Fencelines (269)
The scurs’ persistence paid off. Getting the Weather Eye out of its funk was no easy task, but over the weekend it happened. Will it stay warm now or are there more long underwear days in our future? Starting Wednesday, partly sunny with highs in the upper 20’s and lows also in the upper 20’s. Thursday, partly sunny with highs in the low 30’s and lows in the low 20’s. Partly sunny Friday with highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Saturday, mostly cloudy with a modest chance of snow. Highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the mid-20’s. Partly sunny on Sunday with a slight chance of snow. Highs in the mid-20’s with lows in the mid-teens. Monday, mostly cloudy and slightly cooler with a modest chance of snow. Highs in the upper 20’s with lows in the upper teens. Mostly cloudy skies and cooler for Ground Hog’s Day with a continued chance of snow. Highs in the low 20’s with lows in the low teens, all above zero. The normal high for February 2nd is 24 and the normal low is 5. On the 2nd the sun will rise at 7:30 a.m. The scurs will still be looking at their alarm clock and wondering why a groundhog would want to get out of bed that early.
We’ve flown through a month of 2016 and there’s no sign of it slowing down anytime soon. So far we’ve been pretty fortunate except for a couple stretches of cold weather to be expected in January. The frost in the soil as measured under bare soil at the SROC stood at 14” on January 25th. There are exceptions as one moves to an area that has had continuous snow cover. I found that Sunday firsthand when backing the tractor through a snowbank in the feedlot. Suddenly one side dropped and the mud underneath in the tracks provided a clue. Reports of ice thickness on area lakes are consistently 12 to 14 inches. It was almost overnight once it warmed up that small fish house villages sprang up. Fishing reports have been less than stellar for most. As one wise man once told me, there’s no law that says you have to fish.
The backyard continues to be overtaken by pheasants and squirrels as they feast on some of the corn gleaned this last fall while soil sampling. The female cardinal continues to have little luck in attracting a mate. Maybe she has B.O. which I rather doubt since most birds don’t have much of a sense of smell. She does like picking up the cracked corn generated by the chubby squirrels that eat the heart out of a kernel of corn then grab another one. The sharp shinned hawk continues to patrol the yard as well in pursuit of house sparrows. While it scares the other birds away from the feeders, the hawk seems intent on making a meal of these pests; something that’s a good thing in my book.
The ewes are getting plumper as we edge nearer to shearing time. They too have benefitted from a warmer-than-normal winter after coming off the pasture looking like someone had been feeding them shell corn. Their lambing barn was finally cleaned out on Sunday and it was a battle. The last cold snap had frozen the manure pack down about 4 to 6 inches, making it a challenge to tear loose with the skid loader borrowed from our local sheep shearer. Some of the hunks were huge, 3 feet across and up to 5 feet long. Was a little hesitant dumping that into the spreader as growing up, it usually meant shearing a pin or breaking something, typically the longest possible distance from the house. Somehow my present spreader ground up those chunks or just flung them out if it caught them right. Oh well, by spring they should be thawed and we can grind them up again.
While it was a tough battle, it was nothing like what we did growing up sometimes. That sometimes involved the use of a pick axe to break through the frozen pack, then using a pitchfork to flop the hunks into a wheelbarrow. Then the wheelbarrow was wheeled up a ramp and the contents dumped into the spreader. Then the process repeated itself. No wonder I was so ornery sometimes. It actually made cleaning the chicken coop seem like a piece of cake even though it had to be pitched through a roughly 3x3-foot window. Since the chicken coop was between two other buildings the spreader had to be backed up to the window. This made it necessary to toss the first part of the load all the way to the front of the spreader. If you didn’t let the manure accumulate too long between cleanings it went easier. It was always “less worse” though than cleaning the sheep barn, partially because there was only one load. And I had tunes on my little tan 9-volt RCA transistor radio to help keep me company.
It was in those years I gained an appreciation for some of the rock and roll artists and bands of the day, including the Eagles. Their songs had a particular relevance to many a young man growing up in rural America in the early to mid-1970s. Songs about dreams, travelling the country, mysterious women, loves found, loves lost, stars in the sky, pickup trucks, and being laid back, unpretentious. Somewhere in our attic I still have the Eagles Greatest Hits LP, one of the first albums I purchased. Seeing Glenn Frey several weeks ago on a rerun of Miami Vice and his recent passing made me reflect on some of those days working in the dead of winter when the music would take me away, if only for a while. Thanks, dude, for helping make it tolerable.
See you next week…real good then.
After getting a brief respite from the cold, the scurs had the Weather Eye checked over one more time. Will it warm up now or have we just seen the tip of the iceberg? (no pun intended) Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with highs in the upper teens with lows in the low teens. Thursday, mostly cloudy with highs in the low 20’s and lows in the mid-single digits. Partly sunny Friday with highs in the upper teens and lows in the upper single digits. Saturday, partly sunny and warmer with highs in the mid-20’s and lows in the upper teens. Partly sunny on Sunday and warmer with a slight chance of snow. Highs near 30 with lows in the upper teens. Monday, mostly cloudy and cooler with a slight chance for snow. Highs in the low 20’s with lows near 10. Mostly cloudy skies for Tuesday with highs in the mid-20’s and lows in the low teens, all above zero. The normal high for January 23rd is 23 and the normal low is 4. The scurs have served notice that their favorite time of year is nearly over and soon it will be time to think about getting the lawn furniture and jarts out again.
The Full Moon for the month falls on the 23rd and generally goes by the Full Wolf Moon. It was at this time of the year that the wolves could be howling near the tribal encampments of the Native Americans. The moon also goes by the Old Moon and is sometimes called the Moon after the Yule. The Ojibwe called it the Great Spirit Moon and the Sioux, very aptly I’m sure, called it The Moon of Frost in the Teepee. While there was certainly no frost in the house at the ranch, we were just hoping it would not be the Moon of Frost in the Well Pit. No one enjoys frozen water unless you’re an ice fisherman.
While last week tested our mettle somewhat, we have to keep in mind we skated through most of November and December relatively unscathed. We’ve sawed off a lot of winter already and are essentially halfway-plus through it. Yes, it was cold, although the cold snap was certainly nothing new in Minnesota terms. Indeed we are through the coldest part of the winter which typically occurs from about January 9th-21st. High temps for the area during that timeframe average about 22 and lows a tick below 4 above. Cold enough for most people’s taste.
The cold and snow cover has some of the wildlife starting to look for food around the yard. A large group of pheasants discovered the ear corn I’d left in the feeder for them. A group of 10 was meandering around the back yard on Monday as I nursed a quick-hitting alien making its first 2016 appearance. There were three roosters and seven hens, all in good rig. They were zipping around in the plum thicket at first then fanned out across the yard, some of them hopping up and down to pick off some of the low hanging nannyberries still on the bushes. The cottontails and the squirrels have also found the corn, scattering partially eaten ears all over the grounds. It doesn’t take the pheasants long to find them. They must think they’ve struck the mother lode.
A sharp-shinned hawk continues to be at the ranch from time to time, keeping the house sparrow population on the run. Watching it in action the other day, amazing how aggressive the little hawk was as it twisted its way around inside the brush pile and spruce trees trying to dislodge a potential lunch partner. There are plenty of jays, downies, hairies, red-bellies, chickadees and nuthatches keeping the feeders busy when the sparrows are on the run. We still have seen only the female cardinal at this point. She tends to appear most commonly during the low light times of the day and has so far been alone. Her appearance doesn’t change in the low light so not sure why she has no beau. Feel bad for her, having to sometimes tolerate the horde of sparrows by herself where the males in the past are generally not so hospitable. I’m sure there must be a male somewhere that isn’t paired up. Not to worry. Valentine’s Day is coming up soon.
