Jay,

That is just too hot! We were 97 yesterday and expect to be 97 today. What the heat index will be is just anybody's guess.

Normally, we don't break the 100-degree barrier here in southern OK until early July. Somehow, though, I think we're likely to hit 100 earlier than that this year.

Maddie is here with us this week, so she and I will garden a little and she'll play in her sandbox and wading pool while I sit in the shade of an oak tree and watch her. However, I think we'll spend most of the time inside painting the former guest room/plant room in lovely shades of pink and purple so she'll have her own room to stay in when she visits.

I hope your heat isn't going to hit the 100s and just stay there for the next three months. The early heat is just so stressful on all the plants, and on the gardeners too.

Dawn

Early morning rain here - it's only 67 right now but we'll see 91 or so by the days end. Not bad - but I bet it will be muggy.

~Laura

Same here Laura,

Had a great soaking rain. Sure needed it, as the garden and what's left of the shrubs and evergreens were getting a tad thirsty. Glad I didn't have to water, but oh how I dread the humidity that's sure to follow!

Barbara

It is noon and 70 degrees here in Grove, but the humidity is 97 percent. LOL We got a quarter inch rain this morning and looks like we could get more later today. I can see lots of small rain showers that appear to be moving this way.

I was a little embarassed about all of the grass I could see in my pictures so I started working on it as soon as the storm passed. With my 'stainless steel back' I can't use the hoe for very long, so I normally just use my knee stool and get on the ground and pull everything. There was no way I was going to get on my knees on the end of the garden that had potatoes, broccoli, and cabbage. It was a jungle.

Yesterday I said that I hadn't bought any plants this year except berries, but then I remembered that I had bought the 'bargain basement' cabbage and stuff that they were almost giving away. I think I have gotten 4 kohlrobi and one head of cabbage, so I just about got my $4 worth. LOL It was too late to plant them and they were very root bound but I thought, what the heck. Later I was sorry that I had planted them because I started to run out of room. As I weed my way toward the fence, most of that stuff will probably come out since there is not much to it. I think there might be a few very small heads of purple cabbage and that's about all. With most of the broccoli plants gone, and the potatoes soon to be gone, I will have some empty space.

Yesterday we were having dinner at a friends house and I was sitting so I could see the back yard, and the beautiful lake and ducks and such. I happened to notice that she had this tower looking thing by one of her storage buildings. I asked her what it was. Her daughter answered and said it was part of a small windmill that broke. I said, "Betty, what are you going to do with that?" She answered, "Give it to you if you want it."

Her daughter asked what I was going to do with it, and my husband answered, "She's going to make a bean tower". He knows me too well because he was right. I can't wait to go get it, because it will be perfect. MY kind of garden junk. LOL

Ended up 96 here. They missed it a little. The humidity is 40% here now. Which is high for this time of day here. Looks like a few breaks a head. I hope so. Have maters with flowers if they will just set now.

Dawn Big Cheef a Brandywine cross Bill Jeffers sent me looks like it may be setting fruit. I won't get my hopes up. But hope it continues. A very vigorous plant also. Jay

We got near 90 here, but there's been on and off cooler winds all afternoon. Last night there were severe thunderstorms ALL around--within a mile or two, but not one drop fell on us. You could sit and watch the cells fall apart on the radar just before they got to Sawyer. The pastures need rain.