Bogieblog

Drought has Broken

For this area anyway. Northern NH still need rain.

Got another half inch of rain 7/8-7/9

Before last night's rain of at least 1.5" (still raining), the drainage area on the north side of my property still had standing water. The ditch on the south side of the house has had running water in it all week. Glad I got my yard mowed Friday night as a lot of it was still damp to wet at that point.

Went up to Concord yesterday. Half way there the A/C in the Explorer started blowing hot, extremely humid air (the humidity was my first clue since it is sky high). I had taken a shower just before leaving the house as I had mowed the neighbor's lawn and had ended up soaking wet - needed another shower by the time I got to the big city. I had the compressor replaced 3 months after I bought the truck in 2018. It's only been driven about 20k miles since then. At least half that mileage was winter driving, so the A/C hasn't been worked too much. Maybe it's just a busted line or something.

On Sunday, I was coming up the ramp and saw this funky looking bug

Measuring the label later, the thing was 1-1/8" long. I Googled black and yellow beetle, but the closest I could come was a locust borer. However, the descriptions said it had red legs and the pictures clearly show yellow legs. Also it is smaller than 1" and the head portion was all black. Another bug that was similar also had red legs, and although the head was striped, it didn't have the big black patch on its back.

I contacted the UNH Extension for an ID. They came back on Tuesday indicating it is a sugar maple borer, with the following information:

This is called a sugar maple borer (looks a lot like the locust borer, but is much larger and the pattern is different). The sugar maple borer is found throughout the northeast and usually lives in the trunks of the trees. The presence of these beeltes [sic] can be observed on the trunk of affected trees at the outset of an infestation. Galleries excavated by the young larvae can be recognized from the bark dust piles soaked with sap that are present near egg-laying sites. Another obvious sign of attack is the presence of an elongated swelling in the bark, which will eventually split open, leaving a wound.

Damage results from the larval galleries which disrupt sap flow and reduce the tree's vitality. Some branches will die after being cut off from the sap supply, and if there are many galleries, the whole tree may die. The sugar maple borer, is believed to be native to North America, and is considered the most destructive pest of maple

Pretty bug but I'm hoping it was just stopping for rest on its way somewhere else. I only have one sugar maple and it is one I planted a couple of years ago. I checked it out and it seems fine. Lots of other maples around, but everything I've read claims it is exclusive to sugar maples.

Finally, a Good Rain

It has been no secret that my area has been pretty dry since the middle of last summer. These are pictures of some storms that came thru on Wednesday, that missed my area. Sure, we got some rain off the edges, but just enough to wet the grass but not enough to move the rain gauge.

Last week I didn't even mow. But, since late Thursday night, I have seen 3" of rain. It has been a nice slow rain so it soaked in - YAY!

Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, NH broke several high temps. This weekend we have either tied or broken a couple more - low high temps in the high 50's. It has not only been rainey during that time, but darkly overcast so there has been no solar gain. I unpacked the pellet stove and it ran a couple of times yesterday and at least once so far this morning. We are supposed to get in the mid 60's today, then back up in the 90's on Tuesday.

That has been our weather this spring/summer; either 15-20 below average or 15-20 above average.

Interesting Observation from Yesterday

I was at Wally Word in Concord about noon Saturday. They didn't have a mask required sign, so I went without. I only saw 4 other people without masks. This has been the norm for the last year.

Later I went to the local Shaw's. They do have a mask requirement, so I wore one. I would venture a guess that fully half the patrons didn't have a mask on. One guy did, but it was on his neck. First time I've seen this amount of disregard for store signage happen in Hillsboro.

I wonder if that is large town dynamics (Concord) versus small town (Hillsboro) or something else at play since the Governor lifted the mandate. This isn't a debate on if masks should or shouldn't still be required, just an observation of what I saw.

River is Low

Even after gettting 1.25" of rain last week, we are still in moderate drought. That is not surprising as, according to the local news, we were only ahead of average April moisture by 1/2" (and that was in Concord, where they got more rain than I did).

Being at about a 10" deficit to start the year out, that extra extra 1/2" is just a drop in the bucket. The accumulation in the rain gauge is from all week, in which we had three days of rain.

