Fencelines (269)
The scurs managed to keep the rainclouds at bay with an assist from the Weather Eye for Farm and City Days. It threatened but did not make good on it. Will we be so lucky for the Waseca Co. Fair or will the thunderstorms finally prevail? Starting Wednesday, partly sunny becoming mostly cloudy with a moderate chance of showers and thunderstorms late in the day. Highs around 80 with lows near 60.Thursday, mostly cloudy with a good chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Mostly sunny and muggy on Friday with a modest chance of evening showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 80’s with lows in the low 70’s. Saturday, mostly sunny and humid with a modest chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 80’s with lows in the low 70’s. Partly sunny on Sunday with an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms by evening. Highs in the mid-80’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Monday, mostly sunny and a tad cooler with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the low 80’s with lows in the low 60’s. Mostly cloudy and cooler Tuesday with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the low 60’s. For July 20th the normal high is 82 and the normal low is 62. We will experience 15 hours of daylight, the same as we saw back on May 23rd. After bloating on Farm and City Days candy, the scurs have their sights set on those onion rings at the Waseca Co. Fair. Regularity is never a bad thing.
Tremendous crop progress since the rains fell on the 6th. Warm temperatures and dry conditions are just what the doctor ordered to allow the corn to get down to some of the nitrogen that was a question mark after heavy June rainfall. Judging by the color of most of the corn, it is not suffering from a lack of nitrogen. Tassels are also coming on rapidly. Given the ample supply of moisture and nearly ideal temperatures, we should see good pollination. Disease pressure at this point is still relatively low so fungicide applications are a gamble. Soybeans are also on the move. Most fields were in the R2 stage this past week although some of the earliest planted soybeans were a bonafide R3. While soybean aphids continue to become easier to find, the temptation to make early insurance applications becomes greater. A recent press release from the U of M should help temper that notion.
http://blog-crop-news.extension.umn.edu/2015/07/the-downside-of-insurance-insecticide.html
Indeed we have been fortunate to have missed several of the recent severe thunderstorm events. It doesn’t appear the mosquitoes have noticed yet. Most are of the same opinion that going outside when it’s still or getting closer to dark is taking your life in your own hands. As a result the amount of repellent being used at the ranch has skyrocketed. It does give one some appreciation for the month of January. I can honestly say I’ve never been bitten by a mosquito while doing chores that time of year.
Accomplishing anything in the garden has been a major feat. We did snag our first tomatoes on Monday though, a few grape and cherry tomatoes. Picking them on the run makes it easier to get exercise especially when not wearing repellent. Overall things look good at a fast trot. There are some Mt. Royal plums turning purple too although getting up the nerve to battle the bugs has been tough. Should do it pretty soon though as the birds seem to easily find them before we get there. The apple trees continue to impress as well. All the trees have ample fruit so there should be plenty for pies and eating barring some disaster before fall anyway.
It appears there are several families of orioles, both Baltimore and orchard types, consuming grape jelly in our backyard. Up to a dozen individual birds are recognizable as they descend from the tree to the feeder hanging below. Of course there are a few others including the catbirds who like to sneak in when the orioles aren’t there to gobble down what they can before the next wave shows up.
It has taken a while but Mrs. Cheviot finally put the AC on over the weekend. There were wedding flowers being manufactured with some recruited help so it needed to be cranked up to keep them from withering in the heat. Both the flowers and the help. It certainly made watching the Twinkies game more comfortable from the recliner. Within a few minutes I was sawing logs, paying little attention to the TV or the commotion from the other room.
Made an appearance at the Farm and City Days car show Saturday and got to see all kinds of people. Columnist extraordinaire Bob Hansen accused me of going golfing although it’s probably been 20 years since people ran for cover after I swung a club. Al Batt offered me a used but not abused feline, which I gracefully had to decline. The smell of fresh cat poop in a warm garage this time of year really doesn’t tickle my olfactory senses. Pat B. checked the back of my neck for mosquito bites to make sure last week’s report was accurate. And Vista’s noted Swedish astronomer was glad that I’d remembered to bring my cooler. Of course then there were the cars, lining main street, gleaming and polished to perfection. One thing about it, it’s definitely “look but don’t touch.” No telling what might happen if a sticky, gooey handprint were to wind up on the seat of one of those old gals. Yes, on the cars of course.
See you next week…real good then.
The scurs consulted the Weather Eye for drier, kinder, gentler weather and it delivered. Will it succeed in keeping the rainclouds away from Farm and City Days or will it be wet and wild? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the upper 50’s. Partly sunny Thursday with a slight chance of an evening shower. Highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the low 60’s. Friday, mostly sunny with a good chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the low 80’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Partly sunny Saturday with a moderate chance of forenoon showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 80’s with lows in the upper 60’s. Sunday, mostly sunny with a modest chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-80’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Partly sunny Monday with a moderate chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Tuesday, partly sunny with highs in the upper 70’s with lows around 60. The normal high for July 11th is 83 and the normal low is 62. Having already lost 13 minutes of daylight since the summer solstice, the scurs will be reading under the covers with their flashlight again.
Corn continues to move along and we should start to see the first tassels hopefully by the time this reaches your mailbox. Despite the wet soil conditions earlier, the crop continues to look very good, with most fields exhibiting very little in the way of N deficiency with the exceptions of the areas surrounding some of the drowned out spots. Soybeans too look better than they have in several years with most being a full R2 (full bloom). Soybean aphids have been found locally, although they are nowhere near economic levels. Some small weeds continue to appear between rows. Here again, what people are willing to tolerate depends on personal preferences. Generally speaking these are not yield limiting infestations. Drier conditions this past week allowed weed control measures to wrap up with some even resorting to cultivation in the soybeans. Some of the well washed second cutting hay that had been down for over a week was finally able to be baled. It was nice clean hay though.
The Canadian forest fires are causing some concern that we may see some cooler temperatures for crop production than we may like. Indeed, the haze has helped make it noticeably cooler than one might expect for the calendar date. It has also caused concern for those with respiratory issues. In fact a recent report was claiming that the air quality in the Twin Cities was worse than Beijing. Some of course are quick to jump on climate change as the culprit due to warmer, drier winters in the west. One can’t help but wonder though if conditions become colder and wetter than normal there, what will they blame that on? Not saying that the climate change isn’t happening, but to many folks, it has become another convenient excuse for any occurrence out of the “normal” in this day and age, whatever normal is supposed to be. When in doubt, blame global climate change.
Lawn mowing has certainly been high on everyone’s chore list this summer. Contending with the mosquitoes has been part of the challenge as well. The back of my neck is pebbled about like a basketball, having been bitten so many times. Howard and Whitey have been up to the task so far. Weekly mowing and trimming when I get around to it is about all I can muster these days though, especially when one knows it’ll be a bloodletting.
Don’t recall ever seeing as many orchard orioles as we’ve had this summer. There are at least a couple chocolate colored males, some young green males with the black bib and oodles of green females. They are eating jelly at a frenetic pace with some help from the squirrels and the Baltimore orioles. Oddly enough the hummingbirds have dropped off the radar screen. Not sure why, but suspect they are nesting. The first hatch of barn swallows is on the wing and not a minute too soon. With all the mosquitoes and flies to eat they should do very well.
With Mrs. Cheviot still on the loose, it has taken more time to get the putz projects done. However, after taking one look in the garage at the filth, a good floor sweeping was in order. After all it was becoming nearly impossible to get in the Silver Hawk without getting the once clean floor mats dirty. Driving it in less than pristine condition isn’t part of the deal. Getting rid of the cardboard that was soaked up with oil dripped from Howard and Whitey was the first order of business along with dog hair and what seemed like a dump truck load of sand. Should sell it back to the county.
