More scorn and derision for the scurs and the Weather Eye by disgruntled weather fans following another week of below normal temperatures. Is this bus turning around or are we about to get thrown under it another week? Starting Wednesday, sunny with highs in the upper 30’s and lows in the low 20’s. Thursday, mostly cloudy with aslight chance of snow. Highs in the upper 20’s and lows near zero. Sunny and colder on Friday with highs in the mid-teens and lows in the upper single digits below zero. Saturday, mostly sunny with highs in the low 30’s and lows in the low 20’s. Mostly sunny and warmer for Sunday with a modest chance of snow. Highs in the mid-30’swith lows in the mid-teens. Monday, Presidents Day, mostly cloudy with a modest chance of snow. Highs in the low 20’s with lows around 10 above. Mostly cloudy Tuesday with a slight chance of snow. Highs in the mid-20’s with lows near 10. On February 15th we’re over 10 hours and 30 minutes of daylight for the first time since October 25th. The normal high for Washington’s fake birthday is 29 and the normal low is 11. The scurs cannot tell a lie: Washington’s real birthday is still the 22nd. Cherry pie all around!
What a grind this past week’s weather seemed to be. It was stubborn and simply didn’t want to warm up. The days it warmed up even slightly the wind blew, making it feel colder. While some of the weather pundits were quick to point out this was not unprecedented; it still made some who seem hell bent on furthering a global climate change agenda uneasy trying to justify it. Indeed. I personally don’t care if the cold temperatures were still falling within the standard deviation. When I’m freezing my tail off for numerous hours per day for weeks at a time, all that nonsense goes out the window. It still doesn’t make me or anyone else feel any warmer.
It also has little effect on the amount of salt being dumped on our roads. Now, I can see using salt when the conditions warrant it. An icy intersection that someone may slide through, sure. Roads iced over completely? O.K., perhaps, but slowing down and allowing extra time for poor road conditions will go a long way towards keeping you safe. However, as I and others keep noting, the amount of salt used when roads are likely to melt off on their own has become just plain ridiculous. There’s no question that road salt is raising heck with automobiles. We just received a recall notice on the family roadster stating that “due to use in high corrosion environments associated with road salt use, the steering gear motor attachment bolts could fracture, increasing the risk of a crash.” The automobile company’s words, not mine.
Studies have also emerged concerning the amount of damage salt is doing to bridges and overpasses. Along with that, now the environmentalists are sounding the alarm that our surface waters are becoming saltier due to road salt use which, has detrimental effects on some aquatic life. Odd that in the litigious society we live in that some ambulance chaser hasn’t filed a class action suit simply for lack of anything better to do. We need to take a long hard look at Minnesota’s obsession with use of road salt before it causes some real disasters. The time has come.
Lambing in this past week’s weather presented a challenge. While there weren’t a lot of ewes that came in, they did find the coldest days and unique places to do it. It’s critical to get the lambs hooked on as soon as is possible. The colostrum is important to not only nourish them, it also helps kick their immune systems into gear. Fortunately, most Cheviots are quick studies. Even so, when it’s well below zero, time is of the essence. Once the lamb gets chilled more drastic measures are necessary to make sure this is accomplished. Heat lamps can be used but they’re still dangerous so it’s best if the lamb can be tube fed first.
Shearing helps ensure the ewe will lamb indoors. Even the best laid plans sometimes go awry sometimes. Sunday was chilly with a high near 8 at the ranch. The wind chill however was well below zero. So what does a shorn ewe do? Coming out for chores nothing was happening in the lambing barn so on to the main barn to start chores there. Looking at the round bale feeder a ewe had decided it was shelter enough to plop one out right there. It was fresh yet and soaking wet so grab the lamb and coax the ewe to follow it inside. Once inside and the pen was erected, the lamb proved it was already to get with the program once the ewe was stripped out. Good thing the Gopher women’s basketball team handled Penn St. as easily as they did or it might’ve been a different story.
Horned larks were spotted along area roads this past week. On Lincoln’s birthday a large number were seen coming off the Lake Road shoulder in front of the pickup. Red-tailed hawks also were noted on the way to Hope making me wonder if that was why the daily pheasant numbers in the yard have become more sporadic. Lots of goldfinches and chickadees at the birdfeeders lately. The male cardinal continues to bang against the sliding glass door, adding to Ruby’s responsibilities. As if helping move ewes and lambs to the loafing barn wasn’t enough.
Ruby has really had her hands, er, paws full as this is the week of the Westminster Dog Show on TV. Sunday was the agility trial and that was a barking party. Monday brought with it the main show itself and more color commentary from the resident Border Collie. A Border Collie actually won the herding group which should’ve made Ruby happy. Of course when I go to bed, I usually watch an obligatory episode of Gunsmoke, Bonanza or the odd Clint Eastwood flick. The appearance of horses running across the screen are a guaranteed barking and growling mechanism. It’s a good thing they don’t combine westerns and dog shows or she’d be an absolute basket case.
See you next week…real good then.