Fencelines

[Dotch]

From the Aug. 30 edition of Fencelines:

"The scurs claimed deadly accuracy last week but I beg to differ. I was gone most of the week but returned to MN late Thursday afternoon. It rained Friday AM instead of Thursday but I guess close counts in horseshoes and weather forecasting. Most received precipitation somewhere in the 1.5” – 2” range. Looks like another week of ideal late summer weather ahead. Highs will remain relatively steady in the mid-70’s to low 80’s with lows in the mid-50’s to low 60’s. Best chances of precipitation are Wednesday and a very slight chance again possibly Saturday. The scurs are shopping for flannel shirts as a part of their morning attire.

The Twinkies are slipping slowly out of contention in the wild card race. Too bad they weren’t able to add some punch to their batting lineup. There’s always next year and would look for Terry Ryan to go after a stick or two in the free agent market. Short of trading away pitching, the Twins have little to offer. The Viqueens have improved on defense and should contend for the division title. With whom I’m not sure.

Saturday I had to get critter supplies in Hope so made a quick jaunt there before going to the Great Minnesota Get Together. Such a gorgeous day and was noting the sumac and odd soybean field beginning to show some color. Went by the Belted Galloway cattle in the pasture north of Ellendale and slowed down to admire their spring calf crop. Only trouble was, some of the calf crop was on the wrong side of the fence in the road ditch. Had an idea whose they were so dropped in to mention they were out. The owner was in the barn milking yet but his dad was out playing with the skid loader. Made a quick introduction and explained the situation. He was grateful and like all good farmers, concerned first that someone could get hurt. He went to inform his son. Would’ve been a shame to see those beautiful calves hurt or worse, too. Next time by the pasture, everyone was exactly where they were supposed to be. Like our Border Cheviot sheep, Belted Galloway’s have their origins in Scotland. Check out this HSOforum at: http://www.beltie.org/history.html

The yard is full of goldfinch babies. How can I tell? Well, for starters, there are a lot of goldfinches with fuzzy little heads that apparently are just learning to fly. Their crash landings on the thistle sock are rather comical. The adults are busy sampling the sunflowers that are ripe, leaving behind the hulls on the backside of the heads. The hummers are becoming more numerous; there are at least 4. There is still an oriole or two around that come to the feeder.

The pond has been an attraction for waterfowl lately. Almost always a heron down there but counted over 100 ducks between black ducks, blue-winged teal and mallards on Sunday. Walking across the pasture some 200 yards away with binoculars trained on the wetland, I nearly turned an ankle on a rock. Suddenly the ducks that had been segregated swam quickly to the middle of the pond. Odd, as I was still relatively far off. Suddenly I realized what had spooked them as I spied the intruder in the binoculars: a marsh hawk was flying over the pond. He paid no attention to the ducks and came to rest in a tree a fair distance away. Within minutes, order was restored to the pond and the ducks returned to their dabbling and quacking. While gardening Monday about dusk, was fascinated to watch from 50 yards as a group of 25 honking, giant Canada geese flew past, set their wings, and glided silently as they made their approach to the pond. They disappeared below the hill but could hear the distinct sound of their splashdown seconds later in the calm, crisp evening air. Nature’s aircraft at its finest and another sign that autumn truly is just around the corner.

Gus decided to spit his last heartworm pill out several times. Reminds me of a young lad growing up who used to hide his vitamin pills in various spots around the house rather than swallow them. When asked why the 5 year old replied, “Guess I just got tired of fighting with them.” It’s not anyone you’d know.

Was fortunate to be a part of the Pro Farmer Crop Tour last week for the second year. I serve as tour crop consultant and am called upon to answer technical questions like “Which area restaurant has the best pie for dessert?” Seriously, since I have a background in bugs, weeds, and plant diseases I get to put some of my experience to good use. The tour is a marathon not a sprint. The eastern leg starts in OH on a Monday, runs through IN, IL & IA on consecutive days and ends up in Owatonna Thursday night. It does tend to tire one out after a week of getting up at 4 or 5 AM and working until midnight or after. Back at work in front of the confuser Friday afternoon, my eyes began to flutter and that meant only one thing: time to go home and take a nap.

Once home, I proceeded to stretch out on my favorite couch. Soon after falling fast asleep, the phone rang and you guessed it, it was one of those @%*# telemarketers. So as a result of that and as a public service, am listing the number of the national “Do Not Call List”. It is: 1-888-382-1222. Or to register online, go to: http://www.ftc.gov/donotcall/ and follow the instructions listed there. The sign up is good for 5 years and it is linked to Minnesota’s Do Not Call List. While it won’t stop all the telemarketers’ nonsense, it will take a good portion of them out of your hair. There then, that oughta teach ‘em for messin’ with my nap.

See you next week…real good then."

[Dotch]

9/5/05

The scurs wrung over an inch of rain of their slight chance of rain for Saturday. Some areas near Faribault were well over 3”. Let’s hope this week isn’t the washout it could be as rain is in the forecast every day through Friday along with a slight chance again Sunday. Look for highs midweek in the mid 70’s and lows around 60. It’ll warm up Friday to 80 then to the middle 80’s for the weekend along with lows in the mid to low 60’s. Normal highs are in the mid 70’s and lows are in the lower 50’s. A cool down is a real possibility about the middle of the month prior to the Full Moon on the 18th. The scurs are saying no frost in that timeframe however. The scurs obviously haven’t considered getting their red Dodge Peon winterized yet.

What a storm on Saturday night! Lightning was sharp and did some damage here at the ranch. Blew the fencer fuses and fried the submersible pump in our well. Was afraid of that when watering the sheep Sunday AM and the water slowed to a trickle. After replacing the fuses in the fuse box and trying to see if it would reset (it didn’t), called the well company and they were there within an hour. After pulling the pump there was no doubt when looking at it what had happened. It had been warmed up rapidly. Guess I would’ve rather the fencer got zapped and changed the fuses for the pump. All part of the joy of living in the country. No one ever said it was cheap or easy.

Neighbor David’s grandsons were on hand to unload hay about the same time the well man was here which complicated matters somewhat. Any way you slice it, I was probably more in the way than I was helping. Some people run down young folks these days but when you come down to the barn and see half a load of hay already unloaded, you won’t hear any complaints from me. I had a mess on my hands and they along with the young well man made it go a lot smoother than I ever would’ve imagined. All of them knew how to work and made short work of the task at hand.

Just when the Twins start to get our hopes back up, they lose an important game. Has been their M.O. all season. On the bright side, they won’t lose any playoff games to the Yankees this way. Will leave that up to the White Sox. Too bad both teams can’t lose! Meanwhile we’re all pinning our hopes on the Vikings and Gophers. Both teams are fresh off wins even though the Vikes win was a preseason number and the Gophers could’ve sleep walked against Tulsa and won. We’ll see what happens when the 16 game regular season starts for coach Tice & Co. and what kind of a Big Ten record Glen Mason’s Gophers post before we start talking bowl games.

