Nature's Happenings

[xnavyct]

Originally Posted by Wazmankg

My grass is growing way too fast... and I refuse to mow it more than once a week.

Just gave mine its weekly mow, Waz....

[JimSomebody]

Saw a Baltimore oriole on the golf course today. Mrs Somebody saw one in our garden yesterday. Really a pretty bird.

[Bigvivec]

Pretty grumpy down here...rainy season should have finished a month and a half ago, and by this time of year the fairways and greens have normally dried out to summer speed, drastically changing the way the courses are played...hasn't happened and we are still getting big downpours... I like playing in both seasons, but am ready for a change by the time the six month seasonal period is over...plus I miss rolling my hybrid 240 off the tee!!! (Fairways like landing strips!)

[stlcard_25]

Originally Posted by JimSomebody

Saw a Baltimore oriole on the golf course today. Mrs Somebody saw one in our garden yesterday. Really a pretty bird.

One of my favorites. Sadly, I spotted a scarlet tanager squashed on the side of the road yesterday on my travels. I hardly ever get to see them but they're one of my favorites, too.

[JimSomebody]

Saw a hawk swoop in and take a chipmunk under our deck this morning. We have birdfeeders on the deck; chippies come to clean up the spillage. Lots of trees in our backyard give the hawks who visit good cover. Poor chippie never saw the hawk at all, I'm sure. Hawks gotta eat, too. I joke to Mrs Somebody that we're turning birdseed into hawk feathers.

Small hawk. Sharp-shinned or broad-winged. Not sure. Most of the time (it seems) the hawks get spotted. Chippies and squirrels start barking the alarm. Blue jays will go after the hawks and chase them from our property. Anyway, one for the hawks today.

[halk]

One of the worst droughts in years here in Alabama in the county where I live they have issued a I think this is correct "D4" water warning form my understanding this is the worst warning that can be issued. In the Birmingham, Alabama water distribution area no lawn water is allowed no washing of car etc. and if you go over 7,000 gallons month usage then you are charged a surcharge of 200%. In the "D4" area no car washes at service stations, filling of swimming pools, outside water use etc restrict in home use, heavy fines for violations.

[xnavyct]

No water restrictions yet here, but we are in need of rain like most everyone else. Today its been pretty hot, 92 or so, and WINDY - I've got a lot of sticks and small branches down in the yard.

[Wazmankg]

We have a pond, stream and bog with a little waterfall in our backyard with a couple dozen fish. Ducks occasionally pay it a visit. We live within a couple hundred yards of a creek and swampy area. Well this year mama duck decided to lay her eggs under the bushes above the upper bog. She's been nesting there for 2 weeks now. My wife got too close and mama duck chased her all around the yard. lol I wish I had that on tape. My dog got too close and she ran him off too. I think they've come to terms with each other now. Does anyone know how long it takes for duck eggs to hatch and what will she do with them after they hatch ? Hopefully she lead them out of our yard. I don't think my dog is going to get along with a family of baby ducklings.

[Badbub45]

Yesterday we had a huge storm roll through, and I mean huge. The wind was really bad. We were under tornado warnings for a couple of hours. A huge tree in our backyard fell onto our house. Today has been beautiful though.

[halk]

Originally Posted by Wazmankg

We have a pond, stream and bog with a little waterfall in our backyard with a couple dozen fish. Ducks occasionally pay it a visit. We live within a couple hundred yards of a creek and swampy area. Well this year mama duck decided to lay her eggs under the bushes above the upper bog. She's been nesting there for 2 weeks now. My wife got too close and mama duck chased her all around the yard. lol I wish I had that on tape. My dog got too close and she ran him off too. I think they've come to terms with each other now. Does anyone know how long it takes for duck eggs to hatch and what will she do with them after they hatch ? Hopefully she lead them out of our yard. I don't think my dog is going to get along with a family of baby ducklings.

28 days from the day she starts to sit the eggs any eggs that do not hatch after 35 days are not going to hatch. She will keep them in and around were they hatched until they can fly off or something kills them. The hen may be back again next year or one of the hatching's may return to nest in the same place.

[Wazmankg]

Originally Posted by halk

28 days from the day she starts to sit the eggs any eggs that do not hatch after 35 days are not going to hatch. She will keep them in and around were they hatched until they can fly off or something kills them. The hen may be back again next year or one of the hatching's may return to nest in the same place.

Thanks Halk.

[Wazmankg]

Originally Posted by Wazmankg

We have a pond, stream and bog with a little waterfall in our backyard with a couple dozen fish. Ducks occasionally pay it a visit. We live within a couple hundred yards of a creek and swampy area. Well this year mama duck decided to lay her eggs under the bushes above the upper bog. She's been nesting there for 2 weeks now. My wife got too close and mama duck chased her all around the yard. lol I wish I had that on tape. My dog got too close and she ran him off too. I think they've come to terms with each other now. Does anyone know how long it takes for duck eggs to hatch and what will she do with them after they hatch ? Hopefully she lead them out of our yard. I don't think my dog is going to get along with a family of baby ducklings.