So what do we as outstate Minnesotan’s do when we run into these cold snaps? Ice fishing was mentioned and now apparently there is enough ice for permanent fish houses as a few are dotting area lakes. Mrs. Cheviot puts together puzzles. I like to watch the wildlife and look for Studebaker parts. Some of us also find time to go to basketball games like this past Sunday. What a great escape from the icebox to score tickets from Vista’s noted Swedish astronomer, hop on a warm chartered bus and head to a Gopher women’s basketball game to cheer them on. That and having a little lunch prior to that in order to keep our strength up. It’s especially nice not having to drive through the Twin Cities and to actually look at it once in a while without trying to guess what some numbskull driver is up to. Did you realize the Foshay Tower is no longer the tallest building in Minneapolis? A special “thank you” to those responsible for arranging these welcome little respites from winter. I was asked by an appreciative lady on the bus if I knew the chief in charge and she asked me to thank him for her. Am doing that now. Sometimes we take a lot of this for granted and we don’t recognize it until it’s gone.
See you next week…real good then.
The scurs had the Weather Eye checked out again at Ike’s to see if there was some way to get more heat out of it. Will it warm up or will we be stuck on winter for the rest of winter? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with highs in the upper teens with lows in the low teens. Thursday, mostly cloudy with highs in the upper 20’s and lows in the upper teens. Mostly cloudy Friday with a slight chance of snow. Highs in the low 20’s and lows in the upper teens. Saturday, mostly cloudy and colder with a slight chance of snow. Falling temperatures with highs in the upper single digits and lows in the upper single digits below zero. Partly sunny on Sunday with highs only a degree or two above zero and lows again in the upper single digits below zero. Monday, mostly sunny and slightly warmer with highs near 5 and lows a few degrees below zero. Partly sunny skies for Tuesday with highs in the mid-teens and lows in the mid-single digits above zero. The normal high for January 15th is 22 and the normal low is 4. On the 19th we will have gained about a half hour of daylight since the winter solstice. It’s still only 9 hours and 24 minutes of light however. Armed with that information and with no more festive holidays in sight, the scurs will continue their quest for long winters naps.
Small accumulations of snow were common this past week, although we tallied roughly 2.4” of snow at the ranch in about four different snowfall events. Luckily this hasn’t been the kind of snow that needs a lot of attention as the winds have largely left it where the good Lord put it. By press time that will likely have changed some and there will likely be some drifts exactly where we’d rather not have them. Oh well, luckily it was 2.4 inches and not 2.4 feet of snow. It’s still taking a little getting used to the cold, however. We’ve become wimpy with all the warm temps in December and now we’re having to readjust. Won’t be long though and 20 degrees will feel good.
As temperatures have cooled, the frost depth in the soil as measured at the SROC in Waseca has increased form 7” on January 4th to 9” measured on the 11th. It is likely a safe bet that most primary tillage operations for the upcoming cropping season have been performed, at least for a while. Tile lines continue to run reminding us that not only are soils not frozen at the tile depth but our soils are still relatively loaded with moisture across much of South Central Minnesota.
Bird feeding has become relatively routine with one minor twist: A female cardinal was seen by Mrs. Cheviot the evening of the 11th, so now begins the annual game of “Where’s Waldo” we play to spot the male. It’s been since last year about this time that we started noticing cardinals appearing. Safflower was recently added to the seed mix with the hope that they would appear again. Was wondering when we started seeing the mourning doves recently if the cardinals would show and sure enough one did.
The cold spell has meant adapting to conditions and in some cases taking advantage of it. For example, when it’s comes time to keep ice cream cold for a family gathering when the freezer is full, putting it in a cooler out on the patio outside works very well. Likewise one can hear the howl of aeration fans across the landscape as farmers try to cool any potential hotspots in their bins down and freeze the grain up for the winter. Sometimes I have to check to see that the one toilet flapper valve isn’t stuck as inside the house it makes a sound similar to that. Time to adjust the chain again.
Fudgie and Ruby have adapted about the same as we humans have at the ranch to the recent cold snap. In other words, they don’t enjoy staying out in it any longer than they have to. Not unusual to see cold paw lifted up in an attempt to let us know they’re not liking this any more than we are. Once back inside like us they’re happy to get to their food dish and stay warm on a pillow or the couch.
Ruby has developed a routine when it’s garbage pickup day at neighbor David’s. First off, the sight of the dumpster at the end of his driveway sets her off. It’s out of place and she sure everyone needs to know that. Then when the garbage truck arrives, it’s as though the world has come to an end just down the road. The barking, growling and whining makes me think she’s suddenly become a politician. The final straw though is when someone comes out to retrieve the dumpster. Cause for more carrying on then more growling at the squirrel eating corn which is usually followed by a nap in sun on the rug. For a Border Collie, Ruby really knows how to get the most out of her entertainment dollar.
See you next week… real good then.
Moving rapidly into the New Year, the scurs had the Weather Eye firing on all cylinders. Will our lull in the snow activity continue or will we see more white stuff this time around? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of snow and sleet. Highs in the low 30’s with lows in the upper 20’s. Thursday, mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow rain in the daylight hours, then a good chance of snow by evening. Highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the low 30’s. Mostly cloudy Friday with a good chance of snow. Highs in the mid-30’s and and lows in the mid-20’s. Saturday, mostly cloudy and cooler with a slight chance of snow. Falling temperatures with highs in the low 20’s and lows near –5. Mostly cloudy on Sunday with a slight chance of snow. Highs near zero and lows in the mid-single digits below zero. Monday, mostly cloudy and colder with highs near 10 and lows near zero. Cloudy skies for Tuesday with highs in the mid-single digits above zero and lows near -5. The normal high for January 7th is 22 and the normal low is 4. The scurs have decided with the cooler forecast, hibernation suddenly looks very attractive.
Snowfall totals last week after press time varied somewhat, although amounts of snow in the 7” – 10” range were common. Melting the snow revealed .6” - .9” of liquid equivalent precipitation. It made for a mad scramble on Wednesday morning to get snow moved and transportation going again. Luckily, as has been the case with many snowfall events over the past several years, there wasn’t much in the way of a plunge in temperatures or wind following it. And not surprisingly, no one complained that there wasn’t. We wound up with 12.6” of snow for the month at the ranch, only .4” off of the normal at the SROC
About the only people complaining are those who want to do some ice fishing locally. Ice in the southern part of the state has been treacherous and the snowfall on top of it hasn’t helped matters. Some have been working along the lake edges with their portables, but there have been no reports of major activity. The predicted first below-zero temperatures of the season should help. In the meantime most have been convinced it’s not worth the risk. Colder temps, less snow, better ice and fishing to the north.
The wind with the snowfall itself was northeast, so it dumped snow in places for many who really didn’t like it. At the ranch it was no exception, although the feedlot escaped relatively unscathed. Getting the driveway cleaned out enough to navigate didn’t take as long as I’d feared, in large part thanks to the time spent putting the chains on and moving things out of the way prior to the snowstorm. Not my first rodeo.
There have actually been a few clear nights and mornings in which to enjoy some of the astronomical occurrences. The brightest feature in the morning sky has been the “Morning Star” or Venus. The moon has had a partner as well with Jupiter tagging along in close proximity last week. Probably the most unique event though was the appearance of the Northern Lights. There was a fair amount of solar activity that was causing the particles to react in the upper reaches of the earth’s atmosphere. Of course the one night I wanted to see them, they were nowhere to be seen.
As mentioned in a previous edition, we continue to have a cat that adopted us sometime in the latter part of the summer. It has grown on us so that we did actually name it, calling it “Tincture.” It has helped keep the sparrow population at bay in the barn and is friendly, although it has a nasty habit of getting underfoot from time to time. Another negative is the fact it’s a female. We’re likely to see a bunch of kittens in the spring. After all as Betsy’s dad has always maintained, cats are a renewable resource.
