The scurs couldn’t miss last week as it rained just at the mere mention of precipitation. Will our rainy stretch continue? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny becoming partly cloudy with a fair chance of some evening showers. Highs near 60 and lows around 50. Mostly cloudy on Thursday with a continued chance of showers. Highs again around 60 and lows dropping to 45. Friday, partly cloudy and starting a warming trend with a slight chance of showers. Highs of 65 and lows of 50. Saturday, partly cloudy with a slight chance of a shower. Highs of 70 and lows of 55. Partly cloudy and much warmer on Sunday and Monday with a continued slight chance of a shower. Highs 80 – 85 and lows around 65. Tuesday should be mostly sunny with a high of 85 and lows near 55. The normal high for June 1st is 75 and the normal low is 54. The scurs will be checking to see who monkeyed with the thermostat and that the calendar says that it really is May and not March.
There are many astronomical events coming at us this week. First, the Full Moon for the month falls on the 4th, being known as the Full Strawberry Moon. Both the Sioux and Ojibwe were in agreement on this one and it’s no wonder. The wild strawberries, while small, are tasty morsels for young and old to enjoy and savor. We will have another partial eclipse of the moon on the 4th as well. The only problem is the moon will be setting as it is going on, similar to the last one. The eclipse will start about 3:46 a.m. and the moon will set at 5:40 a.m. The most exciting and unusual event involves the transit of Venus across the face of the sun on June 5th. Just as we mentioned before, it is never a good idea to look directly at the sun so it will probably be most safely viewed on TV. The transit will begin at 5:04 p.m. and will be halfway across the sun by 8:26 p.m. just before sunset. The thing that makes this event so unique is the fact it will not happen again until 2117. If you miss it, better mark your calendars. For more information go to: www.astro.umn.edu/venustransit.
More rainfall in the last week at the ranch and all over the greater Bugtussle area. We tallied 3.08” at the ranch and other places were showing similar amounts. Prior to the rains were strong winds gusting to over 40 mph that were responsible for windblown soil capable of causing crop damage. The jury is still out on a few of these fields although most are recovering. Even though the rains were spread over the course of five days, the common denominator with most of the rainfall has been the intensity with which it has fallen. It has caused more gully erosion and will make these fields rough to traverse once they become dry enough. Something that has been surprising however is the slow pace of the wetlands to become fully recharged. The wetland here at the ranch still is not at full capacity despite the nearly 6 inches of precipitation that has fallen in May.
Around the ranch it’s been interesting to watch the new babies of all sorts as they make their appearance. There are four young fox squirrels content to clean up under the birdfeeders. They of course drive Ruby crazy as they play on her turf and she goes after them with a vengeance, exploding through the door once it’s opened a crack. The kestrels in the wetland continue to develop rapidly. After being little fuzz balls a week ago, they’ve already grown the brown feathers typical of young kestrels on their backs. As fast as they’re growing, one can see Ma and Pa Kestrel nearby most of the time. They almost have to be in order to keep that tribe fed.
At the kindly neighbor’s, I’ve been greeted by a killdeer feigning injury every night when stopping on my way home to check the ewes there. Couldn’t figure out where the babies might be that she was trying to protect until I almost stepped in the nest. Tucked in the large crushed rock, the coloration of the eggs made it almost undetectable. I marked it with a small piece of orange plastic so we didn’t step in it. Later in the weekend I was trimming under the fences at the kindly neighbor’s and checking on bluebird nesting boxes as I went along. The nesting box that has hosted bluebirds for many years was occupied by a house sparrow nest, which I quickly dispatched. Two other nesting boxes contained tree swallows, which are always welcome, especially when the biting flies and mosquitoes are out. The last house I came to had been unoccupied last year so I was pleasantly surprised to peer inside and see a female bluebird on the nest staring up at me. I thought about photographing her but slowly closed the lid and latched it instead. They had come back again just as they always had and I didn’t want to do anything that might make them change their minds.
The garden, lawn and weeds also continue to grow, well, like weeds! On Memorial Day it had been a while since the last mowing due to dry conditions so the bromegrass (June grass for you old-timers) was heading out making the lawn look more like a poor excuse for a hayfield. There needs to be some serious time spent soon in the carrot and beet patch as the weeds are threatening to take over. The beets in particular are a little thin so they need all the help they can get. Six flats of vine crop transplants were planted Sunday in the mud after the Saturday downpour. They were fortunate to be watered in with the overnight showers in the wee hours of Monday morning. Even after a windy Memorial Day, they looked none the worse for wear, showing no signs of moisture stress. As wet as the soil is and with cooler temps forecast in the near term, they should be in good shape. Now all that’s left to plant are some sweet corn, cukes, tomatoes and string beans. Oh and one hill of zucchini. Should be several years’ supply right there.
See you next week…real good then.