Am thinking I should put up a bulk bin for thistle seed the way the goldfinches are eating it. They cleaned out several of the sunflower heads last week too. Hope they don’t get into the house! Some wrens still attempting to sing but not able to pull off the full-fledged song the way they do in June. One male oriole at the feeder as of Monday. A blue jay calling and the krenk! krenk! krenk! of a nuthatch had to be telling the oriole that his days here in the northland are soon coming to a close.

Happy 80th birthday to my Mom on the 7th! Bringing up 5 kids as she did it’s amazing she lasted this long. Of course we were always good though. We never threw any eggs at each other, never put firecrackers in the trash before she burned it or scared the daylights out of her with our latest wounds. She became wise to our ways though regarding that last one. Can remember working on a 4-H booth one time at the neighbors. The moms were working inside and we older boys were working out in the garage with some power tools. We ran across some red grease that could’ve passed for blood so we decided to try the old fake injury routine. Wrapped my hand in a rag and coated it good, then we went inside to see what kind of reaction we’d get. The other moms gasped in horror when they saw the wrapped appendage but Mom wasn’t buying it. She quickly dismissed our attempt at humor, told us to quit goofing around and get back to work, much to the amazement of the others. “How did you know?” They asked. “Seen that one before.” she replied as they went back to work and we disappointedly slunk back to the garage to see what other mischief we could get into. Happy Birthday Mom!

Ran across a golden garden spider or black and yellow garden spider in one of the planters at the Mall for Men the other day. These large, showy spiders are fairly common in gardens, fields and areas sheltered from the wind. The female in the planter is nearly 1 ½” across and has a black & yellow pattern on her back. Despite their large size, they are harmless to humans. These are orb web spinning spiders meaning they build their web in a circular pattern. Their eyesight is poor so they detect prey by the vibrations they make on their web. They eat primarily flying insects including grasshoppers, flies, bees, wasps and apparently butterflies. Found the silk wrapped body of a red admiral in the planter. The males are about half the size of the female and live on a smaller web on the edge of her web. After the spiders mate, the female lays the eggs on the edge of her web and covers them with a papery sac. The sac may be an inch across and contain as many as a thousand eggs. Shortly afterwards, the female dies. The baby spiders hatch in the fall but stay in the egg case over winter, dispersing in the spring. Another of the creatures one might run across in the fenceline.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

9/12/05

The scurs called it right again last week as we experienced several rainy days or evenings. Totals in the greater Bugtussle area didn’t amount to much over .5”- .75” for the week but it allowed us to avoid watering the flowers at the Mall for Men. We probably saw some of the last of our upper 80’s and low 90’s type weather for the season over the weekend. That’s okay as there is no award for being the first one done combining despite what some may think. After early week rains, the weather will plateau into a very pleasant, seasonal pattern. Starting Wednesday, look for highs through Tuesday in the low to mid-70’s with lows in the mid to low 50’s. Next week may usher in a wet spell but still no frost on the horizon. The scurs are not ready to stop sunbathing at Beaver Lake and trade in their flip-flops for ice cleats just yet.

Frost is sometimes common around a full moon but it appears we will likely skate by with ease this year. The full moon this September is on the 18th and is known most commonly as the Full Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon is the full moon that occurs closest to the autumnal equinox, which is September 22nd. Two out of out of three years, the Harvest Moon falls in September, but due to the 29-day lunar month vs. the calendar month, it occurs in October the rest of the time. Crops developed and tended by the Indians such as corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice are nearing maturity and will be ready for harvest by months end. In fact, the Ojibwe called this moon the Rice Moon. The Sioux were a bit wordier, calling it the “moon of the drying grass” (warm season prairie grasses mature and go dormant in September) or the “moon when the buffalo calves grow hair”. With heating prices expected to go through the roof, am contemplating growing some hair myself.

Crops have progressed rapidly with the weekend warmth. Leaf drop was nearly complete in some soybean fields on Monday morning and would expect to see combines rolling soon, weather permitting. Some fields of early soybeans have been harvested and reports are encouraging. . Now that the soybeans have turned and the soybean aphids are leaving them for the buckthorn, the multi-colored Asian ladybird beetles have made their presence known around farmyards already. Had lots crawling on me while mowing lawn this weekend. Like ordering a ginsu knife on TV, just wait, there’s more. Ears are beginning to drop down on some of the early planted, early maturing corn hybrids and some fields have black-layered. Silage harvest has been progressing, as well it should. Warm, breezy conditions can rapidly take the moisture content of corn plants lower than desired for proper ensiling. Sweet corn yields are outstanding which generally translates into outstanding field corn yields.

Stick a fork in the Twins. To borrow a line from Cubbies fans, “There’s always next year.” Great college football weekend though, summed up as follows: the Gophers won, while Michigan, Ohio State, and the Hawkeyes all lost. The offensive line and Daunte laid an egg in the Vikings stinkeroo loss vs. Tampa Bay making his grumbling about a new contract a moot point. Hey, at least their defense and kicking game was better. Fortunately, the entire NFC North appears to be pretty anemic, this was just one game and the Vikes offense should get better. Lord knows they couldn’t play much worse.

Was surprised to look out and see no birds at the feeder on Saturday. Could hear the sparrows and finches shrieking as something was awry. A male marsh hawk or northern harrier flew out of the ash by the house, then to an Austrian pine, then out of the yard. Hope he had one of the sparrows over for lunch. A few minutes later, all was well again and feeding at the thistle tube resumed. Finally retired the oriole feeder for the season. Didn’t see or hear the oriole this week so replaced the feeder with one those pesky ladybugs can’t crawl into. The hummingbirds are still thick and have taken a shine to the impatiens as well as the salvia in the pots at the Mall for Men. Saw my first white lined sphinx moth of the season on the impatiens too. Had expected them sooner but was probably getting antsy just like some farmers I know.

The bakery has been sold and Elmer and Marilyn can retire. Our local Bandwagon star has also retired. Not from Bandwagon but from his regular place of employment. Rumor in the hood is that Elmer and the aforementioned Bandwagon Star will be spending lots of time fishing or at least that’s what they’ll tell their wives.

Just a “Thank you” to several kind readers who commented they’d enjoyed what we’d written over the past month or so. Never sure just exactly what kind of reaction we’ll get after sending the column to print but generally try to stay with a formula of topics rural folks can relate to. In light of that, have instructed my agent to meet with new editor Jim after I feel he’s sufficiently recovered to hammer out another new contract, ala Daunte. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Jim consult with former editor LaVonne who knows what a tough negotiating customer I can be. Still living off all those free New Richland Star pens I’ve been reselling. Yeah, I know. Sounds more like Mike Tice, doesn’t it?

See you next week…real good then.

[fishface5]

You got some catchin up to do! PLEASE

[Steve Foss]

Yeah, Dotch, like TWO MONTHS!

[Dotch]

LOL! OK, you win. Here are some Thanksgiving leftovers. Careful tho, think I really flubbed the forecast. Starting tonite & tomorrow, we are likely to get wet here in the southland. Birds seem to be feeding with additional energy this AM. Enjoy!

