Fencelines

[Dotch]

The snow drives back the foot that's slow…

The scurs were on the money last week with a cool midweek followed by warmer weekend temps. For the first full week in March? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny, high of 30 – 35 and low of 0 to 5 above. Mostly sunny again for Thursday and Friday with a warming trend. High Thursday of 30 - 35 and a low around 5 – 10. High Friday of 35 – 40 with a low of 15 – 20. Cloudy on Saturday with a chance of rain and/or snow. High of 35 – 40 and low of 20 – 25. Partly sunny on Sunday, high of 35 – 40 and low of 20 – 25. Becoming cloudy on Monday into Tuesday with a chance of rain and/or snow. Monday’s high should be around 35 – 40 with an overnight low of 15 – 20. Tuesday we should top out at 30 – 35 with the low in the 15 – 20 range. Normal high for March 5th is 36 and the normal low is 17. The scurs will be readying the big screen TV for March Madness now the Winter Olympics are over.

The ice house villages on area lakes have disappeared as the sun is demonstrating more power each day. The gradual shrinkage of our snow cover is starting to be noticeable although we’ve been lagging behind in temperature compared to points north. In those areas either the heat island effect, lack of snowfall or both has frequently shown highs to be 10 degrees above those we’ve been recording. Last week’s double digit below zero lows weren’t exactly amusing either but the hoar frost observed still gave the landscape a picture postcard appearance. Our snow cover has slowed our warm up and as mentioned last week the fact the snow pack to our south remains there can bring southerly breezes that feel as though they’re coming off a glacier.

The heavens have provided some prime viewing although the brightness of the most recent full moon has made it the main event. The conjunction between Mars and the moon made for interesting conversation. It almost seemed that Mars has been farther north than usual. When mentioning that to Vista’s noted Swedish astronomer, he claimed if it got any farther north that can mean only one thing: A Martian invasion.

As of this writing, there are very few black clods of soil showing yet above the snow and this means feeding the pheasants will go on for awhile yet at the ranch. It has been interesting to watch them and not unusual to see them flying around the yard during the day. There was a group of Huns spotted again not far from home on February 24th making me hope their numbers are on the rise again. Hunt-able populations are rare but hunt-able or not, it’s great to see them.

Garden seeds arrived last week and taking inventory of them is always a treat. The anticipation of gardening season is almost as much fun as the end product itself. There still needs to be a trip to various local stores to pick up some of the staples including onions from Edna, 4 o’clocks from Pete, Pontiac potatoes from Condon’s and of course to the store where you go to the bathroom in the silo with the orange roof. It’s usually a good idea to do this on days when the weather is crummy in order to at least try to psyche yourself into believing eventually it will be spring.

The dreaded alien continues to persist and appears to be making the rounds. It’s on week 2 here at the ranch and if single finger farmer nose blowing was an Olympic event, I’d be the gold medalist. The dread disease has allowed me to catch up on my sleep although it just seems to tire everyone out who has contracted it. All in all though, am closer to feeling like a “human bean” this week than last week.

Fortunately between chores and the staggered lambing there have been plenty of sporting events to watch. Even though it was an ugly win, the Gophers men’s basketball team somehow managed to beat the Fighting Illini in Champaign for the first time in 14 years. And of course there was little more exciting to a hockey fan than watching the US and Canada play for Olympic gold. Back in 1980 was able to watch the original Miracle on Ice on TV and had been to some games at the U when Herb Brooks was still coach there. When living in North Dakota, it was amusing to watch some of the prairie province TV stations abruptly cut their regularly scheduled programming short and go to Hockey Night in Canada. With no satellite TV in those days, there were few other options.

All in all this year’s gold medal hockey game was thoroughly entertaining and even though the US didn’t win, it was still some of the best hockey to watch in a long time. Kudos to the Canadian team for battling their way back through the bracket after losing to the US team initially to win in the gold medal game. Hockey is their national sport and they’re great champions.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Up upon the tower

Time reads daylight savings.

The scurs were deadly accurate again, calling the Tuesday precipitation event over a week in advance. How will we fare this forecast period? The scurs tell all. Starting Wednesday, we continue with the wet, sloppy kiss Mother Nature planted on us on Tuesday. Cloudy with rain likely, a high of 40 and a low of 30 – 35. Cloudy Thursday with lingering showers. High of 40 with a low around 30. Cloudy Friday morning becoming partly cloudy, slight chance of showers with a high of 45 and a low of 30. Partly cloudy Saturday then clearing on Sunday. Highs both days of 45 – 50 and lows of 30. Partly cloudy Monday with a high of 40 – 45 and a low of 25 – 30. Clouding up again on Tuesday with a chance of showers developing. High of 40 – 45 and low of 20 – 25. Normal high for March 12th is 39 and the normal low is 20. The scurs will be blindly getting up at 2 a.m., the precise moment prescribed by our illustrious government to set their clocks ahead one hour on Saturday night. Daylight Saving (Wasting) Time is upon us once again.

Yes, the annual farce has arrived once again. Time for people who work a regular schedule to be crabby for a week or two, late or later to work and for those of us with livestock, time to go back to doing chores in the dark for a few more weeks after finally crawling out from under winter’s morning shroud of darkness. With logic like that it’s no wonder I like my naps. Oh but look on the bright side, the sun stays up an extra hour because it was decreed that plants should have another hour each day to grow.

Our recent precipitation last Saturday marked the first for the month of March and by the sound of things in the near term it won’t be the last. At the ranch we tallied .35”, enough to make the snow shrink rapidly and along with the warmer temps, cause the slush to increase in the area driveways where the last few teaser snows were driven on. Some have been quick to point out that March is our snowiest month. It can be but that trend has changed over the past decade or so. The tendency has been for more of our precipitation to fall as rain in March and so far the forecast is true to that trend.

There are subtle signs of spring across greater Bugtussle and environs. The raccoons are out and about. Apparently they didn’t get any smarter over the winter judging by the number that haven’t made it across the roads. Horned larks are common along roadsides although as of this writing their nesting grounds remain largely covered with snow. Two geese were spotted high over Bugtussle proper on Friday as I was talking to someone on the phone. On the way to church on Sunday by the lakeside neighbors to the north there was a large flock of robins. Hopefully the robins can survive on crabapples and other fruit for awhile waiting for earthworms. The amount of frost in the ground is not great overall however. At the SROC in Waseca the frost depth was 6” on March 8th. There are reports from those who have been moving snow piles that there is virtually no frost where the snow has been deep. They left the ruts to prove it.

At the Mall for Men the little fat buddies continue their quest for wisdom and knowledge along with some sustenance. Luckily the Girl Scout cookies arrived just in the nick of time. Last week we discussed the meaning of “hoar” and “hoary” as it relates to the pretty hoar frost we’ve experienced some mornings. Hoary means gray or white or having white or gray hair from old age. There is a weed known as hoary alyssum and it has a rough grayish-green pubescence on the leaves and stems. We also delved into the world of animal care, particularly as it pertains to canines. We discussed bathing the animals and how they smell bad when they get wet as well as how the rain and snow tends to soften their coats. Last but not least we covered the importance of keeping their toenails trimmed. And some of you thought all we did was sit around, drink coffee, eat goodies and tell off-colored jokes.

Lambing season continues to drag along. For some reason the first 8 head came in and since that time there’s been a lull. Looking back on the September weather records there was a stretch of warm weather where highs were in the low 80’s from about the 10th through the 20th that may have impacted the virility of the rams and/or the willingness of the ewes to cycle. Doesn’t matter but it would be nice to get it over with for another season. They’ll come in when they come in I guess.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

But you know

The darkest hour

Is always, always just before the dawn

The scurs were tracking well again last week. Rain was forecast and rain we received. What’s up for this week? You may not want to know. Starting Wednesday otherwise known as St. Patrick’s Day, look for a nice day, partly cloudy skies, high around 50 and a low near 35. Partly cloudy Thursday becoming cloudy on Thursday night with a chance of showers. High of 55 and low of 35. Cloudy Friday, high of 45 and low of 25 with a chance of rain. Cloudy Saturday with a chance of rain changing to snow on the 1st day of spring. High 35 – 40 and low around 25. We see the sun again on Sunday and Monday under partly cloudy skies. High of 40 and low of 25. Clouding up Tuesday with a chance of rain. High near 40 and low around 25. The normal high for March 20th is 43 and the normal low is 23. The scurs will consume some leftover St. Patty’s Day green beer during the Xavier – Minnesota Golden Gopher tilt if the weather starts deteriorating as predicted.

