Fencelines

[Dotch]

He knows I'm gonna stay...

After scraping the last of the road-kill Farm and City Days parade Tootsie Rolls off their shoes, the scurs are ready to predict the week’s weather with continued deadly accuracy. Looks like a shift in weather patterns, towards a wetter cycle again. Chance of showers and thunderstorms every day, with the best chances Thursday night, with moderate chances through Sunday. Starting with Wednesday, partly cloudy high of 85 and low of 65. Partly cloudy Thursday, high of 80, low of 65. Mostly cloudy Friday, high near 80, low between 60 and 65. Saturday and Sunday, partly cloudy skies, highs near 80 and lows of 60 – 65. Mostly cloudy Monday and Tuesday. Highs both days of 75 with lows near 55. Normal high for July 18th is 84 and normal low is 61. We shall see if the rain dancing lessons the scurs have been taking are paying off.

The Full Moon for the month falls on Friday the 18th. It is known as the Full Buck Moon as the buck deer are beginning to show antlers in the velvet. It is known as the Full Thunder Moon by some because of the thunderstorms common during the month. Many farmers know this as the Full Hay Moon. Hopefully there are some thunderstorms to make a decent hay crop. The Ojibwe knew this as the Full Raspberry Moon and the Sioux as The Moon of the Red Cherries, both of which should be showing up in grocery stores any day now.

Was a nice rain back on Friday the 11th and hopefully it’s the start of more to come. Most were reported .5” or less across the greater Bugtussle viewing area. Area crops continue to progress, with tassels due to arrive on much of the corn during Waseca Co. Fair. Soybeans in 20” rows should be closing the rows this week. Early planted spring wheat is starting to show some signs of turning. The pea crop has been disappointing but not to be unexpected given the cold, damp start to the spring we had, followed by a general dry pattern. Some early sweet corn started to show tassels last week so hopefully in about 3 weeks we’ll have some to eat.

Was thrilled to become an official weather observer for Berlin Twp. in Steele Co. as part of the Minnesota Climatological Network. One of the employees of the SWCD was nice enough to come out after hours and help get me started with the project. After some head scratching about how to mount the gauge, we seemed to have put together a respectable looking mount. Checked it with a level to make sure it was as close to accurate [PoorWordUsage] it could be. Best of all, within a day of putting it in service, actually recorded some precipitation, all .41” of it.

Thank you to GD for leaving a female cecropia moth in egg laying mode on my desk last week. These large moths are members of the giant silk moth family. Not often seen as they fly at night, they are attracted to bright lights. While not totally uncommon, it takes some luck to see one. They live only about 2 weeks as adult moths. They lack a mouth or proboscis with which to feed. Eggs are laid following mating and they are univoltine, meaning they produce only one generation per year. The eggs will hatch in about 1 – 2 weeks and the larvae will feed on several species of trees including apple, pear, cherry, plum, boxelder and maple. After molting 4 times and feeding voraciously, the now 4 inch green larvae with a spiky appearance spins a cocoon in a late summer and overwinters, hatching the next spring or summer, repeating the cycle.

Out and about this past week there were lots of sights to see and smell. While mowing some thistles in ES from Brooklyn’s CRP (the only person who writes to me with any frequency whatsoever), had a hard time not watching a little male kestrel hovering then dropping like a rock to the ground, apparently after some of the voles I was chasing around. Why do I still hear my Dad yelling “Pay attention!” when I do that? There were two male rose-breasted grosbeaks, whistling loudly when their favorite sunflower feeder was not stocked. Hope they stay. A brown thrasher continues to bounce around the back yard, cocking his head and looking at me, then flying off to the thicket where he feels safer I imagine. Milkweed is blooming and it’s no wonder the butterflies like it. It smells heavenly! In the fencelines and road ditches, elderberries are flowering and on a still day, the honey like smell makes your mouth water. Speaking of mouth watering, the Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes continue to ripen in the garden, making for a tasty snack while pulling weeds.

When growing up, we of course had a BB gun. It was an older Daisy single pump model that had been handed down to us and while it could kill sparrows and blackbirds, it wasn’t particularly powerful. When we ran out of BB’s occasionally we’d try alternative shot in it. Green elderberries just happened to be about the right size so why not? Problem was brother Roger and I got a couple of them stuck in the barrel. About the only way to get them out was to pump it and fire it. Of course, I had convinced him that it wouldn’t hurt so I pulled the trigger and shot him in the back. “Ouch!” he yelped. Sure enough, they both came out alright, leaving two little green marks on his white T-shirt. When he lifted up his shirt, there were two little blood blister welts on his back. Just a flesh wound. File this one under “Kids don’t try this at home”.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

For it surely looks like rain...

The scurs were on target again but every forecast period is different and this one is no exception. Looks like we’ll have no trouble staying warm. Starting Wednesday, they see partly cloudy skies becoming cloudy, high of 85 and low of 65 with a fair chance of overnight rain. Mostly cloudy Thursday becoming partly cloudy, high of 80 and low of 65 with a slight chance of lingering showers. Partly cloudy Friday, high of 85 and low of 60. Saturday, sunny. High of 80 – 85 and low of 65 with a slight chance of showers overnight. Partly cloudy Sunday with a chance of showers. High of 80 and low 65. The heat is on Monday and Tuesday. Partly cloudy with highs of 85 – 90 and lows of 65. Normal high for July 25th is 84 and normal low is 61. The last 2 weeks of July are traditionally the warmest of the year for us. The scurs will be consuming mass quantities of cotton candy and onion rings at the Waseca Co. Fair.

We were very fortunate around the greater Bugtussle area to receive the timely rains we did last week. Most gauges were reporting somewhere in the 1.2” – 1.8” range but there were reports of higher amounts as one went north or south. On the north side of Waseca, there was a report of over 6’! That’s a little over and above but one can’t send back what you don’t need. Overall, with corn tasseling and soybeans just beginning to set pods, the timing couldn’t have been better. Soybean aphid numbers continue to rise but still haven’t reached threshold levels in most area fields. Spring wheat continues to turn although harvest appears to be about 10 days away yet, given some decent harvest weather.

The bluebirds never nested here at the ranch but did manage to fledge 4 at the kindly neighbors pasture. Am still hoping to see them re-nest but haven’t seen any evidence of it yet. Of course, braving the mosquitoes and deer flies may be part of the problem. Saw the first male indigo bunting we’ve seen in awhile last Thursday and at lest one male oriole was giving me the business about putting some new nectar in the feeders. Wonder if they’ll start taking the bee guards off the hummingbird feeder as is their wont? The house finch crop apparently was a good one. There are lots of them coming to the feeders right now and most appear to be young brought along by their parents. Getting towards the time of year when the goldfinches will begin to nest, feeding their young with regurgitated seed.

In the area lawns and gardens, with the warmer, drier weather of the past few weeks the apple trees have sloughed some of their excess apples. This is the “off” year on the trees in our yard but am surprised to see as many apples on the trees as there are given the sparse amount of blooms there were on them. In the garden, the sugar snap peas should be coming to an end eventually and the string beans are coming on. The cherry tomatoes continue at snacking pace but am starting to think the zucchini plant is a homosexual. Why? Because of a current shortage of male flowers on it, a noticeable lack of bees to carry pollen from elsewhere and small zucchini being sloughed off. Vine crops such as squash and pumpkins produce both male and female flowers, with the male flower producing the pollen. The flowers last about one forenoon before closing. Am trying to trick it however. Taking a Q-tip, I’ve swabbed pollen from some of the male flowers on squash in the other garden and dabbed it on the pistils of the female zucchini plant. It appears to be working although I suddenly feel a little like David Crosby.

The weekend naps were marred by several pop-ins, dogs barking when cars went by too slowly or loudly and Mrs. Cheviot coming home just as I was nodding off when the rain began to pitter-patter on the roof. This is jeopardizing my position on the US Olympic napping team. It’s making me tired to be sure.

The little fat buddies have been in celebration mode as of late. First, one of our ranks was named New Richland Idol last week. To follow up, then we were treated to not one but two Whitman Sampler’s by ES from Brooklyn, the only person who writes to me with any frequency whatsoever. Oddly enough, it only took two days for us to saw through them. Life is definitely like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get even when you try and figure it out by the chart on the box. Gives us something to talk about when we’re critiquing the new “used but not abused” 10 man dryer across the street.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Feeling hot, hot, hot!!!

After calling Sunday’s shower correctly, the scurs set their sights on this forecast period, hoping for continued success. Shouldn’t be too tough as it looks like partly cloudy with highs of 85 - 90 and lows of 65 Wednesday through Friday. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms Wednesday night into Thursday. The heat stays on Saturday under partly cloudy skies, a high of 90 and low around 65 with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Sunday, partly cloudy, high of 85 and low of 65. Monday and Tuesday, partly cloudy and warmish: Highs of 90 and lows of 65. Normal high for August 1 is 83 and normal low is 61. On the 4th, we will have lost over an hour of daylight since the summer solstice. The scurs know there are plenty of lights at the Freeborn Co. fair so they can see what they’re devouring.

Crop continue to progress and we’ve made up some ground on GDU’s. While this calculation isn’t necessarily a perfect predictor of crop development it does put matters into perspective. As of last week we were about 7% below normal at the SROC in Waseca. Something interesting to note however is that we’ve been getting our moneys worth; temps climb rapidly in the morning and maintain temperatures in the 80’s well into late afternoon and evening. Will be curious to see just where we are in terms of solar radiation at the end of the month. Seems like we’ve had a lot of sunshine which as Gyles Randall points out is very typical for July. We’ve also managed to make the most of our soil moisture as we’re cooling off well overnight, usually into the 60’s. Surprisingly with the .19” of rain at the ranch on Sunday, moisture did actually meet moisture in the garden. We are lucky too we haven’t seen much of the high dewpoints with lows in the mid to upper 70’s that make us uncomfortable and run our air conditioning bills through the roof.

The smell of corn pollen is in the air and that’s not all that unusual during the tail end of the Waseca Co. fair and into the Freeborn Co. fair. The cooler nights with some showers mixed in appear to have allowed pollination to be near perfect thus far. Soybeans are continuing to set pods with most 30” rows closing. Aphid numbers continue to build with a few area fields requiring treatment. Spring wheat remains unharvested, almost as if it’s decided to slow down and take a break. With little for disease pressure there’s lots of green in those fields yet and unless on is going to swath it, it’s still going to be another week. Should be some local fresh market sweet corn available this week so keep your ears open. (bad pun)

In the gardens at the ranch, zucchini woes continue although knowing one can go on the open market and get all the zucchini one wants, it really isn’t a problem. The rest of the garden including the weeds continue to flourish. Did manage to do battle with them however so they shouldn’t be the issue they might’ve been. String beans are coming on strong and just about when I think the sugar snap peas are done, they produce another flurry of blossoms. Bonus! While weeding the melon patch noticed there were some softball sized muskmelon on the vines. There are some cucumbers too just can’t always see them in the mass of vines that are overtaking the east side of the plot. The flowers are kicking it in gear too. The cosmos, 4 o’clocks, petunias, impatiens, bachelor’s buttons, sunflowers and nasturtiums are all dressing up the yard.