Well, this morning there are 8 baby ducklings swimming around with mama duck in our pond. The funny thing is that I was awakened to the sound of my wife bustling around laying out her clothes and cleaning up our bedroom at 6:00am. She doesn't have to be to work until 9 and rarely gets up before 7:30. I jokingly asked her why she was up so early.. "you're not going to have a baby are you ?".. maybe she was channeling mama duck. Hopefully they will seek safer digs soon, because that's my dog's backyard and while he made his peace with mama duck I don't think he's going to tolerate 8 kids.

[JimSomebody]

We're seeing lotsa Painted Lady butterflies in our yard. Beautiful things.

[savgolfjunkie]

Summer is here....97 degrees forcast both days this weekend....and the drought continues....

[JimSomebody]

Saw about a dozen large Canada goose feathers near a water hazard on the course today. Think a fox had a good meal.

[stlcard_25]

Originally Posted by JimSomebody

Saw about a dozen large Canada goose feathers near a water hazard on the course today. Think a fox had a good meal.

More foxes would equal a better time for you on the course. Over a few year stretch at my course, we had a group of foxes, coyotes and raccoons living out in various places on the course. Unfortunately, the mothers had disappeared and all ended up leaving the area or expiring in the end.

[stlcard_25]

We brush hogged our field this weekend, which makes it easier for birds to fly around and pick up the various insects buzzing and hopping around. We were rewarded yesterday when 7 turkeys came walking through in search of a meal. The cool thing is that all 7 were gobblers...4 jakes and 3 big toms. It'd sure be nice to see those ones again later this fall.

[JimSomebody]

The oak tree next to our driveway is putting out acorns, which the squirrels and chipmunks are frantically harvesting.

Need rain bad. Tough year for local farmers.

[xnavyct]

I haven't mowed the yard in about a month now - too dry, grass isn't growing anyway. It's really hot here lately too - 96 today, although we get to wear shorts to work

[atm_73]

About the same as Xnavy, high 90's every day, grass is crunchy when you walk on it, and we get that great 20% chance of Isolated thunderstorms nearly everyday. Oh, and humidity is at least 225% Oh well, we'll get a break when Novemember gets here.

[stlcard_25]

The grass is still growing here, thanks to some rain in the past couple weeks. It has been pretty hot out though...90s the last two days, although relief is coming, I hear.

[savgolfjunkie]

Low pressure systems that don't develop into damaging tropical systems in the Gulf of Mexico.....I love 'em!!!! We are, and have been since yesterday evening, getting a bunch of rain but nothing that is so hard that it is causing major flooding. From the looks of the radar, SE Ga. is in for a much needed rainy day!!

[Badbub45]

Im lucky if I don't have to mow twice a week. If I don't mow it at least once a week, it gets like 5-6 inches high.

[Wazmankg]

We've been getting some pretty good rain off & on the past few days after weeks of lovely drought when the grass quit growing and I was getting an extra 20-30 yards on my drives. Well the grass has started growing again and I'll probably be back to my usual 230 yarders off the tee.

[savgolfjunkie]

another day near 100 with heat index of around 115....but thanks to an early evening t'storm it is now 79 degrees with rain falling Last night at 10:15, the heat index was still 104....Can't wait for a break in the heat!!!

[xnavyct]

OK I haven't mowed my yard for six weeks now. Grass (I think thats what it is) is tan, and crunches a little when you walk on it. We've been over 90 for a couple of weeks straight now like a lot of other places - a couple of days last week the digital readout in the family truckster was at 98. No rain to speak of.

Here's Morse Reservoir, just north of Indy:



Are the water levels getting this low everywhere else?

[Wazmankg]

Originally Posted by xnavyct

Are the water levels getting this low everywhere else?

We've been getting decent rain here every couple of days for the past 2 weeks after a long dry spell. My lawn is back as strong as ever but I turned the mowing over to my son. Great Lake water levels are down some. It affecting those near the shallower areas (duh) mostly.

[halk]

We here in Alabama are ending the week with record breaking temps, this week has been over 100º just about every day of this week with some days hitting the 105º mark. Those are not heat indexes they are the actual temp heat indexes have been in the range of 110º-118º. I though I would never say this but it has been to hot to golf around here. Tomorrow an well into next week temps are going to be the same with a cool down to around 95º on Thursday of next week.

[Badbub45]

Originally Posted by halk

We here in Alabama are ending the week with record breaking temps, this week has been over 100º just about every day of this week with some days hitting the 105º mark. Those are not heat indexes they are the actual temp heat indexes have been in the range of 110º-118º. I though I would never say this but it has been to hot to golf around here. Tomorrow an well into next week temps are going to be the same with a cool down to around 95º on Thursday of next week.

Shoot, it has been to hot golf anywhere. Yet I still go to the range after working outside all day.

