Fencelines

[Dotch]

I hear the ticking of the clock

The scurs continued tweaking with the Weather Eye and it appears it may finally be yielding some results. Is Mother Nature ready to toss Old Man Winter to the curb or will he remain a squatter for a while longer? Starting Wednesday, cloudy becoming mostly sunny with a slight chance of evening rain showers. Highs in the upper 30’s with lows in the upper 20’s. Pertly sunny on Thursday with a modest chance of snow. Highs in the mid-30’s with lows in the low 20’s. Mostly sunny on Friday with highs in the low 40’s and lows in the mid-20’s. Saturday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of evening rain changing to snow. Highs in the mid-40’s with lows around 30. Mostly sunny on Sunday with a chance of a rain/snow mix. Highs in the low 40’s with lows in the upper 20’s. Monday, partly sunny with a slight chance of forenoon snow. Highs in the upper 30’s with lows in the mid-20’s. Mostly cloudy on Tuesday with a good chance of rain showers late. Highs in the low 40’s with lows in the upper 20’s. The sun will set just after 7:30 CDT on the 24th. On the 26th, the average rate of increase in daylight decreases from three minutes two seconds to three minutes one second. The normal high for March 26th is 45 and the normal low is 27. The scurs are noting their Valentine’s Day stash has taken a beating. Fortunately April 9th is just around the corner.

The clock continues to tick slowly towards spring. In some respects we may be fortunate that it’s taking as long as it is. When we came out of the fall months, we were not long on soil moisture. Given that it’s taking its sweet time melting the remaining snow, we are likely getting some benefit from the moisture it contains. As suspected, there is very little frost in the ground especially where there was snow cover most of the winter. Frost depth measured at the SROC March 13 was 7” under bare ground. At the ranch I checked on the 16th with my frost divining rod and found the ground was thawed down 4” under sod on a north facing slope. On the south facing slope under sod, there was no frost, whether it was under the snow or where it was bare. Same in the garden on bare soil. To really make headway on the snowbanks that are up to 4’ deep, it’ll be beneficial to have nights staying above freezing.

Still a few straggler ewes left to lamb yet. Some are the unplanned pregnancies as we’ve mentioned in past columns, and they are a couple older ewes that either didn’t come into heat or didn’t settle right away last fall. As they trickle in it starts to put more pressure on the small square bale supply while the weather stays too cold to melt the snow off the electric fence. That and the snow is hard as concrete so they could walk wherever they wanted without some kind of barrier. We have plenty of good quality round bales so if some of the panels were dislodged from the ice, a temporary enclosure could be fashioned in a hurry, allowing us to utilize them. Along with giving the flock more space, it would also speed up the chore process. No need to make more work out of the process than one has to.

We’re starting to see some signs that spring will be here eventually. The deer are still traveling the area in large groups although they recently appear to be splintering off somewhat. They’ve been taking the night shift at the ranch, coming within 10 yards of the house some evenings. The pheasants are on the day shift. They’re still picking at the leftovers in the garden at least those the deer haven’t consumed. There are more hens showing up so it’s likely they’ll disperse as well. The goldfinches too that have been regular customers are starting to give indications that they are becoming slightly less interested in the feeders than they were a week or so ago. The cardinals are singing their spring song. Large flocks of red-winged blackbirds have flown through, and robins are more noticeable daily. The chickadees have been singing “fee-bee” for the better part of a month, so spring is lurking out there somewhere. Has to be.

There are subtle signs in the flora that spring might be on the way. The water sprouts on the apple trees serve as a reminder that it’s time to prune them soon. The squirrels have been chewing the bark & twigs on the silver maple. One can see the sap has been leaking into the snowpack below. It also smudges the windows up when the wind is out of the south. One of the best surprises was last Sunday as I was about to light the grill. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something protruding from the ground on the south side of the house. As cold as the weather had been, I was shocked to see the daffodils starting to emerge from their winter slumber. As long as we don’t get any colder and the wildlife leaves them alone, we’re good.
   
Poppy continues to spend many of her days indoors with the weather being a major factor. That’s OK. She has plenty of toys to play with and lets you know about it. When she decides it’s time to play, you darn well better comply or she’ll keep bugging you until you do. It means many hours of tossing kongs, nylabones and other assorted playthings. Only trouble is, with all the various toys, there are usually one or more missing. Since Poppy isn’t real good about picking up after herself, we spend major portions of time looking under, behind, on top of and inside of the furniture for them. Somedays it seems like we get more exercise out of looking for lost toys than Poppy does playing with them.

Mrs. Cheviot graduated from therapy on Tuesday. It helped immensely and lessened the extra burden on this end. It’s been a long pull but she’s also getting back to work a few days a week. Now that much of the ice has left, she’s decided that it’s safe to walk to the barn rather than using the Gator to shuttle her from point A to point B. That and the Gator has left some nasty ruts in the mud that just about toss you out when you don’t hit them just perfectly, especially after they refreeze at night. Once the ground firms up a little more we’ll tend to those. Not sure it’s quite time to unhook from the snow blower just yet though. Need to keep our options open just in case. Never trust the weather to do you any favors, especially in late March and early April.
 
See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

I ain't gonna take none of your foolin' around

The scurs were largely unsuccessful in their attempts to get the Weather Eye to warm up our forecasts. Will Old Man Winter continue fooling around, or will he Make April Great Again? Starting Wednesday, partly sunny with highs in the upper 20’s and lows in the upper teens. Mostly cloudy Thursday with a modest chance of daytime snow & rain, with a good chance of evening rain. Highs in the mid-40’s with lows in the upper 30’s. Mostly cloudy on Friday with a good chance of forenoon rain and a fair chance of an afternoon rain snow mix. Highs in the upper 40’s with lows in the low 20’s. April Fools’ Day, mostly sunny with highs in the upper 30’s and lows around 30. Mostly sunny on Sunday with highs in the mid-50’s and lows in the low 30’s. Monday, partly sunny with a slight chance of forenoon showers, with increasing chances later in the day. Highs in the upper 40’s with lows in the low 30’s. Mostly cloudy on Tuesday with a good chance of rain showers late. Highs in the low 40’s with lows in the low 30’s. The sun will rise just before 7 a.m. CDT, the same as it was already doing on CST February 24th. On the 31st, our daylight will be increasing at 3 minutes per day, with or without Daylight Saving Time. The normal high for April Fools’ Day is 48 and the normal low is 29. Trust the scurs forecast. Don’t be fooled by cheap imitations.

We continued to make slow progress towards spring this past week. Even though we garnered some much needed sunshine as a moral victory, we failed to warm the temperatures up much. Unless something drastic happens, we won’t break the 50-degree mark for March officially. Albert Lea did record a 52-degree high last Wednesday but Waseca and Owatonna did not, with both weather stations recording sub-50 degree highs. The thermometer at the ranch also called it 49 that day. Fortunately we’ve lost the vast majority of the snowpack in south central and southeast MN. The slow melt kept rivers and streams from getting as high as they otherwise might have given a quicker warmup. The frost is reputedly out of the soil commonly by those digging holes or tiling. Tile systems are running. The only problem is with temps dipping into the teens, the surface has been freezing up routinely every night. It’s not drying up very quickly as a result. In recent days, it’s taken until noon for air temperature to go above 32 and by 8 p.m., the temperatures drop below freezing. With only eight hours above freezing per day, for those without large, heated shops, it’s tough to get excited about getting equipment out and rolling around in the mud.

