Fencelines

[Dotch]

I'll never be your beast of burden

The scurs changed from the winter Studebaker thermostat in the Weather Eye but it took a while to work through the system. Will the temps warm for all that extra daylight we’re being promised? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with highs in the mid-20’s and lows near 10. Mostly cloudy on Thursday with a slight chance of snow. Highs in the upper 20’s and lows near 20. Friday, a slight chance of snow. Mostly cloudy with highs in the upper 20’s and lows around 10 above. Saturday, mostly sunny and cooler with a highs around 20 and lows near 5 above. Sunday, partly sunny with a slight chance of daytime snow. Highs near 30 and lows around 20. Monday, partly sunny and warmer with highs in the mid-30’s and lows near 30. Mostly cloudy on Tuesday with highs around 30 and lows in the mid-teens, above zero of course. The normal high for March 9th is 36 and the normal low is 20. The scurs are sure the weather will warm up now we have an extra hour of daylight.

Yes it’s that time already. Just when it was getting to the point where stumbling around in the dark was no longer an issue we get more of the wonderful government we keep paying for. It still strikes me as one of those unnecessary intrusions into my daily routine that does absolutely nothing positive for me. I mean if it actually meant some useable time in early March it maybe wouldn’t be such a big deal. This time around however there isn’t the faintest notion that we’ll see ground fit to plant anytime soon if the snowbanks in and around area farmyards are any indication.

February snowfall totaled 16.2” at the ranch, exactly the same as we had for the month of January. Since November the total stands at 44.6” with the normal for the season at just over 52” as recorded at the SROC in Waseca. Will March get us to that average number? Very likely. March has actually become our second snowiest month based on the 1981 – 2010 30-year normals. The trend is more of our March precip has fallen in the form of rain than it once did. December has taken the no. 1 spot for snowfall as a result. This certainly doesn’t mean heavy wet snow won’t still happen in March.

March came in like frozen lambs at the ranch and put everything to the test over the past week. A few days with highs near zero and it really made one wonder what the calendar really said. Couple the cold weather with the alien that Mrs. Cheviot and I continue to do battle with and we are exhausted. Food continues to be something with temperature and texture only with the occasional faint salty or sweet taste. When a cup of coffee tastes like it was brewed with sawdust you know you’re having a bad day. The cold has also meant needing to haul warm water for the buckets in the lambing barn, usually 4 five gallon buckets twice a day. It seems like I’ve become some kind of a pack animal. The good news was stepping on the scale after a week of this nonsense led to the sudden realization that 10 lbs. can come off in a week’s time going at this pace. No pills or special diet needed.

The pheasants continue to be fixtures daily in and around the yard. Not only do they sail by the windows on the house, they also are flying across the yard, over the barn in addition to hanging out in the trees. Watching a rooster trying to walk the tightrope on a branch Monday morning was entertaining. After a while he just gave up and clucked until he decided there were some hens to check out. They certainly have become right at home and use the cover we’ve planted to get safely from point A to point B. Almost like we planned it that way.

I keep getting questions about the Studebaker Lark progress. It ebbs and flows and recently it’s been more ebbing. A very kind local gentleman sandblasted some small parts recently so we have been making some small progress. Some have asked if we grew up with Studebakers and truth be told my Dad was always a Buick guy. He even had a Buick farm wagon he had made from the chassis of a late 1920’s model he had owned. The first car I remember clearly was his 1957 Buick. It was a beautiful car, salmon colored on top with a cream colored sides. Lots of nice buttons to play with in it as a kid including the cigarette lighter. The next Buick was a blue 1963 Invicta station wagon. It had lots of snort and was the family roadster for many moons. It hauled 4-H projects and kids to many a county fair. Spacious plus lots of gadgets and gizmos in this one too when we were left to our own devices as Mom ran her errands.

The Studebaker Lark was added some years later when Dad decided another vehicle would allow us to make the early morning school events we were involved in. Why something as mundane as a 6 cylinder 4 door Lark? Given our track record, one could rest assured we were certainly never going to see a supercharged ’57 Golden Hawk or an Avanti with an R3 in it. The cigarette lighter burns left on the seat of the ’57 Buick were a clue.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Running into the sun but I'm running behind

The scurs gave the Weather Eye last Tuesday off and wouldn’t you know we were blessed with more snow. Will the scurs make that mistake again? Starting Wednesday, partly sunny with a chance for scattered flurries. Highs in the upper 20’s and lows near 15. Mostly sunny for Thursday with highs in the lower 40’s and lows in the lower 30’s. Mostly sunny on Friday with highs near 40 and lows in the lower 20’s. Saturday, mostly sunny becoming cloudy and cooler with a slight chance for evening snow. Highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the upper teens. Continued cooler for Sunday with a slight chance for snow under partly cloudy skies. Highs in the low 30’s and lows in the mid-20’s. Partly cloudy Monday with highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the mid-20’s. Mostly cloudy for Tuesday and slightly cooler with a chance of snow. Highs in the low 30’s and lows near 15. The normal high for March 17th is 40 and the normal low is 23. The scurs will wash their best pair of green long underwear in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.

March 16th marks the date of the Full Moon for the month which goes by many names. It is called the Full Crust Moon, the Full Crow Moon, the Full Sap Moon and the Full Lenten Moon as the pioneers viewed this moon as the last Full Moon of winter. Primarily this is known however as the Full Worm Moon as robins and other birds are able to begin gathering earthworms. That may be a few days however in this area. The Ojibwe knew this as the Snow Crust Moon and the Sioux as the Moon when Buffalo Drop their Calves. At the ranch it is not so affectionately known as the Moon of the Muddy Border Collie for obvious reasons.

As if on cue last week on Tuesday when we mentioned we were tracking about 8” behind normal for seasonal snowfall we received 8.1” at the ranch. It caught everyone off-guard including the weatherman who had earlier predicted 1” – 3”. Then of course it had to blow around some for a few days afterwards making driving treacherous. Luckily we’ve had a reprieve as the recent thaw suddenly made that snowfall seem like a distant memory. It certainly was something most of us wanted to forget. If you drive on the side streets in town or on a gravel road though you get a quick reality check.

Black soil is starting to appear in some fields and it won’t take long for some to open up. Coupled with Tuesday morning rainfall, the snow depth has decreased 6” – 8”. However it will likely take a while for the frost to go out yet if we don’t get much warmer than we have. As of the weekend there were reports of more frozen pipes and some heating systems unable to keep up. There also is the issue of the huge drifts in fencelines and groves that unless temperatures do some rapid changing, our best hope is for a normal start to spring. Given some rains following the frost going out however could temporarily push the date back. It’s understandable after the winter from hell that people want it to be spring. That and a spring that almost wasn’t last time around. Sometimes it seems like we’re already behind in spite of the recent sunny days.

There are plenty of signs that spring is coming even though it seems to be taking its sweet time. Large groups of robins have been common at the ranch and there have also been lots of cedar waxwings sharing the crabapple trees with them. House sparrows are starting to stuff nests into places they are unwanted. Raccoons, opossums and skunks are on the move again, taking heavy casualties in areas where they don’t belong. Inside the house, ladybugs and boxelder bugs are adding to the festivities. Nice guy that I am, I try to let them back outside where they came from.

I thinned some of the underbrush from my face the other day. The calendar seemed to be going in the right direction. Trouble is, previous trim jobs this winter have only caused the weather to turn colder for long spells making me long for more facial fur. The last time it was forecast to turn cold I just let it go. Was amazing how much stuff landed in the sink recently. It was time. Another month or so and someone might’ve mistaken me for Billy Gibbons! On the other hand if it gets colder again you’ll know who to blame.

And in the barns we are marching towards the end of lambing season. The rams must’ve been having some kind of a contest a few days last September. As mentioned, Ruby and Fudgie manage to get caked with mud whenever possible. Transferring lambs from the lambing barn to the loafing barn is always cause for much running and circling on a muddy track. We made Ruby’s day recently as we’re using the hose to fill water buckets now the potential for freezing the well up has abated. She can be fascinated for hours staring at the water filling all those small pails. It does offer some variety from the tire biting ritual when snow removal equipment is used. Amazing how the seemingly insignificant can entertain a red and white Border Collie.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

It's a beautiful day

Don't let it get away

The scurs had the Weather Eye functioning at peak levels last week. When it was supposed to be warm it was warm and so on. Will they need to reinstall the Studebaker thermostat? Just so long as they don’t put in the old water pump that leaked. Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a slight chance of rain/snow mix. Highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the low 20’s. Mostly sunny becoming cloudy for the first day of spring on Thursday with a modest chance for evening snow, sleet, rain or all of the above. Highs in the upper 30’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Mostly cloudy on Friday with a modest chance of rain and snow. Highs near 40 and lows in the mid-20’s. Partly sunny on Saturday and cooler. Highs in the lower 30’s and lows in the upper teens. Sunday, partly sunny with a slight chance of snow. Highs near the freezing mark with lows around 20. Mostly cloudy for Monday with highs in the low to mid-30’s and lows in the upper teens. Mostly sunny and slightly warmer on Tuesday with highs in the mid to upper 30’s and lows in the middle teens. The normal high for March 20th is 42 and the normal low is 24. The scurs will be standing their eggs on end in celebration of the vernal equinox.

The snow left last week at a fair clip especially from darker colored fields. Some were positive that since the sun has more bite to it we’d be running in the fields soon. Obviously they need to check the thermometer and the frost depth. There’s still nearly 3’ of frost and there were yet more reports of water lines and septic systems freezing up as of last week. With temperatures running in the 30 – 40 degree range especially without much sun forecast for this week, it’s similar to thawing a Thanksgiving turkey in the refrigerator: It’ll be a while. Not necessarily a bad thing. Freezing and thawing tends to release the snow melt in a metered fashion. The silver lining in all this presently though is the lack of snow cover to the south. Temperatures have been in the 70’s as close as Nebraska so once it decides to warm up, it could do so quickly. That could make the frost a memory before we know it. Then the question becomes, how much rain and how long will we have to endure before soils become fit?

The planets are putting on a spectacular show when the evenings are clear enough to see them. At 10 p.m. lamb check, Mars is still low in the eastern sky. Jupiter is high overhead and trending towards the west a little more each night. The Big Dipper is in the northeastern sky and nearly standing on its handle. The dipper will tilt more to the left reputedly bringing the spring showers. Now that we’re on DST, Venus is once again a feature in the morning sky when we’re bumbling around in the dark. That’s about the only thing Daylight Wasting Time is good for.

In the yard at the ranch, the birds have shifted gears rapidly with the diminishing snow. The large groups of sparrows have left although their tendency to toss the safflower out of the bird feeders has played into the cardinals hands er, beaks. It looks like we may have a pair looking things over. The pheasants appear to have scattered once again although there are still a few showing up to feed at the ear corn feeder. There have been four goldfinches some mornings which is the most we’ve seen since last fall sometime. Lone pairs of geese have been seen scoping the area out. With little open water they were just lookers.

March 25th marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Norman Borlaug. I read with interest an article on his life in the most recent edition of CSA News. As a 7th grader, I remember Dr. Borlaug being featured in the Current Events magazine for winning the Nobel Peace Prize and becoming known as the “Father of the Green Revolution”. What was even more remarkable was the opportunity I had at the U of M to hear Dr. Borlaug speak in a rather small, crowded meeting room in the Soil Science building. It must’ve been in the late 1970’s or early 1980’s.

I could’ve blown it off but my then boss Jerome persuaded me that this was deserving of my time. Was it ever. I still vividly recall Dr. Borlaug asking us to think about the money spent on just one F-16, the premier fighter jet of the day and what kind of an impact it could have if just a few of those dollars were spent on research such as he and others were involved in. Far-fetched I thought at the time given that the Cold War was showing no signs of changing and a grain embargo was soon to be heaped on the backs of America’s farmers. Still, the message struck home. Since then he proved to be a visionary, being awarded many international honors for his accomplishments. In retrospect, I was glad I took the time that afternoon to listen to this man of peace. His message was simple yet powerful. While some have tried since to detract from his mission, their efforts pale in comparison to Dr. Borlaug’s remarkable lifetime of achievements, not to mention all the starving people they saved.

Good luck Panther girls at the State Basketball Tournament!

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Why can’t I free your doubtful mind, and melt your cold cold heart

The scurs with their ’74 Gremlin Weather Eye performed admirably. Little snow although they still need to find that warmer thermostat. Will it be this week? Starting Wednesday, partly sunny with highs in the upper 30’s and lows in the mid-30’s. Thursday, cloudy with a good chance for a rain and snow mix. Highs again in the upper 30’s and lows in the mid-20’s. Partly sunny and slightly cooler on Friday with a slight chance for snow in the forenoon. Highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the lower 20’s. Mostly sunny and warmer on Saturday with highs back in the low 40’s and lows in the lower 30’s. Sunny and beautiful on Sunday with highs finally near 60. Clouding up by evening with a slight chance of rain. Lows in the upper 30’s. Cloudy and cooler for Monday with a modest chance of rain. Highs in the upper 40’s and lows in the mid-30’s. Mostly cloudy on April Fool’s Day with a chance of rain. Highs in the mid-40’s with lows in the mid-30’s. The normal high for April 1st is 49 and the normal low is 29. The sun will rise again before 7 on March 30th, the same as it was doing February 24th before we messed around with the clocks. The scurs are now saying we will have no more snow and the spring will be perfect after this week. Do you doubt them?

