Fencelines

[Dotch]

I’ve been waiting so long to be where I’m going…

The scurs and the Weather Eye teamed up again for an absolutely glorious string of weather again last week. Will this remarkable string of sunshine continue or will we start to see some of that fabled late summer rainfall? Starting Wednesday, sunny with highs in the low 80’s and lows in the mid-60’s. Thursday, mostly sunny with an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms by evening. Highs in the mid-80’s with lows around 65. Sunny and warmer Friday with highs in the upper 80’s and lows near 65. Saturday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 80’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Partly sunny on Sunday with a moderate chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 80’s with lows in the low 60’s. Monday, mostly sunny with an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms by evening. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the low 60’s. Mostly cloudy for Tuesday with a good chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the mid-60’s. On August 16^th, we slip below 14 hours of daylight, about the same as we had back on April 26^th.The normal high for August 16^th is 81 and the normal low is 60. The scurs have a hankering for shish kabobs at the Steele Co. Fair.

Another good week of crop progress is in the books although rainfall only measured a paltry .07” at the ranch with even less in Bugtussle proper. Lots of sunny weather made some of the early planted, early maturing corn move towards the R4 (dough) stage. There were no dents noticed yet but give it a week. Right now we are on pace for corn to mature sometime in mid to late September, in other words at a relatively normal time. Soybeans continue to be primarily R5 yet. That stage tends to last a while (on average about two weeks) although it won’t be long and some of the early planted, early maturing fields will be R6. In the meantime the dreaded soybean aphids also enjoyed the dry conditions with their populations rising quickly in many fields. After a relatively healthy local population became established we were blessed with additional winged adults from the west delivering scads of live young. It wasn’t unusual to find a dozen or more winged adults per plant so it was no wonder matters deteriorated as fast as they did in some fields.

In the garden at the ranch, things have been far from deteriorating. The string beans hit full stride yielding several grocery bags worth. Ditto with the cucumbers. At last check Auntie Mar Mar was feverishly working on a plan to make copious amounts of bread and butter pickles from a kenning of cukes. (A kenning = 2 pecks) Always wondered where that name came from. There’s really no bread or butter involved in their manufacture. The rest of the garden is poised to explode as we approach September. There are several muskmelons increasing their girth and the other vines allow an occasional glimpse of a pumpkin or squash under their thick canopy. The sheep are growing vine crops in the pasture this year as well. Apparently they didn’t eat all the seeds out of the leftovers we tossed over the fence. That or some of the chipmunks, squirrels or striped gophers gave them an assist at planting them.

Mornings are much quieter on the bird front than they were a couple months ago. The robins were up at dark thirty to start their chorus. Now all we hear primarily is the traffic from people on their way to work. Would rather hear the robins thank you very much. There are occasional young Baltimore orioles still using the jelly feeder although I suspect they are just passing through. We still hear a few wrens, chipping sparrows and a catbird singing but their days are too numbered as we edge closer to September. I was surprised to find one late nest of barn swallows in the lambing barn last week. In about a week, they will be on the wing, joining the large group we already have. And fall is edging ever closer. The sound of blue jays and chickadees serve as a harbinger of things to come I fear.

The Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour begins next week already, just in time to reinforce how fast this summer has blown by. After 11 previous outings, it’s become kind of a bittersweet experience. Sure it’s nice to see all the people you’ve met over the years but it’s also a grind. Someday it would sure be nice to have that week of my life back again. Or at least that blasted hour from the time change when we go on Eastern Time.

Gee what would I do with all my spare time? For starters, go cruising in my Silver Hawk. I finally got the collectors plates for it after waiting with bated breath since mid-June. They arrived with only five days left on the 60 day temporary license taped in the back window. Not sure why it should take that long. It’s not like there’s been a sudden rush on licensing vintage automobiles that I’m aware of. Heck I even got the new title in a matter of a week or so and it had to be transferred from out of state. The outside of the envelope the license plates came in is covered with print apparently trying to make you think they’re really busy at the DMV headquarters along with listing things they think you ought to be doing. Here’s a thought: Maybe rather than printing all that stuff on the envelope to try to convince me how on top of things they are, they could try getting things done in a more expeditious fashion. It might leave a little better taste in everyone’s mouth.

Something that’s become a popular practice among the car collector crowd is finding a set of expired plates from the same year as your collector automobile and getting them reinstated. One never knows where they might show up. Occasionally they’ve been used to patch holes in old granaries, barns, outhouses, etc., but sometimes they’re in cherry condition especially when they’ve been used inside. After my experience getting new collectors plates though, I’m not so sure I want to see how long it takes the DMV to give their blessing on expired plates dating back to 1959. I might expire and be reinstated before the license plates are.

See you next week…real good then.  

[Dotch]

Let it roll, baby, roll

The scurs and the Weather Eye clicked for a third week in a row. Suddenly junkyards are being flooded with calls for used heater controls from AMC products. Who knew? Will the scurs continue to be bulletproof or are their days of being golden limited? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Thursday, partly sunny with an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms by evening. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows around 60. Sunny and warmer Friday with highs in the low 80’s and lows near 65. Saturday, mostly sunny with a good chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 80’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Partly sunny on Sunday with highs in the low 80’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Monday, partly sunny with an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms by evening. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the low 60’s. Mostly cloudy for Tuesday with a good chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the low 50’s. The normal high for August 22^nd is 80 and the normal low is 59. With a sudden break before the Stat Fair the scurs are suddenly lost without a cause.

Crop progress continues to be steady and it is shaping up to be a good one. With sweet corn yields reported over 10 ton per acre in areas, it could be a very positive sign of things to come. Corn was beginning to show some dents already especially on the ear tips, which still makes it R4 corn but is approaching R5 rapidly. Soybeans continued to operate within the R5 level of maturity with some of the early planted early maturing soybeans beginning to show signs of R6, soybeans with full seed in the pod at one of the 4 uppermost nodes with a fully developed leaf. Soybean aphid control measures have been a mixed bag with some fields especially those treated prior to threshold levels requiring retreatment. This is why waiting until threshold is a good idea. Thinking one can outsmart Mother Nature is a fool’s game, especially with a pest we have only slightly more than decade’s worth of experience with in the United States.

Observations from the window of the oval office the other morning included the sighting of a bull thistle in the pasture. When one is an agronomist, one makes mental notes of such things since you don’t want the neighbors to thinks you’re some kind of slob. After chores pursuit of the cirsium vulgare was on. Armed with my trusty bean hook, I was determined to make a quick end to the problem weed. In addition I also found plumeless thistles (Carduus acanthoides) . Spellcheck really sucks by the way if you’re trying to write about anything agronomic but I digress. Anyway, of course when you find one thistle you generally find a dozen without looking very hard. Thistles tend to bolt at varying times so no matter how hard one tries, there always seems to be another one showing up. And worst of all you’ll probably miss one or two so your neighbors will still think you’re a slob.

The garden at the ranch continues to move along. More muskmelons arose from under the canopy of leaves and the sweet corn should be nearing perfection within the next week. Numerous squash and pumpkins are also evident as the vines begin to show signs of winding down as fall approaches. The tomatoes are beginning to behave as though their fruit will start to ripen once September draws near. Given the number of plants it should result in an avalanche of tomatoes. Cukes and string beans are continuing to produce although they too are showing signs that without some rains in the near future, their eventual demise is certain.

The dogs continue their appreciation for air conditioning. When Mrs. Cheviot travelled south to the IA State Fair, Mr. Cheviot turned the AC back on. The humidity in the house had risen to unacceptable levels and Fudgie and Ruby weren’t sorry when the thermostat was dialed down to 75. Besides with the Pro Farmer Crop Tour looming near on the horizon, Mr. Cheviot needed his beauty rest. After chores the last thing needed was more panting from the dogs or Mr. Cheviot.

The Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour will be well underway by the time this reaches print so those of you getting this electronically will be the beneficiaries of this preview. Things looked about the way through the windshield as I would’ve expected. MN and IA on the route from home to the IL border looked general fantastic from the road. As we moved into IL from about Galesburg on, the corn crop in particular began to be up and down, not to mention nitrogen deficient. The appearance of the soybeans was more subtle with damage from excess moisture becoming more evident as we got closer to the IL and IN border. Larger drown out spots were apparent and the crop was beginning to show signs that rain would be beneficial in areas. In IN, there was some decent looking corn and soybeans along with the same variability we’d seen in IL. OH was much the same from the IN border to Columbus. What does that tell you? It tells you looking out the windshield, we really can’t know much other than physical appearance. That’s why we’re out here. To take an actual measurement of the crop yields as well as a close up and personal rating of its condition. Follow us on AgWeb.com and our Tweets on #pftour15 as we roll through the eastern Corn Belt to our final destination Thursday night in Rochester MN.

See you next week…real good then.  

[Dotch]

But day after day the show must go on.

The scurs and their Weather Eye seem to be invincible. There are even rumors of someone starting a new Nash-Rambler Corporation. Can’t miss. How much more of this success can the scurs take or are they doomed to wind up on the ash heap of history? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with highs in the low70’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Thursday, mostly sunny becoming mostly cloudy with an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms by evening. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows around 60. Mostly cloudy and slightly cooler Friday with a good chance of daytime showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 70’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Saturday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Mostly sunny on Sunday with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the low 60’s. Monday, mostly sunny with an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms by evening. Highs in the low 80’s with lows in the low 60’s. Partly cloudy for Tuesday and slightly with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms in the daytime hours. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the low 60’s. The normal high for August 31st is 80 and the normal low is 59. The scurs will be heading to their favorite foot long hotdog stand by the NW corner of the Coliseum upon their arrival at the Great MN Get Together. One with fried onions, please.

The Full Moon for the month arrives on the 29^th and goes by several names, the most common of which is the Full Sturgeon Moon. It also goes by the Full Green Corn Moon and the Full Grain Moon. The Ojibwe were fond of calling this the Berry Moon as the blueberries are generally plentiful in August. The Sioux were also fruit lovers, calling this the Moon When Cherries are Black. At the ranch, we like our fruit a little larger perhaps but it frequently is the Full Cantaloupe Moon.

Corn and soybeans both made steady progress this last week although it was slowed somewhat by wetter weather and a cool down over the weekend. When highs are in the mid-60’s as they were on the 20^th, that corresponds to the highs we see in early October. No wonder we caught a glimpse of fall heading our way. Corn has dented although few fields have begun to exhibit a milk line just yet. Soybeans to a large degree are now R6 meaning that the seed fills the seed cavity at a pod on one of the uppermost 4 nodes on the plant with a fully expanded leaf. Both SDS and white mold became more apparent this past week although it appears at this point they will nibble at yields rather than gobble them in most instances. Soybean aphids have largely been subdued although some who sprayed too early wound up repeating the process. Sweet corn yields continue to sound impressive as yields reported over 10 ton per acre are still common.

