Snow, Snow, Snow

Since my internet went down for well over a week (thanks AT&T) I'm behind on posting, but we have lots of fun stuff to share. First of all, the SNOW we have gotten in KS so far! Holy moly! Our first snow fell on December 15, 2007. Before that, we had ice that was kind of a pain for a few days, but nothing catastrophic. On December 21, it probably reached 60 degrees that day. We went in to my son's choir program around 6:30 pm, and when we came out, we could tell that the temperature had dropped a LOT. I had planned on making the hour long drive to Wichita the next morning, but lots of people grumbled about the snow forecast and said I would probably end up in a ditch- along with them- because they had to go to Wichita as well.

Now, when you live in Georgia, and they forecast snow, they are about 20% correct. But in Kansas, when they say it's gonna snow- it's gonna snow. I think this is because there is nothing really stopping a storm from plowing through our flat lands, but in GA they deal with the gulf stream air and never know how it will play with the other weather systems coming in.

I went to bed that night, and something woke me up. I could hear the wind howling outside. I just kept hoping it was JUST wind. I would not get up to check. I kept waking up. The wind was MAD. Finally, when it was a decent hour, I looked out the window. Not only was the snow coming in sideways- it had already covered everything in sight. The snow did not stop until 5 pm that day- just as predicted. It went from coming down sideways, to nothing. Absolutely peaceful. But cold. The snowdrifts were over four feet, and there were patches that barely had anything. Dogs lost their legs in the snow! Our screened porch on the second floor did not keep the snow out- it was covered as well. Luckily, they are pretty quick to clear the roads in Kansas, so I was able to make it to Wichita the next day. I HAD to. Santa was not done shopping, and this was a VERY important year as you will read in our Visit to Santa coming up next!

P.S. Two days after Christmas we got a beautiful snow that fell peacefully from the sky. It was so pretty. Now THAT is the snow we need!

How Weather Affects Crops

Before we moved to Kansas, I knew very little about farm life. I knew even less about planting and harvesting. It's amazing how much you learn about different parts of the country simply by relocating and then paying attention to what is around you. We don't life on a farm, but we live in a farming community so how successful the farms are greatly influences the economics of our town.

When we first arrived in Kansas in January 2006, we were in the middle of a drought. That winter was very moderate and I think we may have gotten one round of snow. We also had very little rain, and I kept wondering how the wheat crops would be affected by the dryness. The talk around town was all about how much yield each farmer would get, and would it EVER rain? Then the "moderate" fall and winter turned into a scorcher of a summer, and I think there were over ten days of temperatures close to 110. If memory serves me correctly, this was during or after harvest, so the crop was not affected by this (although, I'm sure the farmers were!)

Then came the rain. And the snow. I can't tell you how many times it snowed in late 2006 and early 2007 because I lost count. And some of the snow came on top of other snow or ice that never melted. Praises to God for all the precipitation could be heard in all the churches! Imagine how well the wheat would do this harvest!

In the spring, storm after storm flooded basements, flooded towns, and even flattened completely Greensburg, KS. Being naive, I imagined what a great harvest we would have in June! But the rain didn't stop. And harvest time came, and the wheat could not be harvested. Most farmers began harvest as soon as the wheat was dry enough. Then more rain would come, putting harvest off again. What I never knew is that there is a small window of time when the wheat is ready, and if it can't be harvested because it is too wet, the window might be missed.

A few days ago, I had to drive an hour away into Wichita. The effects of the rain were very clear, as across the landscape I could see acres and acres of burning fields. Crops that could not be harvested had to be burned as much of it had grown mold from the wetness. The rains, which were such a blessing to the growth of the crops, had become a curse to the harvest. The economic impact is even worse than the year of the drought.

Farmers have insurance to cover these losses, but it certainly doesn't cover the full amount that they would have received with a good harvest. This means that the next year will be tight, and there won't be much excess for many families in Kansas. When I lived in the Georgia suburbs, I did not know any of this. Sometimes ignorance is bliss! It has been a great educational experience for all of us, not only learning about the farming end of things, but also how the weather can affect the economics of a region. It makes me wonder what else we are missing, and do we need to move to another part of the country to learn about it? I hope not!