Fencelines

[Dotch]

The heat is (was) on...

Some managed to garner the rainfall the scurs had predicted for Wednesday on Thursday and it was welcome. The blackflies that showed up afterwards were not. The scurs are predicting a week of genuine summer weather on tap. There are slight chances of rain on Wednesday but after that it looks like smooth sailing. Wednesday highs should be around 80 with lows coming in around 55. For Thursday through next Tuesday, highs should be between 75 and 80 with lows falling to 50 – 55. Normal high is 76 and normal low is 53. The scurs will be leaving their windows open while taking a summer snooze.

Crops really took off over the hot weekend, with corn stretching several inches and soybeans emerging. Early peas, while still relatively small burst into bloom which isn’t necessarily a good thing but one needs to keep in mind that most of the peas we raise now versus 20 years ago are shorter and have much less leaf area. Some are almost completely made up of stems and tendrils.

Got the garden in over the long holiday weekend figuring it would receive a hard pounding rain shortly afterwards. Oddly enough that didn’t happen. The ground was like a rock to start with but there was plenty of moisture. Not unlike the problems experienced by area farmers, a severe crust will cause more concern than going awhile without rain. More worried now about striped gophers that seem to have an uncanny ability to know exactly where you planted that seed. Ask a farmer who plants corn along a road ditch or CRP acreage. They’ve seen the telltale pock marks and know exactly who did it. Mulva?

Have you noticed all the bunnies that seem to be literally everywhere? Edna was telling me that town is just loaded with them and people have been complaining about the havoc they’ve been wreaking with local Bugtussle gardens. I know come hunting season their numbers will be thinned here at the ranch.

Out in greater Bugtussle the chokecherries are done, with their flower petals cascading like miniature confetti. The maple and boxelder trees have outdone themselves with millions of their little whirlybird seeds finding their way to the ground. Well, those that haven’t made their way into the rain gutters anyway. The cottonwood fuzz has begun to fly too. Go without shaving for a day and it seems to find its way onto you face too.

Haven’t written about the Twinkies in awhile. Never sure which team is going to show up. Is it the one that gets beat 11 – 0, the one that wins a close game in the late innings or the one that scores 16 runs because their pitching is so iffy they have to in order to win games? Still, when there’s a moment to relax and they’re on TV, it’s still interesting to look in as I’ve been doing since I was a lad to see how they’re doing. Now the new stadium is a done deal, perhaps they can focus on baseball rather than wondering where they might be playing a few years down the road. Just wish someone would build my business a new office. Of course, the Mall for Men is still very functional. We get no concession money however.

Somehow, the part I’d written last week about the black-billed cuckoo being the “rain crow” was omitted from my column in the printed version anyway. The rain crow is important in rural lore and several readers inquired about it. It is indeed known as such although far more cuckoos are heard than ever seen. The wood duck hen continues her diligence, setting on a clutch of 9 eggs. No more scratches on the nesting box so the predators are looking elsewhere for a free lunch. Closer to the house, the bluebirds continue constructing a nest in the same box they used last year. After evicting several sparrows and a wren (they have plenty of real wren houses to choose from here) they decided to build there again. The hardware cloth predator guard seemed to spook them a little at first but they’ve adapted to it rather well, sitting inside it at times. Will be interesting to see if this female lays blue eggs or white eggs. We had both here last year. The orioles must be nesting, as it is seldom they are seen or heard lately. The goldfinches remain faithful however and am sure they were watching to see where I planted the sunflowers in the garden.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

His brain is squirmin' like a toad...

The only fly in the ointment this past week for the scurs were the slightly above-predicted highs. A small shower sneaked in Saturday, dropping a couple tenths of rain that was most welcome. This week should be similar only with a slight cool down early next week and a little better chances of precipitation mixed in. Look for Wednesday & Thursday to continue the streak of low to mid-80’s we’ve been on with lows a comfortable 55. Friday and Saturday will be slightly cooler with highs of 75 and lows of 55 and 60 respectively. Sunday back up to 80, low of 55 with overnight shower into Monday. Monday and Tuesday, cooler with highs in the low to mid-70’s and lows of 55. Normal high is 78 and lows of 55. After expecting to be dry-cleaned by Monday night’s thundershower, the scurs were cleansed once again.

The Full Moon for this month falls on Sunday June 11th. Europeans called this the Full Rose Moon while many of the Indian tribes commonly knew it as the Full Strawberry Moon. The Sioux and Ojibwe actually agreed upon this one, with the Sioux also calling it the Moon When Green Grass is Up and the Moon of Making Fat. The horses and bison were recovering from the long winter and no doubt the tribes were eating higher on the hog so to speak.

Speaking of making fat and green grass, recently weaned lambs off of some of the ewes and turned them loose on the pasture here at home and at the kindly neighbors. Watching the overweight ewes stuff themselves was a little like turning the little fat buddies loose at Dairy Queen. Only difference is the little fat buddies won’t beller with their mouths full. Can’t talk, eating.

The warbling vireos made a reappearance this past week at the ranch. Another rarely seen but unmistakable song that seems to go on and on. Bumped into some cliff swallows under a bridge in Freeborn County. All those nests glued to the concrete walls look somewhat like a bunch of beehives. Thank goodness they weren’t. The dickcissels were back last week in the CRP here and elsewhere in my travels. For awhile when haying and grazing areas were on the decline, so were these prairie dwellers. They love the pasture and restored native prairie areas that have been put in place in the area.

The common yellowthroats are here in force too with the fenceline between neighbor David and us harboring many of these pretty, melodious little warblers. An indigo bunting was eating at the thistle feeder over the weekend. Many people have seen them earlier but here, they show up when they feel like it. In the wood duck house, the hen continues to set, taking time in the evenings to eat occasionally then back on the nest again. In the bluebird house there are four tiny blue eggs the female is incubating. While I was hoping for more of them, one can’t be disappointed. Against the backdrop of several wrens, the bluebirds toss in their quiet harmony. If you listen carefully, it’s as plain as the day is long.

Other happenings include the first spiderwort to he season in the native prairie. This purple flower sticks out amid the green background and signals that summer is officially underway in and around the pond. Lots of wild cucumbers this summer. Like Betsy’s dad says, after find the root and pulling it up, it’s a little like unplugging the lights on a string of Christmas lights. The pond itself is full of little tadpoles and all kinds of little insect larva for them to gorge themselves on. Seeing all the tadpoles, it’s no wonder the pond is as loud as it is when the ice goes out. Around the yard and in the barn, there are dozens of toads. They amaze me with their cunning, parking themselves by a piece of sheep dung, awaiting an unsuspecting fly.

Some wonder why I write about local things out of doors in these articles. Other than for the fun of it, it’s primarily for those who can’t be out and about to see some of the things we run across on a daily basis. I know there are many elderly readers of this column, some in care centers who would love nothing better than to be able to go where I go over the course of a week. Well, most of the places anyway. Thanks for reading and hope you continue to enjoy the tales. I'm out there, Jerry, an' I'm lllovin' every minute of it!!!

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

No Swimming, No Lifeguard on Duty

The cooler than forecast weekend and Friday into Saturday rain took the scurs by surprise but not surprisingly, no farmers called in to complain about the rainfall. This week promises warmer temperatures once again but probably not to the levels of the past several weeks. Rainfall chances return as a juicy air mass sets in and temperatures warm again into early next week. Highs should range from the mid-80’s to 90 with lows trending between 60 and 65. Normal high is 80 and low is 57. The scurs have sharpened their lawnmower blades in anticipation of some long hours keeping the grass down given the wet forecast.

Good crop growth over the past week with the rains over Friday night and Saturday being taken full advantage of due to the cool weekend. Area wide corn ranges from 12” – 24” in height and soybeans reaching 4” – 6”. Wheat and oats are heading out and some alfalfa is ready for second cutting.

In the gardens, be on the lookout for Colorado potato beetles larvae and spotted cucumber beetles. Had a fisherman from Waldorf stop by with a cottage cheese container full of potato beetle larvae and last week while sweeping alfalfa fields, caught several spotted cucumber beetles in the sweep net. Spotted cucumber beetles are also known as Southern corn rootworm. Spotted cucumber beetles do not overwinter in MN and must migrate here from the south each season.

Thistles in the pasture were getting on my nerves so hooked up the mower to the tractor and headed out to do battle with the prickly invaders. Am always vigilant to avoid taking out bird nests and sure enough, spotted a redwing nest on a Canada thistle, complete with two taupe eggs. Left some grass unmowed around it and when I checked the next morning, there were three eggs in it. While mowing, also saw a batch of baby pheasants. Fortunately they were close enough to the CRP so they were able to crawl under the fence to get away unharmed.

