The scurs returned triumphant with the newly repaired Weather Eye. Rain and cooler temps were exactly what we got. Have we turned the corner to warmer days or what you see is what you get? Starting Thursday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of rain. Highs in the mid-60’s with lows in the mid-40’s. Mostly sunny on Friday with a fair chance of evening rain. Highs in the mid-60’s with lows in the mid-40’s. Mostly sunny on Saturday with a fair chance of forenoon rain. Highs in the mid-60’s with lows in the mid-40’s. Sunday, partly sunny with a slight chance of rain. Highs in the upper 60’s with lows in the upper 40’s. Mostly cloudy on Monday with a modest chance of showers. Highs in the mid-60’s with lows in the mid-40’s. Tuesday, mostly cloudy with a slight chance of rain. Highs in the low 60’s with lows in the mid-40’s. Cloudy on Wednesday with highs in the mid-60’s and lows in the mid-40’s. On May 4th we’ll see sunrise at 6 a.m. CDT. The normal high for May 4th is 64 and the normal low is 42. The scurs will be hoping their woodpile holds out with these low temperatures.
More rain this past week after corn planters crossed the finish line. After some crossed the finish line, they planted a good share of their soybeans while they were at it. How are the crops that were planted coming? The simple answer is slowly. We haven’t had enough consecutive warm days to get the earliest planted corn out of the ground just yet. The corn planted last week has imbibed water and that’s about it. So what kind of warmth will it take to get the first corn up? Corn generally takes somewhere in the vicinity of 90 – 120 GDU’s for corn to emerge. That appears about right, although it may err on the longer side by all appearances.
What is a GDU? A Growing degree unit (Base 50) is calculated by taking the high air temperature plus the low air temperature, subtracting 50 from that sum and dividing it by two. There are a few adjustments, however. Only high temperatures from 86 degrees to 50 degrees are included. Corn growth rate does not increase above that temperature. Likewise with low temperatures, where 50 degrees is used as the automatic base low as corn stands still at temperatures below 50. Therefore, if we have a high of 80 and a low of 50, we have 80 plus 50 = 130. 130/2 = 65. 65/2=32.5. Unfortunately we’ve had very few of those days since the corn was planted. There are visible differences in the corn planted on April 13th vs. that planted on the 15th. The 13th had some generous GDU’s, whereas it tailed off every day following that. There are also differences from field to field. Corn on corn usually has more residue at the surface, making it more reflective. Worked soybean ground is usually darker, warming more quickly on sunny days, when we actually have them.
Spring is upon us, although as mentioned it has picked up speed very gradually. That didn’t stop the plum thickets across the countryside including the one at the ranch from bursting into bloom. The pear trees are on about the same schedule with both the Patten and the Parker tree blooming at the ranch on April 25th. Around the yard the apples are poised to follow suit. The Haralson flower buds give the tree an almost reddish cast. It makes sense after the “off-year” in 2023 and is set to make up for lost time. When all the apple trees are in bloom it should be a sight to behold. Add in the crabapples and one can only hope the wind holds off for one more day before the petals hit the ground. The bleeding heart I gave little chance for after planting last year apparently likes its new home. Watered and nurtured through the dry summer, it is blooming nicely.
More birds on the return flight to the ranch and others to their summer homes far to the north. The barn swallows were back at the ranch on the 24th. The first white-throated sparrow seen was on the 24th, although several were heard a few days prior. On the 27th, both the Harris’s and the white-crowned sparrows arrived in the backyard at the ranch. They’ve hung around for now, content to feed off the leftovers around the birdfeeders and the seeds from any of several weed species in the lawn. Soon enough they’ll vanish for the boreal forests to raise their young and perhaps make a brief visit this fall on their return south. We should be ready to see some orioles and hummingbirds shortly. The jelly feeder and a couple nectar feeders are ready anytime they are.
Was watching TV last Friday at bedtime and noticed in the schedule that “The Graduate” would be on at 11 p.m. Hmmm…do I risk it and try to stay awake? One of my favorite movies, so I tuned it in and surprised myself. I didn’t fall asleep. Being shown without commercials helped reduce the temptation to rest my eyes. Even though I’ve seen it on numerous occasions, there are mental notes I can take away after each viewing. This time for example, there were no cell phones and several pay phones. The cars were very 60’s, complete with the red Alfa Romeo Duetto Spider convertible that Dustin Hoffman drove Mrs. Robinson home in. Katharine Ross looked as good playing Elaine as she did in her guest starring roles on Gunsmoke earlier in the decade. And Simon and Garfunkel’s music was timeless, tying the package together neatly, cementing the film as a classic start to finish. Worth the lost hours of sleep with the promise of a nap some rainy afternoons later.
Poppy has been taking spring in stride. Between keeping her kitties and squirrels exercised, it’s almost a full-time job. May brings with it the potential for a new batch of kittens after the tabby, looking like a black Nerf football with a tail and four legs, was suddenly skinny again. The mother cat has become adept at hiding them. About the time we assume the litter fell victim to foul play, replacements for the cats that wandered off since the last batch suddenly appear. After the sheep lay on a few of them or they befall some other fate, the numbers usually plateau again at about a half dozen. That’s plenty to keep the rodent and house sparrow population in check as well as giving Poppy additional playmates. Herding cats is a workout for anyone.
See you next week…real good then.