After returning safely from another Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour, I was thinking the orioles were probably done for the season. Not so fast! Sunday morning I thought I heard a male in the tree scolding me as I was gawking out the window after morning chores. I went in the house and returned with some grape jelly to see if I could entice the noisy bird out of the tree. It didn’t take long once I was back in the house. He descended from high in the ash tree and cautiously made his way to the feeder. Once there, the brightly colored orange and black male quickly took several beak-fulls of jelly and disappeared. He was back the next morning however and seems to be settling in. For a while anyway. Now he has company in the form of another male equally as developed as he is and a young male. They seem to spend a lot of time bickering and squabbling over the feeder contents. Oh well, there’s plenty of grape jelly in the refrigerator. The goldfinches continue to feed regularly at their usual stations with the color on the males beginning to fade ever so slightly. The hummingbirds have a vast array of flowering plants to choose from. With 4 o’clocks, nasturtiums, morning glories and too numerous to mention types of salvia, they definitely have it made as they get ready for their long journey south.

Area gardens continue to yield a bountiful harvest of produce. At the ranch, the green beans have about run their course and the cukes are showing signs of slowing down. The first planting of sweet corn is in prime form now, tomatoes are becoming abundant and the first of the muskmelons has ripened. The flavor of some of the garden stuff has been slightly disappointing, possibly due to the over abundant rains we’ve had. Not to say that can’t change. Sometimes as we move into the cooler part of late summer and early fall, the amount of sugars being deposited in the fruits and veggies increases, making them more flavorful than their earlier season counterparts. Next up should be the apple crop. When it’s ripe in late September, there should be a lot to choose from. The sheep have been taste testing the ground falls to this point. No complaints from them.

The cooler weather certainly agrees with the resident canines. Even Fudgie at 13 trots around the yard like a much younger dog, looking forward to her trips outside with large blocks of time consumed when the lawn or garden need attention. She tires more easily than Ruby but then who doesn’t? Ruby’s just one of those Border Collies with boundless energy, sometimes to the point where it becomes annoying. It’s at those times especially when trying to take a breather from the day’s activities, it’s OK to let her become fixated on staring at a ball for 15 or 20 minutes. At least she’s quiet and sitting still. The show must go on.

See you next week…real good then.   

[Dotch]

Now he's rolling down the mountain goin' fast, fast, fast
And if he blows it this one's going to be his last

With the Weather Eye firmly entrenched in their weather forecasting arsenal, the scurs have been right more often than not. They still have a hard time with predicting precip a week out. Maybe need to add the windshield washer bag from the Studebaker. Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of an isolated shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the low 80’s with lows in the upper 60’s. Thursday, mostly sunny becoming partly cloudy with a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms by evening. Highs in the low 80’s with lows in the upper 60’s. Mostly sunny Friday with a slight chance of daytime showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-80’s with lows in the upper 60’s. Saturday, partly sunny with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the mid-80’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Partly sunny on Sunday with an increasing chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-80’s with lows around 60. Monday, mostly sunny with an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms by evening. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the low 50’s. Partly cloudy and cooler for Tuesday with highs in the mid-60’s and lows in the upper 40’s. The normal high for September 7^th is 76 and the normal low is 54. The scurs will be having one last Pronto Pup to celebrate the end of another Great MN Get Together. Fat lives matter!!!!

After a cooler week last week, Mother Nature turned summer back on to a sticky and uncomfortable setting. Heavy dews at the ranch have resulted in accumulations in the official rain gauge each night of around one hundredth of an inch. This is the kind of weather that is conducive to all kinds of leaf diseases. However, with the crop moving to maturity as quickly as it is, damage caused by late developing leaf disease should be minimal. Corn is R5 and already showing a milkline across much of the area. Early planted, early maturing soybeans on fast ground are showing R7 maturity, meaning that there is one normal sized pod on the main stem that is mature color already. Some of those will likely be ready to combine in a few weeks. Rainfall this past week was general and fell slowly, allowing it to soak in. There is plenty of soil moisture to finish the crop out and any leftover will go toward fall recharge, something we haven’t talked about over the past several years.

Another State Fair is in the books for us at the ranch. The Cheviots competed but perhaps not at the level we would’ve liked. We managed a reserve champion which is still something although when one remembers some of the dominant groups we once brought to the show, it’s a little disappointing. It’s still the same amount of work raising them if not more now and the level of competition isn’t what it once was. Still, that’s not why we raise them and like everything else, success in the show ring is cyclical and can be fleeting. A wise shepherd once told me you have to raise what you like. Indeed, if one looks at the breed type on our flock, there are very few really ugly specimens.

We seem to be perpetually mowing lawn at the ranch just like everybody else. There was another large hatch of toads again this year though so I’ve tried to be as careful as possible not to hit the small amphibians as they struggle to get out of the long grass ahead of me. I’ll stop the mower and get off if I have to in order to move them to safety. These are the “good guys” when it comes to controlling things like flies and mosquitoes and I appreciate their efforts. Without them and other natural control agents we would be up to our necks in flying insects.

In the limited time I seem to have to drive it, discovering the subtle nuances of the Silver Hawk has become a favorite pastime. Having exposure to only one other Studebaker prior to this, it is an adventure each and every time out. I recently discovered how to operate the overdrive in the Silver Hawk more by accident than by design. The factory build sheet said it came equipped with overdrive but there was no overdrive handle in evidence under the dash. I was uncertain if the overdrive was operational, if someone had disabled it or worse yet, totally removed it. The kind gentleman I had purchased the car from had no idea how it worked so I was on my own. Overdrives were popular options especially on Ford and Studebaker automobiles and trucks. On the ’59 Silver Hawks, it was standard on the 3-speed transmission models. Quick shifting the car from 2^nd to 3^rd, it goes into 3^rd regular drive. There is a technique to getting them into 3^rd overdrive. One night coming home after a car club function, I happened to wind the car up in 2^nd, let off on the gas allowing the rpm’s to fall to idle then dropped it into 3^rd. Letting the clutch out, the engine was instantly pulling hard and by the time I got it wound up to the speed limit, it was basically running at a fast idle with lots of gas pedal to spare! This was good news as checking the mileage recently, it was a less than stellar 12, about the same as my 4 wheel drive pickup.

Putting the car up on a hoist confirmed that the overdrive was still intact. The Borg-Warner unit was on the tail shaft of the T-96 transmission with the solenoid on one side and the governor on the other just like in the pictures I’d seen. The lockout cable was also still attached to the switch on the side of the unit and the switch was pushed back in the engaged position. The cable did not however go through the firewall to the bracket under the dash and there was no chrome plated handle in sight. Not totally surprising. The cables were prone to corrosion so many just left their cars in overdrive. This is OK except for one thing: Being able to lock it out of overdrive is advantageous under steep or hilly terrain. If you have the overdrive engaged and try to use the engine to help brake the car by shifting down, it freewheels until the engine catches up with the ground speed. In other words, you are relying totally on the brakes to slow the vehicle. The brakes are OK but they are a far cry from what’s on today’s machines. Restoring that cable to its original function is probably a good idea from a safety standpoint not to mention it returns the vehicle to its original condition. Unless of course I really want to live on the edge. At my age I find that’s becoming less of an option. Living to nap another day sounds like a better plan.

See you next week…real good then. 

[roony]

Dotch, what is it with all the black moths? They are thick here!

[Dotch]

Ah, I wish I had a dollar for every time I've been asked that question this week. I could probably afford a bottle of my favorite juniper berry extract when I come back through customs at the duty free shop in a couple weeks!

I consulted with the Boy Entomologist just the other day to confirm I knew what I was talking about. The dark colored ones are green cloverworm moths. A large portion of them likely came out of the soybean fields. There was an extremely heavy migration of these moths into MN this year. I know, most sprayed the soybeans for aphids which also controls the larvae of the cloverworms. However the residual only lasts a couple weeks at best on some products and is not ovicidal. Plus it's unlikely that it would control any pupae, which are frequently on undersides of the leaves.Each generation takes about a month and there are several generations once they arrive here in MN. Hence the situation we're in now. There are also some lighter colored specimens I've been questioned about. Those are likely forage loopers, coming form the soybean fields as well. The good thing is they leave less of a mark on a light colored wall when you squash them. 

 

[roony]

A dollar! 

I just want to be reassured that these moths won't be puttin'  holes in my long underwear. 

 

[Dotch]

And every Saturday we work in the yard 
Pick up the dog doo 
Hope that it's hard (woof woof) 

The Weather Eye apparently benefitted from the Studebaker windshield washer bag, predicting the showers and thunderstorms with deadly accuracy. Will the scurs secret fall into NOAA’s hands or will they continue to fly under the radar? (pun intended). Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of an isolated shower or thunderstorm by evening. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Thursday, partly sunny with a moderate chance for daytime showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 60’s with lows in the upper 40’s. Mostly sunny Friday and cooler with highs in the mid-60’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Saturday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 60’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Mostly sunny on Sunday with a slight chance of evening showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 70’s with lows in the low 50’s. Monday, mostly sunny with an increasing chance for showers and thunderstorms by evening. Highs in the low 70’s wand lows in the low 50’s. Mostly cloudy and cooler for Tuesday with highs in the upper 60’s and lows in the mid-50’s. The normal high for September 15^th is 73 and the normal low is 50. The scurs will be on the lookout for those large yellow livestock haulers. Yes boys and girls, school is back in session!

The hot humid conditions of this past week pushed crop maturity along at a rapid pace. The milk line on the corn in some early planted early maturing hybrids was nearly gone by week’s end putting it out of the danger of an early frost. Early planted early maturing fields of soybeans were starting to move out of R6 into R7 in the same timeframe. The heat is not exactly what we wanted as moving the maturity along too quickly tends to take test weight off of corn and reduce soybean seed size and weight. Luckily temperatures have moderated and a slower pace is more in line with reaching the potential we have left.

After dipping under 13 hours of daylight back on the 5^th, we continue to lose daylight at nearly 3 minutes a day. The signs of fall that were starting to show last week are becoming less subtle and more pronounced. Canada geese are grouped up and looking for picked sweet corn fields or in our neighborhood, for a dinner date with a field of dry peas that was recently harvested. The leaves on the walnut tree are already turning at the ranch and with a slight breeze beginning to flutter to the ground. Other trees including the silver and Autumn Blaze maples are starting to show initial signs of their fall colors. It won’t be long and certainly not long enough.