Also noted were ducklings on the pond. Given the distance I was from the pond was difficult to say exactly what they were but upon closer inspection, discovered they were mallards. The hen did not like the roar of the tractor and when I got closer and she gave the “everybody out of the pool” call. Hopefully Ramon didn’t put too much chlorine in it. The wood duck hen continues incubating her eggs. Hopefully next week we’ll have some good news to report about new ducklings. A heron has decided there is plenty to eat and frequently is seen plying the shallows in search of prey. Nearer to the house, the wrens are nesting and still singing their little hearts out. The bluebird sings when he wants, spending much of his time watching the nest from a nearby perch. Don’t recall when there have been more baby robins in and around the yard. And last but not least, of the 9 nesting boxes tree swallows occupy 3 of them.

Gus and Lucy have begun shedding in earnest. The wads of fur resemble tumbleweeds as they blow around the yard. Fortunately, the dogs seem to enjoy being brushed and relieved of their winter coats. All the better to help us move the sheep around.

Speaking of that, the last group of lambs was weaned off, making for more racket this past weekend. After taking a beating trying to move some of the ewes around, can’t say as it really bothers me a whole lot. Not feeding them twice a day certainly doesn’t bother me, given the abundant pasture the spring rains brought forth. Not unlike people, strange how those who have the least to complain about beller the loudest.

It’s been 22 years since my father passed away. Seems like it was only yesterday but also an eternity ago. While we sometimes take our Dads for granted, the life lessons they can teach us are invaluable. The worst part is that you don’t realize how much you miss the advice till it’s gone. Take the opportunity to be with your Dad this Father’s Day, go fishing, grill out or give them a call if you can’t be with them. You have nothing to lose and only regret if you don’t. Happy Father’s Day!

See you next week…real good then.

[fishface]

Dotch,

Just like to say thanks again. Your column is the best! I'm old and in school. No outside time, (at least that the teachers know of). I think you've figured "it" out. Nice work.

Jim

[Dotch]

Thanks fishface. Your check is in the mail!

Oh what a relief it is...

The scurs hit on all cylinders once again, with the air being so thick last week you could cut it with a knife. Slightly less chance of rain for the first week of calendar summer weather but one can never say never here in MN. This week promises near normal temps and a slight cooling trend into the weekend. Best chances for rainfall are Wednesday and Thursday. Highs on Wednesday will be near 85 and lows should be near 60. Highs on Thursday and Friday of 80 and lows of 60. Highs on Saturday through next Tuesday will cool into the mid-70’s and lows should be a very comfortable 55. The scurs have their hammock strung between the palm trees they planted this spring. Wonder how they’ll burn this winter?

The summer solstice occurs on Wednesday June 21st and is the longest day of the year, with 15 hours and 29 minutes of daylight at Bugtussle. Our days will soon begin to get shorter after that, with the sun rising a minute later the next day at 5:32 AM, while the sun sets a minute later at 9:01 PM until about July 1st. It won’t be noticeable at first but once into July, with sunrise later and sunset later, one knows that winter will once again return. In the meantime, there’s still a lot of summer left to enjoy.

With the long days, at the Mall for Men the little fat buddies continue to work on solving life’s mysteries. Betsy and Ben’s Dad came up with a puzzling question, namely if we were to pass through a black hole and come out the other side, would farmers convert sprayers into combines rather than the other way around?

Say, how ‘bout them Twinkies? 7 in a row and back to .500 as of this writing. Was on the road away from a TV set for awhile but was keeping tabs on them via ESPN news. Pitching is coming around and some of the youngsters may have found their groove. Cuddyer, Kubel and Morneau have suddenly become major contributors. And Joe Mauer has blossomed into one of the best catchers in the league. There have been more long balls flying out of the park recently than we’ve seen in a long time, too. Let’s hope they keep it up. Remember, poise counts!

Upon our return from IL where yours truly was Mrs. Cheviot’s slave for several days, was glad to once more escape to my sanctuary, namely the garden and the area surrounding the waterfowl pond. In my first foray into the garden, was scolded soundly by a pair of robins and found their nest to be in a young cottonwood tree I had let grow there. The vine crops and weeds really took off while we were away so I should be able to hide out there for awhile. The lawn could use a shave, as could a few more thistles in the pasture so there are all kinds of projects to keep me out of mischief in addition to the daily chores.

I found the bluebird eggs had hatched and slowly closed the front of the house to conceal the helpless pink babies. In a couple weeks, they’ll be on their own. Amazing how they grow so fast. The wood ducks have not hatched but any time now, I expect to find them out of the nest and in the water. In the meantime, have to pick the wood ticks off after each excursion. The oriole is a rare visitor but can still hear him calling behind the house. The hummingbirds like the oriole feeder and show up daily to pull on the sugar water. An indigo bunting makes his appearance on the thistle sock not long after sundown. He stays there until well after dusk, making me wonder if there is a nest of them somewhere around the yard.

Our annual trip to IL and the National Cheviot Show and Sale was largely uneventful and that’s a good thing. The after-the-show punch the people from CA make every year was extra deadly this year and I managed to steer clear of it. Others were less fortunate. The quality of the animals seems to get better each year and folks like Bob Willerton never seem to age. It’s always a treat to see dear old friends but it’s always nice to get back to the rhythm and routine of local farm life. How things change in only 4 days. The crop has stretched, the lambs have grown and the pasture that was brown has greened up with the recent rains. Always gives me a nice, warm feeling to see the border collies all wound up when we first arrive home and let them out, only to discover that Gus has just relieved himself on my foot.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my

eye...

The rainfall the scurs thought was coming mid-week held off until the weekend with some storm damage noted here and there. The scurs are guessing the weather will behave itself slightly better but all bets are off when it comes to rainfall late this week and early next week. We should be looking at consistent highs Wednesday through Friday of 75 – 80 and lows around 60. Sunday highs warm into the low 80’s and should remain there through Wednesday of next week, with lows remaining near 60. Normal high is 82 and normal low is 60. The scurs have purchased their fireworks and are keeping them in a coffee can in case of rain and to hide them from the fireworks police.

Congrats to Jim on his first year as a newspaper owner! My agent will be in contact soon to hammer out details of our new multi-million dollar deal. You mean LaVonne didn’t tell you? ;-)

The windstorm Saturday afternoon came just as I was trying to get the lawn finished up. Actually got rained out for a little with the first shower that went through and upon looking at the radar, decide 20 minutes of wet grass wasn’t the end of the world. As I am genetically predisposed to do, upon putting the lawnmower away and seeing the sky turning black, decided there was enough time to get the weedeater out and do some long overdue trimming. Took some putzing and actually using one of those spark plugs I always save just in case, but got the thing running and finished the job. Fortunately, managed to put things away just before the storm struck. Luckily, didn’t have to hide behind the rear tractor wheel like my Dad!

The storm took down some trees and the sheep will be working those over. Easier to cut up with the leaves stripped off so you can see what you’re doing with the chainsaw. Surprisingly, the boxelder landed remarkably close to the burn pile rather than on the electric fence. Thinking I should be buying a lottery ticket this week.

At the Mall for Men we’ve been working on whether or not you get your seed back when peas only yield 400 lbs./acre. It’s unanimous: We don’t know. A local Swede found some rather large old bones in a creek bed area and we’ve had all kinds of guesses as to what they are. The white bearded Cockshutt owner guessed a horse; some have guessed a buffalo or a dinosaur and still others a Sasquatch. Also, when LaVonne’s old house suddenly resembled that of Baba Yaga and moved down the street, we questioned why there was no basement poured under it first. Aren’t you glad someone takes the time to concern themselves with matters like these so you don’t have to?

Bird watching around home has been entertaining this past week. A rose-breasted grosbeak reappeared and the indigo bunting has made some daytime appearances. He sticks out like a sore thumb amongst all the yellow goldfinches. Looks like several young house finches are visiting the feeders in addition to the many adults. Two male orioles came to the feeder on Sunday but not without squabbling over it first. Lots of bird parenting going on too with the wrens, robins, bluebirds and tree swallows all shuttling back and forth to their nests with beakfulls of insects and other invertebrates. The male tree swallows repeatedly demonstrated just how skillfully they can fly when getting too close to their nests, coming within inches of my melon. Must hate the pop-in.