Likewise with gardening. Even on the faster ground south of the house, the soil remains tacky on the surface and muddy underneath. It’s tempting to mud some radishes or lettuce in, but past experience indicates that’s an exercise in futility regardless of how much you try to convince yourself otherwise. Best follow my own advice and wait until conditions are fit. There is reason for hope, however. The daffodils poking through on the south side of the house last week were joined by emerging jonquils, tulips, and hyacinths this week. In the bed by the lilacs in the front yard, I was surprised to see crocuses coming up, even though that bed had some leaves and up until recently snow covering it. They are a treat to watch as they blossom so quickly. If you forget about them though, you might miss them. Best of all, when removing some of last year’s residue from the rhubarb, there were buds coloring up and breaking through the soil surface. What don’t you like about that?

I thought perhaps with all that positive news I’d press my luck and see if the pussy willows were ready for harvest yet. The venture would give me some idea of what the electric fence situation might be as well. When I got to the wetland area, I determined the snow was deep enough that I really didn’t want to attempt to traverse it. Even in the pasture, there were places on Sunday where it was still a couple feet deep, plenty deep enough to get the Gator stuck. I skirted around most of it once in the CRP and to my disappointment, I couldn’t get to all the pussy willow bushes. Not only that, those I could get to weren’t quite ready. Looking at the forecast temperatures, one would have to come back in about a week for them to be at their prime. I noted some of the perch trees on my list to be removed then headed off to the pasture to survey the perimeter fence, crossing my fingers.

The fence along the CRP was in great shape despite the ravages of winter. There were a few insulators knocked off and wires down in spots, but overall, not as bad as some years. As I got closer to the building site my heart sank. In places the fence was still buried in snowbanks up to four feet deep. That would take several weeks to emerge from the glacier given the forecasts. That would also necessitate expanding the temporary enclosure in front of the barn so two round bales could be fed rather than just one. Fortunately the snow left where the hog panels live so that can be accomplished after dragging another hay feeder from the main lot and putting it in place. I can always do that in my spare time along with getting all the crud picked up in the yard and the apple trees pruned.  No rest for the wicked.

We had company this past weekend on Saturday and ate breakfast out on Sunday. That’s a lot of activity relative to what we’ve become accustomed to. Poppy was the center of attention on Saturday as my niece’s daughters, Ellis and Everly got to experience the affections of an “attention-starved” eight-month-old Corgi puppy. While the sheep weren’t particularly cooperative, the girls had a blast running laps along the line of round bales. Lunch at The Willows capped off a pleasant visit. However, I don’t think there was any doubt what their favorite activity was. I think their mom along with grandpa and grandma were entertained by Poppy as well. Our being treated to breakfast by Auntie Mar Mar and Unkie Gregory the next day at the Ellendale Café was the icing on the cake. Speaking of cakes, we even managed to score one of Mar Mar’s prized blueberry coffee cakes. Nuked and topped with just the right-sized hunk of Hope Creamery butter, it made a perfect ending to a relaxing weekend. Those relaxing weekends will likely come to a screeching halt in the near future.

See you next week…real good then.     

[Dotch]

Stop messin' round with your tricks...

The scurs had a little more success this week, getting the Weather Eye to produce a 50-degree high for us last Sunday. Is Old Man Winter done with his tricks or does he have a few up his sleeve yet? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with highs in the upper 30’s and lows in the mid-20’s. Sunny Thursday with highs in the low 40’s and lows in the mid-20’s. Sunny on Good Friday with highs in the low 50’s and lows in the low 40’s. Saturday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid-60’s and lows in the low 40’s. Mostly sunny on Easter Sunday with a slight chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the low 60’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Monday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid-50’s and lows in the low 40’s. Mostly cloudy on Tuesday with a fair chance of rain showers late. Highs in the upper 60’s with lows in the upper 40’s. On April 7th, we creep over 13 hours of daylight. The normal high for April 7th is 51 and the normal low is 32. The scurs are hoping the Easter Bunny is as generous as Cupid was on Valentine’s Day.

Another setback with an April Fools’ Day snowfall. Fortunately the 5” or so of snow didn’t last long but it did contain plenty of moisture to go along with the rain that fell just prior to that. With the snow melt, most places were reporting 2+” of precip. It showed in area river and stream levels as well as ponds and wetlands. Tile lines are running indicating our soil profile has been recharged fairly well. The frost is largely out even though ice remains on lakes and larger ponds. Sunday afternoon at the ranch, there was a large puddle about 4” deep on the north side of the house. By the time we finished evening chores, the puddle had disappeared. As long as we can continue getting warmer temperatures, we’re still on track for a reasonable start to spring planting. Next week promises to be even a little warmer with some mention of 70 degree highs in the forecast. No major rainfall predicted either. Promises, promises…
 
Spring was definitely in the air when the Boy Entomologist brought a supply of pheromone sticky traps for us to set out once the weather behaves itself. Installing them has become an annual rite of spring. I have no idea how long I’ve been trapping cutworm moths although I know it’s spanned parts of several decades. Once the cold and snow leave the traps are placed in their usual spots. Then every morning after chores the traps are monitored for incoming flights of moths migrating from the south. The armyworm trap is a more recent addition, and at minimum, it satisfies my curiosity. Traps for both species are part of a larger trapping network so it’s interesting to see what others are observing. Best of all, they provide some correlation to potential outbreaks once trap captures reach critical levels. Some years that never happens. A watched pot never boils.

I’ve had some questions over the years about the flies that come to life in the house as we get closer to spring. Most likely these are cluster flies. These fall nuisance flies come inside through cracks, gaps, and other small openings. Some eventually gain access to your living space when warmer temperatures arrive and awaken them from their hiding places. While they can be a nuisance, they are harmless. They are actually parasitic on earthworms, laying their eggs in cracks in the soil. The eggs hatch and the resulting maggots infest earthworms. There are two to three generations per year. Along with multi-colored Asian ladybeetles, their favorite places to expire if they don’t get back outside include window frames and light fixtures. My Mom spent many hours cleaning both species out of the light panels in the suspended ceiling, sometimes at 2 a.m. mind you.

The pussy willow harvest is underway at the ranch. Last week, they were still sheltering themselves from the cold. This week however, the fuzzy catkins were emerging from the buds and looking much showier than just a week ago. They should last a while and as was found the past several seasons, there are male and female plants in the wetland. The males generally are the first out of the block and provide the nicest catkins. The females can also be decent but the window to harvest them is narrower. Pussy willows are unique in that they require insects to pollinate them. Since they are so early, there are few other plants flowering at that time. They are favorites of many of the early season bees and flies as a result. The leaves are also a food source to mourning cloak and viceroy butterfly larvae, making them not only valuable as ornamentals but for pollinator habitat as well.

