It's almost another day now. Late and near midnight. It started raining lightly about 2 hours ago. But about 20 minutes ago, it started pouring. The local weather fellow interrupted to warn of street flooding. Showing the radar, we'd figure it would be raining for a good while yet. I've covered everything on my desk and wished for an umbrella to protect the monitor. Ah well. I put the big bowl in the hallway just in time for the leak to begin drip dripping. Our forecast says we won't hit 60 tomorrow and our low this morning was 70. Goodness. From so many people I hear how they've had frost and hard freezes, how the trees are changing color and they've begun the chores to be ready for winter.

That last rain amounted to just over one inch. Not a drop since though. Some cloudy days but the only promise for the near future is some cooler weather the coming week. Bring it on. This warm weather just brings back all the bugs and makes Sly shed. He likes being warm in the sunshine when he gets cold.

It is almost 11:30 p.m. and it has been raining off and on for the last hour. Mostly light but some heavy, some with strong wind and just a little bit of hail. There must have been an inch of dirt and dust in the rain gauge for going the almost 4 weeks with no rain at all. Tomorrow I can go out and look to see what it measures. Sure sounds nice from here. I've put pans and bowls under most all of the leaks. The storms have moved close but the lights have not flickered so I am still working on the newsletter. I was without the computer for several days but am in good shape now just need to catch up. Vista will not accept my old scanner and there will probably be a few other things it does not like. But it is nice to not find the machine "not responding" every time I come back to it.

The moist smell of the showers is so sweet. You don't realize how much you miss it until it's been a while. A new line of storms is coming in so I'd best get things finished.

Our temps are still below "normal" but the daytime heat is slowly creeping back up to 90° in the middle of the afternoon. The nice lower 60s at night is delightful. No more rain at all but that's okay. Randy needs some dry time to get the painting finished. We can start cleaning and working on the inside. Let it rain, let it rain.

I haven't written in a month now but do feel a bit better. The heat was so miserable that I was feeling sick all the time. The dogs dying was horrible. They'd seem a little better and then they were gone. It is so quiet and now that it is finally cooler, it is so sad that they are not around to enjoy it. It is still possible that the neighbor set out some poison or that Lady contracted Cat Scratch Fever. She did try to kill the kitten and was badly scratched. From what I read, it is terribly contagious.

I had not dumped the rain gauge in a long time. We had 1 1/2 inches about a month ago, 2 3/4 inches about 3 weeks ago. And it rained all day yesterday and all last night. Right at 3 inches more. Today is 70 and down right chilly. Officially, we are 3 inches above normal in the rainfall category. Won't need the a/c today and I will be baking a cherry pie this afternoon and the warmth sounds good.

The gardens are all gone, even the tomatoes are finished. Nothing needed watering but the rains are still nice and will make the weeds grow like crazy.

It was 102°F when I checked about 2 hours ago but there is a bit of cloud shadow and when I just checked, I found it was 101. That's much cooler wouldn't you say? Randy is finished sealing the outside of the house so we can once again wish for rain. Bring it on ! ! !

Another 102° day and not a drop of rain. Okay, not a cloud in the sky to make even a drop. Randy doesn't wish for rain while he still has work to do on the outside of the house but then a few clouds would help cool things down. The west garden is finished and no longer needs watering. I can hope the tomato plants just keep on making more fruit. So delicious.

No rain at all only a few mentions and possibilities. We hit 102° today and it was on the extreme side of miserable. The forecast 98 for Wednesday sounds like a cold front. Bring it on. I looked the other day to see the Redbud tree turning yellow and dropping its leaves. Ran to get the water hose and start some water before it died completely. Didn't seem that long since we'd had a good soaking rain. Wanda in Washington State mentioned that they had a freeze week before last. Oh my what a short season they had.

We've had just a couple of days with brief light rain but nothing to measure in the rain gauge. We can't wish for any while Randy is still working on the house. And it is a good thing when he can spend all weekend caulking the seams. He's almost finished and can then start the primer and painting the exterior.

The gardens still get watering every few days and the tomatoes and cukes are so very wonderful. Just a few sweet peppers and no more green beans or corn.

