The new equipment ('toys') arrived. Just in the nick of time. The grass in the vineyard is about as tall as my legs. Ghost won't go in that field anymore. She'd disappear.
The quad is gorgeous. Kubota. It fits in the polytunnel.
The grass mower is borrowed as it's hard to get new equipment in right now as a result of Covid and Brexit. It may take weeks to get the one Alex ordered. Scary looking thing.
The donkeys stopped by and I gave them a little treat today. Carrots! They were happy.
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| Russian River |
A major heatwave hit the entire west coast of America last week and was even worse than predicted when a heat dome settled in. It exacerbated what was already one of the most severe droughts in the region, prompting experts to warn that this could be the worst wildfire season ever.
The Salt Fire north of Redding California near the Oregon border has consumed more than 11,000 acres and numerous homes and structures. But there are many more fires raging in all the states affected. Authorities warned not to set off fireworks for July 4th celebrations.
The Russian River Valley where much of California's wine industry is situated is under extreme pressure. The Russian River serves as the main source of drinking water for more than 600,000 people in Sonoma, Mendocino and northern Marin counties. Some of the richest farmland in the nation is being left fallow because the water is running out.
But it's not just California. Oregon's Williamette Valley suffered unprecedented extreme heat during the heat wave. No one knows how grapes will fare under these conditions. They are hoping that it is early enough in the season for the grapes to be able to withstand it, but Pinot Noir is particularly sensitive to heat. Most of the region grows cool climate grapes, and temperatures were 25 to 30 degrees above normal.
This is what climate change looks like.
Can you believe it's July? I still haven't taken out the kayak because it's been so cold. Yet the numbers show that our temperature average was, well, average. Yet I remember last year being so much warmer. The vines have grown but the flowers still have not opened. Last year, I noted bloom on July 8. We still have a few days to catch up.
Our rainfall total for June is quite low again and significantly less than last year but similar to 2018. The truth is that the variability of our climate is increasing. Better than the record heat along the West coast of the states.
I've noted that we have an extraordinary number of clusters so I have to learn how to reduce the number to improve the yield. It's always something.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 225.6 | 147.6 | 141.1 | 45.6 | 113.5 | 64.1 | 9.0 | 746.5 | |||||
| 2020 | 139.5 | 342.8 | 178.2 | 25.5 | 54.7 | 164.5 | 187.9 | 137.9 | 153.4 | 228.0 | 206.6 | 232.7 | 2051.7 |
| 2019 | 146.8 | 115.0 | 228.5 | 100.7 | 112.5 | 76.6 | 82.7 | 228.9 | 175.5 | 160.7 | 148.1 | 220.6 | 1796.6 |
| 2018 | 274.6 | 155.6 | 86.2 | 94.3 | 70.4 | 65.9 | 58.6 | 179.1 | 148.3 | 140.9 | 172.6 | 201.0 | 1647.5 |
| LTA | 166.7 | 126.5 | 141.2 | 96.8 | 94.7 | 89.7 | 100.9 | 132.5 | 131.5 | 176.0 | 170.4 | 180.2 | 1607.1 |
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5.0 | 6.7 | 7.9 | 9.0 | 10.4 | 13.3 | 15.4 | 8.8 | |||||
| 2020 | 7.2 | 6.0 | 6.6 | 11.0 | 12.8 | 13.8 | 14.4 | 16.0 | 13.8 | 10.5 | 9.1 | 6.1 | 10.6 |
| 2019 | 6.9 | 8.4 | 7.9 | 10.2 | 11.7 | 13.1 | 16.3 | 15.5 | 13.7 | 10.3 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 10.7 |
| 2018 | 5.9 | 4.6 | 5.5 | 9.1 | 13.1 | 16.1 | 16.1 | 15.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 8.3 | 8.1 | 10.5 |
| LTA | 6.1 | 6.1 | 7.3 | 9.0 | 11.5 | 13.8 | 15.4 | 15.4 | 13.5 | 10.8 | 8.3 | 6.5 | 10.3 |
A record-breaking heatwave is about to hit the west coast of the United States during the worst drought on record.
From California to Oregon and Washington State, temperatures are expected to remain well above normal for days. The National Weather Service has issued warnings.
⚠️Record-Breaking and Dangerous Heatwave coming to the West. Over 80 sites are forecast to break daily high temperature records starting this weekend. All-time June monthly records could also be broken in some locations in the Pacific Northwest.
https://weather.gov/safety/heat
What is that going to do to the 2021 grape harvest and all other crops? The last time California had a record-breaking heatwave, it came at harvest time in September 2017 and turned the grapes into raisins.
Update 28-06-21
It's hit as predicted and it is unprecedented. Portland, Oregon reached a temperature of 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44.4 Celsius) on Sunday, breaking the all-time record of 108 F (42.2C) which was set just a day earlier. Seattle this 104.
When temperatures reach this high, grapes shut down to conserve water. If this continues, mitigation strategies will have to be implemented.
Alex bought wood and supplies from the Coop last week and we schlepped it all up the hill to the polytunnel. While he continued to dig a trench up to the water trough, he also started to build the raised beds.
He's brought electricity up to the tunnel and water down from the field, although the water is not quite plumbed yet. He found an old disused farmhouse sink at Ross, which I have cleaned up after years of being neglected in the barn. That we shall set up by the door. It will do just fine.
I have rescued a stainless steel table we had been using in the nursery as a rooting table and cleaned that up to use as a potting table in the tunnel. Alex is planning to build shelving along the east wall. The progress is slow but steady.
Now that we have electricity and soon will have water, I can start setting up the seating area. Table and chairs, potted plants, peach tree, Avocado tree, Fig tree, Rose of Sharon, Acer (red), Kiwis, Citrus tree (to be added), eating grape. What else? Possibly a hammock or two...
Now that I am fully vaccinated, I'll feel free to go shopping for more stuff in a couple of weeks.
