Got a recipe for that fudge?

It's the Carnation Famous Fudge recipe. I lost my copy but found one on a website again somewhere. Very good stuff.

Scott,

I'm watching the forecast models and hoping. I am more hopeful now than I was a couple of days ago. I sure hope the weather cools down and brings rainfall.

Below 60? Seriously? We're just happy on nights it is dropping below 70! I think we have a couple more days of hundred-degrees-plus before we get a break here, if the forecast stays the way it looks tonight.

I'm really, really ready for the weather to break. Hopefully it will break before I do!

Dawn

Even the NWS has fell in line now. They are mostly saying Wed will be 100 or above and then upper 90's or lower all the rest. Just Sunday the NWS had 4 days starting today all 100 or over. I will just wait to see it. We have been promised it so long here. Like a mirage. It has just kept moving. A week earlier would of really helped my fruit set. I will spray my plants one more time. And hope for a late frost. One long range forecast is showing lows in the 40's about 10 days out. Don't need that yet. Jay

Yeah, it looks like I am coming home a day early. Tried a get away to see the grand kids:

{{gwi:1127311}}

and now, I have to come back on the hottest day of the week for me. LOL

Coming home on Wednesday.

Moni

Moni, They are still beautiful children like they were when they were babies...and growing fast.

Here is the forecast we all dream about each summer. It just keeps getting better and better. Even if it doesn't cool off this much, it sould still be a great week:

Here is a link that might be useful: Tulsa forecast

I'm so jealous! We have high heat warnings with temps above 110, lows near 90 all this week. No end in sight until the Friday of next week, ten days from now. Really ready for this summer to be over!
I'm really glad you guys are getting cooler weather though. Sure hope you get some rain!

Scott I agree. I'm attaching ours. It just keeps getting better. Even if it just gets within 5 degrees or so of the predicted highs I will be tickled and the tomatoes should really take off. Jay

Here is a link that might be useful: Ten day forecast

Moni, The kids are growing so fast! Hope y'all had a wonderful visit with one another.

Scott, All week long I've said "I'll believe it when I see it", in terms of the weather actually cooling down. This is the fourth week in a row that they forecast a cool-down 8-10 days out and then it just disappeared and never happened. I think this one is going to happen!

If we hit 100 degrees today as forecast, it will be our 71st day this year at or over 100. Maybe it will be our last. I sure hope so. However they're saying 99 for Friday and Saturday, so hitting 100 on those two days is still a possibility.

I am sooooo ready for the cooler weather. It has gradually, though very slowly, cooled down this month with each week's high temps being sightly cooler than those from the week before though still over 100 except on two days when it rained. Usually by now the heat has broken and we are significantly cooler by the time September arrives. The cooldown is a bit late this year, but better late than never.

Tracey, You have my sympathy. We just had our hottest August ever and even though we are cooler now than earlier in August, we still are much hotter than average.

Some parts of Oklahoma have been getting a bit of rain, especially in NE OK, but rainfall is scarce here and our forecast doesn't show us seeing much rain any time soon. This week our forecast gave us a decent chance of rain on several days, but we only got 7/100s of an inch. However, the lightning started a wildfire that turned ugly really quickly. I would love to have some pouring rain! It has to happen soon or later.

Jay, I'd trade my forecast for yours in a heartbeat! I hope the nights stay warm enough that you get some good fruitset and then I hope your first freeze stays away for a long time so you get oodles of fruit.

Dawn

Fall must be right around the corner, Walmart has started putting out the halloween candy and BigLots is discounting last year's.

Eanny meany chili beani, the spirits are about to speak !!

THIS YEAR POPSICLES WILL BE THE MOST POPULAR TRICK OR TREAT

This was our hottest August, ever, too. When AZ has their hottest August, you know it's hot! It's looking like the ten day forecast is the same, 110+, and 90 degree lows.
Watching Northern Exposure reruns at night. Alaska looks like a pretty nice place to live right now!

