October rains and temperatures

We are having autumn rains finally! This is the first rain this month. Will this bring on cooler temps, though? We've had higher-than-normal temps all month so far. It's nice now, but this could also bring dryer days ahead, and potential wildfires later.


Fri
1
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Hi
93°F
Lo
58°F
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0in.

Sat
2
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Hi
94°F
Lo
53°F
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0.02in.

3
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88°F
Lo
59°F
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0in.

4
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84°F
Lo
59°F
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0.06in.

5
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82°F
Lo
57°F
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0in.

6
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86°F
Lo
56°F
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0in. -- row 2 --

7
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Hi
86°F
Lo
51°F
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8
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86°F
Lo
47°F
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0in. -- row 2 --

9
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85°F
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43°F
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0in.

10
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83°F
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43°F
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0in. -- row 2 --

11
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83°F
Lo
45°F
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12
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84°F
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46°F
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0in. -- row 2 --
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87°F
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50°F
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0in.

14
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86°F
Lo
57°F
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0in.


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84°F
Lo
58°F
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0.02in. -- row 2 --
16
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79°F
Lo
46°F
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0in.
-- row 2 --
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80°F
Lo
44°F
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18
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77°F
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55°F
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0in. -- row 2 --
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77°F
Lo
43°F
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0in. -- row 2 --
20
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73°F
Lo
47°F
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69°F
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44°F
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22
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69°F
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41°F
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23

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72°F
Lo
39°F
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0in.
-- row 2 --
24
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Hi
77°F
Lo
40°F
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25
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79°F
Lo
46°F
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0in. -- row 2 --
26
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78°F
Lo
42°F
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27
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77°F
Lo
46°F
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0in. -- row 2 --
28
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81°F
Lo
49°F
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29
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85°F
Lo
43°F
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0in.

30
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86°F
Lo
49°F
Precip (in)
0in.

31
OBSERVED
Hi 78
Low 40F

My Burpee blueberry plants have arrived

They were in a small package when we got back from a short hike. The package was not damaged and leaning against our front door. Each foot-tall plant was individually wrapped in packing paper. The roots were moist. Everything looked good.

I transplanted them shortly after dinner.

I was disappointed in the plants once I unpacked them . All six show brown spots on their leaves. Some of the leaves are dead. All the roots are crowded. I paid $12 per plant and was expecting healthy-looking plants like I am used to getting via High Country Gardens. Not so.

I packed each plant into its own five-gallon pot to give them space to grow. I hope they all survive the winter.

Another container (not a Burpee) held eight grubs near the bottom. I fed them all to the birds. If these plants die on me, that's it for me and blueberries in the high desert.

Fall has arrived

One thing about living here in the desert are the mild seasons. It's been two weeks of mild autumn weather. Walking the dogs at night or early in the morning has been refreshing. It's just cool enough (low 60s) to refrain from a jacket, yet warm enough to enjoy the temperatures without bundling up.

Yesterday I didn't walk the dogs until I came home from class at 9:30pm. It had turned windier and lighting was coming up from Mexico. A slight mist fell but it wasn't hard enough to get me wet. It was noticably cooler though. I may plant a few more spinach rows if I'm not working today.

This morning it's raining hard and we have our first below 60F morning. I guess I'm not jogging or walking the dogs today! Hopefully all the shurbs outside are enjoying this extra water.

01: 93/58
02: 94/52 .02"
03: 88/59
04: 84/59
05: 81/61

Time to plant the fall harvest

I dug up the old cabbage patch earlier today. The patch had been abandoned over a year ago and last year's plants were still standing, albeit heavily holed by grasshoppers. I tore those out, cut them up and placed them in our compost pile. I found a few grubs while tilling the soil which I saved for the birds that were watching me from the nearby palm tree.

I tilled enough for two small rows of red cabbage. That's about ten plants. I placed a cage over the seeds so that the cat wouldn't be tempted to pee in my patch (since I caught him in the act anyway; luckily I had a hose ready).

It's still so beautifully mild here. A rain storm allegedly is due later around Tucson but that doesn't mean we'll get one here 75 miles further southeast. There are dark clouds over the mountains, though, and it's hot outside: 77F at 35% humidity so we may get some rain. That's fine with me.

I love this weather. Earlier I got carried away with photographing a few hummingbirds in the front yard.