We were looking at photos from the trail cam on the porch that points toward the front yard. No animals around much anymore but we did notice this.
Here are two photos that show the extremes:
This is from May. Look how lush and green it is.
Well, was...
...because here it is this month.
Dry and brown.
There have been a few scattered showers, but it seems like it is usually so hot and humid, it evaporates upon hitting the ground, ha. Most of Texas in in some sort of drought status. The county the farm is in is in "extreme drought" and "exceptional" is creeping ever so closer.
We've had a few power problems in the Houston area due to capacity problems but nothing long lasting, thankfully. ERCOT, the Texas power grid management people (don't get us started on that group) asked people to refrain from using things like dishwashers or electric dryers during the peak daylight hours and so far, it's kept the grid from widespread failure. We'll see how that goes as this heatwave lasts longer.
Stay cool wherever you are!
Thus far we have had 19 or more days of triple digit temperatures.
ReplyDeleteI think we will all be doing the Happy Dance when the Fall temperatures move in.
We came close on having a nice rain shower last week, but it went around and didn't receive a drop.
Everyone stay cool and stay safe.
Pretty much the same here. Better the last couple of days but hot again and going back up now.
DeleteThat is not good. Stay cool.
ReplyDeleteWe're trying. It's what we do in these parts, we stay in our a/c homes, run to our a/c cars, drive to our a/c stores and jobs, and come back home into the a/c, ha.
DeleteFingers crossed for some rain to cross your path sooner rather than later.
ReplyDeleteWe had a little (see today's post) but no more for the next 7 days, ugh.
DeleteSo just think if you had to recharge several million electric vehicles on top of that.
ReplyDeleteActually ERCOT addressed that and said it was not going to be a problem. And a quick google search shows the thinking that more and more electric cars on the grid will cause problems, to be a myth. The general assumption that people who argue this is that all cars are all plugged in all the time at the same time into the grid. That just doesn't happen. Even today, cars sit parked 95% of the time. It's like buying gas, you go when you need it and fill up. So conversely, you drive your electric car until you need to charge it. I work with people who drive 2 miles to work and fill up with gas once a month. They would charge once a month if they were electric (or probably even less if they got 500 miles per charge, MPC). Not to mention the grid will naturally upgrade over time from just changes in technology concurrently as more electric cars get onto the road so in time the grid will become even better.
DeleteSaw this kind of really good summary: "This is probably one of the biggest myths out there when it comes to electric vehicles. Yes, America’s grid can easily handle electric cars—and even though EVs will most likely become the dominant form of personal transportation, charging them all isn’t going to be an issue. By the time that electric cars are owned by 80% of the U.S., this will only translate into a 10-15% increase in electricity consumption.
One of the main reasons for this minimal increase in national electricity consumption is that EVs are more fuel-efficient than internal combustion engines, somewhere between 5-6 times as efficient. Though their batteries aren’t powerful enough to take them beyond the 700-800 mile range, between 10-20 years, that will likely be possible. Another facet regarding the ways that electric cars will affect the grid is smart charging capabilities. Smart charging is a technology that links a vehicle owner’s charging device with their EV’s battery. “Smart “ charging devices identify times during the day that electricity consumption is highest, and pull power from the grid to hold in its reserves so that owners don’t experience any charging delays when the power grid is most active."
We'll all be good.
my ground is so dry and cracked. no rain on the horizon. it's awful here too!
ReplyDeleteWe got a little and it greened up some but back to no rain for the next week.
DeleteI know we're behind in rainfall so can imagine how bad it is in other places in the country. It sure was green and lush in May.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how widespread the drought is.
DeleteIt either rains gully washers here or gives some of us a nice shower. Our grass is lush and growing like gangbusters. I cannot imagine being as brown as yours in the summer. Does the electric company charge less for off peak hours?
ReplyDeleteThat's the way we usually are but the drought has set it. You can set up your plan to have discounted rates, etc for off hours and yes, they generally lower the rates (most companies) late at night and that's why they tell people to do major things later because it helps the grid and saves money.
DeleteThe difference in those two pictures from May to July is shocking. Your beautiful park-like green is now dry and crackly.
ReplyDeleteThis drought is awful for everyone and everything. The crops in my area are looking pitiful and the cattle are needing to be fed hay, if it can be found, when they should be enjoying green grass. I am struggling to keep my fruit trees alive.
Hoping that break-off from the tropical disturbance comes closer to us so we get a chance for a rain shower and a short break from these triple digit temperatures. I’ll appreciate any small break.
It'll come back. Hang in there with your fruit trees. We are only watering once a week but it's a lot I think. I set the hose nozzle thing to "full" and go for two minutes (via a timer on my phone/watch). I had wondered how much that was and so I took a 5 gallon bucket and set my timer. For our hose and nozzle, 2 minutes is a little over 6 gallons. I guess 7 gallons per tree per week is good so far.
DeleteWe are having a drought here in PA also. I think they said we are down 2 + inches from our normal. It has been super hot here for sure! Stay cool!
ReplyDeleteThat's so bad for y'all, normally it's very wet there too this time of year. Hang in there, we'll get a break at some point. :-)
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