With the snowfall we continue to see an uptick in bird activity around the yard, including pheasants. Up the road they’ve been congregating at one of the neighbors including a large number of hens. At the ranch we were blessed with a small group of Hungarian or gray partridge. The plump little gamebirds scurried around and kept me amused with their antics. Best of all they were in close proximity to the pear trees. Coincidence? I think not.
Some of the fruit of the new seeding from the kindly neighbors was put into action over the weekend. The Big Dubya brought one of the round bales up the road from the stash at his place. It was a welcome respite for Mr. Cheviot as this meant a temporary end to hand feeding the ewes in the feedlot. They of course were happy to see the bale and wasted no time once they discovered it to tear into the contents. Sure they’ll waste some of it but it’s not 160 RFV hay. It should be ideal for their stage of gestation is right about now. Somehow they still beller when they see us but at least they’re doing it with their mouths full.
Bumped into an old friend at the store where you go to the bathroom in the big orange silo. We couldn’t believe how the last year flew by and how quickly we’re already starting to saw into this one. Doesn’t seem to want to slow down either. Quite the contrary. Still lots of Christmas gatherings to attend yet too. Best solution: Buy lots of goodies to spoil grandkids and have treats on hand in case someone comes over. All part of the process.
See you next week…real good then.
Start resolutions when you’re darn good and ready
Written by Jim LutgensThe scurs got their Christmas shopping done, saw the sun and got a white Christmas all in the same week. This led them to believe the Weather Eye is a relevant forecasting aid. Will we see a warm start to the New Year or will we revert to the real January? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow. Highs in the low 20’s with lows in the lower double digits above zero. New Year’s Eve Day, mostly cloudy and colder with highs in the mid-teens and lows in the mid-single digits above zero. Mostly sunny and slightly warmer New Year’s Day with highs in the upper teens and lows in the mid-single digits. Saturday, mostly sunny and warmer with highs in the mid-20’s and lows in the mid-teens. Partly cloudy on Sunday with highs in the mid-20’s and lows in the mid-teens. Monday, partly cloudy with highs in the mid-20’s and lows near 10. Partly cloudy skies for Tuesday with highs in the mid-20’s and lows in the low teens. The normal high for January 1st is 23 and the normal low is 5. The scurs are certain their resolution to start their resolutions when they’re darn good and ready should be attainable.
More snow fell this past week although more of the precip was actually rain than snow. This has been an unusual December from that respect and at the ranch has been above normal as compared to the precip norms at the SROC in Waseca. Precip for December there is normally 1.48” and so far we have recorded 2.4” with some snowfall likely not added until after this writing meets the early deadline. Soils have largely frozen once again since then however so unless we see a thaw in the near future, not much of what falls this week will wind up in the soil, at least not for a while.
The snow was welcome by those who like having the landscape look like winter for Christmas. It is interesting however in places that have never seen snow how they relate to our notion that a winter wonderland is part of what makes it Christmas. On Christmas Eve Day I made a run to get some groceries. When I got back to the truck with my purchases, thanks to the snow, the door on the truck was iced up. Struggling to get it open I dropped the milk jug which split wide open, splashing the contents all over the nerf bar and my shoes. Seem to be attracting a lot interest from area cats wherever I go lately. Can’t cry over spilt milk as they say. It was just nice not to have to move the snow out of the way. Cleaning snow out of driveways and feedlots is highly overrated.
The recent snow has increased the activity of the creatures frequenting the yard, particularly the birds. A large rooster pheasant likely of the Little Jerry lineage was a frequent visitor over the weekend. Juncos are back as are a couple goldfinches. The woodpecker group consisting of downies, hairies and red-bellied has been keeping the suet feeders busy. Chickadees and nuthatches are regulars at the sunflower feeders. The leghorn-sized blue jays have returned too. Not sure where they hail from but they are huge, almost closing the ports on the squirrel-proof birdfeeder. And speaking of the squirrels, the fox squirrels have eaten so much ear corn that they are nearly round.
There have been a few days when sunflower seed consumption has been noticeably lower, making me curious as to why. Two consecutive days while we were at home, I spied first a Cooper’s hawk and the next day a smaller model, likely a sharp-shinned hawk. It was fascinating to watch them harass the sparrows as they attempted to conceal themselves deeper in the brushy cover. Was hoping they’d get one of them to fly out of there as hawks are like lightning.
With the weather terrorists telling us that the landscape will be once again plunged into another winter snowfall apocalypse, it was time to batten down the hatches just in case. Moving everything around so that snow removal is a possibility is a place to start. Since the winter thus far has been less than snowy, putting the chains on the tractor needed to happen. It’s a pain in the butt but if you plan on moving snow with a loader on ice, it’s almost a necessity. In the meantime, Fudgie and Ruby helped as I backed the empty gravity box into the feedlot. The ewes looked momentarily at the gate, then decided that discretion was the better part of valor. With one Border Collie inside the opening and the other looking menacing on the other side of the fence, it was simply not worth it.
Seed catalogs continue to arrive in the mail almost weekly. Not sure just what to order yet but there are several items that are automatics. We are sweet squash lovers and the Mooregold and buttercup varieties are our favorites. A wide variety of gourds for decorating are always included. Each year it seems there are new types that have a unique shape and color that are fun to try. Best of all, gourds are pretty tough, prolific and easy to grow. Indian corn too is another “must have”. Simple to grow and if the striped gophers can be held at bay, the colorful results are still like opening a Christmas present.
Mrs. Cheviot unfortunately wound up with a bout of stomach flu for Christmas. Of course she had the doggies to help pick up the slack so all was not lost. Most of the time she was miserable but there was little to do other than keep her comfortable. By Sunday she was back online again. Must be due to the wonderful care she received. Ruby and Fudgie should’ve taken up nursing.
See you next week…real good then.
The scurs were relieved to see that the sun does actually exist after having their doubts. Will the scurs see snowflakes come out of the Weather Eye or will they see white bees wings left over from corn drying season? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance for rain changing to snow by evening. Highs in the upper 30’s with lows in the upper 20’s. Christmas Eve Day, mostly sunny becoming cloudy with highs in the mid-30’s with lows in the mid-20’s. Mostly cloudy Christmas Day with a moderate chance of snow by evening. Highs in mid-30’s with lows in the mid-20’s. Saturday, mostly cloudy with a moderate chance of snow. Highs in the low 30’s with lows in the low teens. Mostly cloudy on Sunday with highs in the upper 20’s and lows in the mid-teens. Monday, mostly cloudy with highs in the low 30’s and lows in the mid-teens. Partly cloudy skies for Tuesday with highs in the mid-20’s and lows in the low double digits. Yes, that’s still above zero folks. The normal high for Christmas Day is 24 and the normal low is 6. After tossing another log on the fire on the 21st the scurs will be considering retrieving the aluminum Festivus pole from the crawlspace. A Christmas tree simply doesn’t measure up to the very high strength-to-weight ratio.
There will be a Full Moon on Christmas Day, although from the sounds of things we probably won’t see it. You’ll just have to take my word for it. It goes by several names including Full Cold Moon and the Long Nights Moon, both aptly named as we frequently see our coldest days from this full moon to the next, not to mention our longest nights. The Ojibwe called this the Small Spirits Moon and the Sioux had a couple names, The Moon of Popping Trees or The Moon When Deer Shed Their Horns (antlers). At the ranch we have come to know it as the Moon When it Feels Good to be Done with Chores and Back in the House. So far however this one has been relatively easy so as winters go. Given that memories of the other kind are still fresh enough to remember, we’ll take it.