And last but not least, the wood ducks hatched. 7 of the 9 eggs in the clutch made it out last Wednesday. Unfortunately I didn’t get to see them actually hop out of the nest but did catch a fleeting glimpse of them paddling along the west side of the pond with mom. Unfortunately that’s the last I’ve seen of them but that’s the way nature works. One can expect anywhere from 86 – 90% mortality within two weeks of hatching based on some of the research that’s been done. On the flip side, wood ducks are pretty shy and will hide in the reeds, sedges and cattails of which there are plenty surrounding the pond. Hen wood ducks and their young also sleep on shore as opposed to the adult population that sleeps on the water. To be sure, the predator control measures used were effective in getting the ducklings this far and will be an ongoing part of allowing this to be a waterfowl reproduction pond and not just a resting area. Went looking for the ducklings out of curiosity and was impressed with all the possible places they could be hiding so am not giving up hope that some of them will make it. Cleaned out the nesting box and refilled it with cedar chips before walking up the hill to the house. Unlikely the box will be used again this year by a wood duck but it’s ready whenever they are.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

"There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact it's all dark."

Weekend was a little warmer than the scurs expected but the corn didn’t seem to mind. Knee high by the 4th on a giraffe perhaps. Weather looks to be more of the same, calling for a pleasant high of 80 on Wednesday with a low of 55 – 60. The heat is on once again Thursday through Sunday, with highs ranging from 85 – 90, trending higher into the weekend again. Lows should be somewhat sticky from 60 – 65. Next Monday & Tuesday usher in a change however, with a full moon and some much needed moisture. Look for a trend towards a wetter pattern. Highs should cool into the 70’s with lows in the lower 50’s. Normal high is 83 and normal low is 61. The scurs have been shopping for thongs. Speedos are just plain too warm.

The Full Moon on Tuesday the 11th goes by many different names. Some know it as the Full Buck Moon as the deer antlers are beginning to show up covered in velvet. In some circles it is known as the Full Thunder Moon because of the thunderstorms prevalent this time of year and some farm folk know it as the Full Hay Moon. Combined you get the Clean Hay Moon. The Ojibwe knew this moon as the Full Raspberry Moon for the delicious wild raspberries ripening across the landscape. The Sioux called it the Moon When the Wild Cherries are Ripe. At the ranch it is commonly called The Moon When Bread Gets Moldy.

We Twinkie fans have sure been treated to some fantastic baseball the past couple weeks. They’ve just exploded both at the plate and one the mound. To give an example, watching Sunday’s game with the Brewers, I devoured a little lunch and decided that with Liriano pitching, it probably wouldn’t hurt to take a little nap. After working on the lawn and in the garden all morning, figured I deserved it. That and Mrs. Cheviot was gone. Nodded off in the 3rd inning and woke up for the 7th inning stretch. Missed all kinds of Twins scoring as well as many of Liriano’s 12 strikeouts as he pitched 8 innings of shutout ball. Amazingly enough, Kyle Lohse finished the Brewers off in the 9th without giving up a run. The nap? It was a masterful performance, mouth open, snoring loudly enough to wake the neighbors and myself.

Mosquitoes have begun to show up but not with the fanfare one expected them to. The alternating wet-dry pattern has thrown a monkey wrench in their reproductive cycle. The fireflies are numerous as one can see them trying to attract their prospective mates with their phosphorescence. Lots of black swallowtail caterpillars noted on the wild parsnips growing in the road ditches and CRP. If you check your carrot or dill patch, you might notice them there too.

Out and about it’s amazing to see all the baby birds that have left the nests and are now on the wing for the first time. Counted 10 wrens in the brush pile one morning, all of them giving their raspy little call meaning things varying from “feed me” to “leave my babies alone”. The second batch of robins is out and about as well. Each day there are a few dumb ones that get into the barn and can’t seem to figure out how to fly out through a wide-open 20’ door. The house finches fare better as they seem to stick pretty close to ma and pa at the feeders and enjoy splashing in the birdbath. The young tree swallows have taken flight too and the parental units keep close tabs on them initially. Even appears that the youngsters sometimes get refueled in flight as the parents try to stuff insects down their throats in midair. Doesn’t deter them from dive-bombing yours truly however if I get too close however.

The garden has really blasted off but the sweet corn is going to need some rain soon to activate the recently applied nitrogen. The vine crops are beginning to “run” and before we know, they will cover the area between hills. They seem to thrive on this warm weather and with the subsoil moisture intact under them, they’ll go quite awhile without feeling the stress. Have been keeping an eye on the cukes and muskmelons for striped cucumber beetles though. Let ‘em go a few days without watching and the pests shredded some of the leaves up pretty good. Tomatoes and peppers look as good as they’ve ever looked considering they weren’t put in until Memorial Day weekend. But up until then, there wasn’t a lot of heat to be had anyway. Fresh ‘maters: Giddy-up!

See you next week or at Farm and City Days…real good then.

[Headin' North]

hobby;Not to be so late on this,but what a nice HSOforum!It's pretty easy to see your creativity even back then.With all the new technology today,even someone like me can make a decent photo.But it's the eye that does it,which is why you folks that have been doing this so long ( and successfully ) on this HSOforum get so many rave reviews.Cool stories about your Dad too.My Dad was in the war as well.He was a medic in the 135th Infantry,34th Red Bull division.He had 3 brothers that served as well.Those veterans all deserved the good things that happened to them after the war,and we all owe them quite a alot.Happy 4th of July!

[Dotch]

All the news from Bugtussle that's fit to e-mail...

The scurs saw another week of excellent growing weather sans rain go by the wayside. Oh yeah it piddled a little before Saturdays F & C festivities but didn’t amount to much. Unfortunately the weather change will trend to the dry side rather than the wet side as earlier thought. Starting Wednesday, look for a high of 85 and a low of 70. Then it will warm into the weekend with highs hovering between 90 and 95 with lows around 70. How soon we forget however: Last year at this time we were undergoing a stretch of 90-degree temperatures not unlike this one. Normal high is near 83 and low is around 61. It may be awhile before rain is expected although the scurs are thinking it’s always possible it’ll rain during the Waseca Co. Fair, hard.

At the Mall for Men, we’ve instituted a witness protection program: If one tells a fib, others swear to it and still others will back them up. This makes the consistency of the information gleaned positively remarkable.

Wasn’t that a spectacular job the Farm and City Days committee did by selecting Vince Peterson as Grand Marshall? Can’t think of anyone who was more deserving. Vince’s civic contributions in New Richland, on the Waseca Co. Fair Board, and other boards and committees too numerous to mention made him the perfect choice. And he was one of the first people to make us feel welcome to the local area. Even though we’re still considered outsiders, we’ve been here 21 years thanks to folks like Vince and his family.

Area ponds are getting dry and while that is not good for aesthetics, it’s all part of the necessary cycle that some of the most important waterfowl vegetation needs to regenerate. There are still mallards visiting the pond every day here but the days are going to be numbered if we don’t receive some major precipitation soon. While the pasture’s getting dry there is still plenty of forage to last awhile. Seeing the sheep grazing the hillside and hearing the neighborhood roosters crowing every morning still makes for a pastoral scene. Wonder if Little Jerry is still out there?

With the hot, dry weather, corn crop conditions will deteriorate. Fortunately we had a large amount of stored soil moisture in the tank to go on along with relatively moderate temperatures. Soybean aphids have shown up again, threatening to put an end to the every-other -year theory some subscribed to. Numbers locally are low but can rise quickly without regular checking. If you walk through the field and can stand your pants in the corner afterwards from all the honeydew collected on them, you’re probably too late.

Finally got to see the pair grosbeaks at the feeder, having previously seen only the male. The indigo bunting is still faithfully coming to the feeder but have not seen his mate. More baby birds to report: The bluebird fledglings are hanging around the yard with their parents. They are so pretty to see and while their song doesn’t stand out, it still is unmistakable. There was a baby oriole that found it’s way into the barn and couldn’t figure out how to fly out. It was crying loudly for its parents so I climbed the ladder and tried to capture it but it eluded my grasp at the last second. Noticed when I got close to it, it was pecking at the flies and other insects so wasn’t too worried. It stayed there a couple days and then one night after work, could hear by the call it had managed to escape into the Austrian pines. Moments later the brilliantly colored male showed up and landed in the tree and after some oriole talk, the male flew out with Jr. following close behind.