After taking the Studebaker out for a spin it’s interesting once parked how many times I’ve been asked what happened to the car company. When did they quit making them? Why? Did someone buy them out? The short answers: The decision to cease automobile operations was made by the board in March of 1966. It had been coming for quite some time as the automobile division had been losing money since at least 1953 with the exception of 1959 when the Lark was introduced. The direction the company had been going focused more on developing into a conglomerate rather than automobile production. Studebaker had been buying up other interests in order to diversify. Studebaker owned companies such as Gravely, Onan, Clarke Floor Machines and STP. STP stood for “Scientifically Treated Petroleum” although Studebaker had used a “Studebaker Tested Products” moniker to tie it to some of its own advertising after purchasing it in 1961. In 1967, a year after automobile production ended, Studebaker merged with Wagner Electric and Worthington Industries. The resulting company became known as Studebaker-Worthington. Eventually it was acquired by McGraw-Edison in the late 1970s, which in turn was absorbed by Cooper Industries in 1985. When that happened, the Studebaker name quietly disappeared from the American corporate landscape.
See you next week…real good then.
The scurs and their Weather Eye got the rains to stop in places. However, in places they didn’t. Will they get a grip and dry us out for the 4th or will we have to light soggy firecrackers? Starting Wednesday, partly sunny with a high near 75. Thursday, sunny becoming partly cloudy with a modest chance of rain in the overnight. Highs near 75 with lows in the upper 50’s. Mostly sunny Friday with a slight chance of daytime showers or thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Saturday the 4th, mostly sunny with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the low 60’s. Sunday, partly sunny becoming mostly cloudy with an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms by evening. Highs near 80 with lows in the mid-60’s. Mostly sunny with a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms on Monday. Highs around 80 with lows in the mid-60’s. Tuesday, partly cloudy and pleasant with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the low 60’s. The normal high for the 4th of July is 83 and the normal low is 61. We will have already lost a staggering 6 minutes of daylight since the summer solstice and the sun will be setting before 9 p.m. In the meantime, the scurs will be attempting to evade Mark Dayton’s jack-booted Fireworks Police.
After 3.1” of rain fell last Monday at the ranch it has dried out, sort of. We only received .77” for the rest of the week so that was a moral victory. Up until the 22nd we were living a charmed life with rains coming gently and not in large amounts. Now around the area one can see the toll the wet weather has taken on some fields. There are drowned out spots in both the corn and soybeans and there are signs of nitrogen deficiency appearing where drainage is an issue. Headlands on corn fields by and large look poor, in testament to some of the sins of past cropping seasons. No amount of tillage seems to remedy it, just keeping traffic in these areas to a minimum and time are about the best cures. Corn was V10–V12 with some flag leaves starting to show on the earliest planted fields. Soybeans were R1–R2 in some of the earliest planted fields. Small grains have in many cases lodged and many of the peas that looked so good earlier are showing the effects of excessive moisture, not only yellowing but the ruts left after harvest attempts. Baling hay? Fageddaboudit!
At the ranch the first fireflies of the season were spotted on the evening of the 26th. This of course viewed from the safety of the inside of a window screen. The rains have also meant a horde of mosquitoes awaits one if you’re foolish enough to venture outside for a closer look. There is no shortage of flying and biting insects no matter what time of day you’re out and about. The stable flies, those nasty little biting flies that sneak up and bite your exposed skin when you least expect it, have been downright nasty. Get around a river or stream and they compete with the deer flies and horse flies for a pound of your flesh.
Fortunately we have a large contingent of barn swallows to consume some of the flying insects. One doesn’t realize just how many until an intruder such as a cat or hawk shows up in the yard. There are plenty of birds to watch lately including a rose-breasted grosbeak and a swelling number of goldfinches, the males dressed in their brightest summer plumage. The younger orioles are coming to the feeders now, although they’ve had to compete with the young squirrel population. Putting the plastic baffle over the top of the feeder seems to have thwarted their attempts as they’re not the brightest bulbs on the tree just yet. Robins still start their singing prior to 4:30 a.m. One was trying to sing before 4 the other day but the others must’ve told him to shut up and go back to bed.
The gardens continue to progress in spite of all the rains. Prior to the heavy rains last week, nitrogen was applied in appropriate amounts and the plants appear to have responded nicely. The vine crops are dark green and running, with many initial blooms starting. The muskmelons in particular are flowering heavily. Of course the weeds are doing well too. Too wet to move on through with the tiller and the bugs when you try to hoe or pull the darn things about carry you off.
Mrs. Cheviot has been travelling lately, meaning that Mr. Cheviot has been left to his own devices. It used to mean watching lots of Clint Eastwood flicks after doing chores, but not this summer. The lawn has needed mowing a couple times a week and usually gets mowed once when there’s time. Oh sure, I get lots of dog help. After all, they’re my buds and I become the social director in Mrs. Cheviot’s stead. Fudgie and Ruby carefully monitor the progress of the mower, walking back and forth with each pass. With the loss of a ratty ash tree, the dogs were pressed into gate monitoring service while brush was hauled out into the pasture. Nary an ovine was in sight for much of the afternoon and the dogs soon lost interest. That is until a few ewes snuck up while their attention span had lapsed. Within seconds of my hollering, Fudgie was at the gate growling and nipping at their heels, running them back into the barn where they were no longer a threat. No more Mr. Nice Guy, er Girl!
I hadn’t taken either dog on a ride for quite some time but was reminded that it doesn’t mean they don’t like to. Had the door open while cleaning the Silver Hawk out before last Saturday’s car show and heard a “ca-thump” only to see Ruby had jumped in the back seat. I scolded her and she submissively tucked her still wagging tail, making a quick exit after giving me “the look.” Once the car show was over, I needed to make a run for feed to the little store in Hope that has everything the store where you go to the bathroom in the big orange silo doesn’t. It was warm, so neither Fudgie nor Ruby were arguing about getting into the pickup’s AC for a while. Was a short trip and upon our return we all had treats. They had Milk Bones. Mine were of the Schwan’s variety. Everybody wins.
See you next week…real good then.
The scurs were a day off on the drenching we got on Monday, but it’s like horseshoes and hand grenades. Close is all that counts that far out. Will they hone the Weather Eye in tighter or will they continue to languish in mediocrity? Starting Wednesday, partly sunny with a good chance for evening thundershowers. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows around 60. Partly sunny with a slight chance of an overnight shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the low 60’s. Friday, partly sunny with a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Mostly sunny Saturday with a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the low 60’s. Sunday, partly sunny with a modest chance for daytime showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the low 60’s. Mostly sunny on Monday with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the low 60’s. Tuesday, partly cloudy with a good chance of overnight showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the low 60’s. The normal high for July 1st is 82 and the normal low is 61. We will have already lost 3 minutes of daylight since the summer solstice by then. The scurs don’t care so long as they get to change their clocks back in November.
The Full Moon will also fall on July 1st with the most common name being the Full Buck Moon, aptly named as the buck deer begin developing their antlers during this time. It also goes by the Full Thunder Moon for the numerous thunderstorms often common this time of year. It also goes by the Full Hay Moon. Somehow the two are not synonymous. The Ojibwe knew this as the Full Raspberry Moon for the abundant wild raspberries ripening in July. The Sioux were also fruit lovers, calling this the Moon When the Wild Cherries are Ripe. Not a lot of fruit at the ranch just yet but it’s only a matter of time. The rate it’s going this year, it could be the Full Lawnmower Moon.
It has indeed been difficult to make hay recently. When the forecast is for rain every other day and it’s right to boot, there’s not much reason to even try. Corn growth this past week took us into the V9–V10 stage with the color on most fields achieving that dark green everyone likes to see. Soybeans were V4–V5 with some of the earlier planted fields starting to show an occasional bloom. Right on schedule. The heavy rains did us no favors with most coming off some earlier rainfall events feeling fortunate. Now? Not so much. Nitrogen deficiencies may start to show, especially if we don’t get the spigot turned off or at least turned down.
Lawn mowing has been equally frustrating. Letting it go much more than four or five days is asking for trouble, especially when there’s as much white clover in the windbreak as we have. I don’t spray so the bee people should be happy. However, I don’t see the bee people coming around to help clean out the bottom of the mower deck when it gets gummed up. Without doing that about once per round the mower does a pretty mediocre job of mowing. Mowing it more than once very couple weeks doesn’t hurt either, when Mother Nature and my schedule allow it anyway.
