The scurs kept the snow away until the weekend at least. Are we out of the woods yet or are we still following the bread crumbs? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid 70s and lows in the lower 50s. Partly cloudy for Thursday with a slight chance of evening showers or thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 70s and lows in the mid 50s. Partly cloudy on Friday with an increasing chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 70s and lows in the upper 50s. Saturday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 70s and lows in the upper 50s. Mostly cloudy Sunday with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 60s and lows in the mid 40s. Monday, mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 50s and lows in the upper 40s. Mostly cloudy Tuesday with highs in the low 60s and lows in the mid 40s. The normal high for May 20th is 71 and the normal low is 50. The scurs may be ready to put the toboggan away for the year.
Spring has been a test of one’s patience if you’re a farmer. The snowfall that blanketed the area continues to leave its mark. Fields have been slow to dry although the temperatures and lack of wind have also been factors. Some have been determined to try fieldwork only to discover too late that fields have simply not dried very quickly. It is rather remarkable given the dry conditions we faced coming out last fall that our soil profile has been completely recharged in the top 5’. The small acreage of corn that was planted before the snow will likely emerge this week. Small grains have emerged slightly unevenly while the alfalfa that was underseeded in some of those fields appears to have caught very nicely. This is good news for those who lost stands of alfalfa this past winter and spring. Even though it likely won’t make up for the hay that was lost, it’s still better than the alternative.
Wetlands have also benefitted from the large amounts of precipitation thus far. They too are at capacity and the wildlife is reaping the rewards. Ducks and geese are busy nesting and deer can easily find water once again. The western chorus frogs crank it up every night and more recently the toads have begun their trilling to add to the wonderful sleeping music. Aside from hearing rain on the rooftop, few things will put me to sleep faster than listening to these little amphibians chirping away after dark.
Garden plans have been just that so far. Even the small garden that usually is dry by now remains damp on the surface in spots. The main garden had a layer of ice on it Saturday morning and the sleet, snow pellets and freezing rain that passed through later that morning did nothing to bolster any remaining enthusiasm I might have. Hopefully the breezy condition from Monday and Tuesday will move it along so something can be accomplished soon. One can live off the fresh produce from it most of the summer and the waiting is the hardest part.
It was a watershed week watching and listening to the birds this past week at the ranch as well as at the kindly neighbors’ At home, there were still some juncos on the 7th although they left shortly after that. A Harris’ sparrow made it on the 9th and has been hanging with the white-crowned sparrows daily since. The orioles came that same day. The oriole nectar feeder bit the dust last fall so a new one was procured to replace it. It was filled and hung up at lunchtime and by 5:30 p.m., the first male oriole had already found it. A yellow warbler crossed my path the morning of the 10th as I made my way to check the black cutworm trap. Later that afternoon while repairing fence at the kindly neighbors, a bluebird could be heard calling in the rolling oak pasture. A house wren was heard at the ranch on the 12th and the first hummingbird of the season at the ranch was desperately trying to catch up with the near horizontal oriole feeder due to strong winds on the 13th. A robin’s nest with 3 eggs in it was also found on top of the boom box in the barn. It must enjoy classic rock on Power 96. The icing on the cake was the first indigo bunting of the season Tuesday morning, in stark contrast to the dozens of yellow goldfinches.
The lawn finally decided to come to life at least in places despite the generally cool spring. It was especially lush where the dogs had been using it as their personal bathroom as well as in the ditch where nutrients are easy to come by. Mowing it the first time is an adventure. Getting the aging mowers and mower operator limbered up first always takes some doing. The ditch usually takes priority as the road cut is a challenge. One never knows when the next gully washer is going to fill it with water so mowing requires a watercraft license. The grass in the bottom was about the consistency of canned spinach. It gunked up the deck something fierce and caused several stoppages of play in order to de-gunk it. All in all it got done and the finished product was a definite improvement.
The Border Collies definitely seem to enjoy mowing lawn more than we humans do. When you approach the lawnmower, they get all excited and run around frantically. Once you’re seated and hit the ignition, the tire biting commences and when the blades are engaged, walking back and forth at a safe distance so the mower doesn’t get away becomes their focus. It’s great exercise for them and while they’re tired afterwards, it’s a happy tired.
See you next week…real good then.