The spring bird migration has been nothing short of spectacular thus far. It’s been years since I’ve seen so many huge flocks of red-winged blackbirds at the ranch. Same with the waterfowl. Sure, some years I’ve seen token numbers of swans along with the occasional flock of snows and blues, but this year has been different. This reminds me of my days living in the flyway of North Dakota. Several times there have been large groups of swans in fields not just where you might expect to see them but close to home. The snows and blues have been in larger flocks as well. The relative newcomers are the white-fronted geese or speckle-bellies as they’re nicknamed. There have been numerous large flocks of them passing over the ranch. Are we seeing a shift in migration patterns? Perhaps but it may be the spring. Our snowpack is largely nonexistent while to the north it remains very deep and still accumulating in northern parts of the state. We are seeing more no-till soybeans and rye cover crops, providing more potential feeding areas. Others have mentioned the same things. Studies show…
   
Poppy seems to be growing up sometimes and other times, not so much. She still likes to chew things up including blankets, pillows, slippers, and just about anything else she can get into when we aren’t looking. Not long ago I took a shower and since I’d just put on a fresh pair of underwear, I left them in the closet. I didn’t remember to close the bedroom door, however. When I finished showering and put the underwear back on, they were wet! Not only that, my behind felt cold because Poppy had chewed a big hole through the backside. Not to worry. Auntie Mar Mar and Unkie Gregory heard of my plight and came to the rescue. I received new underwear for my birthday! With friends like that…

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

I put the pedal down to make some time

The scurs coaxed a dandy forecast out of the Weather Eye to produce our first 70-degree highs of the season. Is Old Man Winter ready to throw in the towel or will he snap our behind one more time? Starting Wednesday, sunny with highs in the low 80’s and lows in the mid-50’s. Sunny Thursday with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the mid-50’s. Mostly sunny on Friday with a good chance of rain by evening. Highs in the low 70’s with lows in the upper 40’s. Saturday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of rain. Highs in the low 50’s with lows in the mid-30’s. Partly sunny Sunday with a fair chance of rain and snow showers. Highs in the mid-40’s with lows in the low 30’s. Monday, mostly sunny with highs in the upper 40’s and lows in the mid-30’s. Sunny on Tuesday with highs in the upper 50’s and lows in the low 40’s. On April 14th, we’re finally back to the same relative sunrise time at 6:33 a.m. that we had had the day before we started Daylight Saving Time. Humph! On the 17th, the sun will set at 8 p.m. CDT and we will have 13 hours and 30 minutes of daylight. The normal high for April 17th is 56 and the normal low is 35. The scurs having stashed their Easter candy supply will be pinning their next hopes on a May basket.
 
Forgot all about the Full Moon for the month being on April 6th in the last edition. Norm happened to call it to my attention, so we’d better make it clear that the period between the Full Moon goes by the Full Pink Moon, so named for the ground phlox that covered the ground under the forest landscape. It has also been known as the Full Egg Moon and the Full Fish Moon for the shad that ran in the rivers and streams of the northeast. Closer to home, the Ojibwe called it the Broken Snowshoe Moon or the Frog Moon. The Sioux, relying on the bison for their sustenance, called it the Moon of Greening Grass. At the ranch, we also like to think it’s the Moon of Greening Lawns and Pastures but it’s usually the Put Fence Back Up Moon or the Clean Up Debris for Mowing Moon. Lord knows there’s plenty of it this time around.

Finally some fairly positive progress in area field conditions. The glaciers that stubbornly hung on around groves, fence lines, ditches, wood lots, etc., suddenly began to recede more rapidly. With more 70’s in the early week, by press time, we should see some field progress towards corn planting in selected area fields. Not all will be fit as those nagging snowbanks will still keep field borders too wet to be fit in many cases. Still seeing some dark spots Tuesday morning on the way into town. That’s probably for the best as the weather starting Saturday will bring us back to reality. As of Tuesday, the forecast looks like about a half an inch total rainfall. Not a washout but forecasts can change. Soil temperatures will likely still decline below the magic 50-degree mark and the cold rain likely won’t help matters. Still, there’s nothing wrong with getting the planter out and giving it a shakedown before the planting season gets real. These are not your father’s hybrids.
 
Indeed there is a lot of debris on our lawn, the result of a long winter, thawed soils, ice storms, wind and tractor operator error. I don’t recall such a combo of dirt, sod, sticks, cones, needles, leaves, and crushed rock on our lawn. And to make matters worse, I’ve been adding to the mess by pruning fruit trees and any face slapping or glasses snatching branches that happen to get in my way. I don’t get too excited if I grind through some dirt or smaller sticks when mowing but knocking my glasses or hat off is grounds to get the chainsaw out. I need to do that anyway as there is still one large treetop lying on the ground east of the house. Luckily there’s a fairly large brush pile nearby so it shouldn’t take long. What will take time is finding all the pieces of sod I tore up and determining their origins. I gave up long ago trying to fit the hunks back in exactly the same position they were in when excavated by the bucket. I’m seldom sure where they came from anyway. Just tamp them in good and hope it rains. It’s a farmyard.

There are definitive signs that spring is here at the ranch. I harvested the second batch of pussy willows this past week. I also discovered several new bushes that were in standing water. Shortly afterwards I discovered my chore boots had a serious leak so punted on picking very many of them. Fortunately the catkins were well behind the main bushes I harvested most of the twigs from. I’ve been trying to start some slips from the most prolific bush closer to the yard where the sheep won’t gnaw them off. It continues to produce and hasn’t run into the insect or disease issues that tend to make pussy willows a relatively short-lived species.
 
Around the yard and pasture there are many signs that spring has arrived. The grass, especially on the south facing slope, has greened up nicely. The sheep wasted no time finding it. The crocuses that emerged as the snow left their bed sprung into bloom on Monday. The jonquils on the south side of the house aren’t far behind with their swollen flower buds turning bright yellow. The rhubarb is becoming visible from the sliding glass door. I can’t wait till a piece of rhubarb pie is visible on my plate with some ice cream. The chorus frogs were getting cranked up although I suspect it’ll be nothing compared to their decibel output following an 80-degree high on Wednesday. Other signs of spring included being bitten by a mosquito Monday night while I was writing. No surer sign of spring than that. Glad Poppy had her heartworm control in place as outdoors was the place to be.
 
The Studebaker made its maiden voyage for the season Easter Sunday. It was time for a break. I’d hooked the battery charger up the day before with that in mind. When I unhooked it, I ran through the pre-flight checklist. All systems were go, so after a good dusting, I opened the garage door and cranked it over. It usually loses its prime after sitting over winter, but it fired right up on the second try. It must’ve wanted out too. The cruise wasn’t a long one since we had chores to do once we got home. We were starving though so we went to an establishment in Owatonna. Apparently, I had turned the heater valve to the off position or otherwise we would’ve been roasting. I’d forgotten all about the new exhaust system installed shortly before parking the Silver Hawk last fall. It resonated nicely when dropping it on down into overdrive with the 259-cu. inch Studebaker V8 doing its thing. It’s hard enough to sneak up on people in a car with tail fins on it. The louder exhaust makes it even harder to be stealthy.
 