The recent storm added more chores to Mr. Cheviot’s already burgeoning pile. The ash tree that shaded the livestock trailer decided to have a come apart so the chainsaw was pressed into service. Not that I didn’t get a lot of help and supervision. There are always gawkers who slow way down. They like work. It fascinates them. They could sit and watch it for hours. There are also Fudgie and Ruby who are on top of things, watching to see that a branch or two doesn’t move out of their jurisdiction. Ruby also added another quirk to her already long list. Running the chainsaw kicks out lots sawdust behind you. When I glanced back to see where she was, I saw the small red and white Border Collie snapping at the sawdust stream. Could only shake my head. What some dogs won’t do for entertainment.
Mrs. Cheviot’s recent run in with a customer who was convinced farmers were evil doers hell bent on destroying the bird population should perhaps make a trip to the ranch or our kindly neighbor’s sometime. There are more birds now than ever and like many farmers, we have spent a lot of time providing habitat for them. Robins start singing at 4:36 a.m. and by 5, they must be off putting on the feed bag or looking for food for their second brood of youngsters. The bluebirds at the kindly neighbors’ have fledged and they’re working on their second brood. We have at least two different wrens singing in the background. There are dickcissels singing in the pasture and chipping sparrows singing in our windbreak. The common yellowthroats toss in their two cents occasionally from the plum thicket. The orioles appear to be bringing their young to the feeders just as they have for many moons now. They’re also starting to come on their own, more bumbling and curious than their parents who eat and run a lot this time of year. The brown thrasher tosses in an occasional guitar rift hidden someplace deep in the nannyberries. And last but not least, a rooster pheasant (likely one of Little Jerry’s contemporaries) crows from different points on the landscape as he makes his appointed rounds.
Went to the Back to the Fifties car show again last week with Vista’s noted Swedish astronomers and some other local characters. It was a blast riding up there in the Swede’s ’58 Ford Fairlane 500 hardtop. Once on the State Fairgrounds, symbols of Detroit’s former opulence (and South Bend Indiana’s: Studebaker was manufactured there, not in Detroit) were on display. Also bumped into my little fat buddy from Bemidji with whom we shared some libations and quality time. Couldn’t help thinking of my dad while we there though as he would’ve turned 100 this past Sunday. Dad was a Buick guy and one of my favorite cars he had was the ’57 Buick. Not as much chrome or massive perhaps as the ’58 my brother once had, but equally as impressive. The interior was fascinating and with those red ball hubcaps it drew attention to a 4-year old when Dad washed it. The salmon color contrasted with the cream colored underline made the car unique and I only remember seeing a few like it. The reawakened memory implanted from that era is probably what stirred my passion for old cars. Among the 10,000 or so old cars go round and round, didn’t see many ’57 Buicks Sunday but they were there, just as I’m sure Dad was. Thanks Dad.
See you next week…real good then.
The scurs wasted no time taking credit for the warmer weather. They somehow don’t seem to take the blame for the rainy, cloudy days however. Will they own up to it this week or blame a phantom malfunction in the Weather Eye? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of morning showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Thursday, mostly sunny becoming cloudy with a slight chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows around 60. Partly sunny with an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Saturday, mostly cloudy with a good chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the low 60’s. Partly sunny on Sunday with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Monday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the mid-60’s. Mostly cloudy with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the mid-60’s. The normal high for June 21st, the first day of summer, is 81 and the normal low is 60. The scurs will savor every minute of the 15 hours and 28 minutes of daylight because after the summer solstice, the days will begin getting shorter. And we all know what that means.
Warmer weather has definitely been beneficial to crops and they show it. Nodal root systems on the corn continue to expand in search of nitrogen and other nutrients. Soybean rows are puffing out as they continue to move toward their reproductive stages of growth. Corn was largely V6–V8 last week with soybeans being V3–V4. Baling dry hay continues to be a major challenge when it rains every day or two, without sunshine or breezes to boot. Ditto with spraying. With heavy rains predicted last Thursday, it was like watching a bunch of ants with all the balers, sprayers and side dressing rigs moving across the landscape.
The garden at the ranch has benefitted too from the recent warmth. Vine crops are starting to sprawl and run from their original hill placement. Tomatoes actually turned green from the purple and yellow brought on by the cool cloudy weather after they were planted. The bunnies have gotten into the act, chewing off some tomatoes and messing with Mrs. Cheviot’s planters. A customer at her greenhouse job was cursing farmers as she claimed the reason there were so many rabbits in town was the pesticides being applied in the fields. I’d like to know just which pesticides these might be so I could get my hands on some as there is no shortage of the stupid rabbits here.
Birds continue to nest in abundance as well. Robins are well on their way to producing a second brood and barn swallows have eggs in their nest in the lambing barn. One pair apparently has been desperately trying to make a nest over the living room window. On the upper portion of the window frame, it looks like someone has been sticking little wads of Blackjack gum. One of these days it will be time to get out the carwash brush and clean their mess off.
The sheep are loving life with all the lush grass resulting from the frequent rains and moderate temperatures. Belly deep in the grass, some of them even grunt like pigs they have become so plump. We get lots of comments from people who commute daily by the ranch, frequently about the lone black sheep in the group at home. They do stick out in a flock of entirely white sheep to be sure and give people something to talk about apparently.
There’s nothing wrong with being different. Sometimes I think it’s been a recurring theme in my existence. Oh sure, we had IH tractors and equipment growing up, plus Dad was a Buick guy. But we didn’t always have the same things the neighbors had. For instance, not many folks had Co-op or Cockshutt tractors or a Studebaker car. When we were kids I remember spending hours poring over some old car magazines an older cousin had left for us to look at. One couldn’t help ogling the Studebaker Hawks, and even the fish-mouth Packard Hawk was very unique. As mentioned before, Dad knew what he was doing when he bought the Lark VI for us kids to drive to and from school. It was basic transportation and not powerful enough to get many speeding tickets. That experience got Studebaker into my blood however.
Fast forward to last fall: I spotted a restored ’59 Studebaker Silver Hawk in an ad in Turning Wheels, the official monthly magazine of the Studebaker Driver’s Club. The car was in the St. Louis area. I contacted the owner by e-mail and asked some questions about it. It was getting to be late October though and I had contracted the alien, so was unable to take it much further than that. The next month the ad was gone so I assumed the car had been sold. Not so fast. About a month ago I was perusing the ads again and I spotted a car that looked familiar. Was it the same one? I punched the e-mail address into my e-mail search and sure enough, it was a match. I sent more questions and received more positive responses. Should I go take a look at it even though there is still a ways to go on the Lark? Mrs. Cheviot said, “Go for it.” She liked the looks of the car and it would give us a head start on the leaf watching and cruising to the A&W in our hometown, Spring Valley, before completing the restoration on the Lark.
I enlisted the services of Vista’s noted Swedish astronomer, my consultant to the stars for spiritual advice and his trailer and away we went. We arrived at our destination and the car and the owners were just as advertised from our communications. We were invited in for lunch and after a test drive, we negotiated a deal. They were glad the car was going to a good home and I was ecstatic to finally have one of my dream cars. Best of all I had the approval of the noted Swedish astronomer. Then we got dessert! A homemade cake dish made with angel food cake, strawberries, blackberries and whipped cream. Absolutely incredible. We loaded the classic car on the trailer and after saying our good byes, we headed back north. In the meantime I’d called my insurance agent informing her of my purchase. Earlier I’d sent some photos. She loved the photos and her reply was that her grandpa and grandma had owned a car almost identical to it. Swell. Here I thought I was buying a chick magnet. Instead, I’d punched my ticket to old fart-hood.
See you next week…real good then.
