Friday, July 15, 2011

Weather Or Not?

 Storm clouds gathering over the farm at sunset.

Since we have transplanted ourselves from the high dessert of New Mexico to the lush green valleys of Northeast Missouri, we have had several weather experiences.  From nights spent in the basement for fear of tornado's, to days so hot (110 heat index) that all you want to do is lay rather unlady-like in the kiddie pool.

Just this Tuesday all 8 children and myself were in Wal-Mart, my least favorite place to be, when the employees began rounding us up shouting, "Get to the Back Wall, Quickly---Tornado Warning!!"  If that doesn't put a damper on your shopping trip I don't know what would!  I just kept thinking, I hate Wal-mart what am I doing here?  The last thing I want to do is pick my way out of a bunch of imported from China junk!  But it was just a warning and after about 20 minutes they said it was "all clear" and we could continue our shopping.   We promptly went home.

We have no electricity so of course no AC, my but does it get hot here!  Last summer we turned off our AC and lived au natural, it wasn't too bad.  The thing is in NM it may be 95 during the day but it cools down to a nice 55 or so at night.  It doesn't do that here.......um no!  It heats up to 95, then there is the humidity which makes it "feel like" 110, no breeze and you sit and roast, until about 2am when it s l o w l y cools down to 78!  Yup hot here!  If there is a breeze it really isn't too bad, but if it's like it was this last weekend, no breeze and ungodly hot, your just miserable!  I keep telling myself it's the price you pay for green.  Everything grows here and fast, it really is lovely.

My favorite weather here is the thunderstorms!  They are great, the lightening goes on and on and the wind blows hard and the rain falls like it's being shot out of the sky!  I love it!  We have lost 2 trees and half the woodshed wall and the outhouse blew over, (not a fun clean up job!), but the storms are still very exciting!
I know call me crazy but I have always loved inclement weather!

Our garden has become a victim of the Amazing Missouri Grass, I have never seen anything grow like the grass here.  The tomatoes are buried somewhere in about 3ft of grass, the kind people pay to have put in and then pay to water back in NM!  We have tried weeding and pulling, but when the ground is wet, which it almost always is, you pull up tomato plants when you try to pull grass, all the soil sticks together and up end up up-rooting your vegies!!  So we are at a loss right now as to what to do about it.


Still saving our pennies for an antenna booster, but we have found a milk cow to purchase from our neighbor, so cow first, then booster!!  I can't wait to get that cow, to me it is the epitome of farm life, I have waited years for a milk cow of my very own!  I am beside myself with anticipation!

I just read through my post, I don't want you thinking I don't like it here, quite the opposite I am very, very happy on my farm, such a feeling of contentment here, even in the heat.
We will try to upload some pictures tomorrow when we go into town to do our laundry, Have a blessed day!
Misty


"When I bought my farm, I did not know what a bargain I had in the bluebirds, daffodils and thrushes;as little did I know what sublime mornings and sunsets I was buying."
                                                                                              -Ralph Waldo Emerson

4 comments:

  1. Oh yeah, grew up in northern Missour, the humidity is bad...It's not great where we are here in Nebraska now, but not quite as bad as there. I do love my air though, this is the first place we've lived that we had it, and I love it! Makes life easier, especially as we get older. Love the idea of living like you are...but not sure I'd want to, just because of the air if nothing else. LOL

    But oh my, northern Missouri IS BEAUTIFUL!!! It will always be one of the most beautiful places to me I think. :)

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  2. Hi Misty,
    It's exciting reading about your adventures with the wild weather lol!
    Hope you get some cooler days soon :-)
    blessings..Trish

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  3. Welcome to Missouri Misty, the heat can be brutal, but everything else makes it worth while. Tornadoes are also something that will always be in the back of your mind too, but we adjust accordingly. Watch the weather or get a weather radio and listen each morning. Plan your day accordingly, if a storm is predicted, stay home that day. Dig out a storm shelter, it's much safer than a corner of the basement. They are easy to do and lots of literature on how to do it.

    You have a beautiful farm and what a blessing to find all those little extras now that you're there! Do the Amish have any produce auctions in your area? If so, I would recommend visiting them, they will be extremely helpful in getting enough food put up for the winter!

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  4. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this post. I LOVE that you tell it "like it is"! Homesteading isn't a bowl of cherries, it's hard work and long suffering, but, 100% WORTH IT!!!!

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