March 20th is officially the first day of spring and 12:32 p.m. CDT denotes the vernal equinox, the point at which the sun is directly over the equator. The sun begins to move north as the earth tilts marking spring in the northern hemisphere and autumn in the southern hemisphere. As if chickens weren’t crabby enough being awakened an hour early with the time change, now they must contend with eggs standing on end as a result of the equinox. Am sure Betts will want to borrow the soccer mom van to go get some farm fresh eggs so she can check it out once again. On evenings where one can actually see the stars, the big dipper can be noted in the northeastern sky standing on its handle. Mars continues to still be visible in the east although it will be waning in brightness as the month goes on. Venus may be seen low in the western sky on March 17th about a half hour after sunset below and to the left of the crescent moon.

In recent days weather events have dominated much of the conversation at the Mall for Men as well as on the streets of Bugtussle. Measurable precip fell on 4 out of 7 days last week, tallying 1.13” in the official ranch rain gauge. Water in the Le Sueur River was backed up over the gravel road east of the golf course and inching towards the Lake Road surface. As of this writing it wasn’t receding as fast as some of the little fat buddies’ hairlines. We lost much of our snow cover in the past week and apparently the ground isn’t completely thawed judging by the amount of runoff. Area wetlands are full once again after suffering through a late season drought the latter part of last summer. This weekend was the first time in a couple seasons the spillway on the CREP pond has been flowing. We saw the first lightning and heard the first thunder of the season on March 11th. If we were really supposed to experience our first killing frost in 6 month that would be September 7th, we’d better be planting early corn or growing all small grains. Fortunately, it makes better conversation than a rule of thumb.

Fog continues to be commonplace in the mornings and with everyone up bopping around an hour earlier it makes it that much more dangerous. One of the problems noted even after the sun is up, people are driving around in the heavy fog without their headlights on. Some of this may be due to the automation addiction everyone seems to have. It’s possible their automatic headlights are not coming on. Would probably be best for all concerned if lights were turned on manually anyway so you’d know for sure they were on. The tough part is remembering to turn them off. It’s too easy to miss people coming out if the fog or worse yet, come up from behind a slower moving vehicle and not see them or be seen until it’s too late.

Some of the birds including recent arrivals from the south are already starting to set up shop in the yard. There’s a male robin hanging around the small garden site and a pair of chickadees seems to be thinking this isn’t a bad place to be. Lots of food, bird houses and holes in trees. Red-winged blackbirds started arriving last week and usually they find the slough at neighbor David’s or the wetland by the pond to their liking. At least one of rooster pheasant Little Jerry’s progeny staked a claim to the yard over the weekend. Loud cackling and crowing can be heard during morning and evening chores. Luckily the fields have largely cleared so pheasant access to food should be markedly improved.

Inside the house, the multi-colored Asian ladybeetles have suddenly roared back to life. Many are experiencing the same thing after noticing few last fall or over the course of the winter. Warmer weather has awakened them from their overwintering haunts and they’re looking for something to eat. As has been pointed out before here, proximity to soybean fields probably has little to do with the number of beetles one has to contend with. Those ladybird beetles not following the soybean aphids back to the buckthorn could be found feeding on plentiful bird cherry-oat aphids in the corn until the killing frost forced them to move.

Outside our yard like most in the area is a sloppy mess in spots and Gus (a.k.a. “Mr. Mudball”) can usually be found running back and forth on a muddy track along the fence. He’s in his glory, helping or at least he thinks he is as we move ewes and lambs from the lambing barn to the loafing area. There is some kind of non-audible communication between a Border Collie and sheep that’s interesting to watch yet difficult to pinpoint. As usual, it hasn’t taken long for the lambs once they’re moved to get acquainted with the creep feeder. That’s a good thing because it sure makes morning chores go faster. The darkest hours are always just before the dawn.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

We're just ordinary average guys…

The scurs stubbed their toe last week about like the Gophers did against Xavier. A little snow on Friday but otherwise the weekend was a pleasant surprise. This week? We start off with a couple gems. Wednesday and Thursday, partly cloudy skies with highs of 45 – 50 and lows around 25. Friday, about the same but clouding up towards evening with a chance of freezing rain. High of 45 – 50 and low of 30. Saturday, cloudy with snow turning to rain in the morning then a good chance of snow overnight. High of 40 – 45 with a low near 30. Partly cloudy and cooler Sunday, slight chance of snow in the morning and afternoon. High of 40 and low of 25 – 30. Cloudy on Monday, a chance of a shower in the forenoon. High of 40 – 45 and low of 20. Partly cloudy Tuesday, becoming cloudy towards evening with a slight chance of a shower overnight. High of 45 and low of 25 – 30 . The normal high for March 26th is 46 and the normal low is 26. We get back to sunrise before 7 a.m. on March 30th , the same as it was back on February 24th. We continue gaining approximately 3 minutes of daylight per day. The scurs can get their NCAA tournament brackets in order before the twilight hours.

March 29th ushers in the next Full Moon, known commonly as the Full Worm Moon. When temperatures warm and the ground thaws, earthworms make their way to the soil surface leaving their castings behind. It is also known as the Full Crow Moon and the Full Sap Moon as according to the local sappers, the maple sap is running. The Full Lenten Moon is another name as this moon signaled the last Full Moon of winter. The Ojibwe knew this as the Full Crust Moon because the snow became crusted on the surface due to the freezing and thawing. The Sioux called this moon The Moon When Buffalo Drop Their Calves. Sounds like there will be several area beef operations calving as well so it still fits.

Lambing is winding down at the ranch but as the saying goes, it ain’t over till it’s over. Still a few stragglers. The lambs are doing well in spite of the damp weather we had mid-month. The ewes without lambs are getting a little antsy now they can get out to the pasture. Several of them made the trip down the hillside to see if there were any green shoots of grass to devour yet. One of these days. So far they’re content to return and munch on their hay. Gus got his shots over the weekend. He’s always been well behaved at the vet’s office and seems to know it’s a necessary evil. They’re always really nice to him and since he thrives on attention, for Gus it’s just another adventure riding in “his” truck.

It was incredible how fast the snow left us. Sure there are still some vestigial drifts here and there in fencelines and road ditches but by and large, the fields are bare. 3 weeks ago one wouldn’t have believed we’d be looking at bare ground and be able to walk around firm yards. Still have yet to see a robin pull a worm out of the ground but thanks to one of the two guys who always have gas at the Mall for Men, it was pointed out that pocket gophers were digging here and there. There was still a large pond on the east side of the river at the golf course although on Monday a.m. they were pumping it back into the river. Last Thursday the temporary water hazard was occupied by a couple mallards and on Sunday there were buffleheads swimming in it. At the ranch, the pond has seen a few Canada geese and following Thursday the 18th’s 60º warmth, there were the distinct sounds of the western chorus frogs croaking away. We were due after hearing the Twin City blow combs crowing about the warm sun and 60’s when we had to put up with 40-something, dank and cloudy.

Meadow voles apparently are near the peak of one of their 2 – 5 year cycles as we’ve had lots of discussion around the training table about them. These are small rodents, dark brownish-gray above with a lighter colored belly. Their bodies are usually about 4” – 5” long with a short tail, roughly 1” – 1.5” in length. Typically the damage we see is tunneling and surface runways under the snow in the lawns, hayfields and road ditches. Sometimes they also girdle small trees and shrubs beneath the snow surface. Their nests are usually spherical in a clump of grass containing dry stems and leaves with a lining of shredded plant material. These rodents, also commonly referred to as field mice, commonly feed on green vegetation and tubers. They are capable of consuming their own weight in food daily and the females are promiscuous breeders, mating with any male attracted to them. They reproduce year round and can produce up to a dozen litters per year, at 4 – 7 young per litter. Fortunately, they don’t live long and the typical female only survives long enough to reproduce a couple times. This is probably partially due to the fact that these mice are a favorite prey of animals such as snakes, fox, cats, coyotes, owls and hawks. It wasn’t uncommon when I was a lad baling hay to see a red-tailed hawk circling high above the field on a hot summer afternoon. They were waiting to pounce on any voles as they scurried out from under the windrows before the #46 International baler gobbled them up. That happened sometimes too. A little extra protein in the ration we always maintained.

