow, soaking rain, Chris. Gotta keep those hosta hydrated.

[JaneG]

We had a good long rain here today, hopefully it's headed your way.

You post took me by surprise, I thought most of the midwest was getting the same weather we are. This is the first time in years (maybe ever) that I have made it to August without ever having to water. Other than giving new plants a soaking the first few days when I put them in, I've not had to water at all. Each time it begins to dry, we get another rain. The lack of heat and sunshine is more of problem here. The veggie garden wants more sun, but the hostas are loving our mild summer. (But this weekend it all ends, expecting 95 degrees for a couple days, might have to water!)

Seriously though, I'll be hoping that the rain we had today makes it to Michigan.

[jgh]

We have also been in a terrible drought... really only two decent rains in six weeks... but we finally got a soaker last night and its looking like another night of soaking... a couple of inches maybe altogether... you can almost hear the earth sighing!

[newtohosta-no more]

All these storms just must be missing you, Chris. We've had sooooo much rain of late that I thought I was going to developed webbed toes. There's a chance of rain today too, but I'm hoping it will hold off or miss us entirely. I don't want it interfering with our golf outing. I'll say a little prayer that they'll send it up to you instead.

[Chris_W]

Wow, thank you everyone! Looks like the rain dance worked!

Last night they were saying 60% chance of rain and we got nothing, with another 60% chance today. The forecast just changed (I watch it a couple times an hour these days ) and now it is 100% chance of rain with rain on the way. Lots of it

Now please don't send any bad storms with it

Chris

[dmi188]

You can have all our rain for the next few weeks! DS's house is going up fast. They poured the footer, and started laying block this week. Would like them to stay busy and get this house done!

[HostaDesigner]

We got a little this morning, but nothing steady. Huge downpour for a minute or two, then gone.

[Shade Tolerant]

I was surprised to hear of your drought too Chris. We have been so deluged with rain and torrential downpours this year that I didn't realize some parts of the U.S. are suffering from a lack of rain. Wish I could send some your way.
Right now it's a beautiful day but we had no May, June or July due to constant rain. The hostas are all big from the extra water but some seem to be going dormant early, maybe not enough sunlight.

[Wheasie]

I knew that Texas was suffering (my daughter lives there). Sorry that you're in the same way. Unfortunately, mother nature has seen fit to give us all of the rain. My hostas are thriving - everything else is suffering from having their feet too wet for too long.

Louise

[twoblackdogs]

I hear you Chris! I think there's a dome over our part of Michigan - storms go south, north, east - well you get the idea. I've seen radar which looked like almost a certain downpour evaporate before it got here. I've never lost a hosta to drought until this year (mother nature & I are the sprinklers...), so I'm not happy.

So today I am doing the happy rain dance, though sad for DH and son #1 who are up on North Manitou Island on day 5 of 6 day backpack trip with boy scouts and have a 6 mile hike today, which I'm sure will be character building...and better them than me!!

Lela

[steg]

Wow, thank you everyone! Looks like the rain dance worked!

Last night they were saying 60% chance of rain and we got nothing, with another 60% chance today. The forecast just changed (I watch it a couple times an hour these days ) and now it is 100% chance of rain with rain on the way. Lots of it

Now please don't send any bad storms with it

Chris

Looks like a good day for rain up your way. Hopefully those heavy storms go north a little.

[pauhaus]

I hear you Chris! I think there's a dome over our part of Michigan

I feel the same way, Thanks to anyone who did the rain dance, it's really working. We need this rain so badly.

[twoblackdogs]

My rain gauge says over 3" of rain. I have a lot of happy hostas and other plants and DH's lawn looks better. Now I have no excuse to try doing some weeding - they'll come out much easier now. It would have been very sad with no rain and then 90+ weather tomorrow.

[Chris_W]

I'm sure we got at least 3" of rain here too, but better yet, it rained for hours early on before the big deluge washed away rows of plants out back

Oh well, I shouldn't complain - probably won't have to water for a week now

Hopefully we won't have rot issues to contend with tomorrow. This wet, plus 90+ degrees is a recipe for fungus problems, but at the same time the hostas will be putting out roots in overdrive for a while

[ViolaAnn]

We're in another area that has been receiving way too much rain. July broke ALL existing records for the most rain in a month. Sure wish I could send some your way - the slugs are having a field day.

[jgh]

After a couple of days of lovely, slow rain totally about 2 1/2 inches, we are waking up to continuous news coverage of the multiple funnel clouds that passed through here last night. Nice video of a funnel about a mile from us.

We actually went outside to watch it pass by - we didn't get the wind, and only had a few drops of rain. Nearby, people registered 5 and 6 inches. We were watching the radar coverage and could see the intensity passing by about 1 mile North of us. We are on 12th Avenue - people on 24th Avenue have trees down and it appears that funnel nearly touched down - and we had nothing! Definitely our year for being close to storms without getting the damage...

[govgirl75]

Thank your lucky stars, Jim.
At the risk of jinxing us, I must say this summer has been a mild one here. We usually have several violent storms, mostly in June and July, that require us to batten down the hatches and even retreat to the basement. This year, nothing. I am not complaining, merely observing. I think it may be because we have not had that hot/cold weather pattern that produces such storms. We have had cool this summer and adequate moisture.
Glad you weathered the storms unscathed.
Gloria

[thy]

The rain dance may even have helped here
Got 15 mm... (one inch is 25 mm) not enough but it was so much needed.
Here it was the 3. time since late March it really rained. We have had rain only in the Western part of this tiny country, they took it all and now they complain about all the rain they had
Like Chris I have looked at the fronts North, West and South, but not got one drop of it.
One day I had to drive 20 miles to the West and a few miles from home it rained so heavy the trafic nearly stopped on the freeway. too heavy but it was rain... when I came home I had got exactly so much rain than every table, chair, the lid on the barbecue ect looked extremly dirthy after the few drops was running around
Glad you got some rain even it gave you some extra work Chris