Our spring weather continued to be missing in action once again last week. Highs below freezing over the weekend with single digit lows made it difficult to make much progress towards thawing frozen soil. There were 24” of frost in the ground yet as of St. Patrick’s Day although the soil temperature at 40” according to Tom Hoverstad was starting to warm. As of March 24th, the frost depth measured there was only 15” so it apparently has indeed warmed from below. This may make some including me breathe a little easier as there were still reports of frozen water lines coming in yet the middle of last week.

Luckily we have lost most of our snow cover. This should help speed the process along once it does decide to warm up. Snow depth has fallen from 20” at the ranch back on March 5th to about 2” on the 21st. Looking across the landscape however the road ditches are full yet, the windbreak has huge drifts and the snow piles are still 3' - 4' deep. March has so far given us slightly above average snowfall with 13.5” recorded at the ranch with 10.2” being normal for March at the SROC. Precipitation overall though has been running below normal for the month at .96”, where normal is 2.49”. For the most recent 30 and 90 day outlooks, NOAA has us in the better than even odds of below normal temperatures with even chances of above or below normal precip for those same timeframes.

The birds in the yard in the yard continue the slow changeover from winter to spring. There are still lots of juncos and woodpeckers. However we counted 10 robins the other morning. They must be surviving on the berry and crabapple crop. The birds do have preference for the Red Splendor crabapples versus those on the Indian Magic tree. The former has been picked clean, hence the reasoning behind planting more of those a few years ago. Large groups of red-winged blackbirds have appeared and spend much of their time picking at the leftover safflower under the bird feeders. Grackles made their debut at the ranch on the 20th. Not as numerous as some years for the calendar date although that will likely change. The cardinals are around early in the morning and later toward dusk under the feeders. They are spooky though with any movement detected in the house, they’re gone in an instant. Little Jerry IV (or is it V?) the famed rooster pheasant was seen walking across the driveway in front of the garage Saturday morning. How do we know it was Little Jerry? He was flappin’ his wings and struttin’ his stuff.

The alien that struck Mrs. Cheviot and I back in late February continues to slowly but surely show signs of abating. We still have some coughing fits but at least they are confined to occasional status. It does however continue to make us very tired by the end of the day. Moving the last of the ewes and lambs down to the loafing areas about did us in and hitting the sack that night couldn’t have come soon enough.

Speaking of that, the lambs have all been moved from the lambing barn to the loafing barn. The tails are docked, the ear tags are in and the vaccinations are complete for now. Moving the ewes with lambs usually involves the Border Collies and this year has been no exception. The little icy mud balls they become caked with are also no exception. They’re a bugger to get off and it’s best to let the dogs warm up a while before even attempting it. Each dog has their own little ritual during the wipe down process. Fudgie likes to vocalize, letting out little ‘woofs’ as one gets close to completing the task. Ruby likes to stand on her hind legs which makes it easier to wipe her down underneath. Since she’s smaller and faster, she’s almost always dirtier so that’s a plus. It also gives her an opportunity to give kisses when her tummy is cleaned off. Not such a plus. Oh well, at least the ewes and lambs are in position to cause the dreaded gawker slowdown once the snowbanks melt and their overhead door can be opened once again.

Congratulations to the NRHEG Girls Basketball team on their repeat championship at the State Tournament. Just making it to the tournament is an accomplishment, to say nothing of getting there 3 years in a row and winning it twice.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

I see trouble on the way

The scurs slid the lever on the Weather Eye all the way to the left and like magic we had our first 60 degree day. Will they be able to duplicate that magic again this week? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a modest chance of rain then a good chance of overnight snow. Highs near 45 and lows around 30. Mostly cloudy, and ugly for Thursday with a good chance of rain changing over to accumulating snow. Highs in the low 40’s and lows near 30.Mostly cloudy Friday with a good chance of daytime snow and a slight chance for overnight snow. Highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Finally, mostly sunny on Saturday with highs in the upper 30’s and lows in the mid-20’s. Mostly sunny and warmer on Sunday with a slight chance of overnight rain and snow. Highs in the mid-40’s and lows in the lower 30’s. Monday, partly cloudy with a slight chance of rain. Highs in the upper 40’s and lows in the lower 30’s. Tuesday, mostly sunny with highs again in the upper 40’s and lows in the lower 30’s. The normal high for April 6th is 52 and the normal low is 31. We will see over 13 hours of daylight for the first time since September 5th. The scurs are thinking they will want to keep their long johns washed for a few weeks yet.

It’s beginning to look like we may see spring after all. While there was no lawn mowing to be done as we did back in 2012, there was progress as much of the remaining snow left the landscape between Sunday and Monday. This didn’t seem to faze the ice fishermen on St. Olaf. The ice was still in good shape according to reports both days. Rainfall on Thursday and Monday have helped move the frost out of the ground in many places. At the SROC, the frost was officially out as of the 31st. At the ranch we took out the divining rod otherwise known as an electric fencepost and checked many spots around the yard. In places the frost was indeed out. Wherever the ground had stayed snow covered and on the south facing slope, there was little frost. Where it had been bare and on the north facing slope frost could still be found on the 31st from 4” – 6” down under sod.

Using more reliable methods, it has begun to sound like spring. The red-winged blackbirds came in force over the weekend. When they weren’t calling loudly the sound of their wings as the large groups took flight could only mean it was spring. Killdeers were also back, calling from area fields nearby. A flock of 60 - 70 snows and blues were spotted high overhead on Saturday, their distinctive high pitched squawk made them easy to spot. The sun shining off the black wing tips of the mature snows and the outstretched white heads and necks of the blues cemented the ID. Robins have set up shop and males are battling for territory. Even with the ground thawing, we have yet to see them pulling earthworms from the ground. Soils apparently remain too cold and they rely heavily on the crabapples for some sustenance. Striped gophers also have yet to make an appearance at the ranch even on the south slope where they tend to be numerous. Freezing and thawing soils over the course of this week will likely delay their emergence from winter slumber even further.

Of course the mud due to the warm up also means it’s spring. We almost look forward to the ground freezing overnight so it’s not so sloppy in the feedlot. That and the dogs stay a lot cleaner. We have limited their time in the barn recently and have substituted more frequent short outdoor trips to offset their normal routine at chore time. If you let a Border Collie out around the sheep, keeping them clean is next to impossible. By letting them out then leaving them in the garage during chores, they tend to clean themselves up by the time you come back in. Definitely method to our madness.

The grill was finally out of the snowbanks long enough so we could fire it up on Sunday night. The winds had subsided and two adult beverages later there were lamb burgers on the plate. Something about those first treats off the grill. Try as I might, I can never seem to make them taste as good as that initial effort. However I keep trying.

Fruit tree pruning was accomplished in stages over the weekend. It was about as late as we dared to go without putting the trees at increased risk in particular for bacterial diseases. It’s interesting to get a handle on the general health of the trees as well as giving them a shaping up. The Fireside and Haralson apple trees were awful to prune, almost as though they had grown hair since last spring’s clipping. Working them over a few years ago after letting them go a few years before that serves as a lesson on what not to do. Pruning the pear trees was almost humorous in contrast. Sure, they’re younger but trimming one or two twigs is more my speed. The peach tree appears to have survived even without major wrapping. This is a good thing as all those peach crates Betsy’s dad and I ordered might go to waste otherwise.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

There's been a hoot owl howlin' by my window now for six nights in a row

Keeping their long johns at the ready was definitely a good idea for the scurs this past week. Will the ’74 Gremlin Weather Eye forecast our weather future once again? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with a high near 70 and lows in the mid-40’s. Mostly sunny for Thursday with a modest chance for a daytime shower. Highs in the upper 50’s and lows in the mid-30’s. Mostly sunny on Friday with a modest chance for an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 50’s and lows around 45. Mostly cloudy Saturday with a good chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs again in the upper 50’s with lows in the mid-30’s. Mostly cloudy and cooler for Sunday with a chance for a lingering morning shower. Highs in the low 40’s and lows in the mid-20’s. Mostly sunny and continued cool for Monday and Tuesday with highs in the low to mid-40’s and lows in the upper 20’s. The normal high for April 15th is 57 and the normal low is 35. The scurs are waiting to see how far their tax refund will go towards buying coal for the upcoming heating season.

The 15th also marks the date of the Full Moon for the month. It generally goes by the name Full Pink Moon as the wild ground phlox was the first flower to blanket the woodlands. It also goes by the Full Egg Moon as well as the Full Fish Moon as the shad were running for the tribes of the northeast. Closer to home the Ojibwe called this The Broken Snowshoe Moon and to the Sioux, this was the Moon of Greening Grass, critical to their way of life on the prairie and reliance on the buffalo. At the ranch we are in the same boat, knowing this as the Moon of the Dwindling Hay Supply.

Progress towards spring continues to be made in the fields. The snow that once seemed perpetual has largely gone and evidence that the frost is indeed out in places is abundant. While this doesn’t mean fields are fit the table is set so we that we should be able to capitalize on a week – 10 days of warm, dry weather. Dry is the key word here as we picked up .48” of precip on the 4th between the rain and snow that fell. The thundershowers on Sunday night and Monday morning dropped another .47” of rain so early April has had a moist start in Greater Bugtussle.

Even though the rain may not have moved us closer to fieldwork, it has likely moved the remaining frost down in areas where it has persisted as well as helping to melt the stubborn snowbanks around dooryards, groves and windbreaks. At the ranch this is important as the bottom wire on the electric fence remains embedded in the ice so it can’t be charged yet. This means the lambs have yet to be turned loose to run and hop. It also means they have yet to discover what those yellow insulators are all about. One of the old ewes still in the main pasture has figured it out though and has made a mockery of the fence near the house. The aforementioned green grass has appeared on the south slope and she is determined to blow through the fence at will. She doesn’t know it yet but her ticket has been punched for one of those expenses paid trips. After we can charge the fence of course and I have the satisfaction of seeing her get zapped a few times first.

For health reasons primarily, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to check out the action in and around the pond. Saturday presented one of those opportunities so I took it. The Gator was loaded with all the tools needed to clean and repair any birdhouses as well as new cedar shavings for the wood duck houses. The bluebird houses were a piece of cake and readied for new residents when they arrive. The wood duck houses were more work although seeing two pair of wood ducks swim out of the cattails provided additional incentive. There was also one lone ring-necked duck, likely moving through. The wetland has truly been a migrating waterfowl haven especially in the spring the last several seasons. Also spotted in the area has been a breeding pair of kestrels. Not waterfowl of course although a few years ago they occupied one of the wood duck houses. How do I know they are a breeding pair? Well, that’s exactly what they were doing.

We’ve had an owl at the ranch occasionally much of the winter and early spring. Friday night after I made one of those 4 a.m. trips to the bathroom that 50+ year old males make, I was relatively certain that I would have trouble falling asleep again. I tossed and turned under the blankets as my mind was racing. Suddenly I heard a softly spoken “hoooo, hoo-hooo” from atop of one of the spruce trees right outside bedroom. I listened as the owl continued to call and I suddenly started to feel drowsy. The owl eventually moved on to neighbor David’s and although the sound was farther away, its calling was still very soothing. Within minutes I drifted off once again. Checking with Al Batt, he felt it was likely a great horned owl, perhaps with young in the area. All I know is they probably don’t make sleeping pills any more effective than that.

Spring creeps along. Talking to a customer at the post office Monday a.m., she was proud of the fact she’d seen a robin pulling and angleworm from the ground. Western chorus frogs from the pond were heard on Sunday night, April 6th after the rainfall had danced gently off the shingles. Amazing to hear the frogs given the water temperature as I was wading towards a wood duck house just the day before. Breaking through the soft ice on the edge of the pond was a clue. However, between the frogs and falling rain there are plenty of sleep aids in the event the owl doesn’t return.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

You're as cold as ice, cold as ice, I know

The scurs were pleased with the performance once again of the ’74 Gremlin Weather Eye. Only those who once owned a Nash/Rambler product can appreciate it. Will we appreciate the upcoming week’s weather or want to trade it in on a new model? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with good chance for rain. Highs near 50 and lows around 30. Thursday, mostly cloudy and cooler with a slight chance for rain and snow in the evening. Highs in the low 40’s and lows near 30. Mostly cloudy Good Friday and a tad warmer with a continued slight chance of rain and snow. Highs in the mid-40’s and lows hovering around the freezing mark. Partly sunny on Saturday and a bit warmer with a slight chance for rain and snow. Highs in the low 50’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Easter Sunday, mostly sunny with highs near 60 and lows around 40. Partly cloudy and warmer for Monday with a chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 60’s with lows near 40. Tuesday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid-60’s and lows in the upper 40’s. The normal high for Easter Sunday is 59 and the normal low is 37. The scurs will be planting their potatoes on Good Friday after a trip to Souba’s where someone will be Johnny on the spot to help them.