Speaking of rations, at the Mall we continue to worry about our figures, but not very much. We’re just ordinary average guys. We’ve been trying to get one of the little fat buddies on the scale to see if he’s as svelte as he claims he is but it’s proving to be a challenge. We’ve considered bringing in a cattle prod, some panels and borrowing a headgate. The yellow lab puppy named Turk that graces our presence is now officially a little fat buddy, able to eat cookies just like everyone else, without chocolate in them of course. We have determined that cookies, bars and cake can be part of a successful diet plan. As Betsy’s dad points out, they won’t make you any skinnier but if you plan on feeding them to everyone else, they get fatter so you don’t feel so bad.

See you next week…real good then.

[MN Shutterbug]

I didn't realize there were so many different kinds of moons. I've seen about 1/2 dozen robins so far. Have patience.

[Dotch]

I have no choice but to be patient X; I have sheep. Turkeys were put on the face of the earth to make sheep seem intelligent. Robins are singing every morning before sunrise on my way out to do chores. The ground is sufficiently thawed now allowing their favorite food, earthworms, to make it to the surface.

The night sky where we live, out away from most of the light pollution, is fascinating. Especially when the moon is full, there are many nights when it would be nice just to turn the yardlights off. Thanks for reading and keep those awesome pics coming.

[MN Shutterbug]

You keep writing and I'll keep reading.

As far as pics are concerned, I've kinda hit a dry spell. My last decent pic was almost 5 weeks ago. I'm beginning to get a bit worried. Things should be starting to pick up around here pretty soon. I just hope I remember what to do, when it happens. We just sold our house and bought another one, so I'll be pretty busy the next couple weeks getting things packed for the big move in 2 weeks.

However, I will be taking the time to read your interesting posts.

[Dotch]

I ain’t gonna take none of your foolin’ around…

The scurs got thrown under the bus on the highs and lows for Monday & Tuesday. Didn’t see that one coming. This week? More warm to start with on Wednesday, partly cloudy, a high of 70 – 75 and a low of 45 – 50. Mostly sunny Thursday April 1, becoming cloudy by evening. High of 70 and low of 45 – 50. Cloudy on Friday with a chance of thundershowers. High 65 – 70 with a low around 50. Cloudy with a chance of showers on Saturday, high of 65- 70 and low of 40 – 45. Cloudy and cooler on Easter Sunday with a slight chance of showers. High near 55 and low of 40. Cloudy on Monday with a chance of rain. Remaining cooler, high of 55 and low of 40. Partly cloudy Tuesday, high of 60 with a chance of an afternoon thundershower. Low of 40. Normal high on April Fool’s Day is 50 and the normal low is 28. On April 6th we’re back to 13 hours of daylight, about the same as we see on September 5th. Just so you know, on April 1st the scurs will be calling One Stop to ask them if they have Prince Albert in the can.

What a nice week we had with an even nicer week forecast. After the depth this winter stooped to, we’ll take it. Still some ice on area lakes as of this writing but there is open water on both Beaver and St. Olaf. This week might take care of the ice if the forecast comes to fruition. The breezy conditions over the past week have dried area fields to the point where we should see some field operations commence, namely anhydrous ammonia application and broadcast P & K fertilizer. We did finally see some precip on Saturday night into early Sunday morning but it only tallied .13” in the official ranch rain gauge. That marked the first measurable rainfall since St. Patty’s Day and the first amount over a tenth since March 12th. The robins are having a tough time getting snowed on 3 times with the last snow noted back on the 19th and those were just some morning flurries. This pattern follows most of the rest of the state with no measureable snowfall being recorded locally in the month of March here. It has happened but the records going back far enough here are tough to find. As Mark Seeley points out, in the Metro area it’s only happened twice before, in 1860 and 1878. Even though he was extremely busy doing it all, the retired fertilizer mixing man from Huntting elevator might recall that.

At the ranch we’ve been busier than one armed paper hangers. The ewes are nearly done lambing with only a couple more to go. We moved the last of the processed lambs (tails docked, shots given, ear tags in) and their mothers down to the loafing area. After moving them of course you have to watch them tear around a while. There are a couple ewes that have decided to jump some of the panels inside the barn. Like my Dad, I have a special place for those animals. It’s called the packing plant. Not going to take their fooling around. The branches and twigs accumulated from the late winter and early spring tree pruning were all picked up so it doesn’t look quite as brushy as it did. I even tempted fate and removed the chains from the 656 as the yard really didn’t need any more tearing up from that. Wasn’t taking any chances on removing the heat houser just yet however. Potatoes were procured so Good Friday planting could become a reality. Sowing some radishes is probably in order as well. If they’re as hot as the ones we grew last year, they’ll make your hair stand on end.

The geese and mallards are keeping the pond hopping, there is frequent honking and quacking at any given time of the day. The water in the pond has receded to a more normal level but it’s good to see it holding water again. The robins are singing already when we head out to morning chores and it is becoming light earlier. There are earthworms they can find easily, especially in some of the more saturated areas of the yard. Stomp your foot on the ground in those areas and you can hear the “sklooooosh” of the worms and night crawlers retreating down their holes. The goldfinches have more of a yellow cast to them although when it’s cloudy, it’s not as readily apparent. They are becoming more abundant though, going through more thistle seed than they were just a few weeks ago. Striped gophers are back out on the hillside south of the house, making my trigger finger itch.

Reminisced recently it was 25 years ago this spring we landed here in Bugtussle. Odd, it seems longer than that. It was shortly after that I got to know Harold Amley. He was a farmer who would retire about 3 years later and then worked for a fellow SWCE board member until health problems cut short enjoying that retirement. He would stop in for some information on his lawn or the huge rhubarb plants in his and Jeannie’s yard. He never liked it he told me but there were many folks who harvested some from his patch over the years, myself included. Harold was a regular reader of this column and when we’d see him at church, he always loved to ask about the sheep especially Vidalia, the onion eating lamb. Sadly, Harold lost his battle with cancer recently. Seems like about once a year we lose another retired farmer who loved to come in and visit about the weather, put bugs on the desk or figure out how to deal with a weed problem. Harold was one of those guys and he will be sadly missed. As I always told him, thanks for stopping in.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

They serenade the weekend squire who just came out to mow his lawn…

The scurs got fooled on April Fool’s Day when the high reached 83 at the ranch and 85 on the truck thermometer. They’re thinking more seasonal this time around with no danger of reaching the 80 mark. We shall see. Starting Wednesday, cloudy becoming partly cloudy with a chance of showers. High of 55 and a low of 30 - 35. Same thing minus the rain chance on Thursday, becoming mostly sunny in the afternoon. High near 55 and low of 30 – 35. Cookie cutter days on Friday and Saturday, mostly clear, highs of 55- 60 and lows of 35 – 40. Sunday, partly cloudy becoming cloudy with a chance of an evening shower. High of 60 and low of 35 – 40. Mostly cloudy Monday and Tuesday, chance of an evening shower, highs of 50 – 55 and low around 40. The normal high for April 9th is 54 and the normal low is 31. The scurs will be holding off putting their tomatoes out just yet.

Many phenology related items to report this week as spring continues to exert itself across the landscape. To close out March first though we saw less than normal precip and no measurable snowfall for the first time most can recall. Rainfall at the ranch tallied 1.3”, what one would suspect is less than normal. Last year March was dry however, with only 1.08” of liquid equivalent precip and very little snow recorded. At the SROC this past March, rainfall measured 1.45” and the liquid equivalent was 1.04” below normal for the month. Typically they measure 10.1” of snow during the month.

More small grain went in the ground this past week in what were generally excellent seedbed conditions. Much spring fertilizer for corn has been applied although so far most actual corn planting remains coffee shop talk. Alfalfa has broken dormancy which can be a double edged sword this time of year. While it’s nice to get the hay crop off to an early start, one has to hope is that we don’t get a strong cold front sinking down out of Canada with high winds as well as temps in the lower teens and single digits. This happened in the early 1990’s when alfalfa greened up early, resulting in many area alfalfa fields being lost, particularly those lacking re-growth for overwintering cover from the prior year.

