This area had temperatures recently that averaged cooler than those of the previous week. There was a range of 41 degrees, from the low of 44 on Aug. 5, to the high of 85 degrees on August 6. The forecast indicates cooler than normal readings for part of the approaching week. There have been very few nights that sleep was affected by summer heat. The most noteworthy were the nights of July 21 and 31.

After a dry spell of seven days, showers on Aug. 8 deposited 0.32 of an inch of much needed water. A trace was recorded on Aug. 7, 9 and 10. Showers are in the forecast for two of the first three days of the approaching week. Heavy dew assists vegetables to cope with the drier than normal soil moisture.

Two fields were cut on Aug. 5 and that grass dried well and we baled 130 bales on the Aug. 6, left on the trailer in the hay barn and sold on Aug. 9. After the period of showers that are predicted, if good drying weather is in the forecast, another five acres will be cut; several buyers are waiting.

New bloom is becoming less noticeable and than bloom included: heart weed, wild white perennial aster and the first blossoms on my gladioli near the end of the week.

In the cutting of two small field of grass away from my home farm, areas along the edges of the fields usually have ripe blackberries at this date, but only foliage is evident. Apparently, winter-kill of raspberries and blackberries was quite evident in other areas; yields are less than normal.

My older daughter, Priscilla and husband Jack from Pennsylvania had two weeks of vacation and accomplished most of what they had planned while staying in the upstairs apartment. Priscilla picked the pole beans near Aug. 2 and I picked them again on Aug. 9; those were processed and canned, yielding eight pints. Due to the heat and dry soil the future pickings will be light and I probably won’t come near to the 40-plus jars canned last year.

Like the pole beans the pumpkin crop will be less than previous years; many plants produced only false blossoms. I picked one that had turned orange and placed it beneath the lawn maple, ten days earlier than last year.

This period of time last year had temperatures that averaged higher than this year; reinforced by a 91 degree reading on the 6th and 90 degrees on the 7th. The coolest readings were on the 5th and 6th, with 61 degrees. Rainfall on three dates deposited 1.98 inches in the gauge during this period of time last year.

 

Day     High    Low     Rainfall

Sun.     78        56        0

Mon.    80        44        0

Tues.    85        48        0

Wed.   80        60        T

Thurs.  78        67        0.32

Fri.       81        58        T

Sat.      74        52        T