San Diego Rainfall 1850-2007

[osideterry]

I found a dated graph, and decided to update it. I added the last three years, put in decades and an average rainfall line. Then I made each below average year red, and each above average year blue. Since I moved to San Diego 9 years ago, 2 years have had at or above average rainfall. There is no pattern, and in fact the period from 1945-1965 is way worse than anything recent.

[sonoranfans]

Terry, the good rainfall for most palms would be the rainfall in the may-sept season.  This year it looks like you so cal guys are gettin some of that.  Should make those bizzies and braheas just glow with happiness.  We in AZ have had really cool temps for this time of year(below 100 F) almost every day, and the humidity has been 50-70%.  It almost makes up for the '07 freeze ....  almost.

[MattyB]

As far as my guage reads, we ain't gettin' none of dat.

[STEVE IN SO CAL]

I got nonna dat, needer.

[osideterry]

I guess I'm a midwest boy who misses Summer thundershowers.

Between the humidity and my overwatering I generated a big blob of slime mold in my lawn this week. I looked it up and the stuff is harmless, but man it's weird. It moves around amoeba-like. It dries to the consistency of soap, and when I hit a bit of it with the mower, it smells like lentil sprouts times 1000.

[happ]

Terry

That grass slime is really weird    What would cause such a thing?

Thanks for the graphic of rainfall stats for San Diego [clearly demonstrates an arid climate.  Also illustrates patterns of dry & wet [mostly dry  

I am concerned that by next summer we will be in deep doo doo land unless miraculous rainfall occurs.  Mandatory limits on water    The state reservoirs are fine into the fall season.  La Nina can mean serious drought for California [hate to see native trees & unwatered palms dying as I drive around  

[osideterry]

Here's a picture from wikipedia tha looks like mine did. Below is a quote from the article:

Slime moulds like Physarum polycephalum are useful for studying cytoplasmic streaming. It has been observed that they can find their way through mazes by spreading out and choosing the shortest path, an interesting example of information processing without a nervous system.

[alex_7b]

I once had a slime mold grow from a pile of ground pine bark that I purchased in bags. Nice yellow colour. Amazing to see for the first time.

[sonoranfans]

(osideterry @ Aug. 02 2007,19:55)

QUOTE

I guess I'm a midwest boy who misses Summer thundershowers.

Between the humidity and my overwatering I generated a big blob of slime mold in my lawn this week. I looked it up and the stuff is harmless, but man it's weird. It moves around amoeba-like. It dries to the consistency of soap, and when I hit a bit of it with the mower, it smells like lentil sprouts times 1000.

Terry, I think people from the san diego area may have the best weather I've ever experienced for humans anyway.  Never too hot, nice breezes, dry summers without the nasty heat.  It just doesnt get any better than that.  Maybe the only place I'd rather live is hawaii(kauai, preferably), and I've never seen a job opening in my area there.  I still regret not taking a job offer there in 1996.

[osideterry]

Not complaining about the mild weather. Just wondering if in 20 years I'll be a big collecters of yuccas and other succulents, with an occasional Phoenix or Butia in the yard. As mentioned in a previous post,  affordable water pumped over 300 miles might not last.

[sonoranfans]

(osideterry @ Aug. 03 2007,12:00)

QUOTE

Not complaining about the mild weather. Just wondering if in 20 years I'll be a big collecters of yuccas and other succulents, with an occasional Phoenix or Butia in the yard. As mentioned in a previous post,  affordable water pumped over 300 miles might not last.

I hear you about that.  In 20 years a whole lot can change inthe southwest.  So cal has a huge population and virtually no local water supply.  Perhaps desalinization research will yield something.  The energy required to desalinize is quite high, but if alternate energy resource development were to be stimulated, there might be an answer to that one.  If only the energy of the sun in the interior Ca desert was harnessed to desalinize, there might be an answer.  The problem is that alternate energy research must continue and accelerate, but there are financial interests(exxon mobil?) that would not want that.  Our politicians need a good kick in the backside and they also need to be cut off from the special interest money.  Its such a mess, I dont trust EITHER party to steward this development until they are disconnected from their money pipelines.  Energy is used in our society to control($$) the population financially, and alternate energy should NOT be developed by the oil companies, which is how congress uses public money now.  I did my post doc at exxon(before exxon merged with mobil) research and believe me, they have NO interest in developing alternate energy, but will gladly take the public money offered by congress.