There have been some questions as to what kind of things can be impacted by a warmer, open winter such as we’re experiencing presently. Some things such as insect survival can be enhanced, although there is still a lot of winter left. Insects such as western corn rootworm eggs don’t survive well once soil temperatures reach 14 degrees and so far we’ve been nowhere close to that. Northern corn rootworm eggs are tougher and can withstand much lower temperatures, part of the reason they are the more predominant species in these northern latitudes. As far as breaking up compaction, other than surface compaction, winter freezing and thawing does little to alleviate deeper soil compaction, typical of high-traffic areas and headlands.
The question has arisen about rivers and streams being so full this time of year. Even though we had a dry harvest season, in particular a dry October, we have recorded above normal precip the entire growing season. November was significantly wetter than normal, saturating the soil profile in the upper 5’. December precip has also been slightly above normal. Another tidbit to bear in mind is that the vast majority of our precip in December has fallen as rain. Normally it would be sitting on top of the ground in the form of snow rather than soaking in or running off.
As we approach the winter holidays, the house is once again decorated from top to bottom. Inside anyway. We gave up long ago trying to keep up with the neighbors outside, although Mrs. Cheviot did put some lights on the railings in order to make an effort. It looks nice especially since I didn’t have to do it. I try to do my part however and provide moral support. I cut some white pine boughs and red twig dogwood for decorating on Saturday. Hauled out all the garbage on Sunday after church and changed the light on the garage that exploded inside the fixture in the heavy rain. I also made the fresh cut on the real Christmas tree and brought it into the house so it could become acclimated before decorating. The smell of a fresh fir tree is still something to behold when it warms up inside, especially if it was kept away from tomcats outside. Been there done that.
The sheep and the dogs have been good lately so most likely they won’t get a lump of coal in their stocking. Actually the sheep already got a little bit of their present. Rummaging around the old lean-to I’d forgotten one squash that the sheep had partially gnawed on through the fence. Tucked underneath of a board was another squash that was hidden from view. Yet another one was discovered as I moved closer to the granary. Unfortunately all the squash had been frozen, rendering them unfit for human consumption. The sheep didn’t mind. They tore into them and within a matter of a half hour they’d devoured them. Luckily there are some apples going soft so they’ll get those soon. The ranch isn’t a bad place to be a sheep at Christmas time. The dogs are in line to get some of the leftovers out of the fridge so they too are more fortunate than some canines. And they try to be good. Fudgie has been coming when she’s called at night rather than chasing bunnies and Ruby didn’t even growl at Julie Andrews during The Sound of Music. There may be hope for those two yet.
As has been the custom in the past, I go shopping for the Star Eagle staff as only the scurs and I can do. It’s become a little tougher though as I’m never sure just who is working there anymore. Oh well, here goes: A donation has been made in all your names to the Human Fund: Money for People. That ought to cover it. Those warm thoughts can be treasured while performing feats of strength and during the airing of grievances. Another Festivus miracle! Happy Festivus!
See you next week…real good then.
The scurs have been checking the Weather Eye over to see what’s up with all the recent cloudy weather. Is there a “mushroom” setting they’re unaware of or will we see the sun before next week? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance for rain changing to snow. Highs in the mid-30’s with lows in the mid-20’s. Thursday, mostly cloudy with highs in the upper 20’s with lows in the mid-teens. Partly sunny Friday with highs in the low 20’s with lows in the low teens. Saturday, mostly sunny with highs in the low 30’s and lows in the low 20’s. Partly sunny and warmer on Sunday with highs in the upper 30’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Monday, partly sunny with highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the mid-20’s. Mostly cloudy skies for Tuesday with highs in the upper 30’s and lows in the mid-20’s. A sneak peek at Christmas Day: A chance of snow under mostly cloudy skies with highs near 40 and lows in the upper single digits above zero. The winter solstice will occur on the 21st at 10:49 p.m. and we should see roughly 8 hours and 51 minutes and 9 seconds of daylight. The normal high for December 21st is 24 and the normal low is 7. More time for the scurs to sleep before facing those Christmas shopping crowds on the 24th.
Quite the spring weather we had in the last week. Most frost in the soil is gone and ice on area lakes has completely disappeared. Rainfall totaled 1.56” since the 10th at the ranch, bringing the total precip to 1.78” for the month. Fields that were still wet from the November precipitation have become saturated to the point where water is standing. Some tiling was being performed yet last week, although in places it was plenty muddy for that if the ruts and mud on the road were any indication. There has been some concern about loss of fall applied nitrogen, although most were careful to apply it when average soil temperatures were 50 degrees or cooler at the 6” depth. Soil temperatures have generally remained well below that so most of the N should be in the ammonium form. Along with the use of a nitrification inhibitor, it should help keep conversion to nitrate to a minimum. Once the ammonium has converted to nitrate, it is subject to both denitrification and leaching.
It has been a bizarre weather month to be sure. Lawns remain relatively green and the sheep at the ranch are still foraging around the pasture looking for those precious last few blades of grass. This of course after they’ve devoured a bale of hay. It would be great to finally get a chance to burn the huge brush pile in their pasture. As wet as everything is, it’s doubtful that it will burn very well anytime soon. That and here in the People’s Republic of Steele Co., I need to make a personal appearance to procure a burning permit so the STFP (Secret Trash Fire Police) drones can pinpoint my exact location.
This time of year gets so busy for everyone. Seems like we’ve been on a whirlwind tour for much of the month and we don’t have any kids. We spent part of the weekend before last at the MLWP get together in Chaska, then served at a Lions Club pancake feed in Bugtussle that Sunday. From Tuesday through Thursday was at CPM Shortcourse in Megalopolis, then on to choir practice upon my return. Had a good time attending a Christmas party Friday night near St. Peter. Then on Saturday, back to Megalopolis to attend the Gopher women’s basketball game courtesy of Vista’s noted Swedish astronomer and his bride. Sunday we attended an organ recital in a small town just across the freeway from Little Jerusalem. Somehow we manage to squeeze some time in to get chores done and go to work in between. Being a social butterfly is exhausting. Just might require a long winter’s nap.
We also managed a trip to get our live Christmas tree, although as one sage pointed out, once you cut it down it’s not alive anymore. Very true and one realizes that when it comes time to put it outside. After sweeping up the needles and other assorted stuff that falls out of them, sometimes one wonders if it’s really all worth it. However after having a real tree most of my life, nothing matches the smell of the real thing. Even after it goes out the door, it serves as a place to hide for some of the birds frequenting the feeders. And every spring when it turns brown, I entertain myself by torching it; on the sly of course in order to evade detection by the aforementioned drones.
Fudgie and Ruby seem excited as Mrs. Cheviot transforms the house from Thanksgiving mode to Christmas mode. They know the routine by now and rather enjoy it. It means extra treats and attention as we move closer to Christmas. There will be some leftovers that come their way as well since there will be plenty of feasting throughout the holidays. Both dogs are closer to finishing up their fall shed only to be replaced by the winter shed. Actually they don’t shed much this time of year and their coats usually glow from all the goodies they’ve been consuming. When company arrives Ruby especially enjoys all the extra attention and while Fudgie doesn’t qualify as Miss Congeniality, once she stops woofing, she picks and chooses. Her coat is as nice as I’ve ever seen it and I’m envious, especially when the rain dripping off the eaves finds the thin spot on top of my melon.
See you next week…real good then.
The scurs were looked upon favorably last week as the Weather Eye managed to deliver more warmer than normal temps. Will our luck hold another week or will the scurs be forced to check area junkyards for a Gremlin and another Weather Eye? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid-40’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Thursday, partly sunny with a slight chance of afternoon or evening rain. Highs near 50 with lows in the low 30’s. Partly sunny Friday with a slight chance of rain and sleet. Highs in the mid-40’s with lows in the low 30’s. Saturday, mostly cloudy with a slight chance of rain and sleet changing over to snow. Highs in the upper 30’s with lows in the upper 20’s. Partly sunny on Sunday with highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the low 20’s. Monday, mostly cloudy with highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the low 20’s. Partly cloudy skies for Tuesday with highs in the lower 30’s and lows in the low 20’s. The normal high for December 15th is 26 and the normal low is 9. The good news: On the 14th, the sun sets at 4:36 p.m. and on the 15th it sets at 4:37 p.m. The bad news: It continues to rise a tad later, making our day lengths shorter until Christmas Day. The scurs’ take: Not to worry. Lots of time until Christmas.
