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Author Topic: The Year Without a Summer?  (Read 8049 times)

oor wullie

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Strathnairn
The Year Without a Summer?
« on: August 29, 2015, 02:43:53 pm »
OK, not quite like 1816 but nevertheless.

I have only lived in my current place for 3 years so don't have a firsthand knowledge of how the weather has been over the longer term however it appears that this has been a significantly below average spring and summer (winter had relatively few frosts and none that were properly cold). 

A few examples;

Spring was very late and our grass didn't really start to grow until well into June and it still hasn't caught up with where it has been in previous years.

A big show along the road, which was scheduled for the last Saturday in September, has been cancelled already as the field they hold it in contains barley and they reckon there is now no-chance it will be combinable before October.  In fact, yesterday I drove 65miles up the east coast from Inverness (through the best farmland in this part of the world, much of it near sea level) and only passed 2 fields that had been combined.  Some cereal fields were still nearly as green as grass.

This year the last snow still visible on the hill behind out house (at an altitude of only 620m) didn't melt until the 2nd July.

This morning I picked some red currants but there are still quite a few that are not ripe yet.  We did our elderflower cordial making at the end of July/start of August but if I wanted more I know there are still some flowers on the trees.  Who knows when we will get elderberries.

I hear that up until a few weeks ago some of the farmers in the islands still had their cattle indoors and were having to feed them.

Once again today it is not going to get about about 14 degrees and the sun just a mythical thing that people talk about after they have come back from holidays.

Makes me glad that although we like to produce what food we can we are not dependent on it and if something fails we can just pop into a shop and buy food. 


Porterlauren

  • Joined Apr 2014
Re: The Year Without a Summer?
« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2015, 03:01:19 pm »
Very different down here. . . . .lots and lots of day above 20 C and plenty above 25 C. Had more issue with not enough rain, and grass burning off than anything else. With this recent down pour, the grass has started to motor and i'm now once again under stocked!

Penninehillbilly

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • West Yorks
Re: The Year Without a Summer?
« Reply #2 on: August 29, 2015, 03:55:48 pm »
OH repairs grain dryers and he's been called up to the border area today because there is a problem and they are waiting to bring the grain in.
(should have been yesterday but suppliers didn't send the part)

Backinwellies

  • Global Moderator
  • Joined Sep 2012
  • Llandeilo Carmarthenshire
    • Nantygroes
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Re: The Year Without a Summer?
« Reply #3 on: August 29, 2015, 04:11:55 pm »
Very different down here. . . . .lots and lots of day above 20 C and plenty above 25 C. Had more issue with not enough rain, and grass burning off than anything else. With this recent down pour, the grass has started to motor and i'm now once again under stocked!

I don't know where 'down here' is but definitely not over here in South Wales ......... top temp was about 22degrees one day in July ......... August a washout!
Linda

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Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: The Year Without a Summer?
« Reply #4 on: August 29, 2015, 05:18:38 pm »
Here, in Shropshire, we've had some hot days but not many. We are getting rain now but more showers than downpours. My mum has just been visiting from the south-east and heard from her friend that it's been nothing but rain there, whereas we've been able to get out every day and hardly got wet.

waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: The Year Without a Summer?
« Reply #5 on: August 29, 2015, 05:36:24 pm »
2012 was like that, too much rain and 2011 had been a drought. 2013 the ground was too hard, the winter was so harsh and I had to bring all my animals in and 2014 was a really good year. 2015 hasn't been too bad except for fly strike. Every year is different and am sure next year will be better.
the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, loving concern.

Factotum

  • Joined Jun 2012
Re: The Year Without a Summer?
« Reply #6 on: August 29, 2015, 05:45:19 pm »
This is the second August that's been very wet up here (Moray).

Not as much rain as last year - the local village was flooded in 2014 when the river burst the banks. Some of our friends are still clearing up from that one.

This year has been cold too - the grass was very slow to start and we were feeding hay to our cattle up to the end of June when in previous years we'd stopped in mid May.

We managed to get a reasonable crop of hay from our lower fields - cut on 11 July & baled on 22nd. Steve spent a few days madly turning it whenever possible and our luck held long enough to make the hay.

Overall it has been a weird summer - turning the heating on in mid August was unusual, wonder what the winter will bring...

Sue

Porterlauren

  • Joined Apr 2014
Re: The Year Without a Summer?
« Reply #7 on: August 29, 2015, 06:48:21 pm »
Very different down here. . . . .lots and lots of day above 20 C and plenty above 25 C. Had more issue with not enough rain, and grass burning off than anything else. With this recent down pour, the grass has started to motor and i'm now once again under stocked!

I don't know where 'down here' is but definitely not over here in South Wales ......... top temp was about 22degrees one day in July ......... August a washout!

I live in South Wales. Maybe i've just been lucky.

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: The Year Without a Summer?
« Reply #8 on: August 29, 2015, 06:56:20 pm »
Not as wet here as it was last year :raining:, but you're right - there has just been no summer at all. Usually we have at least a couple of weeks of nice sunshine, but not this year I'm afraid :gloomy:.
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: The Year Without a Summer?
« Reply #9 on: August 29, 2015, 07:16:34 pm »
Usually we have at least a couple of weeks of nice sunshine

We had two nice weeks in April  :)

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: The Year Without a Summer?
« Reply #10 on: August 29, 2015, 07:38:24 pm »
You might have done, Rosemary!!  :raining:
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

crofterswife

  • Joined Apr 2015
Re: The Year Without a Summer?
« Reply #11 on: August 29, 2015, 09:56:44 pm »
We had 4 dry days in April,  4 dotted around in May, June , July and August.
The wettest summer here for a long time. We were still feeding hay in May which is almost unheard of.

Clarebelle

  • Joined Jan 2013
  • Orkney
Re: The Year Without a Summer?
« Reply #12 on: August 29, 2015, 10:02:37 pm »
We have only been here a year but all the locals have been saying this year has been the longest wettest winter they can remember and the summer not much better.  :raining:

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
    • ABERDON GUNDOGS for work and show
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Re: The Year Without a Summer?
« Reply #13 on: August 29, 2015, 11:26:05 pm »
The rain's been a bit warmer than usual this year  :raining: :excited:
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

JTFarms

  • Joined Sep 2014
Re: The Year Without a Summer?
« Reply #14 on: August 30, 2015, 04:59:05 am »
We have a very normal summer so far some needed rain when needed and some dry days when needed too so far have not reach temp of 100 F just came out of a very few cool nights  low temp of 61F near record for August in Alabama
James

 

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