I don't know the exact date of temps over a 100 but I know there were too many to count. Yesterday the 12th, we finally received an inch and a half of rain. That was the first measurable rain we received since mid April. Everyone is in such a better mood and you at least feel like going out in the morning and working but now in the afternoon temps are near a 100 again but everyday we know it is one day closer to fall. I hope we don't skip fall and go straight to winter.

I'm just itching to start some of the fall crops but with temps being so high, I'm a little hesitant. Most of our crops are making it through the summer thanks to alot of drip irrigation. Two saturdays ago when we were coming home from market in Houston, I saw what I thought was a huge flock of birds ahead and as we got closer, realized it was a huge heat twister. We slowed down to let it go in front of us because it took up all four lanes of the interstate and was as high as you could see and what I thought were birds, were actually corn leaves and other debris. I remarked to my husband, I hope we don't get one of those through our greenhouses. The next afternoon as we werre taking a nap, we heard a loud noise and went out to see what the rucus was. Well it was another one of those huge heat twisters and it took the plastic off one of my greenhouses and ripped a shade cloth off another. It was the same greenhouse that was damaged in April and was going to be repaired anyway and it just did some of the work for us by taking the plastic off. I had a beautiful crop of celosi in the house and when the plastic came off it was hit by some high winds and knocked and broke alot of the celosia down and then the high heat burned some of the plants that wern't use too the heat. It always something and keeps life interesting.

Next week we will start transplanting our fall crop of tomatoes into our beds and the start to alot of work. We also will be transplanting another fall crop of zinnias and as always lots of sunflowers. Our youngest son who is home from college for a couple of weeks between semesters is doing alot of repairs and some new construction for us so we can concentrate on growing. One of his biggest projects is building a cooler for keeping flowers and maybe vegetables also at different times of the year.

Erin our daughter and her husband Jeff are anxiously awaitiing the birth of their 3rd child in late October which will be welcomed at home by  Avery who is 3 and Chase who is almost 5 and will be attending pre k . Our oldest son Jim and his wife, Nikki are pregnant and expecting their first born in March. We are anxiously awaiting the births of more grandchildren.