The ice left sometime overnight March 31st on St. Olaf Lake. It was still there on the way home on the 30th Warm, windy conditions have put the ice fishermen out of business once again until next winter. April 1st was a watershed day as well. Not only was it very warm it brought out many birds and other fauna. Tree swallows greeted us during morning chores following their return from their winter homes along the Gulf coast, Mexico and Central America. They’ve spent the last several days checking out nesting boxes. Flickers were also noted that day. That same evening on the way back into the house from feeding the lone bottle lamb was wondering where the piece of 3” diameter rock in the lawn came from. After it hopped, discovered it was an American toad out for the first time. Looking at the window on the garage door, a non-descript brown moth or “miller” as we used to call them was fluttering it’s wings. The sound of the western chorus frogs from the pond was almost deafening.

The .14” of rain and strong breezes on the 2nd finished off the last of the leaves on the red oak tree in the yard. Those on the lower half of the tree clung stubbornly to the branches much of the winter. Even though the precip was scant, coupled with warm temps it caused lawns and pastures to continue their green-up. Some have even started mowing their lawns. There was frost on the roof of the garage on the morning of the 3rd. In the clear morning sky bluebirds could be seen and heard flying overhead. There are robins everywhere singing loudly in the morning. Male mourning doves are cooing as well, adding to the din. The leaves on the rhubarb have unfolded from the little green clenched fists that were the buds. There should be a plentiful supply this year. And last but not least, the crocuses were starting to flower beating the quackgrass to the punch once again.

Lambing season at the ranch is officially over as of Easter Sunday. In between church services at Le Sueur and Vista, Mrs. Cheviot penned up the last contestant and promptly named the new lamb Bunny. We’ve had some relatively dry weather since mid-March so the group as a whole is very healthy. The yearling ewes have been able to find plenty of grass already in the pasture. That doesn’t stop them from bellering anyway. Given a little more rain, the amount of hay being fed will rapidly decline as will the bellering.

At the Mall for Men, nice weather means attendance at training sessions is flagging. Corn planting has been the topic of the day but one “Cherman” expert suggested there would likely be shrinkage once the seed sprouts and is followed by a cold rain. Some have apparently taken the wisdom and knowledge gleaned herein and will be applying it to their farming operations. Gives one pause to wonder: What do cookie and donut fields look like?

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

If you try to sit, I’ll tax your seat

It continues to look more like spring all the time as the scurs continue to track the atypical sparse chances of April rain. This week, more of the same temperature-wise. Starting Wednesday, we see our warmest day and probably best chance of rainfall in the evening. High of 75 – 80 and low around 50. Thursday, partly cloudy, slight chance of showers with a high of 65 and low around 50. Friday, more partly cloudy, high of 65 and low of 40 – 45 with a slight chance of an overnight shower into Saturday morning. Saturday and Sunday, partly cloudy, slight chance of showers, highs both days 60 – 65 and lows of 40 – 45. Monday, partly cloudy, high of 60 and low of 45. Tuesday, partly cloudy with a chance of a shower or thunderstorm. High of 65 and low of 45. Normal high for April 15th, otherwise known as Tax Deadline Day is 58 and the normal low is 34. The sun will set at 8 p.m. on the 17th the same time as it will on August 26th. The scurs will be putting the patio furniture out sans the umbrella.

The dry cycle continues as we are not seeing much precipitation. Not that this is a totally bad thing but the typical precipitation amount for April at the SROC in Waseca is about 3.24”. They’ve tallied .32” thus far in April and at the ranch .33” and nearing the halfway point in April, chances of catching up become slimmer with each passing day. Even though they’re greening up, pastures, lawns and hayfields could all benefit from a drink. The dryness has been a boon to corn planting though with this week marking the starting point for many area farmers. Most report soil conditions are as nice as they’ve ever been for this calendar date and it’s hard to pass up the opportunity to put some corn in the ground.

There have been years when we’ve seen nice spring weather fall apart but it hasn’t happened very often. April 1984 was one such year where I was living at the time in north central North Dakota. The spring had broken early and small grain planting had started in earnest about the middle of April. Things were going great guns until about the 26th and 27th when a blizzard set in and stopped everything in its tracks for about a week. Temperatures fell from a high of 70º earlier in the week to below zero. Winds gusted over 45 mph with near zero visibility and there were snowdrifts stretching from the street up to the storefront windows in Rolla. I could barely see to make it home from my office around noon on the 26th and spent a couple days holed up in my little house on the prairie. There was plenty of food and the power stayed on. It had been dry to that point and the garden benefitted from the precipitation as did the small grain. Given the low temperatures the blanket of snow protected the recently planted crop. Although I couldn’t find anything in the records, reputedly that same storm hit here a day or so later with perhaps not quite the fury but wet sloppy snow nonetheless. I’m not sayin’, I’m just sayin’…

It has been nice enough here to put some garden in although the potatoes remain in the bag just yet. Did manage to put some radishes, shallots and a few onions in working the mellow ground first with the weed eater tiller attachment. It’s simply not big enough to do what needs to be done on the rest of the garden though. The main tiller needs to have the handlebars welded back on before we get too carried away. Apparently the slaloming around the hills of vine crops over the years have not been kind to it.

In the yard the goldfinches continue to get yellower and brighter with each passing day. Hungrier too. They seem to be increasing in number as the male cardinal has been singing the past several days. A brown creeper was spotted on the 9th. The rose colored rays of the rising sun made it easier to pick it out as it made its way up the trunk and the nearly vertical limbs. A pair of geese has claimed the pond for now and typically there are at least a couple pair of mallards.

Gus had a big weekend. On Saturday he got to go for a ride in his truck to Owatonna with Mrs. Cheviot and I to pick up supplies for the onslaught known as spring planting season. After that he accompanied me to the CREP acreage to repair a wood duck house. Gus tried to ride on the 4 wheeler but after several unsuccessful attempts to stay on it he opted to walk. On Sunday, he was the beneficiary of leftover pancakes and French toast from the Lion’s pancake feed again. Gus was true to form, hiding one pancake for future reference and eating the next one. He got to go for another ride when the red headed former 4-Her called and said the lawnmower was repaired and ready to be picked up. After sticking his fingers in it, even he was impressed with the thick winter coat Gus is still carrying around. Upon arriving home, it was time to unload the lawnmower sending him into tire biting mode. The 4 wheeler was loaded up next, causing him to circle the machine furiously before it hit the ramp. And the coup de grace was starting the weed eater, all of this within 20 minutes. Small engine sensory overload for any Border Collie.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Really love your peaches wanna shake your tree…

The scurs continued to believe we’re stuck in dry cleaning mode and they were right. Any relief in sight this week? The scurs tell all. Starting with Wednesday, partly cloudy, high of 65 – 70 and low of 35 – 40. Partly cloudy again on Thursday with a high of 65 and a low around 50. Cloudy Friday bringing us the best possibility of some rain. High of 60 - 65 and low of 50. Cloudy Saturday, slight chance of lingering shower with a high near 60 and low of 40. Partly cloudy Sunday, high of 60 and low of 40. Cloudy and slightly cooler on Monday with a chance of showers, high of 55 - 60 and low of 35 - 40. Cloudy on Tuesday and with it another chance of showers. High of 50 - 55 and low of 35. The normal high for April 23rd is 61 and the normal low is 37, roughly the same temps we see in mid-October. On April 27th we’ll reach 14 hours of daylight once again, the first time since mid-August. The scurs may need to find that umbrella for the patio furniture after all.

Corn planting continues to thunder along way ahead of schedule with some corn planted April 11th sporting a radicle root 1” long and a coleoptile about ½” in length. Spotty rains did cause some delays in areas but they were generally short lived. This has been an extremely unusual spring as some are finished with corn planting before we would typically start in this latitude. Some are content to take it in stride, not getting too excited and planting according to their normal schedule. It seems strange for us to have the luxury of this much time so some have opted to plant soybeans. Whether or not that is a wise management decision at this point is debatable. There is some buzz about the potential for the volcano in Iceland (Mt. Eyjafjallajökull) to affect the climate as Mt. Pinatubo did in the 1991 eruption. Speculation is the amount of sulfur dioxide pumped into the atmosphere thus far shouldn’t be a problem but those in the know are also quick to point out the eruption and potential related events aren’t over yet. Late March and early April planted small grains have emerged and are growing like a house afire. Tough to get much nicer early season growing conditions for small grains than what we’ve experienced with the exception perhaps of a little more rain. Ah but there are those weather experts, the scurs included, who remain convinced that the end of the month and the first part of May will usher in a departure from the above normal temperature and below normal precipitation pattern we’ve been stuck on. Stay tuned.

