It is so dry right now, we need a shower just to wet the crop down again. I haven't heard of a fire yet but have heard some sirens the last few days. It wouldn't take much to set things on fire.
I think the heat and dry weather took up to 30% of our yields. No one is complaining about wet grain this fall. It is dry enough to lose a few more kernals and beans in this weather.
I see Illinois is over 30% of their corn harvest already. They are combining at record pace. I don't think we are 30% harvested around here. Most fields are still standing. We might long for last year's yields even though it was wet.
Every year is different but this is one of driest falls I remember. Our grass looks fried. Even most of the weeds are dead too. It is so hot this week we are running our AC. I don't remember doing that since we lived here.
The picture of Oeder's lake in Morrow was taken the day Hurricane Ike hit us this far inland from the Gulf. The water looks refreshing but I wouldn't trade 2008 for this year. We had a lot of damage on this farm from that storm. We just need a nice shower to dampen things up a bit.
Matt called last evening and said attendance was down at Farm Science Review. He enjoyed it though as you could easily walk around without avoiding golf carts. When it is packed there it is hard to move around. Had assigned his students to get a camera and learn how to make a power point they have to present in class.
I thought that was a pretty good idea. Just ten years ago my students couldn't have done this assignment.
This technology is amazing.
Ed
Well Ed, I remember what dry used to be but its been a while. Haven't seen the sun or been above 50 degrees all this week. Ditches and culverts are full and running water like spring time. What little grain was harvested last weekend was not dry and we had a good half inch on top of that. Fields are a maze of ruts and holes from stuck combines, grain carts and sprayers. What a year.
ReplyDeleteSuch contrasts this year, Ralph. From floods to droughts in relatively short distances. The field fires in Indiana are scary. One farmer lost his combine and 1000 acres and someone said he doesn't carry crop insurance. I hope he had the machine insured. Our lawn has never looked so bad but Hurrican Ike was close. We had a little more rain then.
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