Reading the Gremlin owner’s manual paid huge dividends. The scurs’ faith in the Weather Eye was once again renewed. Is the snow gone for good or will we conjure up memories of the ’92 Memorial Day snow? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of rain by evening. Highs in the upper 60’s with lows in the upper 40’s. Thursday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of showers. Highs in the mid-60’s with lows in the low 40’s. Mostly sunny on Friday with a good chance of evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the low 60’s with lows in the mid-40’s. Saturday, partly sunny with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms before noon. Highs in the low 60’s with lows in the mid-40’s. Partly sunny on Sunday with an increasing chance of showers and thunderstorms by evening. Highs in the mid-60’s with lows in the mid-40’s. Monday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of showers. Highs in the upper 50’s and lows in the low 40’s. Mostly sunny for Tuesday with highs in the upper 50’s and lows in the low 40’s. On the 27th we’re up to 14 hours of daylight, the same as we were back on August 15th. The normal high for April 27th is 63 and the normal low is 41. The scurs have their sweet tooth satisfied for now. Fortunately, Peeps are noted for their shelf life.
Last week’s midweek rainfall slowed the start of fieldwork for many. We did however make progress towards that end with an incredible weekend of warm temperatures. Highs reached the upper 70’s on Saturday and the low 80’s Easter Sunday with breezy conditions drying fields nicely. Some tempted fate and worked that day while most were convinced the fields, while getting closer, still weren’t quite ready yet. Dark spots with moisture at the surface were still evident on many fields Sunday morning yet. Another day or two on those fields would likely be beneficial. Anhydrous ammonia was applied and I have yet to hear a farmer say it went on poorly.
At the ranch over the weekend the latest crop of sticks was harvested under the ash trees in the backyard. The Indian name for the ash tree translates to “Tree that sheds Sticks out of Spite.” Well, not really, but it sure seems that way, especially after an ice storm. It was also a good time to move the last of the apples from cold storage in the attic, drain, clean out and move water tanks, straighten a gate and move the last of the ewes with lambs to the loafing area in the main barn. It reached 82 degrees on the official thermometer, so staying hydrated was definitely in order.
Late April is one of my favorites when it comes to seeing our summer birds return as well as those moving through to their summer homes far to the north. This week brought back brown thrashers that have made our yard home for many moons now. Their singing gives the cardinal some competition. Migrating birds spotted so far include some hermit thrushes and the largest group of white throated sparrows I recall. They were all over the evening of the 22nd, so the appearance of their cousins, the white crowned and Harris’s sparrows, can’t be far behind. And the orioles will be right on their heels.
Saturday in particular woke up the insect population as well. Sitting on his veranda in New Ulm having a libation with the Boy Entomologist, we were able to see paper wasps, syrphid flies and dragonflies. Earlier in the day at the ranch we’d noticed a red admiral butterfly and, checking the insect traps on Sunday, I bumped into a painted lady. The butterfly, not an actual painted lady. It also had the cold-blooded amphibian population in our wetland out in full force. One will never know how many chorus frogs are down there, but judging by the decibel level, it’s safe to say there are several.
The flora at the ranch is poised to explode with the next warm-up. Buds on the trees have swelled with the warm weekend and it brought crocuses and dandelions out. The rhubarb, while not huge just yet, has a lot of leaves. Once it warms up and those petioles elongate, pie and sauce won’t be far behind. The fruit trees are also showing signs that they wintered well and soon will be flowering profusely. The pruning itself is now a distant memory, although there are still enough aches and pains to serve as a reminder.
Some days I feel like a data collector, probably because I am one. This spring I volunteered to maintain not one but two insect pheromone traps for the U of M. I’ve monitored black cutworm traps in my yard for somewhere over 20 years now and it’s become part of the morning routine in the spring. I was asked if I’d be interested in doing the same thing for armyworms, so I said, sure, why not? The traps are basically the same, consisting of a white plastic and cardboard outer shell with a sticky bottom the insects can’t escape from. The lure contains an attractant that mimics the pheromone given off by the female of whatever species of moth you’re trying to catch. In this case it only attracts male moths. It does not work on male humans.
Along with the moth trap line I run, I read two rain gauges for the Minnesota State Climatology Office, one at the ranch and one in Bugtussle. Again, it’s just part of the ritual after chores are done. Some days it takes longer than others when it involves measuring snow around the yard with a yardstick, cutting a biscuit and melting the snow. However it always gets done. If there are any noteworthy phenology items, they are also noted. Once the data is recorded I feel as though I’ve accomplished something and can get on to something else, like maybe a cup of coffee. Always time for that.
See you next week…real good then.