Saturday, May 4, 2013

Frosty Hollow

Here is what I saw as the sun started coming up: 28.9 degrees Fahrenheit.  That temperature reading was coming from a sensor  outside, exposed to the open sky.



















It was colder Friday morning.  Here is a photo of my car's roof at 6:12 AM Friday.
















Here is what it looked like on Saturday morning at 7:08 AM.  Not as much frost, but the air was drier and the temperature reading about 1 degree lower.














A friend here in Glen Rose lives up on the mesa, about 220 feet higher (860 vs. 640 feet above sea level).  The top of the ridge is 1200 feet, so he is on the relatively flat escarpment below the limestone outcrops that punctuate the gently rising landscape as one travels west.  As a crow flies, he is only 6 miles away.  Still, he saw no frost this week.  Further, all his vines are carrying fruit, now.  In short, his vines are 2 or 3 weeks ahead of mine, and every vine has fruit.

That is the difference between 'frosty hollow' and the normal world.  I wouldn't trade, though.  I get significant late frost 3 years out of 4.  My friend gets one once in 4 years.  That isn't enough to breed for late frosts.  If you want to breed a reliable Texas producer, Frosty Hollow is the place to be.