Out and about the countryside, one sees lots of shrubs, wildflowers and some escaped ornamentals in bloom. Elderberries have been in evidence in area fencelines, giving the birds plenty of purple berries to eat and redistribute. The dogwood continue to produce multiple crops of white berries that the robins, bluebirds, waxwings and others devour as fast as they ripen to their white color. They taste sour and bitter at the same time. With the stone inside, new dogwood bushes seem to spring up at will a long way from the windbreak. Thought I might get to taste a serviceberry this summer but the robins ate those long before there was any opportunity.

Native prairie plants in bloom include heather asters, wild bergamot, black-eyed and brown eyed Susan’s and common yarrow. Some of the common non-native plants flowering would be things like wild parsnip, wild carrot and poison hemlock, the plant believed responsible in the poisoning of Socrates. These are all biennials and seem to have really made an increase over the past several seasons. Bouncingbet has really shown up too over the past several decades, especially in the road ditches in Steele Co. This perennial has a white to light pink flower and grows in patches. During war years in Europe, it was used as a soap substitute by crushing the leaves and mixing them with water to form a lather. Bouncingbet was originally brought here as an ornamental but escaped into the countryside like many of the Swedes and Norwegians.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

The "rules"...

The scurs survived another scorcher last week but with it, a little unexpected rain, ranging anywhere from .4” – 2.1” depending on where one was located. This week brings with it increased rain chances for the latter part of the week and a change in temperatures as the week wears on. Highs for the mid week will still be in the 90-degree range and lows of around 70. Starting Friday, temps will moderate, with highs coming down to 85 and lows of around 65. Saturday and Sunday will seem downright cool relative to what we’ve just been through, with highs of 80 and lows of 60. Monday and Tuesday of next week highs will be in the upper 70’s and lows will edge down into the upper 50’s. Normal high is 83 and normal low is 62. The future portends a wetter cooler weather regime heading our way for the latter part of the month. The scurs will celebrate by watching their electric meter slow down while making their next batch of sun tea.

The injury bug bites the Twinkies but they came up with some creative ways to win games over the weekend and early week with a little help from the Dome. Better starting pitching didn’t hurt matters. When one gets quality starts out of Radke and Silva after Liriano stumbled, the bullpen is capable of picking up the slack. Do they have enough horses to get into the playoffs? Probably not but they still play exciting baseball and as a fan, one can’t ask for more than that.

This past week marked the first cicadas I’ve heard this season. It also marked the first locally grown sweet corn of the season. For early corn it was excellent. Recent rains made the squash and pumpkins just explode into a green wave sprinkled with orange flowers every morning. Along with all the white clover in the lawn, the sunflowers have burst into bloom too so the bees are lovin’ life. Some of the sweet corn got leaned after last Thursday’s rain and wind but it straightened up pretty well over the weekend. Corn has taken the heat remarkably well adding credence to the notion that we really did have a lot of subsoil moisture in our clay-loam fuel tank. Spring wheat is thundering down the home stretch and the golden color is in contrast to the greenery that makes up the rest of the landscape. Looks like there should be some combined her in the next 7 – 10 days. Soybeans seemed to jump for joy too after the rain. After looking a little ratty from the chlorosis a few weeks ago, the soybean crop has recovered and looks pretty tremendous up close and personal. It still has the month of August that really make the crop to go yet.

The pond continues to suffer from shrinkage, down to less than an acre of water surface. Still, killdeer, blackbirds, herons, mallards and sandpipers are continuing to use it as a place to hang out. The frogs resulting from all this spring’s tadpoles are like fleas, making one wonder if they didn’t have something to do with the relative lack of mosquitoes, which no one seems to miss by the way. Plenty of deer flies and little biting flies to go around for those who really enjoy being gnawed on.

This fair season marks 38 years ago that I first exhibited a 4-H lamb. We raised our own stock and we did our own work with some prodding from our parents of course. Sometimes we won and sometimes we didn’t but we always tried to have a good time. Still remember how we’d watch with amazement the parents of some 4-Hers essentially doing the work for them at the fair while the kids sat around watching or were out goofing off somewhere else. Seeing things like that to this day still make my butt-kicking foot itchy much as it would my Dad’s if we’d tried to get away with something like that. Difference being, we knew better.

Some 38 years later, we’re still helping 4-H’ers willing to learn if “the rules” will allow it. The days of everyone raising their own animals from start to finish from their own breeding program are long gone. How else are these kids going to learn up close and personal about grooming, fitting, feeding and showing these animals unless someone outside the family shows them how, all the while insisting they participate and learn in the process? It’s their project, after all. Completed my last 4-H records after which Mom let me have my premium check long ago. Pretty simple “rules” in those days. Good luck at the fair to all 4-H’ers!

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Faces come out of the rain...

While the scurs weren’t dead-on for the week, they called the rain on the Waseca Co. Fair. a couple weeks ago. This week, there are chances of showers through Sunday, but the general flow is from the northwest, making coverage spotty. Temperatures will be warm with highs in the 90’s through Saturday, cooling slightly through early next week. Highs should run in the mid-80’s through next Tuesday and lows should remain a relatively comfortable 65. Normal high for this time of year is 83 and normal low is 62. The scurs will need to keep their Commando 8 running on high for awhile yet until this warm spell abates.

The rain last week was enough to wash the leftover Tootsie Rolls from the Farm and City Days parade down the storm sewers, causing the carp in Boot Creek to develop a sugar high. It was also enough to cause the lawns to roar back to life or in our case, part of the lawn, making it necessary to fire the mower up once again. The garden officially began producing zucchini, cukes and one cherry tomato. Think there are 4 cherry tomatoes and 2 zucchini planted out there so we should be able to supply most of North America.

The Twinkies continue to amaze. Winning 7 of 8 then going into Chicago and winning the first game of that series makes them look more like a contender for the playoffs. Some of the young talent has picked up the slack behind the plate and in the field. The pitching has been just nasty to opposing batters, posting 17 K’s against Cleveland, with 10 of those belonging to Liriano. Win or lose, they have been fun to watch.

Goldfinches apparently are nesting as only the males are spending time at the feeders lately. Makes sense as thistles are beginning to shed their down, one of the main components of a goldfinch nest. A hummingbird appeared again this past week so made sure the feeders and nectar were clean. The orioles are getting scarce again. House wrens are still nesting, filling up every nesting box in the yard with twigs. Only a couple houses actually have baby wrens in them but they are some little busybodies. Anything that can start singing at 4:30 AM and not quit until well after 9 PM has got to be ambitious. Fortunately, they don’t start now until about 5:30 AM and stop before 9. Alas, the days are getting shorter.

In spite of the 1.25” of rain last week, the pond continues to shrink, appearing to be divided in two small pools. However, as we pointed out a few weeks ago, this is all part of the necessary process that prairie potholes in this area need to go through. When one looks around the outside of the pond, it is loaded with smartweed, a native plant and barnyardgrass, originally from Europe. Last year, the crops of the ducks and geese we harvested were just full of the seeds from these plants. Egrets and herons continue to wade in the pools and there were 7 Canada geese resting in the green ring surrounding what’s left of the water. They love the tender green grasses, much as they do greened up small grain fields after combining.

Speaking of combining, small grain harvest should get underway this week barring too much rainy weather. The spring wheat crop looks pretty amazing for what we’ve been used to. The oats will likely be somewhat disappointing, with too much heat coming at the wrong time. Corn and soybeans continue to look good from the road. The soybean crop is impressive up close too whereas the corn reveals holes in fields one can’t see from the windshield survey.

Our 30th Class Reunion was held this past weekend, causing one to reflect on the past and think about the future, namely retirement or lack thereof. Interesting to me anyway to see how many medical people and banker types our class turned out and how few of us are actually still involved directly with agriculture. Out of the 72 who graduated in our class, there was only one full-time farmer. Had a nice visit with Terry and his wife, the farming couple, as we grew up not too far apart and our families had participated in 4-H and FFA activities together. To overhear our conversation, it was like we were speaking a different dialect as we talked about aphids, varieties, and crop development as well as trucking grain to market. It’s still a common language however as we all need to eat and now we’re involved in energy production. It’ll be interesting to see what language we’ll be speaking next time around.

See you next week…real good then.

[Tom Wilson]

Dotch,

I know I've said it before, but I just love reading your updates (The Real News). Thanks Man

[The_Duckslayer]

30 year reunion! You young pup! Thanks once again for a good read. Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jibmo

[buzzsaw]

"when your straange, people remember your name"

My 20 year reunion is coming up!