11/14/05

After dodging the winter storm bullet the scurs are thinking there’s more to this weather forecasting game than meets the eye. Last week’s rainfall amounted to about .3” and with a couple inches of melted snow to go along with it, it’s downright muddy in these parts. There should be very little in the way of precipitation for this upcoming week but unfortunately the Thanksgiving forecast will be cooler than earlier anticipated. Normal highs are in the mid- 30’s and lows in the upper teens. For this week look for highs in the low to mid-30’s and lows the mid to upper teens. Thanksgiving Day will be cool and breezy with a wind out of the N-NW, with alternating sun and clouds. The scurs suggest setting the grill on the south side of the house for all you turkey-grilling aficionados.

Fields are pretty greasy in parts of the area and have brought the application of anhydrous ammonia to a crawl across much of Greater Bugtussle. It’s slowed fall tillage as well but given some frozen ground conditions for additional traction, there may still be a window of opportunity. It’s tough to get the soil to dry much this time of year with short, cloudy, cool days like we’ve had this past week.

Lots of bird activity with cooler conditions and snowfall. The red-bellied woodpecker has become a regular along with several big, fat mourning doves who clean up the ground around the feeders. Even the pheasants were active with a group of six roosters and a hen making their way across the pasture to better cover in the CRP.

Gopher’s football team’s season ends on a down note after a 52-28 drubbing at the hands of the Hawkeyes. Anyone but the Hawkeyes. The men’s’ hockey team fared better gaining a tie on Friday night and coming up with a win on Saturday night. The Vikings outdoors on grass at Lambeau in November? Never a good sign for our hothouse flowers as Morgan Mundane used to call them. 3 points is 3 points though.

Sunday was a day to get the duck decoys off the pond. Not much going on down there save a group of seven pheasants that flew up as I pulled the cart slowly up the berm and towards the frozen in decoys. Was wearing my waders and neoprene gloves, as I wasn’t sure just what kind of ice conditions we’d encounter. While it cracked under my weight it didn’t break so was able to walk out the each one and dislodge them with relative ease. Some were keel side up so the ducks would’ve had to be flying upside down to be fooled by those. Finally got the last one picked up around sundown and trundled back up the hill, another waterfowling season likely in the books. The decoys are still in the cart just in case the weather breaks.

The sheep come home from the pasture once again as the cycle repeats itself. Red and white Border collie Lucy took control of matters right away and the sheep were in the barn within minutes of our arrival. Was starting to look like we’d make record time loading out. However, the sheep had other ideas when it came to hopping into the trailer. After deciding they weren’t going to cooperate, I managed to cobble together a couple hog panel gates to squeeze them down and force them into the trailer. Little did I know that while I was moving the panels around, my cell phone had become dislodged.

After closing the door on the trailer I noticed it was missing. Looking around the area I discovered it had done a one and a half gainer into the water bucket and was submerged in 8” of water. Somehow, the battery had become separated from the flip phone when it was torn loose. “Gosh! Gee whiz!” I said to myself as I put the phone in the defroster vent on the pickup and continued to pick up the remainder of the equipment before we took off for home. Left the truck running with the phone still drying while I let the sheep into the home pasture then proceeded to use the old hair dryer trick to finish drying out the phone. Surprise of surprises, the dumb thing still works. Only thing I’ve noticed is people sound like they’re gurgling when they’re talking to me.

Happy Thanksgiving from Gus, Lucy, the sheep, Mrs. Cheviot and yours truly.

See you next week…real good then.

[fishface5]

Now That's the NEWS! Thanks Dotch.

[Dotch]

All the news that's prit to fint...

The scurs are smarting after Mother Nature decided to turn on the faucet and turn up the temperature one more time before winter officially sets in. November was a windy month but on the bright side, it probably blew those leaves you put off raking onto the neighbors yard so it became a moot point. This week will offer a little variety, with some snow on Wednesday and Thursday to usher in December then dry until Sunday, with snow possible again early next week. Look for highs in the mid-20’s and lows from 10 – 15 on Wednesday, single digits Thursday night, then find lows creeping back into the teens through the weekend. Sunday through Tuesday offers highs near 20 and lows in the low to mid-teens. Normal highs are in the low 30’s and lows are in the mid-teens. Dressed in holiday wear, the scurs are scouring the Christmas tree lots looking for that perfect specimen.

The Gopher men’s hockey team took on #1 Michigan and beat them soundly on the Wolverine’s home ice. The next night they tied Michigan State on their ice so all in all, not a bad weekend’s work. How ‘bout them Vikes? Opie steers them to their 4th win in a row and they’re actually over .500. Keeping those feet still and unloading the ball quickly while picking apart the defense seems to be working. Special thanks to the Detroit Lions who helped many on Thanksgiving Day (including yours truly) take a power nap, knowing full well when they awoke that absolutely nothing had been missed on the tube anyway.

Some have taken the ice already in order to try their hand at ice fishing. Not a good idea in most places but where the water is only waist deep, there’s just no stopping some folks. St. Olaf and Beaver Lakes were still wide open yet as of this writing. That will likely change soon given the forecast but it will be awhile until the ice is safe on those bodies of water, especially Beaver where waterfowl may keep it open awhile.

Thanksgiving Day was able to actually see the birds at the feeder during midday. Saw a couple mourning doves, several goldfinches, white-breasted nuthatches, a lone female red-bellied woodpecker, blue jays, juncos, and some downies. While turning into the field with the load of manure I’d been looking for (the last one) around sundown Saturday, a rooster pheasant popped out of the ditch, the day’s fading light reflecting off his bronze breast.

Some of the little fat buddies and I attended meetings in the Cities lately and were astounded by the incredible growth and expansion of Morristown. The only reason we could determine was that due to the phenomenal bullhead fishing, Iowegians had chosen the area for their summer cottages.

Looks like most of the fieldwork is done for the year as the ground has become too muddy following Monday’s rain and will likely become hard as a rock if the forecast holds up. The last anhydrous ammonia applied prompted calls concerning poor sealing and just going on lousy in general. At nearly $.25/lb., one can ill afford to allow the gas to escape into the atmosphere. Better to wait until spring, do it once and do it right.

Noticed the number of ladybugs dwindling in the house as of late. Found a large cache containing hundreds of them in the barn the other day while moving some bales. Some may be dismayed that their hibernating spot was disturbed, as those insects are unlikely to survive. They are more than welcome to come and rescue them and while they’re at it, they can have our houseguests too, as long as they take the lone boxelder bug.

The annual Barn Cleaning Festival is over for yet another year and the toys all put away in anticipation of next years bash. Still, I always manage to save a little for seed in the lean-to in case someone really wants to take me up on my long-standing “Get in Shape After the Holidays” special. What a great to burn off those Halloween and Thanksgiving calories. All exercise equipment and refreshments provided and best of all, there’s no charge. Just think of what you’d have to pay for an opportunity like this at a health club!

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

News from Bugtussle as you warm your bones by the fire...

