Juliancolton

The contractor thinks it's an easy job after a first look and could be done for under $5k without draining the pond. The pond construction specialist had to reschedule so still waiting on that opinion, though I suspect he'll tell a slightly more elaborate story. Another bone-dry day here as other areas get drenched.

I figure we're about five, maybe six weeks out from stressed maples flashing their first color. Let's goooo.

Same. We got robbed (edit: or Rob'd...)

0.71" here. Not a drought-buster by any means but hopefully a good first step toward getting back on track

It's mostly seeping underneath I think. Nonetheless, the water is back up about 2" this morning after I just absolutely loaded it up with with clay and rocks, so at least the fish genocide seems to be averted for now. Getting some quotes this weekend on having it done the right way. It's all good. There are a lot of folks who have much bigger problems than leaky bass ponds and nettlesome swimming pools. If those are my big sorrows for 2020, I'll be in a pretty good spot.

So today on the farmstead: 1) Pool level is below the return valves and the pump, either coincidentally or as a result, appears to have burned out overnight 2) Well is barely replenishing and will probably run dry in a week at the current rate of usage 3) Dam is completely gone and my jury-rigged plywood and cinder block coffer is still leaking more water than the inflow (now a trickle) can replace @rclab's postage stamp sounds more and more appealing with each passing day...

The Hudson Highlands are just about due for their semi-annual conflagration...

Drought cancel

The most fleeting and tenuous spritz of drizzle imaginable.

Looking for my first drop of rain in 13 days tonight.

It's wild. We're going to need to call USNS Comfort back just to sew everybody's fingers back on after the 4th.

The lawn has seen better days...

AGW remains the dominant long-term threat to our way of life. The COVID fallout will be either totally mitigated or totally normalized – likely the latter – inside of a few years.

91/70

I gave up eating strawberries because they suck. One out of every 10 is worth eating, and that's on a good day. Simply pointless.

Nah, I just grow veggies and let them rot in the field for fun. I follow the warning labels, apply well before the minimum number of days before harvest, and so on. Carbaryl is potent stuff but generally pretty safe as long as you don't handle it for a living.

The Milky Way tonight is the brightest I've seen it in a few years up here. Some good detail in the central dust lanes even with the unaided eye. Inversion refracting some of NYC's light pollution back down?

I have to use a buttload of pesticides against cucumber beetles and SVBs, so pollinators never come anywhere near my garden. Always have to pollinate cucurbits by hand, but just not getting any male blossoms so far on the summer squash. Yesterday's ovaries are still shiny and I'm wondering if this seed stock has some parthenocarpic traits? That'd be cool. Otherwise I'd have to assume the cool nights are just doing something funky to the plants' hormones. I'm sure you probably know this and just want to be extra safe, but tomato & peppers have perfect flowers and generally don't need any help with pollination. They're good to go with even a little bit of wind.

We're on pace for about 50 top-ten days this summer.

I have eight female zucchini blossoms open this morning and no males to pollinate them with. Truly, a tragedy befitting 2020.

A PWS up the road from me at a little lower elevation notched a 37. Pretty remarkable for the date.

39F here. My only regret is that I had but one window fan to pump that stuff into my bedroom.

Intolerable out here. If the sun comes out it'll just be death.

I'm sure the aquifer is still running fine i(u?)mby but I'll never know. Ye olde 8-foot pit FTL.

As is tradition. I've run it dry three out of the last three years and I've finally learned my lesson. No real help from Cristobal it appears.