The scurs have the Weather Eye back operating to Nash-Rambler specs. Are we in for warmer and drier or will we begin our fall recharge a little early? Starting on Thursday, sunny with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the low 60’s. Sunny on Friday with highs in the low 80’s and lows in the mid-60’s. Sunny on Saturday with a slight chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-80’s with lows in the upper 60’s. Sunday, mostly sunny with a good chance of rain showers developing. Highs in the mid-80’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Partly sunny on Monday with a fair chance of evening showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 90’s with lows in the upper 60’s. Tuesday, partly sunny with a good chance of developing showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-80’s and lows in the upper 60’s. Partly sunny on Wednesday with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-80’s with lows in the mid-60’s. On July 30th the sun will rise at 6 a.m. CDT. The normal high for July 30th is 81 and the normal low is 61. The scurs will roll over and go back to sleep in response.
Crops are on the move with the warmer, drier conditions. Tassels continue to emerge across the area albeit unevenly in many fields. Some are boldly moving forward with fungicide applications, even though this is likely to be one of the more disappointing corn crops in recent memory. Prices and probable yields are two major hurdles to overcome. Some early planted corn has already pollinated as of Monday. Soybeans have shrugged off some of their earlier funk and are flowering like crazy. Some of the very earliest planted fields were already in the R4 stage as of last week. Most are R3-R4 stage this week. In these earlier reproductive stages, it only takes roughly five days between them. Soybean aphids were starting to be detected as of last week as well. There are sentinel fields that perennially lend themselves to early detection due to the heavy amount of buckthorn where soybean aphids overwinter. Just because aphids are found, however, doesn’t mean it justifies treatment. This year in particular with yields and prices being major factors, many are trying to avoid unnecessary expense. Those late replant soybeans into the waterholes should also serve as a wonderful trap crop for the soybean aphids.
The garden at the ranch continues to take shape, although it’s coming from the back of the pack. Barring unforeseen circumstances though, it appears it will produce something. Actually there are some bright spots. The tomatoes are one of them. This group is among the healthiest thus far in recent memory. Cukes are running and starting to flower. Hoping they do well as there are several whose cucumbers didn’t survive the monsoon season earlier. As evidenced in area soybean fields, there were lots of pathogenic fungi afoot. Squash were flowering Monday and a few of the pumpkins were at it during Sunday’s deep weeding. Ideally, that weeding should get them by once they spread out and cover the ground. Second planting string beans passed the early planting in height, although the first planting is flowering. Sweet corn came through better than expected once the water ceased running across the patch. The peppers? I may be imagining it, but they appear to be starting to improve. They certainly couldn’t have looked much worse.
The birds in the backyard at the ranch continue to bring their young to the feeders. Aside from the house sparrows, all are welcome. The number of Baltimore orioles this year is nothing short of amazing. I remember as a kid it was a big deal to see one anywhere, let alone in your own backyard. Probably the first one I remember seeing was in the basswood at my Uncle Bob’s place west of Chatfield, also where Mom grew up. She told of how the orioles nested in that tree when she was a child. Fast forward to my college days when living on Brewster St. in St. Paul. After not seeing an oriole for many years, I spotted a nest hanging from one of the big cottonwood trees across the street. Hearing them sing, I wanted to see more of them. Now sometimes between the orchard and Baltimore orioles we’ll see over a dozen a day. Sure, I enjoy the rest of the birds too, including the fledgling nuthatches and chickadees that showed up this past week, but it’s all the orioles that grab the attention.
The Stude made another cruise Saturday to scenic Winona. An oil leak needed attention first. The oil level was dropping about a pint per outing. This after the crack Studebaker mechanic put a new rear main seal and front seal in just a couple years ago. The floor dry in the garage remained relatively clean when all of the sudden a large dark spot appeared in it. After putting it on the lift to check it out, he deduced that it was likely coming from the oil drain plug, then dripping onto a steering connector and causing the pattern I saw on the floor. I ordered a new drain plug with gasket from Studebaker International, one of my go-to places for parts. When I got the drain plug, it looked like new old stock (NOS), with a patina and fiber type gasket. When the Studebaker mechanic saw it, he was pleasantly surprised it wasn’t a Chinese knockoff. Sure enough, he found the old gasket had a split in it. All systems operated normally on Saturday’s cruise that ran roughly 270 miles. I cleaned the oily floor dry up in the garage and replaced it with fresh clean stuff. When I looked under the car Monday morning, the floor dry looked like a desert.. Problem solved, for now anyway.
Poppy continues her interaction with new creatures. In addition to squirrels, bunnies and kitties, she’s discovered a big toad living under the front steps. So far it’s been curiosity, and we want to keep it that way. It still provides an excuse for her to dawdle when the toad retreats under the steps. We received a card recently that Poppy was due for a booster. Her toenails were out of control too, so I made an appointment to dovetail the two. When we got her to the vet’s office she was delighted to see everyone, tipping the scales at just under 23 lbs. All that squirrel, kitty and bunny chasing must be paying off. When the young lady came to get her I held my breath, hoping Poppy behaved. I heard familiar yelping and shrieking, then silence. Within seconds, Poppy was back in the exam room, all done. When I asked if that was Poppy carrying on, she smiled and said “Yup!” I was embarrassed like any other fur baby parent. At least her stubby little legs would track properly. She got extra attention from Holly before we had to go. Poppy was so happy with her new feet she hopped in the car, something she never does. Maybe she’ll turn over a new leaf and enjoy riding in the car more often. Not holding my breath on that one.
See you next week…real good then.