Once again the wily scurs caught the essence of the week’s forecast (cold). Anyone notice the slight dip in the mosquito and deer fly populations? While it got colder than anticipated, it’s conditioning us for more cold to come. The roughly 5” of snow here will keep a lid on temperatures temporarily. Look for highs of around 10 –15 Wednesday, 15 on Thursday then warming to 20 –25 on Friday. Lows in the same timeframe will start out at –5 on Wednesday, reach 5 above Thursday night and skyrocket to 15 above for Friday night. Saturday should usher in a break in the cold with highs around 30 through next Tuesday and lows around 20 during that period. The scurs are glad they knitted themselves warm mufflers this summer while at the beach. That and they became babe magnets as a result.

Speaking of weather, in Extension Climatologist Mark Seeley’s latest Weather Talk he makes mention of a change in the method the National Weather Service uses to measure wind speed. Instead of using the cup type anemometers, they are switching to sonic anemometers that emit sound waves to detect wind speed. The advantage is that the increment of time measured is every 3 seconds whereas the cup anemometer an interval of about 5 seconds. While it probably won’t make a difference in the two-minute average wind speed, it may make a significant difference in the peak gusts or wind speed reported. As Mark points out, we may see more gusts in excess of 40 mph. Sounds like we should have one of these installed inside the Mall for Men.

Late last week a rather tall gent who frequents our establishment told a tale of his trip to Cabela's and an encounter he had there while purchasing a flashlight. Turns out there was another gentleman who was apparently looking for the exact same thing. His name? None other than the “Old Trapper” himself, Harry Peter “Bud” Grant. Not every day someone from Bugtussle can claim they’ve spoken with such a celebrity, let alone use the same kind of flashlight.

Was a busy Saturday playing farmer as snow had to be moved and a ram that was leased returned from a pasture near Chatfield where he had been working. Tough job! The fellow who returned him was about my age and inquired if I had some lambs for the freezer. Just so happened I did. After much huffing and puffing, we loaded the last one in the trailer. We decided we either needed to catch lambs more often or get a lot better at convincing someone else to do it.

Later that morning a couple gentlemen I knew clad in blaze orange stopped to ask permission to hunt deer with their muzzleloaders in the CRP. Was more than happy to oblige them. Both had asked before but stopping in the yard and asking again prior to going out there was a class act in my book. Too many times one hears or reads only about hunters trespassing on land they have no permission to hunt on. This was not the case and it’s good to report some positive news about hunters. Don’t think the deer were present but hope the fellers enjoyed their walk anyway.

Bird watching was a delight after the snow and the hoar frost of Sunday morning. Goldfinch numbers roughly doubled but it was hard to tell as active as they were. The red-bellied woodpecker is a bird after my own heart. It eats and eats then crawls up the tree out of the wind to take what appears to be an after dinner nap. The pheasants were in the yard again too as their tracks were everywhere including under the shrubs around the house. Most noticeable were two hens in the crabapple tree. Now, this is a small tree, about 5’ tall and with rather spindly branches. Had to laugh at the two who were trying to get at the fruit out on the ends of the branches, very unsuccessfully as the limbs were nearly breaking under their weight. They must’ve heard me laughing as they made the glide from their perch atop the hill to the neighbor’s CRP.

Wrapped the nannyberry and serviceberry shrubs in the yard so the bunnies won’t destroy them. As I did, a hen pheasant came zipping out of the sharp-needled, prickly pine I hate to mow around. Stupid tree may serve a purpose other than annoying me after all. After taking a nature walk late Sunday afternoon to the pond area and across the pasture, I heard a familiar sound up high: geese honking. There were about a hundred Canada’s in a “V”, the low-angle sun catching their undersides in tones reminiscent of a Terry Redlin painting as they highballed their way south. Later, as I finished the chores (that’s “chorse” for all you Swedes), I heard another group fly over. The sun set like a huge maraschino cherry then disappeared beneath the horizon as I made my way across the barnyard to the house, marveling at the beauty that had been Sunday.

PS – Thanks for the cookies Lorraine!

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Hawks and doves...the real kind.

Balmy Saturday temperatures had the scurs thinking about donning their scuba gear. Given the open water in places on area lakes, they could still find places to use it to look for people’s snowmobiles. Temperatures for the week will gradually decline with highs starting Wednesday around 30 and declining to the mid-teens by the weekend, remaining through early next week. Lows in that same timeframe will start at 20 Wednesday night and drop gradually to around 5 by Friday and stay there through Tuesday. Snow will occur on Wednesday of this week with accumulations in the 3” – 5” range, finding the scurs once again scrounging for carrots and the leftover lumps of coal from last year’s Christmas stockings.

Unfortunately the Full Cold or Long Night’s moon on the 15th will likely be under the clouds so it shan’t help them much to admire their snow sculpture. It is indeed the Full Moon in which winter nights are the longest with only 9 hours of daylight occurring under its auspices on December 21st in Greater Bugtussle. In Indian lore, the Ojibwe referred to this moon as the Small Spirits Moon and the Sioux as always were more descriptive, calling this moon the Moon of Popping Trees/When Deer Shed Their Antlers/Buffalo Cow’s Fetus is Getting Large. Wonder if the Indians were getting their seed catalogs about now, hoping that days would become longer in anticipation of the upcoming year’s garden?

Slowly but surely the ladybugs keep disappearing from the ceiling and have most likely collected in the light fixtures for future removal. Household tip: Turning lights off not only saves energy but it keeps the ladybugs out of sight and out of mind.

Saturday morning there was a hawk that zipped by the overhead barn door in a blur during morning chores a couple times attempting to pick off some sparrows. All the birds clung pretty tight to their cover for the rest of the day. Judging by the speed, size, shape and brown color, would venture to guess it was an immature sharp shinned hawk. It was so quick and the look I got at it was so brief, I couldn’t swear to it. Sunday AM a hairy woodpecker from putting in her first appearance and in the afternoon, a rooster pheasant gawked from the sumac on the road cut. 16 mourning doves were spotted cleaning up under the feeders as well. Birdies got their very own heated birdbath over the weekend but still haven’t seen them use it yet. Know they have been because I spotted a tiny soap on a rope with an itty-bitty bath brush lying beside it.

Was a group of 30 or so geese feeding in a field to the east and they created quite a ruckus when they lifted off, heading for open water. At least the birdbath was there for them. After procuring more tree wrap, finished wrapping the last of the trees as the bunnies looked on. Much to their chagrin, the area is devoid of weedy vegetation in which to hide, making them an easier target for the great horned owls heard hooting from a fenceline perch tree while finishing Monday night’s chorse.

Had some great hockey action to watch over the weekend when the Gopher men swept North Dakota State’s Fighting Sioux at Grand Forks. Despite the youth of the Gopher’s team, they should be there when it comes playoff time. The once despised Vikings have reeled off 6 in a row making everyone sorry for all those mean things they said about them. (Yeah right) At least they didn’t roll over and play dead, which given the circumstances, could’ve easily happened. Gopher men’s hoops came away with a couple impressive wins. With Vincent Grier back and Moe Hargrow getting healthy again, they could also surprise anyone who takes them lightly. The Big Ten is tough, again.