Still, there are signs that summer may not be totally done just yet. Hummingbirds are constantly on our blooming plants. While it’s pretty clear they’re migrating, the flowers on the plants are at their peak. Orioles were still at the jelly feeders as of the 7th with four males in their bright orange plumage still keeping things hopping yet on the 6^th.  The monarch butterflies, the demise of which the handwringers have been blaming various boogiemen for appear to be as bountiful as ever as this growing season comes to a close. Even the bumblebees are numerous this early September. Could it be we are not as close to the entomological apocalypse as some would have us believe?

On the subject of insects, I consulted with the Boy Entomologist the other day to confirm I knew what I was talking about. The dark colored moths everyone keeps asking about are green cloverworm moths. A large portion of them likely came out of the soybean fields. There was an extremely heavy migration of these moths into MN this spring. Most sprayed the soybeans for aphids which in most cases controlled the larvae of the cloverworms. However the residual only lasts a couple weeks at best on most products and a day or two on others. Most products are not ovicidal and it's unlikely that they would control pupae, which are frequently on undersides of the leaves. Each generation of cloverworms takes about a month and there are several generations once they arrive here in MN. Hence the situation we're in now. There are also some lighter colored specimens I've been questioned about. Those are likely forage loopers, coming from the soybean fields as well. The good thing about them is they leave less of a mark on a light colored wall when you squash them.

The recent warm and wet conditions certainly didn’t slow the lawn mowing much. Have taken the recent lawn mowing advice in the Star Eagle to heart and for fall have started leaving the mower deck set at about 3”. It does seem to get the lawn out of blocks a little faster next spring. The between mowings period appears to be shortened so it’s not a perfect tradeoff. The Border Collie poo also tends to stay on top more rather than becoming nestled down between the blades of grass. Since it’s been so wet, it also tends to stay juicy longer. Have to be vigilant, making note of where the dogs are doing their business and exercise caution when one strolls about the grounds.

Mom would’ve turned 90 this past week. Time has flown since her passing in 2013 but the memories of spending time with her on her birthday have become precious beyond enumeration. It’s not surprising as she was one of those who was just tickled you’d thought of her no matter what you’d bring for a gift. Among her favorites were things out of the garden and writing cards, especially if they included wildlife or in later years Border Collies. Her dog Fudgie is still with us and serves as a reminder of those days not all that long ago when we could get together and relax while enjoying the day together. It frequently included a trip to the local Dairy Queen or A&W and watching the birds afterwards, especially the hummingbirds as they’d come to the window feeder on the kitchen window. Those were special days, something to always treasure as we move into fall and beyond.   

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Running on - running on empty
Running on - running blind

The scurs were a little disappointed that the Weather Eye got ahead of itself, predicting rain for Monday rather than Tuesday. When in doubt, blame global warming. Why not? Everyone else does. Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of an isolated shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the low 80’s with lows in the upper 60’s. Thursday, partly sunny with a good chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs near 80 with lows in the upper 60’s. Mostly sunny Friday and cooler with a continued modest chance of a shower or thunderstorm.  Highs in the upper 60’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Saturday, sunny with highs in the upper 60’s with lows in the upper 40’s. Sunny on Sunday with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the low 50’s. Monday, continued sunny with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the low 50’s. Sunny for Tuesday with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the low 50’s. The normal high for September 22^nd is 70 and the normal low is 47. The sun begins to rise after 7 a.m. CDT on the 22^nd. The scurs have their calendar marked for the autumnal equinox although our nearly even amounts of daylight and darkness will not occur until the 26^th. Winter is coming. Oh goody.

Days are definitely becoming shorter and the crops are making dramatic progress towards the finish line. Some fields of early planted early maturing soybeans will likely be combined this week. Corn has moved along to the point where a frost or even a hard freeze is unlikely to harm it much. The milkline on most hybrids was well past half milkline in most cases with some earlier planted earlier maturing hybrids having black layered. Stalk quality is started to be talked about and rightfully so. Corn is relatively tall this year and ear placement is also fairly high. It gives wind plenty of leverage especially when it blows like we all know it’s capable of.

Some of the birds we’ve come to enjoy over the spring and summer continue to say their goodbyes. The last oriole we saw at the ranch was about the 7^th. Last year the last one was spotted on the 8^th. They showed up on May 2^nd so we really can’t complain. Knowing what’s coming, given the chance many of us would start to fly the coop pretty soon too. The local barn swallows appear to have departed as well. A week or so ago, swallows were lining the wires for about a half mile in front of the ranch. Pretty sure the locals were still here as they were flying through the window on one side of the granary and out the other. The hummingbirds are still bountiful yet but their days too are numbered. Last year the final hummingbirds we saw were on October 4^th.

Saturday was International Drive Your Studebaker Day and no I’m not making that up. A fitting day it was at that. With lawn needing mowing and dozens of other things that could be done, I decided that the Silver Hawk needed to make a trip to the A&W in Spring Valley. It was perfect weather to open the side vents on the front fenders and let the fresh air in, screened for bugs of course. Mrs. Cheviot had arranged to meet her sister and brother-in-law. We had intended to take them for a cruise earlier but schedules and health did not allow. We went for a loop from Spring Valley to Stewartville and back. The Stude performed beautifully, cruising smooth as silk on recently redone US 63. Using features like the overdrive along with the Studebaker exclusive hill holder clutch, the cruise was a success, turning heads and generating a “thumbs up” wherever we went. Unfortunately before we knew it we had to return home.

The gas gauge apparently is fairly accurate. Non-oxygenated fuel was impossible to find on the way home so we were on pins and needles watching the gauge running on empty. We made it home but had no idea how much fuel might have been in the tank. It holds 18 gallons. I ran some errands with the pickup the next day and grabbed three gallons to put in the Studebaker, enough to get us to Waseca for a fill. I had purposely not wiped the car down anticipating that I would make a run to fill it up late Sunday. In addition to the three gallons I put in it, I put a hair over 15 gallons in it, that after the trip to Waseca. We had to have been running on fumes. The good news was it gave us an excuse to enjoy one more trip on what was an absolutely beautiful weekend for cruising.

It always saddens when a customer for 20+ years and faithful reader suddenly passes away. Gudmund Nodland farmed with his wife Ethel where Ethel grew up south of Waseca. They received the paper from Ethel’s sister and I frequently was asked about some of the things I’d written when I went there to look at their fields. Gudmund was a kind soul and always had a smile on his face when we’d stop. Typically he and Ethel would invite us in for in cookies and something to drink. He also would offer us sweet corn from his field, something I took him up on occasionally when our own garden sweet corn wasn’t ready yet. Those were much appreciated half dozen ears of perfection. Gudmund also gave me an old International electric fencer, one I still have today. It still works and is pressed into service occasionally should we suffer a lightning strike or one of the other units just gives up the ghost. In recent years Gudmund frequently wasn’t his normal self. He didn’t talk about it much other than mentioning his mobility was suffering. I was surprised to learn recently that he was in the care center and absolutely shocked to read of his sudden passing back on the 5th. Come to find out he had been ill for some time. I’ll miss going there to look at his fields and most of all I’ll miss that smile as we visited over a cold beverage and cookies.

See you next week…real good then.

 

[Scott K]

In recent years I have said good byes to several of my grandparents neighbors on the farm. It is sad, but I try to make it to everyone of them that I can.

[roony]

I remember the Nodlands from when I worked at my uncles farm store. Good People.

[Dotch]

Great to hear you guys chime in. It's important to attend these funerals and visitations in my book. It makes me realize just how short, fragile and precious this thing called life really is.

Got to get back to the land, set my soul free.

The scurs tinkered with the Weather Eye and got it back on track. Amazing what one can do with a piece of baling wire. Will their fix hold or will they need to get a bigger hammer? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the mid 70’s with lows in the low 60’s. Thursday, mostly cloudy with a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 70’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Mostly sunny Friday with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the mid 50’s. Saturday, sunny with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the mid-50’s. Sunny on Sunday with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the upper 50’s. Monday, continued sunny with highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the upper 50’s. Sunny for Tuesday with highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the upper 50’s. The normal high for September 27^th is 68 and the normal low is 44. The sun begins to set before 7 p.m. CDT on the 29th. The scurs are awaiting the chance to fly their Acme drone disguised as a rooster pheasant. Delivery is scheduled for October 10^th.

Harvest actually got underway in places this past week. Some soybean yields were reputedly in the mid-60’s on some early maturing early planted soybeans. The Thursday rains slowed any progress that was anticipated although with a dry forecast, it should get on track quickly. If early returns are a harbinger of things to come we may experience some of the best soybean yields we have seen in quite some time. Some corn should have been harvested by the time this is written to fill some early contracts. Most indications are that corn in general will also yield very well. The fly in the ointment may be the excessive rains that fell in late June and the encore performance in late July. There are stalk rot organisms lurking in some corn fields so the situation will need to be monitored closely.

My return from Canada Monday afternoon revealed very little in the way of harvest activity all the way from the Canadian border aside from silage being chopped. Mike Hergert from Red River Farm Network called me Monday morning expecting to do an interview on harvest progress.  Reports I’d been given from one of my ace scouts indicated scattered soybean combining with lots of green beans and pods in the samples yet. Most were opting to wait a few days. Indeed, only one combine was spotted in Sibley Co. as I trekked the backroads assessing the progress. Lots of leaves still on the plants in places so an interview next week will likely be more fruitful.

The Full Moon for the month will occur on September 27^th. It as usual goes by several names the most popular of which is the Harvest Moon. It was at this time before the advent of artificial lighting that farmers could work far into the night due to the bright moon that lit the skies. Sometimes it is also known as the Full Corn Moon. The Ojibwe knew this as the Full Rice Moon, aptly named for the staple that would be harvested during the month. The Sioux called it the Moon When Plums Turn Scarlet. At the ranch we know it as the Moon When Days Become too Short. Seems there is never enough time to get everything done before battening down the hatches for winter.

A total lunar eclipse will also take place on September 27^th. Luckily Vista’s noted Swedish astronomer plies me with information from time to time so I can stay on top of these things. According to Dale Niedfeldt from the Steele Co. Astronomical Society, the partial eclipse will start shortly after 8 p.m. with the total eclipse beginning at 9:48 p.m. The mid-total eclipse will be at 9:48 p.m. and the eclipse will end at 10:23 p.m. The moon will appear even larger than the total eclipse back in April as it is the closest it will be all year. This of course if it isn’t cloudy.  

