The scurs had another week of telling it like it is. While the lows came in a little lower than forecast, the rain showed exactly as scripted. What’s this week’s script? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with highs of 55 – 60 and lows of 40. Clear on Thursday and Friday becoming cloudy Friday afternoon with a good chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs of 55 on Thursday with lows of 25. High Friday of 55 and not as cool overnight with lows of 45. Showers and thunderstorms likely on Saturday under cloudy skies. Highs near 60 and lows around 45. Sunday, partly cloudy and pleasant with highs around 60 and lows near 45. Partly cloudy Monday with a slight chance of a shower. Highs of 65 and lows of 45. Partly sunny on Tuesday with highs of 65 and lows near 45. The normal high for October 15th is 61 and the normal low is 37. We will experience 11 hours of daylight on the 15th the same as we normally see on February 26th. The scurs will have their purple Vikings umbrella and refreshments at the ready just in case rain really materializes over the weekend.
Rains would be welcome around most of greater Bugtussle and environs. Crops are generally harvested and it comes as no surprise. With the kind of weather we had in September and so far in October, one would’ve been procrastinating pretty severely to forego the opportunity we had. Tillage has been coming along too although the wear on points and lays keeps the parts men smiling at local implement dealerships. Rain would definitely help cut down on some of that wear and tear as well as giving the soil a little more moisture with which to bind fall anhydrous ammonia. It is still too early for that however, so best keep at the honeydew projects a few more weeks yet.
A few snow pellets hit the ground last Saturday morning and seemed to bring with it a whole host of juncos in the yard at the ranch. The recent cold snap has seen more activity at the birdfeeders once again. Lots of downies, hairies and one immature red-bellied woodpecker. The nuthatches and house finches keep things hopping too along with the reappearance of the leghorn-sized blue jays. The goldfinches are still around but not using the feeders much, tending to feast in the CRP yet as well as checking out the maturity of the sunflowers in the garden.
Speaking of the garden, we finally gave up on covering the tomatoes. The 24-degree Saturday night/Sunday morning low was just a little more than our ragtag assortment of blankets and tarps would handle. It’s still amazing how many appear to be in good enough condition to eat yet. This after we brought in four 5-gallon buckets before the freeze. The vegetables planted back in late July also withstood the freezing temperatures well. The winter radish crop shows little sign it was that cold and ditto with the snap peas and leaf lettuce. The experiment shows every sign of being a success. There are plenty of winter radishes to share, although they really pack a wallop. The leaf lettuce is very crisp and sweet as are the snap peas. It’s time to dig the carrots soon though. Something else has been digging around them and after sharing the rest of the garden with several varmints over the course of the season, I’m not feeling very generous anymore.
It’s been cold. How cold has it been? Cold enough so that after a several-year hiatus, I’ve dug into my outdoor wardrobe and let my face grow long in an attempt to stay warm. This has not been without its drawbacks however. Last week when it cooled down I bundled up well before heading into work. I stopped at the post office and while outside visiting with another gentleman, spied our new pastor coming in. I greeted him warmly and while he acknowledged me with a smile and polite conversation, it wasn’t quite the response I expected. Later that day I was soil sampling in a customer’s field when I spied him and his wife removing some velvetleaf out of the fenceline. It was late afternoon and the sun was beginning to fade somewhat. I got off the 4-wheeler to talk to him and the conversation was very short and really not as friendly as I’d anticipated. Had I done something to tick him off? I mean, I showered that morning, brushed my teeth, used deodorant and everything. I got back on the 4-wheeler and finished sampling the field. I was still somewhat bewildered as I loaded the machine onto the trailer and headed back in for the day.
On Saturday I went into the office to get motivated to brave the elements once again. I was having coffee and chit chatting when suddenly the customer showed up. He wanted to talk to me about something so, after bidding the fellow adieu I’d been talking to, I wondered what was up. When he told me that he hadn’t seen me for s while and when he saw me all bundled up with a face full of whiskers, he simply hadn’t recognized me! I was relieved and actually got a great laugh out of it. On Sunday at church, after ushering, I ventured downstairs and had a chance to quickly chat with our pastor before he left to preach to the Swedes. He confided that while he should’ve remembered the smile, he hadn’t recognized me at first either! Understandable. He’s still a relative newcomer and has probably only seen me when I’m cleaned up. Here I am all bundled up, hat on and a little grubby looking. Of course it probably wouldn’t hurt if I attended church services a little more regularly. All of this has given me a great idea though. If I decide to go out trick or treating this year, I’m just going to dress up as myself. No one will ever know who I am!
See you next week…real good then!