That 42.1'C equals 107'F. That's hot! I see the airport is still reporting 90'F at 10:45PM. Still hot.

WOW !!!

And they were only predicting mid 90s (!). Good thing you have low dew points in the mid 40s. Hobart's official max was "only" 103F, according to weather underground.

What I find amazing is just how much temperature can vary--even in my backyard, for instance. Last summer when I was reading 104'F in dappled shade in the lily garden, another thermometer read 114'F in the wide open sunlight ( at standard 60 inch height with seperated white backboard shade ). The grass was completely burned there and I could feel the heat rising from the hot brown grass. In sharp contrast and less than 100 ft away, two flat metal thermometers placed in the plush,green grass directly under the cottonwood trees that provide the afternoon dappled shade to the lily garden and they read (are you ready)----91' and 93'F respectively.

Another interesting thing I just this week checked/determined, is while I struggled to maintain 30% humidity in this house, the % humidity at the soil interface of my subect potted seedlings has been running 69-70%. Also, while the temperature has been running 72-75'F in here, the temperature right at that soil interface has been running 65-67'F, most probably due to evaporative cooling. An interesting bit of info.

I am on an exercise kick to loose some weight. I started in December. On Devember 10th. So far I have lost five pounds and also gained muscle, not just lost weight. I have a Gizelle Edge Fitness Glider machine and use that for 40 minutes each day. Then I alternate free weights one day with using the stepper machine. So the Gizelle each day then weights (very light ones) one day and stepper the next, then weights, then stepper and so on). I have a long way to go as I need to loose lots more pounds.

Good for you Rita. You'll find you feel better putting some fitness in to each day. I was slowed down for a few years with a bad knee, but since then I made it my daily goal to do something good and positive for myself. It's been about 3 years since I have begun! It takes a single step to get going. Some days are harder to keep it going but I think that's pretty normal. Thanks heavens for iPods and music that inspires a workout. Couldn't do it without it.

Congrats on taking those first steps.

I do actually already feel better than I have in years. You would think gardening would have kept me in shape but I guess not. I like my Gizelle because there is no lifting the feet so no stress on the knees or joints. No joint stress on the stepper either.

Newyorkrita said:You would think gardening would have kept me in shape but I guess not.

You can dig a garden or you can roto-till. You can mow the lawn with a tractor or with a walk behind mower (or a reel mower). It's all a matter of degree, but any gardening is good for the body and mind.

I was just listening to the radio the other day: a popular New year resolution is to get in shape, something like 30% of the year's fitness memberships are sold, and usually after a month or so the "resolute" people stop and go back to their old habits. Kudos to you, Rita.

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Regarding temperature change, I can't explain your first example, Lorn. But, I am not at all surprised about the temperature difference at ground level. Swamp (evaporative) coolers really work, and they work best with low humidity. In respect to turf survival, it's one thing to let the grass go dormant, but it is another to allow the soil to become so dry that it heats up.

There is only one place in these parts that I know of that is called a hollow. It is Sica Hollow across the border into South Dakota. On the shallow hills above, there is hot shortgrass (not even midgrass) prairie, but in the hollow grows the westernmost natural outpost of Sugar maple (which doesn't tolerate drought or heat). Ten feet lower in elevation and inside the maple canopy, the temperature drop is alarming!

I have actually not missed a day since I have started. Exercise every day. I don't want to skip even one day as if you start skipping days then the tempation is to think that oh I will do it tomorrow. So it is exercising every day for me.

As for those New Years resolutions, they are much to easy to ignore.

Oh, how I hate January boredom. Nothing fun to do outside besides chip away at the ice and it's much too early to start seeds.

I'm making oven mitts. Yeehaw....

Anyone the plants 4,999 bulbs will not give up an exercise regimen, right Rita?

Yesterday a very long time friend called me. She was the one who brought me into the Rock Garden Society in the late 1970's. At 90 years old, she is moving from her house of 50+ years, to an apartment about 100ft away. (How cool is that?)