The warm stretch of temperatures had some back in their normal routine for November once again. There was rumor of anhydrous ammonia still being applied last week as well as some primary tillage. Has this ever happened before? Absolutely. Can recall in 2001 seeing dust flying when anhydrous was applied on December 12th. Snow has left most of the landscape with only vestigial reminders in the form of snow piles from driveways being cleaned as well as on the north sides of groves. Since there wasn’t much snow there wasn’t much water to run off. A few puddles can be seen on the headlands serving as a reminder of how wet it had become before it cooled down. Fields have become greasy on top and saturated underneath as some of the ruts and tracks might attest.
Lakes had begun to freeze up weekend before last and St. Olaf had only one spot of open water where the waterfowl were desperately working on keeping open until the warm weather showed up. Now it’s tempting some of us to do some things we don’t often do in December, like go fishing in a boat. I’ve thought about getting the lawnmower out to touch up a few spots I missed, maybe even take the ewes back to the kindly neighbors’ pasture. Or even better yet, get the Stude out for an unexpected encore performance. There are some issues with that idea however.
I was appalled to see the amount of salt dumped on the roads during the last snowfall. Some areas and road crews are worse than others. Our very own crew in the People’s Republic of Steele Co. took the booby prize. It used to be back in the mid -1980s that Steele Co. was Johnny on the spot when it came to snow removal. Working in Bugtussle I was able to compare and contrast the workmanship in both Waseca and Steele Co. daily. Steele had their roads plowed early so they had a chance to melt off without using a lot of salt while Waseca allowed traffic to pack the snow down so it became icy, necessitating the use of more salt. In the 1990s that flip-flopped. Now we’re lucky on days when it snows to see a plow down in our end of the county much before the crack of 9 a.m. And when we do see one it’s usually puking out enough salt to choke several herds of horses. Then a few days later, it warms up enough so the snow would melt off anyway. Remember global warming boys and girls?
A few years ago North Dakota finally fell victim to the salt bug. Having lived there back in the early 1980s when there was no road salt used, I have to say that I never experienced any problems. If the roads were slick I planned ahead, slowed down and made extra time to get from point A to point B. They generally did a good job of sanding without salt so one learned quickly how to deal with it. It was four or five miles to the nearest paved road from where I lived so there was no sand used on those roads at all. If the roads were impassable I stayed put. I guess though in this day and age of instant gratification and entitlement, that doesn’t cut it. Reading a recent release from the Minnesota State Patrol, the overall number one factor in fatal crashes is excessive speed. Regardless of road conditions, for everyone’s sake, let’s slow down this holiday season. Life’s too short to have it end in a crash due to the need for speed.
On Friday was pleased to sell one of the ram lambs we had kept back for a gentleman from the Mapleton area. He came over in the afternoon and after chit-chatting a bit I climbed into the ram pen to grab one of its inhabitants. Obviously I zigged when I should’ve zagged and the one I wanted caught me right above the kneecap with his melon. After grimacing, saying a couple “gosh darn’s, “by golly’s” and “gee whizz’s” I decided the less shifty ram was a better alternative and was therefore going in the trailer. He was a piece of cake comparatively. Probably giving him too much credit, but the last time he was loaded in a trailer by himself he found himself breeding a bunch of ewes. Luckily between the two rams it was about a horse apiece. Both were good stock and the new owner seemed pleased to have him, waving happily as he pulled out of the yard. After being mortally wounded, I was just happy to make it back to the house. Over the course of the week, being careful not to bump the knee has been a challenge. Even with a little hitch in my giddy up, gotta play with pain. Mrs. Cheviot tripped over the cat and banged her knee just the day before. Life as gimps ain’t easy, but at least we can compare bruises.
See you next week…real good then.
The scurs had the Weather Eye dialed in or as close as it gets this time of year. Will our above normal temperatures make it another week or will we face the real December? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy becoming sunny. With highs in the low 30’s with lows in the mid-teens. Thursday, sunny with highs in the low 30’s and lows in the upper teens. Partly sunny and warmer Friday with highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Saturday, mostly sunny with highs in the upper 30’s and lows in the mid-20’s. Mostly sunny on Sunday with highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Monday, partly sunny with highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the mid-20’s. Warmer with sunny skies for Tuesday. Highs in the upper 30’s and lows in the mid-20’s. The sun will begin rising after 7 a.m. on December 4th. The normal high for December 7th is 29 and the normal low is 13. Having dodged the Black Friday and Cyber Monday bullets, the scurs can settle into their regularly scheduled programming. Long time yet until Christmas.
We got our ugly weather out of the way on Thanksgiving Day and had an encore performance the following Monday. Still, it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been with the brunt of the storms missing Greater Bugtussle and environs once again. That’s OK by most. Having snow at Thanksgiving time isn’t prerequisite to making it a fitting holiday. And I have yet to hear anyone complain that they missed moving snow for several hours so they could get out of the driveway. People are funny that way.
November did add additional moisture to our soil profile after a drier than normal October. Precipitation at the ranch totaled 3.36” for November, with most of it being absorbed into the soil. We should be at or near field capacity as the soil finishes freezing up for the year. With as much fall tillage as was accomplished, we should be set up well for spring as internal drainage draws some of the moisture out of the lower profile over winter.
The Friday after Thanksgiving is usually a day for lower intensity activity and this year was no different. After getting some odds and ends tied up it seemed an appropriate time to finish the tree wrap project before the bunnies finished it for me. Indeed they showed indications that they’d been there, although the damage was surprisingly light. The day was chilly however and after finishing wrapping about 20 trees, was thankful there weren’t more. It did provide some time to get a glimpse of the pond sans mosquitoes and darkness for a change. Was curious to see what the landowners to the north had done with their water diversion project and was pleasantly surprised. Excess water from the earlier rains appeared to have been diverted into the wetland and the basin was nearly full. That should bode well for returning waterfowl next spring. Hopefully the pond freezes solid soon. One wood duck house to clean out yet and the water will go over the top of my boots if I break through the ice. I could opt to wear my waders, although that sounds like an awful lot of work.
Bird feeding has had its moments so far this season. Unfortunately the sparrows and starling population have made it less enjoyable just by their sheer numbers. Oddly enough, after snuffing in the neighborhood of 200 sparrows between the sparrow trap and BB gun, there doesn’t appear to be much impact on their numbers. Even worse is the fact that over the matter of a few years they’ve adapted to feed and feeders they’re reputedly not supposed to like. There’s a reason they belong in the same category as rats and cockroaches. They are survivors. I feel bad for the nuthatches, woodpeckers and chickadees that contribute something positive to the bird feeding experience. And they don’t make a mess in the shed.
With weather looking potentially ominous for Monday, it was the weekend to bring the ewes home from the kindly neighbors’ pasture again Sunday. It’s been 20-some odd years now we’ve been pasturing them there and it’s always with some reluctance. This year in particular with the long fall and relatively good grass as a result it was tempting to attempt to outguess Mother Nature. Alas, one can only tempt fate about so long before you know that it’s time.
They loaded up easily, having been locked in the night before to feast on their corn screenings. Luckily they’d also been fed the kindly neighbors’ pumpkins outside a few days before so they had a head start on the ewes at home in that department. Once we were home, the ewes hopped out of the trailer and seemed happy to be there. They know the accommodations and within minutes were out in the pasture with their buddies. There was some minor jousting as pecking order was reestablished. Once that was out of the way, all was calm.