See you next week…real good then.

[LPS]

Interesting on the Moons names.  I will call it the we better be done with snow moon. 

[glenn57]

Interesting on the Moons names.  I will call it the we better be done with snow moon.

[Dotch]

Cheese and rice! I keep forgetting to post these after I get them finished. 

Last week's edition:

Let the good times roll

The scurs made the Weather Eye promise to do better, and it did, turning in a 90 degree temp measured in places last Wednesday. We’ll ignore the weekend snow and wind. Is Old Man Winter winded or does he still have one last gasp?  Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of rain. Highs in the low 60’s with lows in the low 40’s. Mostly cloudy Thursday with a good chance of rain. Highs in the low 50’s with lows in the mid-30’s. Partly sunny on Friday with a slight chance of rain and snow mix. Highs in the mid-40’s with lows in the low 30’s. Saturday, partly sunny with a slight chance of snow. Highs in the low 40’s with lows in the upper 20’s. Mostly sunny Sunday with highs in the upper 40’s and lows in the low 30’s. Monday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid-50’s and lows in the upper 30’s. Mostly sunny on Tuesday with highs in the upper 50’s and lows in the low 40’s. Saturday the 22nd is Earth Day. The normal high for April 22nd is 58 and the normal low is 37. The cool temps have the scurs scrambling to find their long winter gatkes once again. One can never be too careful.

More field progress with some corn, small grain, and even some soybeans planted this past week. Warm soil temps were favorable for the wheat that was seeded last Wednesday April 12th. By the 14th, it had sprouted already. Conditions were fit in some fields. With average soil temperatures at the 2” depth in the upper 50’s, it was game on. Wisely, with Mother Nature’s finger on the reset button, most were not gung-ho to plant as many acres as they could have. There is some evidence that planting 24 hours ahead of a cold rainfall event helps decrease the risk of imbibitional chilling. It's a potential cause of stand reduction with early planted corn when the first water the seed imbibes is very cold. There is also a problem known as cold injury. It can happen when seed is exposed to cold soil temps after the seed has imbibed water. Both can affect the stands although cold injury is usually less severe. What about those early planted soybeans? Typically soybean stands aren’t bothered as much by cold soil temperatures as they are by frost once they emerge. Trying to decide how and where to replant can be a nightmare. Many different opinions about the crop in the ground. So far, it’s all good.

At the ranch, the pruning fairy finished pruning the last of the fruit trees. Just in the nick of time before the blast furnace hit. The pussy willow harvest came to an abrupt halt as well as the heat blew most of the pussy willows over the dam in a couple days. Some of the first bushes I’d harvested from were totally green and covered with large bee-like flies. Those must’ve been the pollinators in the literature I’d read about. Rhubarb is starting to look like rhubarb, unclenching the fist-like buds, turning them into large solar collector leaves. The peonies are coming although with the cold weekend forecast, I left them covered with last year’s residue. The spring bulb assortment has been a pleasant surprise. The daffodils transplanted from Mom’s opened up after Wednesday’s heat. Again, with the weekend forecast calling for 40 mph wind gusts, I cut the flowers and brought them inside where we could enjoy them. No sense letting the wind beat them to a pulp.

The sheep have wasted no time finding green grass to eat in the main pasture. Wednesday was a watershed day at the ranch. The last of the snow finally melted off the electric fence so it could be repaired and charged. The process took a while as some of the old fiberglass posts were splintering due to many years of exposure to the sun. Getting slivers off of them didn’t feel too great but the fence had to be up soon, or the sheep would be out, soon. Once it was all in place, I plugged the fencer in and felt like Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation. The fence didn’t work after all that effort. Luckily I spied a potential problem on the post right next to where I usually check it. A wire was off an insulator, creating a dead short against the metal fencepost. After placing the wire back on the insulator I plugged the fencer in and voila! It shot a big, fat spark. It lit some of the lambs like a Christmas tree too.
       
Have had some questions recently involving meadow voles. These small rodents are periodically a problem, especially in the winter months. They love to tunnel between the ground surface under the snow, leaving trails they’ve chewed through the grass along with their grassy nests. They can cause some damage to turf and injure woody vegetation by chewing the bark off of it. Usually by the time it’s discovered it’s too late to implement control methods or repair the damage. The one exception I recall was my Dad saving a couple Haralson and Oriole apple trees the voles had girdled. Using grafting wax, he was able to graft the suckers at the base of the trees into their still green trunks. He taped and wrapped the grafts, bringing the trees back to life.
 
Vole populations are cyclic, and Mother Nature usually takes care of the problem. At the ranch, we occasionally see their trails but seldom any damage. When lawnmowing season rolls around, they’re usually in the road ditch or pasture, where they’re fair game for predators. As a lad, I’d frequently see their nests in the hay fields during spring gopher trapping. In the summer once the hay was cut and raked, they liked to hang out under the windrows. When the voles were numerous, they attracted the attention of red-tailed hawks circling overhead as we were baling. Our yellow Lab Chico liked to catch them too when they were flushed from their hiding places. Then yack them up in the yard once he got home. Good times.

At the ranch we continue to notice the spring bird migration. Sunday brought the first white-throated sparrow of the season. It was mixed in with some house sparrows, juncos, and goldfinches. The white-striped head made it stand out. It won’t be much longer before we can expect to see some oriole activity. Normally they like to see more vegetation to hide in but that’ll be coming once it warms up following the rain. There are a few oranges left that they could have and a trip to Wagner’s to lay in a supply of grape jelly can’t be far behind. Poppy enjoys helping fill the bird feeders although helping may be an exaggeration. It’s usually time for her to run around the yard, disappearing from sight. Now the snow is gone, she sometimes finds something stinky to roll in. Have to teach her to wear better quality perfume.

See you next week…real good then.   

[Dotch]

Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash

The scurs threatened to take the Weather Eye in for repairs. This past week brought some wonderful mid to late March weather if you like that sort of thing, in late April. Can we count on one snow free week or does Old Man Winter have other ideas? Starting Wednesday, sunny with a slight chance of evening rain. Highs in the upper 50’s with lows in the mid-40’s. Partly sunny Thursday with a slight chance of rain and increasing chances into the overnight. Highs in the mid-60’s with lows in the mid-40’s. Mostly cloudy on Friday with a good chance of rain. Highs in the mid-50’s with lows in the upper 30’s. Saturday, partly sunny with a good chance of rain. Highs in the low 50’s with lows in the upper 30’s. Partly sunny Sunday with a modest chance of a rain shower. Highs in the upper 40’s with lows in the upper 30’s. Monday, partly sunny with a modest chance of showers. Highs in the upper 40’s with lows in the upper 30’s. Mostly cloudy on Tuesday with a continued modest chance of showers. Highs in the mid-50’s with lows in the low 40’s. On the 27th, we’ll experience 14 hours of daylight, roughly the same as we’ll see August 15th. Monday is May 1st. The normal high for May 1st is 62 and the normal low is 41. The scurs are relishing the thought of another plentiful May basket.