Perusing the TV channels during these sporting events, I spotted an ad for a fast food sandwich that was made with marble rye. Don’t know why but I developed a sudden urge to stock up on large cans of Beefarino and drive a Handsome Cab. And, after seeing an ad for Christmas Vacation, am also hoping the New Richland Star gives me that Jelly of the Month Club membership that I always look forward to while relaxing by my pool. Oh yeah, Happy Festivus!

See you next week…real good then.

[buzzsaw]

Quote:

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Had some great hockey action to watch over the weekend when the Gopher men swept North Dakota State’s Fighting Sioux at Fargo. Despite the youth of the Gopher’s team, they should be there when it comes playoff time.

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Dotch, join us in the Hockey forum... lots of good banter, good guys that cheer for Minnesota and ND!

[Dotch]

Thanks Buzz, will have to do that. I lurk there once in awhile and am amused by what I've seen. While I never played the game (ala Howad Co Sell) I have been a Gopher hockey fan since my late 70's college days at the U when Herbie and the Miracle on Ice boys were there. Used to go to the games in the old arena sometimes when a JV buddy had some tickets. Since we got our dish a few years ago, it's pretty easy to figure out what we're going to do on Friday and Saturday nights. BTW, got my rump chewed by a ND buddy for my grave error: the Sioux play in GF. My bad!

[buzzsaw]

[buzzsaw]

Looking for a good place to see or photograph birds? Check this out.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ecological_services/nongame/projects/iba_sites.html

[Dotch]

Thanks buzz! Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Scurs have been awaiting this week to start their Christmas shopping. Being of the male persuasion, there is no reason to rush. Besides, knowing in advance that the temperatures are going to warm up only reinforces their procrastination. For Wednesday we should see highs around 25 and lows of 10 –15. For Thursday and Friday highs will be 30 – 35 and lows will be near 20. For Saturday highs will top out near 40 and lows will remain near 20. There is a slight chance of snow or rain for Friday and Saturday. Christmas Day looks reasonably warm as well with a high near 35 and a low of 20. The scurs stockings will be hung by the fireplace with care, hoping the switches they received last year will not be there.

No Gopher hockey or basketball this past weekend so watched the Vikings disaster. Not fun. Fortunately there wasn’t just one thing that one could put their finger on that could entirely account for the loss; it was a team effort aside from perhaps the defense. I do know one thing though: Ed Hochuli and his officiating crew are probably off Mike Tice’s Christmas card list. They must’ve had sore wings after tossing all those flags and been tuckered from reviewing all those calls they were scratching their heads over.

While I don’t get too worked up about the Vikings anymore, it made for a great opportunity to get outside and hop on the snowshoes once again. At a balmy 8 degrees with a light 5 – 10 mph westerly breeze, conditions were perfect to venture across the snowdrifts and see what happened since we incurred Mother Nature’s wrath this past week. Checked out some bluebird houses and cleaned out some mouse nests, leaving the houses open until spring. Shuffled across the frozen surface of the pond noting that the snow layer was quite thin overall and the ice didn’t make any cracks about my weight. Lots of bunny tracks and relatively few pheasant tracks. No predator tracks however, which made my day.

With the recent snows there are signs the pheasants are having a little trouble finding food sources easily. While shoeing past the garden, it was evident they had been digging down to get at last summer’s sweet corn and not very successfully. Fortunately, many of them have set up shop in and around our yard. Once again, they spent an afternoon eating crabapples while checking out the ear corn feeder filled on Saturday. They also discovered the bright red berries on the bitter or bittersweet nightshade growing along the trunks of the Austrian pines. Sunday there were 4 hens and a rooster but there may be more. While it may be tempting to put corn out along the road for pheasants, remember that by doing so you are drawing them closer to traffic and becoming road-kill. Feeding them in a sheltered area where they are protected from above by brush and other obstructions is a far better solution.

All the birds were once again extremely active over the weekend. The goldfinches arrive before sun-up, usually greeting us on our way back in from chores. Saturday morning there was a robin in the ash by the barn. Would like to believe there will only be 3 snows on his tail but somehow after having lived in MN as long as I have, I have my doubts. Birds other than the pheasants were glad to see the above-mentioned corn. The red-bellied woodpecker enjoyed taking kernels one at a time into the tree to eat the germ out of them, return to grasp another one in their beaks and repeat the process. The juncos like the corn screenings in addition to their normal cleaning up under the feeders. The blue jays were absolutely in heaven too. Corn is one of their favorites. Added another suet feeder since it was so cold, much to the delight of the hairies and downies. Now they don’t have to squabble and take turns. The goldfinches used the birdbath too. Not to bathe in but to drink out of. Have made an effort to fill it daily and to keep it clean so that they have someplace to get a drink on these cold winter days.

In December, chore time has made for a chilly start to each day but one warms up fast when you keep moving. The brood ewes are getting plump and their heavy wool coats make it like bumping into a bunch of overstuffed chairs when hauling buckets of screenings or hay to the feeders. Gus and Lucy bark and run back and forth, keeping the woollies from sticking their heads through the fence to sneak a mouthful of grain. Can’t help but wonder what the poor folk are doing this time of day.

At the Mall for Men, we’re still busy planning our holiday shopping trips. Lots of time yet so no reason to become alarmed. And we’ve been studying material from reliable sources to keep our hearts healthy for the New Year. The healthiest thing we do however is to slow down for a spell, visit, smile and share a good laugh, things there are never enough of in this old world.

Merry Christmas!

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year...from a pheasant in a crabapple tree?

Sorry for the quality of the photo, shot thru a dirty window with a 3.2 mp Olympus. Oh well, it's the thought that counts, right?

[Dotch]

Gus, Lucy, & the sheep also wanted to express their Seasons Bleatings...

[Dotch]

From the heart of downtown Bugtussle...

The scurs were pleased to see the weather warm up as advertised. Can the use of mosquito repellent be far behind? This week’s weather promises to offer more of the same, something we can all appreciate after the cold start to the month of December. For the remainder of this week and through early next week, expect high temperatures to hover around that 30 degree mark and lows to remain in the mid-20 range. Friday offers the greatest chance for accumulating precipitation in the form of snow although there may some light drizzle here and there from mid- week on. The skies will remain cloudy however so the scurs have scheduled some time in the local tanning salon.

The warmer temps have met with approval by most people and animals. Anytime it’s 30 degrees on New Year’s Day at this latitude, we’ll take it. The squirrels in town have been actively barking in the trees after sleeping in through many of the cold days, something it was tempting to do as a human. Evidence of opossums and raccoons waking is apparent, as some appear to be sleeping on the edge of the road. Only bad thing about this weather as a livestock person is that this changeable weather always seems to trigger some pneumonia. It takes some additional bedding to keep the air and the livestock dry and clean in the barns. Oh well, the stuff wasn’t baled up to sit around in the hayloft for looks.