The scurs got some of the moisture out of the equation and finally got the Weather Eye to warm things up a tad. Have they found the formula for success or will they need to look in the Gremlin parts books some more? Starting Wednesday, sunny, becoming cloudy in the late afternoon with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs near 80 with lows around 60. Mostly cloudy on Thursday with a good chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the low 60’s. Friday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of a morning shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the low 70s with lows around 60. Partly sunny on Saturday with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s with lows in the low 60s. Sunday, partly sunny with a modest chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s with lows in the mid-60s. Mostly cloudy on Monday with a moderate chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s with lows in the mid-60s. Tuesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s with lows in the mid-60s. The normal high for June 15th is 79 and the normal low is 58. We will only gain approximately one more minute of daylight by the summer solstice. The scurs are making sure their hammock is not tied to the bumper on the Gremlin.
Amazing what a difference a few hours of sunshine and warmer temperatures can make on a corn crop. Conditions cooperated this past week long enough to allow many to finish their corn herbicide applications. Some rain fell, but it was spotty in nature with some fields being too muddy while down the road a mile or less conditions were dry. Corn responded favorably to the weather change, improving in color and starting to stretch. Much of the corn was V4–V6 with the nodal root system starting to take over the seminal root system the plant survives on to this point. This caused concern as there were fields and hybrids that displayed many colors other than green. There was one field protected on three sides that already exhibited corn knee-high by the 4th, of June. It’s been a while since that happened in this area anyway.
There have been some questions about ants on peonies and rightfully so. What are they doing there and are they necessary for the flower buds to open? The answer most commonly accepted as to their reason for being there is that the buds exude a sweet substance and ants, having the sweet tooth they do, are attracted to it. The ants, however, are not necessary for peonies to bloom. When removed, the buds will still open normally. This is not a reason to apply pesticides however. Pesticides can eliminate beneficial insects along with the ants so the best idea is to just leave them alone.
Have been assessing the performance of a Roller Feeder bird feeder purchased this past winter. So far it’s been good for keeping seed waste down and squirrels at bay. Squirrels have tried in vain to get at it, but as of this writing, they’re been unsuccessful. Even the three pint-sized squirrels from this year’s hatch are unable to outsmart it. That didn’t stop me the other day from wondering what kind of bird was getting inside the thing and was shucking out sunflower seeds on top of the seed bin. Watching closely, I determined the culprit was not feathered but four-legged. While we don’t see them often, it was apparent the feeder is not chipmunk-proof.
The garden planting continues. About the only thing left to plant in the vegetable garden is the second planting of sweet corn. Watermelons, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers were all planted ahead of some timely rain. Mrs. Cheviot has worked her magic on the pots around the house and the hummingbirds have been checking them out. For their later season enjoyment, salvia has been planted as well as the 4 O’clocks and nasturtiums. Nasturtiums are also tasty additions to salads among other things. The peppery flavor and crunchy texture is a well-kept secret. The leaves and flowers from this Peruvian native plant are edible and can make an interesting addition to many gourmet recipes.
The last two straggler lambs have been weaned off the ewes, making the lambing season officially over with. They’ve done well for April lambs. Being in a separate pen with access to their own private creep feeder made access to solid feed easy early on for them. Overall the lamb crop has grown rapidly. The type of spring we’ve had has been ideal. You know it’s a good sign when you have to look twice in the lot to make sure one of the yearling ewes hasn’t jumped a panel.
Ellendale natives have got to be excited about the addition of the new Casey’s on the east side of town. It is progressing rapidly and was surprised how far along they are. For those readers on the coasts and overseas friends, Casey’s is a little like a Midwestern 7-11, only better. They make a mean donut and their subs are usually among my favorites when I’m on a mission without a chance to pack my lunch. I have not tried their pizza. However, I am told it is good stuff so am waiting with bated breath for the store to open so I can see if that’s true. Of course, as the saying goes, bad pizza is like some other bad things, not all that bad.
See you next week…real good then.
While the windshield washer setting on the Weather Eye became entangled with the heater controls, the scurs still made a valiant effort at last week’s forecast. Can they keep the warmer temps coming or be doomed to reconfigure their process once again? Starting Wednesday, partly sunny with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the mid-60’s. Partly sunny on Thursday with a moderate chance for showers and thunderstorms increasing into the afternoon hours. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Friday, mostly cloudy with a modest chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Partly sunny on Saturday with a moderate chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 70’s and lows in the upper 50’s. Sunday, mostly cloudy with a moderate chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows near 60. Partly sunny on Monday with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the upper 50’s. Tuesday, sunny with highs in the upper 50’s and lows in the mid-50’s. The normal high for June 7th is 77 and the normal low is 56. The scurs are thinking napping in the hammock is looking more promising all the time.
Another good week for crop growth in spite of the more-than-generous rains. We saw frequent rainfall for the month of May with measurable precipitation being recorded on 17 of the 31 days at the ranch. Strangely enough not one of the rainfall events totaled over an inch with the greatest amount recorded being .76” that fell on the 29th. This has been a blessing as when the weather does straighten out. Rain for the most part has fallen gently and over an extended period of time. Coupled with low humidity following the passing of the rainfall events, fields have dried fairly quickly and field operations can commence sooner than one might expect. Chemical weed control in corn has been foremost on the minds of most operators and when temperatures warmed sufficiently, fields were generally fit. Corn this past week was typically V3–V4 and soybeans V2 with some early plantings at V3. Most of the pre-emerge chemicals have bought farmers some time. Hopefully the other shoe will not drop anytime soon.
Warmer temperatures meant getting the vine crop transplants in the ground last Thursday at the ranch between rains as expected. One good thing about the Friday rains: The transplants never knew they were transplanted! Putting them in with the lights from the Gator apparently was the thing to do. The Indian corn planted May 24th was beginning to emerge June 1st. A few watermelons, string beans and tomatoes then the main planting is done. Until the mid-July planting. Heck, that’s less than six weeks away!
Lawn mowing has seemed to be a perpetual task so far this spring and early summer. Finally on Sunday, after spraying pasture fences, moving feeding equipment and weed eating around all the trees, I managed to get all the lawn mowed at relatively close to the same time. It was a struggle however. The white clover and dandelions in the windbreak were like mowing a wet sponge. The wet goop scraped out from under the mower deck about every half-round reminded me of the material we used to gather from the innards of a fistulated cow for forages class in college. At least the stuff under the mower deck hadn’t fermented yet, so it didn’t smell that bad. Leave it under there for a week however and the results are remarkably similar. The dogs do seem to appreciate my efforts. Ruby and Fudgie love to roll in the grass, hopefully leaving lots of their hair behind. I’m just glad with all the rain their pee spots have blended into the rest of the lawn rather than sticking out like a sore thumb.
Another rite of spring has come and gone at the ranch. Operating one of the black cutworm pheromone traps kept me off the streets every morning after chores. The traps have a sticky bottom and are baited with a female black cutworm pheromone to attract male cutworm moths. Typically these moths migrate from the southern U.S. and are brought here in thunderstorms that come up from the Gulf of Mexico. The results from the trapping network are useful in predicting whether or not there will be cutworm problems in the corn. This was not a very active trapping season, although there were some mornings as many as five were captured. For over 20 years I’ve participated and it has just become part of the morning routine each April and May.
Lots of bird observations even though some of them indicate a slowdown at the feeders. The jelly in particular hasn’t been consumed with quite as much gusto as it was, although if the feeder goes empty, the orioles let me know about it under no uncertain terms. There do appear to be more hummingbirds though, so that needs more attention. The bluebirds at the kindly neighbors’ are busy feeding their young as evidenced by a peek in the nesting box when spraying the fence there. Baby robins are everywhere it seems like and some of the parents are starting nests for their second brood already. This should put a damper on some of the loud 4:30 a.m. singing once that is complete.
Was saddened to hear of BB King’s passing. Over the years I’ve developed an appreciation for the blues and he epitomized that genre, not to mention influencing many artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. First appearing on The Tonight Show in the late ‘60’s, he became a public figure famous for his signature guitar styling and the guitar itself, Lucille. It would be great to know how to play guitar let alone like he did. It’s more than sufficient to listen and relax to the musical stylings the blues provide and thank my lucky stars for the impact BB King had. The thrill is not gone.