In addition to dressing up the yard, the flowers are attracting hummingbirds. There were several at the feeders and checking out the flower bed south of the house. Orioles have started coming back to the nectar feeder an these look and sound like youngsters. The baby barn swallows are no longer babies and fill the sky overhead all the while keeping an eye out for the kestrel that has been hanging around. Chipping sparrows are as numerous as ever and while weeding around an arborvitae in the garden, almost had one take my ear off as it flew off the nest partially manufactured from Gus fur. The last nest of wrens apparently has hatched as one can hear them peeping inside the birdhouse. Seems to be cutting down on the amount of early morning singing as the parents are constantly on the move feeding them from dawn till dusk. The blue jays and nuthatches are telling us that we’re not that fall is not that far off. The great blue herons wading the edges of the pond in the morning remain unfazed.

Field crickets are showing up and one can hear them chirping along with the grasshoppers in the evenings. Heard my first cicada near Mankato last week and noted the multi colored Asian lady beetles are showing up in soybean fields as are painted lady butterfly caterpillars. The lightning bugs are spectacular this year, almost scary some nights to see just how many of them there are. The toad population has shown up in force at the ranch. Every year we have a plethora of the little amphibians and about this time of year, seems like a lot of the tiny ones (~ ½” long) are in the lawn. There are several about the diameter of a golf ball too and just about as round. Their shape reminds one of the little fat buddies.

One of our little fat buddy ranks wound up in a hospital burn unit this past week as he tried to save a skid steer loader from a burning building. We’re all hoping that LC heals quickly and is back around the training table soon. We did manage to somehow get along at the fair without him however as it was determined that you should only eat things that are the same color as your shirt. An even better idea is to wear a multiple colored shirt, allowing one to consume more variety while camouflaging those spills even more discreetly.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

It looks like muskrat love...

After calling the rain correctly for Thursday and being a little shaky on the tail end of the forecast period, the scurs set their sights on this week’s to see if their Ouija board is still functioning properly. Wednesday, partly cloudy with a high of 80 – 85 and low around 60. Cooler Thursday and Friday under sunny skies, highs of 75 – 80 and lows of 60 Thursday night and 55 Friday night. Partly cloudy Saturday, high of 80 and low near 60. Slight chance of rain Sunday, partly cloudy, high of 75 – 80 and low of 60. Cloudy Monday with a better chance of rain. High 75 – 80 and low dropping to 55. Sunny again Tuesday and warmer; high of 80 and low near 60. Normal high for August 8th is 83 and normal low is 60. The scurs are certain that they have one more county fair left in them before heading to the State Fair. It’s just around the corner. So is the start of another school year. Where has the summer gone?

Last Thursday’s rain was a welcome surprise with most garnering somewhere in the .7” – 1.0+” range. Some strong winds gusting to 80 mph in areas downed trees and were involved in the deadly plane crash in Owatonna. We have been extremely lucky at this point to have been spoon-fed rains. In the past 3 week period at the ranch we’ve received just shy of 3” of rain in 5 rainfall events of over a tenth of an inch, with several other smaller amounts. We keep making strides GDU–wise also. As of last week at the SROC in Waseca we were only about 6% behind normal which translates to about only 4 days off the pace, not bad when one considers how far behind we were in June.

Corn continues to pollinate in some later maturing and later planted fields. Earlier planted, earlier maturing corn appears to have pollinated well, with many fields in the blister stage. Following the timely rains, soybeans have reached R4 in many area fields, meaning that the plants have one or more pods 3/4 of an inch long at 1 of the 4 uppermost nodes on the main stem of the plant with a fully developed leaf. Soybean aphid numbers vary on a field by field basis, with some requiring treatment while populations in other fields remaining nearly static. There was also evidence of some parasitic fungal activity on aphids in some fields. Still wise to look at the fields before jumping to any conclusions. Small grains are being swathed and combined across the area. Quality has been decent with yields somewhat variable.

The strong winds Thursday did manage to take down one tree. I use the term “tree” loosely as it was a boxelder and they generally fall under the heading of “large, woody, weed bound to fall on something”. As luck would have it of course it landed on the fence. The sheep had already discovered the tree but were more interested in eating the leaves off of it than they were in testing the fence to see if it was grounded. Got it cut up on Saturday and after they were through with the limbs, looked like it had been denuded by a plague of insects. Much easier to see what you’re doing while piling the brush for yet another bonfire.

Last week it was little toads and this week it’s been smallish salamanders. They’re common in the well pit but rarely see them otherwise. Was clearing the dirt from a mound in the lawn left by a pesky pocket gopher and encountered one as I reached my hand deeper down the hole. Examined the wriggling 4” amphibian then put him back down the hole, where he slipped away quickly down one of the side tunnels. Found another one under the downspout I was preparing to mow under so moved the little feller to an equally moist area the mower would not be traveling. Next week: Garter snakes?

The pond has been active as of late. Determined there was yet another batch of ducklings, this time a group of 8 or 9 blue-winged teal. There were actually a lot of mallards that took wing when venturing down to get a glimpse, leaving the hen teal and babies behind. There were also 3 muskrats swimming about, poking their heads above water to see what was happening then disappearing underwater. Decided to play some games with them, tossing some small stones their direction when they’d surface. They’d dive suddenly as the rock went sploosh! beside them then all three simultaneously poke their heads up to keep tabs on me. The wetland has also become a staging area for several family units of geese as they fly across the road to feed on the succulent re-growth in the neighbor’s alfalfa field.

Still a few birds singing early in the morning but they are limited to one wren nesting in the fenceline and some chipping sparrows (not chirping sparrows) with nests in the windbreak. There are usually some goldfinches nesting in the dogwood too as I find the evidence after the leaves come off in the fall. Always gratifying to see that the seemingly puny bare root trees planted several years ago have attained a size that wildlife, no matter how small, can use as habitat.

More treats appeared on the little fat buddies training table, this time some apple pie made by BR from apples harvested and frozen the year prior. Absolutely delicious! While the wind from last week knocked a lot of apples off the trees, there appear to be plenty to keep us running through autumn anyway when we see if the ten man dryer really works or not. Given the planting date, we’re guessing it’ll get a workout.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

There I go, turn the page

Although surprised by the early Saturday a.m. shower, the scurs are nonetheless undaunted. Rain this time of year is welcome, expected or not. This week continues our gentle slide towards the inevitable. Wednesday, we see partly cloudy skies with a high of 80 and a low of 55 – 60. Thursday through Sunday brings us slight to moderate chances or rain, with the best chances coming Thursday night into Friday. Thursday skies will be partly cloudy with a high of 80 and a low near 60. Cloudy Friday, high of 75 and low in the mid – 50’s. Saturday, partly cloudy, high of 75 – 80 and low around 60. Sunday, mostly sunny becoming partly cloudy, low of 60 high around 80. Monday and Tuesday, partly cloudy, highs around 80 and lows near 60. Normal high for August 15th is 82 and normal low is 59 and we’ll experience just under 14 hours of daylight, the same as we did on April 26th. The scurs will be ironing their Speedos whilst cheering on US Olympic swimming phenom Michael Phelps.

As luck would have it, the Full Moon this month falls on Saturday the 16th. Known as the Full Sturgeon Moon as this is the month when these large fish were commonly caught by the tribes of the Great Lakes region. It is also known as the Full Green Corn Moon or the Full Grain Moon. The Ojibwe knew this as the Full Berry Moon and there are many berries to feast upon, including blueberries. The Sioux knew this as the Moon When Geese Shed Their Feathers, which the geese have already done judging by their flights over the ranch. There is also a partial lunar eclipse on the 16th. However, it will be nothing like the February 21st eclipse and one will have to make a quick trip to Eastern South America, Europe or Africa to get a view of it. It will not be seen here in the Greater Bugtussle viewing area, sorry to say.

While crops continue to progress at a relatively quick pace, they can’t progress quickly enough for some concerned about frost in early September. Corn ranges anywhere from the blister to the milk stage depending primarily on planting date and hybrid maturity. Most soybeans are R4 to R5, with the majority of area soybean fields having been treated for soybean aphids. In some fields treated early as an insurance policy, in some cases with encouragement from those who should know better, levels have once again reached threshold levels. This is unfortunate as placing tremendous selection pressure on a population of aphids in other crops such as potatoes has resulted in resistance to products that were once effective. We don’t learn very fast, do we?

Will be heading out this weekend on the Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour and heading to Columbus Ohio. This will mark my 5th year serving as Tour Consultant for the Eastern leg of the Tour. Must be getting long of tooth as it seems like it’s been longer than that! Catch our comments from the road next week at http://www.agweb.com/ as we survey the corn and soybean crop in America’s heartland.

Was told some were rather distraught to find our column buried deep within the Greater Bugtussle Gazette last week. Was a little concerned at first perhaps that my e-mail had faltered and the column had not reached its destination on time. That’s alright; it’s Jim’s paper and he can put us wherever he feels like just as long as he keeps forking out the big bucks.

Gus celebrated his 4th birthday in style by digging a big hole beside the steps. He also got brushed out, something he badly needed along with a new batch of dog treats that he willingly shares with Lucy. Now if the shoe’s on the other foot or paw, one can’t say the same. Border collies are simply small furry children in many respects and this is just one of them.

We continue to see signs that the fall bird visitors and residents are making their presence known. Was vegetable deliveryman this weekend to my Mom so was able to get a change in scenery. There were lots of hummingbirds there as well as some cardinals, birds I covet but can’t seem to attract. Also noted: Lots of cedar waxwings whistling their one-note song. Robins were present although their song has been missing, instead replaced by chirps here and there. Just as at the ranch though, wrens were continuing to sing on August 10th. Not as robustly as they were back in June and July, but still there, plain as day. Orioles are still coming to the nectar feeders and the hummers are increasingly interested in the 4 o’clocks nearby. Could also hear chickadees and blue jays in the background, likely celebrating the belief they’d located their winter food stash.

Speaking of winter food supplies, the little fat buddies have worked up an appetite after a summer of watching all the construction across the street. It isn’t nearly as much fun as watching the sweat line on the old water tower during sweet corn season, but hey, at least it’s something.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Cops in cars...

After figuring out the hotel internet service, the scurs have their forecast for the upcoming weekend and early week ready to go. Starting Wednesday and Thursday, partly cloudy with a high of 85 and low of 60 – 65. Slight chance of rain Friday morning under partly cloudy skies, high of 85. Better chance of rain Friday night with a low of 65. Partly cloudy Saturday with a slight chance of rain, high of 80 – 85 and low of 60. Sunday, partly cloudy with a high around 80 and a low of 55. Cooling Monday into Tuesday under mostly sunny skies. Highs Monday of 75 - 80 with lows in the mid to lower 50’s. Cooler Tuesday with a high of 70 – 75 and a low near 50. Normal high for August 22nd is 80 and the normal low is 55. The scurs will be celebrating the Great Minnesota Get Together with a footlong from the booth on the northeast corner of the Coliseum.