Crop progress is moving at a snail’s pace. After the warm days mid-month April, it’s been difficult to get a day where air temperatures get above 50 degrees since the 20th. Overnight lows have typically been in the 20’s and low 30’s as well. Aside from the cool season grasses in the lawns and ditches, there simply hasn’t been much progress to measure. Even giant ragweed isn’t setting any records. Corn planted on April 13th was observed to have a radicle about 1/16th of an inch long 10 days after planting. Some are getting anxious to plant ahead of the next system scheduled to arrive late Thursday into Friday. Soils are wet and it’s unlikely we’ll see any 80-degree temperatures and accompanying drying wind.  Fortunately growing corn isn’t always rocket science. Sometimes one gets by with pushing the planting envelope and sometimes one pays the price. Which will it be this time? Only time will tell.
 
The same criteria that govern corn and soybean production apply to lawns and gardens as well, the difference being that many of the early season garden crops and grasses are capable of handling more adversity than corn and soybeans. Vegetables such as radishes, carrots, lettuce, onions, peas, and beets are all capable of surviving cold spring weather. However, a proper seedbed is imperative. Mudding garden vegetables in works much the same as mudding any crop in. Results are usually less than rewarding. Most lawns consist of bluegrass and if you’re unfortunate to live at the ranch, there is also a fair amount of brome that creeps its way in from the road ditch. These cool season grasses are coming but they too eventually require some heat. One can detect temperature and moisture induced nutrient deficiencies in them much the same as one does with our field crops. The visual symptoms are very similar.
 
The crummy weather gave me an opportunity to replace most of the sod and much of the crushed rock from the last major snowfall event. I was fortunate to get most of it done ahead of the rain so it should heal quickly with minimal scarring. Amazing how much effort it took, not to mention the time. I’ve decided the next time I’ve got the choice between putting the blower back on and moving snow with the bucket, I’ll gladly put the blower back on. Thawed ground is not your friend when moving snow with a bucket on a sloping, curving yard. The half hour max it takes to attach the blower is a pittance compared to the hours expended raking, shoveling, and scraping after using the bucket. That or I’ll have to hire someone with a dozer to flatten the entire hilltop we live on, so it isn’t so miserable to push snow.

More white-throated sparrows have arrived at the ranch. While we only hear it over a two or three-week period, their song represents that transition from early spring into the full-blown article. That is ushered in by the song of the   brown thrasher whose vocal talents I’ve likened to Jimmy Page only with feathers. The sounds and riffs are unique but recognizable just the same. There’s no mistaking the crowing of the rooster pheasants on the edge of the yard. The plum and sumac thicket provide a safe place when courting their partners. The roosters are frequently seen slinking along through the lengthening grass on the south facing slope. Dressed in their royal plumage, they just think they’re being stealthy, especially when the sun catches them. Speaking of the sun catching them, the male goldfinches get a little brighter every day. There are no dandelions to speak of yet so when they land on the lawn, they contrast wonderfully with the greening grass.

We inch ever closer to being done lambing. One of the last two unplanned pregnancies came in Tuesday morning, healthy, and with the lamb making us aware she had landed. The ewe was hovering over her new arrival and had great milk. Hopefully it’ll continue to be a no muss no fuss affair as the temperatures warm towards more normal levels. Beats the heck out of the below zero treatment that some of her contemporaries had to contend with. Warmer temps should also accelerate the pasture growth and allow us to wean ewes and lambs sooner than later. In the meantime, the ram and a handful of ewes that lost lambs or remained open make for a pastoral scene when approaching the ranch from the south. It looks like they belong there.
 
Poppy has been able to be outside more although she’s liked the heated floor once she comes in for napping purposes. Sometimes that takes a while after she’s done chasing her ball and kong around. We still spend an inordinate amount of time looking for her toys that disappear. They turn up eventually. One day we looked high and low for her ball. Peered under, behind and on top of almost everywhere we could think of. We finally gave up. Several days later I was getting ready to put my work boots on when I saw Poppy pawing at them. Sure enough, flopped the boot over and out rolled the orange ball. My old pal Scoop used to hide his money in his shoe. I checked for money in my boot. Nothing. Poppy must’ve hidden her stash someplace else.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

Just let it shine within your mind and show you the colors that are real

The scurs threats must’ve jolted the Weather Eye. Enough is too much. Is winter finally over or will the ground hog see his shadow again? Starting Wednesday, sunny with highs in the mid-60’s and lows in the mid-40’s. Mostly sunny Thursday with a slight chance of rain into the overnight. Highs in the low 70’s with lows in the low 50’s. Partly sunny on Friday with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 60’s with lows in the low 50’s. Saturday, partly sunny with a modest chance of rain. Highs in the upper 60’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Partly sunny Sunday with a fair chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 70’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Monday, partly sunny with a slight chance of showers. Highs in the low 70’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Mostly sunny on Tuesday with highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the mid-50’s. On May 5th, the sun will rise at 6 a.m. CDT. The rate of increase on our daylight will slow to under two minutes and 30 seconds per day on the 6th. On the 9th, we’ll see 14 hours and 30 minutes of daylight, roughly the same as we’ll see August 3rd. The normal high for May 5th is 64 and the normal low is 43. The scurs are rationing their goodie supply until Farm and City Days.

May 5th also happens to mark the Full Moon for the month. It generally goes by the Full Blossom Moon but has also been called the Full Corn Planting Moon or the Full Milk Moon, as dairy cows were turned out on pasture commonly during this month. Farmers didn’t stand behind them in the stanchions for a few days afterwards. The Full Blossom Moon is rather self-explanatory. As the saying goes April showers bring May flowers as they should shortly as temperatures become closer to normal soon. The Ojibwe knew this as the Blossom Moon and the Sioux called it the Moon when Ponies Shed or the Moon of Greening Leaves. At the ranch it’s known as the Dust off the Lawnmower Moon. It’s still buried behind some stuff in the shed, not unlike several individuals I know of.

Fieldwork progressed slowly last week although some corn was planted starting Wednesday and continued until Friday afternoon’s light showers brought planters to a halt. Soil temperatures were not very impressive either with average temps at the 2” and 4” depth in the mid-40’s. Luckily, there was no major cold rain involved so at least in theory, problems should be minimal. While some planted, others decided discretion was the better part of valor and decided to bank on the warmer forecast containing scant precipitation. Nationwide, as of April 30th and based off the past 5-year average, corn was about 26% planted, about normal for that date. Soybeans were about 19% planted, 8% ahead of normal for April 30th. In MN, corn was 5% planted or roughly 18% behind normal. Soybean planting was also off the pace with only 1% planted and 7% behind normal. Given the forecast and the size of today’s equipment, we can and likely will catch up quickly.
 
Weeds are starting to show, especially some of the early season species such as giant ragweed and lambsquarters. They are tiny yet, reflecting the cold April temps. The few acres of corn planted April 12th – 14th appears to be doing OK although it too will have been in the ground for three weeks. With a radicle less than half an inch long and a coleoptile just breaking through the pericarp, it won’t emerge this week. Next week perhaps. Small grains planted April 12th are emerging, giving fields a nice green cast from the road. On closer inspection though, there are still areas in the heavier residue that are yet to fully emerge. Can you say cold soils boys and girls? I knew you could.

