June 28, 2005
Yeah, It's Pretty Dry
Ironic Moment of the Day:
I'm reading an article about the drought conditions when the song "Who'll Stop The Rain?" by CCR comes on my iTunes shuffle.
Thought of the Day:
We need some rain...bad.
Peoria county hasn't seen shit as far as rain goes, but Iowa and other states are getting some, even other parts of Illinois are doing decently. The local farmers have seen about 2 inches total since the beginning of May and only a quarter of an inch in the last three weeks. Plus, we've had about two weeks (and counting) of Above-90 degree weather and lots of sun and it's taking it's toll on everything.
Normally, if a drought is widespread enough and the crop yields are low everywhere, then the price will come up because there's less corn/soybeans/wheat/whatever to be had. However, with everyone else seeing enough (less than normal in most places but enough nonetheless) the price will stay pretty steady. A low yield and averagely low prices equals huge problems for a farmer.
The dry weather has already cost farmers some money because the herbicides they sprayed in the first part of June aren't working because we haven't had enough rain to fully activate them and get them into the plants. Also, when the crops were planted back in April, they almost all had to be replanted because of the cold, dry weather. In addition to that, with the dry weather, the grass in the ditches and waterways is dying since it's all been cut within the last month. This is causing insects like spider mites who usually live there to move into fields.
This has not been a very good growing season thus far. The only half-way good thing to come of the lack of rain is that the grass in the ditches I'm mowing is dying fast with no rain and no shade on the ground so it won't need attention for a while.
In other news, I started reading The Divine Comedy and it looks like it's going to be the most difficult book (I know I know, it's actually an epic poem but I call it a book) I've yet read. The last book I read, The Catcher in the Rye was pretty good. I don't think it belongs on any banned book lists but the world's a strange place.