The ram lamb that had been running with them was held back as the ewes exited the trailer. He was paired up with a new roommate, a lone ram lamb we had kept back when the fat lambs were loaded out earlier in the month. Sparring partner is probably a more apt description as there is usually nothing calm about penning two young Cheviot rams together. This time was no exception. Seeing their churned up enclosure and bloodied heads at choretime reminded me more of the aftermath from a barroom brawl than a sheep pen.
See you next week…real good then.
When it comes to eating, pigs got nothin’ on sheep
Written by Jim LutgensThe scurs were a bit overly optimistic in their temperature estimates for this past week. Has the Weather Eye come back down to earth or will we see an encore performance of warmer than normal again? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with an increasing chance of rain into the overnight. Highs in the low 40’s with lows in the mid 30’s. Thanksgiving Day, mostly cloudy with a good chance of rain, becoming mixed with sleet and then a chance of snow. Highs in the upper 30’s and lows in the mid 20’s. Partly sunny and cooler Friday with highs in the upper 20’s and lows in the mid-teens. Saturday, mostly sunny with highs in the low 30’s and lows in the upper teens. Mostly sunny on Sunday with highs in the low 30’s and lows in the low 20’s. Monday, partly cloudy with highs in the low 30’s and lows in the upper teens. Partly cloudy for Tuesday with a chance of flurries. Highs in the low 30’s and lows in the mid-teens. The normal high for December 1st is 32 and the normal low is 16. Avoiding Black Friday at all costs is the scurs’ goal for the week. Easily accomplished. Lots of time before December 25th.
The Full Moon for the month lands on the 25th of November. It is known as the Full Beaver Moon as this was the time that trappers were getting their supply of warm winter furs. It is also at this time that beavers are laying in their supplies for winter. The Ojibwe called this the Freezing Moon and the Sioux knew it as the Moon of the Falling Leaves. At the ranch, it is known the Frozen Ground Moon, making it possible to clean the barns with reckless abandon.
It was indeed a good weekend for cleaning the main barn. Fields that had become wet from the rains back on the 12th suddenly got wetter last week. Some areas saw well over an inch where at the ranch we recorded .95” and in town 1.15”. Friday’s snow measured at an inch at the ranch and melted out, contained .12” of liquid equivalent precipitation. Not a lot of snow but enough to give the snowplow operators a chance to clean all the dead skunks and raccoons off the road.
Conditions on Friday were such that the frost in the ground allowed anhydrous ammonia application and for some late fall tillage to be performed. The ground was pretty hard on Saturday morning however with overnight lows falling to 12 at the ranch. This meant that it was definitely time to get the barn cleaned and I was not alone. While inside the barn running the skidloader I spied the Dubya’s tractor and spreader heading up the road to do battle. Doug and David’s field where I spread had been worked although one could tell it was squishy under the layer of frozen soil. Sunday it started to get a little greasy about the time I finished the 12th the last load about 2:30. The roads were getting thawed off in places so it was time to be done without tracking a lot of mud.
A small group of our ewes as of this writing remain at the kindly neighbors’ pasture, supplemented with a medium-sized bucket of screenings at night. The recent snowfall made me think that I should probably give them a couple slices of hay in the morning over the weekend just to see if they would clean it up. Silly me. They’re sheep. Pigs got nothin’ on sheep when it comes to eating. If you’ve ever watched a group of greedy ovines gobble down their grain too fast then barf it up you know what I’m talking about. Of course they cleaned the hay up. The ewes then proceeded to forage through the trees and feed on the remaining grass the rest of the day. They came up out of the pasture as I arrived with their screenings Sunday night. I figured they’d be all about me showing up to feed hay Monday morning. I plopped the slices into the tubs expecting to see them come on a dead run. Guess again. They were all the way down in the far north end of the pasture where there was sufficient grass for their taste. Later I got a call from the kindly neighbor asking if it was OK to toss the leftover pumpkins and corn stalks over the fence to them. At this rate they may never want to come home.
Thursday is Thanksgiving Day of course and our plan is to lay low. Mrs. Cheviot has been on a whirlwind tour it seems and yours truly has had his hands full riding herd on the ranch and all the critters. Sometimes we just need to exhale. Hopefully the weather cooperates as per usual turkey on the Weber is slated as standard fare. Doesn’t seem possible that just last week I mowed the lawn and went for one last ride before mothballing the Stude for winter. After that beautiful weekend, we really did have something to be thankful for. There are still plenty of things to get done, but Thursday is one of those days best left alone at the ranch.
Ruby and Fudgie have always enjoyed Thanksgiving dating back to the times when Mom brought Fudgie along on her visits. Along with olfactory overload and organ meats on the naughty list these days, the giblets wind up being their property. That’s OK by me and they deserve it. The numerous times over the course of a year that we’ve called upon the dogs to give us a hand or their companionship and unconditional love qualifies them. They are a pretty intelligent lot as dogs go and relatively obedient. Both Border Collies definitely know which buttons to push, yet usually know when they’re getting pretty close to crossing the line. They’re a lot like kids that way, although I don’t recall seeing kids shed quite like these two.
See you next week…real good then.
More...
More warmth this past week and the scurs have no clue about what got into the Weather Eye. Is there no end to the nice days or will we finally start our descent to the inevitable? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of rain and a slight chance of snow in the overnight. Highs in the low 50’s with lows near 30. Thursday, mostly sunny with highs in the upper 30’s and lows in the mid 20’s. Sunny and cooler Friday with a slight chance of overnight snow. Highs in the mid 30’s and lows in the low 20’s. Saturday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid 30’s and lows in the low 20’s. Sunny on Sunday with highs in the low 40’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Monday, mostly sunny with highs in the upper 30’s and lows in the mid 20’s. Partly cloudy for Tuesday with a chance of light rain or drizzle. Highs in the low 40’s and lows in the low 30’s. The normal high for November 21st is 38 and the normal low is 23. A sneak peek at Thanksgiving Day looks like cloudy with highs in the low 30’s and lows in the 15 degree range. After wearing out their Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald cd last week, the scurs need to go shopping for their turkey soon if they expect it to be thawed before next Thanksgiving.
Still some late season field activity over the past weekend as the forecast of rain sparked a sudden sense of urgency. Fields that had been previously unworked suddenly turned black and some anhydrous was being applied. At least until conditions became too slimy due to the Monday morning rain. Given the rainfall predicted for the week, it may put fieldwork on hold until the ground starts to freeze up. That may come sooner than later, perhaps as early as the weekend.
We got the fat lambs and cull ewes shipped before Mrs. Cheviot trekked off to Louisville. The lambs loaded relatively easily while the ewes had other ideas. Not their first rodeo so they weren’t as cooperative. They knew once we got Ruby out that we meant business. While she’s not a terribly intimidating Border Collie, it’s one more body to contend with. Once the ewes were on the trailer I breathed a sigh of relief. Never have any regrets once they’re on the trailer and the older I get the more that rings true. The aches and pains only serve to reinforce that attitude.
At the ranch, I tried my best to capitalize on the nice weekend weather. It was a little too muddy to haul manure so there a plethora of yard work to do. While it was still fresh in my mind, I got out the pruning saw and loppers. Time to do battle with the face slappers and eye gougers that had taken a lot of the fun out of mowing the lawn. Not that it was much fun in the first place. Got through about 20 trees before realizing I’d made quite a mess before heading out on a special appointment. By the time I got back chores were looming on the horizon so set my sights on Sunday. I couldn’t believe the piles of brush generated although I had to admit the trees looked much better. Along with that, there should be fewer battle scars and less cursing. Grinding up the leaves was next and true to form after a long layoff neither mower would start. Much to my chagrin I’d discovered earlier that the bunnies were already working over one of the small crabapples so onto another “next task” after putting the charger on one of the lawnmowers.
