Monday, June 21

[Othersharon]

Good morning all. Started morning off early when the train came through blasting its presence at the intersections! It only happens a few times a year so guess it’s not a big deal. Guess they figure everyone should be up by 6:30! It’s supposed to be a warm and humid day today with storms later today. I’m going to meet up with a friend and head off to the Amish market finally this morning. This rest of the week pretty much has an appointment every day so today is about my only free day. Shelia, before I forget in reply to your suggestion to left Rascal into the RV….unfortunately he’s a long legged 70 lb plus goldendoodle so I can’t lift him! But appreciate the thought. Sue, I love your art. And Sandi, your art is so beautiful and relaxing to look at. Such talent. I had gone through some of my parents papers a while back and found a couple of the same type of artwork that my mom had saved. Dad was stationed in Japan back when I was only 3 or 4 so a long time ago! Judy, a bit late to comment on a surge protector but I had a EMS installed after an error by my electrician when I had a power supply put in to plug Lola in. About the only thing that wasn’t effected was the ac and that’s apparently because I hadn’t try to use it. He made good on it since it was his mistake but it was a lesson learned by both of us! Sure hoping you folks out west get some rain and lower temps but since it’s only June I can imagine it’ll be a rough summer for all of you. I’m not happy about all the rain but won’t complain to much about it. We’re lucky to get it and June is usually an up and down month with rain and temps anyway. Well, coffee is finished so I’d better get moving and get ready to head out. Have a great day and be safe.

[Colliemom]

Happy First day of Summer! For me, it’s going to feel like the first dsy of fall Cool Canadian air coming in, highs predicted into low 60’s tomorrow and possibility of frost tonight. Heading back into 70’s by midweek. Oh well, not the first time. Now if we could just get the rain
those of you are having too much of.

Good morning for some housecleaning, after that will see what I get into. May e my porch table painting. Not a good day yo work on the deck. Spent yesterday afternoon cleaning g the siding on my garage and shed and also cleaned a messed pine needles and moss off my shed roof. So those chores are done. Good satisfactory feeling having them accomplished.

Judy, glad you popped for a surge protector. I wouldn’t be without one. One saved me from an open ground at a park and a faulty neutral at another. Back before surge protectors were around, my dad’s cousin had the entire electrical system fried in his trailer, when lightening hit a pole a half mile away from the campground Thry were at. The resulting surge traveled down the line and hit the campground. He said e dry thing just blew.

Guess I had better get moving. My energy levels are high in the morning, so that’s when I accomplish my best stuff. Have a great day all.

[Shirlv]

Morning All, cloudy and humid this morning. Just stopping in to say good morning. Nothing planned for today, too humid to be outside. Always household chores to do which is not my favorite. I would rather be digging in dirt. My Juliet tomato plant does not look like pictures but this huge plant in a pot is a learning experience for me. Don’t think the poor thing is being watered properly. Did get two tomatoes. Be safe

[OregonLuvr]

Good morning, I was out early putting the watering timers on my drip system. Wanted to make sure they work before I leave them home alone tomorrow LOL No leaks and they came on as scheduled in the back. Will check the front ones at 9am. So far so good on the back. Watering tomatoes in a container is a bit of a challenge especially because they are in large black tubs so think the water evaporates sooner. I have mulch on top to help hold the water in. Lots of small tomatoes (green of course) and plenty of blossoms so we shall see. First time I have ever done container tomatoes. Couldn't really plant in my garden area where the squash is until I get my fence in, so next year will plant in the ground.

Hot here again today predicting 94. My back deck doesnt get sun on it but no breeze either so it gets hotter for some reason. I like that it doesnt get sun in the afternoon tho.

Time for breakfast and a shower then will get busy around here.

[Cudedog]

Sure hoping you folks out west get some rain and lower temps but since it’s only June I can imagine it’ll be a rough summer for all of you.

Unfortunately, it is proving to be a rough summer already. Temps for the past week at my house have been 104 degrees or warmer (topping out two days at 111). Looking at the weather forecast, looks like upper 90's for the rest of the week, then 100 on Friday, 106 on Saturday, 113 on Sunday and 110 on Monday.

And I am sure Barbie's temps are higher than mine.

Farmers here (and elsewhere in the West) are pulling out their crops due to lack of water for irrigation.

Cattle farmers and dairies here are needing to truck in water for their operations (and dairies use a LOT of water). Pastures that are depended upon for summer feed, and that should still be a bit green this time of year, were already grazed down to brown stubs in early May (this is not hyperbole - I took a drive around my area in early May, this is what I saw).

Hay prices have about doubled, where it can be found at all (this is not just California, but over most of the West). Producers are selling livestock because there is no feed available.

Oroville Dam, which supplies drinking and irrigation water down the length of the state, from Northern California to Los Angeles in Southern California, is at around 40% capacity. I am just now reading the electrical generation at the dam will stop in the next month or so, because the water levels are just too low to be able to run through the turbines.

Oroville can generate electricity for 800,000 homes. Our local utility, PG&E, has already requested users to limit electrical usage to prevent power blackouts. When Oroville goes offline, one wonders where the missing electricity will come from. . .

Drought "ratings" are from D0 - "Abnormally Dry" to D4 "Exceptional Drought". I live about 25 miles from Lake Oroville. My area, including Lake Oroville/Oroville dam, and most of the Oroville dam watershed (land that drains into and fills Lake Oroville), is listed as D4, Exceptional Drought.