Think Bugtussle’s Mall for Men Panel of Experts got their Christmas shopping done once again in a timely fashion, before December 26th. If not, we’ll always think they should have. Now we can begin planning our Christmas shopping trips for next year just as we always do. We did stumble across one keen observation prior to the holidays: One could get locked inside Fleet Farm and probably have everything necessary for survival. Would be fun to try anyway. Gives one pause to wonder why they wasted all that money on the Biosphere Project?

The Viqueens playoff hopes were crushed Sunday night in their loss to the lowly Baltimore Ravens. Same Vikings, different year. Get your hopes up then dash them with a series of fumbles and bumbles. Beating da Bears on New Years Day might be one way for Mike Tice to cement his job for next season. Interesting to see what Zygi does. Oh well, the Gopher’s men’s and women’s hoops Big Ten season is just around the corner. And, the hockey team plays Thursday and Friday night again in the Dodge Holiday Classic at Mariucci. Hopefully it will start the ball rolling that will carry them to the 2006 Frozen Four.

Was nice of Steve M. to stop in the other day and confirm that I wasn’t seeing things. He and his wife also noted a sharp shinned hawk at their place not too long after I’d seen what I thought was one here. The warmer weather and snowmelt have contributed to erratic appearances of birds at the feeders as of late. More hawk activity too. Have seen several kestrels or sparrow hawks flitting around as well as some red-tailed hawks. Earlier in the week the birds at the feeder were going through seed like Christmas candy but as the week wore on and the snow revealed more of their natural food sources, suspect they were consuming more there.

Definitely seems to be the case with the pheasants. While they are sitting along the roads in the morning picking up grit, they don’t seem to be spending as much time in the yard as earlier. Was a thrill to see the wild turkeys at the in-laws this past weekend. A dozen or so jakes and young hens were at the feeders around 4 PM picking up the corn Barney had tossed out for them. There was also a group of older birds that passed by, walking through the yard and over to the shelter of some cover on the west side of the pasture. Of course the whole yard was full of songbirds including northern cardinals, something we rarely see at the ranch. A few more years and a few more bushes and trees planted perhaps.

Keep uncovering more ladybugs in the barn and granary. Guess I know why there aren’t as many in the house this winter. Where are those soybean aphids right now? Resting comfortably as eggs on the bud bracts of buckthorn trees. Will they be a problem next summer? If I knew that, I’d be enjoying lobster tail and sipping a long, cool drink at my little cabana on Cata Beach. Google it someday when you’re cold.

Have a safe and Happy New Year! Don’t drink and drive; get a designated driver. Fencelines needs all the warm-blooded readers it can get!

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

One good nap deserves another...

The scurs have saved many heating bill shekels as a result of the warmer than normal temperatures. While the clouds are making for some gloomy days, the temps continue to shorten the winter. Highs this week will slip slightly lower but will continue their above normal trend. Normal highs for this time of year are in the low 20’s with lows in the lower single digits. On Wednesday highs will be around 30 with lows of 15 to 20 with a chance of snow. For the remainder of the week, highs will be from 25 – 30 and lows around 15 with another chance of snow for Saturday. Back to 30’s for highs and lows between 15 and 20 for early next week. We may actually see the sun here again on Friday, but the scurs are taking no chances, having commandeered several of the red infrared heat lamps from the lambing barn.

Last Friday’s morning’s ice, snow and sleet mix caused power outages and led to the sky being lit up several times. Thought it was lightning but when there was no thunder, it made one suspicious. As I crossed the yard to the house after chores, the sky lit up again and off to the south, there were sparks being shot into the air like fireworks, reminiscent of the transformer fire at the Mall for Men last fall. On the way into work, the electrical wires were dancing up and down because of the ice & wind, something that’s never a good sign out here in the hinterlands.

The Gophers football team dropped their Music City bowl game against Virginia after building a 21 – 7 halftime lead. Mason’s contract extension was big news. The Gophers keep making baby steps towards improvements but one has to remember that the Ohio State’s and Michigan’s have not only done a better job of cheating longer, they’ve done a better job of not getting caught. In other sports news, Mike Tice is let go by the Vikings after winning Sunday’s game against Chicago’s “B” squad. Not sure who Zygi will bring in but one thing’s for sure, it will be hard to match the off field escapades of the players during the Tice era. Gopher men’s hockey team won their Holiday Classic although they had to come back from a 3 – 0 first period deficit.

Have your kids ever done something at school only to find out about it later from a friend? Gus got squealed on by our local mail carrier for standing in the road gawking at her while she placed the mail in the box. Like a kid, as a dog owner you’re responsible for their actions. Was glad she told us because an earlier reprimand apparently hadn’t taken ahold. Traffic moves so fast these days, frequently far above speed limits or safe levels for conditions and when it’s dog vs. car, the car always wins. Just like with your kids, while you always love your dogs, sometimes it takes “tough love” to change their behavior. Gus is on probation but luckily we found out about it and can correct the problem so he can someday become a contributing member of society. At least he’s not loitering in the park, smoking cigarettes.

Did some indoor gardening over the weekend. Planted the amaryllis Mrs. Cheviot had given me for Christmas after figuring out the 2” diameter tablet under the bulb was actually the soil. After adding water, the soil tablet expanded to fill the container. What will they think of next? Microwave popcorn? Also solved the mealy bug problem on the old jade plant. After leaving it outside for the month of December there are definitely no insects on it.

Started the New Year off right, with a nap, after ringing it in at the beautiful new home of one of my little fat buddies. With bowl games scattered for weeks, one just seems to run into the next making for prime napping opportunities. The birds have been faithful but their consumption has slowed. Downies, hairies, nuthatches, goldfinches, junco’s and blue jays have been regulars and Mrs. Cheviot enjoyed watching some rooster pheasants on her day off. Am told they looked relaxed: Season’s over.

Christmas vacation as a kid always meant time off of school but usually meant time spent to catch up on work around home that hadn’t been done. That included cleaning the sheep barn. Dad hired Harry Gerhken sometimes when we were involved in school activities, but when he wasn’t around we got to use his “specialized” equipment. A skid steer loader was out of the question in those days although am convinced as kids we probably would’ve killed someone if we’d had one. We would’ve had fun trying though.

Cleaning barn by hand was a slow, backbreaking process. Would use the pickaxe to break through the frozen crust on the manure pack, tear the sheets loose with the fork, flop them in the wheelbarrow, then wheel it up the ramp and dump it in the tandem axle Schultz manure spreader. Took awhile to get a load but working like that, one stayed warm. Once the spreader was loaded, one had to move quickly as the apron chains could freeze down and break. Then you’d get to pitch the load a second time. The E-3 would pop right off and away we’d go, the ratty heathouser funneling what little heat there was back to the platform. Fortunately, the chains for that tractor were shot so if the snow got too deep, manure hauling was done, at least temporarily. Strange to think these days that snow was something we frequently hoped for.

See you next week…real good then.

