The scurs have been leading a charmed life. In spite of some of the early week drizzle, not too many complaints about the past week’s weather. If you liked that, you should love this week. Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with highs near 75 and lows around 55. Thursday, mostly sunny with highs of 70 and lows dropping to 45. Clear on Friday and slightly cooler. Highs 60 – 65 and lows around 40. Saturday, clear with highs of 65 – 70 and lows of 50. Clear once again on Sunday with highs of 70 and lows of 40 – 45. Monday, clear with highs of 60 – 65 and lows of 45 – 50. Tuesday we see partly cloudy skies and highs of 65 – 70 with lows around 50. Our normal high for October 1 is 68 and the normal low is 42. The sun will set prior to 7 p.m. on the 29th, reminding us that summer is gone for real. The scurs will be burning a little more kerosene in the lantern while reading their Star Eagle each evening. 

Some harvest activity has taken place in the area and results have been surprisingly good, especially when one takes into account the amount of stalk rot present in some fields. Corn has been running in the 180 – 200 bu./acre range with moistures from the upper teens to the mid-20% range. Test weights have been decent as well, something we wouldn’t have guessed coming off the hot weather in August. Apparently our cool finish has paid some dividends. With the exception of some earlier maturing varieties planted early, soybeans are lagging behind as expected after the frost/freeze. Yields on those that were mature have been a pleasant surprise, although the impact from the frost on full-season varieties remains a major factor in what will likely be an overall disappointing soybean crop. With some fields already harvested, fall tillage has begun. Most are saying it’s pulling hard, something that should come as no surprise as dry as it’s been. Wasn’t unusual as a lad when plowing in dry conditions to jump off the tractor at the end of the field to feel the moldboards and they’d be warm.

Activity at the birdfeeders has been slower than in past weeks, something that’s not altogether a bad thing. The hungry goldfinches’ appearances have been more sporadic, perhaps due to the increased number of small hawks in the area as others have noted. The orioles are a faded memory and now it appears the hummingbirds have may have joined their ranks. The last one spotted at the ranch was Friday morning the 23rd and while the flowers are still bountiful, it doesn’t appear they’ll make an encore performance. Still, with the leaves so green yet, one almost expects to see one. The ash leaves being about hummingbird size and color serve as the perfect camouflage if they are still around. The fall birds are becoming more entrenched including nuthatches, chickadees, and a male red-bellied woodpecker. The giant blue jays, about the size of leghorns, are back again too for what could be a long winter.

We continue to pick away at the garden bounty. The tomatoes are finally starting to ripen and it’s not surprising they’re taking this long after seeing how green the sweet corn stayed right beside them. No manure or commercial fertilizer was used and the sweet corn was green as grass until the freeze ended the growing season. Muskmelons have been less than expected. With a later than desired planting date, they never seemed to get out of the blocks. Time to dig carrots and potatoes before the weather changes its mind. Indian corn is once again the star of the show. The ears are long, filled to the tips and relatively free of insect and disease such as common smut. It’s like unwrapping a gift each time an ear is husked to reveal the wide variety of colors and unique patterns formed by the kernels. The apples have been a hit as well. The Firesides have been excellent eating and the Haralsons are blushing red, so it won’t be long before trying them out in a pie or two. It’s hard to make a house smell much better than that.

Fall colors around the ranch are coming slowly. The sumac brush on the road cut is starting to turn brilliant red and the wild plums are developing a soft flame-orange tinge. Other trees are slower to change and any leaves falling on the pasture side of the fence are quickly devoured by the ewes. In the fenceline, some Virginia creeper vines are providing a sharp contrast to the still green leaves of the trees they’re climbing. Nannyberry fruit is starting to turn bluish-black and the leaves are showing the slightest hint of a scarlet turn. 

With the Minnesota sports weekend being a bust, it was time to put some rams in with the ewes at both pastures. Shadow, the older ram we had been using, decided his time had come so we needed to use another ram in his stead. Shadow was aptly named as anytime you turned your back he was right there. He usually wouldn’t hit you but he’d sure make you think he could. If he did hit you, he inflicted major pain, knocking you down, making it tough to get back up. The ram we put in to replace him proved to be rather obstinate about moving from his pen into the pasture with his new harem. What a fool! Ruby came to the rescue however, getting around behind him and at least convincing him she might take a hunk out of his backside. He moved the direction we wanted, allowing us to get him back inside the fence where we could regroup with another panel and force him through the gate. Dealing with an ornery critter that outweighs you by 50 – 75 lbs., is faster than greased lightning and equipped with 4-wheel drive, you need all the help you can get.