Anyway, she called me to ask if I would like to come over and take any of her accumulated books, especially of alpine gardening for our Chapter of the Rock Garden Society. As it happens, I had today off so I zipped over (60 miles). She had a plethora of alpine, hosta and lily books (she is a lily and hosta enthusiast, too.) In fact some of you may recognize her from some of the hosta cultivars she registered (Maroushek).

Boy is this story getting long....

Among the lily books was Consider the Lily (©1927). I got tingles just holding it! ..its the one by W. E. Marshall. A small book with oodles of painted illustrations of every (I think) Lilium species known, plus more. Back then, there were several "species" that have now been lumped in with other single species. Not to be confused with the more recent book of the same name, this one's picture quality is excellent (still!), although the text looks as though each page was individually typed with a typewriter whose keys need a desperate cleaning. (I know you younger people won't know what that means, but you'll just have to go with it. ) I spent a long time looking at each page. (No more than a glance at all the other books.)

So, did I take it? No. Another of Lilian's gardening friends that lived close by also liked it. Although I don't think she really knows what she got, she deserves it far more than me as she has helped Lilian many many more times than I have.:thumbsup: Besides, I have more than 50 alpine and lily books to catalog now. I guess I am going to become the librarian for our Rock Garden Society Chapter. And lovin' it.

Rita, We resolved to cut out the doughnuts part of 'coffee and doughnuts' in the morning. And the coffee is replaced by V8 and fruit juices after 7:30AM. Around these parts, folks take their coffee drinking very seriously and, oh boy--it's gonna be tough! But, 15 to 20 cups a day is to much!

Rick, check out the background on these pictures and you'll understand just how dry it was when that heat set in last summer. no way could I keep any grass green. All my well water was going for lilies. Many people lost their lawns and had to reseed. Much shubbery, lilacs, evergreens and even large pine trees were lost. In certain areas, there were so many shed leaves, the streets looked more like Oct. than July. These pics were were taken July 4th and 5th.

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Polly. I am a very stuborn person, If I set my mind to something I just keep on working on it until I get it done. But the funny part is all that planting of bulbs aparently didn't do my much good as exercise because I was in poor shape when I started the exercise program. Slowely (very slowly) getting better.

Lorn, when I started the exercise I also tried to make my eating habits better and I cut out all sweets. Buy do I miss those donuts and cookies and cakes. I just LOVE Dunkin Donuts and really miss them. Cut out pasta and pizza also. Can't keep that up for everever but we we see how long I last. I love sweets. But they put on the pounds.

Rick, I've got the 2nd edition (closing days of 1928), in really great shape. I hope you spoke for it in the future. These old books are really interesting. I've got another older book called The Golden Spade: a hard bound spiral paged chronology of the De Graff flowerbulb company, 1793-1953. Very expensively done, my copy is in 'as new' condition. Among other interesting info, I see the name Jan De Graaff being used as far back as the late 1600s-early 1700s within that family. I have all of Jan De Graaffs books as well as many other older ones. All the good stuff you won't find in the newer pubs.

Rita: well, I'm not giving up on pizza: oh no, never. Not me!

I am not giving up pizza either. I need to loose weight and have started with my exersise. I decided no pizza or pasta until I after I lost that first ten pounds. So you see, I can live without because I know it is not forever. No sweets either but I haven't decided how long I will be able to keep that up.

Somebody dropped off a copy of an old family photo here a while back for my interest. I have no Idea who it is. Thought you all might enjoy seeing it.

Hmm, how neat!

Cool stuff, Lorn.

And that pic is interesting, too, not the least of which is the tree in the background on the right.

Any idea where it was taken?

No idea who or where. We were gone to Eau Claire for a week end and found this copy inside our storm door when we returned. Still don't know who put it there. I suppose one day I'll eventually find out.