[Dotch]

Thanks guys. We (the scurs and I) appreciate it. However, my writing pales in comparison to the photos Tom and buzz display here. Even though the wetland/pothole is getting pretty dried up, the door, er, fence is always open if you fellers ever want a different venue to photograph sometime. 20 year class reunion was a piece of cake buzz. Most of the women looked pretty good yet and the guys still had their real hair at that one. Trust me, it's the 30 year you gotta worry about. And Jimbo, sorry I missed posting about your Dad being inducted into the MN Baseball Hall of Fame. That was way kewl!

[Dotch]

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

The scurs were dejected after the weekend heat wave but floating around their private pool with a juniper berry /tonic water drink with a slice of lime helped soothe the pain. This week should be balm for the wound with more normal temps in store for us. Normal high is 82 and normal low is 61. After Tuesday’s rain, Wednesday should treat us to a crisp 80 degree high with a low of 60. Thursday through Sunday should yield slightly warmer temps, with highs of 80 – 85 and lows around 65. Some rain chances Saturday through Monday. A little cooler for early next week; highs in the upper 70’s - low 80’s with lows between the upper 50’s and lower 60’s. The scurs aren’t ready to trade their Zuba’s for long underwear just yet.

Got a letter from the Canadian government asking us not to dump any more zucchini on an already flooded market. They would take more tomatoes however and by the looks of things, we should be coming along in that department. Cukes are showing up daily and the watermelon crop is starting to look very promising. Squash are setting fruit like mad too and the summer warmth that it takes to develop them is always reflected in the first one that we bake on a cool fall evening. There are probably some pumpkins and gourds out there somewhere but one could never tell because of all the vines that conceal them.

Young orioles are now coming to the feeder. Sunflowers in the middle of the yard are in full swing now and the goldfinches blend in nicely with the yellow petals as they taste test the earlier flowering plants. They’re watching the other patch in the main garden too but those are a week or so from flowering. The purple coneflowers are in full bloom as are the old fashioned tiger lilies. My Mom will never let me live down when as a wee lad upon seeing the tiger lilies coming up in the lawn at the old Stewartville farm, I took my trusty toy hoe and ridded it of those pesky weeds for her. Probably the catalyst that sparked an eventual interest in Weed Science.

Looks like the past couple years of beating on the Canada thistle population has paid off as the native prairie portion of the pasture really done nicely and is all headed out. With relatively light grazing pressure, it should provide the Cheviot ewes with some decent forage in August and early September. The grasses consist primarily of big bluestem, yellow Indiangrass and Canada wildrye with a small amount of little bluestem. They seem to like bluestem the best but will eat the others too. In the meantime, the ground nesting birds have been able to use the area relatively undisturbed. After the late summer and early fall rains arrive and seeing that it needs a trim, the woolly lawnmowers gravitate back to the cool season pasture. This allows the native grasses to rest up and get themselves ready for winter.

Insects really thrive in this warm dry weather we’ve been experiencing. The cicadas are loud during the day and the katydids keep things hopping (pun intended) at night. Lots of new butterflies around the ranch as the red admiral’s have hatched as have many monarchs and eastern tiger swallowtails. The eastern tiger swallowtail is dimorphic, meaning there are two color phases, one yellow and one dark. The dark phase is uncommon here in the north. Unlike the black swallowtail larvae that feed on carrot family plants, eastern tiger swallowtail larvae feed on wild cherry leaves.

Seeing the wheat and oat combining sure brings back memories to all of us who’ve had experience with small grains. Never raised any marble rye though. Raising small grains was a rite of passage and am positive that most farm youth of today don’t know what they’re missing out on. Last weekend as I was scouting fields near Pemberton for soybean aphids, was bemoaning the fact it was so beastly hot and miserable. My water supply was dwindling and so was my energy level since I hadn’t stopped for lunch. When I got to the last field and walked out into it, the heat was reaching it’s peak for the afternoon. Geez, couldn’t I have picked a cooler line of work? I thought to myself as I ventured deeper into the large soybean field. Was about at that time I looked up and saw a couple balers with hayracks pounding away in the adjacent field. Suddenly, I didn’t feel as warm anymore, remembering those “good ol’ days” when no one complained about being too cold while baling straw. Yep, was definitely straw baling weather alright.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Just doin' what comes natural...

The scurs managed to get through the heat in good shape but it did manage to melt the paraffin on their chokecherry jelly. This week looks better with temperatures near normal and the chance of rain in the Wednesday-Thursday timeframe and possibly again Saturday-Sunday. Starting Wednesday and lasting through Sunday we should see highs of 80 – 85 with lows of 60 – 65. Slightly cooler Monday and Tuesday with highs near 80 and lows in the upper 50’s to low 60’s. Normal high is 82 and normal low is 61. After heating up the house with their canning exploits, the scurs are thinking next year they’ll be happy with store bought jams and jellies.

The Full Moon this month occurs on Wednesday August 9th so those of you who get rural delivery won’t be aware of it until Thursday. I realize this is critical information and apologize for any inconvenience it may cause. This was known as the Full Sturgeon Moon by the tribes of the northeast, the Full Berry Moon by the Ojibwe and by the Sioux, the Moon When the Geese Shed Their Feathers or the Moon When Cherries Turn Black. Probably some of the same chokecherries turning black in the fenceline here.

The Twinkies feasted on bad KC pitching and swept a 4-game series in KC only to wind up in the deep weeds right off the bat against Detroit at Kramerica Park. A sore-armed Liriano got roughed up as the Twins could only muster 3 runs. Brings back memories of ’87 though when Detroit pretty much owned them all season long only to lose in the playoffs to the eventual World Series Champions. Hmmm…

At the Mall for Men we were into scrapbooking this past week, perusing dozens of old newspaper clippings saved by one of the panel of experts mother. And we’ve been awaiting the return of one of the little fat buddies from Europe so we can get the lowdown on the price of malts at European Dairy Queen’s.

Gus celebrated his birthday by digging a new hole in the yard. He chased bunnies, and squirrels as well as keeping the sheep in line. He also shared some treats with Lucy who seemed very aloof about matters until there was food involved.

The Cheviots have once again been the beneficiaries of the garden produce we’ve been consuming. They come on a dead run when they see us get close to the fence knowing that they’re only moments away from dining on delicacies such as peelings, husks and cobs. Why have a garbage disposal with them around?

The garden area is a haven for birds of all kinds. After chores the other night there was a long pheasant tail feather that had been shed under the dogwood bushes. In addition there were 5 young pheasants that took flight from the pumpkin patch. The wrens raspy scolding there reminds me of the sound the sickle would make when easing the sickle bar into the hay. Yup: Cockshutt live PTO!

Chipping sparrows and goldfinches are also nesting there although the baby goldfinches in the dogwood met with a tragic fate when they went unattended for a few days. Not sure just what happened there but it caused me to do a little digging into what makes these little yellow creatures tick. As most know, goldfinches are notorious late nesters, with the females constructing nearly watertight nests incorporating plant fibers, thistle down and in this case, some wool. The males will bring nesting material but generally spend their time observing, most likely giving good advice and encouragement like their human counterparts.

4 – 6 light blue to white eggs are laid and incubated by the female with the male bringing the female food while she’s setting. It takes approximately 2 weeks for the eggs to hatch and both parents feed them. With the nest in the garden, sensed it was in trouble when one of the babies died the day after I’d discovered it. With a cool night approaching, it was tempting to take the two remaining babies inside and attempt to feed them. About then I discovered that both goldfinch adults feed the young by eating thistle seed and regurgitating a partially digested, milklike cereal into the fledglings mouths. Not sure we would’ve been up to the task. Sometimes best let nature take its course.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

You know, I think that's what killed Curly...

The scurs were close to on the money as they’ve been for awhile. The weather behaved itself and actually rained .3” - .4” on Monday, setting the stage for a little more rain expected this week. Possibilities are best from Wednesday night on through Friday. Temperatures should be seasonal with highs in he low to mid-80’s and lows to stay in the 60 to 65 range. Normal high for this time of year is 80 and the normal low is 59. Days are getting shorter and temperatures are beginning to decrease, signaling the scurs to get those Panther sweatshirts out; football season is just around the corner.

Crops continue to develop ahead of schedule, being about 10 days to 2 weeks ahead of normal depending on planting date somewhat. Most of the area fields have been sprayed for soybean aphids and there has been some concern about two-spotted spider mite particularly to the west where some fields have been treated.

