The good news today is that our string of 100 degree plus days could come to an end.

We will hope.

Fires rage around our area. Maryneal has been besieged. Then yesterday on my way home there was another fire south of the interstate between Merkel and Trent. On the way home, a quick glance would make you think it was cloudy. Closer scrutiny would reveal a plume of smoke overhead.

Shortly after midnight in Abilene, our night was shattered with the crack of thunder and the brilliant flash of lightning. While our area was the recipient of a rain shower, other areas received far more moisture accompanied by hail.

This morning it became apparent that the areas experiencing the fires received no relief from the rains.

But we can hope. 50% chance of scattered thuunderstorms this afternoon.

Jason and I met at the FSA office this morning to certify his and Memama's planting acres. Once we completed this, I took Memama's acreage report along with Jason's to the insurance office for processing and to begin a claim.

Sometime today or tomorrow they will call with a date and time to meet the adjuster. Probably between the 6th and the 10th of July.

I am happy to report that my lawn is responding very well to my repair to the lawn sprinkler system. Just goes to show that a good rain would do this area much good.

Lots of farming practices are coming into question. I can remember with my Grandad, we would plow when it got dry to fill the cracks in the earth and prevent further drying out. More modern thinkers say that when the earth cracks, it is opening itself to receive moisture. Many new implements promote minimum tillage and only scarring the hard pan.

I have driven around the farms twice in recent days, looking and wondering. After yesterday's pilgrimage I have even more questions. On one farm that Friday showed some sprouting seed, Monday's inspection revealed dying plants. On one of my brother-in-laws farms north of town I saw small plants , scarce as they may be, emerging from the dry baked ground. I wonder why this little fellow made it when the one next to him never even broke the surface. I can only imagine the shock of emerging to be hit with the heat and wind.

Of course it has always been a quandary, how weeds can thrive in drought while planted crops can't.

That is another dilemma we face. You can't plow or you will erode what little clods are holding the sand from blowing. You can't spray because the weeds are so stressed they don't respond to the chemicals.

There has been lots of discussion about what we need to do when we are blessed with a bountiful rain. Of course first matter of business will be what to do with a crop of roundup ready cotton that has no hope of producing unless that rain comes very soon. Then we become stewards of the land. What must we do to control wind and water erosion.

These are not simple decisions. I have advocated planting a cheap haygrazer, possibly with a fertilizer spreader followed by a harrow or some other light implement, allowing the crop to grow to a height of a couple of feet and spraying it with roundup. This would give us ground cover to prevent blowing sand and water run-off.

It seems comical that we are even talking about run-off because it is going to take a big drink to satiate this ol' earth.

Other suggestions still have more optimistic producers hoping if we fail a cotton crop we can come back with milo or some other cash crop.

Time will tell.

Have a day.

FATHER, we pray for relief, from the heat and the wind. YOU are in control.