The scurs have been on easy street as it’s real been real easy to predict rain: there isn’t any. Will there be any chances of precip any time soon? Starting with Wednesday, partly cloudy with highs of 55- 60 and lows falling to 35 giving us a chance of scattered frost, especially in low lying areas. Clear on Thursday with highs around 60 and lows again of 35 – 40 with yet again another chance of scattered frost in low lying areas. Mostly clear on Friday and slightly warmer with highs of 60 – 65 and lows of 50 – 55. Partly cloudy Saturday and Sunday with highs of 70 – 75 and lows of 50 – 55 both days. A slight chance of rain for Sunday night. Mostly cloudy on Monday with a chance of showers and highs around 70, lows of 50 – 55. Cloudy again on Tuesday with a chance of showers. Highs 60 – 65 and lows of 50 – 55. The normal high for September 15th is 72 and the normal low is 48. The scurs will keep predicting precipitation on the premise that one of these days they’ll be right.
Precipitation or lack thereof has been on the mind of everyone as this crop closes in on maturity. Fortunately, moderate daytime and cool evening temps the past two weeks have helped us to make the most of the stored soil moisture and precipitation we have had. We have gone a long time without a substantial rainfall event. To put things in perspective, the last time we measured an inch or more of rain on a widespread basis was back on July 16th. Since that time we have measured only 2.23” and at the Mall for Men the amount is a tad less than that. It doesn’t help matters that the rainfall we have had has come in measured amounts, needing several cracks at it to add up to a half inch. Much of the corn is approaching maturity and the frost predicted for Wednesday night should have little impact on most fields. The soybeans, however, are a different ballgame. Fields have been slow to turn, which is a good thing from a potential yield standpoint. When it comes to a frost though, damage could be devastating if it’s cold enough and of long enough duration.
About a week after the last rain fell and greened up the pasture, it turned back to brown again. Many livestock producers are in the same boat. If this drought persists and pastures don’t re-grow soon, there will need to be a lot of hay fed that’s already in short supply. The easy way out would be to liquidate the livestock enterprise, which somehow doesn’t sound too bad come about January. Everyone knows that won’t happen however. There wouldn’t be anything left to complain about once a person managed to dig out of the snow banks and got to town.
The birds and insects don’t seem to mind and go about their business the same as ever. Cicadas were buzzing like mid-summer with the recent heat and there were still some fireflies yet on the 10th. There are still a few orioles yet; a male Baltimore was eating at the nectar feeder on the 11th and there was a female orchard oriole eating jelly yet on the evening of the 12th. Goldfinches are numerous and can empty the feeder that holds just over a gallon of sunflower seed in about a day. With the price that sunflower seed commands these days, I make them clean it up before more is offered at least in that feeder anyway. Hummingbirds are busy during the daytime at the nectar feeders as well as on some of the flowers in the pots, the names of which sound more like diseases than a posies. The night shift is occupied by the white-lined sphinx moths. Around dusk when the hummingbirds hang it up for the day, typically we’ll see four or five of these relatively large moths working over the 4 o’clocks.
Insects in the corn fields right now are just about enough to make your skin crawl. There are still a few bird cherry oat aphids that make a mess on your shirt and the goo they contain makes you itch. That and all the black stuff from the molds on the corn plants sticks to your skin better. There are some insects that will taste test you as well. The main things that bite are the ladybug and lacewing larvae. They’re shaped almost like little alligators and the bite sometimes burns a little or stings until one wipes them off. No biggy, you just keep on truckin’. Doesn’t even leave a welt anymore.
The hot summer has necessitated that I keep a pair of shorts in the truck for days when the heat gets to be unbearable. Usually I start out with a pair of jeans on and after looking at a few fields, it’s time to change. The recent hot spell was a prime example. By 11 a.m., it was getting too warm. I’ve perfected changing to an art where step one after pulling into a field approach is to take off one boot, stand on one leg, quick slide out of one leg of the pants and put on one leg of the shorts, then slip my foot back into the boot so as not to get my sock all full of crud. Repeat step one with the other side and voila! All changed. Some have asked if I’m afraid someone is going to see me in my underwear. Nah, I find one can fool ‘em every once in awhile by going commando.
See you next week…real good then.