Most of the recent rains have missed us. Yesterday's was early and didn't amount to a trace. It evaporated faster than it soaked in. With the cold front that pushed through, we had a high in the upper 80s but tomorrow promises to be into the upper 90s. Back to watering every day. But then the weeds are growing faster than the veggies.

Okay, I'll keep the computer off whenever a storm gets close. It was the modem but it took Randy a few extra days to figure out how to make new drivers work with it on my old computer.

Our days have been milder than the upper 90s and right at 100° but we've been in the upper 80s to low 90s. It won't last but it's okay with the frequent small showers making it so very humid. It is also keeping Randy from doing much work on the house. It was wonderful to hear the sound of the hammer and know that he was putting up another board over the seams. Getting ready to seal all the openings. 

CLICK HERE to watch a mess of storms move across us. The weather guy I will call "Spike" said at the 10 p.m. news that the storm was falling apart and would be no problem. The National Weather Service had allowed all watches and warnings to expire. WELL, we had lots more of the storms as you will see, he just wanted to go home and leave the weather for someone else. Some of the lightening hit very close to the house. Woke Randy and left my computer with a dead modem, probably. This will be catch up day since I cannot get online.

I noticed that it was 89° at 2 this morning. It's 6 p.m. right now and has been at 100 for about half an hour. MISERABLE. 14% humidity and still miserable. I'm sitting in front of the a/c and still pouring sweat.

CLICK HERE to watch a storm coming from the north. Does it rain? Well, does it? Go see.

CLICK HERE to watch the storms move across our area. 1 1/2 inches total for last night and early this morning. A nice reprieve from the near 100 degree days. Today's high was only 89 but so humid it hurts. 

CLICK HERE to watch the storm move across us. Don't know how much rain so far but will go look at the gauge tomorrow morning. It has been raining from light to moderate for many hours now and it looks to continue. Poor Lady wouldn't go inside her house in the dark. Her light won't work and turns out it was a bad cord shorting out all the fixtures I've tried to use. She was standing out waiting for me when I took her some food. Perhaps she will go inside. I told her that Beau was inside. Actually since he wouldn't go back to his nice big A-frame house, Randy put him by the house in Max's old spot. He wouldn't go inside Max's house but I looked to see him under the trailer. At least he was dry. But then I remember the storm that sent a straight line wind to take the roof off of Max's house and turn it sideways. Max would not go back inside. Randy had to take it apart and make it different before it was acceptable. I don't like storms either.

CLICK HERE to see a page full of radar graphics. They will show the storm that just almost missed us. The early pictures showed where we (north and slightly west from where you see the name Abilene) get just a little bit of rain. Shortly after, the weather girl said that the storms were falling apart. They rearranged their masses greatly but didn't die out for quite some time. We did get 1 1/4 inch in the gauge. The grand show of lightening will do wonders to add nitrogen to the soil for the plants to grow well. 

Our highs have been in the low to upper 90s with high humidity. Miserable. The poor a/c has been running from early until late. It won't be so miserable when we have loads of fresh veggies from the garden. 

Yesterday almost hit 100° but today was barely over 70. What a nice cool front, with sweet north winds. The forecast says that we'll warm back up to the low 90s Tuesday and then be back in the 70s until the weekend. It was the 8th when we got 1/2 inch of rain. Seemed like more than that but I can't argue with the gauge. The wind has been less but we've become so dry that the burn bans are still in place and we keep watering the gardens.

We've been sweltering with 80s for the high. Some high humidity but with all the rain dancing around us. Then the air is dry and the winds are strong. The little cucumber plants were being whipped around but they are strong and none have been harmed. The tomato plants weathered two minor hailstorms. The weather guesser guy was telling of storms today bringing grapefruit size hail stones. Not a good thing.

A cold front moved through this afternoon and immediately the temperatures dropped. The wind was suddenly strong but from the north. Made me leave my chore of raking up leaves out in the garden. I was dressed for the heat of earlier and it was late and time to fix supper anyway.

There have been two major storm makers to our east that moved on to the north and east. They caused major rain and damages but we got not one drop of rain here. The weather guy reminded folks that it was one year ago on this date that we received 4 inches of snow. This is often the week of some really bad weather. 