For most area lawns and gardens some precipitation would be welcome. At the ranch, the lower areas where the soils are heavier and there has been moisture from tile flow, the grass is lush and green. It could use a mowing. On the higher elevations, the grass is green but certainly not in any danger of getting ahead of Mr. Cheviot before he gets to it. The dandelions are making a statement on the south facing slope however. The trees were fortunate we received generous precip last October. With buds popping and leafing out occurring they’re ahead of schedule too. In Bugtussle proper, an apple tree was in bloom last week right on Hwy. 30. At the ranch it’ll be at least another week with the wild plums likely to flower sometime this week. The serviceberries have flowered and the robins will be keeping an eye on them, ready to gobble the first ripe offerings. It’s gratifying to see the small trees one painstakingly wrapped last fall to protect them from rodents spring to life so quickly.

There is much fauna to be seen as well. A dragonfly was spotted on the wing last Friday near Madison Lake. In the yard at the ranch, both painted lady and red admiral butterflies were seen on Sunday. Bees were working over the aforementioned serviceberries and the chipping sparrows were picking up Gus fur for their nests following a Sunday morning brushing. No wrens or orioles seen or heard yet but with the early spring, they can’t be too far behind. The fence at the kindly neighbors needed several hours of mending after the snow ravaged much of the span, snapping wires and snapping insulators off of the posts. It wasn’t all bad as there was a red-headed woodpecker calling and a cardinal singing his heart out as I toiled with the barbed wire. The striped gophers have made for good target practice although thinning the herd last year appears to have had the desired effect. They’re not as plentiful as they were a year ago. The western chorus frogs in the pond are sharing center stage with the American toads who have taken over singing melody. It’s the amphibian melody of love to be sure.

After fencing, got all the potatoes and onions planted Sunday evening. The radishes planted last week are beginning to emerge despite the dry conditions. Amazingly enough, weed pressure prior to working the ground up was very light except for the dandelions that got going in the gardens last fall. Soil conditions last fall simply did not allow much time for tillage to take them out but one low humidity afternoon after tilling and they were hurting units. With the early garden area worked and ready, you can rest assured Mr. Cheviot will be ready to tear into it, after a nap of course.

And finally, Betsy’s Dad has decided to embark in a potentially monumental experiment and has been kind enough to include me as a part of it. Picture if you will Waseca Co. covered not in corn and soybeans but with miles and miles of peach groves. Yes, he ordered some zone 4 peach trees and as part of the deal if he ordered several he got something else for free. Free is good, right? Since he had an extra, it was mighty nice of him to share it with me. There was a sheltered spot here next to the plum tree so quickly got the tree planted with plenty of composted manure and some magic wow-juice the guy sold me last year for planting fruit trees. The combination seemed to work. How do we know for sure they were peach trees? Believe it or not, there were peach pits still attached to the root systems. It sure would be great with global warming and all if they survive here. After all as he’s fond of saying, fruit is a gamble,

See you next week…real good then.

[MN Shutterbug]

Good luck with the peaches, Dotch. Be sure to keep us up to date on the progress.

[Dotch]

Thanks Mike. I'll be sure to do that. I'm already driving Mrs. Cheviot nuts with my gawking and diddling around with it.

[Dotch]

She shakes just like a willow tree...

Dealing in a world of maybe’s, possibly’s and perhaps, the scurs were close which counts in horse shoes, hand grenades and weather forecasting. They make no promises though. This week starting with Wednesday, partly cloudy, high of 65 and low of 45 with a slight chance of an overnight shower. Partly cloudy Thursday with a better chance of showers and thunderstorms. High of 75 and low of 50 – 55. There is a chance of rainfall every day from Friday through Tuesday. Cloudy skies Friday through Sunday with highs of 65 – 70 and lows of 45 – 50. Cooler Monday under cloudy skies with a continued chance of showers. High of 60 and low of 40 – 45. We should see the sun on Tuesday with partly cloudy conditions but there still exists a chance of a shower. High of 60 and low of 35. Is this the change in the weather pattern we’ve been expecting? We shall see. The normal high for May Day is 65 and the normal low is 40. The scurs will be anxiously awaiting their May basket as the last of the chocolate Easter eggs is long gone.

The Full Moon for April will occur on the 28th. It is known as the Full Pink Moon, named for the ground phlox that bloom this time of year. It also goes by the Full Egg Moon and the Full Fish Moon as the tribes of the northeastern US were commonly stocking up on the fish that were running about this time. The Ojibwe knew this as The Broken Snowshoe Moon and the Sioux as the Moon of Greening Grass, important to feeding the buffalo which in turn fed them.

More progress in the fields once again this past week and we saw corn planted on April 11th emerged well enough so it could be rowed in spots already on the 24th. Some soybeans went in the ground and some completed their spring planting operations for the season. Rainfall has been spotty once again with most gauges in the greater Bugtussle area struggling to show much more than a few tenths over the weekend. Other areas were more fortunate and while there’s nothing to worry about just yet it is concerning. The last time we received over an inch of rain at the ranch was in October of 2009. The last time we received over an inch during the growing season was in August of 2010. Thus far in April, we’ve tallied just .8”. In 2009 we garnered 2.5”. As we’ve said we were very fortunate to have received the rains we did in October and to have had some of the snowfall percolate into the soil this spring. If this pattern of metering rainfall out with an eyedropper continues we will need it.

In spite of the drier than normal conditions there are plenty of signs that spring is still being spring. Many lawns have been mowed and after the warm temps and a little rain, can probably use another mowing. Right on cue the wild plums are blooming and they’ll provide a source of pollen for the domestic Mt. Royal plum planted last year. Some of the earlier apple varieties around the countryside are blooming too although in town where it’s sheltered, some were flowering a couple weeks ago. The crabapples in our yard are ready to burst into bloom with the first sunny warm day. Willow and soft maple trees are leafing out rapidly although the ash trees seem slow. Everyone including yours truly is hoping we don’t see the emerald ash borer show up. Why is it there’s no emerald box elder borer? Asparagus is common table fare for those who have a patch to dine on. Sunday’s drizzle made it just wet enough that working outside was miserable. Napping was out of the question as it might clear out so when he can’t nap, Mr. Cheviot did what he could to make the best of a bad situation: He made a rhubarb pie.

Things are moving along in the garden too. Radishes continue to fill in where the recent showers allowed them to germinate. No spuds up yet but the onions and shallots have taken off. Finished the early garden up last week putting in snap peas, carrots beets and a few more potatoes. Will wait for a little better soil moisture and warm temps before planting the rest. The vine crops need to be started in their greenhouse nursery before too much longer. Planted a SnowSweet apple tree ahead of what was hopefully some rain. Looks like the odds of having to water it regularly are good at this point. Oh well, the Honeycrisp planted last year needed watering too.

Lots of bird activity with new arrivals including a brown thrasher on the 21st and a wren scoping out the sticks in the brush pile. A red – breasted nuthatch has been hanging out too but he’s likely only passing through. The male cardinal has reappeared, cleaning up the safflower discarded by the squirrel who likes to shake the feeder violently after navigating around the baffle. The rooster pheasant who must be Little Jerry’s progeny continues to set up shop in the plum and sumac thicket on the edge of the yard. When he slinks across the lawn in the sunshine his colors are simply dazzling. Saw something brown the size of a small dog sauntering along in the pasture the other day. Upon second glance, it turned out to be a giant Canada goose out for a stroll.

The recent prolonged rainfall was cause for another training session as the little fat buddies checked in with their wisdom and knowledge as well as their rapier wits. We were immersed in laboriously dubbing people who received more than .2” of rain “rain hogs”, vigorously handing out relationship/shoe shopping advice as well as rapid-fire exchanging pointers to keep the masses safe from fire hazards. Luckily there were 50th wedding anniversary cake and Swede cookies to devour so that after all this exertion, we could maintain our stamina until lunch.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

And the wicked wind whispers and moans...

The rain chances looked promising last week but chances are not guarantees. More rain chances this week but no gully washers likely say the scurs. For one thing it simply won’t be warm enough. Starting with Wednesday, partly cloudy with a high of 65 and a low of 40. Partly cloudy becoming cloudy on Thursday with an increasing chance of showers. High of 55- 60 and low of 40 – 45. Continued cloudy and cooler on Friday with a chance of showers. High of 55 and low of 40. Possibility of some lingering showers on Saturday under partly cloudy skies. High 55 and low of 35 – 40. Partly cloudy Sunday and warmer. High around 60 and low of 40. Monday, cloudy, high of 60 and low of 45. Cooler Tuesday, cloudy with a chance of showers. High of 50 – 55 and low of 45. Normal high for May 9th is 69 and the normal low is 43. While gazing at Venus in the western sky after sunset, the scurs are readying their Mother’s Day card to make sure it gets in the mailbox on time.

