We had best part of an inch of hail in the Ross on Wye area on Friday lunch time. It fell in about four minutes. I thought my Shogun would get planished but it was OK.

 We are getting dry again.  For all the blowing and such we had last Saturday, we managed only a half inch for the week.  For Thursday night we had a 70% chance of rain forecast all day, that suddenly went to 0% about 9pm.  90 day is for normal rain, I hope they are right.

looks like more rain through the week. the jet stream will have to move before it warms up and dry`s up

henarar:

jet stream will have to move before it warms up and dry`s up

Well I hope it hurries up !

kf, We have had only 3mm (say one-eighth of an inch) more this year than you had in just a week. Add to that the 3mm we had in the last 6 weeks of 2011, and you can guess that things are fairly dry.

   Old Mac, Do you have to measure soil moisture deficits and the depth of the deficit? I just thought that in your country that might be a measurement that is of great importance. But I am on new territory for myself here. It would be interesting to hear if this issue is recorded, and if there is any action taken in respect of soil moisture. For example, does it affect sowing times? I know it is an important measurement in irrigation but I take it that you are doing a lot without irrigation. Also I think some of your crops are perennials.

welshnwilling:

I hope it hurries up

So do I talk about drought wet cold and misrable here smorning winter is back, cows are well impresed,I am glad we havent let any of the little ones out yet. And it was nice to get back in by the rayburn.

 This must be the wettest drought on record, since it was announced here last week it has rained every day, and not just a little bit, milkers stuck in, with little chance of turnout this week.  In hindsight they should have gone out 10 days ago, but there was very little grass about for them, and they would still have been back in today, but at least the grass wouldn't have got away from them like it is now.  Nothing like hindsight is there.  At least we have 600 bales left from last year, so they won't go hungry.

Not bad here today but we've had a lot of very nasty showers over the last few days and it's been very cold. I don't think the grass has grown much in the last two weeks. We need warm weather now please.

welshnwilling:

We need warm weather now please.

In the past and in a attempt (usually futile and costly) politicians have appointed a Minister for whatever it is that is worrying the public at the time. How about a Minister of State for 'The Cold.'

His job will be to persuade the public that warm weather is on the way providing they pay their special 'cold' taxes on time.

AllyR, Nothing so sophisticated. The whole property is capable of being irrigated, but pumping power is limited so I can only do so much at a time. The place was about half covered via underground mains and when we planted the first new olives (299) we put in more underground lines plus drip irrigation for them and above-ground take-offs for spray irrigation.

I rely mainly on the river to top-up a shallow well that has a 10hp 3 phase pump connected to most of the mains - the smaller pump on the river connects to the latest planting of 180 olives and I crop between these in summer because I use spray irrigation. The drip area can only be winter cropped or something drought tolerant like cowpeas in summer, and that is what I usually put in, with some pumpkins, melons etc between the trees along the drip line.

I also have a 70m deep borehole and after a couple odf trials will be putting in an air lift pump because I know the river is unlikely to keep flowing this summer. 

AllyR, Sorry I did not answer your question about sowing times. My wife annoucned that dinner was ready earlier than I expected.

Unfortunately because of the consistent high 30sC temperatures throught the summer months, it is essential to get crops away before they begin to take effect, so if there is no rain prior to normal sowing times of summer crops some pre-sowing irrigation is required. I watch my elderly neighbour and his wife straight across the river and they carry buckets from their well if needed for a small patch or the wheelbarrow mounted irrigaton pump is switched on for a little while. I assume other people do the same.

bovril:

Is this officially the wettest drought on record yet?!!

 

Here ?   YES!

This drought is wet here smorning they think we will get an inch and a half of drought today

henarar:

This drought is wet here. This morning they think we will get an inch and a half of drought today

I wish I had thought of this line.

I did however get an email today with the following message: 

I hear England is officially in drought, let's see how many Africans start sending us £2 per month.

Possibly a little harsh but it did make me smile.

There's an old saying "More rain, more rest". I wish it were true.

Peter Wells:

This morning

smorning a bit of zumerzet "ish" there how dad use to say it anyway

I dont think we will get far with the African money but like you say

welshnwilling:

More rain, more rest

More rain more getting wet I think

R A I N!!!!!!!!!!

13mm to record this morning and there has been a steady drizzle since mid-afternoon. The drought (although it was not really a proper drought like in Australia and the US) is over in the South West - of Europe that is. Whether there will be enough to keep the smaller rivers flowing through the summer I do not know, but it is looking promising, and my well is almost up to overflow, with the borehole at about 6 feet below full. Its max is about 3 feet below, so there is still underground water. The roadside drinking water springs have all been running in this area right through the dry spell.

I note that the "authorities" in Britain are saying that the drought is not over. What a load of nonsense and totally inaccurate. You cannot logically have rain and a drought. No doubt there is still low water storage, but that is not the same as being in a drought. There never was a drought anyway, just less rain than normal.

Old Mac, Thankyou for the answers to my queries and the information you put on these last posts. It is good to hear how things are in areas so different from my own. 

    Just for the records, we have now had about 80mm of rain this month! I was very lucky and managed to get my wheat sprayed, without the spray getting washed off, on Monday but I did have to leave it for four hours when it rained at lunchtime.

Good that you have a wet drought to old mac

the ground is getting  wet here now I blame the drought myself

Old Mac, I have just read your posts again - even more interesting the second time. How many years do the Olive Bushes(?) get harvested before they are replaced? Is "virgin" oil from the first grapes of the season or the first grapes of a new planting? Or is it something else?

EDIT...........Sorry, I mean "Olives" and not grapes! 

AllyR, Will come back to you tomorrow.

I decided I must post this. I was on my way to bed and remembered I had left the computer on because I was posting on another thread when dinner was ready and did not log out. Anyway, on the bedroom floor was a frog. I would say that was a sign that things were about to get wetter as we are about 50' above the river. It is currently pisitivley possing down.

old mcdonald:

It is currently pisitivley possing down

I really enjoyed two good lines in this thread so far. The one above and the one from, was it henarer?  " We had two inches of drought this morning."

Incidentally, I too would enjoyed knowing the meaning of the terms Virgin Olive Oil, Extra Virgin. Cold Press. First Press etc.

And you view of the 'best' quality which may not be the same as 'best value.'

Looking at the forcast the wet drought is set to go on for some time

 It could end up a late and wet start to the grass job

Still good job I taped that barrel it gives me something to wash the dust out me thoat