Randy celebrated springtime by planting out a lot of tomatoes today. The nights are in the 50s yet our normal lows are in the mid 40s. Dangerous to say the least. I am still in middle of fixing the shady trellis in the garden. Many things could go in already but not really on the tomatoes. We will see.

The rain gauge showed 3 1/2 inches of rain. A week before we had 1/2 inch of rain, a leaf and a bee in the gauge. 

Snowfall on the PhancyPharm. CLICK HERE. 4 to 6 inches but gone in 2 days. Some drifts were a foot deep.

The front finally hit about 10 this evening. Made the winds change to coming from the North. They'd been gusty all day but mostly from the South and west. I'd watched the radar bring a line of storms from the south and now they've joined the storm line to the North and West to pour some of those wet droplets down upon us. A little bit of tiny hail with the temperatures falling fast. We'd been near 80 this afternoon and were ready to turn on the a/c but knew this would be a cold and rainy week. 

We can sure use the rain but for now, the heaviest of the storms has moved off. I'd thought for a little while that I'd need to turn off the computer but for the rain is steady and no more bolts of lightening. I don't mind taking the puppy's food out in the rain but I don't go outside during an electrical storm. Not me. Just hope that Beau went on in his house and didn't get wet. He is not an inside sort of guy. Lady doesn't even like wind so she was already inside her house.

We've had some nice days and mild nights all week and it's been grand not to need the heater going all the time. We have one full tank of propane and hope to not need more this year. 

The nights are still near freezing but no hard freezes for now. The days are hot at about 80 to 85 on some days. This coming week shows we'll have several cold fronts that will bring the heat to the mild side. We had only light breezes today but most days bring gale force winds that try to knock you sideways.

No more rain since the 1 3/4 inch of last week. Some clouds but no droplets.

I checked the rain gauge and it said we received 1 3/4 inches of rain. It took until this afternoon for all the hail to melt away, hard tuff stuff and lots of standing water. The forecast shows lows in the upper 30s to mid 40s and the highs in the mid 60s to low 70s. That's what we call spring around here.

We actually got some rain. You know, that wet stuff that falls from the clouds. It came mostly in the form of hail, from tiny pellets and pea size to golf ball size. There were reports of tennis ball size but the storms moved very fast, said to be 40 mph, and building and dying out very fast. I am afraid to see what Oklahoma got by the time the storms hit their area. 

Sly let me know that he did not at all like hail hitting the window in the living room. Did not sound at all friendly. I'd already turned off the computer and moved away from the window. Couldn't hear the TV for the noise of the storm but it was gone fast enough. There wasn't a lot of rain until a bigger storm about 3 this morning when it dumped buckets.

It was 31° this morning and all the tree branches and leaves were covered with tiny icicles. Pretty but everything that could hold water, had puddles standing along with piles of hail everywhere. Even now, the temp is above freezing and there are some remaining clusters of hail. Odd looking. 

Randy put out lots more seeds for the little wild birds. They were in a frenzy of eating when they could get out and about. They are very happy now.

We actually had a few rays of sunshine but then the clouds filled the sky again. The radar shows that the bands have moved off to the east and perhaps our rain is finished for now. It was supposed to be ending with up to 50 tomorrow. The 30s today did at least get above freezing and most everything is dripping or drying.

We almost hit 80° today and since the a/c isn't plugged in, it was very hot inside the house. But as the sun sets, so cools the day. We'll not freeze tonight but that's a nice change. The tomato seeds have started to sprout in the light room. Yippee. Must start making notes in the gardening section.

We've still had no rain but I've started the sprinkler to watering the yard and driveway. I am ready for some blooms and to get the garden going. Randy has done so much work on the beds but with his surgery yet pending, he'll not be doing a lot once he is mending. Just wish it was over and he was already healing and not just still in pain.

We've had a cold snap but it's a dry one. Wanda writes of all their snow and wet stuff, ice and sliding around. We've had none of that. Realized that after I put in the rain gauge, it rained 1/4 inch and I dumped it out and none at all since. But soon enough it will. This is a very dry month but all the trees are needing a very deep watering to be ready for spring.

