Weather Wind, rain, fire and flood. Have I missed anything?

[Ladyhawke1]

Hey as a Southern Californian, I can say What the.. . We are just not used to this.

We had a tornado reported north of us in a little city called Goleta, and there was one reported in Orange County to the south of us , and at the height of the storm a massive fire at an oil refinery in Wilmington.

So how is your weather and garden? My backyard is a swamp, with more bad weather expected, but my garden is doing well. My chickens however need wring out. In fact, they are pounding on the back door now wanting to be let in.

 

[nittygrittydirtdigger]

There was a tornado in Goleta? Crap, I know half the town! Hope it wasn't too bad.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

There was a tornado in Goleta? Crap, I know half the town! Hope it wasn't too bad.

http://www.keyt.com/

Here is a link that will help you keep in touch.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Yeah I've been hearing from family in SLO, SB and Orange Counties about the crazy weather there.

Here in the Bay Area we've been hit with tons of rain for the past week and a half. So much that the small creek behind the house is now a river and the ducks have washed away. Hopefully they'll come back! Seriously though, the creek is never more than 1 to 2 feet deep. This morning I measured it at 6 feet!

Good luck to those in So Cal and everywhere else feeling the crazy weather

 

[Ladyhawke1]

Yesterday they reported a tornado in the city of Ventura and it blew off a few roofs. We are stunned.

Yeah, I hope the rain stops soon too. I am sectioning off the garden from the chickens and I need to get the new raised beds up and running.

I still have a very vigorous tomato going. It is called Mr. Stripy, and I have one tomato on this vine that is about the size of Rhode Island and I sure do not want to lose it. I am going to pick it as soon as I can. :mow

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

I remember growing up near Morro Bay that we had some water spouts off the coast one year. That was crazy.

If you're ok with letting the plant go then you might be able to force the plant to ripen the tomato. I only suggest this because the cold won't let the tomato ripen.

The safest way to do it is to take a shovel or spade and from about 1 foot from the base stick the spade in. The idea is to tear the roots, ideally this will shock the plant enough to ripen the fruit.

If not, then pick it now and put it in a brown paper bag with a ripe apple. The natural ethylene gas from the apple will help move the tomato along.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

That sounds like a good idea. Thanks.

 

[boggybranch]

Night before last, we got over 5 inches of rain (that's all my rain gauge registered, and it was slam full). There was localized flash flooding all across the area.

 

[ducks4you]

So sorry about the mess!!!

 

[desertwillow]

I live in the high desert and we have already got the amount of rain that is the average for the whole year. Yesterday we even got some snow. CA needs the rain but in smaller doses. Our property has soaked it all in and my chickens did fine. They stayed in their house all day and still gave me 7 eggs.