 

Friday I had to go up to Manchester and I saw the river had finally risen:

This is sad as usually the spring rise brings a hugely rushing river with those rocks in the river are easily covered and out of sight. There is a reason the foundation wall of that apartment building is so tall - it needs it for the spring flow. Picture from spring 2014, taken while I was walking Prince, that shows pretty much the normal spring flow (a bad year will see the water even higher).

 

Had a Little Snow

Got some snow Friday. Not sure how much as the temps never got down to freezing. Very wet and heavy so it was smooshing down too. but, most likely between 6 and 8 inches.

The poor daffodils that had opened up on Thursday were driven into the ground

I was fortunate in that I had to take the car in for its state inspection. The appointment was at 7:30 and the roads were still just wet both on the way to the dealership and on the way home (I just waited for it and was home shortly after 8). It snowed so fast between 10 and noon that the road started icing up.

The last roof dump shortly after noon

This picture shows how much moisture we had gotten by 3:30.

By the time the snow at the top of the gage melted, along with the rain that followed, we had about 2" of much need moisture.

Here is the snow I still had yesterday at 11:30

It is mostly gone now except for the berms from the roof dumpage and snow shoveling of said dumpage.

Yesterday afternoon I found this poor thing on the way to the mailbox.

It was a very, very pale blue. I don't think it is a robin egg, but I'm no expert. I don't know if it came out of a nest in the rhodies (about 5-7' away), or a bird landed for an emergency egg laying. It wasn't cracked at all. After examining it, I left it there for the local wildlife to clean up.

2021 March - In Like a Lion

March 1st was extremely windy. This was a sustained wind with gust over 60 MPH that shook the house. Although the pellet stove was keeping it a nice 69* inside, the screaming wind made it sound colder. I was reading and the youngsters snuggled in around me. Luckily, and for a change, my phone was sitting on the coffee table

I was getting ready to place the phone back on the table, when Spot looked up all sleepily, and just too cute.

Still waiting for warm enough weather for melting the snow pack. I'm watching other people in NH post pictures of their tulip greens emerging and this is what I have (taken Friday morning).

Then I found this neat little map on the interwebz at WeatherStreet.

I'm at 12-14" (measured yesterday afternoon along the back pathway shown in the picture).

Although we are having highs in the 20's and low 30's, the wind is still active (not howling like on 3/1 thankfully, but still giving a wicked wind chill), We are supposed to have a couple of single digit mornings before warming up in the middle of the week. The talk is of 50* weather, maybe up to 60. I'll have to remember to install the drain pipe for the garage sump pump so it is deposited away from the house. Naturally the weather is supposed to go back downhill for next weekend.

Oh yea, almost forgot, I ordered some tomato and pepper starts, along with cuke seeds yesterday. They should be arriving in May.

Last year I bought starts from local garden stores, but that meant I had to take what was offered. By ordering from Totally Tomatoes, I was able to choose what I will get. Their selection of starts is limited (the seeds they offer are abundant), I was happy to see the Amish Paste Tomato on the list, but at least I could research the other offerings to determine the best for my needs.

February Snow Storm

This has been a fairly mild winter. Despite the 22" of snow that we got in December, most of the storms have been dustings, although we have had a couple that were 2-4". It also has been pretty mild with only a couple mornings under 0*F, with those days usually reaching in the teens for the highs.At the same time, we haven't had much sun and most days have been heavily overcast, so even on days that have reached above freezing, there hasn't been much meltage.

Groundhog day we got a decent amount of snow at around a foot of the white stuff. The first two pictures were taken at 4:30am out the bedroom bay window, and the total at that time was 8-10" (as measured by my handspan). The 3rd picture was taken at 5:20 am, after I had started snow blowing

This is after I busted out of the berm with the snow blower

I had gotten lucky and the roof on the front of the house dumped shortly before I started snow blowing and I was able to use the snow blower to remove most of it (if it has set for a while, it takes chopping up like making igloo blocks). Howeverm the back side waited to dump until that afternoon. Lucky timing with this shot, the shelf of snow dumped 5-10 minutes after taking the photo. And even luckier, it vaulted the ramp and railing. For perspective, the eave overhang is 3' wide.

The next day I took these pictures of the snow still stuck in the crabapple tree branches (despite temps in the mid 30's)

the berm beside the ramp from both shoveling and roof dumpage. The snow had drifted while falling, so I had to shovel about 6" off the entire ramp before I started snow blowing - I didn't want that snow on there when the roof dumped (not knowing, of course, that the dumpage would vault the ramp).