We've had hard freezes at night with highs only around 45 or 50 during the day. Pretty normal except for being a lot colder at night. When I brought in the laundry last night, it was frozen but thawed nicely and finally dried in the bathroom. Such are the joys of winter with no dryer. 

We've had such beautiful weather lately that it's hard to remember it's still January. We do normally have a thaw this time of year and can just enjoy it while it is around. The highs in the 50s to 70s with lows barely freezing. BUT the forecast is showing that Wednesday will have a high in the 40s and Thursday will barely be above freezing all day. Time to fill the water jugs for possible emergencies. They used the words ice and snow and sleet. Oh dear.

This makes tomorrow the last day of 2007. The month of December has been extremely dry yet the year is ending with well over the normal rainfall amounts. The big trees could use a deep soaking rain but it won't come for months yet. If we are lucky, we might look for them in the late winter/early spring. After being in a drought for so very long, we have to fear we would go right back into one again. It's the way the last one started. It came right after lots of extra rain. A mild winter and lots of grasshoppers left over to start anew in the spring. Then the drought made them eat anything with any moisture in it at all. So sad. But this past year had very few grasshoppers until late in the season so if we can be ready very early this coming spring, it would be a good thing. We could get some cucumbers and possibly some tomatoes. Yum.

We had 4 days of such nice warm weather we didn't want it to quit. Then Saturday, a brutal cold front move in and the winds kept us inside only venturing out for necessary trips. It was not so bad this afternoon, but that would be the 23rd since it is now wee early morning. Randy was able to do a little bit on the nest boxes for the hens. The regular square boxes are finished and in the coop but Randy is making some from plastic buckets and might even have them finished tomorrow. Now, if those grown chicks would just start laying some of those wonderful eggs. 

While the days were warm, I moved hay bales to the garden and covered the strawberry bed for the winter. Lots of little plants hiding down in the weed growth. But the stickers are so very thick and mean. Must be planning a new area to plant them. 

And wild the weather stayed for several weeks. Sunshine today was the first in all this time and Sly was delighted to be able to bask while stretching out on his new shelf. He was so angry when we couldn't make the clouds move and let his rays in. Poor kitty. It will be Sunday before we have more sunny days but I spent the day washing and getting clothes dried outside. What a break. I was so tired of having the bathroom full of cold wet clothes. We didn't have much of the rain, sleet or snow but some of each and lots of cold wind. The new rain gauge said that we had almost 1/2 inch of rain in two days. I did learn that it is not a good idea to put the gauge into the ground but also if the post it is on isn't tall enough, I can't see what the measurement is when I look. So... I need to fix a new post to make it easier for me.

The clothes were not completely dry but it won't take long for them to finish. It is nice to be caught up and not have to worry about what will be ready to wear. We had been forecast for 55 but actually got up to 60. Sure feels cold now but that was because I was filling the chick-lets water pan and bringing in the damp clothes.

Depending on which way the next front moves, we might have more snow and rain and ice but we can sure hope it passes us by. Not to wish more bad stuff on Oklahoma but we don't want it. They've had a really bad time with so many dying in wrecks on the icy roads. Power being out for widespread areas made life miserable. Randy had taken the empty propane tanks to town and filled them so we are in good shape again. It is good to be warm. Without electricity, we would not have water but having heat is a very good thing. 

What wild weather. Something about low pressure and a cold front. But we've had over 7 inches of snow and more was forecast but fizzled out. We had about 4 hours worth of rain instead today. So now all the patches of snow are gone. Just when the chickens were discovering that the snow wasn't so bad, that they could eat it and it was actually pretty good. Better than staying cooped up all the time. The laundry is washing but with a high tomorrow of 37 and lots of clouds, I will again hang the laundry in the bathroom to dry. Monday is looking nice at 57 with lots of sunshine. Goodie.

Still having nice, dry and mild weather. The forecast is watching a COLD front coming this way. Should get here Wednesday and start falling from about 50 to down well below freezing. Barely getting up into the 40s during the day and freezing every night on through the forecast period. Yikes. It comes along with increasing chances of rain which could be some of the icy stuff. I'll use Monday and Tuesday to get caught up on outdoor chores so I can be staying inside for a while.