Crops are continuing to make steady progress but we remain a few days behind normal. Corn and soybeans will both need an extended frost free period in September to realize their full potential. While it is not as dire as it may sound, we have become somewhat spoiled after years like 2007 when we were about 10 days – 2 weeks ahead of this year’s pace. Only one thing is certain: We have very little control over it.

Writing from a remote location where we are sequestered from the public, it’s always interesting to see how the internet service is going to work. Every place is different and one almost needs to have a “Plan B” to maintain contact with the outside world via the internet. The service in the hotel in Ohio pulled the same stunt it did last year where it allowed me to receive e-mail but not send it. So, to the backup e-mail we go. Hopefully you receive the column and if not, blame Al Gore.

The trip from MN to Ohio was largely uneventful except for the aftermath of a load of bananas that had crash landed in the ditch somewhere in IA. If you notice a large number of fruit flies in MN following a southeast wind you’ll know why. Was going to stop to check out IA’s largest frying pan too but needed to keep moving. Probably didn’t miss anything. I’ll bet MN’s largest frying pan is bigger!

There were a fair number of minor traffic mishaps, none of which we were involved in thank goodness. Along with that there were cop cars out in force. There was a free picnic table along the side of the road someone had left for the taking in OH on the interstate. Only slightly damaged (just the one side was smashed where it crashed landed) we thought perhaps we could grab it on our way home.

While there were plenty of things to watch on the road, in the ditch the flora was much more eye-catching. All the way from MN to OH, the native prairie plants as well some not so native kept one occupied. Native grasses such as switchgrass and big bluestem were at full height and in many places in pure stands. Black-eyed Susans, compass plants and purple coneflowers added color as did the blue-flowered chicory as one wound our way closer to our destination.

Few birds to watch from the windshield however. Before leaving, there was still a wren singing in the fenceline at home and one at my brother’s place in Ackley IA before we hit the road. Afraid they’ll be gone or not vocal enough to know they’re around upon my return. That’s okay; the seasons change as do the cast of plants and animals influenced by them. By the time we get back home, the hummingbird migration from the north will be underway in earnest. September at the ranch usually means plenty of action at the nectar feeders across the greater Bugtussle area.

And finally, one has to enjoy being able to watch the Olympics on TV wherever you happen to be. It’s wonderful that the world can out aside its differences for a few weeks in the spirit if athletic competition. The abilities of these human beings is incredible and the sacrifices they have made to get to this level make it difficult to turn the television off until the events are history again for another 4 years.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so...

After coming off another accurate forecast (easy when it never rains) the scurs will foretell the Labor Day weather picture. Looking like more of the same, complete with some warmer temps next week. Wednesday, partly cloudy, high of 80 and low of 60 with a slight chance of a shower. Ditto Thursday, with a high of 80 and low of 55 – 60. Cooler Friday, partly cloudy, with a high of 75 and low of 50. Warming up for the Labor Day weekend under mostly sunny skies, highs Saturday and Sunday of 80 and lows of 60 Warmer Labor Day clear skies, high near 85 and low of 55. Staying warm when you go back to work on Tuesday, partly cloudy, with a high of 85 and a low of 60 with a chance of rain. Normal high for August 29th 78 and the normal low is 55. The sun began setting before 8 p.m. on August 26th, a full hour earlier than it did back on the summer solstice. The scurs will be packing away their State Fair souvenirs and watching for school buses.

Crop progress has been rapid, perhaps a bit too rapid due to the continued dry spell we seem to be under. After coming off the Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour on Friday, it felt like rain. And rain it did: A whopping .02”! Barely enough for a mosquito’s bath. The moisture deficit continues to take its toll in the form of tip back on the corn ears and pod abortion in the soybeans. Also noticeable are any areas in fields that have underlying sand and gravel pockets. The soybeans in particular are visibly taking a serious hit in these areas. We need a rain soon to maintain the potential we have. Not that the crop will be a disaster, it could be much better with a timely inch or two of rain in the not too distant future.

The Crop Tour wrapped up last Thursday and was honored once again to be asked to serve as Tour Consultant for the eastern leg of the tour. While it wasn’t a particularly banner year for insect and disease problems there are always things that pop up along the way. In addition, we still have to work with the scouts, sample fields and fill in data sheets complete with comments. Also of interest are the increasing numbers of foreigners who come along on the tour. The last day out we usually start to get a little squirrelly as we know the long week is about to come to a close.

Thursday we happened to have a Japanese guy nicknamed “Jim” riding with us. His English was pretty good however and we had a great time with him. While filling out the data sheets we asked him if he could write some comments in Japanese in that part of the form, which he did with much laughter. When we looked at the sheets, the laughter was even louder as we knew the girls tabulating the data and comments would looks at that and scratch their head. When we got into the hotel that afternoon they looked at it and wondered what it was. When questioned about it, we told them it obviously said “Corn is nitrogen deficient” and the other one said “Lunch was good”. Laughter is the universal language we all understand.

The State Fair will be starting on the downhill side by the time you read this. No different than most years, getting out of the place as a livestock exhibitor is a nightmare. Suspect they want to keep us there as long as they can to wring more money out of us and could really give a rip about whether we exhibit animals or not. Yes, we exhibited again this year and we brought home some hardware, again. That’s not what we’re proudest of however. When we have the opportunity we like to share our experience with the younger generation and watch them develop into spokespersons for animal agriculture.

Such is the case with Emily Meyer. The 4-H ewe she leased from us, Lola, did well at the State Fair but couldn’t overcome some of the high powered sheep she was competing against to win it all there. Didn’t matter. Emily got called back for showmanship and after the dust settled, was named Reserve Champion in the Advanced division. Later that day, Lola did win it all in Open Class where it really matters with Emily showing her. What an honor and proof that hard work and perseverance pay off. Can recall a few times seeing her show up at our place in the morning to work with Lola, sleep in her eyes perhaps, but still ready, willing and able to practice. Was rather interesting after her State Fair performance that suddenly, boys who had sheep to show next week were asking if she could come back and help them. Congratulations, Emmy!

And finally it’s good to be back home. After sleeping in a different bed every night for over a week, one almost forgets the routine of daily living. Lucy and Gus were like a couple springs uncoiling and happy to see we were home, for good. The sheep were glad to get their sweet corn and cucumber leftovers while the birds were celebrating to see their feeders filled to capacity once again. More hummingbirds now and the wrens have ceased their summer song. To put it in perspective, suddenly September looms large on the horizon as the acorns continue to fall.

See you next week…real good then.

[bigsandynorth1]

Dotch, how do you have so much time!

[Dotch]

An elderly gentleman I knew who recently passed away once told his grandchildren, "I don't have a lot of money I can give you, but I can give you my time." And as Neil Young wrote about 30 years ago, "Time itself is bought and sold, the spreading fear of growing old contains a thousand foolish games that we play."

I have long maintained that of our resources, time is the most valuable. Some treat time and those to whom time belongs as commodities. Their value is far too precious for that method of measure. Giving time freely in ways which cause others to express enjoyment and frequently appreciation for the gift given them brings me extreme satisfaction and a sense of inner calm. While it may not purchase expensive cars, housing, or love as the song goes, I have enough money to get by. The untold wealth from time investments goes far beyond my wildest imagination. What do you know? A little Thursday afternoon philosphy from a shepherd on a fishing/hunting HSOforum. Thanks for reading!

[Dotch]

You are like a hurricane, there's calm in your eye...

The scurs continue to be on target; last Wednesday’s rainfall event panned out and we received some desperately needed rain. Will hurricane Gustav usher in some fall-like weather? Let’s take a look, shall we? Wednesday, partly cloudy, high of 75 and low of 50. Partly cloudy Thursday with a slight chance of showers. High of 70 – 75 and low of 50 – 55. Friday, partly cloudy with an increasing chance of rain. High 70 – 75 and low of 50. Chance of rain Saturday under mostly cloudy skies. High of 70 and low of 50. Sunday, partly cloudy. High of 70 – 75 and low of 50. Warmer Monday, skies partly cloudy with increasing clouds and chance of rain Monday evening. High of 80 and low of 50. Big cool down Tuesday under partly cloudy skies, high of 65 and low of 45. Normal high for September 5th is 76 and normal low is 52, the same we see around the end of May. However, on the 5th we’re down to just under 13 hours of daylight, the same we experience on April 5th. The scurs counted their Crayola’s and used the built in sharpener while ciphering the highs and lows.

Hopefully hurricane Gustav will be history by the time this reaches print. Aptly named after Gus the Wonderdog, this storm whirled and twirled, managing to back up weather systems, typical of what we tend to see. By slowing down the passage of fronts, these storms to the south often allow systems to sit on top of us, giving us the slow fall recharge that we need after the long dry spells of late July and August. It’s not uncommon either that we see cooler weather following their movement through as cold air bottled up to the north will be seeking a place to go.

The cooler weather we have already experienced has brought more of the birds down from the north. The hummingbird numbers are reported high from just about everyone who feeds the little tykes. Some have also reported still seeing an occasional oriole. Looking out at the tree the other day, thought I saw what looked like a striped nuthatch. Was another black and white warbler passing through. Male goldfinches are starting to fade a little too, their sunshiny yellow soon to be replaced by their olive drab winter attire. The hummingbirds still mistake them sometimes as flowers however, spending some time checking them out. The Hungarian partridge have made a slight comeback. Almost every afternoon, one can see a covey not far from the ranch exploding out of the road ditch into a nearby corn and soybean field. We can certainly use more rainfall to help replenish seasonal wetlands for those migrating waterfowl. The pond here at the ranch is down to a couple puddles that reconnected after last week’s inch of rain. Former pygmy goat farmers crave this type of information.

Crop progress has been sufficient that unless we get caught with a frost sometime before the 15th, we should suffer a minimal amount of yield loss. Corn has reached full dent in most cases and in some of the early hybrids planted early, the milk line has already begun to make its way down the kernel. Soybeans should primarily be at R6 (one bean in a pod at one of the uppermost 4 nodes filling the seed cavity) so that should get most of them under the wire barring some weather anomaly. Normal first frost date for Waseca is September 30.

Field crickets seem to be everywhere, especially in our homes and businesses now that temperatures are cooling down outside. One was giving some of the crack management staff at the Star/Eagle fits the other day when I stopped and another made the fateful mistake of interfering with my nap last Sunday, suffering dire consequences. So what is it that makes crickets so vocal and what kind of life cycle causes them to be frequent houseguests this time of year?

As you might have guessed by their appearance, crickets are in the same family as grasshoppers. This time of year, adult male crickets produce a chirping sound to attract females as it is mating season. The female cricket has a long ovipositor protruding form her thorax which she uses to deposit her eggs after mating. Field crickets overwinter as eggs laid individually in the soil. Cricket nymphs hatch in the spring and go through 8 – 12 instars (molts) before reaching maturity. The adults begin appearing in July and August and continue to feed during mating and egg laying. Females can lay up to 300 eggs. The chirping sound emitted by the males is caused by their rubbing their rounded wings together. Lacking a thermometer or simply having too much free time on one’s hands, one can guesstimate the air temperature in degrees Fahrenheit by counting the number of chirps in 15 seconds and adding forty.

