Yesterday we finally got enough rain to thoroughly wet the ground. I’m not sure I’ve ever been so glad to see mudholes in the yard 🙂
I know we’ve been very dry this summer, but I was surprised to see exactly how dry.
According to online rain records in the month of June we received 1.94 inches of rain and in the month of July yesterday was the first measurable rain we’ve had.
In June of 2023 our total was 7.83 inches of rain.
Weather is always unpredictable. While most all of the scattered storms over the last several weeks have missed us, they have all went over my brother Steve’s new house up near Andrews. In fact, the measurement I shared for June was for Cherokee County not specifically Brasstown. I’m sure our rain total was less than that.
I walked around the garden after the rain and swore I could hear the plants sucking in all the moisture they’ve been desiring.
I’m very thankful for the rain that fell in Brasstown yesterday and I’m hoping the trend will continue.
Last night’s video: Summertime Christmas Celebration.
Tipper
Subscribe for FREE and get a daily dose of Appalachia in your inbox
Tipper I am grateful you got your much needed rain. My daughter had a drought a few summers ago.They purchased two rain barrels at Sam’s club . They were able to save money by collecting rain off their roof. You can hook a hose up to the bottom of the barrel . You run your
downspouts into the top . They also put one to catch water from the garage roof. She lives in a small town but has city water and we were happy they were able to save their to save the tomatoes peppers and onions . My son in law makes and cans the best salsa. He is a great cook. I teased him that is why we gifted them a Sam’s membership . So we could benefit from his gardening skills and enjoy his cooking skills.
So glad you finally got rainfall! If we could have shared with you, we would have…earlier this week in the St. Louis area it rained so much several major highways were shut down for a while. The following day in Branson, where our youngest daughter lives, they got about as much and it actually washed out a road!
So thankful you received rain! We have been extremely dry and something changed the last two weeks. It has been so hot and humid but has kicked up a lot of storms. We now have had 8.75″ in 15 days. The weather has cooled off and I got to open my hives today and check on the bees. There are still clouds laying back in the west but it’s dried out enough to get in my garden and pull the beets. I love beets any way ya fix them.. May all y’all be blessed with a great bounty!
we’re so thankful for yesterday’s rain and it is beginning to sprinkle as my husband is cutting the okra. We have had a good harvest by using our rain barrels, but there is just nothing like rain. Hopefully the weather forecast will be correct and we will start getting the afternoon showers that is usual for our area, the foothills. About time to sow the fall garden and the rain will surely help.
There is nothing more welcoming than a good deep rain after a lengthy dry spell. This year in British Columbia, Canada, we too, have been once again facing a lengthy dry spell, but for us, it means MANY wildfires, – some caused by ‘dry’ lightening strikes into our tinder-bone-dry forested areas, that often get too close to communities and cause evacuations, and that have even destroyed some smaller towns. Some of these fires are caused by the ‘disobedience’ of people camping in the wilderness and making camp fires regardless of a campfire ban in place! Gardeners and major farmers who supply much of our food are hurting because of no or poor crops. We, too, are in need of a few ‘good soaking’ days! So happy for you all to have experienced a good soaking!
We had a brief shower late yesterday afternoon. It stopped, then last night it rained for a couple more hours. We were grateful but it wasn’t nearly enough to do much good but hey, we’ll take any we can get. I’m so thankful Tipper you did get some rain.
Enjoyed your Christmas in July last night. The food look wonderful! I enjoyed Paul’s song and Granny’s angels, santa’s and snowmen were so pretty! She is still the crochet queen!! Hard to believe Christmas is in five months. It will sure be special this year with the addition of those two sweet little boys.
So happy to see you received some rain!! I enjoyed seeing the beautiful feast you made for Christmas in July and seeing Granny’s crochet gifts she has been working on was wonderful too. You could see the happiness in her voice and smiles that she was able to do what she loved. And Paul singing that beautiful Christmas song at the end was icing on the cake. It was like a lullaby so soothingly beautiful!
Many years ago I made a few of those ceramic green Christmas trees and I did one for my Mother in Mother-of-Pearl. She loved it and after she passed to heaven, I brought it back home and think of her smiles when she opened the package it was in.
I’m glad you got a good rain yesterday! I love how you said you swore you could hear the plants sucking in the moisture : ) We got a good downpour too late afternoon/evening yesterday, about an 1 1/4″ or so. I pulled the first Cherokee purple off after it rained and a handful of sungolds. I was afraid they would split, especially the CP since it is so large and already had some deep looking cracks in it. Happy Friday to everyone.