It's just after 2 in the morning but a sweet 68° outside. Short sleeve weather and the forecast says it will stay warm for a while. I'd wanted to plant some spinach and lettuce but it wants to get too hot for them. We're being teased with a slight chance of rain on Monday or Tuesday. We'll see. Before it does rain again, we must make a shelter for Max. He won't go inside his nice house and with his bloating, he cannot get inside his lean-to anymore. Something simple. He sure enjoys lying outside on his blankets. Even when it's not cold. 

We had almost 80 today but the weather girl promised that there was a strong cold front coming in tomorrow evening that would keep us cold for a while. She said we'd need the jackets and blankets again but no rain. Not yet. I need to work on making a better shelter for Max before it does rain. For some reason, he won't go in his house anymore and he just can't get in his lean-to now. Don't know what to do. Poor puppy, he stays out in Lady's yard back in the briar and brush.

What wonderful fall weather. Beautiful days staying in the mid-70s and nights down to the low to mid 30s. Frost but no hard freezes. I've been running the heater in the little greenhouse at night. I found (ha) a sheet of plywood and used it to cover the back wall screens and put the styrofoam pieces in the other windows. It stays about 50 on a cold night. Not bad.

And no rain in a while now. I've been watering the Zinnias since they are still doing well. Probably no new blooms but the colors are still so pretty.

We hit 90 today and it wasn't too bad, the humidity was near 0% and the wind changed to coming from the north. I was in time to catch a local forecast and tomorrow night should be in the mid 30s. That's way too cold for what we are ready for. Some areas will have a freeze or frost. I must find a way to cover the screens on the greenhouse. I have some pretty flowers yet and want to protect them. I'll get out with the camera and take some shots of the little clovers and the buds on the mums. I always hope for a good year of flowers.

So far this evening's storms are skirting around us but the thunder is rumbling closer and closer. Someone is getting rain.

But now for the past hour it has poured rain. Lots and lots of thunder, lightening but only a little hail. All good puppies are inside their houses and staying nicely warm and dry. I have yet to take Beau his treats but already I hear more thunder so I will try to be out and back before another shower happens. I am still soaked from the last venture out. Brr. I know it's only 52 but I sure got cold enough.

We've been staying above normal and that means the a/c is running every afternoon. I try to not need it in the evenings but sure wish for a small fan to move the air around. We don't have any windows that open or have screens and this silly house really holds the heat a long time. 

There is a cold front headed this way and our humidity is up. They say that means we could see some serious storms in the early hours through the entire day tomorrow. The forecast shows another front and our low for Friday night being in the upper 40s. Wow.

Time to get the chores finished for another day and hurry up just in case it does start raining. We had about 3 inches earlier this week and don't really need more but most of the area didn't get any at all.

Another year and another page. For some reason that means October and here we are again. I've put off writing weather notes for a few weeks so I could start a new page. But I've also been waiting for the heat to break and the fall to begin to show itself. We sometimes have cold early but not this year. A few weeks ago we had 3 days where we were down into the 50s at night and the highs were in the 70s. But recently the highs have been in the low 90s to upper 80s. Very humid on some days but mostly dry with no rain here.

October 18th of 1948 was our earliest freeze ever but November 18th is the average first freeze. I loved reading Wanda's notes about their cold weather. Getting the firewood ready to stay warm.

Randy and I had both noticed that despite the lack of cold, the leaves on the oak trees are falling. A lot on the trees are brown and some yellow. The redbud tree is half yellow already and the leaves are starting to fall. It has to be the length of day rather than cold that makes the leaves get started. The Zinnias are still blooming. Well, one bed anyway. I planted two beds. One has grown fine with lots of plants and not one bloom at all. The other has made many flowers though not what I had hoped for. The grasshoppers have gathered to feast on the petals.

The forecast for this next week shows slight chances of rain and a gradual cooling of the days and nights. Mid 80s and upper 50s. That sounds good but that's what we've been hearing for weeks now. We will see. The doggies and their heavy coats will enjoy a break from the heat. This is such a sad time with Max being so sick and probably dying with CHF. I keep hoping that cooler weather would make him feel a bit better.