With corn planting nearly complete in the area, farmers set their sights on getting the soybeans in the ground. Rain delays were slight as once again rainfall forecast for the area was far below the initial amounts predicted. Soybean planting progress surpassed the 50% mark late last week and with no surprise rain delays, it should finish up easily this week. Corn emergence has been uneven in some fields where corn was not planted into moisture. Alfalfa could still use a good drink but should still be ready to cut ahead of what we typically see. Small grains sowed in late March were starting to tiller late last week and are looking spectacular with the moderate temperatures and dry weather. Windy conditions did deposit cornstalks in area road ditches but nothing like it did last year when soil needed to be cleaned out of some as well. Total precipitation for April wound up finally crawling above an inch (1.17” at the ranch) although my rain gauge reporting and syrup boiling counterpart to the north and west of Bugtussle only garnered about .7”. Still we have made the most of what we’ve had and despite the windy conditions, fortunately the temperatures haven’t burned the moisture up.

Speaking of burning up, Gus has managed to burn some holes in the lawn where he does his #1 business. Some have asked what causes this and the answer is urea form nitrogen in the dog urine. It is not, I repeat, not a pH issue. Without much rainfall to dilute the urine and the nitrogen it contains, the burn is identical to what you’d see if you over applied urea fertilizer in those spots, hence the dark green circle around the outside. The cure? While some may advocate gypsum or lime, try watering the spots down good first a few days before working it up to reseed if you intend to do that. Gypsum/lime proponents will tell you to water it in so while it may appear magical, in reality watering and diluting the nitrogen more than likely did the trick.

Flowering crab trees were beautiful across greater Bugtussle and environs with most flowering late enough so the strong winds didn’t completely destroy their beauty prematurely. The plum blossoms are fading as is their heavenly scent. It was a good week to plant the pheasant corridor at the ranch and luckily for me, the fine folks from the SWCD & NRCS came out with the tree planter to get the job done. Was also assisted by Vista’s noted Swedish astronomer as we put in 275 shrubby type plants including Freedom honeysuckle, arborvitae and American cranberry bushes. It’s going to take a lot of garden hose to keep them watered if it doesn’t start raining with greater frequency and amounts soon.

The resident barn swallows returned on April 29th as one almost took my nose off when heading into the lambing barn to unplug the electric fence for the tree planting operation. On the pond as we planted there were teal, mallards and the Canada geese keeping an eye on us. A small owl was rousted from his nap shortly after chores that night. Judging by the shape and size I’d guess barred owl but I’d be guessing. It sure got the immediate attention of all the blackbirds and blue jays in the vicinity. In and around the yard, the house wren made its presence known singing its lungs out on Sunday morning May 2nd. Still no oriole activity yet and I need to find the hummingbird feeders or go buy one. That way the other 2 will be sure to appear. At the kindly neighbors pasture, just one of several bluebird nesting boxes is occupied. The female flitted out of the birdhouse as I made my way around the fence checking for grounded out spots.

And finally 10 ewes were weaned off on Sunday and along with a ram were trailered to the kindly neighbors pasture. It’s hard to remember how many years it’s been since the first group was pastured there. All I know is it’s been a long time and this is one of the earliest seasons that they’ve been occupants. The rolling bur oak enclosure has changed little over the years except that there is less brush. The old apple tree the Cheviots enjoy laying under on the north end was in bloom. While they bellered a lot at first, they quickly became preoccupied with gobbling as much of the lush green grass as they could after being unloaded. Always reminds me of the little fat buddies swooping down on a fresh plate of cookies on a rain day.

See you next week…real good then.

[Steve Foss]

Another nice one, Dotch!

[Deitz Dittrich]

I agree.. always a fun read.

[Dotch]

Thank you guys. I'm always flattered that people read and enjoy what we write about. Even though it seems like I'm busy doing something, the birds I run across over the course of a week are among the highlights.

[Dotch]

Well there's a rose in a fisted glove...

The scurs were tracking true once again as we received rain about when they said we would. This time around? More of the same. Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of showers in the evening. High of 55 and low of 40 – 45. Thursday, moderate chance of showers in the daylight hours under cloudy skies. High of 60 and low of 40. Things look up after that with partly cloudy skies and highs of 60 – 65 and lows of 40 – 45 both Friday and Saturday. Warmer and seasonal Sunday through Tuesday. Highs of 70 – 75 and lows of 55 with partly cloudy skies. Normal high for May 15th is 71 and the normal low is 46. The scurs will be sending their property taxes in to avoid seeing their names in the paper.

Wonderful rainfall last week with many reporting totals in the .8” - .9” range. This was the most rainfall in a week’s timeframe since the mid-March thaw that took the snow away. The rains fell gently and over parts of Thursday and Friday soaking in and allowing moisture to finally meet moisture. Gardeners rejoiced as did those who recently planted trees and were wondering how much watering would it was going to take to get them started. This was also a blessing for lawns that were making some of us to wonder where we’d mowed in spots prior to the rain. Night shift lawn mowers are particularly susceptible to this syndrome. This is where a satellite guidance system could some in handy.

In the fields, corn that was in dry soil should now have enough moisture to allow it to germinate. Likewise with soybeans. The only fly in the ointment was the frost that occurred on Sunday morning. Our average last frost date in the spring is somewhere in the May 4th to the 6th range across the area so this is not all that unusual. As of this writing, no widespread major problems are apparent. Alfalfa looked a little odd Sunday morning but looking at some closely in the evening, the impact was barely perceptible. Corn took a visible hit but since the growing point is still well below the soil surface there should be little if any stand loss. Understandably, it is a little unnerving to see corn rows appear to disappear from the road as the leaves turn brown and close to the same color as the soil. It reminds one a little of the Treflan carryover we used to see as well as the propensity of some hybrids to turn purple, producing the same effect for those “road scouting” their fields. The most noticeable frost injury tends to be in low lying areas, along road ditches, areas with lighter colored soils and fields that have higher amounts of residue on the soil surface. The frost may slow the corn crop up some but given the early planting dates on most fields, chances of major yield losses should be minimized. Also, since few soybeans were up, stand losses and yield losses in general from this frost should be minimal to nonexistent.

Have contracted one of those wonderful spring colds, the kind that just seems to sap the ambition right out of a person. It’s bad enough to have lots of things to get done and procrastinate but it’s another to feel lousy to boot. One can only live on past laurels so long and fortunately the weather recently seems to be giving us some time to catch up on odds and ends there never seems to be enough time to get to. In the meantime, buy stock in Kleenex as there’s something making the rounds again.

More of the red and rose colored birds on the feeders and in the trees at the ranch and surrounds. A red-headed woodpecker was spotted on the tree May 4th. That’s the first one we’ve seen in many years here. A male red-bellied woodpecker has been frequenting the suet as was a male rose-breasted grosbeak. Apparently there was some kind of seed in it he was interested in although he finally decided the sunflower feeders were more his speed. A male house finch was surveying the light fixtures on the patio area and must’ve thought better of it, going somewhere else to look for a suitable nesting spot. A former pygmy goat farmer and his squeeze had one build a nest on the grapevine wreath right outside their door. The robins start in singing about 5:30 or so followed soon after by the wrens at the ranch. Taking a trip to my sister and brother-in-law’s property along Trout Run, I got to see some phoebes and my first oriole for the season. They’re getting closer.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

But if you try sometimes you just might find

You get what you need

The scurs called for rain and rain we received. The temps left a little to be desired for the middle of the week but hey, you can’t always get what you want. This week? Drier with some very nice weather starting with Wednesday and Thursday. Look for clear skies, highs of 75 and lows of 50 – 55 both days. Friday, partly cloudy, high of 75 and low of 55. Clear Saturday, high of 75 – 80 and low around 60. Cloudy Sunday, chance of rain. High of 80 and low of 60. Some lingering showers for Monday under partly cloudy skies. High of 75 - 80 and low of 55 - 60. Mostly sunny again on Tuesday, highs back up around 80 with lows of 60. The normal high for May 21st is 73 and the normal low is 48. On the 23rd we reach 15+ hours of daylight for the first time since late last July. The scurs will be looking for excuses to stay home and enjoy the fabulous weather.

