SkyVille
For some reason I thought there was supposed to be some cloud cover this morning.
So I actually had long sleeves on that had to come off as soon as I crossed the mighty Fraser.
And then, about halfway in (just after a pickup truck refused to stop for a bike in a traffic circle on a bike route) I started wondering...
How long can this possibly go on?
And why has there been so little talk of water shortages etc., this summer?
I mean, did we really store up that much of the stuff during that awful, now long-gone, June?
Anyway, when I got in I checked the long-range forecast...
Supposed to be another 10-12 days of sun.
Gosh.
If we do get to, say, the 20th with nothing appreciable in the way of precipitation can't help but wonder if the extreme weather event/drought talk will begin.
________
*Think I might have been fooled by the fact that Rosie and I saw something we thought might have been a little high frontal edgy cirrus in the setting-sun sky above the cemetary on our walk last night.
.
10 comments:
Ahhhh, the Whackadoodle looks GREAT against the sunset sky, RossK - Great shot ! ! ! !
Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.
Red sky at night, sailor's delight.
Explained http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_lore
Since people pretty much stopped watering their lawn our water consumption has dropped a good deal. Even in my famous for feeding the homeless with chicken manure town the once endless chatter about the need for developing further water sources has dried up despite ongoing residential development.
aitch.ay.ay.ar.pee/bc weather modifying.
Scorched earth, military style, failed crops, food shortages, loss of shrubs and trees, etc. followed by torrential rains, hail, sleet, flooding and mass detruction.
The enemies are us.
Chris is my stepson, and I really like what he does with his weather site:
http://www.alberniweather.ca/index.php/2013/08/07/the-sun-is-great-but-5-weeks/
Interesting maps...
Mid summer water deficit is normal. Drought is when trees can't get water when they need it, that is, during the late spring/ early summer growth and late autumn storage; most trees are as dormant in mid summer as they are in winter, meaning their water demand is relatively small. Anyhow, It takes weeks of rain showers to wet the soil after a long, hot summer, during which time most of the water runs straight back to the sea. On the other hand, it takes a few years for the rooting layer of soil to completely dry out. It depends at least as much on when the rain falls as on how much: that which falls during the growing season is mostly intercepted by thirsty roots; that which falls in winter dormancy, when tree roots are not drinking, percolates down beyond their reach to the layers we tap into for well water.
I recall a "drought" we had here in the mid 90s: at first everybody's wells were going dry. After about four or five years of extra dry summers, millions of hemlocks began dying and the faithful patches of chanterelles behind my house gradually died out. Now that's a real drought: years in the making, even the deepest substrates dried out. But the wells going dry weren't the real harbinger of that drought, rather a symptom of unrealistic expectations. I think it says a lot about how our water use habits have changed that no matter how dry it has subsequently gotten, the dry well complaints have pretty much dried up themselves (and yes, that means prairie gold lawns).
We've had four cool, wet springs in a row now, trees are lovin' it. Yet the big fir at the toe of my hill, admittedly suffering from root disease, suddenly winked out as soon as the spring flush started. It probably died last fall when, waking up for its autumn drink, it found there had been no real ground wetting for months. it remained green over the cold months but was virtually dead by spring. Just goes to show how important that late autumn watering is for trees, even in years that are otherwise "wet".
We had no spring just solid rain until July....the drought could carry on until late October and then torrential rains and flooding because the earth cannot absorb the wet fast enough.
Think weather modifying, this is not mother nature creating this weather 'pattern'.
Bob--
The Whackadoodle is, indeed, fine (although she's even happier when we're at the beach at sundown).
_____
Thanks NVG...Know that one well given my Dad's profession...Just got fooled by all those whispy bits of cloud
_____
Beer--
Interesting that...Could certainly be a contributor to the relative calm on the screamer-wave.
_____
Anon--
You'll get no argument from me re: 'tis us.
_____
Danneau--
Holy moly...
What a great site!
Thanks.
_____
Thanks, as usual, scotty--
You know, you really should set up your own shop...Or, if you ever want a corner to write up an occasional story/tale/column here, just let me know
_____
Anon #2
Agreed, it's clearly somebody else doing the creating.
.
Your words are always encouraging, Ross K. Timing is everything.
scotty--
There is no time like blog time!
.
Post a Comment