See you next week…real good then.
The scurs managed to install the Acme aftermarket AC in the Gremlin’s Weather Eye, bringing us warmer temperatures as well as some meaningful rainfall. Will they be able to maintain control or will the Weather Eye need more tweaking? Starting Wednesday, sunny with highs in the low 80’s and lows near 60. Thursday, partly sunny becoming cloudy with a good chance of an overnight shower or thunderstorm. Highs near 80 and lows in the mid-60’s. Mostly cloudy Friday with a good chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the low 50’s. Saturday, partly sunny and cooler with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the low 60’s with lows in the mid-40’s. Partly sunny Sunday with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the mid-60’s with lows around 50. Monday and Tuesday, partly sunny with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the upper 50’s. The normal high for June 1st is 75 and the normal low is 54. We are still gaining daylight but at a slower clip, about a minute per day as we approach the summer solstice. Using government logic, the scurs are thinking we should set our clocks ahead another hour to increase that rate of gain.
The Full Moon for the month falls on June 2nd and is widely known as the Full Strawberry Moon. With good reason because June is the month to consume these wonderful delectable locally grown creations, especially when there’s ice cream in the freezer. The Sioux and Ojibwe both agreed that this moon was the Strawberry Moon, although the Sioux also called it the Moon of Making Fat. At the ranch, it is also noted for that, especially as the ewes graze the abundant lush green grass. They are definitely fat and happy at both pastures. They recently decided the nettles needed to be eaten, leaving stems where the nettles used to be. Glad they’ve taken a shine to them. Whatever turns your crank I guess.
Crops made some good progress finally once the temperatures warmed up. After the cold temperatures early last week with the wind, there was much snarling and gnashing of teeth. Corn gave the appearance of being frozen, although thermometers and weather observations would indicate otherwise. Some injury to soybeans from a combination of cold weather and pre-emerge herbicides was also noted, although most fields were not affected significantly. We did dodge a bullet, no question about it, but it’s time to move on to the next crisis in whatever form that may take. That may come in the form of the sudden abundance of rainfall. At the ranch, we garnered 1.08” over the weekend and right at an inch at the Mall for Men. Sprayers were parked Monday morning after getting a good start last week.
Gardening has been slow at the ranch with little daylight hours or workable soil conditions when Mr. Cheviot was available for slave labor. Still, there was a nice harvest of radishes from the March 31st planting with the promise of more to come. The peas are about to start flowering and there are few things better than eating them while picking them. The problem is not enough of them make it to the house. The Indian corn was planted though on Sunday right before the rain. Actually planting was finished during the rain. Conditions were getting sticky, although planting with the stab-type planter allows one to get by with it. The vine crop transplants from my little fat buddy’s greenhouse look spectacular and they were procured Saturday with the hope that the rain would hold off long enough to get them planted. Alas, it did not. On the bright side, they can be put into moist soil so not to worry yet anyway. Much of the Indian corn and the vine crop will be used for fall decorating at church and for a fall wedding.
The rhubarb has been out of this planet. Since Saturday was a washout, after doing about as many clean up chores as I could stand, it was time to make a pie and some rhubarb sauce. Luckily I’d harvested some the week prior so there was no need to go outside and get soaked. It had been a while though so I was out of practice on my pie making. However, it’s not that tough to figure out how to multi-task so the process gets done in an efficient manner. That way the clean-up isn’t a major pain. I did make one rookie mistake as I discovered shortly after putting it in the oven the first time that I’d forgotten the butter! As my little sawed-off Swedish carpenter buddy once told me it’s not how good you are, it’s how well you can cover your mistakes. With some sleight of hand the butter was slipped strategically through the slits in the crust so no one was the wiser. The rhubarb sauce? That’s like riding a bicycle.
The dogs have liked being outdoors more as the weather has straightened out. Fudgie camps on the porch, not unlike she did at Mom’s place. It gives her a good view of the sheep in the pasture as well as watching neighbor David’s excavation project. Ruby just likes to tear around then wait for us to emerge from the house for chores. Her TV watching antics continue to amuse us when indoors though. Last week a cat in an ad ran across the screen which prompted her to have a barking fit. Not long afterwards, the elephant from that COPD ad was thoroughly growled at. Good thing there were no Clint Eastwood cowboy flicks on or she would’ve gone right through the TV. Just like everyone else, even with all those channels, there’s nothing on television Ruby likes.
See you next week…real good then.
The scurs did not see the big chill coming, probably because they missed the boring movie of the same name! The Weather Eye does not have an air conditioning setting either, so that didn’t help. Will the scurs’ Acme aftermarket AC arrive before next week or will it be a moot point? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a high in the mid-50’s and a low in the low 40’s. Sunny on Thursday and warmer. Highs in the upper 60’s with lows in the mid-40’s. More sun on Friday and continued pleasant. Highs near 70 with lows near 50. Saturday, mostly cloudy with an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Highs in the upper 60’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Cloudy on Sunday with a good chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 60’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Memorial Day, mostly cloudy with a moderate chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the mid-60’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Mostly cloudy on Tuesday with highs in near 70 and lows in the mid-50’s. We will experience 15 hours of daylight on the 23rd, the same as we saw last July 20th. The normal high for May 24th is 72 and the normal low is 51. With the recent windy weather, the scurs are wondering when seed companies will start handing out chinstraps with their free hats.
The spring 2015 weather roller coaster ride continues. We go from temps in the upper 70’s to near freezing in a two-day span. We also received precipitation that varied from over 2” west of Bugtussle to .35” over the weekend. The rainfall pattern has somewhat flip-flopped in May as compared to April. The trend in April was for rainfall to be heavier as one went east and south. More recently the systems such as the past weekend have tracked more west and north. At the ranch for instance, as of May 18th, measurable precipitation was recorded on 11 days in May. However, the total accumulation has only been 1.53” with the greatest single rainfall event in that timeframe being .51” on the 15th. It rains frequently but not much at a time.
Cold temperatures have been limiting crop progress and fortunately weed growth as well while waiting for enough rainfall to activate some of the pre-emerge chemicals. Fields look good from the road although several have expressed their disappointment that stands are not perfect given the nearly ideal soil conditions at planting. Not surprising however when one looks at the temperature data and the length of time it took the corn to emerge. Too many days with single-digit or zero GDU accumulation shortly after planting for many fields doth not a perfect stand make. Not that one shouldn’t plant in mid-April, but there can be tradeoffs.
The weather has continued to move things along at the ranch, particularly the lawn. Cool season grasses such as bluegrass and brome have really thrived with the recent conditions. This means lots of mowing, or at least the intent anyway. Hit and miss showers over the weekend kept the lawn wet when mowing time was available. It also messed up any gardening plans in the near term although the seed in the flats at my little fat buddy’s greenhouse are still emerging as of last check. Still plenty of time especially given the potential for frost this past Tuesday morning. Thirty-four-degree low at the ranch for those keeping score at home.
Lots still to look at though. Checking the previously unoccupied wood duck house, it too is filling up with eggs. Common yellow-throated warblers were cranking up their little “ witchity-witchity-witchity” call on the 15th. I could hear a hummingbird in the trees that same night but couldn’t see the little bugger. The next morning he was at the nectar feeder though he didn’t hang around long. The catbirds and orioles however have set up camp for good with all of them frequenting the jelly feeder throughout the day. They’re starting to consume a little more each day. Pete seems to keep a good supply of jelly on hand and I suspect he knows why it goes out of the grocery store as fast as it does.
The red osier dogwood, nannyberries and other viburnum such as the American cranberries are in bloom as are the lilacs. Smells heavenly especially when it warms up a little. The apple trees are about done blooming with quite few blossoms still on the trees through the past weekend. The ground is littered with the petals not unlike the confetti left over from a parade. The Honeycrisp tree finally decided to bloom so it should be interesting to see if it sets any apples. The Fireside, Haralson and SnowSweet all flowered well and appear to have set a fair amount of fruit. Whether they maintain it especially after a heavy apple like last year remains questionable.
