Incoming Hail

The dreaded H-word, hail, has been mentioned in the forecast for today a number of times. It hasn't happened yet but we'll see. The weather seems right for it. We've had some cool days and it was cool this morning. The skies are dark and a storm wind has been blowing and now it's warm. It has all the makings of a good, strong storm. Welcome to the life of a farmer; wait and see.

Over the past week I've learned over and over not to take the weatherman at his or her word. I cannot take the weather for granted. It may be sunny one day but that doesn't mean it will continue to be sunny. And the reverse is true as well. Just because it's stormy looking doesn't mean it will storm or that it won't clear up. I have already learned a few times that just because it looks like it will rain doesn't mean it will. There have been times I've had to get my lazy butt moving because what I thought would be a leisurely rainy day turned into a productive no rain (and even sunny) day. Farmers tend to play roulette with the weather. Just one more row, those clouds don't look really black, these rain drops are that big. That sort of thing. I always thought that was dumb. Why risk getting struck by lightening? Now I see why. Weather isn't always as bad as it makes itself out to be. It may look like a gloomy day but that doesn't mean you can't get something done.

Here's an example for you; it was supposed to pour last night and so I resigned myself to greenhouse work today. As I was calmly seeding my next planting of broccoli my fellow farmer, Jeff, walked in with his employees all in their raincoats. Curious I asked what they were up to. Surely, they weren't out in the fields trying to plant or do any tractor work. The weather was threatening! Jeff replied they were covering their lettuce with fabric stretched over hoops in case it actually did hail. Wow! what a great idea, I thought. But too bad I didn't do that earlier. I couldn't go out and do that now with my own lettuce. The weather was threatening. Hail was supposed to come that afternoon and I had already promised to meet my sister for lunch. It was just too late. Hopefully my lettuce wouldn't get too shredded. Oh well, I thought as I shrugged my shoulders. Something to do next time.

Yet, after my lunch with my sister it still hadn't hailed nor had it even rained. The weather was still threatening, but I started thinking, what if I tried to cover up my lettuce now? sure it may start raining while I'm out there, but even if I get just a little done I may save some of my crop.

Well, I went out there, got it all done and it didn't rain a drop on me and there was no hail to be seen.

So, don't take the weather for granted. You can get a lot done under cloudy skies!