Another week of slow progress towards planting season. There was some talk of small grain seeding over the weekend. A quick drive-by survey of a potential planting acreage revealed nothing planted. Chances are soil conditions were just a bit tacky yet. It has remained very cool with our warm days struggling to get to the forecast highs with cool and cloudy conditions following them. It’s no wonder overwintering crops and forages are moving as slowly as they are. The Dubya’s winter rye is greening up although it’s taking its sweet time. Some hayfields and pastures have a greenish hue to them but that’s about it. Some have attempted to spread manure on top of the recently thawed fields and have left some substantial ruts. Sometimes there is no choice especially if the pits are getting past the full mark.

Around the yard there is additional proof as to just how cold it has been. At the order of Mrs. Cheviot, the mulch cover was removed from some of the perennials so they could dry out, avoiding fungal disease. Probably no danger of that just yet as under some of the slabs of old hay used there was still ice even on the south facing slope. There is hope however. Last Tuesday the fence was charged and the lambs made their first outdoor appearance. Yes, the heavy traffic by the ranch slowed to a crawl to get a glimpse of the new lamb crop. Charging the fence also allowed me to put away the illegal fireworks I’d been shooting at the ewes to keep them off the fence in the meantime.

It was tempting to put in some radishes again. We still have some winter radishes in the refrigerator that have maintained their integrity so no hurry. That and the .28” of precip from the rain and snow Sunday has made the ground sticky on top. Picking up all the sticks as well as the corn cobs from pheasant/squirrel feeding over the winter seemed a more prudent course of action. The seed will keep until the ground is ready.

The first striped gophers were spotted in the yard on the 8th. A small group of bluebirds made their first appearance that same day as did the first of the rhubarb buds to make the soil surface. The handful of chorus frogs heard earlier last week turned into thousands and the noise on the few warm nights was almost deafening by the 9th and 10th. Last but not least, a lone tree swallow stopped to check out the bluebird houses near the yard. Unfortunately those nesting boxes are occupied by house sparrows. The house sparrows don’t know it yet but they will be evicted permanently soon.

As cold as it has been, the ice came off of St. Olaf Lake late last week. It was only about 10 days before that people were still out driving around. I was surprised as avid as he is that the local Bandwagon star didn’t swim or boat out to the remaining iceberg for one last go at it. Although, the way the 20 degree low on Tuesday morning felt, he might get one more crack at it.

Fudgie and Ruby’s big day Saturday started out with a good brushing for Fudgie. We wanted her to look pretty for her vaccination appointment. The strong southerly breeze carried some of the large fur balls up into the trees where some birds would probably grab them for nesting material. It doesn’t take any prodding to get either dog into the soccer Mom van, also known as the Gus Bus.

Once we arrived on the scene of the clinic and got in line, the dogs shifted into full Border Collie mode. They were more concerned about keeping track of other dogs moving across the parking lot than they were the canines right next to them. Our dogs were well behaved and have the drill figured out. They waited patiently and quietly until it was their turn. When the injections were administered, Fudgie squirmed a little but was calmed by my reassurance and firm grip. Ruby on the other hand wagged her tail the entire time. Mrs. Cheviot was holding her and when she wasn’t looking, Ruby would lick her face. A strategy to think about next time you’re getting shots.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

I'm walking on sunshine, whoa

The scurs were concerned that the Weather Eye had reverted to a Kelvinator after last week’s dismal weather performance. Sunday afternoon helped make it all better despite the morning rain. Can we build on it or are we back in the vegetable crisper? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-50’s and low in the upper 40’s. Continued cloudy for Thursday with a good chance for daytime thundershowers. Highs near 60 and lows in the lower 40’s. Mostly cloudy for Friday with a slight chance of a shower. Highs in the low 50’s and lows in the mid-30’s. Mostly sunny for Saturday with a slight chance of a rain or snow shower. Highs near 50 and lows in the mid-30’s. Mostly cloudy Sunday with a slight chance of rain and snow. Highs in the upper 40’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Mostly cloudy for both Monday and Tuesday with highs in the lower 50’s and lows in the mid-30’s. The normal high for this Arbor Day, April 25th is 62 and the normal low is 40. On the 27th, we will see over 14 hours of daylight for the first time since last August 14th. The scurs will be planting more trees in hopes of warding off more of Old Man Winter’s chilly breath.

Last week was a disappointment for those chomping at the bit to do fieldwork. We need to bear in mind that while planting corn in mid-April does occur in SC MN, it is the exception and not the rule. .43” of precipitation was deposited on the 17th at the ranch. Cool, cloudy weather and some snow pellets the morning of the 18th served to add insult to injury. With more rain promised, the .87” of rain from Monday morning’s thundershowers at the ranch likely meant the end of fieldwork east of Bugtussle for the week. West of town where only .2” - .3” fell, it still allowed a glimmer of hope. It is still plenty early yet to get optimum yields though and while it doesn’t make it any easier to be patient, there are few alternatives as we approach late April. The ground was frozen at the surface three mornings in a row last week and reports of hard frost at the 2’ – 3’ depth making tiling impossible are still common, even after the rain. That’s a clue.

It has finally appeared to show some signs of wanting to be spring however. Seeing white pelicans lazily looping their way north on Saturday afternoon was an omen. The brief shower Easter morning coupled with the warm late afternoon temperatures greened the pasture and lawn up. The heavier rain Monday morning brought night crawlers to the surface and onto the blacktop. The frost has to be out in areas where this is happening. The night crawlers and angleworms we’re familiar with are not native to this part of the world and were brought here by European settlers, probably more by accident than by design. Any native earthworms were believed to have been eliminated by the prolonged cold of glaciation. They don’t survive being frozen and typically overwinter below the frost.

One could see a distinct change in the Dubya’s winter rye as well. The grass in the lawn has me believing it’s time to ready my fleet of mowers once again. Odds are I can get one of the three to run. There’s probably enough grass in the main pasture now to support the light grazing pressure from 10 ewes. Of course if the truck comes to haul them away then we should be able to wean some lambs off soon from the loafing barn. The lambs have grown quickly and some are well past the magic 8 week weaning age. That and they’re starting to get stuck in the creep panel!

Does rain on Easter Sunday mean rain for seven straight Sundays? Odds are pretty slim for that happening although it did just that in 1965, causing flooding and poor cropping conditions. Sunday afternoon made one see and hear only the positive signs that spring was trying to make an entrance. While grilling dinner I listened to the chorus frogs becoming increasing louder as the temperature rose. I’d wondered earlier if the frozen pond had dampened their spirits or at very least, chilled them. Obviously not. I heard a rooster pheasant crowing, quacking mallards in flight, meadowlarks singing and tree swallows excitedly announcing their arrival as they circled the recently cleaned nesting boxes. In the early evening we decided it was time to open the windows in the house for the first time in ages. Outside the window near where I perch to write, a male cardinal was singing his spring song. He moved around as cardinals will do while the song remained the same: Absolutely beautiful.

The rhubarb has finally made it above ground so we can see it from the house. In 2012 we actually had rhubarb pie for Easter dinner. The plants were huge in 2013 and even though it was used somewhat sparingly, it was a welcome treat to have rhubarb sauce in the refrigerator. Around the yard it continues to appear that the fruit trees are all in good shape with the possible exception of the peach tree. If the tree doesn’t make it, the cold, brutal winter may have thwarted my chances to become SC MN’s largest peach producer. I’d really have to eat a lot and grow about 8” taller though to catch Betsy’s dad I’m afraid. A-Rod’s not doing much. Maybe I should call him and get some pointers.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

It’s the time of the season for loving

Having noticed the Weather Eye has continued to perform like a Kelvinator, the scurs are trying to turn it down to warm up. Or is it up to cool down? Therein lies the problem. Will they have it figured out by press time? Starting Wednesday, cloudy with a good chance of rain and snow showers. Highs in the mid-40’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Thursday, cloudy with a good chance of a shower. Highs in the upper 40’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of a shower for Friday. Highs in the low 50’s and lows around 40. Saturday, partly sunny with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm and continuing the warming trend. Highs in the upper 50’s and lows in the upper 30’s. For Sunday, partly sunny with a slight chance of a shower. Highs in the low 50’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Monday, continued partly sunny with highs near 55 and lows falling to the mid-30’s. Mostly cloudy again on Tuesday with a chance of rain, again. Highs in the mid-60’s and lows in the upper 30’s. The normal high for May1st is 64 and the normal low is 42. The sun will rise before 6 a.m. on May 6th. The scurs will have long since devoured the contents of their super-sized May Basket by then.

Another disappointing week of fieldwork for most. Some corn went in the ground but it was generally the exception and not the rule. Rainfall earlier in the week varied widely across much of the area, with those to the west of Bugtussle receiving lesser amounts. Coupled with what were likely drier soils last fall, it allowed some limited progress to be made. Conditions as one travelled east were a different story. Rainfall on Thursday a.m. served to rub salt in the wound and the rains on Sunday stopped everyone in their tracks. We need not only for the rains to subside we also need temperatures to warm up. We have experienced another month of below normal temps and the pattern of well below normal temperatures that started last November continues. Pasture and hay growth reflects the effect of those cold temperatures, something those whose forage supply is tight are hoping changes soon.

Gardening at the ranch has been close but that’s about it. Every time we’ve had a minute to put in something, seems like a shower shows up and puts a damper on it, literally. Tracking rainfall as is my wont, I know with a fair degree of certainty when conditions are fit to plant. One has to keep that in perspective out here where the wind never stops blowing. I have to take solace in seeing how perennials are doing in the meantime. For instance, the lily of the valley planting we made from rhizomes collected at my Mom’s place has emerged. The shoots are tough to see at first as the sheaths covering them are about the same color as the soil. One literally has to use the Braille method to find them at this stage.

Removing the remainder of the tree wrap on the windbreak and wildlife planting made for a worthwhile diversion on Saturday. Most of the trees made it through with flying colors although there were a few arborvitae the deer/bunnies had devastated. That’s OK, it’s a wildlife planting and that’s what wildlife does. Speaking of wildlife at my brother’s behest, I’d brought my waders along so when I was finished with the tree wrap, the wood duck houses could be checked for signs of activity.

When I first drove up on the dry land nesting box, I could see telltale signs of duck breast fuzz stuck to the side of it. I slowly opened the observation door and could see the hen on the nest facing away from me. I carefully closed the door and left her alone so she didn’t break any eggs fleeing my intrusion. I donned my waders and motored back to the other duck house. This one was in the water, hence the waders. I opened the door on the house as stealthily as I could. This hen wasn’t having any of it and when my face got closer to peer into the house, she emerged in a hurry almost taking my head off! With my cat-like reflexes however I was able to dodge the feathered missile and after seeing one egg in the nest, closed the door and moved on.

Driving around the other side of the pond with the Gator, two long black necks emerged from the matted cattails like a couple of periscopes. Apparently the wetland was also home to a pair of Canada geese. I quickly vacated their space as I was an uninvited guest in their private little world. I had no intention of trying to figure out where they might be nesting. Once out of the wetland, my stomach was growling and I needed nourishment. I crossed the road to grab the mail and a pair of Huns flew off in the direction of the CRP I had just come from. It’s spring and whole lotta lovin’ goin’ on I thought to myself as I turned up the driveway to the house.

After church on Sunday Mrs. Cheviot and I travelled to Owatonna to plant our vine crop transplants. We stopped at Perkin’s as it had been a while since we’d dined there. We were almost ready to order when I happened to gaze at the Over 55 menu. Smaller portions yet much cheaper. Hmmm. The gears were at once turning in my melon when I had an epiphany: No longer would I need to use my fake ID to lie about my age. I could also get rid of the wig with the little bald patch on top. I could also ditch that goop from China I’d been spreading on my muzzle to give it that salt and pepper look. The possibilities were endless I thought as I ordered off the Over 55 menu, this time legally. I had come of age.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Slow motion riders, fly the colors of the day

The scurs keep tinkering with the Gremlin Weather Eye, hoping they will find the “Plant Corn” setting. The 180 degree Studebaker thermostat is still in the box and if things don’t change pretty soon, they may use it. Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms by evening. Highs in the low 70’s and lows in the upper 50’s. Thursday, mostly cloudy with a good chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Partly cloudy and cooler with a slight chance of s morning shower. Highs near 60 and lows in the mid-40’s. Mostly sunny on Saturday with a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-60’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Partly sunny and warmer Sunday with an increasing chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 60’s with lows near 55. Mostly cloudy on Monday with a good chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-60’s with lows in the upper 40’s. Mostly cloudy for Tuesday with highs near 65 and lows in the mid-40’s. The normal high for May 10th is 68 and the normal low is 46. On the 10th we will see 14 hours and 30 minutes of daylight, the same as we saw last August 3rd. The scurs are wishing we could import some August temperatures while we’re at it. Something to work on this next week.

Another disappointing week of spring in slow motion. Rainfall in town totaled 2.85” and 2.72” at the ranch from Sunday the 27th - May 2nd. Soil conditions were unfit for tillage and planting operations and cool, cloudy weather only made for more frustration. Corn planted April 26th was swollen as of May 5th but had not germinated. Cold conditions since planting have been the primary reason. A record low high of 39 was recorded at the SROC in Waseca on April 30th. Since May 1 they have only calculated 11.5 GDD and 20 GDD since April 26th. For that same timeframe we should have seen close to 60. Weed growth also reflects the cool temps. Giant and common ragweeds are still tiny as are lambsquarters seedlings.