Normally crickets do little damage, feeding outdoors on plant growth at night. However, when temperatures begin to drop as they have, they begin to look for warmer shelter. At this time they may feed on things such as paper, wool, cotton, linen or fur items. This is generally only a problem if their numbers are extremely high. Crickets generally cannot reproduce indoors and die by late autumn or early winter. Cleaning up weeds and grass outdoors around the house gives them fewer places to hide. Exclusion by sealing up entry points and removal of clutter inside such as boxes, papers and other favorite hiding places are generally helpful methods of control. Some insecticides are cleared for cricket control indoors but read the labels and follow them accordingly. In the meantime, probably best not to mess with my Sunday afternoon naps by chirping under the TV stand.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

And gaze out at the auburn sky...

The cool down predicted for Tuesday arrived a day ahead but otherwise the scurs forecast went relatively unscathed. It rained (a vary little) and stayed somewhat seasonal. What’s up this time around? Starting Wednesday, starting out partly cloudy becoming mostly cloudy with a modest chance of rain. High of 70 and low of 55. Thursday, mostly cloudy with a better chance of rain with a high around 70 and low near 50. Partly cloudy Friday with a high of 70 – 75 and a low of 55. Partly cloudy Saturday with another moderate chance of rain. High of 75 and low of 55. Slight chance of showers Sunday morning under mostly cloudy skies. High temp should top out around 75 with a low of 55. Carbon copy days on Monday and Tuesday with partly cloudy skies and highs of 65 and lows of 45. Normal high for September 12th is 74 and normal low is 49. The scurs are keeping a blanket handy to cover their tender vegetation just in case Jack Frost makes a surprise appearance on the night of the Full Moon.

The Full Moon will occur this month during the wee hours of the morning on September 15th. This is known as the Full Harvest Moon as it is the Full Moon closest to the autumnal equinox, which falls on the 22nd this year. The Full Harvest Moon is in September 2 out of 3 years. It is aptly named as the crops the Indians relied upon such as corn, squash, pumpkins, beans and wild rice. Indeed, the Ojibwe referred to this as the Full Rice Moon and the Sioux named it the Moon of the Drying Grass, undoubtedly for the warm season grasses that had reached maturity.

Those grasses have definitely reached maturity. Part of our pasture is primarily yellow Indiangrass which has taken on its auburn fall color. Farther below the hill in the CREP acres, the big bluestem is more tawny in color but still reminding one that autumn is here although the calendar may say not quite yet. Goldenrod has produced some beautiful golden colors not only in those acres but in area road ditches and along the remaining railroad tracks.

The cool weather and shortening days have definitely put thoughts of mating into the rams’ minds. The ewes, while not standing for them aren’t exactly running in the other direction. Still never a good idea to get between a ram and his harem, and then forget his position. All too often one winds up in a heap shortly after thinking to yourself, “Gee, I wonder where that…” Normally the “…ram went?” portion of the thought is completed upon hitting the ground and writhing in agony.

Pastures and hay fields like area lawns could use a drink. Hopefully this week we’ll start to see some recharge on the nearly moisture depleted soils. Rain at this point probably will do little to help most of the corn and soybeans as what you see is what you’ll get. For those with late plantings of sweet corn or soybeans planted after peas, there is definitely still a benefit. While some took issue with what we wrote last week, most corn and soybeans will get under the wire if we get by a frost on the 15th. Losses will be minimal. Looking at fields this past week, in the vast majority that is true. There are some fungal diseases that have hastened the ripening process in the soybeans, namely pod and stem blight and brown stem rot. There are some isolated cases of sudden death syndrome but the bulk of what’s being seen out there causing premature ripening is due to the aforementioned diseases.

Spent a special day on Saturday with my Mom celebrating her 83rd birthday. Had notions of taking her to Dairy Queen but upon seeing the home raised vegetables I’d tossed in the truck, she opted to thaw some steaks and prepare a feast. We repaired to the other room after cleaning up the table and treating Fudgie a few little pieces of steak fat to chew the fat ourselves. Nothing beats being able to actually sit and visit one on one. Oddly enough, even though our eyelids did flutter once or twice, we didn’t end up nodding off and taking our prospective obligatory naps. As always though, afterwards there was always room for apple pie made from late summer Oriole apples following a little lunch.

The little fat buddy nearly annual fishing trip is in the works. After spending the past several weeks building our stamina on morning training table fare such as pie and last Friday, not one but 2 boxes of donuts, we’re ready to live on the edge and brave the elements. We’ll be roughing it while risking life and limb in pursuit of wily panfish near that outpost on the frontier known as Alexandria. Well, for one weekend anyway. Usually we come back stiff and sore, not because we catch a lot of fish but primarily from laughing. We find it really helps tone our abs. Luckily, what happens in Alexandria stays in Alexandria.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign...

With the scurs on track for last week’s cool, damp forecast, they’re betting on some gorgeous above normal temperatures for the upcoming period. Starting Wednesday and extending through Friday, mostly clear with highs of 75 and lows of 55. Warmer Saturday under partly cloudy skies. High of 75 – 80 and low of 55. Partly cloudy Sunday with a high of 75 and low of 55. Partly cloudy becoming cloudy Monday high in the low 70’s and low of 55. Tuesday, clearing once again. High of 75 with a low of 50. Normal high for September 19th is 72 and normal low is 46. The scurs are thinking about getting out the lawn chairs for another week to enjoy the weather sans mosquitoes.

September 22nd marks the autumnal equinox, which will occur at 10:44 a.m. The equinox to many means the beginning of autumn although we have been experiencing fall-like weather conditions since the first part of the month. In actuality, it is the point in time at which the center of the sun can be observed directly above the earth’s equator. While the length of day and night is close to the same on the 22nd, it is not of equal length here until September 25th. And on the 25th, we will have lost 3 hours and 28 minutes of daylight since the summer solstice. There, aren’t you glad you’re aware of how much closer we’re edging towards winter?

There were some signs last week that summer was still trying to hang on. There was an oriole at out feeders on September 10th and there was a lone firefly blinking on and off in the back yard on the 11th. The sphinx moths shared the 4 o’clocks with the hummingbirds that same evening. The barn swallows continued to hang around and the goldfinches are sampling the ripening sunflowers while they continue to bloom. The garden also produces a few cucumbers as well as bountiful muskmelons and tomatoes. Unfortunately, one had best not be lulled to sleep thinking this will go on forever.

There are far too many signs we’re closing in on the beginning of the inevitable. There was the frost that was in evidence Tuesday morning, of course after the print deadline we follow on Monday. At the ranch our low was 41º and there was some plantain in the mowed road ditch that resembled a salt rimmed margarita glass. However at the SROC in Waseca the mercury reached 35 and at the Waseca Airport, 34º was recorded. What this meant in low lying areas was frost occurred and some crops were injured. Fortunately, the areas were not large and the frost generally did not kill entire plants. The plants were also advanced far enough so that injury will be relatively small percentages of potential yield.

Across much of Minnesota, we’re seeing plants such as hemp dogbane and common milkweed turning bright yellow while the sumac is beginning its red early fall blush. Some of the aspen leaves and walnut leaves are starting to turn while the New England asters are showing their lavender blooms in the CRP. Yes, it’s coming, much as we’d rather it didn’t.

The fall fishing trip came off without a hitch and very few snags. There were also signs there that fall is here. The loons have lost their summer colors and one in particular was very interested in what we were up to, especially after a 6” perch was tossed back in. Had never seen a loon up that close, especially when it decided to swim under and by the pontoon several times in full view as we watched curiously. Streamlined and swimming powerfully, one can see why they are as proficient at fishing as they are, much more so than the little fat buddies.

We accomplished what we had set out to do namely relax, eat and catch some fish. Nearing dark-thirty Saturday evening, we were in our secret fishing spot while taking a few crappies and sunnies. Every now and then we latch onto something larger however and that night was no exception. Readying the landing net and looking into the somewhat murky water, it was hard to see exactly what we were dealing with. Tried to scoop up whatever it was but couldn’t seem to get underneath it. About that time, something suddenly swam to the surface making all of us glad it hadn’t managed to find its way into the net.

The “something” turned out to be about 20 lbs. of ornery in the form of a snapping turtle. Folklore has it that there are 7 kinds of meat on a turtle. Maybe during daylight hours but relatively unarmed we weren’t interested in finding out in the dark. Fortunately, the snapper broke the line and went back to lurk in the depths. Upon arriving at the Mall for Men Monday morning, fresh caramel rolls from our regular supplier greeted the little fat buddies. Much safer than dealing with a snapping turtle and probably a lot tastier too.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

I dream of rain...

The scurs batted 1000 last forecast period and while the weather was a “10”, we could use some rain to help the lawns. Some relief should be in sight but temperatures should remain above normal. Starting Wednesday, we’re looking at partly cloudy skies becoming cloudy, chance of showers in the evening, with a high of 75 and a low of 50 – 55. Mostly cloudy Thursday, slight chance of showers, high of 75 and low of 55. Mostly cloudy, clearing by evening Friday, high of 75 and low of 55. More rain possible Saturday with skies becoming mostly cloudy, high of 70 and low of 50. Mostly sunny Sunday, high of 65 - 70 and low of 45 - 50. Monday and Tuesday, mostly sunny, highs near 70 and lows near 50. Normal high for September 26th is 69 and normal low is 44. The scurs will be building corn shocks and gathering pumpkins.

There will be some harvest activity in the area for the upcoming week. One of the little fat buddies always resolves to pick corn on his birthday so don’t be surprised to see a large green combine north of town. Both corn and soybean maturity moved along rapidly with the warm weather of the past week. Much of the corn planted May 15th should be black layered and the soybeans with the exception of the replants and pea beans are R7 – R8. Frost should be of no consequence although a good hard frost prior to soybean harvest wouldn’t hurt. As it is now, the ripening has been rather uneven so farmers may be writing their names in the fields to get started. Still lots of areas of fields with green pods resulting in pods and lima beans in the grain tank. Some early soybeans have been harvested and the results have been somewhat disappointing.

There are still some soybean aphids hanging on in some fields yet. This is about as late as we’ve ever seen them, giving more credence to the concept that we have a lot to learn about them and their habits. Also noted last week by the Boy Entomologist Bruce Potter, the winged adult soybean aphids have begun to make their move to the overwintering site on buckthorn. Checked out this information locally on Saturday, went down to the fenceline between us and neighbor David where there are a few buckthorn trees. Sure enough there were lots of winged adults congregating there as well as some multi-colored Asian lady beetles. Not unexpected either with the leaves coming off the soybeans and the leaves on the corn drying down. The aphids in both crops are thinning down and the ladybugs will be looking for something to snack on before moving into your house for the winter.

