Keesha

Been extremely hot and dry here in S. Ms. also. Heat index around 105. Needless to say, weeds are taking over my flower beds. Just to hot to work in the yard. We are getting daily showers finally and that has helped cool things off. I, for one, can not wait til fall and cool weather.
Barb

Me too Barb...as much as I love summer..fall is my very favorite time...tho fall means gardening time is near end...the relief from the heat is welcome.

It's headed our way by tomorrow here in New England. All I do is run around with the watering can for my containers. But today was nice and I had all the windows open. The fragramce of clethra--summersweet--is heavy in the air and is just wonderful. That always says "August" to me--grows wild everywhere here. It's in full bloom now and the heat brings out the scent.

Here in upstate NY tomorrow we are going to have a "feels like" 104, with humidity. Not looking forward to it. Our little room 12,000 BTU AC will be working overtime!!

Carol

Thanks for thinking of us in California! We got some relief for a couple days where I'm at by the beach in SoCal, but last week was a horror with it being extra hot and extra humid. Heard that the temp will be rising in the next few days, but I think we've left the humidity behind. I can deal with dry heat....when it gets muggy and sticky, I'm a goner.

Checking in from So.Cal mountains. We've gone from 90s to 60s! We should be in the 70s tomorrow and maybe warmer by the end of the week. As I type, I am sitting here with a sweater on and socks. It's 56 outside. I'm about to climb on the NordicTrack and work out, then go pull some weeds. The thunderstorms last week brought me lots of those unwelcome @#$%&!

I hope the heat wave in the midwest and east ends soon for all of you. Stay cool any way you can!

Diana, blowing cool air your way : )

blow harder Diana :) It is not cool enough yet...:) It is 94 degrees at 9:40 this morning..the humidity is stiffling..you just plain can't catch your breath.

Back from ten days in Misouri/Kansas/Oklahoma...it is nice here! We missed the nasty hot week and my hired yard kid was reasonably successful at keeping things going. I lost a few herbs in pots but otherwise things are fine. Our lows have been in the sixties the last couple of nights. I think it always helps when it cools off at night.

The scents in the gardens in the humid midwest were amazing!

We are having our normal hot temperatures here in TX, but it's the drought that is becoming unbearable. That and the unrelenting sun.

We are under so many watering restrictions right now, and more are coming. In fact, there are areas now that do not automatically serve water in restaurants in order to conserve.

It's been such a long hot, dry summer and I am so craving a nice rain fall...or even a cloud! :-)

Marilyn

We are finally getting relief today. We've been between 110 - 118 the past three weeks with no rain in months. It looks like fall here because everything is dying. Even the trees are turning autumn colors. Today it's sprinkling off and on and we topped out at 72 F. I hope this front sits on top of us for at least a week. We are desperate for moisture. Even the river that I live on is nearly dry.

MeMo

Yup,

Same here in Okie, MeMo.
The trees are so stressed from the heat and lack of moisture that they are dropping their leaves to conserve what moisture and nutrients they can get to keep their trunks and roots healthy so they won't die. Poor them.

I sure wish we could get our normal August rains. If not, more trees and plants (and animals) will die, I'm afraid.

~SweetAnnie4u

It's been mega hot and miserable here, too. Today is supposed to be the last day of it before a "cold" front comes through tonight. Even 85 will feel amazing. The humidity has been brutal.
I've barely done anything in my garden the last five days besides water. I'll definitely be busy this weekend.

Amen on the humidity. Mid-to-high 90s here, very humid, and it is not cooling off at night. This morning it was nearly 80 at 6am. I called in today, as I am showing early signs of heat stress and no air conditioning in my car for the 20 mile drive. I only have air conditioning in my bedroom, so I think I'll spend as much time as possible getting my basement studio set back up. Cool down there.

At least we don't have drought. In fact, a bit too much rain, with almost daily thunderstorms. Usually the thunderstorms clear the air and cool things down, but these aren't.

