January 11, 2019

Weather Permitting

Gosh, but we've had a lot of rain: 6.3 inches in October, 8 inches in November, 11.3 inches in December, and 2.6 inches so far this month. And that doesn't include our 3 inches of snow! With everything so wet and muddy, most of my outdoor plans have had little progress. I planned to transplant my comfrey, horesradish plants, and rugosa roses, also rescue my asparagus. Another thing I planned to do was to dig more hugelkultur swale beds in the garden. Only one has been dug and partially filled so far, but the rain keeps it flooded.

Hugelkulture swale bed in halted progress

At least it's holding water like a swale should! We've had so much rain that the ground is soft and squishy everywhere.

Even walking to the barn from the house is a chore unless you're a duck.

Dan stopped hauling up lumber for the carport for a while, because the tractor was starting to make ruts in the pasture.


If they get too deep they'll be set like concrete when they dry! In the woods, the ground is so soft that pine trees are uprooting

Root end of a tall pine.

and knocking down more of our fences!

Top end and another smashed fence.

So all this rain is not only holding up work but creating more work. On the other hand, I've had plenty of time to defrost several gallons of frozen figs and make jam. Also, study seed catalogs and start making my selections.


Goals and plans - we can make them but the weather controls their progress! Happily, we've been in a warmer sunny pattern for about a week. That's helped although more rain and snow are predicted for the weekend.

How Meowy spends her rainy days.

So how has your weather been treating you? Is it cooperating with your plans or causing you to take some detours?

Weather Permitting © January 2019 by

26 comments:

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Our weather have had frigid weather. Too cold to work on the truck. Hopefully, this weekend Hubby can fix it.

Cockeyed Jo said...

Like you, we're drowning. Now it's sunny and cold! This weekend, it's suppose to rain again. We've got all that tree mulch to distribute too!

Seeking Serenity said...

Hello Meowy ((hug)) I love to see you inside all comfy <3
ugh mud!!
here it is finally january cold in the 20F day to teens at night.
no snow yet though.

Mama Pea said...

Oh, for sure, it's certain the weather does dictate which projects can be worked on! For us, of course, this time of year it's the snowfall that hampers our plans for anything out of doors. It's remarkable how long it takes to clear snow away from critical areas. We want to spend as much time as we can this winter working up wood as a back-up heating fuel supply, but now the 8' lengths of wood are covered with so much snow the task is made more difficult. I'm sure your unusual amount of rain works against you in the same way. Good time of year to concentrate on those indoors tasks that seem impossible to get to other times of the year. I have both strawberry and blueberry jam and haskap berry syrup to make now. I could always deep clean, too. Nah. ;o)

Nancy In Boise said...

We had my old stretch here and dry I'm hoping for some more snow and rain in the next month. Yes nature really does control things but your cat looks very happy!

Ed said...

Ah, life on the farm where the weather frequently holds you hostage. I know that feeling.

Leigh said...

Kristina, I'm no fan of cold! Hard time to have to work on a vehicle!

Jo, we can't win! But then, I don't know what the prize would be if we did, LOL. I'm thankful we've had a few days of mild sunshine. Not looking forward to more rain and cold.

Seeking Serenity, that's too cold! But I know it's coming. We should all follow my Meowy's example. :)

Mama Pea, deep cleaning!!!????!!! What a horrible thought! LOL

Nancy, Meowy is my main outdoor cat. She usually hates being inside, so if she's content to settle down and take a nap, you know the outside weather is serious!

Ed, it does indeed! Although I have to admit that sometimes it's nice to have an excuse for a change of pace. :)

Debbie - Mountain Mama said...

It's absolutely frigid on the mountain top today, with real feel temps well below zero....brrrr!!!

Sandy Livesay said...

Leigh,

We're in the same boat (ARK) as you are Leigh. This rain just keeps coming and there's no place for it to go. Trees are falling, ponds are too high, and there's mud everywhere. You really can't do anything outside substantial with this weather. Stay warm, and dry!!!
I say, make your seed list, and start ordering :-)

Woolly Bits said...

we've had astonishing little rain these past few weeks, though it feels like constant bad weather! it's been grey and humid, bits of drizzle, but quite mild. we've had several days/nights now, where we didn't have any difference in day and night temperatures, very odd:( and no wind - for at least 3 weeks now! in contrast to that Bavaria/Austria are snowed in totally - with 1 m in 24 hours:( and one storm follows the next there - the weather is weird everywhere, or so it seems:( all in all I think we've been lucky so far... but it's too early for me to do anything much in the garden! there might be a very cold spell coming at the end of january, so I'll keep everything on hold until then... armchair gardening for another while:)

Powell River Books said...