Believe it or not there are some positives. Recent rains should have helped alleviate any remaining frost left in the ground. While frost was still reported in places at 3’ – 4’ on May 5th, it is becoming softer. Corn planted on May 15th still has at least 95% of the potential yield and soybeans suffer no loss until later in the month, not to mention making them less apt to be affected by SDS. While we may not be planting into ideal soil conditions we may have to opt for what Betsy’s dad terms as “acceptable”.

At the ranch, the pasture continues to produce just enough to support a handful of ewes. It will soon be time to wean at the earliest lambs and put their mothers on grass. The fence at the kindly neighbors’ was put back up after the winter ravages. Chores suddenly become much simpler after weaning is accomplished so warmer temps would definitely be welcome. We’re not draining the garden hose after filling the water tank and buckets anymore so at least it’s a moral victory.

The face of the bird population at the ranch keeps changing albeit slowly. A brown thrasher (a feathered version of Jimmy Page) arrived on May 2nd. White-throated sparrows added background vocals. May 3rd, wood ducks were back for the 2nd year in a row checking out a canker in the silver maple tree. Apparently the cavity is still not deep enough to make it worth their time. A rose-breasted grosbeak was after the sunflower seed on the 4th as a grackle tried to dissuade him. That same night at dusk, it appeared the first pair of barn swallows occupied the granary, their favorite nesting spot. On May 5th a Harris’s sparrow was spotted in the early evening and on the morning of May 6th s white-crowned sparrow. Add to that the reappearance of a handful of goldfinches and it has definitely been more colorful. Orioles have already been spotted in areas so it’s only a matter of time.

Fudgie and Ruby have done their best to provide nesting material for the birds. The sunlight shone on Ruby as she walked across the floor, revealing a cloud of hairs. Sort of reminded us of the Pigpen character from Peanuts. Fudgie had been brushed before although she was up to another round. After some coaxing and plenty of elbow grease, the yard once again looked like two dogs had exploded. The breezes and birds soon made their fur a memory, except for the fur stuck on my jacket and in my mouth.

Vista’s noted Swedish astronomer made a surprise visit the other day, regaling us with tales of the evening skies once again. Jupiter can still be seen in the western sky, and as the month progresses it will be lower with each passing night. Mars is very red and getting higher in the sky, becoming closer to its zenith at 10 o’clock CDPT (Central Dog Potty Time). Saturn is touted to be the planet to watch for the summer months. It rises about sunset and remains visible for the duration of darkness. As Dale Niedfeldt points out in his column, it takes a telescope of at least 30 power to see the brilliant colors of Saturn’s rings. One doesn’t need nearly that much magnification to see how brilliant Vista’s noted Swedish astronomer is.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Gonna ramble on, sing my song

The scurs discovered a sticky heater control cable on the Weather Eye and promptly doused it with lots of PB Blaster. Stinks in the Gremlin but the scurs will try anything to get some heat generated. Will they get the cable loosened up so we can plant corn soon? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs near 60 and lows in the upper 30’s. Partly sunny on Thursday with continued slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-50’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Friday, mostly sunny and continued cool with highs in the mid-50’s and lows near 40. Mostly sunny Saturday with highs near 60 and lows in the mid-40’s. Sunday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid-60’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Mostly sunny on Monday with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-60’s and lows near 50. Mostly cloudy Tuesday with an increasing chance of rain. Highs in the upper 60’s and lows in the low 50’s. The normal high for May 17th is 70 and the normal low is 49. Will the scurs be basking in the sun by the ceement pond next week? Stay tuned.

The Full Moon for the month occurs on Wednesday the 14th. It is generally known as the Full Flower Moon as May is famous for its flowers following the April showers. It also goes by Full Milk Moon and the Full Corn Planting Moon. (believe that one when we see it) The Ojibwe called this the Blossom Moon and the Sioux the Moon When Ponies Shed. It is definitely the Moon When Border Collies Shed at the ranch although that could be said about almost any month.

Progress was finally made again toward corn planting early last week although it was short-lived. Fields in many cases were marginally fit but the calendar date is taking its toll. As of May 12th corn that was planted April 26th had germinated with a coleoptile about 1 ¼” long and radicle roughly 1 ½” long. A few more warm days and it will emerge. Emergence for corn generally takes somewhere from 90 – 120 GDD’s. Some soybeans were also planted by those who had the manpower and fields ready to go. Soybeans are somewhat forgiving although extended periods of wet feet are never a good thing for soybeans. Some are starting to get antsy and nervous and one can’t blame them. Still reports on Monday of ice being found in tile lines. After the spring we had last year another year of late planting is getting on everyone’s nerves.

Trees were planted at the ranch on Thursday night hoping that would help slow the rains. Usually it stops raining immediately and we have two months of drought. Didn’t work as we had over 1.5” within 4 days of planting. Oh well, at least the bunnies chewed some of them up already. Past tree plantings continue to reward our efforts. The nannyberries now provide great cover for the orioles as they dart to and fro. The spruce and arborvitae are favorite nesting spots for the robins and chipping sparrows. While not fun to mow around the amount of snow they catch makes it well worth the time.

The lawn mowing season got underway at the ranch over the weekend. Whitey is still on the DL but Howard and Little Whitey both answered the bell. Surprisingly, they started without hesitation. Even though the oil needed changing on Little Whitey, they were both in midseason form. The lawn itself was uneven and patchy but it was good to go over it once to even it out. That way the next time parts won’t need baling. Once finished it certainly looked more well groomed.

It helps to have hobbies to keep one’s mind off the weather which you can’t do anything about anyway. That’s one of the reasons I like watching the birds. After a watershed week last year, I figured this week would be a letdown. Far from it. In addition to being able to watch last week’s newcomers there were new visitors. About an hour after press time on the 6th, our first oriole was at the jelly feeder. He must’ve told the goldfinches there was plenty to eat as they suddenly showed up in force. The first hummingbird was spotted here on the 8th. That night the toads could be heard adding their trilling to the loud music of the chorus frogs. Then it was like the bird flood gates were opened. On the 11th, we had an orchard oriole, a catbird, chipping sparrows, an indigo bunting and heard our first house wren singing from the plum thicket. A cardinal added his color and whistling spring song as well. Hard to remember a spring when the birds have arrived so close together or the yard being such a blur of color.

Speaking of memory, I don’t think Fudgie forgets much of anything. When an egg is cracked open in the kitchen she gets very fidgety as I’m sure she was the beneficiary of many baked goods over the 10 years Mom had her. Hearing the sound of eggs cracking was likely only the beginning of the process. Fudgie has that same reaction when I’m loading up to feed the birds. The noises she makes in anticipation of the trip outside are downright comical. Ruby is simply just ready to launch once a door is opened. She also uses her toenails like a sprinter. The little puncture marks Ruby leaves in the soil remind me of the track spikes worn in days of old. I keep telling myself I still have that kind of energy; just have to pace myself a little more.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

I need to laugh and when the sun is out

I've got something I can laugh about

The scurs finally discovered the problem with the ’74 Gremlin Weather Eye: The wire on the windshield washer and air conditioning were crossed. Will their repair hold until we cross the corn planting finish line? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with highs in the lower 70’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Mostly sunny on Thursday with highs near 70 and lows in the lower 50’s. Mostly sunny conditions continuing for Friday and Saturday with highs in the mid to upper 70’s and lows in the mid to upper 50’s. A modest chance of showers and thunderstorms Saturday into Sunday. Partly cloudy Sunday with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the mid-60’s. An increased chance of a shower or thunderstorm into Memorial Day Monday under partly cloudy skies. Highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the upper 50’s. Partly sunny again for Tuesday with a decent chance of showers or thunderstorms. Highs again in the upper 70’s and lows in the mid-50’s. The normal high for May 26th is 73 and the normal low is 52. We will see over 15 hours of daylight on the 23rd, the first time since July 19th of last year. Let’s hope the scurs remember which wires were crossed on the Weather Eye come August.

Farmers were definitely enjoying the sudden change in weather fortunes locally after struggling most of the spring to put crop in the ground. Saturday and Sunday marked the best conditions of the planting season thus far with the promise of more to come. Many kept working into the wee hours of Monday morning as the forecast threatened more rain. One can’t blame farmers for being wary after the wicked blow 2013 dealt them. Luckily we dodged a bullet for once and the precipitation was very limited across Greater Bugtussle. An approximate estimate of corn planting locally for May 19th would be roughly 65%. Soybean planting was probably closer to 20%. Corn planted April 26th had emerged to the point that it could be rowed in spots Monday a.m. All in all, a decent start considering the spring although there is a lot of growing season to go. To keep matters in perspective however, you can’t harvest what you can’t plant and we have to be thankful for that.

Around the ranch there are definite signs that it is indeed corn planting time. The leaves on the oaks were the size of a squirrel’s ear this past week and the wild plums were in full bloom. The fragrance they grace the yard with certainly says spring as few others can. The rhubarb has become huge and this weekend would be a great time to make some sauce and a pie if time allows. The garden continues to dry and by the time this reaches mailboxes and newsstands, we should actually have some of it planted. In the meantime it has been interesting to watch the perennial transplants we brought back from Mom’s come to life. Slowly but surely all of the peonies, numerous lily of the valley and a Jack in the Pulpit all made it through the brutal prairie winter unscathed. Best of all the lily of the valley are about to bloom adding to the plum thicket’s contribution.

New bird sightings slowed as expected this past week. It still is fun to watch them after the long winter is finally behind us or it better be! One of the area robins continues to use my official rain gauge as their personal toilet. They’ve been plugging the quarter-inch hole in the funnel so Mr. Cheviot needs to make sure it’s cleaned out ahead of a rain. My stint as a janitor in the dorm prepared me well for this task. Along those same lines we were visited much of last week by dozens of cedar waxwings. Neat little black-masked, brown crested birds and lots of them. Couldn’t figure out what was falling out of the tree on me one morning while filling the birdfeeders. I noticed red stain all over the horizontal surfaces as well as what appeared to be little disk shaped seeds. After doing a little investigating it was determined they were seeds, likely from the American cranberry bushes at neighbor David’s. The sun was shining and I had to laugh. The bushes were full of berries and so were the waxwings, at least until they passed through their digestive tract.

No better sign of spring at the ranch than weaning the lambs from the ewes. Our ewe numbers continue to decrease and that’s a good thing as our recovery time from the annual beating we take is increasing. We do try to utilize our brains more than our brawn however and it usually pays dividends. This time Mrs. Cheviot came up with the idea of loading the ewes into the trailer, then separating the groups once in the trailer. This kept the catching to a minimum and hence the injury potential. With only a bruised rib and slightly sprained wrist this time, I felt fortunate. Once we got them into their groups, we hauled one batch to the kindly neighbors’ and deposited the remainder at home upon our return. The noise was deafening at times the first two days. Ewes that had been busy beating on lambs competing with them at the feed trough and hay bunk suddenly wanted them back. Go figure.

Always a job well done though and time to move onto something more fun like finding the bluebirds at the kindly neighbors. They’ve been nesting in the corner house at the pasture every year for a decade, maybe more. This year was more like “Where’s Waldo”. With no bluebird eggs in the first three nesting boxes I was starting to worry. Had they forgotten or had something happened to them? As I pulled up to the fourth and final house on the hilltop, it contained the small bluish bluebird eggs I’d been looking for. To my delight they had returned after all and officially, so had spring.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

When it's springtime in Alaska, it's forty below

The scurs were happy to see their diligence with the Weather Eye paid off with warmer temperatures. Will we reap the benefits for another week? Starting with Wednesday, mostly sunny with highs in the low 80’s and lows around 60. Sunny for Thursday with highs once again in the low 80’s and lows in the low 60’s. Continued warm and sunny on Friday with highs in the low 80’s and lows in the mid-60’s. Partly sunny becoming mostly cloudy on Saturday with a good chance for and evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the low 80’s and lows in the mid-60’s. Mostly cloudy and slightly cooler on Sunday with a moderate chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the low 60’s. Partly sunny Monday and cooler with a modest chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows near 60. Mostly cloudy Tuesday with a continued modest chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 70’s and lows in the mid-50’s. The normal high for June 1st is 75 and the normal low is 54. About time. This spring was starting to remind the scurs of Alaska. It appears the long johns can be filed away for future reference.

The weather this past week came just in the nick of time. There was potential for much snarling and gnashing of teeth if it hadn’t straightened out soon. As it was most are getting done planting or can at least see the light at the end of the tunnel. Some of the corn planted April 26th is pushing 2nd collar already thanks to the above normal temps over the past weekend. Corn planted May 6th and 7th has emerged and stands while not perfect appear to be adequate. Some of the soybeans planted in that timeframe have emerged as well. Rye seeded last fall as a forage crop began heading out and alfalfa has started to stretch, giving those short on forage a chance to exhale finally.

A large chunk of the garden at the ranch went in over the weekend. Saturday Kennebec, Pontiac and Gold Rush potatoes hit the ground first followed by 100+ hills of vine crops including squash, pumpkins, gourds and muskmelons. More garden went in following that including Indian corn, beets, carrots and cucumbers. Some sweet corn, tomatoes, and string beans plus whatever else we decide to mess with yet to go. We didn’t get done but we can see the end coming. Just like farming.

