> Light rain only wets the top soil. Our subsoil moisture is gone. USDA says
> dry powder five feet down in the worst areas.

That was the UK last year - now we are awash!

We were in a drought situation in March, but April gave more than double the 
normal rainfall and June was the wettest on record.  July is looking no 
better with torrential downpours reminscent of some tropical countries; many 
places have had more than a month's rain in just a few hours - and not just 
once!

Today was an exception here with warm and extremely humid conditions - the 
bees were out en masse taking advantage!

Our crop this year looks like being the worst since I started beekeeping 
over 30 years ago and I have never seen so much swarming, presumably caused 
by the bees being confined for such long periods.  Many beekeepers have been 
feeding constantly through the 'summer' and I have even heard of starvation 
swarms.  Our National Bee Unit has warned beekeepers to be vigilant as they 
have been finding starving and even dead colonies.

Best wishes

Peter
52.194546, -1.673618 

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