The unequivocally positive news is that the drought was declared relieved as of Wednesday. In fact, not only has Stratheden received goodly precipitation this winter but the forecast through the end of April is excellent:
Looking at this forecast, one must wonder if dust bowl years are ahead for the Great Plains, America's wheat fields. Mr. Fuzzy thanks his Tsalagi friends who warned him in 2007 that this climatic Armageddon was in the making; hence the removal from parched (and becoming ever more dessicated) New Mexico to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Wado!
Now the question is how to plan a garden for this growing season. Will it be cool and wet (2009), warm and normal (2010), normal temperature but far below normal rains (2011) or warm and occasional periods of no rain whatsoever even if the average is normal (2012)? Native neighbors in this area of the county (which does not relate to the eastern or western portions of the county when it involves summer precipitation) suspect a new cycle is forming of wet and mild winters with warm and drier summers. Last year saw a game theory of mini-max regret brought to fruition by planting part of the garden for dry, part for normal precipitation and some plants relatively insensitive to God's most precious gift. The strategy yielded fairly good results but was slightly confounded by the dry spell coming late just as peppers, for instance, were fruiting with wild abandon. The drought correlated with insect infestation, causing Mr. Fuzzy to wonder if those nasty little six legged cauliflower chompers had been happily resident in the fields and forests and were driven to the only refuge of tender eats.
As time to start seeds indoors approaches rapidly, the time for dusting off the "Hat of Prognostication" and placing said chapeau upon the noggin to determine the onset of spring. Will it be late, early, or will the roller coaster continue with days warm enough to place plants in the life giving solar rays followed by nights of killing frosts. Should you know the answer, please send a reply as soon as feasible.
The fire is dying down and new oaken logs need be inserted for continued comfort, thusly Mr. Fuzzy hopes that you, kind reader, are warm and comfortable and you have found redeeming merit in your time spent here.
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5 comments:
Russ, we live in the Big Horn Basin of Wyoming. Google it sometime. The entire valley/basin is a max of 40 miles wide and 100 miles long. It is high desert with short hot summers. We are surrounded by moutains, with the Big Horns on the east and the Rockies on the west. In the past 14 years of living here we have always been blessed with enough snow fall in the mountains(never down here in the valley much) to fill Buffalo Bill Reservour. We use this to irrigate the Powell flats. We have a system of ditches and laterals that send water to your finds and do we ever go the crop.
this year we have a 95% snow pack way before the spring snow storms. The rest of Wyoming is in a draought sitaution, but not us. Alot of money was mase on crops last years and it looks good for this year too. We only have 30 irrigated acres, "so it just a hobby" as Jim Hash use to say. Cathy grows a pretty nice garden with the aid of a drip system (not me!) We raise enough spuds, carrots, onions, garlic, tomatoes, anazai corn (for meal) asparagus, squash, cucumbers and beans. usally enough to get through the winter. This years game take included, 5 deer, an elk and a buffalo. The valley farmers raise allot of dry beans and so we have several years supply of beans sacked away. I may die of a bullet wound in hard times but it wont be of starvation. We amde quite a bit of jerky this year, ask paul jones how good it is or was in his case. Life is good here on the "high Lonely" Scott Sibley
sorry about the spelling, I am on my second rum and coke
Thanks, Scott. I need to call you some day and learn more about your gardening system - the results are indisputable. Even though Floyd is out of the drought, it doesn't mean a month without rain cannot hit it.
glad to hear the drought is relieved in your area. We've had some snow, but was hoping for a wetter winter to help replenish the ground. 12 degrees her this a.m. "Wintry mix" expected in a day or two.
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