With both parents gone, Memorial Day gives one pause for reflection. Mentioned in a recent column were the plants we brought back from Mom’s place including Solomon’s Seal and a Jack in the Pulpit. In the past week or so, it became apparent that my work a couple fall’s ago transplanting Jack in the Pulpit seeds had suddenly paid. There are several dozen new seedlings appearing, far more than I ever expected. To some it may not be a big deal. However, when one considers these plants originated from Jack in the Pulpits my dad rescued in a soon to be nearby bulldozed woods back in 1967, it puts it in a different perspective. It also speaks to me of all the time my folks spent with us kids, taking us on trips to the area woods. and introducing us to plants such as bloodroot, Dutchman’s britches and bluebells. It certainly gave us an appreciation for the outdoors, one that we as a family continue to enjoy to this day.
See you next week…real good then.
The scurs were clicking again and the Weather Eye from the ’74 Gremlin has become their “go to” weather predicting apparatus. Will our good weather fortunes continue or are we in for a downturn? Starting Wednesday, partly sunny with a good chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the low 60’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Partly cloudy Thursday with a good chance of rain in the forenoon. Highs in the mid-60’s with lows in the upper 40’s. Friday, partly sunny with a slight chance of a morning shower. Highs in the mid-60’s with lows in the low 50’s. Partly sunny and warmer for Saturday with an increasing chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the low 70’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Sunday, mostly cloudy with a moderate chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the low 60’s. Mostly cloudy with slight chance for continued rain for Monday. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Tuesday, mostly cloudy. Highs in the low 70’s with los in the mid-50’s. The normal high for May 15th is 69 and the normal low is 48. The scurs will be looking forward to next week’s fan mail after seeing how the recent forecast turns out.
Another week of some slow but steady progress as crops continue to emerge. So far so good, there have been few problems aside from perhaps some self-inflicted ones. Corn could be rowed easily, especially in black fields. Some minor weed pressure thus far, although one might’ve surmised that would be the case with the generally light and spotty precipitation that has fallen since herbicides were applied. This is why we are using multiple sites of action as well as keeping equipment such as rotary hoes at the ready just in case. Soybeans planted on April 17th could be rowed by the end of last week and given the predicted rains for the upcoming week, should have no problem emerging. Small grains have really liked the type of spring we’ve had thus far. On the cool side but dry so leaf diseases haven’t been an issue yet. The pea plantings are also enjoying the conditions. After a couple years’ worth of ratty looking pea fields in particular, it’s a welcome sight.
Trying my best over the weekend, was able to get the pasture and hay ground fertilized along with some new seeding that was to be established. The kindly neighbor had asked me if I’d be interested in putting some hay in on a steep slope that had some erosion problems. Easier said than done when you don’t have enough of your own equipment, so with the kindly neighbor’s help, the field got worked. And with the kindness of neighbor David’s grandson, I was able to borrow a seeder to properly place the small seeded forages. For the acreage, the amount of seed came out just about perfect. Sometimes the sun, the moon and the stars do align.
The bellering at the ranch has subsided for yet another year. While it takes a couple days the results are always the same nonetheless. The ewes are happy to be munching on plentiful green grass and the lambs are glad they’re not competing with their mothers for a place at the feed trough. The person paying the feed bill is also happier as chore time gets chopped significantly. About the only ones who aren’t as happy are Fudgie and Ruby. Border Collies simply can’t get enough of that stuff.
Something else they don’t get enough of is brushing. It was time again on Sunday and with the windy conditions, it was like a dog hair tornado at times. Huge wads of hair flew up over the house and into the trees. It was too bad actually as I had planned on saving it and mailing some to Auntie Mar Mar. She still remarks about the last time we did that. I’m not positive but suspect she might be using it to stuff some of her craft projects.
More new arrivals in the bird department this past week at the ranch. An orchard oriole showed up on the 7th, a couple days after the first Baltimore oriole. A house wren was singing in the back yard on the 8th and the first white-crowned sparrow made a brief appearance and was gone on the 9th. Earlier in the low light of the morning I spied what appeared to be a small, dark colored bird at the thistle feeder. Too small and not chunky enough for a junco I thought. As the sun was higher in the sky, his true bright-blue colors showed: It was our first indigo bunting of the season. Still no hummingbirds but it’s still early. They may have been here and we just missed them.
Vista’s noted Swedish astronomer came through with more information concerning the aforementioned moon and stars. Venus has been low in the western sky and the yellow color has made it the predominant feature in the evening sky until it sets some three or so hours after sunset. On the 20th, the crescent moon will be under Venus. Jupiter is also yellow and high overhead, although with no bottle lambs to feed, viewing it occurs only occasionally. Saturn, as Dale Niedfeldt points out in his column, rises in the southeast sky shortly past sunset. He states that it is brighter than usual as the rings are wide open. A 30 power telescope or more is needed to see the rings.
Speaking of rings, I saw the noted Swedish astronomer working on his shed last week. I waved as I drove by then went north to look at some corn fields. The drive was pleasant and gave me some time to listen to rock ‘n’ roll, something I don’t get to do as often as I’d sometimes like. I came back by the astronomer’s way again later during a short cloudburst and noticed he was standing inside the shed gazing out. I gave him a ring to make sure a nap hadn’t interfered with his progress. After all, that’s what friends are for.
See you next week…real good then.
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The scurs set the Weather Eye on “plant” mode and plant farmers did, followed by some fast moving precip. Will there be more of that in our future or will we dry out? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the low 60’s. Mostly cloudy Thursday with a continued good chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Partly sunny for Friday with a modest chance of a shower or thunderstorm, Highs in the low 70’s with lows in the upper 40’w. Saturday, mostly cloudy with an increasing chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs near 70 with lows in the low 50’s. Mostly cloudy on Sunday with a good chance for showers or thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 60’s with lows near 50. Monday, mostly cloudy and cooler with continued decent chances for rain. Highs near 65 with lows in the mid-60’s. Mostly cloudy on Tuesday with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs near 65 and lows in the upper 40’s. On May 9th we will see 14 hours and 30 minutes of daylight for the first time since last August 3rd. Mother’s Day is the 10th and the normal high for May 10th is 68 and the normal low is 46. After stocking it with walleyes, the scurs will be napping by the ceement pond with lines tied to their toes.
What a watershed week for field progress! Most of the corn was finished up with a huge dent made in soybean planting. After some tacky soil conditions from rain that fell on April 24th, soil conditions were about as good as it gets. The soil temperatures started out cool in the mornings but by afternoon were well into the 60’s and 70’s at the 2” depth at the SROC in Waseca. Very little rain fell across the area making it a delight to venture forth without worrying about getting stuck. Corn planted on April 14th began to emerge on May 1st and by this past Monday, it could be rowed in areas. Soybeans planted April 17th were just cracking the soil surface Monday afternoon, showing no signs of problems with some of the cool weather experienced since they’ve been in the ground. We are off to a great start, a far cry from what the past two spring planting seasons have treated us to.
Around the countryside and at the ranch as well, flowering plants have burst into bloom. The wild plum thickets have been heavenly to smell and they almost look like snow against the greening backdrop sometimes. About the time they’ve run their course, the flowering crabs kick in with their pinks and reds. The apple trees at the ranch have been in bloom as well, adding their very delicate fragrance to a warm afternoon. As our trees are not as loaded with blooms as last year, we probably won’t see an apple crop like that one this time. Oak trees flowered and while their flowers aren’t anything to look at, the squirrels might take issue with that observation. At least the leaves were as big as a squirrel’s ear.