At the ranch, we reached a milestone. The last ewe to lamb of the season finally got the job done last Wednesday with a nice healthy buck lamb. The ewe was with the program and cooperative when we checked her for milk. The lamb was aggressive so after leaving them alone to figure it out, it didn’t take long to see they were bonded and not in need of our assistance. Many of the main group of lambs enjoy running when the temps cool down towards evening. Around dusk they begin to mill about and pretty soon it’s an all-out footrace, er, hoof-race. They’re getting close to weaning soon. Some of the same issues with the cold temps have kept pastures from being as far along as we’d like before attempting that feat. So far, we haven’t contracted COVID like we did last year about this time. It’s hard enough to get enough ambition to tangle with an entire group when we’re not sick.

Around the yard, our rhubarb is starting to make its move. Warmer temps should put it within striking distance of a pie or sauce pretty soon. A warm thundershower actually wouldn’t hurt. The rest of the garden areas are doing their thing as well. The spring bulb bed started a few years back has been a particularly bright spot. I’ve had to ask Mrs. Cheviot what a few of the things are which I forget rather quickly, just satisfied that they look nice. Probably one of the biggest surprises was the lupines that survived the winter better than anticipated. Planted from seed last spring, they came up sporadically and looked very fragile all summer. By fall, they still looked feeble, making me think they wouldn’t make the spring. Amazingly, all nine of them made it, taking advantage of the snow cover and their sheltered spot on the south side of the house. Hopefully the bunnies will leave them alone, so they’ll blossom. We’ll get to see what color the flowers are then the bumblebees can have a crack at them.
 
Poppy continues to enjoy spring and discovering her limits. Digging holes has become a popular Corgi pastime. Not so popular with us humans. A recent introduction to the electric fence once it was charged put a screeching halt to her crawling under it. More like a yelping halt actually. Another one of those teachable moments on a small livestock operation. The lawn will soon need mowing and there are plenty of reminders of what Poppy was up to much of the winter: chewing things up and once through her digestive track, depositing the remnants in the yard. Should be a colorful summer mowing lawn, seeing it fly out the chute. Let’s see, that was blue fabric. Must’ve been the blanket from the couch. Orange? That must’ve been from the cloth Frisbee that lasted less than an hour. Fluorescent green? Not exactly sure which toy that might’ve been, but betting it’s not grass.

See you next week…real good then. 

[Dotch]

I’ve got pieces of April, it’s a morning in May

The scurs had the Weather Eye tuned in once again and warmer temperatures prevailed. Is this a harbinger of things to come or will we still be stuck with pieces of April? Starting Wednesday, partly sunny with a good chance of evening showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Partly sunny Thursday with a good chance of rain in the overnight. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the low 60’s. Partly sunny on Friday with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the low 60’s. Saturday, partly sunny with a good chance of rain. Highs in the low 70’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Partly sunny Sunday with a modest chance of a shower and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-60’s with lows in the upper 40’s. Monday, mostly sunny with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the low 50’s. Partly sunny on Tuesday with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the mid-50’s. On May 13th, the sun will set at 8:30 p.m. CDT. The normal high for May 13th is 67 and the normal low is 47. The scurs have their transport of mosquito repellent ordered. Can summer be far off?

As anticipated, monumental planting progress was made over the past week. The dry start to May made soil conditions nearly ideal. A sudden change brought progress to a screeching halt on Friday and Saturday with some heavy rain in and around New Richland. Reports of up to 4” fell with roughly 2.6” over the two-day period in town itself. At the ranch to the east, approximately .9” fell over the weekend. While it wasn’t the dousing others received, it still left the soil surface too damp for field operations. Monday night’s surprise showers prolonged the dampness. Some have wondered how that earliest planted corn has fared. Quite well for the most part. Corn planted April 13th was starting to emerge when checked Monday afternoon. After the pounding rain some were concerned about crusting. Given the wet forecast, that’s unlikely. It’s still not a bad idea to figure out where your rotary hoe might happen to be just in case. The weather can turn on a dime and doesn’t give change.

The wetter weather pattern has put a hold on the garden at the ranch. It was starting to look like one of those garden at will springs. Now it’s starting to look like one of those where a burndown application to control some of the weeds might be in order before tilling can take place. Not to worry. When it gives us lemons, we make lemonade. Soil conditions were getting too dry prior to the rain to even think about expanding the garden to accommodate more vine crops including muskmelons, which we grew with great success when the garden was located in the windbreak. Now the garden is permanently on the south facing slope, it should be faster and even more suitable for melons. We’ve also discovered it’s possible to garden into the fall successfully. Staggered plantings of string beans, radishes and snap peas in the fall are welcome treats to the point that we tire of picking them.

Around the yard, the fruit trees are starting to burst into bloom. The wild plums and serviceberries started late last week. By Monday the pear trees just exploded with white flowers all the way to the top of both trees. Looks like the crabapples are right on their heels with the apples bringing up the rear. The Haralson and Fireside trees appear to be on their off year. The rabbits didn’t help matters. Getting on top of the snowbanks, they chewed a lot of the lower branches containing the flower buds off. Luckily, the Honeycrisp and SnowSweet trees are loaded with flower buds this time around. The SnowSweet tree in particular has struggled in recent years so hopefully it will live up to its potential. It would be especially nice to try making some pie with them just to see if they’re as good as I think they’d be. The rhubarb is ready after the warmer temps and beneficial rain. Auntie Mar Mar will rejoice.
 
Bird migration to the ranch had reached a virtual standstill with the cooler temps. The warmup meant game on for many of the species we’ve been waiting for. The goldfinches are sunny, and the warmer temps brought out the dandelions to provide camouflage for them. The contingent of white-throated sparrows grew so I put out the jelly feeder in late April just in case. I also put a nectar feeder out so both the orioles and hummingbirds could use it. Soon afterwards the floodgates opened, and the migration was on. There were yellow rumped warblers on the 3rd, and Harris’s sparrows seen at the ranch on the 5th. The 6th was an absolute watershed day with Baltimore orioles, rose-breasted grosbeaks, white-crowned sparrows, and a ruby throated hummingbird all gracing us with their presence. On the 7th we heard our first house wren of the season and on the 8th, a catbird was using the birdbath. Quite a week to gaze out the window into the backyard. Best of all there are many more returnees to come.
 