This last Thursday was the 3^rd installment of what has become an annual event: My yearly excursion to my little fat buddy of the north Bill’s cabin in Canada near Atikokan. Some get all fired up thinking that I’m heading north to slaughter the fish. Maybe in my younger days that would’ve been the case.  Nowadays it’s to escape the crowds I’ve been exposed to, exhale, and get back to the land, set my soul free. As I get older I find myself valuing my privacy more and more. Some can’t seem to grasp the concept partially due to all the social media I’m convinced. I wasn’t at all disappointed that my cell phone didn’t work. There was a landline if we needed to use it but why? Just me and Bill, cutting, splitting and stacking firewood in addition to feasting and seeing who could best each other in the evening cribbage tournament. Only soon to be forgotten true stories are told sans embellishment during these sessions.

The birds are always something worth noting when we’re there. The hummingbirds were a “no show” making me wonder if they were still at the ranch or had moved on there as well. They were as of the 21^st. There were still robins making their way through and juncos of course. They have a tendency to show up at the ranch within a week or so of my travels north. Juncos were heard already Tuesday morning. Also of note were the red-breasted nuthatches and the chickadees. It usually takes an ugly winter for the red-breasted nuthatches to be winter guests at the ranch while the chickadees are frequent visitors, welcoming me upon my return to the ranch.

Learning trivia about old cars has certainly become a wonderful pastime. For instance, I read during my Canadian stay that Studebaker stopped making horse drawn carriages in 1919 so they could focus on the automobile business. My Dad being an old Buick guy could appreciate the fact the Buick V8’s were known as “nailheads” because the perpendicular arrangement of the heads on the block and the small diameter valve heads gave them that appearance. Another tidbit I remember was the air cleaner body on the 1963Buick Invicta station wagon we had. It was emblazoned with “Wildcat 445”. This didn’t refer to the engine displacement but rather to the ft.lbs. of torque it produced. It did really wind up for a station wagon. My brother Roger proved that when he used to lay patches with it in the driveway when our parents left of course. Pretty sure he was still in grade school yet as he had trouble reaching the pedals without pulling himself forward with the steering wheel. Also pretty sure in the absence of 4 wheelers back in the day, Dad didn’t have to use a lot of imagination to figure out where the divots were coming from. Dad was funny that way.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

The wealthiest person is a pauper at times compared to the man with a satisfied mind

Thank goodness the scurs got the Weather Eye to deliver some absolutely gorgeous weather. Will their forecasting warmth continue or will their forecast give us the cold shoulder? Starting Wednesday, partly cloudy with highs in the low 60’s and lows in the low 40’s. Thursday, mostly sunny with highs in the low 60’s and lows in the low 40’s. Mostly sunny Friday with highs in the low 60’s and lows in the low 40’s. Saturday, sunny with highs in the upper 50’s and lows in the low 40’s. Sunny on Sunday with highs in the low 60’s and lows in the low 40’s. Monday, continued sunny with highs in the low 60’s and lows in the low 40’s. Sunny for Tuesday with highs in the upper 60’s and lows in the low 40’s. The normal high for October 1st is 66 and the normal low is 42. The scurs plan on exchanging more emails with Hillary Clinton on her personal email account.

Harvest actually got rolling in earnest over the weekend in places. Soils in many areas are still plenty wet however and slowed progress. Soybean yields are a very pleasant surprise although there are still fields slow to ripen. There are also often several yields on the same field as one noted observer pointed out when I asked him last week how they were running. There’s the yield monitor yield, the grain cart yield and the one that counts, the one over the scale at the elevator. Some corn has been harvested and yields are generally making farmers smile except for the most curmudgeonly perhaps. Sure, it always could’ve yielded more, it was too wet, the quality wasn’t as good as it could’ve been and so on. We all know them and know that sometimes it’s OK just to be satisfied with the way things turned out as they can’t be changed.

Am writing this on Mrs. Cheviot’s confuser as my hard drive decided to take a vacation after I got back from mine. It’s OK as it’s a unit with which I once wrote many of these literary masterpieces. Hopefully it hangs together until I can somehow get this sent to the newspaper. Also hopeful that my regular model comes back to life once my trusted computer guru gets through with it. Fingers crossed but no guarantees.

Trees got my attention this past week. Betsy’s dad had mentioned something about a tree that had mysteriously appeared in Verna’s yard. It had shiny leaves on it I was told. Scratching my head as is my wont, could not based on the description come up with an idea of what it might be. “Bring a hunk of it in here and we’ll check it out”, I said. Sometime Friday he must’ve dropped it off as it was crispy by the time I found it Saturday. Examining it more closely, I spied one leaf that was lobed before it snapped in two. Then it clicked: A mulberry!

We have some mulberries growing in our windbreak among the dogwood bushes that probably should be removed. Apparently they were spread there by the birds. The berries are popular with them and humans too I guess although it’s rare event to get one before the birds do. The white mulberry is native to China and while a rather invasive tree it is also the tree that serves as the main food source for silkworms. After introduction to the southeastern US long ago, attempts at producing silk were unsuccessful. The mulberries on the other hand have been very successful and have spread across much of the country.

The birds are continuing to make more moves as we head deeper into the fall. The hummingbirds were a “no show” Sunday making me wonder if they had moved on. Monday afternoon I slipped home to make a sandwich and much to my delight one descended from the tree to the feeder below. There was still one at suppertime feeding on some of the flowers. The flowers are starting to wane though so it’s a matter of time. The robins and waxwings are busy gobbling down the nannyberries as fast as they ripen. They’ve also hit the crabapples hard. Think I discovered where a lot of the goldfinches are hanging out. As I made a trip to Matawan on the back roads Saturday, hundreds of them flew out of the CRP that was covered with Maximilian sunflowers. There is a lot of food out there and checking the seed on some of the native plants including oxeye, it’s probably a lot more to their liking than some of what we put in the feeders. Once it’s gone, it may be easier to mooch off us. Other “fall” birds are becoming more common in the yard though. Flickers continue to be common, jays are active and the red-bellied woodpecker found the ear corn once again, when the squirrel isn’t using it of course. The squirrels have lots of red oak acorns across the driveway this time around and I almost nailed one upon our return from a cruise Sunday with the Silver Hawk.

Ruby has been up to her old TV watching antics again. A few weeks ago Auntie Mar Mar was amazed by her reaction to an elephant on the tube and later some giant insect that set Ruby off on a barking and growling frenzy. Mar Mar was in disbelief that the dog would react as she did. Ruby recently added another person to the list of people she doesn’t care for. After seeing her bark and growl regularly at such notables as Clint Eastwood and Julie Andrews, nothing really surprises us anymore. It was a little embarrassing though when Mrs. Cheviot informed me that she had been watching Pope Francis on TV and Ruby had another of her patented meltdowns. Well, maybe she doesn’t like guys wearing short white coats and beanies while talking about climate change I thought. Or it could be as simple as she’s just a Protestant. Never can tell about these Border Collies.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

You better get back honky cat

The scurs continue to coax the Weather Eye to keep deliver more of the same and deliver it has. Will it ever freeze or will we get through harvest without it?  Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with a good chance of overnight showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 70’s and lows in the upper 50’s. Thursday, mostly cloudy with a modest chance for lingering showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 60’s with lows in the mid 40’s. Mostly sunny Friday with highs in the low 60’s and lows in the mid 40’s. Saturday, sunny with highs in the upper 60’s and lows in the low 50’s. Sunny on Sunday with highs in the mid 70’s and lows in the mid 50’s. Monday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid 70’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Cloudy and cooler for Tuesday with highs in the upper 60’s and lows in the low 40’s. The normal high for October 12^th is 62 and the normal low is 48. The scurs are celebrating Columbus Day by leaving Saturday’s junk mail and bills in the mailbox. That way they’ll still have a reason to pick it up and potentially make the PC police think it’s no longer a holiday. There’s a method to the scurs madness.

The ten man dryer is running at the elevator so now it truly is fall. Harvest progress has been steady although not without some bumps in the road. Green stems in the soybeans with no frost to even things out have caused some snarling and gnashing of teeth. Along with that there have been plenty of green beans mixed in the sample even though moistures have generally tested 11 – 12%. Relatively calm conditions haven’t hastened the drying of those green stems or beans themselves much either. In some instances the tough combining has led to soybeans going out the back of the combine, prompting some to switch over to corn for a few days. Soybean yields have in general been spectacular with most running from the upper 50 bushel per acre range to the low 70’s. Corn has also been impressive based on the acreage harvested thus far. Many reports of low to mid 200 bushel readings on yield monitors and in actual weighed truckloads as well. It is too early to apply anhydrous ammonia at this point and as Fabian Fernandez from the U points out, applications should be based on soil temperatures and not on calendar date. Read his latest press release at:

 http://blog-crop-news.extension.umn.edu/2015/10/fall-nitrogen-applications.html

There are scattered pockets of color showing here and there so this weekend should be a good one to go forth and gaze at the leaves. Sumac was prominent this past weekend in our travels to the north and the river valleys in particular had subtle signs that the show should be at its peak in the next week or so. It smells like fall too. The odor of senescing vegetation is familiar when one heads out the door in the morning to do chores.

It’s official: The hummingbirds left the ranch on September 28^th. We had them for quite a spell though. We saw the first one on May 16^th. They were faithful little visitors all summer long to the pots and the hummingbird feeder. I’ve left it up just in case a straggler should happen by. Some have asked if leaving the feeders out keeps the hummers here too long and endangers their survival. It does not. Once the flowering plants they crave begin to decline, hummingbirds seem to know it’s time to get out while the getting is still good. One species I have been surprised to see yet though is barn swallows. This past week a handful still appeared occasionally when I was out soil sampling. Had to look twice but saw them on a couple occasions on different days, the last of which were spotted on Monday October 5^th. Was glad to see them too. There were mosquitoes and was bitten a few times by what appeared to be stable flies.

The gardening season is winding down. Wet weather prevented the planting of the winter radish crop so that will have to wait until next season. However, the pumpkins, gourds and squash managed to make it. The squash crop was somewhat disappointing but the Indian corn, gourds and pumpkins made up for it. Lots of them for decorating which is exactly what happened to much of the crop. They’ve already travelled to a wedding at Watkins MN and are back to decorate the church as well as the ranch once we find some daylight to see what we’re doing. Had to move the remaining Indian corn from the trailer where it was drying. The squirrels and chipmunks decided it was good enough to eat so helped themselves.

