The last forecast of 2019 found the scurs and their vaunted Weather Eye predicting a warm-up with very little precip. And we got it. Are our weather fortunes about to change in the New Year or will it be more of the same? Starting New Year’s Day, mostly cloudy with highs in the low 30’s and lows in the low 20’s. Thursday mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow. Highs in the low 30’s with lows in the low 20’s. Mostly cloudy on Friday with highs in the low 30’s and lows in the mid-20’s. Saturday, partly sunny with a slight chance of snow. Highs in the mid-30’s with lows in the mid-teens. Mostly cloudy on Sunday with a modest chance of snow. Highs in the mid-20’s with lows in the mid-single digits. Monday, partly sunny with highs in the upper teens and lows in the mid-single digits. Mostly cloudy for Tuesday with a slight chance of snow. Highs in the upper teens with lows in the mid-single digits. We are slowly but surely gaining daylight. On New Year’s Day we will see 8 hours and 59 minutes of daylight, having gained 5 minutes from the winter solstice. The sun will rise at 7:48 a.m. and set at 4:47 CST. The normal high for New Year’s Day is 23 and the normal low is 5. With Christmas disappearing fast in the rearview mirror, the scurs can relax and watch the sun while settling in for a long winter’s nap.
Not a lot going on with field activity this past week. Frost depth was measured at 7” under bare soil at the SROC on the 23rd. Snow melted off many of the blacker fields making it muddy again for those having some pack manure to haul. Fortunately we should return to sub-freezing conditions at least during evening hours so that should help lessen the potential for mud tracked on the road. The recent warmer temps did mean people were more willing to work outside on projects they meant to do in the fall. Eventually we should be ready for winter. If last year was any indication odds are it’ll be back with a vengeance.
It’s been no different at the ranch. Some of the things that have been sleeping outside were put away and some of the messes that were a nuisance were cleaned up with the warmer temps. There are still plenty of things to be put in their proper places yet, so hopefully it stays warmer than much of November and early December. It seems like it’s been a long winter already and we’ve barely scratched the surface.
The recent warmth has made chores more pleasant that’s for sure. Anytime you don’t have to smash ice out of water buckets in December it’s a moral victory. The heaters don’t run as much in the water tanks so that’s a financial bonus. Lack of precipitation along with the warmer conditions means the ewe flock sleeps outside and that’s a plus from an animal health standpoint. Few things will make sheep sick faster than confining them in a barn and closing the door this time of year. Not only that, it burns a lot of bedding, something that continues to be a precious commodity.
Christmas Day meant cocooning at the ranch. It’s been a long hard stretch since the end of harvest. Mrs. Cheviot has put in some ungodly hours and that leaves me doing the chores and fending for myself. I’m pretty used to it by now. Living alone for several years forced me to cook and in particular to grill even in the winter. That experience has come in handy. I tire quickly of eating things out of boxes and bags. Being able to recognize what is being consumed as something or part of something that was actually once alive is important. Except maybe parsnips.
I will likely undergo DT’s from Norwegian sushi after the holidays. The pickled herring this year from Morgan’s has been outstanding. It caused me to make several trips back for more after running out. It also necessitated running to Wagner’s for more crackers and cheese, a must for consuming pickled herring properly. It’s also been a holiday season to go back to a Christmas Eve tradition we both enjoyed while growing up: oyster stew. Our parents would probably roll over in their graves if they saw what oysters go for these days. It’s one of those meals we consume so infrequently though that the cost isn’t an issue. Coupled with whole milk, oyster crackers and Hope creamery butter one is quickly reminded why it’s the special seasonal treat it is. And reheated, it doesn’t lose a thing.
Lamb chops on the grill were the main entree on Christmas Day. If you want to talk about expensive, at last check lamb chops were going for north of $13 a lb. in the store, if you can find them. As I told someone the other day, the price on the hoof is about 10% of that. The story is similar with beef especially when compared to the more expensive cuts. Someone’s getting rich on this deal and it isn’t the guy raising it. It’s different though if you’re raising it and eating what you raise. When you consider all the time and effort involved it becomes even more expensive!
The chops came off the grill after first having been marinated in raspberry-cranberry juice then smoked with apple wood. Everything else was ready on schedule so nothing was held up. A simple farm meal for a couple simple farmers. We were too full afterwards for the pumpkin pie so we took a raincheck on that until evening. In the meantime, Hallmark was on the living room TV so I snuck of to the bedroom and tuned in Andy Griffith. One of my favorite episodes! Barney gets a motorcycle with a sidecar for the sheriff’s department!
The beanbag chair looked inviting so I grabbed a blankie and made myself comfortable. Within a matter of minutes I was sound asleep. The next thing I knew Ruby was sticking her wet nose in my face and sniffing my ear. It was an hour later with the light of day beginning to fade. I muttered something about Ruby’s Christmas presents going back to the store where you go to the bathroom in the orange silo. It was approaching choretime though no doubt. Time to get up and start living the dream, again.
See you next week…real good then.