We've gotten a couple more inches of snow thru the week and more coming tomorrow. Yesterday I got out and cleared water routes down tom and along the back yard as it was supposed to rain after snowing for a while. But the rain didn't materialize. Despite the mild winter, we haven't had any real meltage. I even still have a decent amount of snow left from December, so places to blow the snow in the driveway area are getting scarce.

Last Pics of 2020

Yesterday morning it was raining again, but there is still snow to be had

Looking toward the shrub garden about 3:40 am while it was raining

The swamp side of the yard after the rain stopped, at about 8:30 am. I couldn't get a pic at the same time as the previous picture because that side was too dark.

Pictures taken on 12/27/2020. Spot relaxing in the warm area I left on the couch

Rainey watching Spot relaxing on the couch. Not sure why she was glaring unless she had just finished kicking her toy's azz (that pink thing is the tag to a SmartyKat Chitter Critter toy). Although in actuality, that is pretty much her Diva "resting face". As an aside - most pet toys seem to be made in China - their dog and cat toys are made in USA from recycled materials.

Hope the New Year brings nothing but good things to everyone!

Warm Temps and First Snow

December 1, 2020 was odd in that it was 60* at 3:30 in the morning. Although it did not get warmer thru the day, the temp stayed in the high 50's.

Later that morning, the news said we were the warmest place - I know it was snowing in NC and TN during that time.

However, by the next day, we were back in the 30's and 40's. Yesterday (12/5/20), we got our first measurable snow. It was a very wet, heavy snow. My place got about 4" before it started to rain (fun fact, it was snowing whilte the temps were 34-36*, then started raining when the temp lowered). The road plow went by right around when it changed to rain, so I went out to snow blow. The stuff was so heavy that I ended up dong most of the driveway berm and at the mailbox with a shovel.

Pic taken after it had been raining for an hour so a lot of the snow had dropped off and the stuff on the ground had compacted

It is amazing the amount of traffic my driveway gets that is not mine. For some reason it is a great place to turn around if you find yourself going down the wrong road after turning off 149. One would think they could take that cross road that is RIGHT FREAKING THERE not 10-15' further, and then take that next street to end up back at 149. But, no, that would be too easy for, in this case, a huge flatbed truck hauling a full size truck frame and cab (no bed) that had to do a 5 point turn.

Note that part of that turn went off the driveway. Although the driveway looks large in this picture, I assure you the paved part is just wide enough for the Explorer - so the two lane roads are more than twice as wide as my driveway.

After snapping that 1st picture - the truck drove by again, with the truck still on the bed. Then he sat at the stop sign and offloaded the truck frame (I watched it drive off). And I don't know how the driver got all confused, but he turned onto 149, then somehow came back down my street AGAIN! This time he did take that road and turned right at the next block down.

Oh, and earlier that morning, before it even started with any sort of precipitation, I noticed red flashing lights when I went into the living room from my office.

The vehicle closest to the house is a Heavy Rescue squad, and the one head-on, at the side road is a smaller rescue vehicle. I don't know what towns, but if I had to guess the smaller vehicle was from Deering and they were handing off to the Hillsborough Rescue.

There were two vehicles parked behind the Rescue Squad (no, there wasn't a wreck there). I could hear the people talking to the rescue/ambulance so I think they were giving background. The smaller vehicle left first, then the larger, then the two cars.

First Snow of the Season

With the drought, when it has been cold enough for snow, we just haven't had any moisture. Up north is a different story, they are not in extreme drought and have had several snows, whereas my area is still at least 11" behind in moisture. When there has been moisture, we have gotten warmer temps (not complaining). At the beginning of last week, I had 3 days of drizzle and rain, which finally added up to 1/2" of moisture. Then Thursday morning, the conditions allowed us to get 2" of snow. It started about 7am and by 8:30 snow had blown onto the geraniums

White breasted nuthatch sitting on the birdfeeder. To the lower right, is an Angel Wing begonia that I don't have room for in the house (I have 3 inside, so no big deal)

At 1:30:

The geraniums and Angel Wing were fine with the snow and 28 temps. However, they weren't fine with the 20* temp Friday night into Saturday morning so it is time to get those off the back porch.