The scurs continue to be happy with the Weather Eye’s recent accuracy, not to mention the warmer temps. Are we in for more of the same or are our fortunes about to change again? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with highs in the upper 20’s and lows in the low 20’s. Thursday, mostly cloudy with highs near 30 and lows in the mid-teens. Sunny on Friday with highs in the low 30’s and lows in the upper teens. Saturday, sunny with highs in the low 30’s and lows in the low 20’s. Mostly sunny for Sunday with highs in the low 30’s and lows in the mid-20’s. Monday, mostly sunny with highs in the upper 20’s and lows in the upper teens. Tuesday, mostly cloudy with highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the low 20’s. On the 15th we have only one more minute of daylight to lose before the shortest day of the year on the 21st. The normal high for December 15th is 26 and the normal low is 9. The scurs are thinking that enjoying the sunshine after so much cloudy weather is cause to celebrate and put Christmas shopping on hold. Lots of time left.
Indeed it has been wonderful to see the sun after an ugly November and early December. It was especially rewarding to be treated to the rime frost collected on all the trees with the sun on Monday afternoon. It only served to amplify all that sunlight. Best of all the potential for an encore performance existed for some of the upcoming days. The sun this time of year tends to lift spirits and put everyone in a better frame of mind. And besides, after all the cloudiness and cold temperatures so far, we deserve it.
I wondered the other day why on the MN Climatology Working Group website our rainfall data at the ranch is reported in the daily sampler as coming from Vista. Odd. We don’t live in downtown Vista, so guessed we must be in a suburb. I wondered too if perhaps I’d been named an honorary Swede or at very least an ornery Swede. Such was not the case. After digging through the Climatology website, I found the results for each weather observer are linked to the city or town nearest them. My fears of being annexed were over.
Not much happening out here in farm country in the fields presently aside from some who didn’t have their corn picked yet to attempt harvesting it. There has been a lot of snow blown in along the outside edges although in the main bodies of the fields themselves it appears tolerable. There is a good reason people will sometimes leave rows along roadways. Standing corn makes an excellent snow fence. The snow also can make the corn more accessible for pheasants.
Along the north line of our place at the ranch we spied the first rooster pheasants we’ve seen in many months. Not sure just where they’ve been hiding although they do seem to be somewhat nomadic at least within a localized area. The birds appeared very healthy and not in any particular hurry to get anywhere as they moseyed slowly along the tree planting. They’d likely come up out of the CRP and through the EQIP corridor we planted for the wildlife. We frequently see other critters traveling that route as well. It’s gratifying to see them using it.
The last load of manure of the season was hauled on Sunday at the ranch. Much like the harvest season for area grain farmers, it seemed like barn cleaning would never end. Weather delays stretched what started out with hope into a battle to the finish. Sunday was no exception. After a successful Saturday finishing the main barn, it was time to tackle the smaller lambing barn. Unfortunately the cold weather had frozen the pack in that barn 3” – 4” deep. This required some work first with the pitchfork to break a hole in it, so the forks on the skidsteer would penetrate. Some mechanical mishaps had me fixing the forks shortly after starting, so that slowed progress.
Once that was completed everything clicked in spite of dealing with the frozen pack. I tried my best to break it up some first to avoid dumping huge pieces in the spreader. With only the fast apron chain speed operational my fear was I’d shear a pin. I know where the spare pins are under the drive cover. Knock on wood I’ve never needed to use one. My buns were pinched pretty tight several times as I watched frozen hunk after frozen hunk either chewed to bits or flung once the beaters caught it. Turning the function selection to run just the apron to finish the last load, I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. The pressure was off. As Chevy Chase said at the end of Christmas Vacation, I did it.
A friend the local LP man recently mentioned he’d been watching a Mr. Ed rerun on TV and while he was watching, it happened that Wilbur had been driving a Studebaker Lark, making him instantly think of me. Indeed, Studebaker automobiles were featured on the program and the Posts, Mr. Ed’s owners on the show, drove a Studebaker Lark convertible. Studebaker was also one of the show’s sponsors from 1961 – 1963. However company sales were tanking in spite of some exciting, outside of the box product offerings such as the Avanti.
Popular as they were, the Lark and advertising on the Mr. Ed show were unable to save Studebaker from its demise. Bungled management from the early 50’s placed the company on shaky financial footing, although the Lark breathed life into the faltering automobile maker in 1959. Competition in the compact car market such as that from GM’s Corvair, Ford’s Falcon and Chrysler’s Valiant in the early 60’s sealed their fate. Studebaker ceased US production in December of 1963 and moved manufacturing to Hamilton Ontario in Canada. After 143 episodes, Mr. Ed ended its run in February of 1966. In March of 1966, Studebaker closed their doors for good. Coincidence? I think not.
See you next week…real good then.