[JimSomebody]

Monarch butterfly (black and orange) in the garden yesterday. Could be the first of many. They start showing up in bigger numbers in August, doing their annual migration south. If you're a butterfly and you've got to get to Mexico for the winter, you better leave Minnesota in plenty of time!

[halk]

Today if it makes it past 100ºF will tie a record for the State of Alabama for 8 consecutive days over 100º. The temp predicted for today is 103º, tomorrow through Friday is predicated to be above 102 all three days.

[xnavyct]

Originally Posted by halk

Today if it makes it past 100ºF will tie a record for the State of Alabama for 8 consecutive days over 100º. The temp predicted for today is 103º, tomorrow through Friday is predicated to be above 102 all three days.

We haven't been 'quite' that hot, but we've been over 90 for 14 days in a row, the longest streak since 1983...

[chollyred]

We're stuck in the same heatwave as Halk. I don't remember the last time we had rain. My grass is crunchy. At least I don't have to cut it. Last night I was out in the yard for a few minutes trying to dig up some Hosta that my wife wants to save. The ground is like concrete. I had to soak around each plant before I could get a shovel in. The dirt under each plant was powder dry.

I can't play golf in this heat. It'd kill me.

[atm_73]

Originally Posted by xnavyct

but we've been over 90 for 14 days in a row, the longest streak since 1983...

Ok, your quote wasn't that funny, the heat is just getting to me

We've had that same wonderful heat as Halk - I'd kill for some mid-90's right now. We've had no rain, so the sprinklers are going full blast to little avail. I'm supposed to shingle my new shop sometime between Thursday and Saturday, but I'm afraid! Curse all of you Yankees who were praying and pleading for summer this past winter! - It's here!

[Brooke]

Talk about a heat wave we've been having here! Over the weekend I got sent to the store by my parents to pick up some supplies at Lowes. When I got in the car, it showed the exterior temperature to be 125 degrees! Once the car started moving and the temperature started to drop, it froze itself at 107 degrees and didn't get any cooler. Yesterday, on my way home, the temperature reported by the radio was 105 degrees and the heat index was a whopping 120 degrees! It has been miserable and these types of temperatures are to continue until Thursday when the forcast puts the temperature at 95 degrees and then to top it off over 1000 people in the area lost power Saturday and didn't get their power turned back on until late last night! While I normally hate being an entergy customer, I'm glad that we were because it was Demco customers that lost power for 3 days.

[Leaguegolf]

Originally Posted by Brooke

Talk about a heat wave we've been having here! Over the weekend I got sent to the store by my parents to pick up some supplies at Lowes. When I got in the car, it showed the exterior temperature to be 125 degrees! Once the car started moving and the temperature started to drop, it froze itself at 107 degrees and didn't get any cooler. Yesterday, on my way home, the temperature reported by the radio was 105 degrees and the heat index was a whopping 120 degrees! It has been miserable and these types of temperatures are to continue until Thursday when the forcast puts the temperature at 95 degrees and then to top it off over 1000 people in the area lost power Saturday and didn't get their power turned back on until late last night! While I normally hate being an entergy customer, I'm glad that we were because it was Demco customers that lost power for 3 days.

I'll trade you your August 105 temps with 120 heat index readings for my January -10 temps with -25 wind chills.

[Brooke]

Originally Posted by Leaguegolf

I'll trade you your August 105 temps with 120 heat index readings for my January -10 temps with -25 wind chills.

That's a hard call, because at least in the cold you can pile on clothes and bundle up until you're warm. In the summer you can only pull off so much until you are naked and still sweating your rear off!

[savgolfjunkie]

We've actually cooled off the last 3 days. Some storms in the afternoon Saturday sent the temps from 100 to 79....and a light rain persisted allowing us to eat pizza at our fav. downtown open air restaurant.

Now the iffy news...TS Dean is lurking. Yeah, sure...it's 600 mi. East of the Windwards, but.... 5 day projected path puts it in the area where we start to watch more than we would like to.

[savgolfjunkie]

Originally Posted by Brooke

That's a hard call, because at least in the cold you can pile on clothes and bundle up until you're warm. In the summer you can only pull off so much until you are naked and still sweating your rear off!

I left Indiana 18 years ago for one reason....Bitter cold is for penguins. 9 layers of clothes keeps you warm, but you can't move. And the urge to hit the bathroom needs to be heeded early as it takes 5 minutes to get bathroom-ready. Give me 105 degrees....you can still do anything you want outside, you just have to hydrate and take breaks....works well for golf....first hole, beer....second hole, another beer...etc....take a break at the turn, and repeat the beer hydration as often as is needed! (just kidding...2 beers on the course has been my max)....After leaving Indiana, you will hear me say, "it's hot"...but that is a statement, NOT a complaint. I can take any heat after years of suffering in the Midwest!

[Leaguegolf]

Originally Posted by Brooke

That's a hard call, because at least in the cold you can pile on clothes and bundle up until you're warm. In the summer you can only pull off so much until you are naked and still sweating your rear off!

That's why we have furnaces and you have air conditioning. I've experienced both extremes and all in all.......I'd rather be naked.