More white-throated sparrows keep showing up, although we’ve seen no white-crowned or Harris’s sparrows yet. We have had a rose-breasted grosbeak though that showed up on May 2nd. There is still an occasional junco, but they seem to have departed, likely for points north. Robin nests keep appearing in strange places, the most recent one being on top of a couple grease guns hanging in the barn. Fortunately I have one in the garage where they can’t get at it. Goldfinch numbers have suddenly increased with the amount of foliar cover on the rise. They’ve become comfortable with the new roller feeder and seem to be telling their friends. That’s OK because this was a relatively cheap winter to feed the birds. Forty lbs. of sunflower and safflower carried us through most of it. Last but not least, an oriole was spotted at the ranch attempting to get at the hummingbird feeder. He did make his way over to the jelly feeder so spring has officially sprung at the ranch.
This week has really brought out the red admiral butterflies. These smaller reddish-orange, white and brown beauties make me happy when they make their bouncy flight around the yard. Their larvae make me even happier when they feed on their favorite food, stinging nettles. The American toads have taken center stage in the wetland here at the ranch as well as across the area. Their high pitched trilling fills the still night air and overpowers the sound of the remaining chorus frogs.
In the barnyard, the sounds haven’t been nearly as pleasant. We decided Sunday morning it was time to wean the ewes and lambs. They of course are never willing participants in this event and we have the bumps and bruises to prove it. However, they’re not the ones paying the feed bill. Some of them are absolutely heartbroken to be separated, but then some of the lambs are big enough so they almost lift the ewe off the ground when they go to nurse. It’s time when that happens. There is plenty of grass now and the one group of 10 ewes was fortunate enough to get a short trailer ride to the kindly neighbors’, a little piece of sheep heaven on earth. Luckily after a couple days the noise abates and life goes on. In the meantime as we heal up from our aches and pains, chores have been sped up immensely and that makes everyone happy.
Sunday was also a day to mow the windbreak and after that, spend time getting the vine crops seeded. My little fat greenhouse buddy had everything ready so it was a piece of cake. That and I got to visit with several old friends who wondered what the heck I was up to at Souba’s greenhouse. Gotta keep ‘em guessing and seeding 108 hills of vine crops will do that. It’s easy to get ahead of yourself with gardening so I like to take it slow and not make any more work out of it than necessary. Observing things first like soil temps, rainfall, weed control, soil fertility, and insects are all part of the equation. The plants we brought back from my mom’s place have preoccupied my garden gawking time at the ranch at this point. The lilies of the valley wasted no time unfurling and they are loaded with flower buds. They give all the appearances that they will quickly cover the area on the northwest side of the house. All the peonies we dug are alive and coming now although they vary in size. The Jack in the pulpit apparently likes its new home, shooting up not one but two shoots. And the Solomon’s Seal berries planted a couple autumns back suddenly sprang to life with numerous small plants scattered in the shade bed. While Mom is no longer with us, seeing these plants she loved will make it feel a little more like Mother’s Day.
See you next week…real good then.
It took a while, but the scurs finally got the heater control valve unstuck on the Weather Eye just in the nick of time. Starting Wednesday, sunny, with highs near 70 and lows in the mid-40’s. Thursday, sunny with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Mostly sunny Friday with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the upper 40’s. Mostly sunny on Saturday with a chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the low 50’s. Sunday, partly sunny becoming mostly cloudy with a good chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 70’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Mostly cloudy Monday with a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms, Highs in the low 70’s with lows in the low 50’s. Tuesday, mostly cloudy and cooler with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-60’s with lows in the mid-40’s. The normal high for May 1st is 64 and the normal low is 42. On May 6th we will experience sunrise before 6 a.m., the same as we saw last July 29th. By May 6th the scurs’ May Basket will be ancient history.
The Full Moon for the month occurs on the 3rd and generally goes by the Full Flower Moon. April showers indeed bring May flowers if they don’t freeze off of course. This moon also goes by the Full Corn Planting Moon and the Full Milk Moon. The Ojibwe called this the Full Blossom Moon and the Sioux, The Moon When Ponies Shed. At the ranch it is a perpetual Moon When Border Collies Shed so it probably more accurately goes by The Moon When Lambs are Weaned or The Full Bellering Moon.
About one day of progress in the fields this past week after the prior weekend’s rainfall and ensuing cool temperatures made it difficult for farmers to get excited about planting full bore. On April 23rd the low at the Waseca airport was 21 degrees. Average soil temperatures at the 2” depth at the SROC spent a few days in the 40’s with one day in the upper 30’s. A forecast for rain on Friday didn’t help matters, although the forecast amounts were small. However, when the rain stopped on Friday, instead of a tenth to a quarter inch, it was closer to ¾” and it was cold. Nevertheless, some did plant on Thursday again only to get rained out Friday morning. Corn planted the week of the 12th should emerge this week given the warm forecast. No sign of problems thus far with any of the corn planted since then, with corn planted on the 14th exhibiting a ¾” long radicle and coleoptile around ¼” on the 23rd. Rainfall for the month has totaled 3.45” at the ranch and 3.5” in town at the Mall for Men. This is slightly above normal when compared to the April normal of 3.21” at the SROC.
You can now access my daily precipitation measurements from the ranch online. I enter them religiously now that I know how to report them electronically. Go to: http://www.climate.umn.edu/HIDENsityEdit/HIDENweb.htm, click on “browse” where it is highlighted by “MNgage precip” under the “Looking at the data” heading. It will take you to “View Minnesota Precipitation Data by Location.” Enter “Steele” where it asks you to find a county then click on the “find a county” button. My location appears as “Berlin s7”. For the SROC in Waseca, choose Waseca where it asks for county and they are denoted as Woodville s18. Click on the monthly total and a drop down box will appear with the daily entries for the month. Make sure you turn the pop up blocker on your browser off for the site or that last part will be an exercise in futility. Speaking from experience.
It has been a fun week to note the subtle changes in bird activity. A white-throated sparrow was seen on the 25th meaning the much anticipated arrival of the orioles at the ranch should occur within a week or so. Thanks to fellow bird feeder T.P., on her advice I stashed an emergency jar of grape jelly just in case. The tree swallows are swarming some of the bluebird houses like gnats. They were cleaned out once earlier this spring but might not hurt to make sure a deer mouse hasn’t stuffed them full again. The robins were busy building their nest in the spruce tree right outside the living room window. It made a nice diversion to watch during breaks in the action during the Wild game. A pair of mallards has started to use the tree planting corridor as a place to snack. The low hanging fruit on the American cranberries is just the right height. Last but not least, the wood ducks that have been picking away at garden leftovers apparently are the two nesting in the wood duck house in the wetland. Checking the box last Thursday, there were four or five eggs in it. What doncha like about that?
The Border Collies had a big weekend, first being able to follow the Gator around the yard and after that, their first lawn mowing excursion of the season. Fudgie and Ruby seem to live for this sort of stuff. Keeping an eye on all the sticks, then watching as the loads of debris were hauled off and dumped gave them a whole forenoon worth of entertainment on Sunday. Then following chores, the lawnmowers made their maiden voyage for the year as did the dogs, following back and forth with each pass. Tires had to be bitten first of course before the lawnmowers made it out of the chute and the weary pair could sport their first grass-stained white socks of the spring. Priorities.
See you next week…real good then.
High temps outpaced the scurs and their finely tuned Weather Eye’s capabilities last week. The recent cool down appears related to a broken cable from the control panel to the heat control valve. Will the scurs get the new one in time for the weekend? Starting Wednesday, sunny skies with highs in the upper 40’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Thursday, sunny again with highs near 50 and lows near 30. Mostly sunny on Friday with a slight chance of a morning snow shower. Highs in the low 50’s and lows in the mid-30’s. Saturday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid-50’s and lows in the mid-30’s. Mostly sunny Sunday with a slight chance of rain. Highs in the upper 50’s with lows in the upper 30’s. Monday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs near 60 with lows near 40. Partly cloudy on Tuesday and warmer with highs in the mid-60’s and lows in the mid-40’s. On April 27th the normal high is 63 and the normal low is 41. On April 27th we will experience 14 hours of daylight, the same as what we saw back on August 15th. The scurs are certain they will be tiptoeing through the tulips by the time their May Baskets arrive.