Ruby and Fudgie like this cooler trend and can follow the lawnmower endlessly as a result. They also seem to have diversions to occupy their time. Ruby set up a barking frenzy Monday morning when I was in the shower. It’s not unusual for her to growl and whine at the squirrel eating corn each morning so I couldn’t figure out what had set her off. It turned out that neighbor David had left his dumpster out at the end of the driveway. To Ruby’s way of thinking, it was out of place and required my attention. Fudgie has a stray cat to torment that recently appeared. Actually we haven’t had cats for quite a while and were reluctant about keeping this one around. Cats are known carriers of toxoplasmosis. That can raise heck with pregnant ewes and the lamb crop. And since a lot of people treat our road like it’s a racetrack, any cat we’ve actually liked has ended up being a statistic. The downside to all that is the house sparrows decided the loafing barn is an excellent area to defecate and make a general mess. Since the cat showed up, the sparrows have typically kept their distance. The cat is an adept climber and hunter so we’ve been feeding it just enough to keep it interested. It certainly keeps Fudgie interested with its whereabouts and that’s a good thing. The cat gets to put those climbing skills to good use.

See you next week…real good then.    

 

[Dotch]

You're Judy in Disguise, with glasses

The scurs had the Weather Eye dialed in over the weekend although the fan must’ve got stuck on high Monday. Will our season come to screeching halt or will we still be mowing lawn at Thanksgiving?  Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with a miniscule chance of overnight showers. Highs in the mid 60’s with lows in the low 40’s. Thursday, mostly sunny with a modest chance for showers. Highs in the low 60’s with lows in the upper 30’s. Mostly sunny Friday with highs in the low 50’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Saturday, partly cloudy with highs in the low 50’s and lows in the mid 30’s. Sunny on Sunday with highs in the upper 50’s and lows in the mid 40’s. Monday, partly sunny with a slight chance of showers. Highs in the upper 60’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Cloudy and cooler for Tuesday with a modest chance of a shower. Highs in the low 60’s and lows in the upper 30’s. The normal high for October 17^th is 59 and the normal low is 37. We dip below 11 hours of daylight on the 17^th, still losing about minutes per day. The scurs are thinking that covering their delicate foliage may be in order Friday night. Leaving it out to freeze might not be all bad either. Cuts down on watering it.

Harvest continues to move at a breakneck pace. Most soybeans are in the bin with the exception of wet spots that remained too green to combine or areas that were replanted due to drown outs. Soybean yields for many set personal bests. Corn has also been yielding tremendously and due to the relatively dry moisture content, is coming off the fields rapidly. Most were seeing moistures in the mid to upper teens on earlier maturing hybrids (95 – 100 day) with full season hybrids in the low 20’s. Stalk quality has been an issue in places although in the absence of windy, wet conditions, it has remained in the background. After Monday’s wind however, some may have to rethink the notion of waiting for corn to dry in the field so it can be dumped directly in the bin. Still too early for ammonia application.

Many questions about the spate of annoying insects, namely multi-colored Asian lady beetles and minute pirate bugs. Unfortunately for us as humans, these insects have run out of soft bodied insects to chew on and are looking for a snack before packing it in for winter. It is a common misconception that the lady beetles are only attracted to soybeans. They have for the most part been spending much of their time recently either in the corn searching out the last remaining aphids, in trees doing same or have followed the surviving soybean aphids to their overwintering host, namely buckthorn. They then look for places to hole up for the winter, including your house. Less is known about minute pirate bugs. For starters they’re not trying to squat in your house. They become more well-known this time of year once their food sources are depleted. They then migrate to overwintering sites such as leaf litter, like that surrounding many houses this time of year. They can inflict a rather painful bite. Some are referring to these true bugs as “no see ‘ems” although they are not related to the tiny biting flies that develop from larvae in rivers and streams earlier in the year. Their calling card is a nasty welt. Despite the bites being painful, there’s generally little evidence you’ve been bitten by a minute pirate bug.

 http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/multicolored-asian-lady-beetles/

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/newsrel/2003/nov03/nov0318.html

After having numerous distractions the previous weekend, it was finally time to put the mower deck back under Whitey with new belts. While the deck was off I decided it was a good time to put a quick edge on the blades with the angle grinder. I flipped the blades over so the edges could be accessed. With the cordless impact driver, it was a quick process. Changed the oil in the process while the deck was off and things went smoothly. Even the deck that was somewhat persnickety about coming off went on easier than I would’ve guessed. Heading towards the shed and the grease gun I turned the blades on expecting to see grass fly about 20’. Instead it barely cleared the discharge chute. Puzzled, I peered under the deck only to see that in my haste I had committed a cardinal sin: I’d left the blades upside down! Nothing a few more minutes of wrenching couldn’t solve but an embarrassment nonetheless. Didn’t take long and the road ditch was returned to its original pristine condition.

The mowing done and a minor crisis averted where a deer had apparently gone through the fence again, it was time to sneak off for a cruise. Days such as Sunday were made for taking the Silver Hawk out to gaze at the leaves as well as running reconnaissance on area farmers. Mrs. Cheviot and I made a whirlwind tour. We stopped in Waseca for gas where a gentleman admired the car as I filled it up. We then proceeded to Le Center and Cleveland then on to Madison Lake to wet our whistle at the Trailblazer. It was a warm day.  With the heater core on the Silver Hawk positioned under the passenger side seat as was common back in the day, it was even warmer. Not many people in the Trailblazer Sunday afternoon although several noticed and commented on the Stude. On the way home we swerved around Betsy’s dad who was pulling a wagon toward the field. Moments later we received a call from him saying how cool the car looked. Looking at the phone I noticed that there had been another call from Shannon Shonrock’s uncle. Upon calling him back, he too had spied us rolling past his place. Suddenly it dawned on me: This is not the vehicle to go driving around in if you plan on going someplace incognito. Likely have to break out the Soccer Mom van, wigs and sunglasses for that.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Leaves are falling all around, it's time I was on my way

The scurs had the Weather Eye dialed in again over the weekend and the fan was stuck on high Monday, again. Will our recent warm conditions remain or will we begin our transition into more normal temperatures?  Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with highs in the upper 60’s with lows in the upper 30’s. Thursday, sunny with a slight chance for and overnight shower. Highs in the low 60’s with lows in the mid 40’s. Mostly cloudy Friday with a good chance of showers. Highs in the upper 50’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Saturday, partly sunny with highs in the upper 50’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Sunny on Sunday with highs in the mid 50’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Monday, partly sunny with a slight chance of showers. Highs in the mid 50’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Cloudy for Tuesday with a slight chance of a shower. Highs in the mid 50’s and lows in the mid 30’s. The normal high for October 27^th is 54 and the normal low is 33. The scurs are toying with the notion of putting their patio furniture away. After all the wind they’ll have to find it first.

The Full Moon for October lands on the 27^th and is known as the Full Hunters Moon. It was at this time that Native Americans and settlers alike were busily stocking up for the long winter ahead. Deer, waterfowl, grouse, squirrels and other game were fattened up and available for the larder. The Ojibwe called this the Falling Leaves Moon and the Sioux similarly called it the Moon of the Falling Leaves. At the ranch we go by the Do Chores in the Dark (both times) Moon.

Harvest is beginning to wind down across much of the area. The soybeans are essentially all combined with even the replants in the wet spots disappearing in recent days. Less than 25% of the corn remains in the field with moisture content continuing to plummet. Much of the corn being harvested is in the mid-teens allowing many to dump it directly in the bin without drying and just running air on it. It has been a storybook ending to the cropping season for most. Sure it had its ups and downs; they all do. In spite of the excess rains in June and an encore performance for some in July, the crop exceeded expectations for many. It goes to show that rain in the months of July and August can make a tremendous difference in the outcome of our crops after coming up short over the past several years.

Where are we going into next year? We have seen an extremely dusty, dry month of October. As of the 20^th, we have recorded only a trace of moisture a couple times at the ranch so we are due. It would give us a welcome respite from a harvest that has essentially been non-stop since late September.  A major El Niño is already firmly entrenched and the forecast for the upper Midwest is for a drier and warmer than normal winter. Few will be disappointed with that. Our soil moisture is generally in good shape although this past couple weeks has caused the surface to become rather hard particularly where soils had been subject to excess moisture earlier in the year. As measured at the SROC in Waseca on the 16th, there is just under 10” of available soil moisture in the top 5’ of soil. Bear in mind that the SROC recorded several inches more precip than we did for the months of August and September.  One might suspect especially on some of the ground that was worked early, there might be less soil moisture than that here.

Our cropping season at the ranch has largely ended as well. About the only thing that remains is some possible horseradish digging and grinding. The apple picking needs to be finished up too as the call for apple crisp and apple pies from the Haralson tree will only increase. So will the bird damage, the worst in years. Among the lucky finds before last week’s frost were dozens of tomatoes, some of which were nestled under a cover of leaves. Indian corn, gourds and pumpkins decorate the house inside and out. The sheep get some of them that aren’t keeping well. As fat as they are, they really don’t need anything extra but that doesn’t stop them from running towards the fence any time you approach it. Always looking for a handout.

Sunday morning I had to haul one of the buck lambs over to the pasture to join the ewes there. He was cooperative about being caught and going into the trailer. Unusual especially when it comes to Cheviot sheep. Frequently you need to be wearing track shoes, helmets and other protective gear. We made the trip quickly although I had to go find the ewes upon our arrival. When I slid the gate open on the trailer he didn’t waste any time hopping out or attempting to hop on for that matter. Sort of a poor man’s version of dropping Lamar Odom off at a brothel.

Mrs. Cheviot was gone on Sunday so I rambled off on another cruise with Auntie Mar Mar and Unkie Greg. We retraced much of our route from the prior week and were disappointed that much of the fall color had disappeared from the wind. It still was fun to cruise the backroads I frequent during the growing season and hear Mar Mar comment from the backseat, “I have no idea where the heck we are!” Unkie Greg bought me a libation and some appetizers at the Trailblazer as we wound our way towards home. Best of all though, Auntie Mar Mar left us a blueberry coffee cake that I promised to share with Mrs. Cheviot. I was tempted not to though. Warmed up in the microwave then topped with a little butter, it’s even better than a Drake’s coffee cake.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Must be getting early, clocks are running late

The Acme fan the scurs ordered for the Weather Eye is proving to be more than they bargained for. Will it continue to mean windy conditions or will a new control switch solve the problem? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of  showers, possibly turning to snow before morning. Highs in the upper 40’s with lows in the low 30’s. Thursday, mostly cloudy with highs in the mid 40’s and lows in the low 30’s. Partly sunny Friday with an increasing chance of showers. Highs in the upper 40’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Saturday, partly sunny with a slight chance of a shower. Highs in the mid 50’s and lows in the low 40’s. Sunny on Sunday with a slight chance of an evening shower. Highs in the upper 50’s with lows in the mid 40’s. Monday, partly sunny with a slight chance of showers. Highs in the upper 50’s and lows in the low 40’s. Partly cloudy for Tuesday with a slight chance of a shower. Highs in the upper 50’s and lows in the low 40’s. The normal high for November 1st is 51 and the normal low is 31. The scurs will be hosting as many trick or treaters as the candy budget will support. After that they’re on their own.

