Heat

Everyone talks about the weather. It's probably the oldest, common discussion point. We sure have had plenty to talk about in my lifetime but you wonder if it was much different in anyone's lifetime over the centuries.

"The 'Heat Streak' is up to 12 days in row with temperatures in the 90s and we are destined to make it 13 today. Yesterday we climbed to 97 degrees officially and that tied for the hottest day of the year so far. Our average temperature this month is now at 80.7 degrees making it the 8th hottest July on record. A cool front and the chance for rain may help some, but only a little."

Columbus set a new record low high temperature of 77 degrees this week. We have had 2274 Growing Degree Days in Martinsville as of today. Growing degree days are calculated by subtracting a high of 86 from a low of 50 degrees, divide by two and add fifty. All of these 90 degree days are counted as a high of 86, more than the plant needs.

So plants have been in a defensive mode this month. This is when irrigators add water to crops to cool it down, especially when it doesn't rain like it hasn't recently. Cincinnati is only around one inch of rainfall this month.

One of the big questions is how corn is pollinating across the country. There has been everything to perfect kernal set to very poor. The crop is so short the traders want to know how good or bad it really is.

We knew planting all this late corn in Ohio was going to be a problem and it is. Lots of corn fields are just silking and ready to pollinate in this heat. Heat disturbs pollination.

The main thing is all of the crop needs a good drink around here. We have chances for showers today but they will be sporadic. Even Sable doesn't like the heat but she is so close to us she does pretty well, pretty much living like a human in this heat.

We tricked her the other night, a family brought their brown mixed Lab dog Dixie to swim at the lake and Sable is so intriguied with other dogs she followed Dixie out into the deep water where she had to paddle to keep her nose above water. Of course she wouldn't do that for us but she did to keep up with another dog. Dixie looks like a little seal swimming and Sable didn't do too bad for a Shepherd. Some Shepherd's won't get near the water.

The picture was taken a year ago today. The weather is in the news again so keep cool!

Ed