Found the tree wrap and in the process discovered where the one barn swallow nest had been. Yup, right above the tree wrap. Fertilizer for the small trees, I muttered to myself while tossing the plastic spirals into the Gator. For some reason though wrapping the trees really doesn’t bother me. I get to see each one of them up close and personal. Amazing how fast they grew after a phenomenal growing season. Some are getting big enough so that this may be the last time they’ll need to be protected. Gazing around the yard and seeing how those I wrapped up 20 years ago now contribute to the wildlife, shade and protection from the wind, it’s been worth it. And after getting all that done the mower did finally start. The dry afternoon was perfect for pulverizing the leaves into confetti and putting the yard work largely to bed for another season.
Both Saturday and Sunday were too beautiful to spend inside or working the entire day. I’d actually set aside time both days to take the Silver Hawk out for one last spin. Saturday I took someone who’s basically been a father figure to me over the years. I lost my dad when I was 26, so consider myself lucky that his family was willing to loan me Donnie once in a while. His son and grandson came along for the ride as we made the trip to Albert Lea on some of the smoother tar roads we’d discovered the weekend before. In his mid-80s, Don thought we should throw the youngsters in the trunk so we could cruise main for chicks. That was a fun excursion even though like all of them, it ended all too soon.
The next day I retraced many of those same steps so the car could be fueled up and the gas treated with stabilizer. It was about 4 p.m. by the time I pulled out of the yard. I was alone with my thoughts and dropping the car on down into overdrive, the Hawk seemed to appreciate one last chance for the year to stretch out and run. I reflected on the good times I’d had from purchasing the car from a gentleman in St. Louis, days at shows with Vista’s noted Swedish astronomer to the people I met over the course of the summer and the cool places I’d been. I was somewhat sad too that it was all coming to an end for the season. Then like everything else that weekend, I thought of the things that still needed attention on the Hawk and its roommate the Lark. There will be plenty to do on both units until it’s fit to head out once again.
See you next week…real good then.
Continued warmth spewed forth from the Weather Eye, pleasing the scurs yet puzzling them. Will it ever cool off, or are we stuck with the “finter” they pondered? (Thank you Jonathan Yuhas for the new season name). Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of rain. Highs in the low 50’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Thursday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of rain and snow showers. Highs in the mid 40’s and lows in the low 30’s. Sunny Friday with highs in the low 40’s and lows in the mid 20’s. Saturday, mostly sunny with highs near 50 and lows in the mid 30’s. Sunny on Sunday with highs in the low 50’s and lows in the mid 30’s. Monday, mostly cloudy with highs around 50 and lows in the mid 30’s. Cloudy for Tuesday with a chance of light rain or drizzle. Highs in the upper 40’s and lows in the low 30’s. The sun rises after 7 a.m. CST on the 10th. The normal high for November 15th is 42 and the normal low is 25. In a week’s time we lost about four degrees off both the highs and lows. The scurs are wondering if there will be enough snow to build a snowman. They have a spare leftover from last year saved in the freezer just in case.
Crop farming continues to wind down for the season. Many acres of anhydrous ammonia were applied this week and for our business soil sampling is coming to a close. Most of what’s left has been worked so it makes for slower, rougher going. Conditions to the west have been wetter than around Bugtussle itself so anhydrous applications were delayed somewhat in that area. Rains have continued to hold off allowing those who haven’t finished harvest to do so. Whether or not it will allow tillage to be performed on some of those late harvested acres remains to be seen. The primary goal however is still to get the crop off and worry about tillage later. Many of those acres will be going into soybeans next year anyway.
The nice weather allowed for some preliminary groundwork on the annual manure spreading extravaganza. The oil was changed on the tractor and skidloader, readying both for next weekend. The Ruby and Fudgie always enjoy this part of the process as it gives them one more opportunity to bark, growl and bite the tires on both implements. On sunny days like Saturday it just feels good to be outdoors doing something and watching them a couple Border Collies through their paces. They can’t help themselves and it’s entertaining. Of course I am easily entertained.
I took some time to take inventory on some tree limbs and branches that ticked me off this last summer while mowing, also making note of those needing tree wrap. Somehow the bunnies haven’t started messing with them yet although I’d better not hold my breath. I know where the tree wrap lives. I also discovered a few more tomatoes that had been green and ripened under the mat of recently fallen leaves. Another project: Grind up the leaves with the lawnmower. The late season bonus tomatoes have been delicious and welcome treat. The Tumbling Tom tomato on the patio deck is still blooming and bearing so we should still have a few fresh ripe tomatoes of one kind or another for Thanksgiving.
Sunday after church we cruised to Albert’s Leaf in the Silver Hawk to check out new phones and hopefully bring Mrs. Cheviot into the 21st century. It was also time to replace my phone, which I wasn’t sorry about. I had a love-hate relationship with it from the get-go. Having switched originally from a Blackberry, I found the touch screen on the Galaxy S4 jumpy. Many times if I grabbed it the wrong way, it sent me off into the techno rhubarb faster than I could figure it out. After a while I got used to it, but the learning curve was pretty steep. It was a tough phone though. I had the thing, though, for over three years ,which many remarked was incredible that I hadn’t smashed it. Don’t think I wasn’t tempted, I told them.
Sunday was a bright, beautiful day for a cruise though. A little cool perhaps but the with the heater control valve allowing a little antifreeze to seep through to the heater core, the temp was about right inside the car. We got the phones picked out and the young lady did an excellent job of explaining how to operate them. Luckily we both got the same phone and for me it was just an upgrade so Mrs. Cheviot could learn from my tutelage. We chuckled at the people who would crawl by the Studebaker craning their necks in their vehicles as we watched from inside the store. One guy even got out, walked around the car and snapped several photos. We had no idea we’d cause a gawker slowdown in a parking lot.
After finishing the phone paperwork we had to go to DQ and celebrate our purchases. A Buster bar for Mrs. Cheviot and a butterscotch dipped cone for me. We filled up with non-oxygenated fuel across the street and made our merry way home. We went on a smoother, albeit longer route. However the distance doesn’t really matter on picture perfect days like Sunday. The longer the cruise the better. We sailed on home with the tail wind pushing us on our voyage. Once we arrived we played with the phones for a while until I looked up to see sheep walking across in front of the barn, again. Fun’s over I thought. Having to deal with animals out of their pens is a source of great irritation for most males of the species and I am no exception. Once that problem was solved and chores were done, it was time to go back inside to play with the phones some more. Not so fast. Someone calling on the landline and leaving a message, namely the fearless leader from the paper, sheepishly requesting I submit my article a day early. Yup, fun was definitely over. Back to reality. See you next week…real good then.
The recent warmth has the scurs wondering if the Weather Eye will continue to spew forth heat or suddenly get back to more normal conditions for November. Only time will tell. Starting Wednesday, aside from some possible morning drizzle, mostly sunny with highs in the upper 60’s and lows in the mid 50’s. Thursday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of showers. Highs in the low 60’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Sunny Friday with highs in the upper 40’s and lows in the low 30’s. Saturday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid 40’s and lows in the low 30’s. Sunny on Sunday with highs in the low 50’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Monday, mostly sunny with highs in the low 50’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Partly sunny for Tuesday with highs in the low 50’s and lows in the low 30’s. The sun sets before 5 p.m. on the 5th and we slide below 10 hours of daylight on November 7th for the first time since February 3rd. The normal high for November 7th is 47 and the normal low is 29. The scurs will be rationing their leftover Halloween candy, hoping it will tide them over until Turkey Day.