Hummingbirds continue to keep the flowers and nectar feeders hopping. There are also some young red-bellied woodpeckers who have been showing up to snack on corn and sunflower seeds. Still waiting and hoping for the chickadees to show up. Maybe when the leaves come off. Geese make their morning flight out to feed about 7 a.m. With many of the small wetlands dried up or drying up, could be a slow waterfowl opener if rain doesn’t begin to fall soon.

If the early colors are any indication and we’re lucky enough for the wind to hold off, this should be a fantastic year for fall color viewing. Wild grapevines are turning vivid yellow and the Virginia creeper or five-leaved ivy is revealing its scarlet color where it climbed up tree trunks. Sumac is more intense than last week and there are hints of color showing in the woods and river bottoms.

Speaking of color, the fall migration of the monarchs is on. They can be seen slowly drifting across the landscape and making their way towards Mexico. They’ve been particularly common recently in the flower beds and CRP this year. Monarchs are fascinating in that they are the only butterflies in the world making such a long distance migration. Early generations of monarchs, those that hatch in early to mid-summer generally only live a couple months. Those that emerge in late August however are those that are migrating and will live up to 7 months. This generation of monarchs fattens up on nectar on the trip south, sometimes actually gaining weight on the way, similar to a little fat buddy fishing trip. The monarchs however will mate and lay eggs in the spring and several generations are produced on their migration back to the north. The butterflies we see by next fall will be their children’s grandchildren. A very good HSOforum dedicated to monarch butterflies is hosted by the University of Kansas can be found at: http://www.monarchwatch.org/

Lots of good things to eat coming out of local gardens and orchards. Grabbed a Fireside apple off the tree in the yard on my way out to check the sheep at the kindly neighbors pasture. Very sweet and was almost disappointed to throw the core over the fence when I got there. Was amusing however to watch a dozen sheep pounce on it at once, much the same as they do when an apple falls off the tree in the north end of the pasture. Many squash to pick after the vines began to die down, exposing the results of their summer production. A bountiful harvest to be sure.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Keep me searching for a heart of gold...

Was a warm week and almost everyone enjoyed it, save for those wanting some rain. This forecast won’t do much to alleviate that and we’ll see it cool down. Starting Wednesday, we should see partly cloudy skies and a high of 60 and a low of 35. Thursday through Saturday, mostly sunny with highs of 65 and lows of 35 - 40. Warmer Sunday through Tuesday, partly cloudy, highs near 70 and lows of 45. Normal high for October 3rd is 67 and normal low is 41. With the sun rising after 7 a.m., the scurs will be getting used to hitting the snooze bar one more time in the dark. Covering and uncovering their garden produce has them tuckered out.

The evening autumn skies are indeed dark but there are signs of the season in them. The Big Dipper has assumed its position in the northwest sky, letting us know that fall is here. Venus is now low in the western horizon at sunset, easily identified as the brightest object in the sky after the sun is down. Not visible on cloudy nights, we still look up and wonder at the heavens after all these years while waiting for the combine to come to the end of the field.

Progress began to be made in area soybean fields a little more quickly than anticipated. That’ll happen when we see days like Friday. The truck thermometer reached 88 and with the strong southerly breezes, drydown occurred rapidly. Still disappointing yields being reported on the soybeans so far. The disease and dry conditions the last month of the season took their toll, reducing the seed size significantly. Some have nosed into the corn and the results so far have been favorable with moisture on some early planted early maturing hybrids being in the low 20 percent range.

Lost a great actor this past week, one of my favorites in the person of Paul Newman. Who could forget some of his performances in movies such as The Sting, Slap Shot and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? My personal favorite though would have to be Cool Hand Luke. Even though Newman didn’t win an Oscar as Best Actor (he was nominated), it’s still one of those movies I try to watch when I can get the remote away from Mrs. Cheviot. Several lines always stuck in my mind. Strother Martin (Captain) addressed the prisoners and said, “What we have here…is failure to communicate.” Another gem was when Boss Paul addressed Luke after being captured and being broken in front of the other prisoners. “You got your mind right, Luke?” And of course, the ending where George Kennedy says, “Old Luke, he was some boy. Cool Hand Luke. [PoorWordUsage], he’s a natural-born world shaker.” Yes, he was.

Young rooster pheasants have been cackling around the area. Found one pheasant chick with a hen last week over by Pemberton. Unfortunate really because the odds of the little tyke making it are exceedingly small especially after the insects small pheasants need to survive are gone. Looks like the last of the hummingbirds may have pulled the pin at the ranch. Haven’t seen one since early last week when they were hanging onto the perch on the nectar feeder for dear life. In fact, bird activity at all the feeders has been rather quiet as of late. Just a few goldfinches occasionally, the odd blue jay and toss in one or two red-bellied woodpeckers. A sad day when the hummers are gone. Always wish they could stay a little bit longer.

Gave the lawn what will hopefully be one of the last shaves of the season. Since it looks like it might be a cold winter, underwent one of my last shaves of the season a few weeks back. Think some of the goldfinches are hanging out in the CRP and know they’re in the garden gobbling down sunflower seeds. The garden is the place to be this time of year. Hunted down some squash after forgetting where they were planted. The vines are dying down so it was time to harvest some so we could get an idea how they turned out. Sunspot, Heart of Gold, Mooregold and of course, the old standby, Buttercup were scattered about the vine crop area, waiting for those cold autumn evenings. We don’t store them in the oat bin like the good old days. Processing them and freezing them is a better way to go and one doesn’t have to worry about cats using the storage area as a litter box!

Made a journey back to SE MN last Saturday to visit my Mom and drop off a little of the bounty from the garden. With the ripe muskmelons lending their fragrance to the vehicle, was a little like driving a mobile produce aisle from Wagner’s. It’s a great deal; deliver vegetables, gourds and Indian corn and get a home cooked meal in addition to being able to take some of it back home. Mom whipped up a meal in short order, capitalizing on the veggies. While savoring our feast we were bemoaning the fact that the hummingbirds were probably gone for the season. Then, as if on cue, one appeared at her window feeder and all was right with the world once again.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Purple haze all around...

With rainfall messing up the last day of their prior week’s forecast, the scurs set their sights on at least getting close once again. Starting Wednesday, partly cloudy, high of 70 and low of 45 with a slight chance of rain. Mostly sunny Thursday, high of 65 and low of 40 – 45. Friday, slight chance of showers again under partly cloudy skies. High of 60 and low of 45 – 50. Better chance for showers Saturday and Sunday, partly cloudy, highs of 65 and lows near 50. Cloudy Monday and Tuesday with rain likely, highs of 65 – 70 and lows around 50 – 55. Normal high for October 10th is 64 and normal low is 38. On the 15th, we’ll be down to 11 hours of daylight. The scurs will be gathering wood for a bonfire to make Hobo Stew.

The Full Moon for the month will occur on the 14th. Early settlers called this the Hunter Moon as there was game for the larder, with deer fattened up and furbearers with their prime pelts going into winter. Both the Ojibwe and the Sioux knew this as the Falling Leaves Moon. All of the above apply and the leaves are just getting a good start.

Gave up on the hummingbirds and took down all but one of their feeders. They can use the remaining feeder or there are still plenty of petunias and impatiens blooming yet. Cleaned up the nectar feeders and replaced them with suet feeders. Goldfinches are spending time between the sunflower patch, our feeders and the CRP. Some area CRP is absolutely beautiful, with the warm season grasses now mature. Maximilian sunflowers add their blazing yellow and New England asters create the appearance of a purple haze from a distance.

Finished up lawn mowing and the aforementioned leaves were actually a big plus. With grass of unequal length depending upon its position on the landscape, was nice to have them as a guide to see where I’d been sometimes. Also good to grind them up as raking leaves is not in my groundskeeper contract. The sheep have been equally glad to see them fall on their side of the fence. As fast as they hit the ground the ewes are happy to gobble them up. Going into October, their pasture at home is getting sparser and sparser. Translation: There may be some hay fed sooner than we’d like with the shorter day length and lack of rain. Replaced 3 of their burned out light bulbs in the barn that had been that way most of the summer so we can see what we’re doing. Having done that, would put money on the other 5 randomly burning out within the next two weeks.

With dry conditions this past week, tremendous progress was made in the fields particularly on soybean harvest. Yields are still generally disappointing and there are many factors involved, not the least of which was the lack of rainfall in late July, August and September. The crop is dry too with samples testing in the low double digits to upper single digits. Some corn has been harvested and yields look promising relative to the soybeans. That excess moisture we all grumbled about last fall came in mighty handy. Chances of us going into this winter with a full soil moisture profile become less likely with every day that rolls by.

No question it’s dry but just how dry is it? In a communication with Gyles Randall at the SROC, he informed me the available soil moisture in the top 5’ is less than 4.5”, the lowest it has been since 1988 and 1989, two very dry seasons. Gyles also went on to comment that between July 19th and September 30th, at the experiment station only 4.04” of rain was received with much of that coming in small increments. Rainfall was recorded there on 22 days in that time period. Given that the top foot of soil holds about 1.25” of available soil moisture, he figures that a .5” rain will only move 3” – 4” under the drier conditions we experienced. The rain gauge at the ranch mirrors the SROC data, with 4.74” being collected in the same timeframe and rainfall being recorded on 21 days. Of the 21 days, only 4 of the rainfall events were .5” or greater, 3 in August and one in September. Of those four, only one totaled more than an inch at 1.04”. Moisture movement into the soil was also reflected similarly. Over the summer, when gawking at the garden the morning after rainfall, moisture seldom met moisture.

Combining soybeans has sure come a long way from the olden days. Sitting on the Co-Op E-3 pulling the old Ford left-handed combine eating dust going one way and freezing going the other way seems pretty primitive relative to the fancy new rotary machines with their temperature controlled cabs and gee-whiz technology. These new machines take up to 35’ where we could take two 38” rows, three if the guess row happened to get pinched on that round! By the same token, if one had taken that old tractor and combine 50 years back in time to the 1920’s, people would’ve been wowed by it. One has to wonder sometimes though where this is all going. The October issue of Crops, Soils and Agronomy News featured an image of small robots roving the fields, scouting for who knows what. Sometimes seems a lot of the physical parts of farming that once kept us fit and gave us some satisfaction upon completing a task keep going by the wayside. What will they think of next? Maybe as one old timer put it, farming really did start going downhill when they put lights on tractors!

See you next week…real good then.

[MARINERMAGNUM]

Good read Dotch!

I also grew up sometimes running our E3 Coop-i.e. Cockshutt. Had the 4cyl. Buda mill.

[Dotch]

Thanks MM. Wow! Another Co-Op/Cockshutt guy! Who knew? They were quite the tractors, I thought anyway, the first tractor with true live PTO. Ours would pop right off well below zero even with the puny little 6 volt system they came with. Sometimes wished it wouldn't start especially when the chicken coop needed cleaning on a Saturday morning! We also had (still do) an E-4 with the 6 cyl. Buda engine. It was the first tractor my Dad bought new back in 1950, big power in its day, and cost a whopping $1900! Dad loved both tractors but particularly the E-4. Mom found he was still carrying the receipt around in his billfold when he died in 1984. Fond memories...

