I'm so glad to hear that some of you needing rain finally got some. They predicted where I live to have 40-50% chance from noon until 11 p.m. tonight, and we got nothing, not even a sprinkle.
Yes, Colleen, I think most of the counties in IL are drought, and will get government relief from the corn crops. And, if things don't change soon, the soybeans will be empty pods, too. Farmers around me are mowing down their corn. The farmer neighbor said that they can't chop it for silage for cows if it's regular corn, because it has too much nitrates or something like that, and will kill the cows! Not sure I quoted him correctly, but something like that. IF the farmers had insurance, the government will pay them 70% of their corn base (average corn yield for a certain number of recent years) and they can mow it down. One farmer was literally driving over the corn to knock it down, as the ground is too dry to get a disc in the soil at all. He left enough rows for the insurance man to inspect for payment.
I'm very thankful my tiller was not running this spring, and I didn't plant a garden besides tomato and pepper plants. That's enough to water. Can't imagine my water bill for just my ponds and landscaping that I'm watering daily. If I was paying for the water, it would all be dead.
St. Louis, Missouri is saying if we keep in the 90's for highs for 3 more days they will break a very old record for the most days in a row of 90 degree temps. Was over 100 today, 92 and 93 for Fri and Sat., and then back up to mid 90's on Sunday and onward. Wondering if it's going to end soon, or take us all the way through August. :-(