More fauna have been making their presence known as well. The wetland started out with western chorus frog song in the evenings and recently transitioned into American toad trilling 24/7. At night, leopard frogs and grey tree frogs can be heard adding to the mix. In the yard, of particular notice have been the red admiral butterflies whose migration can be in conjunction with that of the true armyworm moth. Sure enough, armyworm moths have been captured in the pheromone trap at the ranch. Never doubt the Boy Entomologist. Queen bumblebees have emerged from hibernation and have been noted on some of the perennial bulbs flowering by the house. Hopefully some of their offspring return to enjoy the lupines and planters Mrs. Cheviot has been assembling for them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5hHug1_JuU

https://www.umesc.usgs.gov/terrestrial/amphibians/armi/frog_calls.html

Poppy continues to take all this in as a young dog tends to do. She’s 10 months old and while still a puppy, about as curious and mobile as she’ll ever be. That means she needs nearly constant supervision. Like kids, it’s time to start worrying when it becomes quiet. Indoors, she’s developed a habit of chasing insects around, not unlike our Sheltie used to do. Say the word “bug” and Poppy begins to look around frantically for them. Outside, I had to stop her before she got into trouble. She’d found one of the aforementioned bumblebees and was about to grab it when I called her off. That might not have ended well. She has begun to shed in earnest too. Up until recently you could pick her up and get very little hair on your clothing. Now you’re so covered with fur it looks like you could try out for the Muppet Show.

See you next week…real good then.   

[mike89]

thats a cool sound track!!!   

[LPS]

Ya real cool.  Some sound more like an electrical sound than a frog. 

[Dotch]

I like smoke and lightning, heavy metal thunder

After the Weather Eye’s forecast last week, the scurs were glad to see the transport of mosquito repellent arrive right on schedule. Will this week add fuel to the fire or are we destined to dry out a tad? Starting Wednesday, sunny with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the mid-50’s. Partly sunny Thursday with a good chance of rain into the overnight. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the low 50’s. Partly sunny on Friday with a fair chance of forenoon showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-60’s with lows in the upper 40’s. Saturday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of rain. Highs in the upper 60’s with lows in the low 50’s. Sunny on Sunday with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the low 50’s. Monday, mostly sunny with a fair chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the low 60’s. Partly sunny on Tuesday with highs in the low 80’s and lows in the low 60’s. On May 23rd, we reach 15 hours of daylight. The normal high for May 23rd is 71 and the normal low is 51. The scurs will be ready to relax by a recreational evening fire. As soon as they can find some dry wood perhaps.

While rainfall was welcome up to a point, this was a little over the top for most. May rainfall totals suddenly jumped to over 12” in places, with amounts locally of up to 9” total being commonplace. In Bugtussle, 8.87” for the month and 5.75” at the ranch. Even though it’s somewhat drier, it’s still plenty wet regardless. With corn planting being 90 – 95% complete, many had set their sights on getting the soybeans done with the same efficiency as they did the corn. With measurable precipitation being recorded on 9 out of 10 days starting May 6th, it was not to be. The worst thing now is waiting for the ponded water to go down and the fields to dry up to the point where replanting can take place. Then the problem becomes where does one start and stop? While it’s a rule of thumb that crop that’s been under water for more than four days is likely dead, that isn’t always the case, especially when the crops are seedling stage. As several of my profs and mentors taught me over the years, there is more gray than black and white.
 
At the ranch it made a mess for chores. The lot where we feed the ewes and lambs became an absolute quagmire. The early winter came back to haunt once again as the pack of waste hay was frozen to the point where putting big hunks in the spreader would’ve most likely meant shearing pins. With a spreader that size, it usually means removing the frozen hunks with a pitchfork or other means before replacing the shear pins in the freezing cold. Otherwise you’ll continue shearing and replacing pins. The area became a giant sponge with the recent rains although when walking across it, there was a bottom. The sheep were anything but white after traipsing around in the slop and it wasn’t easy to stay clean doing chores either. Step wrong and manure squirted all over your pantleg. At least it’s organic.

It finally stopped raining, so it gave me time to play catch up late afternoon Monday. The bottoms and lures in the moth traps maintained for the Boy Entomologist were changed. I then discovered the electric fence wasn’t charging. When I went to unplug the fencer, the red light was on. One of the recent stormy mornings had brought with it some intense lightning and thunder. The hair-like filament in one of the one-amp fuses was nonexistent so pretty good idea what to do. Once replaced it worked as it should. Time for the lawnmower to be addressed. It was buried behind the generator. Typical as a generator is more likely to come in handy in an ice storm than a lawnmower. Then put another round bale in the lot and move the feeder again. The lot was a mucky mess that needed attention too. It took some time, but it was markedly improved when finished. I took the mulching insert off the mower and decided since I’d gone to all the work of getting it out, I’d mow some lawn. It went quickly and before I knew it, it was well after 8 p.m. Another of what promises to be many 12+ hour days.

More new arrivals in the bird department at the ranch including orchard orioles and an indigo bunting. Usually the buntings don’t stick around while the orchard orioles set up shop for the summer. They enjoy the grape jelly as much as their Baltimore counterparts. As others have reported, the Baltimore orioles have been numerous and extremely active. At the ranch I’ve counted as many as eight of them creating an orange blur as they hop from feeder to tree and back to the feeder. They’ve been vocal too. When their jelly runs out and the orange halves are gone, you hear about it in the house. It’s not like they don’t have anything else to eat as they’re also supplied with a nectar feeder. They’ll use that as a last resort, but they’d much rather have the other goodies instead.
 
Poppy soaks up as much as her puppy mind allows with the spring season unfolding. Lots of new scents, birds, and insects to chase, along with plenty of green grass to run and play in. Can definitely tell when it’s time to mow as the grass gets up to her little Corgi tummy rather quickly. Being a longtime dog owner, the spring season has me on the lookout for toads, frogs, and snakes as I mow. I purposely try to avoid hitting these small creatures. If not for their feeding on insects, mollusks, and rodents, we’d be up to our armpits in pestilence of all kinds. Sometimes, you can’t avoid running the good guys over. Once you discover you have, it’s best to clean up the mess. Otherwise, one of several things can happen: The dog can ingest them which usually leads to the dog expelling the pieces on the floor inside. Or, after a few days when the remains of the amphibian or reptile are nice and ripe, the dog will roll in them and eat them. Double your pleasure, double your fun.

See you next week…real good then. 

[Dotch]

If you want to talk fishin, well I guess that'll be OK

The scurs were glad the Weather Eye’s drier forecast arrived just in time. Will we see a dry Memorial Day, or will it snow as it did in 1992? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Sunny Thursday with highs in the upper 60’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Sunny on Friday with highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the low 50’s. Saturday, sunny with a slight chance of evening rain showers. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Sunny on Sunday with a modest chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Memorial Day, mostly sunny with a modest chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 80’s with lows in the low 60’s. Sunny on Tuesday with highs in the low 80’s and lows in the low 60’s. May 29th is Memorial Day. The normal high for May 29th is 73 and the normal low is 53. The scurs have a cookout planned so hopefully the Weather Eye will make good on their kinder, gentler forecast.
 
Crops are beginning to take shape although there will be plenty of replant and soybeans going in the ground yet this week. Fields have finally dried sufficiently to get a good, close up of the crop conditions and in some cases, it hasn’t been pretty. Rainfall on 9 out of 10 days meant mostly cloudy conditions. Very small or just planted crops meant very little evapotranspiration. As wonderful as these heavy clay loam soils can be under dry conditions, they can be equally problematic under heavy precipitation such as we just experienced, especially when relying primarily on tile drainage to remove excess water. The recent heavy rains exposed the vulnerability of some of the tile systems themselves as many were never designed to take the resulting sheer volume of water from the massive increase in tile drainage the past 30 years. When outlets are underwater, water drains slowly leaving soil saturated for longer periods than desired. Now as mentioned last week, the issue becomes how much replanting is warranted once soil conditions are dry enough? There will likely be no right answer until the combines roll come fall. Some of the earliest planted corn has reached V2 – V3 while the soybeans planted before the deluge started are V1 or unifoliate stage. Perhaps 50% of the soybeans remain to be planted as of this past Monday.