[jonny_redhorse]

Dotch...look forward to your "Fencelines " each week!....great reading!....one can almost place himself in the barn where you were working!....keep em coming Dotch!....jonny

[Riverratpete]

heckofa writer...enjoy the weekly updates, and yes, I can smell the manure even.

[Dotch]

Thanks guys! Glad you enjoy the goings-on from Bugtussle & surrounds. Promise we'll keep at it. Closing in on the 3rd year at this project even though Mrs. Cheviot said when I started, it wouldn't last. I told her that's what people said when we got married! As you might've guessed, have been and am involved in several other professional & technical writing projects that finance some new toys occasionally. A new digital camera is on the list and I watch what is being said here intently by you pro's, but I digress. Fencelines is written strictly because I enjoy it. The fact that some people like reading it is all the payment one could ever want.

[Dotch]

What's cookin' this week?

Another week in the cloudy weather doldrums for the scurs but hey, it being January what with the high fuel prices and all, who’s complaining? This week will bring with it the promise of more sunshine after getting a taste last Saturday and some well above normal temperatures. Normally this is one of the coldest weeks of the year. Look for highs Wednesday and Thursday of 35 – 40 and lows of 20 – 25 both days with a slight chance of mixed precip on Thursday. Friday and Saturday will usher in slightly cooler temps but will continue the promised sunshine. Highs will be in the 30 – 35 range with lows of 15 – 20. Sunday through Wednesday should bring with them highs of near 25 and lows in the single digits. Normal highs for this time of year are near 20 and lows very near 0. As the moon is waxing, the scurs are huddled around a roaring bonfire making S’Mores.

Saturday the 14th marks this month's Full Moon and it has many names. The tribes of the northeast called it the Full Wolf Moon as the wolves would congregate outside their encampments. Also known as the Old Moon or the Moon after the Yule, we should actually get a glimpse of this one. The Ojibwe referred to this moon as the Great Spirit Moon while the Sioux called it the Moon of Strong Cold/Wolves Run Together/ Frost in the Teepee Moon. This from the original winter campers.

At the Mall for Men we of course are already planning for the next holiday namely Valentines Day. You won’t believe the sweat that pours off the brows of the panel of experts as they pore over information looking for that perfect gift. Those Cabela’s catalogs are chock full of great ideas. Starting soon, we’ll also be offering some courses to make us more whole as men. “Refilling Hand Soap Dispensers-Moderate Intensity” is a popular choice as is “Intro to Changing Toilet Paper Rolls”. Hurry! Classes will be filling up quickly!

Outdoor sporting activities have been somewhat subdued with the warm weather. It’s made the snow hard and the ice continues to be treacherous on area lakes. There has been little or no driving on them and that’s for the best after hearing reports of some who’ve tried it. To the north, things are different as the ice conditions are better. Got a call from my Bemidji buddy Little Billy who was using his cell phone from his fish house to let me know he was using one of those can coolers with my business advertising on it. And they say it doesn’t pay to advertise…

The birds have been somewhat sporadic this past week although I did get to see who’s been using the birdbath. Saturday AM, a large blue jay was whooping it up, looking like a two-year old splashing in the tub. Put out some more oyster shell for the pheasants after the light snow and noted the ear corn in their feeder was going down quickly, although the bunnies and squirrels were probably helping them.

Ugly weekend for both Gopher basketball teams. The men’s team reputedly had the flu bug and am not sure what happened with the women other than they ran into a better team, LSU, on their home court. The Gopher hockey men didn’t disappoint though and the brooms were out with a sweep over Niagara. Chris Harrington was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week. Unfortunately, Harrington got a controversial game misconduct that includes a one game suspension. That’s never a good thing with someone as tough as the Fighting Sioux up next.

After mentioning it last week, Sunday night was the perfect time to continue what has been a tradition all across rural America over the years: Making popcorn. Luckily one of my little fat buddies had dropped a package off at the Mall for Men so decided to sample it. As an agronomist, popcorn has always been a fascinating crop. It’s one of if not the oldest crop from the Americas. Pollen samples nearly identical to that of modern popcorn pollen found below Mexico City indicate cave dwellers likely had popcorn. Popcorn was found in “Bat Cave” in central New Mexico and believed to be over 5600 years old. It was one of the first crops that the settlers adopted from the Indians. Reputedly the Indians brought popcorn with them to the first Thanksgiving celebration. Today, most popcorn is produced in the states of IA, IN, IL, OH, KS, KY, MI & MO. As Americans, we consume nearly 54 quarts per year of popped corn per person from 1.12 billion lbs. of the raw product. It is truly a very wholesome, high fiber snack.

Over the years, hard to say exactly how many bowls of popcorn one has consumed. It was always a staple after chores and homework were done while watching Walt Disney and any other program we managed to stay up and watch. The old harvest gold Dutch oven Mom used must’ve popped hundreds of batches over the years. Can still see her shaking it over the burner to get that last kernel popped, watching as she poured it into the aluminum roaster and then the smell of the butter as it was dribbled over the hot, fluffy kernels. The aroma of the whole process was and still is heavenly. While I cheated and used the electric popper, it was still just as good as I remember, especially after melting the butter. Hungry for popcorn yet?

For more information about popcorn, check out: www.popcorn.org

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Plunging ahead into the New Year...

In order to save time, the scurs are beginning to photocopy the prior week’s weather forecasts. The weather doldrums continued last week and promise to continue for the upcoming week as well. One needs be careful what one wishes for this time of year however. Light precip may be of the solid, liquid or both varieties Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Clouds may rule once again so trying to enjoy the increasing hours of daylight (11 minutes since last week) is definitely in order. For Wednesday through Tuesday of next week, expect highs to be around 30 and lows to vary from 15 – 20. The sun should reappear over the weekend and into next week. The scurs are digging out their lawn chairs in anticipation.

The weather has been a pleasant surprise so far this winter. According to Extension Climatologist Mark Seeley, 1990 was the only year with a January having no subzero lows at the Twin Cities or Waseca. This has only occurred once in recorded history but did come close in 1891, 1931 and 2002. We are on track so far to match this record with the lowest minimum temperature being recorded on January 10th at 8 degrees. While temperatures haven’t been cold, many days with the wind blowing across our snow pack locally, it hasn’t felt as warm as it could have. Still, this has been an odd January with farmers continuing to tile with little or no frost in the soil. Having moved some snow out of the way with the tractor along with the large hunks of sod underneath it, can personally attest to that.

The sheep have also had an easy winter with few nasty days confining them indoors for long periods. Feed consumption with the warmer temperatures has been modest although the lambs appear to be coming earlier this year than last judging by the ewes’ broody appearance. Lack of precipitation has allowed their lot to remain open so they can get exercise. This is important to help prevent things like pregnancy disease, which is similar to ketosis in cattle. They’ve also been sleeping outside under the stars, something that’s good for their respiratory health and the guy who has to clean the barn. Soon time to get them shorn so we made an appointment with their personal beauty consultant for Lincoln’s Birthday weekend.

