The scurs were in their glory this past week and wouldn’t you know, school was even closed on Friday! Will we see more of the same or do we get a pass this week? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow. Highs of 30 – 35 and lows of 20 – 25. Partly cloudy for Thursday through Saturday with highs of 25 – 30 and lows of 10 – 15. Partly cloudy on Sunday with highs of 25 - 30 and lows around 15. Mostly cloudy Monday with a slight chance of snow. Highs of 30 and lows near 20. Tuesday, partly cloudy with highs around 30 and lows falling to about 15 above. On February 27th the sun will set at 6 p.m. As of March 1st we have gained about 2 hours and 19 minutes of daylight since the winter solstice. The normal high for March 1st is 33 and the normal low is 16. The scurs have their sights set on getting one last slide down the hill before putting the toboggan away for the season.
Yes, tobogganing was again possible after the last storm dumped about 7” of snow at the ranch. The snow was surprisingly dry for a late February storm however, so melted down it contained the equivalent of only .5” of liquid precipitation. We’re in a little different position than we were a year ago at this time as there was little frost in the ground. Last year we received a generous helping of rain on February 29th, much of which went into the ground. Last check at the SROC they’re still looking at 25” of frozen soil, so this last snow likely won’t benefit crops much. It will however be beneficial for some of the wetlands that have been begging for moisture since last July. It would be wonderful to actually be able to hunt some waterfowl this fall again for a change. Sunday’s hoar frost brought us a reminder of how beautiful the landscape can be when the trees and fences are frost covered. It didn’t take long for Jack Frost’s handiwork to be erased by the sun and warmer temperatures.
Like many others in the neighborhood, this snowfall meant the first time our entire yard needed a major cleaning out. Oh sure, there have been some nuisance drifts that showed up here and there. Those were easily managed by a few passes with the small skid loader. Beats shoveling and it was relatively quick. This time was a different story and the tractor was nearly helpless on the ice without putting the chains on so back to the shed I went after almost getting stuck. There is no clean way to put a rusty set of chains on a tractor unless you want to wear a disposable Tyvek suit I suppose. It had been a while since I put them on so it took some head scratching to remember what was right side out or vice-versa. Eventually they were on correctly and I made short work of the snow. Regardless, same thing, different year and moving snow is still for the birds.
Speaking of the birds, there were some subtle changes at the ranch and surrounds this past week. Mourning doves are back under the feeders again. While they do stay around especially in town or more sheltered locales, this marks the first we’ve seen of them since late last fall. Also along the roadways, after seeing many snow buntings the brutally cold week before, many of you have probably noticed the numerous small flocks of brown birds that get up and fly off as you drive by. What I’ve been seeing are primarily horned larks. They are ground nesting birds and can begin nesting as early as February. Might be a little tough to incubate eggs as long as their nesting grounds remain snow covered. The redpolls continue to amaze and amuse. When the feeders are refilled or topped off, they totally encase the mesh thistle seed feeders. Some have also become rather used to my presence when filling the feeders. It doesn’t take them long to figure out that seeing me means breakfast and lunch are served.
We got some lambs moved from the lambing barn on Sunday down to their loafing area in the main barn. After church we docked tails, gave shots and put in ear tags so we’ll know who is who. The creep feeder was set up as well so we can get the lambs on solid feed as quickly as possible. The sooner ewes and lambs are weaned the more the chores become consolidated. Nothing slows things down like lots of small pens of animals to deal with. The lambs have generally been doing very well. They are all very active and those we moved really enjoyed their newfound space to run and frolic in the fresh bedding. There are always a few one keeps an eye on when you hear a cough though. That’s just part of trying to provide good animal husbandry. Sure, we keep antibiotics on hand just in case but a little extra bedding goes a long way towards keeping them dry and helping to prevent pneumonia.
Oh yes, the Border Collies got to help move the ewes and lambs. Fudgie was allowed to participate and even though she’d never moved sheep per se, she was generally where she should’ve been. Along with Ruby she provided a perimeter that the ewes weren’t supposed to violate. Last week’s snow also provided some better footing for all parties concerned, sticking the ice surface so we remained upright for the duration. The dogs didn’t waste any time playing in the snow after we were finished either. The rooster tails of snow behind them reminded me of the snowmobilers who were busy wearing out the fresh coating of white stuff. One major difference: there is no running out of gas with these two dogs.
See you next week…real good then.