As of this writing the frost is still the main topic of discussion in some area corn fields. Most however have turned the corner and appear to be making progress. Corn that was planted a little later appears to have fared more favorably. The earlier planted corn has shown some evidence of tie-up but at this point most are optimistic that effective stands will remain adequate and replanting will not be necessary. Soybeans are emerging with some of the earlier planted fields up so they can begin to be rowed from windshield surveys. Small grains are taking off with the recent rains and weed control measures will need to be performed this week if they haven’t already been done. Alfalfa is ahead of schedule and a cutting ready before Memorial Day is almost a given for most area fields. The rains this past week were an absolute blessing and while the temperatures were cool (5.5 GDU’s were accumulated from May 9th – May 13th at the SROC), amounts of 1.5” – 2” total during the week were enough to make everyone smile once the sun came out on Friday.

Like everywhere else, the lawn at the ranch took off like a rocket with the recent moisture. One could actually see where you’d been without the assistance of the dandelions this time around. In the garden, the early planting was smiling. All but one hill of spuds is up and everything else is making dramatic progress. Like some of the corn, the carrots and beets were in dry dirt but since the rains have begun filling in the gaps. The lettuce and snap peas are the stars of the show thus far however and the bunny fence went up last week once one of the little varmints was spotted in the vicinity. The weeds are coming too but will savor the moisture a few more days and let the soil dry a tad more before tilling them under. The smell of the blooming lilacs with fresh mown grass makes a great combination. Funny someone hasn’t come up with a fragrance based on that. Berry bearing shrubs such as the chokeberries, dogwood, honeysuckle and nannyberries both in the planting and fencelines are all flowering like mad. Given the warm temps and insect activity, they should pollinate well providing our feathered friends with lots to eat.

It was a banner week at the ranch for noting birds migrating through. It started off on the 11th with white-throated and white-crowned sparrows being spotted. On the 12th and oriole could be heard and he finally appeared on the 13th. That same day a catbird was hanging out in a small brush pile and a Harris’s sparrow had joined the other sparrows cleaning up under the feeders. The first hummingbird of the season checked out the feeder on the 14th and must’ve brought friends the following day. On the 15th, there was an indigo bunting under the feeders on the north side of the house. The silver maple tree provided the warblers with good cover as they made their presence known. A redstart, a yellow-rumped warbler and a common yellowthroat all peeked out of the leaf clusters and for while that morning it was just interesting for a spell to see what showed up next. The orioles namely the females have wasted no time looking for nesting material so have donated some of the cotton string from the feed sacks to their cause. Cut in 8” – 12” lengths, they seem to take it away from the top of the wood pile almost as fast as it’s put out for them. After the leaves fell last fall, there was an oriole nest that became visible in the back yard. Someone asked the other day if robins ever re-use their nests and apparently they will if the nest hangs together. We have one nesting in the barn in a nest built last year.

Speaking of the barn, it was time to wean off the last of the ewes and lambs. As usual, whether they’re ewes or lambs, the one’s that bawl the loudest are the biggest and greediest. Oh sure, it’ll be noisy for a few days but after the dust settles, things return to normal pretty quickly. The lambs were running already Sunday night and they’ll grow better without having to compete with the aggressive, fat ewes. The ewes do what they’re designed to do and that’s harvest their own forage rather than consuming hay. It’s not that hay is that horribly expensive it’s just the principle of the thing.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

You need coolin', baby, I'm not foolin'...

The scurs wasted no time in delivering on the good weather although the little dribble of rain came on Saturday rather than Sunday. What’s in store this forecast period? The scurs tell all. Starting with Wednesday, partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers. High of 85 and low of 60. Thursday through Saturday, partly cloudy to mostly sunny. High of 80 – 85 and low of 60. Slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm on Saturday night. Sunday, partly cloudy becoming mostly cloudy with a chance of rain developing. High of 80 and low of 55 – 60. Monday, partly sunny and slightly cooler. High of 75 – 80 and lows of 50 – 55. Partly cloudy Tuesday and cooler with a high near 75 and a low around 50. Normal high for the traditional Memorial Day on May 30th is 76 and the normal low is 51. The scurs will not be forecasting a repeat of the snow we experienced in 1992. They are still undecided about a Father’s Day frost however.

The Full Moon this month occurs on May 27th and goes by several names including The Full Flower Moon, the Full Corn Planting Moon and the Full Milk Moon. No question, there are lots of flowers in bloom some of which have been pushed ahead of schedule by the recent warm temperatures. Corn planting was done about a month ago and the lush pastures that were responsible for the Full Milk designation are largely a thing of the past. The Ojibwe called this the Full Blossom Moon and the Sioux knew this as the Moon When Ponies Shed. It is the Moon When Gus Sheds at the ranch, although that could be just about any full moon.

Wow! Did the crops ever pop over the past weekend! So did the weeds unfortunately. The temps lately are more like the 3rd week in July than the last week in May. Corn that was left for dead after the frost made a remarkable recovery as it almost always does when it’s small. The strong winds and heat should have helped many of the plants that were wrapped up to untangle themselves. For most the frost will be distant memory by Memorial Day. Soybeans have emerged nicely thanks to the rains that fell the second week in the month. Small grains have really been pushed hard and there has been hay baled or chopped in several area fields already.

Was nice to see the squirrels give up on the squirrel proof feeder at least for now. One did manage to unhook the spring on one side as well as the one on the lid. Apparently it’s more work than it’s worth when the temperatures get warm and they were busy eating some of the soft maple seeds before they helicopter their way to the ground. They’ve also been digging up some of the walnuts they must’ve buried last fall as I spied one chewing through that tough shell.

Sunday was Vine Crop Day at the ranch as the transplants started back in the early part of the month were ready to roll. The garden was in rough shape and took some work to get it prepared. The good news was by waiting, there was plenty of moisture there. The bad news was that by leaving last year’s vegetable crop residue and allowing some weed growth, it made it more attractive to insects such as the black cutworm. There were some indications from light trap captures in southern MN that black cutworm moths were around so just a heads up if you haven’t checked. Black cutworm is an interesting insect in that it makes its way to MN courtesy of low pressure systems that pull Gulf air northwards. The black cutworm moths fall out of the systems and look for places to mate and lay eggs. As the Boy Entomologist points out, this is likely the moth that Kirby the Kestrel was dining on at Target Field. After finding several larvae while planting, this will likely necessitate a trip to Edna’s to purchase some chemical control products if there are none in the shed. While some might be aghast at the suggestion of using chemical control, after planting 140 hills between squash, pumpkins, gourds and melons, I’ll be darned if I’m gonna let them mess it up.

The birds are still coming through and those that are here are making themselves at home. An orchard oriole was singing from high atop the ash tree. The song was similar to the Baltimore oriole but enough different so it made me look to see who it was. A little smaller than the Baltimore but marked similarly except that where the male Baltimore is orange, the orchard oriole is chestnut brown. Checking the fence at the kindly neighbors found the bluebirds still hanging around their chosen nesting box. Will need to check it soon to see what’s in it. The common yellowthroat has been busy doing the little “witchity- witchity” call from the same thicket frequented by the wrens when they’re not busy stuffing bird houses full of twigs. A warbling vireo has shown up or not shown up as the case may be. One can sure hear it but seeing it through all these leaves takes some doing. The catbird and brown thrasher tribe is the same way. The entire time garden planting was going on, they were having a contest to see who could make the most noises in the dogwood bushes. Equally as entertaining as listening to Clapton and Jimmy Page having a jam session.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.

The scurs were on target once again, delivering some midweek rain as well as the Sunday night shower. Is there more rain in the forecast? Only the scurs know for sure. Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a moderate chance of showers in the daylight hours and a better chance after dark. High of 70 and low of 55. Partly cloudy on Thursday, chance of lingering showers in the daytime, high of 75 and low of 50. Mostly cloudy on Friday, high of 75 and low of 55 with a slight chance of showers. Slightly warmer on Saturday with a slight chance of showers again. High of 80 and low of 60. Cloudy Sunday, high of 80 and low of 60 with a chance of showers. Monday and Tuesday, cloudy Monday becoming partly cloudy on Tuesday. A chance of showers both days. Highs of 70 – 75 and lows of 50 – 55. The normal high for June 5th is 78 and the normal low is 53 so we should see a fairly typical week temperature-wise. In anticipation that we’ve primed the pump, the scurs will be getting their lawnmower blades sharpened in preparation.