[Dotch]

It's a beautiful day...

The scurs made it look easy last forecast period with rain falling as if on cue. What’s in store for MEA week? Starting Wednesday, slight chance of showers, partly cloudy skies, high of 65 and low of 35 – 40. Mostly sunny Thursday becoming cloudy overnight with a chance of rain. High of 55 and low of 35 – 40. Partly cloudy Friday, high of 55 – 60 and low of 40. Saturday, mostly sunny, high of 60 and low of 45. Sunday may be as warm as we’ll see for awhile with a high of 60 – 65 under partly cloudy skies. Low near 40. Partly cloudy Monday becoming cloudy Monday evening with a good chance of rain. High of 60 and low of 45. Cloudy Tuesday and rainy. High of only 50 and clearing Monday night with a low of 30. Normal high for October 17th is 60 and normal low is 36. With the sun rising after 7:30 and setting before 6:30, the scurs will be curling up next to the fire with their Halloween pumpkin.

After last week’s rain, we were blessed with one of those fall days we all dream about. Gorgeous sunshine and the fall colors beginning to hit their stride. Each passing day they become more intense and even with the weekend winds, they’ve hung on fairly well. Even the white and bur oak have more color this time around than usual and am waiting to see just what shade of red the 2 red oaks in the yard will turn this year. Hard maple trees are flame orange this time around too making this one of the best for viewing Mother Nature’s tapestry in recent memory.

The only fly in the ointment so to speak has been those pesky multi-colored Asian ladybird beetles. Some were asking where they had been keeping themselves and the answer to a large degree has been in the corn. When picking Indian corn at the ranch, one notices them and also notices the remaining corn leaf aphids particularly on the husks where plants remain green. With cooler weather on the way, they will become increasingly occupied with finding a place to hole up for the winter, along with the boxelder bugs. Their numbers are down but particularly on south facing exposures, they’re a force to be reckoned with.

Also on the guest list in many homes and businesses this fall have been millipedes. We have them at the Mall for Men and also in the house at the ranch. Amazing how something with up to 400 legs can move so slowly. They really don’t hurt anything, coil up when touched and generally don’t survive the winter in the house as it becomes too dry for them. They do give off an odor when crushed however. About the best thing to do is to remove any leaves or other decaying vegetation from around the outside of the house and keep sweeping them up if they persist.

Found out the kindly neighbor had started picking corn this past weekend and was once again screening his corn. Not many people still screening corn anymore with all the rotary combines but am glad he does. The sheep are glad too as they gobble down screenings like candy. With the price of feed where it is every little bit helps so am trying to squeeze every beeswing out of it I can. Probably a movie title in there somewhere: A Scoopful of Screenings or For a Few Screenings More.

Harvest underway as it is, it’s been difficult for the little fat buddies to get their training sessions in. The rain brought some relief however and the world’s problems were solved for at least one more week anyway. Seems like it’s always a good idea to get together, figure out where people live or used to live and keep one’s Obie’s and Orly’s straight. Did you know a farm can’t be named after you until after you no longer live there? There’s been construction going on at the Mall too. Rumor has it it involves some kind of confessional. We’ve got some church pews, now all we need are kneeling pads.

Exciting news too from the little fat buddy who was named New Richland Idol this past summer. His fame and fortune has spread, so much so in fact that he’s recorded a video. It can be viewed at: http://cornandsoybeandigest.com/firstharverstreports/coey_two/

I think the guy who introduces him is his manager. Apparently the Colonel was too busy with Crazy Boyd’s Karaoke to take on any more clients.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Among the fields of gold...

With rain holding off until Tuesday evening, the scurs were a day ahead on their rain forecast. That’s not too bad; could’ve been a day behind! What’s on tap for this forecast period? Glad you asked. Starting Wednesday, highs of 45 – 50 under cloudy skies and rain. Low of 35. Still cloudy Thursday with a slight chance of lingering showers, the high reaching 45 – 50 and low dropping to 35. Friday, partly cloudy, high of 50 and a low of 40. Slightly warmer Friday under partly cloudy skies. High of 50 and overnight low of 35. Cooler Sunday through Tuesday, skies remaining partly cloudy, highs of 45 and lows falling to 30 – 35. Normal high for October 24th is 56 and normal low is 33 so our weather will be trending cooler than normal. The scurs will be putting another log on the fire and nodding off in front of the World Serious while avoiding as many political ads as possible.

Rainfall has fallen on 10 out of 19 days as of this writing in October. Fortunately for those trying to harvest the soils and subsoils are generally dry and it hasn’t accumulated much. At the ranch in that time frame, only 1.45” has fallen and the pattern of a dab at a time continues. Some cool mornings as of late, with 28º recorded at the ranch on the morning of the 16th and 30 on the 18th. We’ve had our killing frost as the temperature on both nights was below freezing for several hours. That’s good news as Swedes from the reservation will tell you, Indian Summer does not occur before a killing frost. The gossamer strands on the morning of the 18th were particularly striking. Where do those webs come from? Thousands of recently hatched tiny spiders using the breezes to scatter them to the 4 winds across the landscape.

Cooler temperatures triggered some to apply anhydrous ammonia last week and it was plenty early. BMP’s for Nitrogen Application in South Central MN allow for fall application but it is at greater risk than applying in the spring due to increased chances for nitrogen loss. Soil temperatures should be at 50º at the 6” depth and remain there. In this area, historically this does not occur until the last week in October. With nitrogen prices being what they are (outrageous), the soils having the lowest available soil moisture in the top 5’ coming out of September since 1989, it might be prudent to wait until November. With high moistures, corn harvest is also taking some time. Coupled with the forecast of a significantly warmer than normal November by some climatologists, fall application of nitrogen at this time is probably not high on most folk’s priority list. It’ll get done; it always does.

Dark-eyed juncos were back under the feeders again this past week on the 14th, a sure sign that fall has firmly cemented its grip. Robins are moving through and have been spending quality time devouring crabapples. Saw one of those seemingly perpetual strings of blackbirds forming not far from home as I wound my way back towards home Saturday afternoon. Also saw neighbor JL north of Beaver Lake out grinding ear corn out of the crib for his cattle, something we don’t see all that often anymore. Brought back memories of all those now long gone corn cribs and the mounted ear corn pickers with flare boxes towed behind working well into the month of November to finish the harvest.

Made another journey to Spring Valley on Saturday, this time to help put Mom’s lawn and garden to bed for another year. The trip was much the same as many others this time of year, the leaves accented by the bright sunshine as the harvest activity surrounded me in those fields of gold. Some things have changed over the years though. A windmill farm by Dexter seems to have sprung up around the Pine Cone restaurant that everyone still calls the Windmill. The railroad trestle on US 16 & 63 where one comes into Spring Valley is long gone now and it’s getting harder to remember exactly where it went over the highway. Where the old drive-in movie theater once stood complete with “birth control lights” now stands the new grocery store. The A & W is still where it’s always been however, one of the few remaining that actually still has car hop service. They’re adding indoor dining however so that must mean they’re planning to stay open year-round. Good to know if you’re a little fat buddy headed that direction.

Arriving at Mom’s was welcomed by Fudgie and upon seeing the lawn, was glad I’d loaded up my mower before heading over. Mom had a big kettle of homemade soup on, perfect to take the chill off before heading out to do battle with the lawn for the afternoon. Mom got her riding mower fired up after I’d opened things up and thank goodness she did. Within a few hours we had things wrapped up for another year. The tomato plant “borrowed” from the local shop this spring after being branded a tomato thief was done for the season and along with its companions wound up in the compost heap down by the field. After finishing, we had a little lunch and as usual in return for my labor, I get the better end of the bargain. Some of that soup made its way into my cooler along with some crackers, a fresh baked loaf of banana bread and her specialty, ginger snaps.

When picking the last of our Roma tomatoes at home on Sunday forenoon, could feel the fall chill in the air. That soup along with all the other goodies sounded pretty good about then as I disturbed some of the little native pink spotted ladybird beetles while sifting through the ash leaves, trying to find that special tomato, the last one. Upon finding it, another garden season was in the books and it was dinner time, just like it was across greater Bugtussle and environs.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes...

Aside from the minor detail of snow on Sunday, the scurs were tracking nearly on target. Good thing that will be a distant memory come midweek. Starting Wednesday, under clear skies, we’ll see a high of 55 and a low of 35. An even better Thursday will bring a high of 60 and a low of 40 under clear skies. Partly cloudy on Halloween, high of 55 – 60 and low of 40. Cooler Saturday and Sunday, high of 50 and low of 35 – 40. Warming up again for Monday and Tuesday, high of 55 – 60 and low of 40. Normal high for Halloween is 51 and normal low is 30. The scurs will be snacking on Halloween candy while basking in the afternoon sunshine. They’ll need to save their strength to get up at 2 a.m. and set their clocks back on Sunday.

This past Sunday’s snow was the warning shot we all knew was coming. More fell than was expected making the lawn at the ranch white. Prior to that, the woolly sheep were busy gobbling down the silver maple leaves the wind was ripping loose. Upon arriving home and hitting the garage door opener, equally woolly Gus and Lucy ventured forth, quickly decided it was much nicer in the garage, then turned around and went back inside.

Harvest progress has been slowed by wet corn and in some cases wet fields. The rainfall has accumulated to the point where the surface soil is greasy, making it difficult to get traction to get trucks in and out of fields. Corn moisture has been all over the board and as farmers are getting into the later maturing hybrids, it’s not unusual to see them in the mid to upper 20’s. Sunday’s high winds and snow caused down corn in areas so there will be a mad scramble to get those fields harvested before damage gets any worse. Corn dryers and bin fans pay little heed, playing a resonant tune when one pokes his head out the door.

Soil temperatures are trending downwards. Typically starting ammonia application the last week in October when average fall soil temperatures reach 50 degrees or less at 6” with a nitrification inhibitor is considered acceptable risk. Something to keep in mind however is that when 50 degrees is reached, it does not mean that conversion of ammonium to nitrate stops, merely that the rate is slowed to the point that the amount lost is acceptable, the thinking being that with ground freezing within a few weeks, the microbial conversion largely comes to a screeching halt. However, when we have some longer stretches of nice fall weather, there can be significant conversion and this is what we need to be careful of. Too many times over the past decade or so we’ve seen strange things like people baling hay around Thanksgiving.

There were many comments from farmers who found their combines, tractors, trucks, wagons, etc., covered with spider webbing so an update on all the spider activity we saw a week or so back: I wrote a paragraph or two on the process a few years ago and it’s known as ballooning. Little spider hatchlings climb up on plants, trees, leaves, etc., point their little behinds skywards and release a strand of silk. The breezes catch the strand and the little spiders become airborne, the breezes redistributing them across the countryside. Queried some of my entomologist buddies about what types they might be and it appears there may be one of several or combinations of types. Next time we see this phenomenon, will have to get the sweep net out, capture some of the spiders and send them off for identification. Nice to catch the culprits responsible for TP’ing the landscape in miniature.

