As bad as it looked from the ground, our farm land looks far worse from the air as a series of aerial photos taken yesterday shows. A friend took photos of area farms yesterday from a small plane and it is quite the sight. The town cemetery with about 25% of the area under water and the rest surrounded is something the old timers never could have imagined when they started burying the dead over a hundred years ago.
Mine and my brother's farms appear to have as much water as bare ground from some angles. The high spots will be workable but in many cases, impossible to get to without driving through water or mud. We still have a month of planting time but I really can't see it happening somehow. Time will tell.
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My brother's farm yard in the centre of this photo, my field behind it is more water than land. Old ice from last fall floats on the "lake" behind their yard. Lucky their yard is on relatively high ground.

Ralph;

We are saturated here in Ohio too. The rivers are all at or near flood stage. Had a river running across the corner of my yard and across the hay field. Low spot in the airstrip has a pond. Virtually no field work has been done. Most of the Amish managed to mud in their oats 2 weeks ago by running a harrow over the top and drilling them in. Our soil cannot be worked wet or will end up with clods that can only be rolled around. Our ground is rolling enough that most of the water eventually finds the tiles and rivers, except the low potholes that basically have to evaporate.

The airstrip is too wet and soggy to get the airplane out, so just have to wait on it. More rain is forecast for tomorrow and maybe a reprieve for Friday and Saturday.

Hope the rain stays away for our work day at Portland Saturday.

Rained on Easter Sunday and as the old timers say, "rain for next 7 Sundays". Would gladly share rain with west Texas.

Gene

Very wet here in the State of Taxus (NY).  I have not seen anything to match Ralph's newly discovered lakes in Sask. but as of yesterday we were 1/4 inch from exceeding the all time rainfall record for April set in 1929.  The weather service shows rainfall of .88 inches for yesterday, so I guess we are over the top with four days of the month remaining and with rain andT-storms in the forecast.  During a storm yesterday afternoon, I saw the most horizontal rain in memory.  Looking out the back door the action matched a wind driven white out snow blizzard but was heavy rain instead.  The good news is that the west side of the house and outbuildings got a free power washing.  All that was necessary to cause all of that was to seriously think about putting the battery back in the zero turn and starting the motor to check it out.  Five steps out the door and rain started.  This weather sure is touchy.  It is a safe bet that if I tried to walk across the lawn with my Sorel boots on, I would get to the other side in sock feet while the Sorels were bogged down in the soil about 1/2 way there.

Looking on the silver lining of this weather:  The longer it is until the ground is dry enough to mow lawn, the less $ 4.00 gasoline will be needed.

Charlie V.

"  All that was necessary to cause all of that was to seriously think about putting the battery back in the zero turn and starting the motor to check it out.  Five steps out the door and rain started.  This weather sure is touchy. "

Success, but I did it again!!!  Having caused the major rainstorm yesterday by thinking about putting the battery back in, I waited until today.  The sun was actually showing so I gathered up the battery and a couple of wrenches and installed it in the Exmark.  Looked things over for critter nests, etc. and all appeared o.k.  Hit the key and fired it up.  While letting the motor run for 10 or 15 minutes to warm up, dry out, and purge the fuel system, the sun was gone and it is getting darker and darker.  As I shut the mower down, picked up wrenches and put them away, the rain started.  Within 15 minutes we were in the middle of yet another gully washing thunder storm.  This time we were spared from the high wind, but folks were not as lucky 30 miles and more south of here.  A school in Dansville NY had some serious roof damage from the wind.  If there is any message in all of this, it may be that I should not even think about cutting any grass for a while to come.  With wind gusts to 60 mph in today's forecast I think I will just lie low and observe.

Charlie V.

No letup in rain here in western, Ohio. Had another 2.5 inches of rain yesterday and last night. Finally stopped about noon today. Ground is totally saturated still and all water is ponding or running off. I went a little ways north of me toward Indian Lake and the fields are totally flooded. Roads still flooded and closed. Miami River has been above flood stage for almost a month. Fortunately, I was able to get my lawn and airstrip mowed on Saturday and Sunday. Sunday I got the chainsaw out and cut up the broken trees and down limbs around the apple trees. Cut some dead limbs from some trees and left it all scattered over the lawn till is is dry enough to get the trailer in to haul it all out. That will have to wait for a while now.. Dry weather forecast for Wednesday and Thursday and more rain for Friday and the weekend.

Thinking maybe I should plant wetland rice?

Gene

Still about the same here also, Gene.  Rain, rain, and more rain.  We did get  some drying last Friday and Saturday.  That enabled me to very carefully mow about 1/3 of the grass on Sunday.  The ground was still too soft, so had to be very careful about turns to avoid tearing up the sod.  Putting it off another day was not an option as the rain was forecast to start again Sunday night and last most of the week. We finally are seeing our first sunshine today, so my fingers are crossed.

Charlie V.

Rain stopped about noon on Wednesday and beautiful day here today. No clouds and light winds. Mowed the rest around the barnyard today and tried the airstrip, but it is too wet still. Doesn't really need mowed anyhow.

Spent yesterday wallowing around in the mud loading old barn beams on the trailer from a barn the Amish tore down. Hauled them to Arcanum, Ohio for the guy who bought them. Had a track hoe there to load them and was the only thing that could maneuver in the mud. Made a little extra money for the upcoming Portland swap meet.

Been watching Ralph's weather and looks like he is having an ideal drying day at 70 degrees and 22 mph winds. He may be getting in the dryer fields already. Probably working in short sleeve shirt.  

Gene

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Been watching Ralph's weather and looks like he is having an ideal drying day at 70 degrees and 22 mph winds. He may be getting in the dryer fields already. Probably working in short sleeve shirt.  

Gene

Not quite Gene, but I did take off the parka . Been out burning the rows of flax straw from last fall as the ground is finally firm enough, most places, to support a tractor. Still a lot of ground under water but theres hope for the rest. By now you have probably seen my video of plowing around in the mud with the Massey disker. I keep reading how bad it is in the U.S. with flooded areas and more rain coming. Wondering just how much corn is going to get planted or will it get too late and more soybeans have to be planted instead.

Ralph;

Here in Ohio, the corn crop will be alright as long as it gets planted before the last week of May. Talked to some of the farmers and none are exchanging seed for shorter season varieties yet. Late planted will not dry as well this fall and gas prices for the dryers will be a big factor. Still getting enough rain to slow the drying, but still hope. The tiles here are running pretty well and that water is getting away. Had a light shower yesterday morning and another 1/4 inch yesterday evening.

We are not experiencing the devastating floods as along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, but the local rivers are still out of their banks. All low lying areas have standing water and likely will be farmed around. Walked out across my lawn this morning and still pretty squishy and puddles in the low areas. No grass mowing this weekend. We could sure use some warm, dry and windy weather. Supposed to warm up next week, but more chance of rain nearly every day.

Gene