Sweltering Heat Everywhere

From coast to coast and North to South, Americans are sweltering in oppressive heat. Even industrial size fans couldn't beat the heat in Hell's Kitchen Tuesday. The manager of a taxi repair shop in the Manhattan neighborhood said the fans only blow hot air around, doing little to keep the mechanics cool. More than a week of high temperatures across the West has raised wildfire concerns. Conditions have gotten supper dry and it's only going to get drier over the next few days. In the East, the heat spread as far south as Virginia. Temperatures in the 90's prompted hazardous weather alerts. In Washington, D.C. forecasters predicted 96 degrees which would feel like 101 with the humidity. New Jersey was more like a hothouse than a Garden State. In Iowa, there isn't any rain predicted for at least the next 5 days and the corn crop is suffering along with the people. This is serious and the farmers are worried.

Rain

It kind of looks like we could get a little rain later on today or tonight. We sure need it. The Corn is all in tassels now and the ears will be forming and they need rain. The corn leaves look like they are reaching toward heaven asking for a good rain, a soaking rain would be nice.

The Corn is Tall.

That old song "Oklahoma" comes back to me when it says "the corn is as high as an elephant's eye and it looks like it's climbing right up to the sky". The corn is beginning to look that way here. It is really tall, way taller than the old saying "knee high by the 4th of July". It passed that a long time ago. I could easily get lost in it as I am very short. I think nearly anyone could get lost in it now. It needs rain badly though and the farmers are getting worried as alot of the corn is going to the biodiesel plants to be made into ethanol to be added to the gasoline.

Hot Weather

The hot dry weather is beginning to take its toll on the bean and especially the corn crops. We need rain badly. We got half an inch the other day but that was not nearly enough. We need a good soaking rain. The lawns are all like brown straw. The only thing growing is the weeds. We were fortunate in that the rain came from the right direction to soak down the flower bed good. At least we don't have to drag out the hose again for a bit.