California drought monitor: https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA

("Oroville Dam, earth-fill dam on the Feather River, California, U.S. Completed by the state of California in 1968, it is the highest dam in the United States and one of the highest embankment dams in the world.")

On these photos, look at the top where the treeline is - this is where the water level should be:



These last two photos of part of Lake Oroville were taken in April - it is much worse now (photo of same bridge, from different perspectives).





There are fires, both large and small, erupting across California and the West.

And it is only June - in a "normal" year (whatever that is) temps would tend to be cool-ish, with maybe a spot of light rain at the beginning of the month. Not this year.

In the "normal" course of things, we will not see any rain - not a drop - until late October, first part of November (so 4 or 5 months of hot and dry to go).

Everyone should keep in mind that California's central valley - where I live - is the "breadbasket" of the country. California feeds the nation.

Yes, things are hard here, but they are about to get worse for the entire country. Get ready for nation-wide food price increases, and possibly shortages on many food items.

It's not pretty. If the rains don't come this autumn (making it the third year in a row without sufficient rain), and water runs out even more than it already has. . . it is difficult to imagine what might be coming.

Estimated population in drought-affected areas: 37,253,956 (over thirty-seven million. . .).

And that is the happy, cheery news from Northern California.

Anne

[Acadianmom]

Sharon, my son brought me to an Amish market when I was in New Jersey. I have never seen so many different cookies, cakes and breads in one place. It's a good thing I don't live near one. I have seen too many posts about electricians installing RV plugs wrong. I plugged my surge protector into the box I had installed in Maurice and it had an error code. I don't remember now what it was but wouldn't plug my motorhome in and called the electrician. He said there was something wrong with my surge protector but when I plugged it in after he had gone it was ok. I hope I never have to pick up Sugar to put her in the motorhome. She is about 45 pounds and I couldn't do it. I have to watch when it's cold and she wants to lay outside. I can't let her get too cold or she has trouble getting up the steps.

I saw a post where someone had done the water test on Walmart and Scott toilet paper so I had to try it. The Walmart brand of toilet paper dissolves much faster than the septic safe Scott paper.

I called three Ford dealers and they don't service motorhomes so called the shop we have used for years. I ask for an appointment so I could wait so someone doesn't have to come get me. The shop is 30 miles from my house and 30 miles from my son so it's a lot of miles to bring a vehicle there and go back. I'm waiting for them to call me back. I passed by the shop recently when I went to the Honda place and the shop is very busy.

We had some rain early this morning. The radar shows a big area of rain in the gulf but I don't know which way it's headed. I need to run the Roomba and vacuum. The Roomba picks up a lot of the cat hair so the vacuum bag doesn't fill up so fast. When I got home the other day the Roomba was running. One of the cats must have stepped on it because it's not programmed to start.

Anne, that's not looking good.

Martha

[BarbaraRose]

It is "cooler" here today. Only 110* today.
I have been experiencing bad headaches lately. Too much stress. I am at Denny's right now for breakfast. It is really busy here and they are short staffed so I have been waiting quite awhile for my food. Than I will go home and take a nap.
I went to get my taxes done this morning so that is finally done.

Need to check on the cats again today to see if they are OK.

Have a good day!

Update...There was a large group that came in about 20 minutes after me at Denny's and after another 20 minutes, I noticed they had gotten their food. I finally found a waitress and asked her what the deal was. She said she wasn't sure but could take my order again. I said "no thanks" and I got up and left. Now it is lunchtime so will make some lunch at home.

[JudyJB]

It is amazingly green here in Iowa which seems strange after being in the west. And rivers are even over f ull from rain the past couple of months. So all the water missing from the west is here. Storms yesterday and it even cooled down yesterday. But warming up later in week.

Being incredibly lazy. Got vacuum out and need to vacuum floors and dinette plus window valences. Lots of dust. This COE campground has huge paved spots for only $11 for seniors. Like paved spots so I can sit and work on cleaning outside bins. Got some teaching books I need to find and toss. Nice to have clean spot I can spread things out on.

Ok. Got to actually do things instead of just talk about them.

[snowball]

typically May and June are our rainy months it's not rained an appreciable amount this year and I dare say last year... but our real moisture is in the snows in the winter not having been here in the winter I don't know what they were like but understand not as heavy as need to be...it seems like the drought times seem to cycle through... just hope that it ends soon
made it to the store... spent a pile of money need to go see why probably that Taste of Home that I bought or that yummy smelling cantaloupe that I bought oh well costs have gone up so much I looked at something don't remember what it was but it was almost 7 dollars which seems so high to me... for what it was oh I know it was that rice you make risotto with I've bought it in the past and wasn't that high I didn't buy it I have some in the trailer if I really decide that I want to make it will have it brought over to me...
watched Signed Sealed and Delivered tonight was so good it is a show that I enjoy...
there is a reservoir not to far from us down the canyon toward Idaho one year I saw it so low that you could see the river channels
Sharon I didn't realize that he was that big I lucked out Shadow was 18-20 lbs... so could lift him in ... my dd has a labadoodle she can get over such high fences the silly dog had a expensive surgery last summer cause of something she has done to her leg jumping she isn't suppose to jump try telling her that some days she limps more than other's
we had a talk on chat trying to figure out how to take care of mom's computer issues... not sure what we will end up doing ds found a Dell for not much one brother doesn't like Dell products the other brother that got on suggested this other options ds wanted me to go get that ME to go to Staples see what is available oh sure we all know how computer literate I am.. :lol
think I will say good night again Sandi that was so pretty
sheila