All the time I was planting there were plenty of birds around to keep me company. A brown thrasher must be nesting in the garden area as it sang its heart out the whole time, with nary the same song twice. The goslings down on the pond must be getting close to hatching as the geese put up a ruckus from time to time. No sign of wood ducks yet but they should show up soon. The Baltimore oriole migration apparently is complete as the jelly and sugar water consumption has taken a dive. They haven’t taken advantage of the string left out for their nest building activity so not sure if they’re nesting nearby or not. The orchard orioles have set up camp and with the sudden explosion of leaves on the maple tree, won’t surprise me if they nest there again. The canopy is so dense that seeing them disappear in it is the only clue we have that they’re here. A baby killdeer was spotted on one of my trips to the garden. A fuzzball on legs and cute as a button. His mom was doing the broken wing routine but I wasn’t buying it.

A robin has again built on top of a nest in the barn started initially 4 or 5 years ago. After skipping last year, the woven mud nest is now about 8” tall. Interesting to look at and at last check there are babies in it. The parents may be the ones using the rain gauge as a toilet. Lately they haven’t had time to plug it up. As cold as it was and as late as the ground thawed, there are already robin babies scattered all over the yard. One never knows when you’ll bump into one it seems. There are also scores of grackle babies and a Cooper’s hawk has caught on to this fact. The barnyard was in an uproar as one flew off with dozens of grackles in hot pursuit. No shortage of grackles or house sparrows so the hawks are free to help themselves.

Ruby and Fudgie definitely have taken a shine to this weather. When we’re around they’re free to spend time outside at their leisure. Ruby usually heads to the barn after a while to keep an eye on the sheep and Fudgie crashes on the back side of the house somewhere. Not sure where as she comes when the door opens. She also comes whenever a gate is opened, something that’s become a force of habit whenever we need to go out in the feed lot. The ewes are wise to this now and the last thing they want is a red and white Border Collie nipping at their heels when there’s plenty of grass to devour on the far side of the pasture.

The flowering crabs this past week were absolutely gorgeous with many yards boasting several in full bloom. Oddly enough the wind didn’t cut the season short as it has some years. Apple trees at the ranch appear loaded with blooms again although the Honeycrisp again has no blooms. Not sure what the problem is as the tree looks healthy as a horse. There was more bad news on the fruit tree front: All appearances are that Betsy’s dad, the area’s largest peach grower has declared his grove to be deceased. This means we may have to consolidate our operations. The huge peach tree loss will likely have a ripple effect on the economy. We won’t need as many crates or trucks to haul the peaches nor workers to pick them.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

There you stood on the edge of your feather expecting to fly

The scurs were pleased to see the warm sun this past week as well as the weekend rains. Their reliance on the ’74 Gremlin Weather Eye continues to pay dividends. Will they be able to turn the water off temporarily and keep temperatures warm? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance for a leftover morning shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the low 70’s and lows in the mid-50’s. Mostly sunny on Thursday with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the mid-50’s. Friday, mostly sunny with highs remaining in the low 70’s and lows creeping upward in to the upper 50’s. Saturday, partly sunny becoming mostly cloudy with an increasing chance for a shower or thunderstorm by evening. Highs in the low 70’s and lows in the upper 50’s Mostly cloudy Sunday with a moderate chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 70’s and low in the mid-50’s. Mostly cloudy with highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the mid-50’s. Tuesday, mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 70’s and lows in the upper 50’s. On June 7th, the normal high is 77 and the normal low is 56. We will only gain about 6 minutes more of daylight by the summer solstice on the 21st. The ice on the ceement pond being a distant memory, the scurs are mending their zubas.

What a week of weather for crop growth last week was! GDD or GDU accumulation was more typical of mid-June as we made progress towards erasing the deficit created earlier in the month. Much easier to catch up this time of year than later on, similar to a baseball player’s batting average. May was actually below normal precipitation-wise so starting June off with a soaking rain was welcome. Corn that was planted in the May 5 – 7th timeframe was showing 3 collars as of last week and stands remained impressive considering the less than perfect conditions in some cases the soil was in at planting time. Weed control is the next item on the agenda for most when soils dry enough to allow it. A cooler week forecast may slow some of those plans although it will also slow crop and weed development as well. Soybeans roared out of the ground, planted in many cases less than a week before. There again, emergence and stands appear to be decent as most of the soybean acreage was planted in nearly ideal conditions. Small grains should benefit from the slightly cooler weather and alfalfa development should slow enough to allow cutting at prime levels for maturity. Getting it dry may be the issue if trying to bale it.

The lawn at the ranch is growing faster than time has allowed to mow it. It gets mowed once a week and it looks like every 4 or 5 days would be better. Fudgie and Ruby would be all for that. Biting the tires and following the mowers back and forth is the highlight of their day. Eventually as Mrs. Cheviot finishes up her greenhouse stint and if we can keep two mowers running, it shouldn’t take so long. A mower for each dog: Bonus! The gardens and flowers are also on the agenda as some spot watering kept the vine crop transplants going until the weekend rains came to the rescue. The indigenous American corn came up as did the cucumbers planted less than a week earlier. And yes in response to a late evening call from a reader, we even planted our sweet corn. It was definitely warm enough. The fly in the ointment: The mosquitoes have shown up. They’re not nasty yet although given the recent rains, that will likely change.

When it’s wet and little can be done in the lawn and garden department, the birds provide a welcome diversion. The neighbors are already convinced I’m nuts so when they see me walking across the pasture in my waders that pretty well confirms it. Bear in mind we live on top of a hill. Checking the wetland/pond area, the wood ducklings had not hatched as of Sunday afternoon. One hen came off the nest when the wood duck house observation door was opened and the other was taking a break. Hope she enjoyed it as when those eggs hatch, she’ll be pretty busy. The Canada geese that were loud last week do indeed have gosling. They sailed out of the cattails to see who the intruder was, then silently slipped back into the rushes. Hummingbirds are becoming more frequent visitors and were particularly enamored by the salvia Mrs. Cheviot brought home. The baby robins in the barn have made their way out into the real world. They stood on the edge of the nest one morning and must’ve flown out. Remember kids, it’s all downhill once you leave the nest.

Others have noted this as well that our usual house wren guests have not appeared in great numbers this summer. The common yellow throat at the ranch tries to fill the void but they are no match for the house wrens in the song department. The oriole numbers have tailed off although it appears we’re left with the locals. The maple that has been an orchard oriole favorite really leafed out this past week making it more suitable for nesting no matter who wants to build there.

Am concerned that Auntie Mar Mar might’ve been swept up in the tornado south of Albert Lea last weekend. Could’ve had that loud country and western music turned up too loud on the boom box again I reckon. Been awfully quiet from that direction. Mar Mar’s been promising me blueberry bars so I wouldn’t want to miss out on those. Hopefully she’s been wearing her ruby slippers while staying away from old maids riding bikes with little dogs in baskets.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

It keeps you runnin', yeah, it keeps you runnin'

The scurs must’ve pushed the air conditioning lever too far the wrong direction on the Weather Eye. Nothing a little baling wire and a pair of pliers can’t solve, we hope. Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms in the overnight. Highs near 80 and lows in the upper 50’s. Partly sunny and cooler on Thursday with highs in the upper 60’s and lows around 50. Mostly sunny Friday with a slight chance of a shower late. Highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the upper 50’s. Saturday, partly sunny becoming mostly cloudy with a good chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the lower 60’s. Partly sunny on Sunday with a good chance of a shower or thunderstorm in the forenoon. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows around 60. Monday, partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s and lows again around 60. Partly sunny becoming mostly cloudy with a good chance for rain on Tuesday. Highs in the low 70’s and lows in the mid-50’s. The normal high for Flag Day June 14th is 79 and the normal low is 58. On the 14th we will only gain about one more minute of daylight until the summer solstice. The scurs will have their hammock ready for their afternoon naps.

The Full Moon for the month comes on the 12th and is known as the Full Strawberry Moon. This is the month when the berries are in their prime and those of us who enjoy that juicy red fruit are in 7th heaven. Few things are better with a bowl of ice cream. The Ojibwe and Sioux were both in agreement on the name for this moon as well. At the ranch it becomes the Mow Lawn in the Dark Moon.

Crops continued to make progress although the corn has slowed and is going through the ugly stage it frequently does this time of year. The plants are switching over from their seminal root system to the still developing nodal root system which will nurture the plant for the rest of the growing season. There frequently is a lag period that can be influenced by many factors including weather, hybrid and soil conditions at or before planting. Given some warm sunny weather, the plants outgrow it in a matter of a week or two. Soybeans are emerging and growing rapidly at this point with the recent rains coming to the aid of some fields where seedlings were struggling the break through a heavy crust after laying in dry soil. Alfalfa cuttings have been underway and yields appear to be decent. Last Saturday’s rainfall was extremely variable with some in Greater Bugtussle receiving nothing with others receiving up to 2 inches and everything in between. Fortunately our subsoil moisture is in pretty good shape so worrying about drought isn’t on the agenda just yet.

The garden at the ranch has experienced many of the same conditions that field crops have experienced. The vine crops, particularly the squash and pumpkins are born to run so we’ve left adequate space. They are poised and ready when the weather stays consistently warm. Not unexpected since they’ve already had the best of the rainfall and warm temperatures spring has had to offer since they were transplanted. Something to keep an eye on however are the striped cucumber beetles that appeared already on June 9th. They can decimate young vine crops if left unchecked for just a few days. There are also signs of cutworm activity, not surprising given the level captures in the pheromone trap monitored for the U of M’s black cutworm trapping network.

It has been a real struggle to keep up with the lawn mowing after the weekend rain. The windbreak gets neglected so it takes additional time to mow that when that gets away from us. We’re not alone. The drone of lawnmower engines can be heard across the landscape trying in vain to keep up. About the time we finish the last of the mowing the first mowed part needs mowing again. Fudgie and Ruby enjoy it. Walking behind the mower as it goes back and forth makes their white socks green. With that much grass stain, we should probably volunteer them for a laundry detergent ad campaign.

Auntie Mar Mar has been found! News of her demise was greatly exaggerated. And luckily for me it meant the blueberry bars I’d been craving suddenly appeared. I receive such neat things from readers. This includes goodies, prints, newspaper clippings, weeds, bugs, or even just the great conversations about common interests whether it's gardening, fruit trees, weather, dogs, etc. Nice to be appreciated and like all of us, it keeps us running.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Oh, Monday morning, you gave me no warning of what was to be

The slight chance of showers for Monday exceeded what the scurs predicted. For the scurs “slight” is a relative term. Will we see more rain or will Mother Nature back off? Starting Wednesday, partly cloudy becoming mostly cloudy with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs on the upper 80’s and lows in the upper 60’s. Thursday, mostly cloudy with a continued good chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs near 80 and lows in the mid-60’s. Mostly cloudy Friday with a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the low 60’s. For the first day of summer, partly sunny with a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs near 80 and lows in the low 60’s. Sunday, partly cloudy with a modest chance for a daytime shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 70’s and lows near 60. Monday, partly cloudy and pleasant. Highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the mid-60’s. Tuesday, more of the same but slightly warmer. Mostly sunny with highs near 80 and lows near 60. The normal high for June 21st is 81 and the normal low is 60. The scurs will be wearing their Coast Guard approved floatation device while napping in the hammock just in case.

Monday’s thunderstorm was a nasty one. It’s never a good sign when the solar lights come on at 5:30 in the afternoon. It pulled no punches, snarling and growling as it moved across the prairie. While strong straight line winds did substantial property and crop damage it could’ve been worse. Some large limbs were down as we gazed out the window while Ruby and Fudgie went to their Border Collie “safe places”. They do not like storms and waste no time hiding. We were just thankful nothing major was wrecked and all the beings in our care came through the storm alive. In fact sometime during the storm, another lamb was born and a ewe lamb at that. Stormy would seem an apt name for her.

Area corn crops had that Jekyll and Hyde appearance to them this past week. Fields that were worked a little too wet began to show signs that their roots weren’t reaching the nitrogen that was in higher concentrations below. Wheel tracks in the direction of those tillage passes were evident and were likely impeding the progress of those roots. A few cool days thrown into the mix probably didn’t help matters. Headlands in particular look ugly and unfortunately no amount of additional nutrients applications will change that. Additional nitrogen will suddenly be the hot topic however for the rest of the field in most cases. Soybeans were beginning to show some signs of iron deficiency chlorosis although the recent heavy rains will likely make that a short-lived phenomenon this year. So far at the ranch and in town at the Mall for Men we are closing in on 8” of rainfall for the month. Given the forecasts, it appears likely we will surpass that.

It was a good week to pay attention to the birds though. At the kindly neighbors’ pasture, the bluebirds were getting close to leaving the nest. Not sure if the parents were looking at another nesting box or if another pair had moved into the area. At the ranch on Monday morning a house wren was singing in the windbreak, the first one heard since the earlier in May. It just isn’t summer without a wren now is it? Checking the wood duck houses there was still no sign of them leaving the nest. One of the nests may be abandoned with a full clutch of eggs in it while the other still has a hen faithfully setting on it. While looking in the nest, the toads were extremely loud. I was curious to see for sure if that’s who they were and was able to snap several shots of one puffing his vocal sac while trilling for all he was worth. It’s still breeding season for American toads apparently and given the abundance of water, it should be ample for the females to lay up to 20,000 eggs apiece. For those viewing the photo, I apologize for the quality of the picture but when trying to avoid dropping the cell phone in the drink, that’s what happens sometimes.