We have gotten a small amount of rain here and there, but the great news is the temperatures have dropped from the 90’s to a high of 80 today. I just loved your Christmas in July video last evening. The food, the decorations, the music from Paul, the family atmosphere, and seeing Granny and her wonderful crochet creations—all these things made for a fun video to watch. Thank you. Hope y’all have a wonderful day,
My area finally got its share of the rain that has been watering the concrete in Louisville while we were the donut hole on the radar map. I was as happy as a pig in slop to get the rain but the timing was not the best. The phone company installed new underground lines on my road and removed most of the gravel while digging. The water hose will not get a break as it gets moved from the garden to the driveway and my muddy car. But I’m not complaining.
I’m so glad you got some rain! We got a little, and they removed our heat warning from the high humidity we’ve been having (but no rain), so maybe a lot of North America is cooling down a little bit from that intensely hot period.
So glad you got some rain. That’s awesome!
I’ve had a poem that I wanted to share with you. Since Pap was a Sunday school teacher and he had a daughter. I thought you’d like it.
“ It’s called daddy wouldn’t go”
Daddy had a little girl her soul was white as snow. She never went to Sunday school because daddy wouldn’t go. She never heard the word of Christ that thrills the childish mind. While other kids went to class this child was left behind. As she grew from babe to youth dad saw to his dismay A soul that once was snowy white has turned a dingy grey. Realizing his child was lost he tried to win her back but now the soul that once was white is now an ugly black. Dad started back to church and Bible study too. He begged the preacher isn’t there anything you can do? The preacher tried , failed and said we’re just too far behind I tried to tell you years ago but you paid me no mind. And so another soul was lost, a soul that once was white as snow. Sunday school would have made a difference but daddy wouldn’t go.
I enjoyed your video last night. It was good to see Granny.
I’m sure Matt is already aware of this, before a child is a year old you can buy them a lifetime hunting and fishing license in NC for about what it will cost them for an annual license for 5 years once they turn 16. I’ve bought all my grandkids this.
Southern Michigan has had a lot of rain, but not the north, and we need it. It has been beautiful here however. Seventies during the day, low fifties at night. I can’t complain. Then again, seven month of winter is a bit much. We actually had one snow in May this year, which technically is rain turned to ice. I think from here on out, when it snows in the spring, I’m going to call it rain. Very glad you got rain. It’s not good when forests get too dry.
It rained all around me but very little at my house here in the Tennessee valley.
Although I watered my little garden, my tomatoes are pitiful. People at my church have so graciously shared their bounty of tomatoes and cabbage. with me! I’ve canned plenty but have more to do today. I do love macaroni and tomatoes! I canned 3 quarts and 4 pints of sauerkraut using granny’s recipe. I used it last year so I know it works!
Speaking of granny, she looked very pretty on the Christmas video showing her lovely crocheted items. The video was enjoyable to watch and looking forward to this weekend’s video with all the family.
Everyone enjoy this beautiful morning! Blessings to all.
We have finally gotten rain this week. I can hear my garden singing praises to God.
So glad for those getting rain. We are still hurting here but we do have a forecast of several days and nights of 80%. Being thunderstorm kind of rain though we often watch it go by so we’ll see. (By the way, about the “burnt run” yesterday, is a sorghum cook off called a “run”? ) I have a garden mystery this year. I have lots of cantaloupe bloom and have had but there is only one cantaloupe. I saw a bumblebee working the flowers yesterday so it isn’t because of no pollinators. My tomatoes long ago quit blooming and I’m doubtful they will start back even if we were to get rain. Rattlesnake beans are blooming but few beans result. I do not see many field pea bloom but I have lots of field peas. Guess I’m not paying close enough attention.
Oh that’s wonderful news! Praying that trend continues. ❤️❤️
I’m so glad you got rain! We had some rain last night and I was very thankful for it too!
Having been unsure of the amount of rain I got last Friday I decided to invest in a cheap rain gauge. I got it put up about 1:00 PM yesterday. Within 2 hours it had brewed up a storm and for the first time I got to measure exactly how much rain fell. The wind blew hard but not as hard as last Friday. The rain came down even harder though. I didn’t time it but am guessing it rained for 15-20 minutes. When I checked my new toy the water in it had risen to the 14th mark. I hadn’t even read to see what those marks mean. They turned out to be tenths of an inch. So, 14 tenths equals almost 1¼ inches. Not a lot of rain but a lot for that short period of time. It fell far faster than it could soak in so most of it ran down into the creek. I’m not complaining, just observing!
Do you have a rain gauge?
Papaw-we used to have one and Chatter destroyed it 🙂 She was about 5 at the time 🙂
Praise the Lord for the rain. We’ve had rain here and there all summer. It is funny how that works. I hope you get more soon.