Not only do spider mites impact corn and soybeans, but they also appear to particularly love marigolds and will feed on other flowers as well. Perhaps some of you have experienced the same thing in your flowerpots and gardens this summer. These mites are very tiny and can be most easily seen by shaking the leaves over a sheet of white paper and checking for movement. They tend to pick on moisture stressed plants first that are struggling, something particularly noticeable in front of our office in the narrow, shallow planters. Some degree of control can be managed by wetting the foliage daily and occasionally using a soap solution to impede their progress. Mites like a hot, dry environment but do not tolerate cooler temperatures and high humidity very well. This tends to slow their reproduction and allows natural control by parasitic fungi and beneficial insects to take its toll.

At the Mall for Men as always we’re thinking up excuses to get out of weddings if at all possible. If hunting or fishing trips don’t do it, watch a few minutes of the “Bridezilla” TV show sometime. Women seem mesmerized by this program but it is guaranteed to make males avoid these events like the plague. Cleaning the barn or painting the house suddenly look appealing and fun.

After beating Detroit 2 out of 3, the Twinkies pitching struggled to win only one of the 4 games against Toronto at the Dome. Radke looked awesome in Sunday’s tilt. The Viqueens preseason started Monday night with a loss but hard to tell by that just what they’ll play like in a real game. One thing was for certain, with the inane yapping by the ESPN commentary crew, it’s a good thing they put a mute button on most TV remotes.

Sweet corn is in season finally in the garden once again. While it pollinated during the hottest part of the heat wave and is planted a little thick, it still managed to set small but nice ears. Should be a supply for several weeks to come provided the electric fencer keeps zapping the raccoons. Hopefully they stay out of my couchgrass and crampbark. Apples should be ready for State Fair and our NY Mills little fat buddy if the squirrels don’t eat them first. Wonder how tough it would be to put electric fence in an apple tree?

House finches are bringing another batch of young to the feeders. Can tell because the young are vocal about the parents to feeding them and the parents are rather vocal in return. Hummingbird numbers are increasing and one needs to be careful they don’t fly into you as they’re pretty busy checking out the large pots of impatiens. Goldfinches are busy at the feeders and in the sunflower patch. The second planting in the garden of dwarf sunflowers is just starting to flower now so when they’re done by the pump house, they can move out to the main garden area. The wren’s song is beginning to fade but they are still around.

The Canada geese are feeding across the road in the small grain stubble. While enjoying throwover grain, they particularly like nibbling on the alfalfa that was underseeded in it, lending credence to the saying “loose as a goose”. Harkens me back to the time when I lived in the Little House on the Prairie near the Armourdale Dam between Rock Lake and Rolla North Dakota. After hunting snows and blues miles from my house, picked up the field decoys as goose hunting hours were over. Luck had not been with us that day.

Much to my chagrin when I returned home, I could see there was a large flock of snows feeding on the greened up barley stubble just to the west of my house. As most good North Dakota goose hunters will do, I napped to recharge my batteries before going out to scout for the next days hunt. I awoke to the sound of rain on the roof but couldn’t figure out why the sun was out. Was then I looked to see the “rain” coming down in large green globs as the geese picked up and slowly moved over the house, expressing their opinion and putting an exclamation point on that day’s hunting excursion.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

A long and winding road...

The scurs were betting on a little cooler weather and we got it. Definitely more comfortable than the steamy weather that was present the end of July. While this week won’t be that warm, it will surge back into the middle 80’s with lows near 60. It also includes the possibility of showers from Wednesday through Friday. Highs will cool into the weekend to the mid to upper 70’s with lows near 55. Normal high is 79 and normal low is 57. The scurs will enjoy their first foot long upon arriving at the MN State Fair.

The acorns have been falling for a several weeks now and it’s a banner year for them as well as the black walnuts. Won’t be long and the squirrels will be looking for places to hide them. Hopefully they leave the vehicles alone at the Mall for Men. More than once there have been walnuts found in strange places including the flowerpots at the Mall for Men.

The little fat buddies have been busy squeezing in last minute vacations before school starts. Sooner than we’d like to admit, summer will be over and combines could roll in places by mid-September on early planted, early maturing soybeans given some warm, dry weather conditions. Have fishing pole, will travel.

Giant ragweed pollen has been just awful so far for those with allergies. The ragweed crop is especially abundant this year and it is figuring out our attempts to control it. Appears that giant ragweed has officially overtaken velvetleaf as the Iowa state flower. Why is ragweed such a problem weed? It has a long history as a survivor. Starting with early post-glaciation, this was one of the first plants to occupy the landscape when the glaciers receded based on pollen records. This weed germinates at relatively low temperatures and is typically one of the first weeds we see in the spring. It grows rapidly and competes early with the crop, the most critical time in reducing crop yields. It also has shown an uncanny ability to adapt to chemical control methods, capable of producing several flushes where it once produced just one. When one controls the weeds in the fencelines with glyphosate, we often see giant ragweed invade and take the place of the bromegrass and quackgrass that normally inhabit them. Only hard cold steel has proven to be foolproof. Include this plant in the same category as rats, mice, cockroaches, zucchini and fruitcake.

The Twinkies edged closer to the Sox in the Wild Card race, taking the second of 3 games in the weekend series thanks to Sunday’s effort by Cy Young candidate Johan Santana. Even Ozzie Guillen has gone to calling them the “little piranhas” because they just keep picking at their opponents. Ozzie should know as the Orinoco River in his native land, Venezuela has plenty of the flesh eating fish.

Was Lutheran Night last Wednesday night at the Twins game. Reputedly the vendors were selling lot of hot dish and red Jell-O although it got a little messy when they confused with the packets of peanuts they toss. There was a ban on red Kool-Aid that night however as the church ladies were certain that it would stain the artificial turf in the Metrodome. Spilling coffee on it on the other hand was determined to be OK.

Have been writing this from motel rooms before kicking off the John Deere-Pro Farmer Crop Tour. Need to get it sent before we start collecting data in earnest. Have been gazing out the window as we roll along the interstates, looking at the crops wondering what we’ll find once we get into them. Heading east to Ohio, it looks real nice at 70 mph with few suspect areas.

There is apparently a large insect population afoot in eastern IL as some rather large black beetles were present not only outside our motel room but in it as well. In addition, the room looked like it had been the center of a rugby game with the bathroom door hinge broken and the towel rack barely hanging on by a thread. When we checked out, brother Roger asked if there was any charge for the extra houseguests to which they responded, “Oh, you mean the black bugs? How’s twenty bucks sound?”

“I’ll take it.” he said as we walked out to the car.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Excellent sleeping weather coming up...

After that first footlong (and Rolaids) at the Great Minnesota Get Together, the scurs have settled back into their forecasting niche once again. The Monday shower was a bit of a surprise but with only a couple tenths, no harm, no foul. This week finds temperatures starting to remind us that fall is not far behind. Wednesday and Thursday will bring us highs in the 80 degree range and lows around 60. Temperatures dip slightly into the weekend and early next week with highs in the low to mid-70’s and lows in the low to mid 50’s. Tuesday may even show us our first low in the 40’s for quite some time. Normal high is 77 and normal low is 55. Chances of showers are best for the upcoming weekend. The scurs are taking their cool evening blankets out of mothballs to take full advantage of the exquisite sleeping weather.

Signs of fall are everywhere. Soybeans are beginning to turn and the sumac is starting to blush on the hillsides. With the warm summer maturity on the crop and just about everything else have been moved along rapidly. Would not be surprising to see fall color somewhat earlier than usual as a result. And we’re not alone. Out on the Pro Farmer John Deere Crop Tour last week we saw much of the same across the Midwest. A good thing for those who are worried about high gas bills to dry the crop this harvest.

The birds seem to know what’s coming too. There are up to half a dozen hummingbirds zipping around the yard at any given time, the whirring of their tiny wings is nearly constant. The orioles are stubbornly hanging around as well. Many years once August arrived they were gone. Not this year. After coming home from the Crop Tour I decided that they were gone and removed the oriole feeder. I was severely reprimanded by a noisy male oriole from his perch atop the ash tree behind the house. Replace feeder; happy oriole.

Noticed the wrens summer song was gone when I got home too. There are still some here but am guessing they’re the young ones as the calls are the little raspy scolding when one gets too close for their comfort. The goldfinches are thinking the yard here is a pretty sweet spot. A birdbath, lots of food in the feeders, a couple plantings of sunflower and several acres of CRP with many types of composite flowers to dine on.