PHJ, This is Oklahoma. It might be snowing on Halloween!

Tracy, I don't think I could take another 110-degree day, so it is a good thing I'm here and not there. Some of our worst fires were on days when the high was 110 to 113. You couldn't pour enough fluid down the firefighers to keep them properly hydrated on those days. It was exactly the same situation at home too---I could water endlessly and the plants still were sad, pathetic and pitiful-looking anyway.

So many of the plants here are in just awful shape. If we don't get some good autumn rains, the wildflowers will be worse next year than they were this year, and they weren't that great this year.

Today I watched several truckloads of cattle pulling into one of the local cattle auction facilities (the one on Refinery Rd. in Gainesville, TX). Everyone is culling and culling and culling because of the cost of buying hay for the entire winter and hauling water.

We were at a rangeland fire a couple of days ago and I was shocked at how sparse the grass was before it burned. The landowner's son told me "we didn't have any grass left before the fire came" and I could see that in small unburned patches on the perimeter of the burned area. All that was left was anything that cows and grasshoppers won't eat, so lots of bull nettle, buffalo bur and red pigweed.

I'm still looking forward to the cooldown. Nothing around here will look better, but it sure ought to feel better. We "only" hit 100 today and it was wonderful. It didn't really feel that hot at all! Hooray! Our forecast for tomorrow was raised from 99 to 100, so I guess we'll have at least one more triple-digit day. I can stand it as long as I know relief is coming.

On our first 90-something degree day, I'm going to wear long pants.....just because I haven't worn them in so long.

I know we won't get as cool down here as Scott and others will get up in NE OK, but any cool spell will be very welcome. I'm starting to look forward to the first frost! It likely is a long way off, but I want to experience feeling cold again after feeling hot for so long.

Dawn

Dawn I had a great time with the kids, but miss them worse now. I know how you feel about long pants. I actually took a pair along to ABQ, but didn't need them.

However, it does cool down there at night, and that was really appreciated.

Some day soon I hope, the heat of the summer is gone for this year.

Moni

I'm afraid I'll jinx it, so I won't comment on the forecast. :-) Here is what the National Weather Service in Tulsa just issued regarding the last 3 months...

...SUMMER 2011 TEMPERATURES A RECORD FOR MANY LOCATIONS...

THE CLIMATOLOGICAL SUMMER...JUNE THROUGH AUGUST...2011 WILL GO
INTO THE RECORD BOOKS AS THE HOTTEST EVER FOR MANY LOCATIONS
ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. FORT SMITH...MCALESTER...
AND FAYETTEVILLE ALL SAW THE HOTTEST SUMMER EVER...WHILE TULSA
OFFICIALLY FINISHED WITH THE SECOND HOTTEST SUMMER IN 2011. FOR
THE ENTIRE STATE OF OKLAHOMA...2011 WILL BE RECORDED AS THE
HOTTEST EVER...AS WELL. STATISTICS FOR EACH SITE INCLUDE...

CITY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE SUMMER 2011/RANK OLD RECORD/YEAR

TULSA 87.6/ 2ND 88.0/ 1980
FORT SMITH 88.2/ 1ST 85.7/ 1936
MCALESTER 87.6/ 1ST 86.2/ 1934
FAYETTEVILLE 81.9/ 1ST 81.4/ 1980
BARTLESVILLE 84.1/ 5TH 87.6/ 1934

FOR THE ENTIRE STATE...THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 86.8 WAS ALL TIME
RECORD FOR THE SUMMER. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS AN AVERAGE OF 85.2 WHICH
OCCURRED IN 1934.

THESE STATISTICS WERE COMPILED USING DATA FROM THE OKLAHOMA
CLIMATOLOGICAL SURVEY...AND NOAA'S NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER.