Quite the week weather–wise as corn planting got underway in earnest. Some were able to finish, some made a dent in it while other chose not to start. There are also a few soybeans in the ground. Were these good or bad planting decisions? This is the beauty of planting season. One can speculate all you want but the results won’t be known until the combines hit the fields and loads are measured in the fall. At this point, it’s all good. Some of the alfalfa isn’t perhaps as good as hoped with some dead crowns being noticed in fields where it lack sufficient cover or potentially broke dormancy back in March. Some cuttings taken after September 1st may have also had something to do with it. Leaving alfalfa alone from September 1st through October 15th is a good idea even this far south. Getting by with cutting during that timeframe only serves as temptation to continue the practice until getting burned.
In the yard and garden the rhubarb has finally achieved the 12” mark Sunday. More peas and radishes emerging means the bunnies will have plenty to eat. The lilies of the valley are starting to unfurl and the tiger lilies are coming to life once again. The flower buds on the wild plums in the thicket are swollen so given a few warm days, it shouldn’t be too long before they burst into bloom. The warmer temperatures also made the apple and crabapple tree leaves start to pop so they should follow right on their heels. The pear trees are a bit of a puzzle. The Patten appears that it will likely bloom again while the Parker seems to be less decisive. Too bad because it takes a couple different varieties to pollinate. Garden seeds, primarily vine crops, arrived this past week so it will soon be time to start them in my little fat greenhouse buddy’s greenhouse.
More bird sightings and arrivals this past week include a catbird on the 17th and barn swallows on the 18th. Several hermit thrushes were seen briefly in the trees and shrubs. They are another of those that if you blink you miss them because they don’t stay or sit still long while they are here. Others have noted the same thing I have, that goldfinches seem to be scarce thus far. At the ranch we have one that comes to the feeder occasionally. At the ranch I blame it somewhat on the lack of light green leafy cover to camouflage them. They stick out like a sore thumb otherwise. A pair of wood ducks apparently found something to their liking in the garden area. Several mornings this past week when passing through there on my way to read the black cutworm pheromone trap, the pair would take off, their distinctive whining call leaving no doubt as to whom they were. That and the drake’s spectacular spring plumage made them a dead giveaway. Last but not least, rooster pheasants are heard crowing on the landscape. Two hens were zipping across the pasture to the plum and sumac thicket, only to be seen running back several hours later as if they’d missed curfew or something.
After watching Fudgie tramping around the long grass was wondering if the wood ticks were out. Hadn’t seen any until Sunday when working at the farm in Spring Valley. The daffodils were out and so were the ticks. One of the little parasites was crawling on the hooded sweatshirt that I’d removed due to the warm afternoon sun. I quickly dispatched it with my thumbnail and went on about the rest of the afternoon. Luckily there were no more found. It gave pause to think about something my friend the Boy Entomologist once told me, that a good parasite while sometimes annoying, doesn’t kill their host. Given those parameters, some human beings fall into that category. As he pointed out, just knowing they’re around is enough to make them aggravating.
One of the things I enjoy is trying to figure out where one can still find a TV show actually worth watching. Last week I ran across a channel that carries some of the old Lone Ranger shows. The show ran on ABC from 1949–1957. Now, it’s been a long time since I was sitting on the floor watching the reruns on the old black and white set in the small farmhouse by Pleasant Grove. For some reason something didn’t seem right when viewing the show recently. When the credits rolled the guy who played The Lone Ranger was listed as John Hart, not Clayton Moore.
I mentioned this to my brother on the phone and he was able to quickly trace it to 1952-1954 where a contract dispute meant John Hart was hired to replace Clayton Moore. Unfortunately, public acceptance of his replacement was not positive. When the rights to the show were sold in 1954, Clayton Moore was hired back to play The Lone Ranger until the show was cancelled in 1957. Jay Silverheels, who played Tonto, was in every episode. Some notables who guest starred on the show over the years included DeForest Kelley, James Arness, Hugh Beaumont, Lee Van Cleef, John Banner, and former Studebaker owner/driver Frances Bavier. There, aren’t you glad you know all that stuff? It might come in handy someday.
See you next week…real good then.
We managed to get our snow in Thursday night, so the scurs were glad to get that out of the way. Are we done with snow or will the Weather Eye from the Gremlin be pressed into service once again? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny. Highs in the mid-60’s with lows in the low 40’s. Thursday, partly sunny with a slight chance of a morning shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the mid-60’s with lows in the low 40’s. Mostly sunny on Friday with highs in the mid-60’s with lows around 40. Saturday, sunny with the start of a cooling trend as well as a slight chance of an overnight shower or thunderstorm. Highs near 60 with lows around 40. Partly sunny Sunday with a modest chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the mid-50’s with lows near 40. Monday, mostly cloudy with a modest chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 50’s with lows in the low 40’s. Mostly sunny Tuesday with highs in the upper 50’s and lows in the low 40’s. The normal high for April 20th is 59 and the normal low is 37. The sun will rise at 6:30 a.m. on the 16th and will set after 8p.m. on the 18th, about the same time as this past August 25th. The scurs patio furniture will take up residence soon beside the ceement pond.
Midweek rainfall was the story this past week with amounts varying from around an inch to over 1.5”. At the ranch we recorded 1.66 from the 8th – 10th and at the Mall for Men it was closer to 1.25”. An overnight encore of .15” and .1” respectively Sunday night dampened plans for tearing into fieldwork ahead of schedule. Up until this past weekend, soil temperatures were anything but warm, averaging in the mid-40’s at the 2” depth as measured at the SROC. It is easy to remember fondly the years when we’ve had an early start but fooling ourselves into thinking this is now the new norm is where we set ourselves up for disappointment. It will be ready when it’s ready, not some preconceived notion of when we think it ought to be. Keeping that in mind should help save much snarling and gnashing of teeth if things don’t come up perfectly.
There are other indicators too that while we’ve warmed up, it still hasn’t moved things like the lawns and trees ahead of schedule just yet. On the 9th, the snowfall knocked the signal out on our satellite receiver when it accumulated on the dish, looking like it was covered with mashed potatoes. And, some of the shallow wetlands have recovered to respectable levels. Back in early March in our wetland, there was no water where one of the wood duck bungalows is placed. A Saturday trip to check on wood duck house occupancy revealed it was once again in the water. In fact it was to the point that taking one more step would’ve meant water going over the top of my knee boots. We have recorded over 3” of precip with snow and rain at the ranch since that time. With primarily cool conditions, it has accumulated. No wood ducks yet but there was a pair that flew by the kitchen window Monday morning.
Other occurrences this past week included the radishes starting to emerge on the 10th, 10 days after planting. Peas followed three days later. A brown thrasher serenaded us during morning chores Monday and the first tree swallows of the season were spotted at lunchtime. The male cardinal spends time singing between the Dubya’s, neighbor David’s and our place. Suspect they’re nesting at neighbor David’s as he has the best cover in his windbreak. And the chorus frogs finally got it cranked up as only they can do. Warm temperatures over the weekend were to their liking. When heading out to feed the last of the bottle lambs Sunday night, the southwest wind was carrying frogs’ shrieking up the hill and into the yard. The buildings block the sound but when there are no obstructions between you and the pond, the noise that thousands of tiny frogs can make is incredible.
Saturday was a great day to finally remove the tree wrap from 30 odd trees. As usual there was ample Border Collie help as the spiral wrap was unwound from each of the small trees. Even better for Fudgie and Ruby was the preparation of the lawnmowers for the season’s mowing. With the truck sitting outside, opening the garage door can mean only one thing to these two dogs: Get inside as fast as possible, growl ferociously and bite those lawnmower tires! To take it one step further, when both mowers are started, moved outdoors, and left running the dogs are just beside themselves. While I was at it, I discovered another Border Collie quirk. Ruby just hates to get sprayed with the air hose. Accidentally nailed her with it while cleaning the deck off and she came unglued, not much different than when the garden hose is sprayed. Auntie Mar Mar once accused us of having Ruby just for entertainment purposes. Well, if the shoe fits I guess…
See you next week…real good then.