The Dog Days of Summer

If you live on the West Coast of the U.S., then this will all sound familiar. This summer in Oregon has been hot and dry – but I mean hot and dry. I’ve been missing winter for weeks now, and that’s not something I often say. I enjoy warm and sunny weather not because I’m a native Californian, but because it’s the growing season. It’s the time when little vegetable plants explode into bountiful harvests and fruit is plump and ready to eat straight from the tree, bush, or vine. All the trees are stuffed with new leaves and you can almost watch the branches as they grow a few inches over the course of those few months.

This year is different, and I’m not the only who feels that way. Native Oregonians from this area have been saying it: it’s hotter and drier. Currently, our area is listed as being in “Extreme Drought”. Yesterday, I stood on the dry and cracking clay soil of our property. The grass is well beyond dormant and thinning, exposing more of the topsoil below. The tiny garden we managed to plant in raised beds back in May is not doing well either. I’ve lost a lingonberry, raspberry, and most of the squash plants. It’s not for a lack of water, compost, fertilizer, or mulch. I’ve checked all those boxes. The unrelenting heat, lack of a single drop of rain, and the record-breaking Heat Dome at the end of June are all contributing to this.

This is our first summer out here in the country and on a private well. We are not connected to any municipal water source – just the one well. I’m sure there will be a future post about water and wells in more depth, but for now just know that we’re not irrigating excessively. Everything but the garden and a few drought-tolerant landscaping plants are bone dry. We’re conserving the water for our use in the house and for the animals. Reports of wells going dry at the border of Oregon and California are disconcerting to read. Living in the city, I never entertained the notion of running out of water. It’s never happened in my 33 years. So far, we are grateful that our well provides us with cold water right out of the ground that requires no special filtration or treatment. I wish I could see down into the earth and measure the aquifer our water comes from, but there’s no way for us to know (that I’m aware of). Luckily, it has not yet given any signs of trouble.

So while I would enjoy nothing more than being outside on my riding mower or breaking up rows of clay in preparation for future plants, we are taking refuge under the shade of our mighty oak tree that keeps the house cool for half the day, and we are fortunate to have an air conditioner for the second half. Our dog Bosch will stretch out on the cool shaded concrete of our patio right next to his water bowl (in no mood to run or play during the afternoons). We are enjoying iced coffees and popsicles and smoothies as well as grilling outside so we don’t use the stove or oven, being careful all along the way to ensure there are no sparks or uncontrolled flames given the conditions.

And so we wait for the Dog Days to pass – and just now as I write this, I see some slightly cooler in the forecast.

We hope you are staying cool and hydrated during this brutal summer.

-Danny

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