The monsoon season is also known as the rainy season, coming about due to a shift in wind directions that bring excessive rainfall. Right up from the Gulf of Mexico to us.
July is our monsoon season, some years it misses us all together, but we’ve been lucky. The other side of the Continental Divide in our state (Colorado) is very, very dry.
On the other hand all the moisture is causing havock with the second cutting of hay. If the alfalfa is cut then rained on you can pretty much weep tears. Rained on hay loses much of it’s food value.
Once cut it takes around 6-7 days of hot drying weather, less if you can get hot drying weather with a little wind. Then the good weather has to hold with enough moisture (dew) in the morning to bale. Baling with dew is good for it keep the little leaves attached to the stem of the plant. The little leaves are where the food value is…a dry old stem is pretty much like eating straw.
Terry’s cutting the small field today…it’s suppose to be nice for about six or seven days in a row so he is chancing it.
Then on Friday or Saturday he will cut the large field.
After that we hold our breath hoping the rain stays away until we get it baled and stacked.
One nice thing about the weather…the sky is ever so dramatic!
Then after each wild storm rolls through the sun comes out and there is a rainbow!
🙂
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 
Incredible pictures. You make rain look so inviting.
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I hope the rain holds off while Terry is cutting and baling hay. Hopefully it will come our way — we could use it. You did, however, get some very dramatic (and beautiful) sky shots during your monsoons.
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I love watching storms. That’s one of my joys now that I live out of the forest – I have an almost 360 degree view of skies, like those you showed. Nice shots!
I know you love the moisture… just hope you can get that second cutting in before/between storms!
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Yay for rainbows! 😀
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I will pray that the rains stay AWAY from you all for at least 6-7 days–or longer… I hope that Terry gets the hay cut, baled and stacked!!!!!
Great pictures… Even if we don’t like having the rain around at times, we do need it… And as you say, it makes for some fabulous pictures.
Love the rainbow one–and the one with the sunbeams shining through.
Hugs,
Betsy
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That looks so good!! I need to see some rain soon or I’m just going to lose it. Put me in rain for 3-4 days and I’ll be glad to get back to the heat. Your weather looks beautiful!
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The guys are cutting the hay as I type this. Hope the hot dry weather holds off for a while for us too!!
I do enjoy the beautiful rainbows out there!!!
Its stifling hot here in SD. Unbearable and I am not out in it much. My heart goes out to all people and animals out in this cooker.
The plants too. They also look h.o.t.
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Wonderful pictures. I particularly like the ones of rain coming down from the clouds.
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You guys are so dependent on the right weather. I hope it is kind to you. They sure are dramatic pictures.
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I prayed for a good monsoon season when we lived in Arizona. Here is East Texas we just need it to rain but not go crazy with it. i.e. hurricane.
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We have had some torrential rain here – just when we should be having good summer weather!
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The best word I can think of for your photos is ‘majestic’.
Simply amazing…
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I love the rainy window photo. Also, I never knew that rained on hay would lose nutritional value.
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Ah rain, I remember rain. 🙂 I guess in this instance it’s good to have the weatherfolk at least guess at a long term forecast. I knew it (hay) wasn’t good to be rained on, but didn’t know that a little dew was good for it.
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Love the rain pictures. If I could just wish myself into those photos, I’d be a happy wet camper. We need it so much. Maybe this weekend. There’s a hurricane in the Mexico area coming up. Fingers are crossed.
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Hope the weather works with what you need it to be………..for me, here in Texas, I just wanted to reach out and touch that rain………..we are in such a desperate need of moisture right now. Love the rainbow! Have a great weekend!
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