Our yards in the 'burb where I live are a sad, brownish color. We've had an exceptionally dry summer.
We generally don't water grass around here because our yards are pretty big (1-plus acre) and it's too expensive. I've lived here 25 years and have found we generally get enough rain to keep the grass green, but when we go through times like this, with draught-like conditions, it starts to turn brown, and we just live with it (as we hope and pray for rain).
Finally, this week, we have gotten some relief. We had a good soaking rain a couple of days ago, and another one overnight.
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It has been a hot summer, something to which we are accustomed around here and to which I have been accustomed my entire life. I grew up in south Arkansas, went to college in Louisiana and moved to central Arkansas in my early 20s -- all places with hot summers. I moved to Tennessee in 1997. I would say, in general, it is not as hot here as where I lived in Arkansas, but the difference is only slight. When it's summer, it's hot.
The only extended relief I have ever had from hot summers occurred in 1980 and 1981. The summers of those years I worked in the mountains of Colorado and the climate was glorious. I loved those summers for many reasons, not the least of which was the pleasant daytime temperatures.
A lot of folks who are lifelong southerners say they are used to the heat, so it does not bother them. I'm not one of those southerners. I am quite bothered by it.
I often wonder how I would do with brutal winters where snow is abundant. Younger Son lived in northern Indiana for three years and one of those years he was snowbound for nearly a month, a contributing factor to his desire to move back to the South.
I don't think I would much like that, either.
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I have always maintained that the best consolation for summer heat is food -- the fresh fruit and vegetables we get in summer. Although I don't grow a garden, I patronize the local farmers market and a small produce store. Wife and I have been enjoying scrumptious tomatoes (is there a better sandwich than a BLT?) .I have gotten some good watermelons and cantaloupes (neither of which are favorites of Wife), and we have both enjoyed peaches and blueberries.
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Since starting to write this a couple of days ago, we have been blessed with rainfall. I see some of the brown beginning to turn back to green.
6 comments:
My husband doesn't believe in watering a lawn unless it is near death. He says regular watering keeps the roots short.
It's been hot and dry here, but when we do get rain, it seems to come in a deluge!
My son and his wife spent six years in Minnesota and LOVED it! Too cold for me!
Our lawn is generally crispy brown from July on. It always comes back in the spring.
So hot here my tomatoes won't ripen. Having always lived somewhere in Indiana, I have to say... winters are much easier now that neither of us has jobs to drive to. Ice scares me, and I find myself praying for my sons' traveling to (or for) work too often, it seems, come winter time.
Yes, the fresh fruit is something that we always look forward to in summer, especially mangoes and jack fruit from our own yard.
I am hopeful that we get some rain. It has been exceptionally dry. We get forecasts of rain on the way, but they seem to veer north or south of us.
Ironically, we have had a lot rain this summer, actually too much, but thankfully not as much as those to our west who have had flooding. It's been warm but not overly hot as it has been in many places.
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