Loved seeing the Christmas in July video. We did that a few years ago because we weren’t allowed to spend Christmas with family because we were locked down. I hope that never happens again.
We did to!!! 2 inches it was glorious! our gardens are so happy have a good weekend.
On Tuesday I was having lunch with a friend in the patio area of a restaurant when the sky started to darken and some thunder rumbled. When the wind and rain started, she and I were grinning at each other in surprise and delight! It fell hard but only for about 5 minutes and I hated to think of it being wasted on all that concrete and asphalt. At my house, less than 5 miles away, there was barely any rain to speak of. I was so disappointed.
So,so glad the rain found you.I watch the radar and everytime we get a storm here in Southern Illinois I check to see if it reaches you or fizzles out. We had a big one a few days ago so I have been keeping an eye on it and last night when I checked it was over your area . We have an on time God. Enjoyed the video last night and really liked the song Paul sang. also so good to see Granny,she does amazing work. Continued blessings for your family.
It rained most of the day yesterday and it was a steady, easy rain- not a gully washer. It was nice and cool too! I savored every second of refreshment. Every plant I had was delighted to get wet “all over” as I hit the roots only with a water bucket. My tomatoes have blossom end rot so I hit them hard with bone meal to increase both calcium and phosphorus which is the likely lacking minerals here. Today I will can 6 pints of green beans and I’m adding a beef broth to mine to kick up the flavor. It takes green beans to a different and tastier level in my opinion. Well, I’m glad we all got rain here but I believe about 3 days of it would’ve been fantastic! I found a chow chow recipe that’s perfect. Depending on my garden and this next month, I may ride down Fancy Gap into NC around Mt.Airy and get whatever boxes of produce I may need coming in fresh off the semi trucks from out west. Oh it takes finagling and trickery to figure out how to eat well these day so have plans and a few alternates as well because one chink in the chain store may require a second chain on backup….lol Have a fantastic day and blessings to each of you!
Sadie, a green thumb neighbor of mine told me of this trick to help with end rot. It was to put about two tablets of Rolaids in the bottom of the hole when setting out your plants. I have done this for several years and no longer have trouble with end rot. I think other things high in calcium will work too, I have heard of using powdered milk or egg shells but haven’t tried them. I tell this neighbor she could grow a garden in the middle of a Walmart parking lot. Her solution to the deer problem is an electric fence, and lead poisoning during the hunting seasons, drive by her house and look at the antlers nailed to the side of one of her sheds.
I use powdered egg shells. I put them in the oven after I take out my cornbread and dry them out good, then I put them in a ziploc bag and roll them with a rolling pin until they are as fine as cornmeal. I use powdered eggshells for peppers too.
Sadie, my daughter’s mother-in-law was from Roanoke, Va and she cooked her beans in beef broth. They were delicious. I cook them that way sometimes.
We also had some rain yesterday, the forecast calls for cooler temperatures and a pretty good chance of rain for the next 7 days or so. Right now the ground is so dry it acts like a sponge, it will quickly soak up the water. We need some days of slow steady rain to really get the ground good and wet.
Yesterday I commented on getting burnt out on the hot dry days we have been having. When I get burnt out I come inside to my air condition double wide mobile home and get “energy efficient,” smart alecks would call it plain out lazy. You have got to be a mature blonde to understand the difference, these same people will call mature blonde being gray headed. Last summer there was a post about being either tough or spoiled by air conditioning. After trying to be tough and work outside in the heat, I came to the conclusion that I like being spoiled a whole heap better.
Very little rain this summer at my house in north Ohio. The grass is brown, and I can only mow weeds. My tomato plants are not setting fruit even though I have watered every morning.
We had another good long rain yesterday and some overnight. We are supposed to get more today. My trees, bushes and trees have been affected by lack or decrease in rain. We have tried to water a lot of them but it’s not the same as a good natural rain. The garden is just about gone from deer. We have three tomato plants that my husband covers every night and have gotten four tomatoes off them. I enjoyed your video “Summertime Christmas Celebration” yesterday. The food looked yummy.
We were in a dry spell for the months of May and June, but this month has made up for it so far. Our garden is growing very well despite the dry weather, but I’ve watered it when it was too dry. I’ve canned 20 quarts of Rattlesnake beans and the rest we are going to let grow and dry out so we can have them for soup beans, they are the best that we have ever ate! Tomatoes will be ripe soon, so we’ll be busy canning those as well. Cucumbers, zucchini, and yellow squash are growing like crazy and we have peppers to pick, so I better get going and start by day. I hope your dry weather has ended for you all!!