118 degrees here to your North Saturday, 110 Sunday... is there an end in sight?

Here in Blanchard we have topped out the records many time this summer already and wells are going dry - how are you all doing? How are gardens holding up?

Wow!!! The worst I have experienced was 113 in Austin back around 1979 or 1980. I learned what they mean about dry heat, that 113 did not affect me as bad as upper 90s here.

We have been over 100 for 25 days in a row now - with no break in the near foreseeable future. 118 just takes the cake - worst hottest day I have ever felt. Was wondering what life was doing down South and sounds like a hot summer from what I hear but not the heat we are getting here.

Down here, in my area,..........during that stretch in June ,....we saw days of 100 plus for only a week or so....(records being broken along the way) .... but only upper 90's the rest of the time....(several nights when it was only 90 - 92 at 10PM)
Just about any forum discussing the South - Southwest area contains some discussion about the drought....(seems like it anyway)...and rightfully so...............it's been tough for the native fauna, as well as the flora,...if I had a permanent fur coat.........I'd be dug up into some river bank hole....tryin' to survive the combination of heat & humidity.........whew!

My gardens are surviving but with a lot of water and care, I hope they don't start water restrictions, we shall see.

Same here Josephine - natives, Iris, and Daylilies are the only things making it right now... and even the natives are quickly giving up. The roadsides are dead, fields are dry and local wells are gone... I have pulled everything I could in pots into the house - just cannot keep them going in pots outdoors right now until this breaks.

It's been hot and very dry. I'm just doing spot watering...my roses every couple of days, the plumies about twice a week. The grass in back is completely dead now, and the centipede weeds up front are half so. The trees aren't looking as stressed as they have been in similar situation (they haven't drooped or lost leaves yet, and the bark is still good) but they're mostly in the front/east and are sheltered from the majority of the hot afternoon.

I put out a pot full of water for the wildlife. I know the deer visit it as I'm finding poo in the driveway.

I keep several ponds and water trays out for the critters and birds - dont see them but every morning they are about dry and there are little foot prints. it is just too hot.

Yes.....we're doin' the same.....went this morning to get more birdseed to continue feeding & watering....amazing how the surrounding area transforms....when those are present in the same area. Necessities

Funny thing.....about an hour our comments about the heat....I got this from a friend and chuckled at the timing. I'm copying from the email

A TEXAS BLESSING Note: If you are not a resident of TEXAS or never have lived in the hot, humid South, you may not understand the weight of this blessing!


Bless this house, oh Lord, we cry. Please keep it cool in mid-July. Bless the walls where termites dine, While ants and roaches march in time. Bless our yard where spiders pass Fire ant castles in the grass.
Bless the garage, a home to please Carpenter beetles, ticks and fleas. Bless the love bugs, two by two, The gnats and mosquitoes that feed on you. Millions of creatures that fly or crawl, In Texas, Lord, you've put them all!! But this is home, and here we'll stay, So thank you Lord, for insect spray.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN TEXAS IN JULY WHEN. . . . The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.
The trees are whistling for the dogs.
The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance. Ditto
Hot water now comes out of both taps. (absolutely true !)
You can make sun tea instantly. ditto
You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.
The temperature drops below 95 and you feel a little chilly.
You discover that in July it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car. ( I can use 1 1/2 ! )
You discover that you can get sunburned through your car window. You actually burn your hand opening the car door.
You break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m. (Or for us, it's 5:30 and Still warm !)
Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, 'What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?'
You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.
The potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper.
Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.
The cows are giving evaporated milk.
Ah, what a place to call home. .God Bless The State of TEXAS!!!

Yep that sounds like home here too.... lol.. love the farmers feeding ice...


Yes take care of the animals and it adds something to the life of a garden. We have toads, loads of birds, hawks, vultures, and all the normal small guys from moles to coons... and they have seen cat prints in town Mt Lion or Cougar... both they claim have died out in the area but there they are bright and clear.

During droughts certain kinds of wildlife are on the move. They have to go where they can get food and water. In 2009 during the worst year of our previous drought, there was a large kind of cat struck by a vehicle on a road not too far away from us. I forget which kind, but definitely not from around here. Snakes headed to areas with watered landscapes, because there was still some prey left for them, not to mention the water itself. Our area doesn't get up to temps as high as Mitch is talking about, although some 100+ happens. We're hilly, over 1450 feet in elevation, which keeps the temps down a bit. But the rainfall this year...under 5 inches here so far this year. Trying to keep the plants alive now...some have died, but most will make it. Drought-tolerant species, especially natives, are my heroes. I have a 5-gallon bucket and 3 small containers of water outside the fence and deer feed out. Refilling twice a day when necessary...often the smaller water containers are dry when I check. The birds I've been feeding and providing water for since 2009. Hummingbirds...I have flowering plants and a feeder for them. Butterflies...also flowering plants. That's one reason I water the yard, so they'll have nectar and such. We have water restrictions in place, but I water when I can. But the drought's impact on all wildlife has been very obvious here. Population numbers of wildlife are dropping fast this summer. The few species that seem to be increasing around my place...that's just what I was talking about...they came here because there's almost no water or natural food out there and what wildlife that have survived in other nearby areas come to get what they need to survive...if they're capable of migrating.

Classic - build it and they will come.

I for one really think we have no choice but to provide water and food for those we can when we can, all feeders full around here, and natives, Iris, and Daylilys are the backbone of the gardens...

This is the hottest summer here in Blanchard in a long time - Oklahoma is in bad shape.

Austin will be getting its 29th day over 100 today.
In early June, the temps were hovering around 103-106 each day but now they are usually at 100-102. We have been spared from anything in the 110 range. We were lucky enough to get 3 inches around 3 weeks ago and that a blessing. Not counting that, I had 3.5 inches since October at my orchard.

I now have a water hookup for my orchard and thank God I got it when I did. My Jujube trees and Asian Pears even have fruit but it is sparce.

At least we are half way though with July. Two more months and the temps will start to drop. The farmers almanac says that Texas and Oklahoma will have significantly low temps for August. I hope they are right.

Well, we haven't had that much rain this year, so you're lucky!

Same here - no rain... just what I give them....

I hope the Almanac is very right, after a early and hard summer we need a long cool fall... I would take the 90s right now

Just dropping to say I am sorry you guys are having to deal with all the heat. Seems like there is no need to wish I could move this year since every one else is experiencing our extreme heat!! We hit 123 in our area a couple of weeks ago and that is really hot for us too.

Yikes... but if there is not a break I could see us reaching those heights.

Marie......I really like your theory on chocolate/aging.......................since chocolate is my designated comfort food....I can attest to the definite benefits....which surely includes slowing the aging process!

Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of the pieces