On the bird front, the fall birds continue to replace their summer counterparts. The nuthatch has been faithfully picking at the sunflower seeds one at a time while the goldfinches are more interested only when the weather is threatening on days like Sunday. The huge blue jays we had last winter are back again, gulping corn and sunflower seeds like so much Halloween candy. A few mourning doves are usually around cleaning up under the feeders and with the snow, the juncos will likely become more regular visitors. There are still plenty of robins apparently migrating through. Interesting to see if the old “3 snows on the robins tail” postulate works in the fall too.

Went home once again and spent the day at Mom’s as she recovered from surgery. She’s doing very well and whipped together another great meal after we made a quick trip to the grocery store. She’s really into this election too. Mom discovered a good use for those stiff paper political ad slicks that keep clogging our mailboxes and killing our trees: They’re excellent for scraping up those pesky ladybugs and escorting them to the bathroom for a swim. Tempting to do the same with some of the politicians!

And finally, attended a confirmation on Sunday at the Lutheran church in the city on the east bank of Little Jerusalem. Always fun to go there, rub elbows with my little fat buddies and catch up on the latest goings as well as catch an afternoon nap upon returning home after consuming way too much food. Speaking of food as is a little fat buddies wont, discovered there is reputedly a bakery going in in the aforementioned metropolis. May need to explore establishing a donut drop point at the Mall for Men.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

I have only come here seeking knowledge...

Ah, the scurs are waiting for the hate mail to start pouring in after saying it would cool down over the weekend. But wait, it’s early November not early September. Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. Starting with Wednesday’s forecast, we’ll see cloudy skies, highs near 60 and lows around 45. We’ll also see a good chance of rain. Cloudy Thursday, high of 45 and low near 30 with continued chances of rain. Friday, cloudy and colder, high of 40 and low of 30 with a chance of a rain and snow mix. We see some sun finally on Saturday with a high of 40 and a low of 25. More sunshine for Sunday with highs of 40 – 45 and lows of 25. 40 – 45 for highs with 20 – 25 for lows on Monday under partly cloudy skies. Colder and mostly cloudy Tuesday, highs of 35 – 40, lows of 20 – 25 with a chance of snow. Normal high for November 7th is 46 and normal low is 27. On the 7th we’ll also be under 10 hours of daylight causing the scurs to burn more of those leftover political ads and candles from the Halloween pumpkins as they glean the NRHEG Star for the latest in wisdom and knowledge.

What a week this past one was though from a temperature standpoint. With several days in the 60’s and some registering in the 70’s following a chilly start to the week, it was Indian Summer in Swedish textbook fashion. Most long-term outlooks agree too that we’re looking at an increased chance of above normal temperatures for the months of November, December and January. That would be nice although unfortunately chances we’ll see more 70 degree weather are becoming slimmer every day.

Harvest activity this past week made great strides with corn harvest getting past the halfway point. By the time this reaches print, it’ll probably be over 80% complete. Drydown was evident as the crop went from the low 20’s to the upper teens in many places. A lot of clear nights and when the dryers and holding bins can keep up, a lot of work going on into the evening. On those clear nights, it’s fun to gaze at the autumn sky at dusk where Jupiter takes its place in the S – SW sky and Venus is in the SW sky. These are the first two heavenly bodies to appear in the evening, very distinctive after shutting off the lights and heading into the house after chores.

On those nice days, one tries to think up excuses to get outside and enjoy it. Such was the case on Thursday when I decided to go down by Lake Geneva to do some soil sampling for FJ, one of the noted area farmers. While there I got to meet a couple real area jackasses, complete with 4 legs and long ears. They were most interested in my activities while enjoying the warm sunshine. Kept expecting to see Festus saddle up one of them. Then on to Harmony Park where I was greeted by the welcoming committee, two dogs, one black with a white bib and one chocolate that were apparently very friendly and very well fed. Wondered if the friendly part would change when I started the 4 wheeler to unload it but had little to worry about. The chocolate Lab was so portly that there was no way he would’ve even considered chasing me as he laid down to watch as the machine rolled down the ramp.

The last weekend in October pretty well took care of the leaves on most trees. It also revealed where all the bird nests were as well as where the fat squirrels built their winter hangouts. Birds are coming to the feeders in spite of the temperature, especially the goldfinches, house finches, downies and hairies. The blue jays and red-bellied woodpeckers have continued their corn feeding, splitting time with the fat squirrels. Had a new visitor we’ve not seen at our feeders before. Mixed in a group of house finches there was a slightly larger yet similarly colored bird with distinctive white wing bars. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a male white-winged crossbill. When startled, he flew to the nearest pine trees, perhaps closer to the habitat he was used to in the boreal forests.

Houseguests at the ranch over the weekend. My 6 year-old pal Zip from Texas was in town so Friday night we watched Gopher hockey. His eyes glazed over as I tried to explain the terms “offside” and “icing” to him. Shortly afterwards, he fell fast asleep on the couch. After cleaning up the screenings at home Saturday morning, we went for a ride to return the wagon and see the sights of greater Bugtussle, including the infamous Mall for Men and the 10 Man Dryer. Warm day and had to turn the AC on in the truck for our riding comfort. Played in the leaves in the yard when we returned as he helped me pick up some of the sticks that had blown down in the wind. After that, we went inside and I gave him a fresh bowl of water as I really didn’t want him drinking out of the toilet. Did I mention he’s a Border collie?

Monday morning started off with a bang with the barber shop operating in full swing. Somehow, it doesn’t take as long to cut hair nowadays as there’s less on top of a lot of these melons than there used to be. As Leo pointed out, there’s no extra charge for polishing. Still takes awhile though for coffee and all the conversation to take place prior to the haircut as waiting customers discuss such heady topics as genealogy and geography. Eventually we will know who everyone is related to and where they used to live. All takes time.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

And I ran - I ran so far away...

The scurs thermostat got stuck on the weekend temperatures but the high of 76 at the ranch back on November 3rd met with everyone’s approval. The 17 degree low on the 10th did not. This forecast period promises more of the typical November weather we’re accustomed to. Wednesday’s cloudy sky brings with it the chance for freezing rain. Highs should reach 40 with a low of 30. Thursday looks to be the warmest day of the bunch with partly cloudy skies becoming cloudy. High of 45 and low of 35 with a chance of rain changing to snow. Friday, cloudy becoming partly cloudy as the day wears on, high of 40 and low of 25 with a slight chance of snow. Mostly sunny Saturday, highs of 35 and lows of 20 – 25. Sunny again Sunday, high of 40, low 20. Slightly warmer Monday under cloudy skies with a chance of rain changing to snow. High 45 and low of 25. Cooler Tuesday with cloudy skies and a chance of snow. High of 35 and low bottoming out near 25. Normal high for November 14th is 42 and normal low is 23. We’re losing daylight at the rate of approximately 3 minutes per day. The scurs are pondering why as we were supposed to get the hour back we lost last spring, weren’t we?

November 13th marks the date of the Full Moon for the month and it is known as the Full Beaver Moon, as beaver traps were set this time of year before freeze up to ensure a good supply of warm fur for the long winter ahead. The Ojibwe knew this as the Freezing Moon and the Sioux as the Moon of Falling Leaves. The last of the leaves did fall this past week from trees such as elms and a few hard maples that were stubbornly clinging to their clothing, until the midweek wind and rain stripped them bare.

Progress in the fields largely came to a screeching halt last week as about 1.5” of rain fell across most of the greater Bugtussle area. That probably wasn’t as much of an issue as the snow that coated the cornstalks, daring farmers to see how far they could get before their sieves would plug. Most avoided that temptation due to past experience. Corn harvest is somewhere in the 80 – 85% complete. As we move east, there is still more left to harvest. Some tillage was still able to be accomplished over the weekend as the ground surface was beginning to freeze, allowing for improved traction. With the subsoils being so dry, following a few days of moisture moving downward into the soil profile, conditions should become suitable for more field operations.

The rain was welcome however even though tile are not running and wetlands remain as low we’ve seen in decades. Our own wetland has a trough the little muskrats dug connected to their burrows into the bank of the basin but there is no water for them to even get a drink. Likewise for the deer and other wildlife. It could shape up to be a long winter for them, especially if the above normal snowfall predictions turn out to be true.

Around the yard there is still plenty of work to be done yet although it appears the lawn may have to forego its final shave for the season. That’s alright, the leaves I was concerned about grinding up largely blew into the thickets and the garden atop the septic tank. The petunias still haven’t thrown in the towel yet which is amazing. About time to get the manure spreader limbered up and clean the barns out for the season again. Lucy gives Gus an assist making sure neighbor David’s big white kitty doesn’t set up a permanent residence in the granary while Gus with his superior speed keeps the squirrels well exercised. Observing them this weekend, between the squirrels and blue jays, there seems to be a lot of corn being buried in the lawn. Was wondering who the culprits were. The weather that set in on Thursday and Friday caused a feeding frenzy, bringing out even larger numbers of goldfinches and house finches. No chickadees but more nuthatches, downies and hairies hitting the sunflower and suet feeders. The heated birdbath needs to go out too. Never enough time seems like.

Speaking of never enough time, once again Mrs. Cheviot dropped the “is there any way you could” line on me when some folks needed some ewes hauled back to LaCrosse so they could get them ready for Louisville. Of course, being the gullible, dumb schmuck I am, I arranged midweek to do just that on Saturday, knowing I’d reap great rewards at home.(as if) In the meantime, I was offered a chance by one of my little fat buddies to go to the Gophers/Michigan football game. It’s only been 3 years since I’ve been able to go to one of my alma mater’s football game and I’ve never seen them play Michigan at home. I even had season tickets back in ’77, the last time the Gophers defeated them at home in old Memorial Stadium. And people wonder why I avoid weddings like the plague to this day, but I digress.

Of course there was no way sheep hauling plans could be changed on the other end, short of me getting up before 3 a.m. Still would’ve cut it too close to make an 11 o’clock game. 3 a.m. for goose hunting maybe, but hauling sheep , bucking the wind on the ice and snow in the dark, it ain’t gonna happen. A word to the wise for all you young bucks out there: When you hear the words “is there any way you could” come out of your spousal unit’s mouth, that’s a clue. Run as fast as you can the other direction.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

You're making me dizzy...

The scurs weather forecasting prowess showed once again as we experienced seasonal weather along with the expected precipitation. What’s in store this time? Let’s consult the oracles and see. Starting Wednesday, look for partly sunny skies, with a high around 40 and a low of 20. Slightly cooler under mostly sunny skies Thursday, high of 25 – 30 and low of 15. Mostly sunny Friday, high of 30 and low of 25. Warmer Saturday, high of 40 – 45 and low of 25. A tad cooler Sunday, mostly sunny, high of 35 – 40 and low near 20. Partly cloudy Monday, high of 35 and low of 25 – 30 with a slight chance of snow. Better chance for snow Tuesday under mostly cloudy skies, high of 30 – 35 and low of 15 – 20. Normal high for November 21st is 38 and normal low is 20. While November is typically our cloudiest month the scurs will be enjoying the sunshine this week as they shop for their Thanksgiving turkey at Wagner’s, then hitch a ride to Lerberg’s for the trimmings.