Continuing to see the regulars at the birdfeeders. Some may get bored seeing the same birds every day, but it’s interesting to note there are many more now than when we first moved here. They don’t behave the same way every day either. Recently the nuthatches have taken more of an interest in the suet, something they’d largely left alone earlier this winter. Increasing numbers of goldfinches continue to appear almost daily. They’ve figured out it’s best to use the birdbath early in the morning before the blue jays show up. They arrive on the feeders well before dawn and by sunrise, they sometimes ring the birdbath almost like salt rimming a margarita glass.

Bad sports weekend for the Gopher men with the hockey team splitting a pair with UND at home. The men’s basketball team is showing signs of this being a long season, getting pummeled at Purdue after losing a close one at the Barn against the Badgers. The women fared better, upsetting Michigan St. on Sunday after losing against Purdue. Our annual pilgrimage to the Barn organized by Shannon Schonrock’s uncle is coming up soon. He will be accompanied by his usual large entourage.

Some highlights from Bugtussle’s Mall for Men sessions where Ben’s Dad continues to keep him supplied with anatomically correct toy farm animals. We believe we’ve solved the mystery of the Mad Mall Commode Plugger as one of the key suspects has been missing for 3 weeks. Meanwhile, the waters continue to run cold and deep. Someone claimed there’s reputedly a Kenny Banya now living in town. Can Art Vandelay be far behind? And we’ve come to the sudden realization that a whole generation has grown up without experiencing Bruzek’s Hardware. Memories of Tommy, the wood smoke and creaky, uneven floors still live on in the minds of us who did.

Growing up on the farm, there were few things to do other than keep the chores done, the barns and chicken coop bedded and cleaned this time of year. Pretty mundane stuff so we’d invent things to amuse ourselves. Like something from Fear Factor, would dare youngest brother Roger to drop out of the haymow onto a beef heifer’s back to see how long he could stay on. When he finally managed to plop square on the back of one and go racing out the door, must admit I lost track of his riding time as I scampered to the south haymow door, only to watch him land with a colossal ‘thud’ on the frozen tundra. He was okay but it must’ve smarted, as after the groaning subsided, he couldn’t be convinced to do it again.

We also had our own version of “Mutton Busting” as we’d hop on the sheep’s backs to see how long it took to get thrown off. Being smaller and lighter, younger brothers were much better suited to these activities, especially after being egged on. Resilient too. After hitting his head with a loud “bonk!” on one of the support posts where the sheep had succeeded in smearing him off, Roger’d pick himself up, and jump aboard the next one that ran by. Oddly enough, we rarely got to see the Pro Rodeo circuit on TV, probably because we’d spent too much time watching it in the barn.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

The passing of a good neighbor & friend is never easy...

The scurs kept their promise and delivered on another week of above normal temperatures. Appears that we stand a good chance of running the month of January without a subzero low although the cool down on Sunday once the front passed felt mighty chilly. It was short-lived though as Wednesday through next Tuesday, highs will continue to be in the 30’s with a spike near 40 this Thursday. Lows will remain in the mid to upper teens with the exception on Thursday when we see lows in the mid-20’s. Slight chance of frozen precip for Thursday into Friday. The scurs are sending sympathy cards to their heating fuel supplier while sitting in their small ice shanty village, awaiting the 5 o’clock bite.

This column marks the 156th issue. That’s 3 years worth if you do the math. I thank my loyal reader(s) and especially those who take the time to let me know they enjoy reading what we write. We’re not in this for the glory and certainly not in it for the money although we do write some professionally in addition to what we contribute here for a multi-million dollar contract. Have enlisted the services of Daunte Culpepper’s agent for this upcoming year Jim, so beware.

Some of you may have stumbled across items we’ve written published in magazines and on the internet over the years in places such as The Farmer, Successful Farming, Ag-Web, and Pro-Farmer. In Fencelines though the writing is relaxed and free-form. We try not to be pretentious, try not to force humor and try to write about things rural folk find interesting in their everyday lives, be they past or present. Good material isn’t always easy to find but around Bugtussle, it’s one of our most abundant crops. Thanks for reading, Mom!

At the Mall for Men, we continue to discuss our Valentine’s Day shopping plans as well as our theory that Seinfeld actually serves as a template for the universe. We’ve also considered giving guided tours as this past week there were some who traveled afar to view the goings on there. Apparently they were led to believe it’s become some sort of tourist attraction. Who are we to argue?

Good sports weekend for the Gopher men’s hockey team (a sweep of CC) and the basketball women came from behind to win against stubborn Iowa. The Gopher men’s basketball team however continues to slide, now 0 – 5 in Big Ten play. Lucy has decided she’s not a fan and hides under the table due to an inordinate amount of snarling and gnashing of teeth during the telecasts.

Not much new on the bird front. The goldfinches continue to abound and would empty the thistle sock about every third day if I let them. Saw a male marsh hawk sail by to the west of the buildings the other morning. Males are gray and females and juveniles are brown. In flight, both sexes look like they’ve been hit with a snowball due to a white patch on their rump. While the birds were wary of his presence, the abundant bunny population was probably in greater danger, as these hawks tend to dine more commonly on rodents.

The sheep community, the neighborhood and the country lost a dear friend and servant last week in the person of David Smith. Dave and his crew sheared our sheep once upon a time when I was growing up on the farm at Spring Valley. Our regular shearer had either retired or was not well so he made the 70-mile trek in his stead. The one thing that still sticks out in my mind was the use of the wool bag vs. the wool box commonly in use at the time. We got someone locally the next year as Dave was too booked to come back as I recall. Not unusual because as sheep shearers go, he was as good as there was.

How strange sometimes are life’s twists and turns that we would later become neighbors. I give Dave a lot of credit for keeping our electric sheep shears in tiptop shape over the years, years that have included many champions, Premier Exhibitor and other awards at state and national level shows. Like his shearing, he was the best there was. One just isn’t born knowing how to operate and adjust shearing equipment so he always unselfishly took the time to show us. Dave was also notorious for trying to avoid payment for sharpening combs and cutters. For me, hiding the money where he’d find it became almost as much fun as visiting with him while he ground the blades. I can remember people taking their combs and cutters to someone else, then wondering why they wouldn’t cut worth a hoot. Loan them some that Dave had sharpened and voila! Problem solved.

Had to miss the funeral because of a speaking engagement but did make the visitation the night before. Had forgotten about the picture of Dave in his wool WWII sailor’s uniform with an accompanying picture of his grandson Burch wearing it for Lamb Lead at the Waseca Co. Fair. Was fascinated by the old photos of Dave in his high school football uniform and it made me glad The Star had recently run articles that included the role he played on the winning football teams of that era. It was a part of his life I had not realized.

Mrs. Cheviot did make the funeral and between the two services, it was like a “Who’s Who” in the sheep industry in the Upper Midwest in addition to drawing all the friends Dave had. Both services were packed. There’s no question in my mind where Dave Smith is. Can just imagine him cradling a ewe in that Great Barn in the Sky and starting in to shear while the catcher goes to line up another one.

See you next week…real good then.