The extremes of weather in Kansas

If Aguanomics can post a picture of a pretty lake in droughty California, I can post a picture of a desert in rain-filled NW Kansas!  This radical rainfall difference being experienced between parts of California and SE Texas and NW Kansas is indicative of the extreme variability of precipitation in the Western US.  But if the truth be known, it is actually more the norm - at least for NW Kansas. 

In 2002 Thomas County received an average of just 12.69 inches of annual rainfall.  One of the stations had a low of 9.72 inches for the entire year.  This year, we are to date at a County average of 27.49 inches - with 4 months yet to go.  In case you don't know, the long-term average is 18 inches for Colby - which is rarely ever received.  Feast or famine is our rainfall lot it seems.  All we can do is enjoy it while it lasts, because the drier times are somewhere out there.

All the extra rain does have it's disadvantages.  I just took my schnauzer to the vet for a swollen hind foot today.  Seems the cheatgrass is particularly bad this year with all the moisture, and she had some of it worked into her foot and it managed to get infected.  $63.00 this darned rain cost me.  I actually have no cheatgrass in my yard, but without having to water much at all this summer, I have been taking the dog for walks with all my spare time!   Actually, I'm loving every minute of it!