Rainfall and snow hampered progress for those with corn yet to pick. So far in November, we’ve tallied somewhere around 2.11” of precip at the ranch. At the Mall for Men where we have a 5-man rain gauge (no one knows who dumped it last or when) we suspect we’ve had 2.5” as that’s what it contained last week. With little major snow or rain expected, this week should help some to get closer to the finish line. Some have had problems maneuvering equipment and school buses around the fields but there is very little in the way of field tile running.

With the precipitation though, some of the wetlands have made a slight comeback. The pond by the North Plant has some water in it again as does our CREP wetland at home. No sign of any waterfowl coming through at home that I’ve noticed but with the Orange Army out in force over the weekend, that probably shouldn’t come as a surprise. Think the deer slug season is over now so can go back to wearing my Carhartts with the white hanky sticking out of the back pocket.

Lots of bird activity at the feeders especially when the weather looks like it’s going to get snowy or colder. Sunday afternoon there were 17 mourning doves under the feeders only to be outdone by the goldfinches that numbered 24. A couple rooster pheasants were in the trees Saturday morning after chores, then proceeded to glide from the treetops to heavier cover below the hill. Am thinking our blue jays must’ve gotten into some NFL players stash of steroids as we continue to see some of the largest jays we’ve ever seen. Tubby the fox squirrel looks like he’s been eating some too while his buddy Scratchy continues to remain more slender.

And speaking of slender, one would be a lot skinnier if they had to deal with a group of wild sheep at the kindly neighbors like Lucy, Gus and I did on Sunday. Lucy has slowed to the point where this will probably be her last roundup. The will is there but the speed is gone. I can relate. While Gus is a great pet he has no concept other than he’s outside tearing around. He’s still a valuable asset however if you need Bubba’s in their monster truck wannabes or airplanes barked at. To be sure, that group of ewes had their track shoes on with no intention of leaving that pasture any sooner than they had to. Was beginning to think about calling my little fat buddy over by Beaver Lake to see if he could spell us for a minute so we could catch our breath. That and the thought also crossed my mind to look around for some hunters as it might’ve expedited the process by loading the sheep with a gun. After numerous trips over hill and over dale and around in circles they finally got tired out. They must’ve been dizzy because one by one, they slowly peeled off and went in the barn.

Upon unloading the sheep and dollying the trailer down, decided to take a break, have a little lunch and watch the Vikings for a bit. As bad as the Vikings have been, I can really appreciate their head coach. I mean, who else could design an offense that’s so boring to watch in the second half that I can count on getting my naps in? Although, as Jack Handey once said, before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you’re a mile away and you have their shoes.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

I can't get no satisfaction...

The scurs got their temperatures flip-flopped over the weekend but all in all, some decent November weather, including some sun. This week? More sun starting with Wednesday, mostly clear skies, high of 40 and low near 20. Thanksgiving Day, partly cloudy, high once again near 40 and low of 20. Slightly cooler Friday through Sunday, highs around 35 and lows of 20. Monday December 1, skies will be cloudy with a chance of snow. High of 25 – 30 and low of 5 – 10. Cloudy Tuesday, high of 20 – 25 and low of 5 – 10. Normal high for November 28th is 34 and normal low is 17. After a good Thanksgiving Day snooze, the scurs will be ready to head to Edna’s Friday at the crack of dawn for those early bird bargains.

Most have managed to get their corn harvested as the weather has generally been cooperative. Soils froze pretty solid after a low of 2 recorded at the ranch shortly before sunrise on Friday morning. Suspect the petunias finally succumbed. Contrast this with the high back on the 3rd of 76 or even the 44 degrees on Sunday and one realizes just how changeable November weather can be. Frozen soils have not lent themselves anhydrous application according to those who attempted it and wound up picking up pieces of equipment as a result.

Was a great weekend to get the barn cleaned however. Worst part of it is getting prepared, greasing everything, (I know, it came greased) putting the heat houser on, taking panels down, bedding pens, moving animals around, etc. Seems like there’s a lot more time spent on those mundane things than actually loading and spreading manure. Sheep don’t appear to mind as long as they’re not the ones in the crosshairs to be moved. And they really do enjoy having new cornstalks to paw through and play in. Always a sense of satisfaction to have the manure hauled out of the main barn. Also feels good though after a weekend of climbing on and off of machines designed to jostle these aging bones to sit down on something stationary. Ground stayed frozen and I’m stiff and sore enough to prove it.

This used to be the time of year when we put things away around home for the winter. There were always some things to put away so Dad didn’t hit them when it came time to move snow. Bales were banked around houses and pump houses and snow fence was erected to stop the snow from going where it wasn’t wanted. Plowing was usually done by Thanksgiving although there were some exceptions. As most did in those days, we always greased the bottoms to keep the plow scoured for next season, then parked it out in the pasture. Only problem was over the course of the year the sheep would generally find it and lick all the grease off the moldboards. Cattle people have told me their cows would do the same thing. What ever possessed them to eat the stuff is beyond me. Must’ve had a grease deficiency back in those days, much the same as the little fat buddies on a donut run.

With Kugie gone, I feel compelled to comment on sporting matters again. This past weekend, the Gopher football team embarrassed itself losing to the archrival Iowa Hogeyes 55 – 0. Thought perhaps Saturday night, the Gopher men’s hockey team would be able to put a little salve on the wound but alas the previously undefeated maroon and gold pucksters lost too. Who should come through on Sunday? None other than the Vikings! Only managed to catch a few minutes of the game when I took a little lunch break and they were up 30 – 10 at that point. Figured even they couldn’t botch that up with less than 10 minutes to play in the game and for once, I was right. For once, no nap.

Speaking of naps, did you happen to catch the recent report about the link between heart attacks, cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure and lack of sleep? My ears pricked up when I heard the news and no question, it made sense. We won’t go into the government perpetrated sleep deprivation plan known as Daylight Saving Time but it appears the only bad nap is probably the one you didn’t take. Something to be thankful for about the time your eyelids start fluttering following all that tryptophan ingestion on Thanksgiving Day.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Starry, starry night...

The scurs had a pretty good idea what would happen after a nice Thanksgiving; it would snow! Just a day ahead of schedule, again. What’s up for the first week in December? The scurs will divulge the answer. Starting Wednesday, cloudy skies with a chance of snow. High of 30 and low of 10. Colder Thursday under partly cloudy skies. High of 20 and low of 5 – 10. Mostly sunny Friday becoming partly cloudy with a chance of snow in the evening. High near 25 and low of 10 – 15. Saturday, partly cloudy, chance of snow. High of 25 low of 10. Sunday, partly cloudy. High around 25, low near 10. Monday and Tuesday, partly cloudy. Highs near 20 and lows of 10 – 15. Normal high for December 5th is 31 and the normal low is 13. On Monday the 8th, we’ll be down to 9 hours of daylight. The scurs will be eating their candlelight dinner of leftover turkey sandwiches a little earlier every evening.

November gave us some tremendous variability, from a high of 76 back on the 3rd to a low of 2 on the 21st. At the ranch, we registered 2.29” of liquid equivalent precipitation with about 5.5” of snow for the month. The most recent snow, measuring about 1”, contained .12” of water. Unfortunately, with soils frozen it won’t help recharge much. Took a walk Sunday to check out the wetland and aside from the snow, it was dry once again. The muskrats dug some tremendous trenches and bored holes into the banks. No sign of them however.

At the bird feeders, some newcomers in the form of pine siskins. While we’ve seen them a few times over the years, don’t recall seeing the numbers we’ve had so far. We tend to see them when there have been seed crop failures in the boreal forests to the north. Could hear some different bird songs in the morning after chores so they’ve probably been here for a week or so. What do they look like? They’re little brown, striped finches with some yellow at the base of their flight feathers (more on males), slightly smaller than the goldfinches with sharp little beaks designed for picking seeds out of tight places. They seem to have taken a shine to our leftover bachelor button and cosmos seeds. This weekend was the first chance to get a glimpse of the siskins during daylight hours. It may have been the last look we’ll get at the migrating geese. On Saturday afternoon, they were enjoying flying from the fields to the water they were keeping open. By late Sunday afternoon, they were booking south, not unlike the UP freighters highballing through Ellendale.

Thanksgiving was wonderful, with a good bird, good wine, good company and an all too rare day to just relax outside of chores twice a day. Lucy and Gus got to share in the festivities, gobbling down some giblets after they’d cooled. The sheep were uncooperative though after tossing them some frozen pumpkins over the pasture fence, where the large cucurbits resembled orange billiard balls scattered on the hillside. Hoping for a pastoral scene of sheep gnawing on pumpkins on the sidehill during our feast, the Cheviots largely ignored their good fortune. Maybe it was because they didn’t like the wind blowing in their pointy little ears or perhaps they just weren’t into frozen food.

On a starry night, Vista’s noted Swedish astronomer Roger Johnson reminds us to look to the SW sky where Jupiter and Venus will be in close conjunction with each other during the early part of the month and then with Mercury at the end of the month. The Big Dipper is sliding lower in the northern sky as winter approaches. You may have to get outside of the light pollution from Bugtussle to see all this action.

Parked the dually for the winter and have been driving the minivan lately. Even though the price of diesel is down, am taking advantage of the van’s mileage and lower priced gasoline. When I get in, I pull my blonde wig down over my ears, grab the red-headed mannequin out of the back and toss her in the passenger seat so people just think it’s a couple women out Christmas shopping. Suspect some maybe onto me however. Was asked the other day who the ugly blonde soccer mom with a beard was driving a white minivan that looked suspiciously like ours. They said that red-head sure looked hot though.

Which reminds me, after reading Betts story about those free samples we no longer receive in the mail, it brought back memories of one of my favorites, a Gillette Mach 3 razor. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I tried it and proceeded to slice the living bejeezus out of my face. Following that incident, I stashed the deadly weapon in a drawer, much safer than keeping a tourniquet handy every time I shaved. Wouldn’t you know, I ran out of the 10 for a dollar disposable razors I normally used a few months later and given no quick alternative, was forced to try it again.

Nervous at first, I found that with a light touch it worked exquisitely. My mug was as smooth as a baby’s bottom. Still used the disposables as everyday razors to scrape my face but for special occasions when I wanted to look pretty, kept a fresh supply of blades for my free sample model. I did that is until I discovered Mrs. Cheviot had gone on a cleaning rampage and thrown my prized possession away. After registering my displeasure decided I’d just go buy another one. How expensive could they be if they were sending them out as free samples, right? Try about $8 - $10 just for the handle, way too expensive for a tightwad like me. Asked why I quit shaving: I’m saving up to buy a new razor!

See you next week…real good then.