They moved our forecast for today up from low 90's to upper 90's from 1-2 days ago but still holding firm on a cool down starting tomorrow. Guess my garden has no choice but to stand it for one more day. I've been watering this morning before I head to Dodge to pick up a JD riding mower I bought at an auction. Not sure why I bought a mower for except that it was cheap and that I still have hope it will rain again here someday. Evidently the way the prices have dropped on them many think it may never rain in SW KS again. All the plants looked better this morning. I'm sure this evening after another hot and windy one they will look ragged again. 70's by Sunday may put them into shock if it really happens. Just hoping for normal fall temps with a late frost. Several greenies now that just need time. Jay

The NWS has made it pretty official, y'all, by issuing a Special Weather Statement a little while ago to tell it us it is going to cool down. Woo hoo! Apparently they don't realize Scott told us days ago that the cooldown was coming. : )

I'm just relieved it is almost here.

The last 3 or 4 mornings have been uncommonly cool and pleasant, though still in the upper 70s around sunrise, so you could feel the change coming.

Another way to tell? So far, our actual high today is only one degree higher than our forecast high. On many days this summer, the actual has gone several degrees higher than the forecast. Thus, only being one degree higher must foretell the cooling of the weather, right?

Now, if only that high pressure centered over TX/OK would get out of the way and let some rain fall here.

I'm not quite ready to break out the sweaters, but it appears autumn is here beginning this weekend.

If any of you have lows in the 40s as referenced in the Special Weather Statement, I want to hear about it! I cannot even remember what 40 degrees feels like.

Here is a link that might be useful: Special Weather Statement

Dawn, I'm not sure i could handle the 40's this soon.I'll probably have to have a long sleeve shirt for the 80's.

Robert, I probably couldn't handle it either, but wouldn't it be great to try and see what it felt like?

We had a tiny sprinkle of rain this morning. It was about 80 degrees when it fell, and those raindrops felt cold! After a summer of hot, I have to say that cold felt marvelous!

We've only had one fire here today too, which surely is a good sign as well. (Likely because our relative humidity and dewpoint were higher than they have been lately.)

I'm watching Tropical Storm Lee down there along the Gulf Coast and wishing he was coming our way. Of course, he isn't.

Dawn

Another 112 day here but I see some 99s towards the end of the ten day forecast! And, some high 70s for the lows at the end of the next week, too! Woo Hoo!
We haven't had any rain since mid- July, without flood irrigation I'd be in a world of hurt.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Oh my gosh!!!! it is cool out!!!!...
and I have my warm fleece robe on, and wool socks and leg warmers!!!
:) LOL, of course, I slept with my windows open.

I LOVE this!

I came in to check the computer, and thermometer. 8:00 AM, sun is shinning and 62 degrees. I must have awakened in another world.

I walked outside to a cool and balmy 67 degrees around 7 a.m. I think our official low was 61 but I slept through that part.
From looking at the Minimum Temperature Map, I wonder if Jay was shivering when he went outside this morning?

The only downside to this wonderful cool front is all the really bad wild-driven fires, more so in Texas than in Oklahoma though there were some here too, yesterday and with more expected today. Hundreds of homes were lost and there were a few fire-related deaths in Texas. My heart goes out to everyone there.

In Love County we do not have a Red Flag Fire Warning, but the Texas County that surrounds my part of Love County on three sides does have one, so I'll be watching the weather and the skies very carefully today.

I'm heading outside shortly to mow the grass down about as short as I can. All summer, we mowed it higher than average to shade the ground and help keep the soil more cool and moist. Now that the weather has cooled and gusty winds raise the fire danger even higher, we'll be mowing and weed-eating all day to cut everything down really short. It is a good day to remove the now brown-and-dry cattails from the edges of the dry ponds too. The fires we fought in recent days were so fast-moving that one of the few defenses we have against them is to cut vegetation as short as we can in order to leave less fuel for any wildfires that occur.

Our cats and dogs don't know what to think. They were running madly around the property in the cool morning air and seemed slightly baffled by the fact that the weather changed so much so quickly.