One good thing about all the rain is the pastures have been lush thus far and the ewes are fat as a result. Fertilizing the pasture at home was a paying proposition too with the grass lasting longer into the season and helping to keep the hay bill under control. The hay we seeded has looked a little better with each rain, the underseeded alfalfa filling in the gaps with orchardgrass beginning to appear as well. It should be a better year for forages in general if we can just find enough time between rains to allow hay to dry.

Mrs. Cheviot has outdone herself on the flower beds and pots around the house. The bees, butterflies and of course the hummingbirds have all been grateful for her diligence. Even though the storms beat the foliage up the plants have maintained their integrity fairly well and will come back. It’s Mr. Cheviots job to prevent unwanted pests from ruining her hard work. And no matter how bad Mr. Cheviot beats on them, they also keep coming back.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

In the summertime when all the trees and leaves are green…

The scurs predictions for showers and thunderstorms last week are making the scurs believe the Weather Eye from the ’74 Gremlin X they’re using for forecasting must be connected to the windshield washer. Will they find the wire that’s crossed this week? Starting Wednesday, partly sunny with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the low 60’s. Thursday, mostly cloudy with a good chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the mid-60’s. Mostly cloudy Friday with a modest chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs near 80 and lows in the upper 60’s. Saturday, mostly cloudy with an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms into the evening. Highs in the low 80’s and lows in the upper 60’s. Partly sunny Sunday with a moderate chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-80’s and lows in the upper 60’s. Monday, mostly sunny with a modest chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in low 80’s and lows in the upper 60’s. Partly cloudy Tuesday and muggy with a high in the upper 80’s and lows in the mid-60’s. The normal high for June 30th is 82 and the normal low is 61. By June 30th we will already have lost 3 minutes of daylight from the summer solstice. The scurs advise enjoying it while you can. January isn’t that far off.

Massive rainfall issues plagued much of the Greater Bugtussle area. Unofficial claims of over 10 inches in areas were reported while others had to settle for lesser amounts. At the ranch, we tallied 7.33” from June 14th – 20th and at the Mall for Men, closer to 7.6”. For the month at the ranch we’re looking at 9.8” so far and about that in town as well. Crops have reacted to the excess rainfall negatively as nitrogen losses appear to be common in the corn in addition to the drowned out spots readily apparent from the windshield. Soybeans have taken the rains slightly better on their appearance although closer inspection is revealing some root diseases already showing up, namely phytophthora. Spring wheat has headed out and appears to be in good shape considering the later than desired planting date. Second cutting alfalfa has benefitted from the rains and should help make up for lost time to alleviate the local hay shortages.

The storm on the 16th brought down a large chunk of the silver maple in our yard. Mr. Cheviot managed to get it sawed up while throwing the leafy branches over the fence to the sheep. The sheep remove all the leaves and make the brush lots easier to pile up once they’re done with it. The loss of a main part of the trunk has changed the personality of the backyard however. Now when I toil at the confuser during daylight hours anyway, the sun shines directly in the window where before it was shaded. If it starts shining in the window at night I may start to believe global warming is real.

Someone asked me after the recent storm how my shingles were. I told him they weren’t damaged by the storm at all. He gave me a funny look as though I was pulling his leg and then it dawned on me, I had told him previously I’d been diagnosed with shingles! I then explained that luckily I went in early to get it checked out and sure enough that’s what the nasty rash starting on my stomach was. It had begun to spread and the prescribed anti-viral horse pills pretty much stopped it in its tracks. It still itches and causes some minor pain but it has been nothing like it could’ve been had I let it go.

My little fat buddy the mechanic and I decide to revive the Studebaker project while the fields were saturated for a few days last week. We got the thing to the point where we could put gas in it and see what it would do. What did it do? Unfortunately not much. Turns out 5 of the 6 exhaust valves in the flathead six were stuck in varying degrees of open so compression was not its strong suit. What’s next? You guessed it: Pull the engine and go through it, replacing seals, valves, rings, etc. While we’re at it we may as well do the clutch and throw out bearing. Nothing comes easy although pretty soon we’ll have gone through and repaired most of the major systems. Now if we could find someone to do that with the weather.

The recent warmer weather has brought about the stable flies. Theses nasty little biting muscids make life miserable for those who desire to wear shorts. Repellents are of marginal effectiveness it seems and only smacking them seems to make one feel better. And of course, if you thought the mosquitoes were getting worse, you haven’t seen anything yet. All the standing water resulting from these June storms can only mean one thing: Hordes of mosquitoes. One more reason I’m happy to allow as many barn swallows as I can in the out buildings.

Fudgie and Ruby continue to enjoy the moderate temperatures when it isn’t raining. They romp and fertilize the yard, keeping the lawnmower busy. Fudgie has also discovered the striped gophers are fun to pursue and as most dogs do, likes to dig the holes open enough so she can stick her beak in it and snort. Ruby stays trim with all her tearing around the yard and monitoring Stormy’s progress in the barn. The lamb shares an 8’ x 16’ pen with her mother so she has room to run, exciting Ruby to run back and forth in front of the pen. When Ruby gets back in the house, she plays with her ball. Her ball supply is shrinking however. She lost another one in the living room and after tearing the room chairs and all apart, we still can’t find it. This has happened several times now. No one ever said raising Border Collies would be boring.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Ooh, it really makes me wonder…

The scurs were thinking they’d found the wire crossed between the windshield washer and the Weather Eye on the ’74 Gremlin X. They must’ve inadvertently crossed them again as some got a good dousing again Saturday night. Will they be more careful this week? Starting Wednesday, partly sunny with highs in the upper 60’s and lows in the lower 50’s. Temps rebound a tad on Thursday under mostly sunny skies with highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the upper 50’s. Mostly sunny during the day on Independence Day becoming mostly cloudy by evening with a good chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the md-60’s. Partly sunny and again mostly cloudy by evening with a modest chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the mid-60’s. Mostly sunny on Sunday with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the mid-60’s. Warmer and mostly sunny for Monday with a chance for developing showers and thunderstorms overnight. Highs in the low 80’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Clearing for Tuesday with highs again in the low 80’s and lows in the mid-60’s. The normal high for the 4th of July is 83 and the normal low is 62. Hopefully the scurs will evade the Fireworks Police and not be writing from the Crowbar Hotel next week.

More progress was made in the fields this past week towards getting spraying done although numerous operators were stuck making an attempt due to saturated soils. Corn is getting to the point where height restrictions are coming into play as it will be more than knee high by the 4th. Soybean weed control has also been underway as well it should be. The earliest planted soybeans were beginning to bloom as of last week so the meter is also running on that crop. Some of those plants were up to a foot tall in places. Replanting soybeans in the drown out spots is occurring as well and will likely continue until about July 10th. After that date the likelihood of harvesting mature soybeans diminishes greatly. It does however provide cover for weed control and helps prevent fallow syndrome in next year’s corn crop. First cutting hay has been largely completed and again, some tractors and balers were stuck in the process. The fun never stops.

Rainfall in the month of June at the SROC in Waseca broke not only the record for June itself but the all-time record for monthly precipitation. The previous record was set in September of 2010 at 12.66”. The new record set in June stands at 12.94”. At the ranch we aren’t exactly shooing the camels off the yard with 11.28” recorded and in town at the Mall for Men rainfall totaled 10.95”. I do have to laugh at how some are convinced those figures can’t possibly be right and that we must’ve had more than that. After reading three gauges daily, one would think I’d start to catch on. Also, something tells me after comparing recorded data from location to location, rainfall really does vary considerably, sometimes within less than a half mile. Nice and dry on one end of the field with a 4-wheeler and lucky to get out with your life on the other due to mud provides a clue.

It has also been a bearcat to keep up with lawn mowing with all this rain. We won’t even go there about the mosquito population. Saturday was particularly annoying as several little showers cropped up while I was making an attempt to mow the windbreak. It was desperately in need as it had become long and out of control. After getting soaked I vowed to finish come hell or high water. By the time I finished I was starting to dry off again although the sky was beginning to look more ominous. I suspected it was probably time to punt on mowing the last part of the lawn south of the house. The radar on the cell phone confirmed my suspicions so Fudgie, Ruby and I shifted gears to plant the last of the begonias Mrs. Cheviot had left us. Doing so allowed a clear view of the approaching storm while we weeded the bed after finishing planting. Weeding was completed about the time the first large drops splatted off my melon so we dashed to the house as the skies opened up. Timing is everything when you’re gardening.

The ranch continues to serve as a nursery for many species of birds. Many of the evergreens have hosted robin and grackle nests as well as chipping sparrows. The bottoms of their tiny nests here are frequently lined with dog fur and wool. Gee, wonder where that came from? A recent addition came in the form of a nesting pair of bluebirds. I’d seen them from the oval office and wondered which of the nesting boxes they might be using. They’d used the box attached to the lever on the plow in the past. That box had contained a partially built nest when checked earlier. Checking again recently the nest had not progressed making me wonder if we would have any bluebirds at the ranch this year. They seemed to frequently be showing up closer to the house making me wonder if one of the birdhouses in the dooryard had been chosen instead. Sure enough when I looked behind the granary a blue egg was already in place in the nest of neatly woven grass.

As I wrote last week, I was lucky to have gone to the doctor when I did to avoid the shingles making my life miserable. It’s nice to be able to stick with a somewhat normal routine and not have your life totally disrupted. Several have asked how I’m doing and I really do appreciate that. After all, seeing some of the pictures and hearing the horror stories, I feared I might become Bugtussle’s very own Bubble Boy. Moops!

See you next week...real good then.

[Dotch]

I can feel it in the air tonight…

The scurs were cautious this last week when playing under the dash on the ’74 Gremlin X, finding the heat control while they were at it. Will they be so fortunate this week? Starting Wednesday, sunny with highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the mid-50’s. Thursday mostly sunny becoming mostly cloudy by evening with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms in the overnight. Highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the mid-60’s. Mostly cloudy Friday with a good chance of forenoon showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the mid-60’s. Saturday mostly cloudy with a modest chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the low 60’s. Mostly sunny for Sunday with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs near 80 with lows in the low 60’s. Monday, sunny skies and slightly cooler with highs near 75 and lows in the upper 50’s. Partly cloudy on Tuesday with another chance for showers and thunderstorms developing. Highs in the low 70’s and lows in the lower 50’s. The normal highs for July 12th is 83 and the normal low is 62. We will see 15 hours and 13 minutes of daylight in greater Bugtussle, having lost 15 minutes of daylight since the summer solstice. The scurs will be making up for lost time at Farm and City Days.

The crops were certainly trying this past week to make up for a June that frequently provided a soggy and hostile environment for growing corn and soybeans. Corn that had been pale in many places began to reach nitrogen and turn that dark green color we expect corn to have at this point. Soybeans were also on the move with most fields in full bloom. The silver lining to the wet June has been the regrowth on 2nd cutting hay. Most of it has really stretched and should make some wonderful hay if the weather allows it to dry.

The Full Moon for the month occurs on Saturday the 12th and goes by several names including the Full Buck Moon, Full Thunder Moon and Full Hay Moon. The Ojibwe knew this as the Full Raspberry Moon for the wild raspberry crop that is ripening. The Sioux were also into fruit denoting this as the Moon When Wild Cherries are Ripe. At the ranch we like our fruit as well although it the pickings will be slim for a while yet. Probably best known as the Pick the Handful of Wild Raspberries Quick Moon.

The garden has made tremendous progress however and some additional string beans were planted on July 5th. Obviously the first bean planting didn’t appreciate the 11.25” of rain in June. Garden insect pests have been on the attack so for those who don’t routinely scout for them this could serve as a heads up. Striped cucumber beetles have been a menace to the cucurbit crop, consuming the blossoms before the bees and other pollinators have had a chance to do their work. Squash vine borers have been spotted as well making a pesticide application necessary. To make matters worse, cabbage butterflies are locating the decorative kale and cabbage. When the pinholes from the larvae begin to appear, they will be afforded the same treatment.

Insect pests attacking humans and animals are also reaching intolerable levels. Poor Fudgie’s ears have been getting chewed by stable flies. While Ruby doesn’t sit still long enough for the flies to catch her, the mosquitoes still find her nose. Luckily we’ve had some breezy days which help to keep the bugs from getting totally out of control. Slathered with repellent and mowing the lawn Sunday night however it was still. I could see against the low sun the sheer number of flying and likely biting insects. It was as if one could see the air moving. Stable flies, deer flies, gnats and mosquitoes have all taken their toll and show no signs of abating soon. There is some positive insect news however: The fireflies appeared in force at the ranch for the first time on July 7th following the evening showers. It’s officially July.

Our yard continues to be host to numerous fledgling birds. The young orioles have found their way to the feeders. Their bumbling antics and mournful calls make one smile. They are consuming a lot of jelly too that makes the grocer smile. Young barn swallows are all over the dooryard right now. Look up and there’s one perched somewhere staring you in the face. I’m counting on them to grow up big and strong with as many bugs as they have to eat. When my brother visited last week, we also checked on the wetland to see what might’ve become of the wood ducks. One of the houses was abandoned yet full of eggs. How many? Try 17. Maybe the hen took one look at that clutch and flew the coop. The other house apparently was more productive. There were still four nonviable eggs in it but it appeared that at least eight or so had made it out. Hopefully the ducklings were swimming around in the pond. There are so many places for them to hide that they would’ve been nearly impossible to find. And that’s a good thing.