It’s that weekend we’ve waited all summer for: The end of Daylight Wasting Time! Time to set our clocks back an hour at 2 a.m. on November 1^st. Nationwide, many people will once again wind up in the emergency room because they fell off a chair while changing their clocks back. Light in the morning and dark by 5 in the afternoon. Personally, I won’t be around. I’ll be in Canada where they also witness this nonsensical changing of the clocks thing. And guess what? I will still sleep another hour in protest!

There is still some corn left to be harvested in pockets although those pockets are shrinking every day. Moistures did pick up slightly with last Friday’s rains so Monday’s breezes were welcome from that standpoint. The rain was also welcome as the dry conditions were putting us at greater risk for fires. Miraculously very few incidents have occurred locally although other areas have not been as fortunate. The rainfall also settled the dust on the gravel roads, something that was making them hazardous to travel on especially when meeting or following large trucks. Having recovered from the writer’s cramp after recording the summer rainfall, I managed to pencil in .3” and in town about .25”. It was the first measurable precip since September 24^th. In the fields fall anhydrous ammonia applications are starting. The calendar and soil temperatures are all pointing in the right direction so it should be an acceptable time to begin.

Apple harvest at the ranch has concluded. Mrs. Cheviot got the apples the birds hadn’t pecked off the trees so it was up to Mr. Cheviot to finish the honors. Lucky for me the skid loader was handy as I used the scoop shovel on the last of the apples and proceeded to dump them over the fence to the sheep. Not exactly like they really need anything more to eat although they never argue when extra vegetative material is tossed their way. The last of the tomatoes were a pleasant culinary find. Not always the case. They have been amongst the best flavored of the season although they don’t keep for long. Finding that to be the case with some of the gourds and squash as well. The warm temperatures we keep getting seem to be having a negative effect in that department.

The summer bird watching and feeding has segued into the fall/winter segment. Bluebirds continue to filter through, looking over the nesting boxes perhaps for future reference. The hummingbird feeder was taken down and cleaned for the last time and the last of the suet feeders was hung in its place. The nuthatches, the downy, hairy, and red-bellied woodpeckers have all been busy on those feeders. They also seem to be annoyed by the house sparrows who try to horn in on the sunflower feeder, shooing them away when they want their turn. There are also five huge blue jays who were some of the likely culprits in destroying a portion of the apple crop. There are still more than we’ll ever eat though so they get a pass.

Saturday we mad another leaf watching trip in the Stude only to get to the other side of Lansing and discover that the ammeter was indicating it wasn’t charging the battery. Luckily it had been working up until that point so we continued on our abridged journey. There were still areas of color as we went east particularly in the small bergs and villages along the way. Lots of huge corn piles too at the local elevators where there was no room in the bins. As we came in our driveway at home we were greeted by the pin oak and red oak that were reaching their peak color. Probably could’ve just sat in the car, stared at those two trees and stayed home.

Sunday was relatively calm so it was a decent day to get the screenings cleaned up at the kindly neighbors’. After making the annual pilgrimage there for many moons I’ve long since forgotten how many years it is. It went smoothly and the small ewe flock there was happy to see the screenings suddenly appear in their feeders. There again, they don’t need extra feed either. They’ve picked up the few acorns that fell in their pasture and the grass grew exceptionally well with all the rainfall. Still, it’s nice to get them started on some feed and screenings work well in that department. And the price is certainly right, not to mention the exercise I desperately need this time of year. I have Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas in my sights.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

And to our health we drank a thousand times, it's time to ramble on

The recent warmth has the scurs wondering if the Weather Eye will continue to spew forth heat or suddenly get back to more normal conditions for November. Only time will tell. Starting Wednesday, aside from some possible morning drizzle, mostly sunny with highs in the upper 60’s and lows in the mid 50’s. Thursday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of showers. Highs in the low 60’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Sunny Friday with highs in the upper 40’s and lows in the low 30’s. Saturday, mostly sunny with a highs in the mid 40’s and lows in the low 30’s. Sunny on Sunday with highs in the low 50’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Monday, mostly sunny with highs in the low 50’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Partly sunny for Tuesday with highs in the low 50’s and lows in the low 30’s. The sun sets before 5 p.m. on the 5^th and we slide below 10 hours of daylight on November 7^th for the first time since February 3^rd. The normal high for November 7^th is 47 and the normal low is 29. The scurs will be rationing their leftover Halloween candy, hoping it will tide them over until Turkey Day.

Anhydrous ammonia and tillage operations were underway in many areas this past week. The telltale signs of anhydrous ammonia applicators were present in many area fields upon my return from a short trip. There certainly is no hurry however if the warm temperatures are any indication. The closer one can make the applications to freeze up of course it makes the likelihood of loss much lower. Soil conditions are probably about as good as I can ever recall them being for fall ammonia so it appears to be sealing up very well. Rainfall in the month of October turned out to be moderate after a very dry first three weeks, garnering 1.08” at the ranch and just about 1.05” in the gauge at the Mall for Men.

Yet one last trip to Canada to help my little fat buddy Billy of the North to help winterize his cabin before winter sets in. Before leaving everyone always assumes we’re going fishing and while we always have that option, just getting away from the hustle and bustle a few days is more than adequate for me. The flora and fauna keep matters interesting. Trying to think about how the pieces fit together make it an endless puzzle to ponder as we keep in mind that it really doesn’t matter; it’s there to keep us guessing. On the way north from Bemidji, flocks of snow buntings were common as we headed to Frostbite Falls. A harbinger of things to come I fear. The morning after we arrived at camp, the chickadees were on hand to greet us. They appeared to be searching for some small insects on the branch tips of the pine and white cedar. It made me wonder if on some future visit what they might do with some of the sunflower seeds prized by the local chickadee population at home. Some redpolls and siskins could also be heard although not seen, a behavior many of us grew up with.

Leaves were down with the exception of some red and pin oaks along the way. Some tamaracks were still clinging stubbornly to their needles in places even well into Canada. Their yellow tinge blended into the dark green evergreens remained against the gray backdrop; signs of hope that the landscape would once again come to life when the seasons change.

The weather was gray as well. From Thursday through Monday morning we saw the sun for about 10 minutes. Temperatures were freezing when we arrived making the front porch slick. Visions of doing a one and a half somersault in the middle of the night while making a nature call danced in my head. Luckily it did warm up slightly so the frosty porch was no longer an issue. However temperatures didn’t get much above 40 for the duration of our stay. Still not bad considering what it’s capable of. At least we didn’t have to get out the heavy artillery, namely the long johns and thick wool socks. Come about January, we’d take some of those temperatures even in our latitude.

We were also on a diplomatic mission. Some compensation for services rendered needed to be made. We went to Atikokan to bearing gifts for some nice folks who drained Bill’s cabin water previously when the weather managed to dip below freezing. Unlike greater Bugtussle, water lines are unable to be buried six or more feet deep. There simply isn’t six feet or more of soil to bury them in in most places. Later we went to another neighbor on the lake for socializing and to drop off some food items that wouldn’t make it through customs for the journey south. It’s fascinating to me anyway to visit with these hardy souls and learn more about how they think and live for that matter. Canadians are wonderful neighbors. We could definitely do much worse. I feel a kindred spirit with them living as close to Canada as I once did. The land can be cold and forbidding at times while the people typically remain genuine and as warm as a July afternoon.

Once back home again the dogs were excited to see me, especially Fudgie. I laughed as her mannerisms seemed to belie that 13 year old body, acting like a Border Collie half her age. Ruby of course definitely behaves like a two-year old all the time and is shedding hair massively to boot. Actually both dogs are. One look at my sweatshirt after some doggie affection and it definitely meant another bomb session with the brush soon. That in addition to countless other chores needing to get done before the snow flies. No rest for the wicked.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Hey, hey, hey
Every dog has it's day

Continued warmth spewed forth from the Weather Eye pleasing the scurs yet puzzling them. Will it ever cool off or are we stuck with “Finter” they pondered? (Thank you Jonathan Yuhas for the new season name) Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of rain. Highs in the low 50’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Thursday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of rain and snow showers. Highs in the mid 40’s and lows in the low 30’s. Sunny Friday with highs in the low 40’s and lows in the mid 20’s. Saturday, mostly sunny with highs near 50 and lows in the mid 30’s. Sunny on Sunday with highs in the low 50’s and lows in the mid 30’s. Monday, mostly cloudy with highs around 50 and lows in the mid 30’s. Cloudy for Tuesday with a chance of light rain or drizzle. Highs in the upper 40’s and lows in the low 30’s. The sun rises after 7 a.m. CST on the 10th. The normal high for November 15^th is 42 and the normal low is 25. In a week’s time we lost about four degrees off both the highs and lows. The scurs are wondering if there will be enough snow to build a snowman. They have a spare leftover from last year saved in the freezer just in case.

Crop farming continues to wind down for the season. Many acres of anhydrous ammonia were applied this week and for our business soil sampling is coming to a close. Most of what’s left has been worked so it makes for slower, rougher going. Conditions to the west have been wetter than around Bugtussle itself so anhydrous applications were delayed somewhat in that area. Rains have continued to hold off allowing those who haven’t finished harvest to do so. Whether or not it will allow tillage to be performed on some of those late harvested acres remains to be seen. The primary goal however is still to get the crop off and worry about tillage later. Many of those acres will be going into soybeans next year anyway.

The nice weather allowed for some preliminary groundwork on the annual manure spreading extravaganza. The oil was changed on the tractor and skidloader, readying both for next weekend. The Ruby and Fudgie always enjoy this part of the process as it gives them one more opportunity to bark, growl and bite the tires on both implements. On sunny days like Saturday it just feels good to be outdoors doing something and watching them a couple Border Collies through their paces. They can’t help themselves and it’s entertaining. Of course I am easily entertained.

