It has not been a pleasant August.
There have been nice cool mornings off and on, but the afternoons are in the low 90s and it's so dry. The air runs most of the day, windows closed. This morning the smoke from wildfires is bad again and the house is closed up.
No measurable rain at all this summer, nothing since July 14 when we got half an inch after a month before that of nothing. It rained enough to wet the patio for five minutes when Greg was here on the 25th, but it was over quickly and nothing even measured in the rain gauge.
There have been sprinkles at times and daily dark cloud threats and rain all around us but localized. Nothing over us. Monsoon season has been decent, although the fire north of us still rages. But our little patch has had nothing.
I water and water daily in addition to running the irrigation four times a week. I'm keeping most things alive well enough, although several are struggling, others look grim, and the newest things planted last year and this summer haven't grown.
We go away to California in a week. We'll be gone seven days. The irrigation will run, but it doesn't keep the smaller plants moist enough and doesn't reach some vulnerable plants. The pots won't be watered for a week.
I'm ready to give up.