A decent rain

[cowman]

Got about 7/10ths the last two days. Planted the 100 acres of newly broke hay land to Stannard barley just before the rain. My cousin really poured the N to it so hope it works! It's a little too soddy for my liking but hopefully it will make a crop. I actually did a bit of time on the tractor for him and the new Johne Deere is truly a pleasure to drive.
The grass is starting to come fairly well right now even though it has been quite cold. With this rain and a little sun it should start to take off.
My chokecherry trees are starting to leaf out already as well as the 500 rasberries we planted. All under plastic mulch with drip lines. My partner in this endeavor does all the work and is very attentive to the trees.
We finally had our last calf(a should have been cull cow) and the calves are all healthy and doing well...some really good big calves this year! Finished feeding May 8th as we had some stockpiled pasture. Need to get them vaccinated real soon.
Looking forward to a good(and hopefully wet) year. Tentatively thinking of going to market with both calves and yearlings in Sept. and cows in Nov/Dec. Intending to start ripping up the pastures this fall.
Going to take off for a couple of months this winter, probably Thailand, where my nephew has a business.

[rsomer]

Glad to hear someone got rain. Environment Canada forecast rain but it blew over, only got a sprinkle. Grass is slow to grow and the leaves are slow to fully come out, it has been a fairly cold May. Grasshoppers are starting to hatch and a rain to kill them will be crucial if we are to grow anything this year as we are in an area rated extreme for grasshoppers.

Based on local lore we should expect some rain. Hand Hills Stampede is June 4-6 and it often rains for that and fogs earlier in the year foretell of rain soon. Any other reliable signs of rain that I should watch out for?

[pandiana]

Your next rain will appear after you've cut your first hay crop, rsomer.

[k-way]

Yeah isn't that always the way? It's been a long while since that was our only real rain here (during haying).

We had just over an inch as of 5pm yesterday (in about 24 hours). It's been almost too wet to get to the rain gauge this morning since it has continued to rain. I suppose probably another 1/2 inch since then and more forecast.

I haven't seen this kind of a rainfall since we flooded in 1997. After a day and a half of steady rain and I'm still smiling. Now if only the cows would stay in the fence and not make me chase them in the rain and mud!

[grassfarmer]

We picked up about 6/10ths over the last two days - not enough but it's a start. The last day it was properly wet here was October 27th - 7 months ago! and that day it turned to snow that stayed all winter. Strange climate for someone that is used to getting 56 inches of rain a year, mostly October-May.

[kato]

We're drowning. We've been trucking cattle to pasture all week, and it's been a real mud bog. Cattle up to their bellies, wet calves, horrible pens. Stepping out of boots and falling on our faces in the mud! More than once!

We needed the rain badly, but boy, not all at once like that! A neighbour north of us recorded 4 inches in his rain guage since Friday. We had that much water in the basement this morning. The creek has more water in it than it did during the spring melt.

It'll be a while before anyone gets back on the land now, but we're not going to complain too much. We had a wet spell last spring, and then at the end of June it just quit raining, and didn't rain again until it was snow. We'll take it while we can get it.

It's just too bad there wasn't a way to average out with you guys who need the rain. Somewhere between soggy and drought would be a good place to be.

[cswilson]

I've been flooded and I've been droughted and a flood is 100 times better-this used to be wet country but not the last ten years-I can't think of how much rain it will take to recharge our watersheds-finally got a half inch first moisture since snow went.

[cowman]

cswilson: We have a very similar situation here in Central Alta. with the 10 year dry cycle. Sloughs that used to have lots of water in them just seem to shrink a bit more every year.
I don't know if this is a permanent deal or maybe we're just going through a cycle like the thirties? I remember my Dad telling me that if they'd had herbicides and fertilizer back in the thirties there wouldn't have been much of a problem.
And still no matter how dry it gets today we seem to be able to grow decent grain crops, here. In 2002 it was bad here and yet we still got 85 bu. of heavy Metcalfe barley while the hay and pastures were for the most part dismal.
A lot of people like to trot out the old Global Warming theory about this drier weather,and while I'm not too keen on that particular theory, who knows maybe they are right? I just know I sure like to see it rain, even though dry is sure nice when you are trying to do work on oil leases!

[magpie]

Currently sitting at 2 in,more on the way.Sure wish I could send some to the drier areas. Maybe those grasshopper eggs will rot.

[PureCountry]

Glad to hear some of you getting rain, even if it isn't as much as you'd like. Any rain is better than no rain. Since it started Friday night, we've gotten almost one inch, and some of the strongest wind gusts yet this year. The chains on the ceiling fan were rattling on the shade last night while we were playing cards.

One neighbour, 2 miles south, said they've only had 4 tenths, but at least it's something. Good luck all!

[cswilson]

Cowman-thats the weird thing about ths drought it's cold and dry-frost everry nite then not very warm during day-the little moisture we had kind of freezedried. No hoppers yet and finally got some rain this weekend.

[cakadu]

I agree that pastures have been dismal this past couple of years and no thanks to the grasshoppers either. Part of the reason the pastures have faired so poorly is that they have been continuously overgrazed and that does not allow for any reserves to be built up.

People practicing sustainable grazing management have had pasture reserves despite the drought conditions and the hoppers.

We need so much more rain and what we need to do is let it recharge areas that people want drained for whatever reasons. I'm not sure that we can continue to deny the effects of what we have been doing to the atmosphere and to our weather patterns. There are such strange weather phenomena everywhere that something is awry. Mother Nature has a way of reminding us just who is in charge.

We are very thankful for the rain that we have received and hope that this is not the end of it. At least things are finally starting to green up and the trees and such must be believing that the warmer weather is finally coming because most are now starting to leaf out.

Dandelions are coming on strong, no matter what the weather.

[cowman]

I wonder Linda, if the people in Manitoba, do something different than we do here? They always seem to be getting flooded out and seem to have rain to spare?
I suspect something very weird is happening with the weather...or maybe not? Maybe this is just the normal pattern? I suspect mans impact on the weather is minimal at best?
Personally I support Global Warming! I'm getting sick of a country where it is so darned cold you might get 3 months of frost free weather!
Like cswilson says it seems to be getting drier and colder, and I want to be on record, that I support wetter and hotter! So if pollution and green house gasses will help us get wetter and hotter, then I'm all for it!
As far as draining wetlands goes...I'm against it. Mostly garbage land anyway and the fact is we need to produce less food, not more!

[cow-patty]

Lots of rain here up north , oats and grass is in... Hmm do I get to go to Thailand in Jan too ? lol