Anhydrous ammonia and tillage operations were underway in many areas this past week. The telltale signs of anhydrous ammonia applicators were present in many area fields upon my return from a short trip. There certainly is no hurry however if the warm temperatures are any indication. The closer one can make the applications to freeze up of course it makes the likelihood of loss much lower. Soil conditions are probably about as good as I can ever recall them being for fall ammonia so it appears to be sealing up very well. Rainfall in the month of October turned out to be moderate after a very dry first three weeks, garnering 1.08” at the ranch and just about 1.05” in the gauge at the Mall for Men.
Yet one last trip to Canada to help my little fat buddy Billy of the North to help winterize his cabin before winter sets in. Before leaving everyone always assumes we’re going fishing and while we always have that option, just getting away from the hustle and bustle a few days is more than adequate for me. The flora and fauna keep matters interesting. Trying to think about how the pieces fit together make it an endless puzzle to ponder as we keep in mind that it really doesn’t matter; it’s there to keep us guessing. On the way north from Bemidji, flocks of snow buntings were common as we headed to Frostbite Falls. A harbinger of things to come I fear. The morning after we arrived at camp, the chickadees were on hand to greet us. They appeared to be searching for some small insects on the branch tips of the pine and white cedar. It made me wonder if on some future visit what they might do with some of the sunflower seeds prized by the local chickadee population at home. Some redpolls and siskins could also be heard although not seen, a behavior many of us grew up with.
Leaves were down with the exception of some red and pin oaks along the way. Some tamaracks were still clinging stubbornly to their needles in places even well into Canada. Their yellow tinge blended into the dark green evergreens remained against the gray backdrop; signs of hope that the landscape would once again come to life when the seasons change.
The weather was gray as well. From Thursday through Monday morning we saw the sun for about 10 minutes. Temperatures were freezing when we arrived, making the front porch slick. Visions of doing a one-and-a-half somersault in the middle of the night while making a nature call danced in my head. Luckily it did warm up slightly so the frosty porch was no longer an issue. However temperatures didn’t get much above 40 for the duration of our stay. Still not bad considering what it’s capable of. At least we didn’t have to get out the heavy artillery, namely the long johns and thick wool socks. Come about January, we’d take some of those temperatures even in our latitude.
We were also on a diplomatic mission. Some compensation for services rendered needed to be made. We went to Atikokan bearing gifts for some nice folks who drained Bill’s cabin water previously when the weather managed to dip below freezing. Unlike greater Bugtussle, water lines are unable to be buried six or more feet deep. There simply isn’t six feet or more of soil to bury them in in most places. Later we went to another neighbor on the lake for socializing and to drop off some food items that wouldn’t make it through customs for the journey south. It’s fascinating to me anyway to visit with these hardy souls and learn more about how they think and live for that matter. Canadians are wonderful neighbors. We could definitely do much worse. I feel a kindred spirit with them living as close to Canada as I once did. The land can be cold and forbidding at times while the people typically remain genuine and as warm as a July afternoon.
Once back home again the dogs were excited to see me, especially Fudgie. I laughed as her mannerisms seemed to belie that 13-year-old body, acting like a Border Collie half her age. Ruby of course definitely behaves like a two-year-old all the time and is shedding hair massively to boot. Actually both dogs are. One look at my sweatshirt after some doggie affection and it definitely meant another bomb session with the brush soon. That in addition to countless other chores needing to get done before the snow flies. No rest for the wicked.
See you next week…real good then.
The Acme fan the scurs ordered for the Weather Eye is proving to be more than they bargained for. Will it continue to mean windy conditions or will a new control switch solve the problem? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of showers, possibly turning to snow before morning. Highs in the upper 40’s with lows in the low 30’s. Thursday, mostly cloudy with highs in the mid 40’s and lows in the low 30’s. Partly sunny Friday with an increasing chance of showers. Highs in the upper 40’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Saturday, partly sunny with a slight chance of a shower. Highs in the mid 50’s and lows in the low 40’s. Sunny on Sunday with a slight chance of an evening shower. Highs in the upper 50’s with lows in the mid 40’s. Monday, partly sunny with a slight chance of showers. Highs in the upper 50’s and lows in the low 40’s. Partly cloudy for Tuesday with a slight chance of a shower. Highs in the upper 50’s and lows in the low 40’s. The normal high for November 1st is 51 and the normal low is 31. The scurs will be hosting as many trick or treaters as the candy budget will support. After that they’re on their own.
It’s that weekend we’ve waited all summer for: The end of Daylight Wasting Time! Time to set our clocks back an hour at 2 a.m. on November 1st. Nationwide, many people will once again wind up in the emergency room because they fell off a chair while changing their clocks back. Light in the morning and dark by 5 in the afternoon. Personally, I won’t be around. I’ll be in Canada where they also witness this nonsensical changing of the clocks thing. And guess what? I will still sleep another hour in protest!
There is still some corn left to be harvested in pockets, although those pockets are shrinking every day. Moistures did pick up slightly with last Friday’s rains so Monday’s breezes were welcome from that standpoint. The rain was also welcome as the dry conditions were putting us at greater risk for fires. Miraculously, very few incidents have occurred locally, although other areas have not been as fortunate. The rainfall also settled the dust on the gravel roads, something that was making them hazardous to travel, especially when meeting or following large trucks. Having recovered from the writer’s cramp after recording the summer rainfall, I managed to pencil in .3” and in town about .25”. It was the first measurable precip since September 24th. In the fields fall anhydrous ammonia applications are starting. The calendar and soil temperatures are all pointing in the right direction so it should be an acceptable time to begin.
Apple harvest at the ranch has concluded. Mrs. Cheviot got the apples the birds hadn’t pecked off the trees so it was up to Mr. Cheviot to finish the honors. Lucky for me the skid loader was handy as I used the scoop shovel on the last of the apples and proceeded to dump them over the fence to the sheep. Not exactly like they really need anything more to eat, although they never argue when extra vegetative material is tossed their way. The last of the tomatoes were a pleasant culinary find. Not always the case. They have been amongst the best flavored of the season, although they don’t keep for long. Finding that to be the case with some of the gourds and squash as well. The warm temperatures we keep getting seem to be having a negative effect in that department.
The summer bird watching and feeding has segued into the fall/winter segment. Bluebirds continue to filter through, looking over the nesting boxes perhaps for future reference. The hummingbird feeder was taken down and cleaned for the last time and the last of the suet feeders was hung in its place. The nuthatches, the downy, hairy, and red-bellied woodpeckers have all been busy on those feeders. They also seem to be annoyed by the house sparrows who try to horn in on the sunflower feeder, shooing them away when they want their turn. There are also five huge blue jays who were some of the likely culprits in destroying a portion of the apple crop. There are still more than we’ll ever eat though so they get a pass.
Saturday we mad another leaf-watching trip in the Stude, only to get to the other side of Lansing and discover that the ammeter was indicating it wasn’t charging the battery. Luckily, it had been working up until that point so we continued on our abridged journey. There were still areas of color as we went east, particularly in the small bergs and villages along the way. Lots of huge corn piles too at the local elevators where there was no room in the bins. As we came in our driveway at home we were greeted by the pin oak and red oak that were reaching their peak color. Probably could’ve just sat in the car, stared at those two trees and stayed home.
Sunday was relatively calm so it was a decent day to get the screenings cleaned up at the kindly neighbors’. After making the annual pilgrimage there for many moons I’ve long since forgotten how many years it is. It went smoothly and the small ewe flock there was happy to see the screenings suddenly appear in their feeders. There again, they don’t need extra feed either. They’ve picked up the few acorns that fell in their pasture and the grass grew exceptionally well with all the rainfall. Still, it’s nice to get them started on some feed and screenings work well in that department. And the price is certainly right, not to mention the exercise I desperately need this time of year. I have Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas in my sights.
See you next week…real good then.