More frustrations for the scurs as their fix from last week didn’t keep us from getting soaked or cold either one. Is the Weather Eye is ready for an overhaul or is it just a glitch? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a decent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 40’s with lows in the low 30’s. Thursday, partly sunny with highs in the low 40’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Mostly sunny on Friday with highs in the mid-40’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Saturday, partly sunny with a good chance of showers increasing into evening. Highs in the low 50’s with lows in the mid-30’s. Partly sunny for Sunday with a good chance of showers by evening. Highs in the low 40’s with lows in the low 30’s. Monday, mostly sunny with highs in the upper 40’s and lows in the low 30’s. Mostly sunny Tuesday with highs in the low 50’s and lows in the low 30’s. On the 15th the sun will set at 6:30 p.m. CDT. On the 16th, the sun will rise at 7:30 a.m. CDT. Continuing to lose approximately three minutes of daylight per day, on the 16th we also slip back below 11 hours of daylight. This is about the same as we had back on February 24th. The normal high for October 16th is 60 and the normal low is 37. It’s getting closer to time for the scurs to trim the wicks on their kerosene lanterns for those long winter nights ahead.
Harvest progress was slowed by frequent rains. While they weren’t generally the multiple inch variety, the day length and normal temperatures are heading the wrong direction. Fields as of this writing remain saturated with water standing between the rows and in wheel tracks. Some corn was harvested however over the weekend until the Sunday rain finally put an end to that. Moisture contents seem to have stalled with many of the 105 day maturity hybrids still maintaining at 23% - 25%. Stalks continue to deteriorate and windy conditions in the forecast haven’t improved that any. Tillage and fall fertilization continue at a standstill as well. Patience is a virtue and those who maintain their composure are apt to be rewarded as a result. Some of the best tillage last fall occurred the last half of November.
A recent report on the rainfall for our growing season (May – September) from the SROC found them measuring 30.77”. The normal for the years 1981 - 2010 was 21.46”. In Bugtussle we measured 32.73” and at the ranch 30.33” for the same time period. In August and September alone in town we tallied 16.98” or rainfall. So far in October as of press time in town we’ve collected 2.23”. Stands to reason there is standing water in area fields.
After the apple picking two weekends ago there was time to pick up all the sticks that the river birch had shed in the recent storms. They are just the right size once they go through the mower for wrens to use in their nests. However, had I ground them up, there probably would’ve been enough little sticks to satisfy several hundred wrens. Given the amount of noise they can make when one is trying to sleep a little extra some mornings, it seemed the prudent thing to do. However, after last week’s wind it looked like I hadn’t ever touched any of the sticks. The wrens should be happy about that.
After thinking we’d perhaps seen the last of the hummingbirds for the season last week, some were spotted again last Wednesday. In fact, there were some seen at the feeder yet on Saturday. While certainly not unprecedented, it’s about a week later than we saw them last year. The latest I recall seeing them at the ranch was October 9th. We haven’t seen any since the 6th and the way the weather has turned, it appears they got out of Dodge just in time. With flowering plants shutting down and the weather continuing to deteriorate, Costa Rica suddenly sounds very appealing even to us humans.
There remain a few tomatoes on the vines that are blushed to the point that they should be worth picking. The cloudy, wet weather has taken its toll on the vines as the tops are still green but the lower vegetation has given up the ghost. They’ve been good and there have been plenty to be shared and enjoyed by others. A garden isn’t a success at the ranch unless that criteria has been met. The rest of the late summer planted vegetables are languishing from the same weather pattern. They are cool season veggies but they also need that all too rare commodity known as sunshine.
Some have grumbled about the delayed road construction on the St. Olaf Lake Road. As I tell the local county commissioner, it’s still a lot smoother than it was! It gets a little muddy but that will wash off. There are some perks as well. Ever notice when you’re on a long trip someplace that there seems to be a shortage of rest areas? Well, in addition to the Sportsman’s Club’s Dave Harris Memorial Porta Potty, there are three more to choose from on the four mile stretch of the Lake Road! I mean, what interstate can compete with that? So if you feel the urge, no worries!
Yes, Ruby finally got her bath. She knew it was coming as she was being shunned. Even so, she was reluctant about it, hiding behind the couch until she knew she couldn’t evade us any longer. Once in the bathroom though, she jumped right in the tub hanging in there like a trooper until the dog washing process was complete. She was toweled down, shook off in the tub then after hopping out was toweled off some more. Ruby smelled like a bouquet of flowers. She might disagree but to the human olfactory senses, it beats the cat poop she rolled in any day. She’s back on our good side at least for now. Being a furry, four-legged human with OCD, a Border Collie is allowed to make mistakes.
See you next week…real good then.