I took some time to take inventory on some tree limbs and branches that ticked me off this last summer while mowing, also making note of those needing tree wrap. Somehow the bunnies haven’t started messing with them yet although I’d better not hold my breath. I know where the tree wrap lives. I also discovered a few more tomatoes that had been green and ripened under the mat of recently fallen leaves. Another project: Grind up the leaves with the lawnmower. The late season bonus tomatoes have been delicious and welcome treat. The Tumbling Tom tomato on the patio deck is still blooming and bearing so we should still have a few fresh ripe tomatoes of one kind or another for Thanksgiving.

Sunday after church we cruised to Albert’s Leaf in the Silver Hawk to check out new phones and hopefully bring Mrs. Cheviot into the 21^st century. It was also time to replace my phone which I wasn’t sorry about. I had a love-hate relationship with it from the get-go. Having switched originally from a Blackberry, I found the touch screen on the Galaxy S4 jumpy. Many times if I grabbed it the wrong way, it sent me off into the techno rhubarb faster than I could figure it out. After a while I got used to it but the learning curve was pretty steep. It was a tough phone though. I had the thing though for over three years which many remarked was incredible that I hadn’t smashed it. Don’t think I wasn’t tempted I told them.

Sunday was a bright, beautiful day for a cruise though. A little cool perhaps but the with the heater control valve allowing a little antifreeze to seep through to the heater core, the temp was about right inside the car. We got the phones picked out and the young lady did an excellent job of explaining how to operate them. Luckily we both got the same phone and for me it was just an upgrade so Mrs. Cheviot could learn from my tutelage. We chuckled at the people who would crawl by the Studebaker craning their necks in their vehicles as we watched from inside the store. One guy even got out, walked around the car and snapped several photos. We had no idea we’d cause a gawker slowdown in a parking lot.

After finishing the phone paperwork we had to go to DQ and celebrate our purchases. A Buster bar for Mrs. Cheviot and a butterscotch dipped cone for me. We filled up with non-oxygenated fuel across the street and made our merry way home. We went on a smoother, albeit longer route. However the distance doesn’t really matter on picture perfect days like Sunday. The longer the cruise the better. We sailed on home with the tail wind pushing us on our voyage. Once we arrived we played with the phones for a while until I looked up to see sheep walking across in front of the barn, again. Fun’s over I thought. Having to deal with animals out of their pens is a source of great irritation for most males of the species and I am no exception. Once that problem was solved and chores were done, it was time to go back inside to play with the phones some more. Not so fast. Someone calling on the landline and leaving a message, namely the fearless leader from the paper sheepishly requesting I submit my article a day early. Yup, fun was definitely over. Back to reality.

See you next week…real good then. 

[Dotch]

But the only time that seems too short
Is the time that we get to play

More warmth this past week and the scurs have no clue about what got into the Weather Eye. Is there no end to the nice days or will we finally start our descent to the inevitable? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of rain and a slight chance of snow in the overnight. Highs in the low 50’s with lows near 30. Thursday, mostly sunny with highs in the upper 30’s and lows in the mid 20’s. Sunny and cooler Friday with a slight chance of overnight snow. Highs in the mid 30’s and lows in the low 20’s. Saturday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid 30’s and lows in the low 20’s. Sunny on Sunday with highs in the low 40’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Monday, mostly sunny with highs in the upper 30’s and lows in the mid 20’s. Partly cloudy for Tuesday with a chance of light rain or drizzle. Highs in the low 40’s and lows in the low 30’s. The normal high for November 21^st is 38 and the normal low is 23.  A sneak peek at Thanksgiving Day looks like cloudy with highs in the low 30’s and lows in the 15 degree range. After wearing out their Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald cd last week, the scurs need to go shopping for their turkey soon if they expect it to be thawed before next Thanksgiving.

Still some late season field activity over the past weekend as the forecast of rain sparked a sudden sense of urgency. Fields that had been previously unworked suddenly turned black and some anhydrous was being applied. At least until conditions became too slimy due to the Monday morning rain. Given the rainfall predicted for the week, it may put fieldwork on hold until the ground starts to freeze up. That may come sooner than later, perhaps as early as the weekend.

We got the fat lambs and cull ewes shipped before Mrs. Cheviot trekked off to Louisville. The lambs loaded relatively easily while the ewes had other ideas. Not their first rodeo so they weren’t as cooperative. They knew once we got Ruby out that we meant business. While she’s not a terribly intimidating Border Collie it’s one more body to contend with. Once the ewes were on the trailer I breathed a sigh of relief. Never have any regrets once they’re on the trailer and the older I get the more that rings true. The aches and pains only serve to reinforce that attitude.

At the ranch, I tried my best to capitalize on the nice weekend weather. It was a little too muddy to haul manure so there a plethora of yard work to do. While it was still fresh in my mind, I got out the pruning saw and loppers. Time to do battle with the face slappers and eye gougers that had taken a lot of the fun out of mowing the lawn. Not that it was much fun in the first place. Got through about 20 trees before realizing I’d made quite a mess before heading out on a special appointment. By the time I got back chores were looming on the horizon so set my sights on Sunday. I couldn’t believe the piles of brush generated although I had to admit the trees looked much better. Along with that, there should be fewer battle scars and less cursing. Grinding up the leaves was next and true to form after a long layoff neither mower would start. Much to my chagrin I’d discovered earlier that the bunnies were already working over one of the small crabapples so onto another “next task” after putting the charger on one of the lawnmowers.

Found the tree wrap and in the process discovered where the one barn swallow nest had been. Yup, right above the tree wrap. Fertilizer for the small trees I muttered to myself while tossing the plastic spirals into the Gator. For some reason though wrapping the trees really doesn’t bother me. I get to see each one of them up close and personal. Amazing how fast they grew after a phenomenal growing season. Some are getting big enough so that this may be the last time they’ll need to be protected. Gazing around the yard and seeing how those I wrapped up 20 years ago now contribute to the wildlife, shade and protection from the wind, it’s been worth it. And after getting all that done the mower did finally start. The dry afternoon was perfect for pulverizing the leaves into confetti and putting the yard work largely to bed for another season.

Both Saturday and Sunday were too beautiful to spend inside or working the entire day. I’d actually set aside time both days to take the Silver Hawk out for one last spin. Saturday I took someone who’s basically been a father figure to me over the years. I lost my Dad when I was 26 so consider myself lucky that his family was willing to loan me Donnie once in a while. His son and grandson came along for the ride as we made the trip to Albert Lea on some of the smoother tar roads we’d discovered the weekend before. In his mid-80’s, Don thought we should throw the youngsters in the trunk so we could cruise main for chicks. That was a fun excursion even though like all of them, it ended all too soon.

The next day I retraced many of those same steps so the car could be fueled up and the gas treated with stabilizer. It was about 4 p.m. by the time I pulled out of the yard. I was alone with my thoughts and dropping the car on down into overdrive, the Hawk seemed to appreciate one last chance for the year to stretch out and run. I reflected on the good times I’d had from purchasing the car from a gentleman in St. Louis, days at shows with Vista’s noted Swedish astronomer to the people I met over the course of the summer and the cool places I’d been. I was somewhat sad too that it was all coming to an end for the season. Then like everything else that weekend, I thought of the things that still needed attention on the Hawk and its roommate the Lark. There will be plenty to do on both units until it’s fit to head out once again.

See you next week…real good then. 

[Bobby Bass]

Always a good read !

[Dotch]

Hey thanks Bobby! I gotta get down to your turf, er, lake again and catch up on what's been going on there. Got the hatches battened down, nothing on the tube so good night to curl up with a little juniper berry extract, quinine water and lime (to ward off the malaria and scurvy rampant in the area) while reading about your adventures.

[Dotch]

You didn't have to love me like you did
But you did, but you did and I thank you

The scurs were a bit overly optimistic in their temperature estimates for this past week. Has the Weather Eye come back down to earth or will we see an encore performance of warmer than normal again? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with an increasing chance of rain into the overnight. Highs in the low 40’s with lows in the mid 30’s. Thanksgiving Day, mostly cloudy with a good chance of rain, becoming mixed with sleet and then a chance of snow. Highs in the upper 30’s and lows in the mid 20’s. Partly sunny and cooler Friday with highs in the upper 20’s and lows in the mid-teens. Saturday, mostly sunny with highs in the low 30’s and lows in the upper teens. Mostly sunny on Sunday with highs in the low 30’s and lows in the low 20’s. Monday, partly cloudy with highs in the low 30’s and lows in the upper teens. Partly cloudy for Tuesday with a chance of flurries. Highs in the low 30’s and lows in the mid-teens. The normal high for December 1^st is 32 and the normal low is 16. Avoiding Black Friday at all costs is the scurs goal for the week. Easily accomplished. Lots of time before December 25^th.

The Full Moon for the month lands on the 25^th of November. It is known as the Full Beaver Moon as this was the time that trappers were getting their supply of warm winter furs. It is also at this time that beavers are laying in their supplies for winter. The Ojibwe called this the Freezing Moon and the Sioux knew it as the Moon of the Falling Leaves. At the ranch, it is known the Frozen Ground Moon, making it possible to clean the barns with reckless abandon.

It was indeed a good weekend for cleaning the main barn. Fields that had become wet from the rains back on the 12^th suddenly got wetter last week. Some areas saw well over an inch where at the ranch we recorded .95” and in town 1.15”. Friday’s snow measured at an inch at the ranch and melted out, contained .12” of liquid equivalent precipitation. Not a lot of snow but enough to give the snowplow operators a chance to clean all the dead skunks and raccoons off the road.

Conditions on Friday were such that the frost in the ground allowed anhydrous ammonia application and for some late fall tillage to be performed. The ground was pretty hard on Saturday morning however with overnight lows falling to 12 at the ranch. This meant that it was definitely time to get the barn cleaned and I was not alone. While inside the barn running the skidloader I spied the Dubya’s tractor and spreader heading up the road to do battle. Doug and David’s field where I spread had been worked although one could tell it was squishy under the layer of frozen soil. Sunday it started to get a little greasy about the time I finished the 12^th the last load about 2:30.  The roads were getting thawed off in places so it was time to be done without tracking a lot of mud.

A small group of our ewes as of this writing remain at the kindly neighbors’ pasture, supplemented with a medium-sized bucket of screenings at night. The recent snowfall made me think that I should probably give them a couple slices of hay in the morning over the weekend just to see if they would clean it up. Silly me. They’re sheep. Pigs got nothin’ on sheep when it comes to eating.  If you’ve ever watched a group of greedy ovines gobble down their grain too fast then barf it up you know what I’m talking about.  Of course they cleaned the hay up. The ewes then proceeded to forage through the trees and feed on the remaining grass the rest of the day. They came up out of the pasture as I arrived with their screenings Sunday night. I figured they’d be all about me showing up to feed hay Monday morning. I plopped the slices into the tubs expecting to see them come on a dead run. Guess again. They were all the way down in the far north end of the pasture where there was sufficient grass for their taste. Later I got a call from the kindly neighbor asking if it was OK to toss the leftover pumpkins and corn stalks over the fence to them. At this rate they may never want to come home.