Attended a gathering over the 4th and happened to run into a reader who reminisced about some of his Studebaker experiences. Being a mechanic, he recalled that Studebakers were delivered to the dealerships with boxes of accessories. Items such as radios, antennas, hood ornaments and side view mirrors were all common add-ons not installed at the factory. The Studebaker dealership in Albert Lea contracted with the shop where he worked to install the equipment. After only reading about this phenomenon in books I now have living proof. Thanks Bob!

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Telephone line, give me some time, I'm living in twilight

The scurs found the air conditioning on the ’74 Gremlin X Weather Eye. Too bad it took them a couple days to figure it out. Will they see the error of their ways? Starting Wednesday, sunny with a high in the mid-70’s and lows in the mid-50’s. Mostly sunny Thursday with a gradual start to a warming trend. Highs near 75 and lows in the upper 50’s. Friday, mostly sunny with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the low 60’s. Saturday, mostly sunny becoming mostly cloudy by evening with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows near 65. Partly sunny Sunday with a modest chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs near 80 with lows in the low 60’s. Monday, sunny and humid with highs in the mid-80’s and lows in the low 70’s. Warmer Tuesday and muggy. Highs in the upper 80’s and lows in the upper 60’s. The normal high for July 21st is 82 and the normal low is 62. One month after the summer solstice we will have lost 30 minutes of daylight. Given that news the scurs are wondering if they should order another transport of insect repellent.

Summer certainly has been slipping by in a hurry. Scattered tassels are appearing in some corn fields and some of the early planted soybeans have reached R3, pod set. It will soon be time to conclude the last application of glyphosate on many fields. Earlier planted small grain fields are starting to turn and within a few weeks we’ll know what kind of yields to expect. Some of it actually looks decent thanks in large part to the moderate temperatures thus far. Oddly enough as of the middle of last week, we were only about 4% behind on GDU’s as calculated at the SROC in Waseca. Their report comes out midweek so would expect the slide to continue. Monday July 14th’s high of 63corresponds to the normal high on April 27 & 28th or October 9th and 10th. Not exactly good corn and soybean growing temperatures.

There are still positives though in the garden at the ranch. The string beans planted on July 5th were nearly all emerged on July 14th. Emergence on this planting was excellent and if the rabbits leave it alone, it should make for some nice green beans. Tomatoes are setting nicely and there is one yellow pear type that is turning already. My favorite lunchbox snack. The muskmelon crop continues to be the crown jewel however. All 18 hills are lush green and flowering like mad. Moisture conditions are tremendous as these clay loam soils seemingly hang onto water forever, especially when the temperatures are moderate as they have been. It will soon be time to address the weed issue once again, a seemingly never ending task. About one more time through though and most of the vine crops will deter most of them for the season.

It has been one of those great weeks again to watch the birds. A male rose-breasted grosbeak has appeared again and enjoys moving in on the jelly feeder. The orioles are blowing through jelly and sugar water like candy as well. The adults have been feeding their young jelly when they sit in the tree and wait for it to be delivered to them. It’s not exactly finger, er, beak food so frequently it winds up somewhere other than in the immature orioles tummy. Goldfinch numbers continue to grow as the thistle seed disappears at a more rapid pace. Two nesting boxes near the house at the ranch have been occupied. One has tree swallows in it and the other contains the bluebird we wrote about a few weeks ago. There are now three blue eggs in that birdhouse. To my delight while checking the rain gauge at the kindly neighbors’ pasture, the bluebird house nearest the barn also has a bluebird in it. When checking the fence on the far side of the pasture, the nesting box that produced a brood earlier now also contains three blue eggs. Apparently my diligence in cleaning the nest out after they were through with it paid off.

The nasty infestation of insects continues to ruin the potential for many outdoor events unless the wind is blowing. Luckily we’ve had some breezy days so that mowing the lawn could be done without the usual bath in insect repellent. The breeze also allowed for yet another brushing for Fudgie on Sunday. I seriously don’t understand where all the fur comes from on that dog. There were clouds of it as I ran the rake-type comb over her first to loosen her stubborn undercoat. Following up with another brush resembling a wool card, wads of fur blew across the lawn. Later when hitting them with the mower, it was like a dog fur storm.

Looks as though it’s our turn in the barrel on the north end of Bugtussle to put up with road destruction. As of the 14th, crews began grinding the road surface off and making the road mostly impassable. It will be interesting to see what each day brings. There will likely be days we’ll have to negotiate to get into the Mall for Men. I should be used to it. When the People’s Republic of Steele Co. resurfaced the road by the ranch last September, seems the outfit replacing the culvert below the hill caught our telephone line so we had no service. All well and good you say. The phone company fixed the line, right? Well, sort of. After being promised that our phone line would be buried in October, it remains on top of the ground. I move it every time I mow so it doesn’t get chopped to bits. Rodents and bunnies have already chewed the casing so one can see the wires inside but somehow it still works. When I have called the phone company to request service and information, I’ve received excuses about subcontractors, wet weather and improperly submitted work orders. Doesn’t help me. I guess they never did say which October. The way it’s going, I’m just amazed we don’t have to climb a pole to talk on the phone or use the confuser. Hey, there might be a reality show in this!

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

When I need the sun’s heat…

The scurs got the temps to warm up finally after discovering the cable for the heater was unhooked on the Weather Eye. Will their efforts continue to yield results? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny and pleasant with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the upper 50’s. Mostly sunny Thursday with a good chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the low 60’s. Friday, partly sunny becoming mostly cloudy with a moderate chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs again in the mid-70’s and lows in the mid-60’s. Mostly sunny and warmer for Saturday with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs near 80 and lows in the low 60’s. Sunday, mostly cloudy and cooler with a modest chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows near 60. Partly sunny on Monday with a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 70’s and lows in the mid-50’s. Tuesday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the mid-50’s. The normal high for July 25th is 82 and the normal low is 62. The scurs are camping near the ceement pond in hopes that warmer temperatures will continue.

Warmer temps over the weekend were just what the doctor ordered. However, there are areas believe it or not that could use some rainfall. July appears to be pulling the same stunt now for the third year in a row with well below normal precipitation. Normal precip for July at the SROC in Waseca is 4.42”. So far at the ranch we have recorded .56”, at the SROC .73” and at the Mall for Men a paltry .3”. August has also presented us with lower than normal rainfall amounts for three years prior and most forecasts are not indicating any inkling of increased precipitation. Lack of August rainfall has taken the top end out of the crop locally and with all the problem areas this year, we could use a break just this once.

Corn has been tasseling this past week although the sins of the spring fieldwork have caused it to tassel unevenly in many cases. Some has been able to gut down and grab some of the nitrogen many assumed was lost and in other cases not so much. Soybeans are rolling along although complaints of short plants abound. July frequently disappoints as August is the month that makes the soybean crop. See comments about August rainfall above. Soybean aphids were spotted locally last week so it remains to be seen just what they may do. The pea crop has been about as expected: poor. Late planting followed by heavy rains doomed this crop right out of the chute. Alfalfa could use some of the aforementioned rains in order to make for a better third cutting and in some instances the potential for a fourth.

The garden at the ranch has begun to bear some fruit! The first two yellow pear tomatoes were plucked recently with the promise of more to come. The mosquitoes have prevented me from foraging through the cucumber vines to see what might be hiding there. The muskmelons are setting lots of fruit as are the pumpkins and gourds. The first planted string beans are flowering profusely and even though the stand was thinned due to the wet conditions, they may compensate somewhat for that. The late planting was being attacked by rabbits so a bunny fence was constructed. The mosquitoes were almost unbearable but the fence was built and has effectively kept the varmints out so far. The fall garden area was worked down for planting in another week or so. The snap peas and more winter radish seed was ordered so it’s ready whenever we are.

The Haralson and Fireside apple trees are heavy laden with fruit as are the crabapples. The Snowsweet has a dozen or so on it, not bad considering it’s only been there a few years now. They quickly became a favorite eating apple for us so we can’t wait to see what the little tree can do over the next few years. Most of the fruiting trees and shrubs are loaded this year at the ranch including the nannyberries, chokeberries, honeysuckle and American cranberries. The serviceberries were too until they ripened and the robins made short work of them.

We’ve been attracting orioles now for a long time although I don’t recall ever seeing as many as this summer. The orchard orioles must’ve had a banner hatch as there are frequently a half dozen or more showing up to gobble down the grape jelly. The Baltimore orioles usually move them out when they arrive but the orchards are persistent. The hummingbirds have also been more numerous than some years. Mrs. Cheviot’s pots with several different types of salvia in them keep them flying in circles around the house then back to the nectar feeder. Frequently when gazing out the window one can see a hummer working over the flowers. I never tire of watching them and am still awed by their flying capabilities.

Ruby and Fudgie have had the life of Reilly this summer when one thinks about it. Not only when the weather has been cool but even when it has been on one of its infrequent warm spells. Take the other day for example. Working in the garden and getting more dog help than a person should be allowed to have, I made a beeline for the garden hose for a drink. Ruby immediately takes this as a sign it’s time to play. Her pirouettes chasing the water coming out of the hose probably belong on a You Tube video. Fudgie would rather watch Ruby and go inside to enjoy the AC. On the first day I started it up, she could feel the cool air and plopped on the floor in front of the register. Definitely the dog days of summer.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

It is the summer of my smiles

The scurs got moderate temperatures to prevail but didn’t manage to scare up much rain. Perhaps they need to revisit the windshield washer on the Weather Eye. Starting Wednesday, sunny with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the upper 50’s. Thursday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows near 60. Mostly sunny again for Friday with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the upper 50’s. Mostly sunny for Saturday with highs in the upper 70’s and lows near 60. Sunday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs near 80 and lows in the upper 50’s. Partly cloudy Monday with a moderate chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the low 60’s. Tuesday, mostly cloudy with showers and thunderstorms possible. Highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the upper 50’s. The normal high for August 1st is 82 and the normal low is 61. On July 31st the sun will rise after 6 a.m. for the first time since May 4th. The scurs are rummaging through their candy wrappers to see if there are any May basket leftovers. It’s a long time yet until Halloween.

We may need until Halloween to get some of this crop ripe the rate it’s going. Based on a May 1st planting date we are not that far behind on GDU’s. However, much of this corn crop wasn’t planted until around mid-May which puts it in jeopardy of an early frost. Many of the soybeans weren’t planted until late May so they’re in the same boat. Even though they are photoperiod sensitive a late maturing soybean planted late is unlikely to make it under the wire for a mid-September frost. Crop development is however moving along and some timely rains with warmer temps would help advance that cause. Corn is pollinating this week and there should be plenty of stored soil moisture to get us through that. At the SROC as of July 15th they showed 7” available in the top 5’ of soil with 5.5” of that being below the 2’ depth. The good news is at least the corn is tall enough now to hide a lot of the bad spots from the road. Soybeans are reaching the R4 stage, meaning they have a pod ¾” or more long at one of the uppermost 4 nodes. Small grain yields are starting to come in and they have been decent. Our cooler than normal July has helped immensely.

Gardens are starting to roll as well. At the ranch we picked a couple dozen cukes after noticing a few were getting close. Then of course you always miss one that gets seeded out inside. Those tend to make it over the fence to the sheep who love ‘em almost as much as we humans do. Tomato vines are healthy as a horse and slowly starting to bear a few more yellow pear and cherries. The first planting of string beans has just started to come online with the thin stand flowering profusely. There have been a few for snacking and they have been tasty. The snap pea seed arrived recently so we should be ready to commence our fall vegetable gardening over the weekend. Something about late summer planted greens, radishes and snap peas that isn’t the same in the spring. Smiling!

Flowers have also been taking shape not only in the flower beds but in the CRP as well. Some of the notables include milkweed which provides the monarch butterfly with nectar as an adult and leaves that the larvae feed on. There has been a noticeable uptick in monarch activity locally and that’s a good sign. In the garden the volunteer 4 o’clocks have just started to flower so the hummingbirds and sphinx moths will have something more to occupy their time. As Preacher noted a few weeks ago in a text to me, the sweetclover has been phenomenal this year. The sweet aroma fills the ditches and waste areas where both the yellow and white type grow. Both are favorites for honeybees and many a beekeeper would set up near large patches of the biennial legume when it was used as a green manure crop back in the set aside days. When out driving one could always tell where those patches were as the bees would splat off the windshield as you got closer.

In the yard I can’t say I was happy to spot our most recent visitor, a red squirrel. My encounters with them over the years on excursions up north have been less than positive. As long as they stay outside they’re fine. Once they get inside a cabin however things get chewed up and wrecked in a hurry. Fortunately I only saw him the one time. Plus, the birds seemed to dislike him even more than the fox squirrels that they’ve come to semi-tolerate.

The orioles continue to frequent the jelly feeders although they may be showing signs of slowing down somewhat, unlike the mosquitoes. The mosquitoes consume a quart of blood every night while the orioles consume about a quart of grape jelly every 4 – 5 days as well as a cup of sugar from the nectar feeder. No wonder they don’t have any teeth!