Definitely a good idea to get those blades sharpened as the grass in area lawns became tough after the highs in the 90’s last week pushed it to heading out seemingly in a matter of a day. It also pushed area crops along at a breakneck pace. There was some corn that yours truly was in as well as reports from some who had knee high corn already in some sheltered areas. This is almost unheard of for this time of year. Soybeans loved the heat as well with some early planted fields showing the first trifoliate. No soybean aphids yet but don’t worry, they’ll be here soon enough. The weeds are definitely there too with the rains that brought the beans out of the ground bringing the weeds along with. Small grain reached the boot stage in many fields, some peas were starting to flower and first cutting hay progress is well ahead of schedule. The rains that fell have been welcome not only for the row crops but for hayfields and pastures as well. We’ve been getting by on rain but haven’t had an overabundance. At the ranch we’ve tallied 2.34" for the month, only .02” more than May one year ago. Fortunately we’ve had more subsoil moisture to go on thus far.

Area gardens were also been blessed with the recent rains. At the ranch, sweet corn, Indian corn and cucumbers planted on the 24th were emerging on the 30th. The cutworms mentioned last week did manage to cut off one hill of muskmelons before action was taken but the rabbits were able to gnaw off another couple hills before an additional hunk of fence was erected. How do you know it wasn’t cutworms but rather 4-legged pests? Simple actually. Typically cutworms will cut the plant stem off leaving the above ground portion whereas rabbits, woodchucks, squirrels, deer, etc., will consume the entire thing leaving the stump. Pestilence aside, the transplants withstood the heat relatively well but with one more day in the 90’s the garden hose would’ve been required.

In the road ditches the yellow goatsbeard or western salsify is blooming. These are the plants that later have the seed heads resembling those of a dandelion on steroids. Lots of cottonwood fuzz causing ones nose to itch when it came in contact with it. It also was noticeable on area lakes where the wind hadn’t worked the water into a froth. Usually for Memorial Day we have lilacs to put on gravesites but this time around they’re all done. However there are lots of beautiful iris such as those seen at E.N.’s southeast of Waseca last week.

Not much new in the bid department this week although the robins were kept busy feeding their offspring. Young robins appear to be bottomless pits when it comes to eating. Climbing the ladder in the barn to remove a sparrow nest could look down to see the tiny pink baby robins in the mud and grass bowl leftover from a year ago. There was a good reason the parents were coming back there with mouthfuls of food. Hummingbirds keep the nectar feeders hopping as do the orioles. Luckily the male oriole has given up on flying into the window for now. He occasionally still lands on the screen but is soon off to wherever. The female must have completed the nest as the string left out for her has stopped disappearing.

Do you become as frustrated with all these techno gadgets as I do? My cell phone has a mind of its own, changing from ring tone to vibrate all by itself without warning. It also has selective memory. When someone is called or has called, sometimes it decides it really didn’t need to store that number. The confuser plays even more games sometimes behaving like a citizen, other times deciding it doesn’t really care what you want it to do or doing it whenever it gets around to it. It also has selective memory and will delete people from lists only to get a panicked call from someone wondering why they haven’t been receiving e-mails. And finally there’s the wonderful indoor-outdoor thermometer. It too decides that it wants to change of its own volition. Looking at it on one of those hot days, it said it was 31.4 degrees outside. Now, I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed but after being out in the heat all day I knew better than that. Upon closer inspection, it had changed everything over to Celsius. Rather than try to recall how to do the conversion I found the frequently referred to instruction manual and after rubbing my head while jumping up and down 10 times, then clicking my ruby slippers, I got it back to Fahrenheit mode. Sometimes wonder if we wouldn’t be better off without all this junk? We’d save a lot of time looking for instruction manuals that’s for sure. Oh yeah, to convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit, multiply the temp in Celsius by 9, divide by 5 and add 32 to the result. See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Oh Ruby, don't take your love to town...

The scurs determined we’ve definitely primed the pump last week and this week? Looks like more of the same. Starting with Wednesday, partly cloudy, high of 80 and low around 60. Thursday, mostly cloudy with an increasing chance of rain by the evening hours. High of 75 – 80 and low of 65. Partly cloudy becoming mostly cloudy by evening with an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms for both Friday and Saturday. Warmer with highs near 85 and lows of 65. Sunday, partly cloudy and cooler. High of 75 and low of 60. Monday and Tuesday, cloudy, highs of 70 – 75 and lows of 50 – 55. Chance of showers both days. The normal high for June 12th is 80 and the normal low is 55. We will only gain about 2 more minutes of daylight from June 12th until the summer solstice. The scurs are sure to be soaking up every minute of sunshine they can while sipping Piña colada’s poolside.

The rains we were hoping for in April and May have finally arrived in June. The situation was similar last year and we garnered a tad over 5” of rain at the ranch in June of ’09. Crop development is still looking good even though we slipped some on GDU’s compared to the prior week. Corn last week had 5 collars showing in most fields and soybeans were showing their first fully expanded trifoliate. Small grains headed out and this week we should see pollination taking place. Alfalfa has benefitted from the recent rains and it appears the 2nd cutting should be decent if the rains continue. The only fly in the ointment from the rain has been the delay in completing field operations like spraying and baling. One can see some weed pressure from the road in places and there were plenty of brown windrows noted across the area last week. All things considered though, the crops look about as good as one can expect for the calendar date. Toss in a little heat as is forecast and with the moisture we’ve received, things will really take off.

At the ranch, the new SnowSweet apple tree is doing well although it just about got watered before the rains came. The peach tree continues to amaze. After planting it, was thinking I might be wasting my time. It was just a twig with a peach pit on the roots and the leaves were drying up. Planted it anyway just to see what would happen, With the spring rush had forgotten to look at it for awhile and even though it had been watered early on a couple times, was not expecting to find it alive. Much to my surprise, when I did look at it, it was thriving. The twig was covered with new leaves and there were some new lateral branches forming. Having never seen a peach tree in person, about the closest description of the leaves is they resemble that of a willow. Looks like maybe we’d better start selling peach contracts.

In the garden, everything is moving along but perhaps a little more slowly than first thought with some cooler weather this past weekend. Potatoes are starting to flower and the sugar snap peas are loving the rain and cooler conditions. The weeds are doing splendidly so it will take some drier days to get them under control once again.

There apparently is a pair of orioles nesting someplace close by. Haven’t discovered a nest in the yard but both male and female can be seen at the jelly feeder. The hummers have been active although would doubt they’re nesting here. No matter, they should have plenty of flowers to keep them occupied for the summer in addition to the nectar feeders. The tree swallows are largely taken for granted until one sees them and the barn swallows sweeping the pasture as the sheep graze their way around it. Insect control the way nature intended it.

It was a weekend we’d been waiting for. We had spoken for another red and white Border Collie puppy from the same breeder Lucy was from so we were wondering when the sun, the moon and the stars would align to make a pick up possible. Turned out an agility dog trainer had also purchased a pup and would be in Wadsworth IL at an agility trial on her way home near Green Bay. The breeder had asked her if she might be interested in bringing our puppy to the trial and she graciously said yes. As luck would have it, another agility dog puppy needed to be delivered to a couple in Zumbro Falls. Wadsworth IL is north of Chicago but this offered an opportunity to get our puppy at 8 weeks of age, when she would be at her cutest and probably most impressionable. We made the trip and by Saturday night little Ruby had landed at the ranch.

These are some incredibly intelligent dogs. Within the first 24 hours, Ruby knew her name although I think some of the crew at the agility trial had already been playing with her and calling her by name. Difficult to leave something that cute alone for very long without holding or playing with it. She came when called and already would go to the door and whine when she needed to go out for potty time. It hasn’t been all business though. There’s been plenty of exploration time, play time and after play time, nap time as even those puppy batteries need to be recharged after a workout. She got acquainted with Gus who tolerated her except if he felt she was getting into his space a little too much for his comfort. Changing the mower blades on Sunday was a hoot as both dogs were right on top of me, licking me and sticking their wet noses in my face. The more I giggled the goofier their antics became. It was more dog help than a person should be allowed to have.

See you next week…real good then.

[Jim Almquist]

Dotch we need to see a few pics of Ruby while she's a pup.

I will have to hide them from the wife or else she will want a new pet

[Dotch]

I know, have had several requests. Be sure to keep them secret or it can cost you some $'s. It did me!