How are all the Chiffer's in the World?

dwinterfield · Post by **dwinterfield** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 5:59 am

Around Boston, the weather has been mostly very nice for months. THERE MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG.

Rain for the year is average, but it's been dry for the last couple of months - prelude to drought?

I didn't spend a nickel on snow removal last winter, for the first time in the 16 yrs we've been here.

There also seems to be an abundance of wildlife. In the past week, I've seen coyote, deer, fox and lots of rabbits. Lots of rabbits for the first time in years. The grey squirrel population seems to have crashed. We used to have lots of chipmunks, but I haven't seen one in 7-8 yrs.

CHasR · Post by **CHasR** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 6:32 am

emmline wrote:Mid-Atlantic report:
Hot, but not too bad, really.
Last week was wonderful, and perfect with all the windows open.
No natural disasters impacting our feelings toward the weather, at present.

Recipie for Philly summer:

1.) add water
2.) bake
3.) repeat until september

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 6:33 am

I suppose I should mention that the tent caterpillars didn't show up this year. Last year, they almost completely defoliated the maple trees. I'm told the public works people released some sort of fly that keeps the tent caterpillars under control. On the other hand, the deerflies are the worst in memory. Vicious little creatures.

One of the people who works with me on the mobile homes says she's been seeing corn snakes around here. I picked up a baby snake in the yard last week that might have been one, didn't look like the usual garter snakes. Noticeably more docile to handle than a garter snake, too, which would be characteristic. Googling, I find that we're supposed to be north of corn snakes' normal range, so that would be curious. On the other hand, we've plenty of rodents for them to eat, if they should want to set up business here.

No comparison intended, but while we're on the subject of migrations, during the last two years, there's been a sizeable migration of Amish to this area. That's an extremely welcome development.

They're buying up many of the defunct farms and putting them back into service. It seems land prices in northern Ohio where they're from are high, but here the land prices are quite low, so they're expanding into this area. To see an old farm come back to life, and especially as a family farm worked with horses, is a beautiful sight.

These are some very nice folks. The family who bought the farm just down the road is supplying us with various fresh food items they've produced, including the best eggs I've ever tasted.

There hasn't been much snow to speak of yet this summer. Considerably less than during the winter months. I've only lived in this area about eight years, but I believe that's a fairly consistent pattern.

Best wishes,
Jerry

jbarter · Post by **jbarter** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 6:52 am

Floodwaters in Louth currently down again but more rain due this weekend.

Flogging Jason · Post by **Flogging Jason** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 6:56 am

Just chiming in with the Florida crowd.....hot and humid as ever and never enough rain to cool things down. Hurricane season is just getting started though

Tyler · Post by **Tyler** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 6:59 am

We've been up into the hundreds here in Utah lately.
Haven't had rain for at least two months (IIRC).
I water the buhjaysus out of my lawn and it still gets cooked to a crisp.

I really miss living on the west coast. The weather was so much more temperate.

I remember one summer living in Vancouver it got up to 94 degrees F, and everyone was calling it a heat wave (I see that it's only going get up to 70 deg F up there today with some rain...I really really miss the rain; it's already above 70 degrees here and it's only 7am...I hate living in the desert).

We'll probably burn to a crisp again this year here as well, what with how dry it's getting.
It seems every year we burn like crazy.

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 7:06 am

Münster, Germany:

Weird weather for the last weeks. Sunny, rainy, stormy, thunderstorms, hail, and everything on the same day in intervals between ten minutes and a couple of hours. Temperature differences up to 10°C within minutes.

TonyHiggins · Post by **TonyHiggins** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 11:10 am

Preeety nice around here. Low 70's (F) Sunny. Cool breezes. Voluntary water rationing at this point, so I'm letting the lawns get brown.

Yes, that's why I live here. I was stationed in Biloxi, MS for 2 years back in the day. I learned an appreciation for this place.
Tony

Sliabh Luachra · Post by **Sliabh Luachra** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 11:37 am

Pretty hot and humid here. And dry. Usually we're upper 80's to low 90's for this time of year but we're running about 10 degrees warmer this summer. Hopefully it won't stay that way much longer. We're supposed to have a cool front come through tonight. We're not in drought here yet, but our intermittant thunderstorms aren't leaving much moisture in the ground. Still. . . the gardens are doing fine. Anybody want any zucchini? Really, we have plenty. . .

Mark

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 11:51 am

Anybody want any zucchini?

Yes, please, with filet mignon and fried rice, fried up with some shrimp on a Hibachi grill.

Sounds lovely.

--James

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 12:36 pm

Sliabh Luachra wrote:Pretty hot and humid here. And dry.

That reads like it should be an oxymoron, but I know wherefrom
you speak. If I forget to water my tomato plant for a day, it looks
like a mummy. When I do water it I can almost hear a little sigh
from the roots.

mutepointe · Post by **mutepointe** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 2:18 pm

besides the fact that this is all hell on wheels climate-wise. short-sighted and selfish-wise, i like the hot humid and dry. i am floating in my pool a lot more and enjoying that i don't have to cut the grass. the nights have been warm enough for a late night dip too. even before spring/summer came, i knew i wouldn't be able to garden this summer so i'm not the least bit upset that all fruits and veggies will come from roadside stands. my neighbors are quite willing and eager to share their flowers and let me cut a few when we have company.

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 5:12 pm

Nanohedron wrote:Drought here. Not as serious as some places (the Everglades need four feet of rain right now!!!), but drought all the same. Strange to be in a drought when the air's humid. Hasn't been beastly hot yet, but it's only late June. We shall see.

I was just up there and thought the lawns looked really brown. I mentioned to someone it must have been pretty dry and she said you were behind by an inch of rain. It looked worse than that to me. Drought seems like a better description of the situation.

I think Iowa has been a little warmer than usual and it's definitely been drier. The lawns are plenty green though. People have been having to water delicate plants or newly-planted ones, but but no big problems so far. I hate heat and humidity so I am not the happiest of campers during the summer. I think on Monday it's supposed to be really hot and I'm turning on the air conditioner!!!!

izzarina · Post by **izzarina** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:38 pm

Not much to report from here in the North Country (Jim Cantore of Weather Channel fame hasn't been in our neck of the woods for a long time...I really do fear that man). Yesterday was hotter than...well, you know. But today was nice and cool, hitting about 74F at the most, with a nice breeze.

jkwest · Post by **jkwest** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 8:47 am

the smoke is finally gone!

Beautiful morning here!

Heading over to Bodega Bay for the weekend, too much drinking is foreseeable in the next few days...