The hummingbird migration is picking up a lot. I suspect they're being pushed south by the cooler temps. Our feeders are emptying out much more quickly this week than last week. I hope all the folks south of us have their feeders out to help the hummingbirds feed as they make their way across drought-parched Texas.

Tracy, Your turn is coming soon. I bet 99 will feel pretty good after all those days you've had in the 110s and higher!

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Today's Minimum Temperature Map

It was 57 at 7 am today. What happened to our transition temps? We didn't get many mornings in the 60s, just BOOM into the 50s. I actually put on socks today for the first time in a long time.

Dawn, our dogs are like different animals. They were actually running this morn. Even the 12 yr old dog was playing like a puppy.

Inside my little coldframes, the second planting of lettuce, bok choy and spinach is up--somehow a grasshopper got in and ate the first one--and the fall radishes are doing ok, tho they've been nibbled on a bit too. They're not protected.

We spent the day at our son's house in Osage County and it was a beautiful day. Al and DIL had a fishing contest at their pond, but I just sat on the bank and watched.

They had let a neighbor come in and cut the grass that they don't cut with the lawn mower, and they were baling that today along with a field next to his. So I watched the farmers, the fisherman, and the dogs, and was glad to just sit in the sun and do nothing except to enjoy the cooler weather.

When the haying stopped my son and husband did a little target shooting and I moved to the shade so I wouldn't be a target. LOL It was a nice relaxing day outdoors for a change.

My DIL had her first garden this year which was just a few raised beds but she had pretty good luck with it. Today she picked beans and cucumbers while I was there, and I could see several jack-o-lantern pumpkins peeking through. Her tomato plants still look strong but she hasn't had many fruits from them. Since they are still healthy, I think she will still probably get fruit. She feels she has learned enough to expand next year.

Lettuce, I seem to remember a time when I grew that.

Summer to late fall in 2 days. We are 53.1 right now. Yesterday morning was 47.6 for a low. Supposed to be the lowest for awhile. I sure hope so. Went from AC at night to covers in a day. The mornings have felt good but the wind has stayed. Finally dropped enough I could spray a little yesterday. Need to do more but since the temp drop the wind has blown most of the time. No rain. A chance today. It is green and pretty at my sisters 20 miles away.

Took all of the shade covers down. The last 7-10 days of heat took their toll on some things and plants. For some reason the okra never took off like I expected it too in the heat but the peppers overall are very happy and sure loaded. I will have one huge harvest from mid to late Sept. if nothing changes. I've been picking several to lighten the load on the plants and to also sample some of the new to me varieties. I will be adding pics to my photobucket site over the next few days so if interested go take a peek. Jay

Here west of Austin it has been two gorgious beautiful days. I wish I could enjoy it better but I have been not sleeping because of a 7000 acre fire bearing down on me. No sleep or sleep in shifts, I should say. I turned my ankle in the middle of the first night during our first evacuation notice. We did not obey. The announcement that they had no one to protect structures and their resources were stretched thin as could be and the fire was still 7 miles away. 4 close friends lost their homes the first day. The ones that staid have a home. The fire got within 1 1/2 miles of me. I am glad that I my resolve was not truly tested. . We were always under the smoke plume, but to the side. I wanted to enjoy the cool weather but the wind was a good 30- 40 mph. It was crazy. I can get on the hill near my house and see 5 fire plumes as I look around. Today is the first day that I feel kind of safe but I will leave my car packed up. Today I am enjoying the cool weather, fresh air, and one 4 mph gust during the whole day. 12% humidity and 93 degrees. I was able to work.

You know you are are having strange weather when you look at the Mesonet Air Temperature and the highest temperature in the State is in the panhandle. LOL

Jay, I did the same thing with my peppers today. Al and I picked two WM bags of sweet peppers and half a bag of hots. My plants have a lot of blooms so I thought that might give them half a chance to mature.