Weather Lore

[Deleted]

I'll be out there drinking it up tomorrow.  Our rain chances were minimized throughout the day to 30%.  

[heavyhitterokra]

It's 39 degrees here this morning. Burrr!  I was out doing my chores this morning with a flannel shirt on, by the time I got the animals watered, I was trotting to get back inside where it was warmer!

It's crazy to imagine we were swimming in the creek Sunday after Church, just to get cooled off. Monday, I was sweating all day long, busily scraping a wooden footbridge in the 95-degree heat, so I could repaint it before the rain and cooler weather. But this is Oklahoma, so it will be back up to 90 by the weekend.

I heard on the radio yesterday that it was so dry in Western Oklahoma that the chickens were laying powdered eggs. 

[macmex]

It is dry, for sure.
I did chores around 5:30 this morning, after doing my exercises. Almost went back to the house for a coat but kept telling myself, "no, it can't be that cold." 

[Deleted]

hahaha

Yeah, and I'm seeing forecasting of a return of the heat!

[heavyhitterokra]

What kind of August in October is this? It's going to be really hard for those poor pumpkin farmers to sell Fall decor at the Farmers Market Saturday in the 93-degree heat.  It's really hard to get into the Autumn spirit when it still feels like Summer outside.  

This will probably be another year of going form one extreme to another.
I hope I'm wrong though, because I really enjoy a good 'Indian Summer' during those rare years that everything falls into place to create that kind of weather.

[Deleted]

I wish I had tomatoes! Did u grow maters this year or full up with okra?

[heavyhitterokra]

Bon,

I only grew about 25 tomato plants this year. None for market, just enough for friends and family. They didn't do very well this year, so it would have been a good year to skip out on them. Our slicers never made a crop but the little Juliets put on like gangbusters. (Thanks, Hank!) for the Juliets. I love those little tomatoes!

Today's forecast calls for 30 mph winds and 93 degree weather.  (However, tomorrow's forecast calls for 100% chance of severe thunderstorms). So better enjoy the sunshine while you still can. We're planning on taking a trip down to the Illinois River this afternoon for a catfish fry. It'll be good weather for that. We've had fish fries in years past, where it was so cold out there that you didn't even want to step foot outside the pickup truck. A Fall day on a cold, rainy, windswept, gravel bar is not really ideal for a family gathering. Sounds like good weather today for a gathering on the water though. Hopefully, we can shelter out of the wind.

[Deleted]

The wheat has sprouted. A good storm would settle them right in. Tomatoes always do well for me as long as I water them. I think the soil is just right for them.

I should probably get my field peas seeded before so the storm will give them nitro boost.

[heavyhitterokra]

I wish I hadn't been quite so busy today, I think it would have been a perfect opportunity to sow some more winter cover crop seeds, but that wasn't the case this time around.  Maybe, next week sometime?

I was just now looking at the seven-day forecast for the Tahlequah area; they are forecasting next Saturday's high temperature to be 68 degrees. The high today ended up being 91 rather than 93, but it was still plenty hot to be a good day to wade water and do a little fishing.  If the forecast is accurate, next Saturday will be too cool to really enjoy being in the water.

While down at the Illinois River today, we saw an osprey swoop down and catch a smallmouth bass; that was a pretty cool thing to see.  The fish was so large that it face-planted the bird as its talons latched onto the stationary fish at that high speed. It was deep water too. I didn't think the osprey would be able to take off out of the water without losing the fish but it made it just fine. The fish was probably about 8" inches long and was still flopping when the osprey landed in an elm tree on the same side of the River where we were fishing, to eat its meal.

I've seen an eagle land in a tree with a fish before, but today was the first time I've ever seen a bird of prey as it was actually catching a fish. I always thought they probably swooped down and nabbed onto a fish that they had already spotted from the air. This one would just fly along, skimming the top of the water, dragging its open talons just below the surface, happening onto whatever was loafing at the surface. It had made several passes over the course of half an hour or so before it finally got lucky ...  Too bad no one had a camera ready when it finally made connection.

[Deleted]

What a cool experience!

[macmex]

Growing up in NJ I used to see lots of ospreys. One time I caught one, which apparently someone had sprayed with bird shot. I carried it home and tied it to my bedpost while looking up how to contact Fish & Game. I've always been forgetful and, well, I guess I forgot to tell anyone about it. My mom came bustling into my room with an armload of laundry and came face to face with a frightened osprey, its wings extended amost 5'. The clothes in her arms went up in the air and she came out of my room like a shot. We did get a state agency to pick up the osprey, which, unfortunately didn't make it.

Yesterday I had high hopes of digging sweet potatoes. I slept in to about 6 am, had a leisurely cup of coffee and tranquilly stepped out the door with my milking stuff. Then I found that both bucks (male goats) had broken out of then pens and were chasing each other and our ram (male sheep) around the place. All the sheep and goats were in an uproar. It took an hour to get the does (milking goats) to come to the gate to get milked, and I spent the DAY rebuilding pens! Finally, at the end of the day, just before calling it quits, I got 15 minutes to dig sweet potatoes. Life on the farm...

 

[Deleted]

Your poor mother! The poor bird!

I keep thinking 'Why is he digging sweets?'. But then it doesn't really feel like that time of year.

I put mine in a warm sheltered spot. I won't be digging sweets until it's cold. I'm not mentally on the same page. Enjoyed your photos.

[chrysanthemum]

I came here just to comment that I was looking at an article about severe weather that looks like it could hit Oklahoma today, and I’m praying for you all to stay safe. I’m sure rain would be good from the sound of it, but hail and tornadoes are just not my idea of fun. (And neither is being greeted by torn down fences and escaped farms animals or rescued waterfowl tethered to bedposts. Macmex, your life is full of animal adventures!)

[Deleted]

Your post cracked me up. All good here. Thanks for the prayers

[Deleted]

Classic powerful squall line!