Mon 6/1 – Sun 7/31/26 (2 months) rural Central Oregon High Desert             
In June, there were 4 days of measurable rain in June totaling 0.16” and 3 other days each with a trace of rain – only a few drops within 2- to 5-minute events.  July precip was not measurable, being comprised of 4 days with only a trace of rain each time.  Thunderstorms passing nearby were associated with a few of the trace-rain events.  One of the nearby storms was among the 7/15 system of thunderstorms that passed through central and northeastern Oregon resulting in thousands of lightning strikes and numerous subsequent wildfires. The only effect that day at this location was a barely noticeable trace of rain.  

The natural/undeveloped soil and plant life in this area have become quite dry; native flowering groundcover went to seed earlier than normal in June.  A few more pine trees on this property have begun to appear drought-stressed and/or beetle-infested during the last couple months (with the understanding that these conditions develop from the prior year’s stressors).  The typical insect/bug life is unusually sparse for this time of year such as garden and home pests such as flea beetles, locusts, grasshoppers, evening moths, mosquitos, yellow jackets, and flies.  Sadly, I have not seen a honey bee or a bumblebee.  There are fewer numbers of robins, chickadees and woodpeckers – and none of the little blue birds that used to nest here annually.  Chipmunks have been scarce, despite obvious access to the greenhouse veg’s and newly seeded lawn (still being watered.  Only grey squirrels. Mule deer, the resident quail family, native bees, garden spiders and blackbirds have been observed in what appears to me to be in their usual numbers and habits.   

Light to moderate haze from wildfires has been mostly visible, but not noticeably at ground level since the 7/15 thunderstorms noted above (and others that followed).  Smoke incursions have been mostly light and brief (a couple hours or less).  The public lands were under Stage 1 public use restrictions this period until being upgraded to Stage 2 effective Sat 7/25 in response to the consistently hot, dry weather conditions and low precip.