And even the Twinkies are playing like autumn has arrived. Taking 2 out of 3 from Chicago, they are within striking distance of Detroit. The first two games against the Sox were about as good as it gets in terms of watching strategy and execution. Didn’t matter who won, was postseason-like baseball before the postseason. The Viqueens continue to look like they might be okay even though their off field antics haven’t changed much. Oh well, they continue to contribute to the state’s economy one way or the other.

The Minnesota State Fair will wrap up on Labor Day and once again our sheep enjoyed their day in the sun. Our New York Mills friends had them buffed up as well as they’ve ever looked. It’s always nice to get them back home again though. After being washed and pampered, they look a little different than the pasture animals. After unloading them, frequently there is a reestablishment of pecking order. The ewes on pasture couldn’t care less. The only thing they do care about is how many goodies get tossed their way over the fence during the course of the day. They care about the ram but for only a couple or three days every 16 days for about a month. Suppose they are queen of the castle?

Finally, a thank you to Mardell. You don’t know how much it meant when you stopped me on the street the other day and told how much you enjoy reading this column. You had no way of knowing I wasn’t having a particularly stellar day up to that point. After visiting with you, the day changed completely. Out of the blue, some very positive things happened. Call it karma, call it dumb luck, a catalyst, whatever you like. We all need to be appreciated for the things we do for others. It’s one of the basic human needs. The short amount of time it takes to say it can pay some very far-reaching dividends. Thanks, Mardell!

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Home, home again.

I like to be here when I can.

The scurs made a valiant attempt at calling last weekend’s rains. Fortunately it was not a total washout; most of the 2+” will go towards next year’s crop. This week will hold some summer-like temps early on but by weeks end, autumn will be once again knocking at our door with some very seasonal temps. Best rain chances are Thursday night into Friday then again on Monday. We should see highs on Wednesday and Thursday near 80 with lows of around 55. Temps will cool however, with highs Friday through early next week of around 70 and lows near 50. Normal high is 75 and normal low is 52. The scurs are waiting for the bus driver to holler at them for playing with the windows while they are chauffeured to school.

The Full Moon this month is known as the Full Corn Moon as the corn will soon be mature and ready for harvest. The Ojibwe called this the Full Rice Moon, as the wild rice that was a staple of their diet was ready for harvest. The Sioux knew this as the Moon of Drying Grass/When Plums are Scarlet/When Calves Grow Hair. Plums in the fenceline are long gone now but the wild grapes more than make up for their absence. Don’t think I’ll grow hair on my calves, but might grow some on the face to ward off January’s chill.

Numerous small toads have been the hallmark of our yard and garden area since we’ve inhabited our building site, much to neighbor Emmy’s chagrin. There is usually water that stands in the bottom of the culvert under the driveway and it’s likely that’s where they are reproducing. Toads are part of the natural insect control in our area and while they’ll give you a start at first, they are harmless, unless of course you’re a dog and pick one up in your mouth. The liquid dispensed by these amphibians when frightened serves a purpose. Upon recovering from the foaming at the mouth and vomiting, a dog will know enough to never pick one up again. Any dogs reading this will be forewarned.

The snake population in our yard has been limited to common garter snakes. Over the years, their population appears cyclic. Last year I saw one and up until a week ago, had not seen any until mowing the lawn. This last mowing there were 4 of them. Apparently they like sunning themselves on our slopes. Garter snakes grow to about 2’ in length and consume large numbers of mice and insects. They give birth to live young in August to September and the young can live on their own. Over half die before they reach a year old. The yare preyed upon by crows, hawks and many 4-legged critters. They overwinter in rodent holes below the frost line or sometimes in our basement. While some may opt to go after them with the lawnmower, I leave them alone as part of what we were taught while growing up about such creatures in the wild. They’re more afraid of you than you are of them and they are beneficial creatures. Every mouse they eat is one less to be dealt with later.

While some were less than enamored with the rainfall over the Labor Day weekend, it was a blessing for seasonal wetlands such as ours that serve as resting areas for waterfowl on their migration. Many have locals have reported numerous LBD’s (little brown ducks, likely blue-winged teal) on their travels by wetlands that are still holding water. Seasonal wetlands need fall recharge and snowmelt to maintain levels for both migration and spring reproduction. Particularly for restored wetlands making the transition back to permanence, autumn rains raise the water levels to make it easier for waterfowl to dine on such delicacies as barnyardgrass and smartweed seeds. These annuals often invade area wetlands when they dry up but when water levels return, they serve as an important sources of nutrition, especially before area fields are harvested or after they’ve been tilled.

The CRP is undergoing a change into its fall wardrobe. The goldenrod that was so vividly yellow is being replaced by numerous lavender New England aster patches. The Maximilian sunflowers have yet to bloom so the yellow will attempt a comeback, all in vain as winter will eventually set in. The native grasses, primarily the yellow Indiangrass, switchgrass and big bluestem are adding an amber and auburn backdrop on the landscape, making one wonder what the pioneers must’ve seen as they trekked across the prairie to the places where they’d eventually settle.

The swallows are lining the wires here daily, then disappearing only to reappear the next day. The barn swallows used the upstairs in the old granary to hatch out a late brood and were vocal when mom and pop came with food for them to eat. Looks like they’ve taken wing as of the weekend. Fall is in the air as the blue jays call and the nuthatches are coming to the feeders to check out the sunflower seeds. Bluebirds at the kindly neighbors pasture are still calling and their royal blue is in contrast with the yet forest green of the bur oak. The bluebirds seem curious but at ease with the ovines and the Cheviots are content to gobble up acorns and the apples that fall from the old tree near the north end of their enclosure. The apples at the ranch are taking on a reddish hue, a signal that pies could be in the offing soon for the little fat buddies at the Mall for Men. Better than muffin stumps.

See you next week… real good then.

[Dotch]

When I come home cold and tired

It's good to warm my bones beside the fire.

After last weekends chill, the scurs are predicting an encore performance of summer. Still, this is September and anything goes. Remember: Snow happens! Wednesday should be the start of the warm-up, with highs of 75 and lows of 55. Thursday and Friday will be beautimous temperature-wise, with highs of 80 and lows near 60. Temps will cool to seasonal levels on the heels of a wetter system that will be in the area Saturday and Sunday, giving us increased chances for rain. Look for highs of 75 Saturday and Sunday with lows of 50. Monday and Tuesday will be cool but pleasant with highs of 65 - 70 and lows near 45. Normal high is 72 and low is 50. The scurs are knitting a muffler for neighbor Jon’s noisy red and white truck.

With the cooler weather, there has been a noticeable movement of vermin into the outbuildings and the house for that matter. With a small livestock operation, one creates a perfect environment for rats and mice. Time to check the bait boxes and make sure there is bait inside. Prefer bait boxes to strewing packets around the dooryard as it helps prevent accidental consumption by non-target animals. Yeah, bait boxes cost some money but nothing compared to a trip to the vet with a poisoned animal or worse, having one die that you cared for and trained from infancy.

Hummingbirds have hung on through the cool temperatures, consuming sugar water to fatten them up for their trip to Mexico and Central America. They’ve also discovered the Four O’Clocks that I planted as a lark on the 4th of July. The Northern (Baltimore) orioles have most likely left however. While listening to Jim Gilbert’s radio program on Sunday morning, none of the callers had reported seeing any since about September 7th. There were reports that some orioles had already arrived at their destination in Central America. Sure was nice to have them as guests for as long as we did though.

Crops continue to progress to maturity with little danger that frost will damage them except those that were planted late or were late maturing to begin with. Most 100 day and earlier corn hybrids have black-layered and leaf drop on soybeans is coming along nicely, with yellow soybeans that filled the brown pods beginning to dry down. With the low price of soybeans, some interest has been expressed in hard red winter wheat but it is rapidly becoming too late to seed it in this area. August seeded alfalfa looks beautiful as a result of the abundant but not excessive moisture we’ve been blessed with.

In addition to daycare at the Mall for Men we’ve advanced from our general therapy sessions to analyzing dreams. Some of these are rather risqué and not fit for family consumption, notably those dealing with Swedish men wearing women’s clothing. We are in general agreement though that we don’t want to wake up grumpy so we let her sleep. It’s unanimous; great napping weather. Wonder if one of the local contractors could expand the space underneath my desk to give it a little more headroom?

