The Weather Eye’s thermostat may need some adjustment. The scurs were a little light in the high temp dept. this last week with some 50’s and even 60’s in the mix. No complaints, however. Do we lead a charmed life for another week or does Old Man Winter spoil our fun? Starting Thursday, sunny with highs in the upper 40’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Mostly sunny Friday with highs in the mid-40’s and lows in the mid-20’s. Mostly sunny on Veterans Day with highs in the low 40’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Sunday, mostly sunny with highs in the upper 40’s and lows in the low 30’s. Sunny on Monday with highs in the low 50’s and lows in the mid-30’s. Tuesday, mostly cloudy with a fair chance of rain showers. Highs in the mid-50’s with lows in the upper 30’s. Mostly sunny on Wednesday with highs in the mid-50’s and lows in the mid-30’s. On the 9th, the sun will rise at 7 a.m. CST. The normal high for November 11th is 44 and the normal low is 26. The scurs are looking forward to firing up the grill for Thanksgiving. Forecast high of 45 with a low of 23. A nap and a replenished goody supply. What’s not to like?
Harvest continues to wind down for most, although there are still fields of corn scattered here and there. Best guess is corn harvest is 90% - 95% complete. The drone of corn dryers heard across the evening landscape has greatly diminished, replaced by bin fans to keep the corn cool. Still plenty of anhydrous ammonia and tillage operations, although those too are coming to the end quickly. Conditions have been ideal as rainfall and snowfall have been sparse in our little part of the world anyway. Still, we were fortunate to come out of September and August with 6” of rain or more. While it hasn’t entirely alleviated the drought (We’re still considered to be in a moderate drought.), it has gone a long way towards helping us breathe a little easier. There should be enough moisture to get seeds to germinate and grow come spring, something we weren’t so sure of last year at this time.
What about our winter prospects? So far, many of the weather folks are saying odds are better than even of seeing a warmer than normal winter. El Niño is expected to persist through spring, which will tend to favor above normal temperatures across much of the northern US. It will also increase odds that areas of the southern US that have been suffering from severe drought will see some substantial relief. We stand to see even chances of above or below normal winter precipitation in our part of MN, while northern MN may trend towards below normal winter precipitation. Odds of us completely losing the drought designation over the course of the winter appear slim. Well, can’t it at least get rid of these pesky boxelder bugs?
No help there either, I’m afraid. They have been particularly annoying this fall and it comes as no surprise. I should be used to it. At the Pleasant Grove farm, I can remember them being a nuisance as a kid. I enjoyed putting them under the muzzle and blowing their wings off with my Daisy popgun. When we have a warm, dry summer, it tends to bring them out of the woodwork. Someone asked what they eat during the winter. They don’t. Like the Asian ladybeetles, the adult boxelder bugs are just looking for a warm place to hang out. Once they find it, they hunker down until it warms up. They then move out of their overwintering digs, feeding on seeds and plants a few weeks before mating. The females lay eggs on boxelder trees, although the nymphs may feed on ash and maples as well.
As we well know, not all the boxelder bugs make it out of the house. Some die and their bodies can be found years later. Light fixtures are among their favorites where they bunk with the ladybeetles. Tearing old siding off buildings or moving bales along the barn wall tends to reveal mass graves of both species as well. No one said they were smart. 1988 was probably high-water mark for boxelder bugs at the ranch. They had free run of the house and were everywhere. I remember them crawling on us when sleeping, awakening us when they’d land on our faces. Ten years later, we had our furnace replaced. The new furnace had a lot more fan power. When they started it up, it blew all the dead boxelder bugs out of the ductwork. They’re the gift that keeps on giving.
https://extension.umn.edu/nuisance-insects/boxelder-bugs
Looks like any leaf watching cruises in the Stude are history. No leaves, and once they’ve spread salt on the roads, we’re done. Since the leaves are mostly down, it gave me a chance to grind them up at the ranch. Starting mid-morning once the dew was off, I knocked out the whole yard in about five hours. Not bad, considering it took Mother Nature all summer to grow them. Once again, I find riding and pulverizing the leaves into confetti is preferable to raking them all up. Ash and soft maple leaves don’t take much. Even the oak leaves when they’re nice and dry disintegrate after a couple times over with this mower. Not all the leaves are off all the trees yet. Those that are left will be released in staggered fashion over the remainder of fall and the upcoming winter. If they get too thick yet this fall, it won’t take long to fire up the mower and eliminate them. The sheep do their part too if the leaves happen to blow their way, whether they’ve been run through the mower or not.
Poppy has graduated from her puppy food and is on to adult food. One still has to beware of the DDF (deadly dog flatulence). For a small dog, one is taken aback sometimes when she cuts loose. The inner workings of a Corgi’s digestive tract are something to behold when watching TV at night. It’s about enough to make your eyes water and peel the paint off the walls. Sometimes it’s an indication that it’s time to take her out for a bathroom break. Not always though, but unless you want to clean dog poo off the floor, best to err on the side of caution. Frequently those trips make for a lot of hanging around out in the cold waiting for something that never happens. Sorta like deer hunting, I’m told.
See you next week…real good then.