May Rain Data

Since I do "weird times" rain data, I am actually finished with the data for May. [Basically I take my reading each day between noon and 1pm when we are taking a lunch break from school, rather than midnight to midnight (although I reluctantly admit that I am awake at midnight more often than I should be and then pay for it with a slow start the next morning)].

Anyway, here's my data so far:
May - 2.1 inches
March, April, May cumulative - 12.8 inches
(I only began in March)
Average rainfall March - May for RTP - 10.3 inches
Rainfall March - May 2008 for RTP - not yet available from USGS

Tractor Woes

The tractor engine is still running after several repairs. Unfortunately the wheels just aren't moving :) ! Right now it is in my front yard with the wheel broken off and the axle propped up on a chunk of wood (I feel a redneck joke coming on here!). I am just very, very, very thankful that it broke off when my dear hubby was watching carefully and near the house. He slowed down as he saw it start to wobble and was stopped and dismounted by the time it came off. The evening before he had been in the far corner gigging until long after dark, and on a slope at that. I can only imagine what might have happened with him pinned under it. Thank you, Lord for protecting him. Today I will do my best to find a new (used) tire rim to fit so we can try to get it (safely) running again.

Ground cover - part 2

Since we still do not have ground cover planted yet D spoke with a landscaper about what to plant this late in the spring that will be good for erosion control through the hot summer. We have now decided that we will supplement the clover and centipede (yes, we decided centipede over Bermuda grass) with millet. It will come up almost immediately, is great to hold the soil in place and cheaper than most other options. We are hopeful with the Memorial Day weekend coming up we can finally get things in place to sow the seed.

Rainfall Data

April total = 6.41 inches!! Woohooo!!
March and April cummulative = 10.71 inches
Since the average annual rainfall for our area is about 43 inches, that means we have received 1/4 of our average in only two months. The drought effects will continue to be seen for years to come but for now we really need to be thankful for what we have received recently.

D is still working on clearing the stumps, smoothing bumps and hills and gullies to smooth out the farm getting it ready for ground cover planting. We are trying to determine whether to use bermuda or centipede grass along with the summer clover. So far there does not seem to be much difference between the two (we found a great website comparing warm season grass characteristics) so price may be the determining factor.

Just plodding along....

Now that the order for next fall has been placed with both of our suppliers, we are just working to get the land smoothed, cleared of as many rocks and limbs as possible, and get groundcover planted. Saturday D worked with the box blade most of the day smoothing out the rough spots and trying to spread out and work in the ashes from the burn piles so that the concentration of ash won't be too great in one spot. We have continued to get rain, although definitely not too much, so that is a real praise. I have researched ground cover and we have decided on a combination of Durana clover and bermuda grass, although the exact brand/variety of bermuda is still not firmed up. If the weather cooperates we hope to plant cover by mid-May which is the ideal time for the bermuda, although a tad later than ideal for the clover. Once the ground cover is established, we can begin laying off the rows. The deer are very thick still (we have seen two sets of twins already, along with numerous adults), so we will allow hunting when the season opens back up and will have to fence off the trees with electric fencing after we get them planted.

There seem to be but three ways for a nation to acquire wealth. The first is by war, as the Romans did, in plundering their conquered neighbors. This is robbery. The second by commerce, which is generally cheating. The third by agriculture, the only honest way, wherein man receives a real increase of the seed thrown into the ground, in a kind of continual miracle, wrought by the hand of God in his favor, as a reward for his innocent life and his virtuous industry.

-- Franklin, Benjamin

Rainfall Data

I have set up a spreadsheet to collect our rainfall data for the farm. From it I can track rainfall for each day, the monthly cumulative and (eventually) annual cumulative. I will use the spreadsheet to record when/how much/where we irrigate and can graph any of the information from there as well. Sometimes you just gotta love technology!!
Total for month of March: 4.3 inches - Praise the Lord!!
April - 2.8 inches so far - another real Praise to the Lord!