Great to see a couple people back where they belong: Dale Kugath writing columns and Bert Blyleven broadcasting the Twins games. After a long career at Waseca, was good to see Kugie’s column resurface complete with the Captain and First Mate. Best of all, it’s in our local paper. And what can you say about Bert? So many times, even when the Twins have been out of it, Bert’s commentary and humor makes the games entertaining to watch. Of course the way the Twins have played since All-Star break, it has made for simply amazing baseball, the way it was meant to be played.

And while we’re talking American pastimes, what could be more American than Mom and apple pie? Was privy to another of Mom’s delicious apple pies this past weekend, complete with McIntosh apples. While they weren’t from her own trees, (the worms were tough on her crop) this was definitely one of the best pies she’s ever made. Did I mention she turned 81 last Thursday? The story goes that when she and Dad were first married, Dad had her make pies to practice until she was proficient at it. Looks like some things just keep improving with age.

See you next week…real good then.

[fishface]

Gordon McQuarrie, Roger Waters, and Dotch.

(not nescesarily in that order)

Thanks guys

[Dotch]

Ah fishface, you are too kind. My efforts are more equivalent to a poor man's rural Pee Wee Herman methinks, sans the movie theater incident of course... On with this week's Fencelines:

Are you experienced?

The week unfolded about as expected by the scurs, with rain falling in the wee hours of the morning Saturday and Sunday. Accumulations of 1” – 1.5” were common. Otherwise it was “beautimous”. Take that, spell-check! By the time you read this it likely the peat will have frozen. (Ah, the peat… ) Tuesday night or Wednesday morning lows should accomplish that feat. This week, we see cooler temps and another chance for a wet late week on tap. Highs Wednesday and Thursday should be around 60 with lows of 40 – 45. Friday and Saturday, highs of 65 and lows of 45 – 50. Sunday it warms to 70 with highs remaining there through next Tuesday, with lows around 45. Normal high is 70 and normal low is 47. Best chances of rain are Thursday through Saturday AM. The scurs are getting their E-85-powered leaf blower ready for action.

True story: Noticed the other day while driving around the distinctive odor of recently harvested peas. Couldn’t figure out how it could be as I gazed out the windshield to see where the smell was emanating from. Looked and looked only to spy a pair of my tennis shoes setting on the seat getting heated up in the still powerful, early September sunshine.

At the Mall for Men, we continue to solve people’s problems. Our latest solution to the downtown median- flower planter firestorm: Put in a Roundabout along with the planters and plant trees in the middle of it. We figure this treats all sides fairly by irritating everyone. Appears any plans for the annual little fat buddy fishing trip have been scrapped. But then, since we never made any plans before why start now?

In the yard the fall birds are beginning to show up. Spied a red-bellied woodpecker several mornings but was not able to determine if it was male or female. Hawks are moving through and upset the local bird community when they do. A group of wood ducks at the kindly neighbors pasture was franticly looking to land in the bur oak trees to escape from what appeared to be a northern harrier. Fortunately, they had little to worry about, as he was probably more interested in the striped gopher or vole population. Groups of robins and swallows were seen going south on my drive into work this past week. The nuthatches are picking sunflower seeds from the feeders again and sadly, the male goldfinches colors are beginning to fade. Fortunately the trees are just getting warmed up.

Those leaves are turning rapidly as predicted earlier. The warmer than normal growing season has most things ahead of normal although we actually fell behind last year’s GDU accumulation by a few degree days at the SROC in Waseca. White pines and arborvitae in the yard are casting their two-year old growth. Sumac has become redder by the day and leaves will drop all too soon. Hints of color are appearing in groves and woodlands across the area. The autumnal equinox will occur on the 23rd. Equal day and night length does not occur until the 26th however and days still become shorter until after Christmas. Isn’t that some wonderful news? In the meantime, lots of good baseball to watch and always, news and sports in the Bugtussle Bugle. Why, it could take days to digest each issue of the latter.

It’s showing signs around the ranch of autumn as well. Gave a small salamander a personal escort to a moist area under a whiskey barrel planter where he could dig in for the winter. Not much sign of the dreaded ladybugs yet but do know they are still lurking in the cornfields, feeding on things like bird cherry-oat aphids. These tiny insects infest corn from about July on and feed on leaves and husks. They are dark green to almost black in color and other than staining your clothes when squashing them as you walk through the corn, no economic damage has been documented. Bird cherry-oat aphids can overwinter as eggs on several species of cherry but here in the north, aphids migrating from winter wheat in the south are thought to be a more important source of infestation. They complete several generations on small grain crops before infesting the corn in July and August. One warm autumn afternoon though, once the corn is dead, look out! The aphids will be gone and the ladybugs will be knocking on your door looking for a place to stay.

Was time this past weekend to move some of the stud rams to their prospective temporary harems. Approximately 5 months from now we’ll know the outcome. The group this year is comprised of younger, inexperienced rams so they haven’t yet equated being put in the trailer as a good thing. Very feisty Cheviot males once cornered, as is their wont. Thinking this “wrassling” with animals larger than myself means one thing: I have to eat more. Easily done. Few things more relaxing while walking around the pasture, checking the fence than eating an apple right off the tree. All part of being a regular columnist.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Four strong that blow lonely...

After last weekend turned out not to be the high precip soaking it was advertised to be, the scurs set their sights on this week to see what kind of weather we might be in for the first week in October. Looks like a variety show. Highs should start off on Wednesday around between 60 and 65 with lows near 40. Temps drop a bit Thursday and Friday with highs of 55 – 60 and lows of 35 – 40. Highs warm from Saturday’s 60 into Sunday’s 65 and more low 70’s Monday and Tuesday. Lows follow suit starting with 40 and increasing to 50 by Monday & Tuesday. Normal high is 68 and normal low is 45. Best chances of precip are Wednesday then again Friday night and Saturday forenoon. The flow is northwesterly so these are more nuisance rains than they are accumulators. The potential rain amount for the middle of next week may be more sizeable. The scurs will be seen making a trip to Edna’s to replace the furnace filter.

How ‘bout them Twinkies making the playoffs for the 4th time in 5 years? Who’d a thunk it after all the adversity this team has been through? One of the life lessons one can learn from sports and competition in general: Never give up.

Combines are beginning to roll on some of the soybeans that are ready. Early reports coming in are nothing short of fantastic, most running between 60 and 65 bushel per acre. Moistures have been in the 12 – 14% range but that will likely change fast after Tuesday’s warm windy afternoon.

Hummingbirds are still at the feeders in the morning. Won’t be too long I’m afraid and we’ll have seen the last of them until next spring’s migration. Speaking of migrations, blue jays are migratory, somewhat, although I have to wonder how many of those at our place are actually locals that are here year round.

The dreaded boxelder bugs are back on the warm days, making sure they can find every light fixture and corner to die in so you can vacuum them up later. Ladybugs suddenly reappeared around building sites after the corn froze in areas last week. Pesky insects have taken up residence in the apple trees again and are helping themselves to the Fireside apples that the birds opened wounds in first. May necessitate an early harvest as between the birds and squirrels, there will be few of the tasty pomes left unscathed.

Was time to harvest the garden produce once again. The cucumber beetles and rootworm beetles working in tandem were starting to auger their way into the skins of some of the squash and pumpkins. And, speaking of bugs, with a wedding coming up, Mrs. Cheviot got one about fall decorations. Some seem to be of the mistaken impression that decorating is one of my projects. Ah, you are wrong, gourd breath. I’ll do the easy stuff like working the ground, planting the seed, weeding the plots, protecting the plants from insects, watering when needed and harvesting, but that is where my talents end and goose hunting begins.

One of the little fat buddies’ wives made an apple pie for breakfast at the Mall for Men. That didn’t live long. Last week’s rainy days made a little fat buddy day trip necessary to Waseca and Pizza Ranch. It didn’t take much convincing even though one member had just been there the day before. “Had “taties” and gravy yesterday so guess I’ll have to have pizza today!” he exclaimed. Indeed, variety is the spice of life.

Had my faith in the younger generation restored once again as the neighbor David’s grandsons delivered, unloaded and stacked hay in the barn. I helped on the first load but they were kind enough when company showed up to allow me to visit with them. Actually I was probably just in their way but at least they humored me by laughing at some of my dumb comments.

More moving sheep around and probably fortunate that the neighbors don’t live any closer than they do as a result of some of the “sheep-language” when loading and unloading. Turned one young ram out with the girls and by observing his activity, he’s a real “sidler”. Thought I spied a ewe with some Tic Tacs the other day.

See you next week…real good then.