See you next week…real good then.

Memorial Services for Norman A. Johnson, age 84, will be held at Grace Lutheran Church on Saturday, October 1st at 10:30 a.m. with a time for visiting with the family an hour before. Lunch will follow the service.   Private graveside services for his family will occur prior to that time. To sign the guest book, go to www.bayviewfuneral.com.

Norman Arnold Johnson, Jr. passed away September 25, 2011 at New Richland Care Center where he received such wonderful compassionate care.  His wife and family were by his side.

JoAnne Abbas, 63, of New Ulm, died of cancer Saturday September 24 in her home surrounded by loved ones. Memorial service will be held 3:00 p.m. Saturday, October 1 at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Rural Courtland. Visitation will begin two hours prior to the service at the church.

JoAnne was born August 22, 1948 to LuVerne and Ruth (Kluender) Radke on a farm near Waldorf, MN. She graduated from Waldorf High School in 1966 and went on to attend secondary school in Mankato. On December 4, 1971 JoAnne married Mitchell Abbas at the St. John’s Church in Minnesota Lake, MN. She worked in retail for K-Mart in New Ulm and Home Depot in Mankato.

Billie R. Gunsolus, age 85 of Janesville, died on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at his residence.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, September 24th at 2:00 p.m. at Janesville United Methodist Church in Janesville with Rev. Bescye P. Burnett, officiating.  Interment was in the Alma City Cemetery.

Visitation was held on Saturday from 12 noon until 2 p.m. at Janesville United Methodist Church.  Arnoldt-McRaith Funeral Home & Crematory of Janesville handled arrangements.

Billie Ralph was born on December 12, 1925 in Freedom Township, Waseca County, Minnesota to Ralph and Anna (Winters) Gunsolus.  He graduated from Pemberton High School in 1943. Billie was united in marriage to Victoria Pennington on January 5, 1952 in Mankato.  They lived a short time in NE Iowa, then later moved to Minnesota, settling in the St. Clair area.

Thomas “Tom” McMahon, 73, of Ellendale, died Friday, September 23, 2011 at St. Mary's Hospital. 

Tom was born February 22, 1938 in Owatonna, Minnesota the son of John and Ella (Jensen) McMahon. He was raised in Owatonna and graduated from Owatonna High School in 1956.  He then joined the Minnesota National Guard.  Tom enjoyed the outdoors and worked as a fishing guide in Northern Minnesota with his friend, Guts Anderson.  He then moved to Chadron, NE and worked as a ranch hand with his brother-in-law, Jim Sager.  Tom returned to Owatonna where he worked for Owatonna Publics Utilities (OPU). 

He was united in marriage to Karen Jacobsen on January 19, 1976.  They made their home near Ellendale.  Tom then worked for Northern Natural Gas which eventually became Enron.  After his retirement from Enron, he worked part time at the Owatonna Country Club.  

Memorial Services for Floyd Russell Anderson, of New Richland, MN, will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, September 23, at Trinity Lutheran Church, New Richland.

The Reverend Paul Andree will officiate. Interment will be in St. Olaf Cemetery, New Richland. 

Friends may visit with family from 1 p.m. until the time of the service at the church on Friday. Friedrich Funeral Home, New Richland, is assisting the family with arrangements.

Russ passed away at the New Richland Care center on Tuesday, September 20, 2011 after many years of decreasing health due to Friedreich’s Ataxia. He was always the proud Marine, during and after his discharge in March of 1957.

Russ is survived by four sons: Russell, Randy, Bryan, and Mike, three grandsons: Scott, Dustin and Brandon. Also sister Kay Barthel (Don), Bonita,  California and many close cousins and friends that were a great support system.

Ronald Layne Bluhm, age 75 of Waldorf, died on Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at his home in Waldorf.

Born on August 11, 1936 in Waldorf, Minnesota he was the son of Clarence and Leonora (Schroeder) Bluhm.  He attended country school and graduated from Waldorf High School in 1954. He later served with the National Guard. Ronald married Janice E. Kelling on June 4, 1956 at First Lutheran Church in Waldorf. He had worked for Vogelsang Construction for three years before starting his career with the Waldorf School District. He retired in December of 1992 after 33 years of service. He continued to drive school bus for the school district for 48 years. He was a member of First Lutheran Church in Waldorf where he served on the church council. Ron was also a member of the Waldorf City Council and the Waldorf Volunteer Fire Department for many years. He enjoyed fishing, playing cards and spending time with his family and was an avid Minnesota sports fan.