Thursday is Thanksgiving Day of course and our plan is to lay low. Mrs. Cheviot has been on a whirlwind tour it seems and yours truly has had his hands full riding herd on the ranch and all the critters. Sometimes we just need to exhale. Hopefully the weather cooperates as per usual turkey on the Weber is slated as standard fare. Doesn’t seem possible that just last week I mowed the lawn and went for one last ride before mothballing the Stude for winter. After that beautiful weekend, we really did have something to be thankful for. There are still plenty of things to get done but Thursday is one of those days best left alone at the ranch.

Ruby and Fudgie have always enjoyed Thanksgiving dating back to the times when Mom brought Fudgie along on her visits. Along with olfactory overload and organ meats on the naughty list these days, the giblets wind up being their property. That’s OK by me and they deserve it. The numerous times over the course of a year that we’ve called upon the dogs to give us a hand or their companionship and unconditional love qualifies them. They are a pretty intelligent lot as dogs go and relatively obedient. Both Border Collies definitely know which buttons to push yet usually know when they’re getting pretty close to crossing the line. They’re a lot like kids that way although I don’t recall seeing kids shed quite like these two.  

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Oh yeah! It was like lightning
Everybody was fighting

The scurs had the Weather Eye dialed in or as close as it gets this time of year. Will our above normal temperatures make it another week or will we face the real December? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy becoming sunny. With highs in the low 30’s with lows in the mid-teens. Thursday, sunny with highs in the low 30’s and lows in the upper teens. Partly sunny and warmer Friday with highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Saturday, mostly sunny with highs in the upper 30’s and lows in the mid-20’s. Mostly sunny on Sunday with highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Monday, partly sunny with highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the mid-20’s. Warmer with sunny skies for Tuesday. Highs in the upper 30’s and lows in the mid-20’s. The sun will begin rising after 7 a.m. on December 4^th. The normal high for December 7^th is 29 and the normal low is 13. Having dodged the Black Friday and Cyber Monday bullets, the scurs can settle into their regularly scheduled programming. Long time yet until Christmas.

We got our ugly weather out of the way on Thanksgiving Day and had an encore performance the following Monday. Still, it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been with the brunt of the storms missing Greater Bugtussle and environs once again. That’s OK by most. Having snow at Thanksgiving time isn’t prerequisite to making it a fitting holiday. And I have yet to hear anyone complain that they missed moving snow for several hours so they could get out of the driveway. People are funny that way.

November did add additional moisture to our soil profile after a drier than normal October. Precipitation at the ranch totaled 3.36” for November, with most of it being absorbed into the soil. We should be at or near field capacity as the soil finishes freezing up for the year. With as much fall tillage as was accomplished, we should be set up well for spring as internal drainage draws some of the moisture out of the lower profile over winter.

The Friday after Thanksgiving is usually a day for lower intensity activity and this year was no different. After getting some odds and ends tied up it seemed an appropriate time to finish the tree wrap project before the bunnies finished it for me. Indeed they showed indications that they’d been there although the damage was surprisingly light. The day was chilly however and after finishing wrapping about 20 trees, was thankful there weren’t more. It did provide some time to get a glimpse of the pond sans mosquitoes and darkness for a change. Was curious to see what the landowners to the north had done with their water diversion project and was pleasantly surprised. Excess water from the earlier rains appeared to have been diverted into the wetland and the basin was nearly full. That should bode well for returning waterfowl next spring. Hopefully the pond freezes solid soon. One wood duck house to clean out yet and the water will go over the top of my boots if I break through the ice. I could opt to wear my waders although that sounds like an awful lot of work.

Bird feeding has had its moments so far this season. Unfortunately the sparrows and starling population have made it less enjoyable just by their sheer numbers. Oddly enough after snuffing in the neighborhood of 200 sparrows between the sparrow trap and BB gun, there doesn’t appear to be much impact on their numbers. Even worse is the fact that over the matter of a few years they’ve adapted to feed and feeders they’re reputedly not supposed to like. There’s a reason they belong in the same category as rats and cockroaches. They are survivors. I feel bad for the nuthatches, woodpeckers and chickadees that contribute something positive to the bird feeding experience. And they don’t make a mess in the shed.

With weather looking potentially ominous for Monday, it was the weekend to bring the ewes home from the kindly neighbors’ pasture again Sunday. It’s been 20 some odd years now we’ve been pasturing them there and it’s always with some reluctance. This year in particular with the long fall and relatively good grass as a result it was tempting to attempt to outguess Mother Nature. Alas one can only tempt fate about so long before you know that it’s time.

They loaded up easily having been locked in the night before to feast on their corn screenings. Luckily they’d also been fed the kindly neighbors’ pumpkins outside a few days before so they had a head start on the ewes at home in that department. Once we were home, the ewes hopped out of the trailer and seemed happy to be there. They know the accommodations and within minutes were out in the pasture with their buddies. There was some minor jousting as pecking order was reestablished. Once that was out of the way all was calm.

The ram lamb that had been running with them was held back as the ewes exited the trailer. He was paired up with a new roommate, a lone ram lamb we had kept back when the fat lambs were loaded out earlier in the month. Sparring partner is probably a more apt description as there is usually nothing calm about penning two young Cheviot rams together. This time was no exception. Seeing their churned up enclosure and bloodied heads at choretime reminded me more of the aftermath from a barroom brawl than a sheep pen.

See you next week…real good then.   

[Dotch]

 

I bruise you, you bruise me
We both bruise too easily, too easily to let it show.

The scurs were looked upon favorably last week as the Weather Eye managed to deliver more warmer than normal temps. Will our luck hold another week or will the scurs be forced to check area junkyards for a Gremlin and another Weather Eye? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid-40’s with lows in the upper 30’s. Thursday, partly sunny with a slight chance of afternoon or evening rain. Highs near 50 with lows in the low 30’s. Partly sunny Friday with a slight chance of rain and sleet. Highs in the mid-40’s with lows in the low 30’s. Saturday, mostly cloudy with a slight chance of rain and sleet changing over to snow. Highs in the upper 30’s with lows in the upper 20’s. Partly sunny on Sunday with highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the low 20’s. Monday, mostly cloudy with highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the low 20’s. Partly cloudy skies for Tuesday with highs in the lower 30’s and lows in the low 20’s. The normal high for December 15^th is 26 and the normal low is 9. The good news: On the 14^th, the sun sets at 4:36 p.m. and on the 15^th it sets at 4:37 p.m. The bad news: It continues to rise a tad later making our day lengths shorter until Christmas Day. The scurs take: Not to worry. Lots of time until Christmas.

The warm stretch of temperatures had some back in their normal routine for November once again. There was rumor of anhydrous ammonia still being applied last week as well as some primary tillage. Has this ever happened before? Absolutely. Can recall in 2001 seeing dust flying when anhydrous was applied on December 12^th. Snow has left most of the landscape with only vestigial reminders in the form of snow piles from driveways being cleaned as well as on the north sides of groves. Since there wasn’t much snow there wasn’t much water to run off. A few puddles can be seen on the headlands serving as reminder of how wet it had become before it cooled down. Fields have become greasy on top and saturated underneath as some of the ruts and tracks might attest.

Lakes had begun to freeze up weekend before last and St. Olaf had only one spot of open water where the waterfowl were desperately working on keeping open until the warm weather showed up. Now it’s tempting some of us to do some things we don’t often do in December like go fishing in a boat. I’ve thought about getting the lawnmower out to touch up a few spots I missed, maybe even take the ewes back to the kindly neighbors’ pasture. Or even better yet, get the Stude out for an unexpected encore performance. There are some issues with that idea however.

I was appalled to see the amount of salt dumped on the roads during the last snowfall. Some areas and road crews are worse than others. Our very own crew in the People’s Republic of Steele Co. took the booby prize. It used to be back in the mid -1980’s that Steele Co. was Johnny on the spot when it came to snow removal. Working in Bugtussle I was able to compare and contrast the workmanship in both Waseca and Steele Co. daily. Steele had their roads plowed early so they had a chance to melt off without using a lot of salt while Waseca allowed traffic to pack the snow down so it became icy, necessitating the use of more salt. In the 1990’s that flip-flopped. Now we’re lucky on days when it snows to see a plow down in our end of the county much before the crack of 9 a.m. And when we do see one it’s usually puking out enough salt to choke several herds of horses. Then a few days later, it warms up enough so the snow would melt off anyway. Remember global warming boys and girls?

A few years ago North Dakota finally fell victim to the salt bug. Having lived there back in the early 1980’s when there was no road salt used, I have to say that I never experienced any problems. If the roads were slick I planned ahead, slowed down and made extra time to get from point A to point B. They generally did a good job of sanding without salt so one learned quickly how to deal with it. It was four or five miles to the nearest paved road from where I lived so there was no sand used on those roads at all. If the roads were impassable I stayed put. I guess though in this day and age of instant gratification and entitlement, that doesn’t cut it. Reading a recent release from the MN State Patrol, the overall number one factor in fatal crashes is excessive speed. Regardless of road conditions, for everyone’s sake, let’s slow down this holiday season. Life’s too short to have it end in a crash due to the need for speed.

On Friday was pleased to sell one of the ram lambs we had kept back for a gentleman from the Mapleton area. He came over in the afternoon and after chit-chatting a bit I climbed into the ram pen to grab one of its inhabitants. Obviously I zigged when I should’ve zagged and the one I wanted caught me right above the kneecap with his melon. After grimacing, saying a couple “gosh darn’s, “by golly’s” and “gee whizz’s” I decided the less shifty ram was a better alternative and was therefore going in the trailer. He was a piece of cake comparatively. Probably giving him too much credit but the last time he was loaded in a trailer by himself he found himself breeding a bunch of ewes. Luckily between the two rams it was about a horse apiece. Both were good stock and the new owner seemed pleased to have him, waving happily as he pulled out of the yard. After being mortally wounded, I was just happy to make it back to the house. Over the course of the week, being careful not to bump the knee has been a challenge. Even with a little hitch in my giddy up, gotta play with pain. Mrs. Cheviot had tripped over the cat and banged her knee just the day before. Life as gimps ain’t easy but at least we can compare bruises.

See you next week…real good then.