Wish I were back in the western mountains right now. I'd rather have the heat without the humidity, but having been through more than one serious drought, you guys out there have my sympathy.

Ack for all of us.

Dayle Ann

The same here, sweetannie. The leaves are falling at an alarming rate, to the point where I might have to do some raking. Everything has kicked into survival mode, at best.

We had a touch of rain on the 4th of July, and since then -nothing. There is no rain forecasted for the forseeable future, either.

The hot temperatures are normal around here, but it's the drought conditions, and the ramifications from it, that are really scaring me.

If there is anything positive coming from this situation is that I am finding out what performs in hot,drought conditions. The winner is: Esperanza! It has mounds of yellow flowers and has stayed continuously in bloom.

I wonder how a garden filled with only Esperanza would look?? :-)

Marilyn

It is hot hot hot here too. Today it is supposed to be 100 with a feels like 110. We have not been getting rain at all. I live on a piece of property that is normally always wet. It is dry as a bone. The trees are dropping their leaves up here too. It will be a very sad looking fall foliage season this year... This has been one strange summer. We too were getting daily thunderstorm watches. We would get the clouds and thunder but just minimal rain. We really could use a good soaking...Keep cool everyone.

I am definitely wishing for rain for all you in drought conditions. Up here in WA the weather is really pleasant. The heat wave did cause most everyone's lawns to go dormant and a few of my flowers finished blooming early as a result. However we then got a bit of rain and the weather has cooled off to a very pleasant mid 70s.

Marilyn,
Send me some of those Esperanza seeds, please! I like yellow flowers and that may the only thing that will survive if this drought continues.
There is a "cold front" moving down into the state this afternoon. May drop w-a-y d-o-w-n into the mid-90s! Say! I'll take it. There is also a 70% chance of thunderstorms tonight and tomorrow and maybe some more into the weekend. Wouldn't that be dandy?

Dayle Ann,
we have had the same thing happening here - when it rains, it doesn't cool down like it used to do. Just gets hotter and very steamy. Weird.

In this area (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana) we will need six months of good soaker, frequent rainfalls just get the drought to stop, then another year of it to get the lakes and ponds and rivers back up to their normal levels.
The governor issued heat and fire alerts again today. The fire ban continues state wide except in two counties.

I am in the process of moving all my shrub roses out of my once beautiful rose garden. They will die if I don't. I am making beds for them by the patio out back so they can be watered more often. It is in the shade in the morning until 11, and then gets evening shade from the house around 4 P.M., so they will do much better there. The soil is alot more fertile and deeper. I have fought with that blasted sandy soil in the rose garden for six years. It is so dry and barren now that even the purple coneflowers are wilted and sickly. Well, by gum, enough is enough! I can set the sprinkler and water almost everything at once, thereby conserving water. It will save me having to drag 100 feet of water hose out there too. Ugh! I have 5 more roses to dig up and transplant. I was hoping to get them all moved before this rain came. I hate having become an old crippled up woman! I'm too young to have suddenly been plagued with such an old body! Pooh!
Well, anyway, I will get them moved, one way or another, you can bet on that! "Inch by inch, row by row..."
Take care people, and be thankful for what you may have and whatever circumstances you may find yourself. It could be worse.

~SweetAnnie4u

Nope, we didn't get a single drop!
It thundered and the clouds boiled up, and then just rolled on up to Kansas or Missouri. Watch out Illinois!

Glad I kept watering my yard.
Well, maybe it will rain tomorrow. . .

~ Annie
(sweetannie4u)

Annie,

You have mail.

In our area, there is a chance of isolated thunderstorms this weekend, and our temps. will drop down to 99 degrees. whooooooohooooooooo. I'll take it! :-)

Here's hoping that temperatures drop and rain falls in all our drought stricken areas!

Marilyn

Marilyn,

You've got Mail!

~ Annie