Clouds, rain, snow, rain, clouds, clouds, rain, promises for sun "next week." Does that give you an idea? - Margy

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Rainy, cold, few snow flurries. Meowy has the right idea! Nancy

Leigh said...

Debbie, it seems like mountain tops are the coldest in winter!

Sandy, seed catalogs are a good way to pass the time! It's hard to be patient when there's so much to do. I'm sorry you're losing trees too. Stay safe!

Bettina, that is unusual for you! Is February usually mild for you? I usually have to wait until at least March to start planting.

Leigh said...

Margy, sounds miserable! I hope you have lots of indoor projects!

Nancy, poor Meowy is fit to be tied sometimes. It's good she's figured out how to pass her indoor time. :)

Woolly Bits said...

Leigh - our spring weather differes wildly from year to year! I remember some of my son's birthdays mid-february, where they were playing outside in shorts and t-shirts. and we've had the same days, where it was freezing cold, even snowy! last year we had practically no spring - it was cold until april and from may onwards we had a very long, extremely dry and warm spell... anything goes apparently - I can't predict our weather at all anymore. it was always a bit changeable, but nothing like what we're experiencing now:(

Toirdhealbheach Beucail said...

Leigh, we have been up to almost 80 F and down to 28 F at night. We have had rain and heavy wind. Last night it rained all night; today it is completely sunny but windy. We have really been working on indoor activities at this point - cleaning (the garage was a big one), organizing, and starting to go through things inside for removal.

For what it is worth, in Highland Games - unless there is lightning - we throw. It is all okay except for heavy rain - I hate throwing in rain.

Chris said...

In the Northern hemisphere, at least in our parts, it should be our rainy season. But we've had very little. Our gully normally floods at least 3 times by now, but it hasn't flooded once. Any rain which does fall, gets sucked right into the dry ground. One saving grace we've had this year however, is a cooler summer. By at least 5-10 degrees Celsius. Which is nice.

What's holding me up at present, is family commitments. School holidays for the kids, and then possibly a small holiday for me shortly afterwards, catching up with a long-lost relative. Not sure if that's going to happen yet, but I still have to plan for it. ;)

Donna OShaughnessy said...

Last weekend near 60 and this am SNOW. Lots and lots of SNOW! The rain got us down, chores were a major pain but now we have high drifts and lots of wind. You would think it was winter in Illinois or something! But today we did get major planning done and that felt great. And we also have great hügelkultur plans for this summer. We're very excited about that.

Leigh said...

Bettina, that sounds like Christmases I remember in Houston, Texas! The weather is definitely crazy nowadays.

TB, not that is crazy. I suppose wild swings are okay if they bring some relief from the cold. Not too sure I'd be a very good participant in the Highland Games!

Chris, those cooler temps are a lovely difference from what you usually get! But the rainfall shortage might become worrisome. Hopefully, your soil isn't drying out so quickly. Very nice that you found a long-lost relative! I hope your meeting up works out.

Donna, I used to think I missed northern winters, but the older I get the less tolerant of cold I am! It is a good time to plan, though, you're right about that. Looking forward to hearing about your hugelkultur projects!

Share my Garden said...

Cold and very windy here today, I'm with Meowy and think that it's best just to curl up indoors! There is lots that I would like to be doing in the garden, clearing and preparing for the planting season ahead, but it's all on hold for now.

Leigh said...

Share my Garden, welcome and thank you for your comment. Cold and wind are certainly good reasons to stay indoors!

wyomingheart said...

Sorry about that ole Mother Nature surprise, but you know it gives one a chance to move to yet another project that needs tending to.
I just love the cozy spot that Meowy has to cuddle in. She seems quite content!

Toirdhealbheach Beucail said...

Leigh, what catalogs do you use? My previous main provider of seeds is now out of business.

Leigh said...

Wyomingheart, she's just pretending, LOL. She loves being outdoors and can get pretty impatient and grumpy if it rains too many days in a row. :)

TB, the two seed companies I like best are Baker Creek Heritage Seeds (www.rareseeds.com) and Sow True Seed (sowtrueseed.com. All open pollinated, good prices, and good service.

Toirdhealbheach Beucail said...

Thank you Leigh! I have bookmarked both.

M.K. said...

Oh, man, you are "singing our song," as they say! Our excess rains seemed to start last summer. We planned to put in a winter garden, but Hurricane Florence ruined that idea for sure. We'e also had heavy rains all this fall, and the ground has just been squishy, even after several sunny days. We are quite low to sea level here. Not easy farming!