So long July of 2012! And good riddance to ya!

"When someone asks me about summer and fall, and which I like the most…I just stare at that person and say ‘duh’!"

Now, finally with the month of July relegated to the trash bin of history, we can all look forward to August; a month that is one step closer to the cooling and refreshing days of fall! But first, a look back at the hell that was July 2012…

Click on to enlarge

As you can see by the graphic at right, July was all about hitting the century mark and then staying there day after day! It was about staying inside and watching your electric bill climb ever higher even as the AC struggled to keep up. It was about trying to stay optimistic as I watched my lawn dry to a crisp. Yeah, it was all those things and more! [Side note: On one blessed day, July the 14^th, the high temperature got only 76F! A very cool day in both senses of the word! That day was strange in that the systems that brought the clouds and rain, seemed to collide from both the northwest and southeast! Here’s a graphic of the temperatures on that day (below left). I might just frame it!]

July 14 was one fine day!

Across the Midwest, farmers watched as crops withered on the vine. By mid July over 1,300 counties spanning 29 states were reporting record losses in corn and other feed grains and had filed for disaster relief. (A situation that will more than likely make itself felt for the rest of us, later this year and early next, at grocery stores as everyone will struggle even harder to make ends meet).

"In 2013, as a result of this drought, we are looking at above-normal food price inflation. ... Consumers are certainly going to feel it!" USDA economist Richard Volpe.

Exacerbating the stress caused by high temperatures was the lack of evenly spaced rainfall. While my location just south and east of the City of Forsyth Missouri was only half an inch down from the monthly average, other locations around me did not benefit at all. Missing entirely was a good old all day soaker rain. (The kind of rainy days which were more often seen in bygone days). Statewide, the drought monitor went from moderate and severe to exceptional in some states including Missouri.

If there was a good side to this month, it was that I hardly ever needed to cut the grass. (I think I was forced to only once)! The gas and energy savings were much appreciated.