The International Cessna^® 170 Association

I catch the weather for the southern states a couple times a week and can't believe how hot it has been down there and for so long...... We have seen a large amount of southern cattle go through our sale barn up here in the last 60 days. I would say that 75% are going back out to pasture the rest are going to slaughter. I friend of mine in southern Oklahoma said hay is selling (if you can find it) for $250-300/ton. last week he watched small squares (horse hay) went for $14/bale .
I think by next summer the aviation fuel will be the cheaper part of the $100 hamburger......beef is expected to climb 25-30%. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you in the southern states, hope things change for you soon.


W.

Our area of TX, as well as other areas, have set a lot of heat related records this summer as well as drought records. All of the southwest seems to have incurred the same. South TX is in worse shape than our area (north central TX). I observed a temp here, near Granbury, TX, yesterday of 105 with the official high at the airport of 106 and that temp was fairly common west of Fort Worth. With 20 mph winds a grass fire northwest of Mineral Wells, TX burned approx 7500 acres and 25+ homes at Possum Kingdom Lake. As of early this morning the fires were still burning, but may have been under control. Four months ago approx 160 homes on the other side of the lake were destroyed by wild fires. We are all hoping for cooler weather by next week and hoping for rain. Farmers/ranchers are taking a big hit all over the southwest. Better days are ahead.

My brother called yesterday from Austin where he lives and said that it hit 112 there. I asked if that was actual temperature or heat index and he said he thought that was the actual temperature. It has been over a month since we have had a rain here and all of the area is fast drying up. The only good thing is we don't have to cut the grass very often.

Meanwhile August has been our wettest month on record here in the Philadelphia area of the north east.

Luckily we recieved some much needed rain(s) over the past 3 weeks. I have been discing and planting wheat and ryegrass for the past 3 weekends. Good thing I got headlights .
I've been having a really good time too. My Jubilee ain't good for alot of things, but she's got character, and one of the things she can do just as good as the newer ones is spread seed. It's been a pleasant, and cool 92 degree day. Sittin on a 50 plus year year old piece of machinery that purrs while you work is fun.
I'm puttin in more cool season grass than normal because of the hay situation. Last winter I fed 1.7 rounds per head. Not to bad, and if I can do that this year, I already have enough hay.
The forecast for Labor day is 22 degrees cooler than yesterday; supposed to high of 78, and low of 53. It's got me excited

Well it is finally raining here. The rain started about an hour ago (about 2 PM Sunday the 4th) and is the first drop of rain we have had in over a month.

Jamie and I are watching our neighboring ranches burn from our back porch tonight...hoping we don't have to evacuate in the middle of the night... We can watch the flare-ups on the property across the river only a mile
away...and many in our county have lost their homes tonight.
Check the Austin,TX news.

George of course we all wish you two well and hope your going to be alright. I was thinking of being sick from work to show up for the night you held for Gary and Deana. In the end I realized I needed more than a week to get down there and back. I'm sure it was a swell party / fly-in. Any way from the Sat view when I Google mapped your place it looked like there was a fair distance between homes.

Yes, the fire closest to us is about 3/4 mile northwest... just across the little creek that used to be called the Colorado River. It's burning several hundred acres and two homes. Embers lept the Colorado yesterday evening and caught the shoreline of our place afire but the fire dept working the fire was able to cross over and extinguish it before it roared out of control.
The winds died down during the night and the hillside across the river was aglow with small fires. This morning the winds have picked back up and fanned it up again and blowing it our way again. They have a helicopter working it this morning. Hopefully it's under control.

gahorn wrote: This morning the winds have picked back up and fanned it up again and blowing it our way again. They have a helicopter working it this morning. Hopefully it's under control.

You probably have never appreciated helicopters and helicopter pilots as much before have you George.

We are thinking about and wishing the best for you and Jamie.

Lolly and I just talked to George and Jamie Horn and Naomi Goodlett. George said things are looking like the fires are more or less controlled near his place, but they have packed both cars and are ready to evacuate if needed. Meanwhile, Naomi said Ken Peck, in Smithville, TX, had to evacuate and is at a emergency shelter in town with +/- 250 other folks. He is hoping his house is ok. Keep them in your prayers.

Hi all, just got off the phone with Ken Peck. He is doing well though is still in the emergency shelter. Says he is getting 3 square meals a day, better than being at home where he would have to do the cooking. He believes from all reports that his house is fine, though some have not been so fortunate. He also told me his hangar and airplanes are OK, the fire only got within a couple of miles of the airport. He said the reports are that they are trying to contain the fire to keep it from spreading before the wind picks up again. Anyway, he is in good spirits and making the best of it.

Ken's friend, Tim Grandy

Good news Tim thanks. I can hear Ken making the comment about 3 squares a day.

Just so you Texans know we have you in our prayers. It isn't fun when you have a castrophy in your own backyard. Right now we have lots of flooding.

John

n3833v wrote:Just so you Texans know we have you in our prayers. It isn't fun when you have a castrophy in your own backyard. Right now we have lots of flooding.

John

Wanna trade?