Fair time has been upon us already for several weeks now. The Waseca Co. Fair is in the books and the Freeborn Co. Fair is getting rolling this week. That means I am the beneficiary of some of Auntie Mar Mar’s most excellent baked goods leftover from her entries for competition. Uncle Gregory stopped up Saturday to give me pointers on breaking down my most recent weapon of mass destruction and to drop off a large box of assorted goodies. I was most impressed by the variety and in particular by the muffins. I’m just glad I got whole muffins, not just the stumps.

See you next week…real good then

[Dotch]

I guess you're just what I needed

The scurs continued to dredge up dry weather until the surprise thunder showers rolled through on Monday bringing some welcome relief to thirsty crops. Will they remember which wire to cross on the Weather Eye this week? Starting Wednesday, partly sunny with a modest chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs near 75 and lows in the upper 50’s. Thursday, partly sunny with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs again near 75 and lows in the low 60’s. Partly sunny Friday with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the low 60’s. Saturday, partly sunny with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the low 60’s. Partly sunny again for Sunday with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs near 80 and lows in the low 60’s. Mostly sunny Monday with a chance for an afternoon or evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs around 80 and lows in the mid-50’s. Tuesday, mostly sunny and cooler. Highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the upper 50’s. The Full Moon for the month occurs on the 10th. The normal high for August 10th is 81 and the normal low is 60. The scurs are hoping the predicted moderate temperatures will allow continued good sleeping with the windows open.

The Full Moon for the month goes by several names, most commonly the Full Sturgeon Moon as this was the month in which the Indian tribes found the sturgeon easiest to catch. It also goes by the Full Green Corn Moon and the Full Grain Moon. The Ojibwe knew this as the Berry Moon no doubt for the bountiful crop of blueberries they competed with the bears for. The Sioux were keeping an eye on the chokecherries denoting this as the Moon When the Cherries Turn Black. At the ranch, the Moon When Vegetables Overwhelm. The Perseid Meteor Shower should be underway next week although the brightness of the moon on August 12th and on the 13th during their peak may wash some of the lesser meteors out, making them difficult to see. Fear not, many of them are bright enough to see anyway points out Deane Morrison from the U of M’s MN Institute for Astrophysics. Look off to the northeast in the evening and pre-dawn hours for the best chances of catching a falling star and putting it in your pocket.

Crops continue to make substantial progress and those who were lucky enough to receive rain on Monday had to breathe a little sigh of relief. Rainfall amounts were extremely variable with .61” recorded at the ranch. .75” in Bugtussle proper and reports of up to 1.5” both north and south of town. Just what we needed. Not all that far to the north nothing was recorded so the pattern of hit and miss precip in August established over the past four years continues. Corn is primarily in the blister stage and by most rules of thumb will need about 60 days to make it to maturity. Soybeans continue to be in the R4 stage primarily with some of the replants showing a third and fourth trifoliate. Some later seeded wheat continues to plod towards the finish line and the late planted peas are largely harvested. All in all, a terrible year for pea yields locally. 12” of rain will do that.

Many signs that it is indeed August. The first cicada of the summer was heard at the ranch on August 1st although several days prior, one had been spotted being carried by a cicada killer wasp back to their lair. The tiger lilies are in bloom and the big bluestem has headed out in the pasture at over 6’ tall. Field crickets are more vocal as grasshoppers add their background music to the evenings.

The orioles at the ranch are backing off on their jelly consumption although the gray catbirds seem to be picking up the slack. This has apparently been a banner year for them as I tend to draw “cat calls” whenever I’m inspecting the garden. The catbirds are seldom seen however. The red osier dogwood makes an excellent place for them to nest and hang out in addition to supplying them with an abundant supply of gawd awful bitter tasting white berries. Yes, I’ll try anything once.

Little by little the garden continues to come online. Picked a half gallon of string beans on Sunday as well as another dozen or so cukes. The nice thing about cukes is once you figure out who likes them, it becomes relatively easy to keep up with them. Now zucchinis on the other hand I have yet to figure out. No one will admit they really like them although they do wind up in things such as zucchini bread and on things such as shish kabobs at the ranch. And when they get excessively large the sheep become the beneficiaries. Planted some of the fall veggie crop on Sunday. The snap peas that arrived last week made it into the ground as did some of the red meat winter radishes. Last year’s crop kept phenomenally well and there are a few yet in the fridge from last fall that are still edible. Probably some carrots too. If not see aforementioned comments about the sheep.

Road destruction in front of the Mall for Men has entered its third straight week now. It’s had its ups and downs although since the rain has been scarce good progress has been made. The water being shut off one forenoon wasn’t a big deal especially since there are tall weeds out back. Luckily the brain trust that was responsible for the Lake Road construction is no longer a factor. That road has rapidly become a topic of disgust and derision for those travelling it on a daily basis. You know it’s a bad sign when people will take a gravel road to avoid driving on the roughest stretch. Driving in the pasture among the gopher mounds is smoother.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Where I come from...

The scurs thought they’d found the right colored wire on the Weather Eye last week but alas, it was a dangling wire leftover from a cassette. Will they dampen the spirits of fairgoers for the Steele Co. Fair? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with a high near 80 and a low around 60. Mostly sunny on Thursday with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the low 60’s. Friday, partly sunny with a slight chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the mid-60’s. Saturday, partly sunny becoming mostly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and or a thunderstorm. Highs in the low 80’s and lows in the mid-60’s. Mostly cloudy Sunday with a modest chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 80’s and lows in the mid-60’s. Monday, mostly sunny with a high in the mid-80’s and a low in the mid-50’s. Mostly cloudy and cooler Tuesday with a high near 70 and a low in the upper 50’s. The normal highs for August 15th is 81 and the normal low is 60. We dip back to 14 hours of daylight on the 15th, about the same as we saw back on April 27th. The scurs will continue napping in the hammock for at least another few weeks.

Hit and miss (mostly miss) showers continued this past week and concerns about soil moisture are mounting. Cooler temperatures are definitely helping us to make the most of what there is but eventually it needs to rain and warm up to finish this crop. Corn is to the R3 stage in places and soybeans are still setting pods yet in the R4 stage. For their height, the soybeans tend to have a lot of pods on them. Size doesn’t necessarily matter when it comes to plant height. Soybean aphid numbers increased last week although the populations have not exploded. This is somewhat puzzling given the crop growth stage, favorable temperatures, lack of moisture and relatively low presence of beneficial insects. Disease pressure is also very low in both corn and soybeans. Dry weather appears to have taken its toll on 3rd cutting hay. Regrowth is short and the crop will likely follow suit. Leafhopper numbers have been low. Considering we’ve had little southerly flow much of the summer, that’s not totally surprising.

At least the garden has been a bright spot. The cukes, zukes, string beans and the occasional tomato have graced our table. Powdery mildew has been increasing in the vine crops so the yield on those is likely to be negatively affected. Probably time to move the garden as the trees are shading the area too much. It is amazing what a little rain can do though. After planting winter radishes and snap peas on the 3rd then receiving .61” of rain on the 4th, the winter radishes were emerging on the 7th. The snap peas tend to take more time although they were starting to poke through on Monday. More planting was accomplished on the 9th with mixed greens, lettuce, collard greens, kohlrabi planted along with four varieties of radishes. .3” of rain the next day certainly won’t hurt their cause.

Bird numbers continue to slow at the feeders. Goldfinches are faithful even though they are seen frequently feeding on their favorite thistles that are shedding their plumes. Not unlikely that the goldfinches are using some of that thistle down in their nests right now. The last three bluebirds at the kindly neighbors’ are getting close to fledging. The parents have been scolding me the past couple weeks when I venture over to the rain gauge that’s attached to the same post as their house. Bluebirds are among my favorite summer guests. Perhaps it’s because they were so rare when I was a kid. It’s just gratifying to see them making a comeback and knowing the habitat we’ve provided is to their liking.

Speaking of summer guests, I was privileged to have a couple Brazilians visit last week. They’ve been coming through this area the past several years doing a crop survey somewhat along the lines of the Pro Farmer Crop Tour for a company in Brazil. A few weeks earlier I’d invited them to have supper at the ranch when we concluded taping a television interview Friday evening. I was delighted they’d accepted my offer even though I had to fly solo with Mrs. Cheviot gone to the IA State Fair.

Of course I wanted make a good impression, representing our area accurately yet in the best light possible. For a couple small gift items, I picked up a couple current copies of the Star Eagle and with the gracious help of Matt at the bank, was able to track down a couple copies of the little book calling New Richland (Bugtussle) home. Both Heitor and Daniele pored over the printed material as I fired up the grill, chatting in their native Portuguese about items they’d point out to each other. Not a clue what they were talking about but I’ll bet it was interesting. I gave them the dollar tour as the coals were getting ready. Ruby entertained as Fudgie kept her distance while we showed them the sheep as well as the large garden. When we finished with that the coals were ready for the shish kebob assembled earlier that afternoon.

The meal definitely put the area and Minnesota in general front and center. Fresh sweet corn from my neighborhood sheep shearer, with string beans, cucumbers and zucchini from the garden. Onions and peppers from the local area, Hope butter, and of course our homegrown lamb. As we dined we visited in English of course about a wide range of topics. Apparently the food was to their liking as they jokingly asked if they could come back the next day. When I offered them some Schwan’s frozen yogurt for dessert, they were stuffed. We visited a while longer and after showing Heitor the grill (he also loves to cook), it was time for them to head back to the hotel for the evening. It had been a long day for them trekking through IA before making their last stop here in South Central MN. Was just glad we were all able to exhale for a bit. In an environment that pressures us to focus on working long hours, we frequently don’t get enough time to let out hair down and be ourselves, let alone with international friends from Brazil.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin' ship

The scurs are positive this week they’ll get it right. They even got out the owner’s manual for the ’74 Gremlin to make sure the Weather Eye delivers on temperature and precip for the upcoming week. Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with a moderate chance for an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the low 80’s and a low around 65. Partly sunny on Thursday with a decreasing chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the mid-80’s and lows in the upper 60’s. Friday, mostly sunny with a decent chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 80’s and lows in the upper 60’s. Saturday, mostly sunny with a good chance of showers and/or a thunderstorm developing. Highs in the low 80’s and lows in the low 60’s. Mostly cloudy Sunday with a modest chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 70’s and lows in the mid-50’s. Monday, mostly sunny with a high in the mid-70’s and a low in the mid-50’s. Mostly sunny Tuesday with a slight chance of rain. highs near 75 with a low in the upper 50’s. The normal highs for August 25th is 79 and the normal low is 58. The scurs may need a tarp if they plan on napping in the hammock for at least another few weeks.

Area crops were on the move and progress was made toward the finish line although there is a long way to go yet. Corn was largely R3 (milk stage) as of last week with some starting to show some dough in places. Soybeans were generally a full-blown R5 beginning seed with the exception of replants and fields planted after peas. We will need all of September at this rate and will take more frost-days into October if we can get them to allow those replant soybeans to fully mature. Soybean aphid control measures have been taken on many fields although there are some remaining with levels well below threshold as well. The threshold is 250 per plant on 80% of the plants with levels increasing.

Am writing this week’s edition from the road on the Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour. This is the 11th tour of duty I’ve been on although it seems like it’s been more than that. At least packing went better this time around than last year. I didn’t find any dirty socks and underwear left over from last year in my luggage this time! The windshield survey on the drive to Ohio went about as advertised by others who had made the same journey over the course of the summer.

Iowa looked about as expected with areas directly south of us appearing eerily similar and looking much better the farther south we went. Crossing into Illinois the crop looked like a vast ocean of uniform corn and soybeans. Taking a peek in some fields it appeared as good as it did from the road. Indiana looked about the same on I-70 although there were some signs that too much water had visited the area somewhere along the line. Ohio showed more of the variability in height and more nitrogen deficiency on the corn. Pulling a quick sample the corn also was behind what we had found in both Iowa and Illinois. In the observation pulled from an Ohio field for the evening meeting of crop scouts, the soybeans were well filled and had completed flowering. These observations are very preliminary however and points up why we pull over 1300 samples of both corn and soybeans across the Corn Belt: You don’t know until you take a good hard look and generate some actual data. The numbers will come out on Friday following our wrap up in Rochester at the International Events Center on Thursday night. Be sure to keep an eye on AgWeb, Twitter at #pftour14 and any number of other media outlets for information in the meantime as the week progresses. As always it promises to be interesting.

It’s always bittersweet to leave home for a while this time of year. It takes a while to take stock of things before we head out the driveway. The little ewe lamb Stormy born during our last major rainfall event in June isn’t so little anymore. When I return it will be time to wean her. It also involves making sure the birdfeeders are stocked and taking a quick peek to see how garden produce might be progressing. It’s nice to have someone pick the stuff so it doesn’t go to waste. It was great to see the plantings made the week before were coming up thanks in part to the fact the garden hose had been employed to make sure. Moisture has still been scarce even though we’ve had more than some. Ruby doesn’t seem to mind. Watering plants with the hose gives her an excuse to play with the water, swirling around like she’s 4 months and not 4 years old. Youth is wasted on the young.

See you next week…real good then.