So far, the mosquitoes haven’t been the issue one might’ve suspected. The black flies or buffalo gnats on the other hand have picked up the slack for them. In and around the heavy rainfall areas they’re more than happy to annoy and bite whenever the mood strikes them. Repellents are largely ineffective so wearing long sleeved shirts and long pants is the most effective way to avoid bites. Their bites are painful and itch, sometimes leaving a red welt from their slashing, slicing mouthparts. Only the females bite, and like mosquitoes, they’re most active a few hours after sunrise and before sunset. Fortunately their small size makes it more difficult to navigate under windy conditions. We seem to have our fair share of windy stretches so at least it’s good for something.

https://extension.umn.edu/biting-insects/black-flies#common-black-fly-species-in-minnesota-1817661

As luck would have it, I contracted the alien going on two weeks ago. It started out as a scratchy throat and stuffed up head. It managed to also make me extremely tired especially at first which was OK as it was either raining or so wet very little could be done outside, including gardening. I did manage to mow the lawn. Some of it was getting overgrown to the point that it looked like something had chewed it off. Fortunately, I noted others in the area had lawns that looked very similar. The warmer temps have moved the lawn along so it will be time to get after it again this week. The garden has dried some too although there is a fair weed infestation to run through the tiller. Last Saturday I resorted to a burndown treatment to deal with the weeds. Once they’re mowed off, it should make matters much easier.
 
It looks as though we’re finally done lambing, maybe. One of the two show yearlings from last year we thought was open recently began showing signs that she was bagging up. Not exactly what we were hoping for when we put her in with the rest of the brood ewes last fall. As was fully expected there would be a little lamb running around the pasture one day in the near future. That day was Tuesday. After chores there was bellering and sure enough, a ewe with lamb at side in the upper pasture. It took a little coaxing but within a few minutes, the little tyke was corralled with mom following close behind. After closing doors, opening gates and plopping the lamb in the pen, the ewe hopped in behind her. What hopefully is the end of the Ronco lambing season. But wait, there’s more!

More birds have arrived including common yellowthroats and warbling vireos. The vireos are hard to see but their burbling song seems never ending some mornings. Poppy has an interest in the birds, primarily chasing them around the yard. Robins are her favorites as they are frequently bobbing around the yard looking for nightcrawlers. That seems to be Poppy’s activity at night when we let her out for potty time. We watch as she waits, then pounces in the grass. The lawn is loaded with nightcrawlers as evidenced by the castings and resulting rough ride on the lawnmower. After several minutes of that, she has to be reminded that it’s time to do her business. Of course, maybe Poppy is trying to tell us she wants to go fishing. Sounds like a plan.

See you next week…real good then.

[Dotch]

See the dog and butterfly

With no rain or snow the scurs were proud of the forecast generated by the Weather Eye. Will they be singing the same tune next week at this time or singing the blues? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with a good chance of a late afternoon thunderstorm. Highs in the mid-80’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Mostly sunny Thursday with a fair chance of a daytime shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 80’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Mostly sunny on Friday with a good chance of a daytime shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 80’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Saturday, sunny with a fair chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 80’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Mostly sunny on Sunday with a modest chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 80’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Monday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-80’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Partly sunny on Tuesday with a good chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the low 60’s. The Full Moon for this June falls on the 3rd. The normal high for June 3rd is 75 and the normal low is 55. The scurs are welcoming the summer after the never-ending winter by testing out their AC.

Saturday marks the Full Moon for the month and it is aptly named the Full Strawberry Moon as this delicacy is only available during this time of year. On shortcake with whipped cream, ice cream, angel food cake, in malts, in jam, and the list goes on. Tough to beat this tasty berry and especially when they’re fresh out of the strawberry patch. The Ojibwe and Sioux agreed on this one with both tribes naming this moon in honor of the strawberry. Unfortunately at the ranch, we have no strawberry patch, yet, anyway. We’re stuck with Moon when Bread Molds Quickly or Corgi Hair along Baseboards Moon.

Crops responded well to the heat although there was no bringing some of the large thin spots or nonexistent spots back to life. This has probably been the worst spring season for replanting crops locally that I can ever remember. The timing of the heavy May rains couldn’t have been much worse along with the duration of cloudy days occurring as part of it. Making the call on corn was probably easier as the areas where corn was missing, plants were not coming or were going to be so late emerging those plants wouldn’t have contributed much if anything to the yield. The more difficult question was whether to tear up entire fields or just stab in some corn in the holes. Every field was different and there was no one size fits all rule.

Soybean stand assessment was more problematic because there are/were still plants trying to emerge with potential to fill in the gaps. However, as temperatures remained warm and no rain fell, in some fields soybean seedlings began to snap off below the cotyledon. When that happens, the seedling is done even though the stem will remain green for a while. Too many of those coupled with a thin stand spell trouble. Most times soybeans manage to maintain a stand that even though it’s thin, it will yield just fine. Not always the case this time around. The tale of the tape when measuring the actual stand is critical. What looks good from the road can be deceiving.
 
At the ranch, we finally made some progress on the garden. Amazing how quickly the soil conditions changed from saturated to dry and hard as a brick. Moving the garden to a south facing slope was a good idea for the potential of planting earlier. Not unlike cash grain cropping, that involves getting the ground into shape for the following spring. When that doesn’t happen, it takes a lot more effort to get the garden whipped into shape come spring. Fortunately we have access to water so we can easily supplement the fruits and vegetables if need be. It’s already become clear that some of the plants around the house have benefitted from supplemental watering. Eventually it usually rains and the worries we had about drought and watering become a distant memory. Let’s hope so. Otherwise it’ll be a long summer.
 
The yard changes in a hurry once it warms up. All the apples are long since done flowering as are the lilacs that seemed to flower earlier than normal this year. Usually they’re a Memorial Day phenomenon. Even the aronia berries and nannyberries have finished blossoming. Preliminary observations on the fruit trees are encouraging. The pear trees, both the Parker and Patten appear to be loaded. The apples are more of a mixed bag, with the Haralson and Fireside trees taking a break. There may be a few apples on both trees but nothing like they’re capable of in their “on” year. The Honeycrisp might not have quite as many apples on it as last year but there will likely still be plenty. The apple tree to keep a close watch on is our SnowSweet. It appears poised to have a breakout year. Hopefully early impressions hold true for the remainder of the growing season. While it’s a later apple, the sampling we’ve had makes them well worth the wait.
 
Poppy continues enjoying her outdoor time, especially chasing some birds but especially the insects. Her interests include the hummingbirds that get close enough so she can almost grab them. Mourning doves tend to stick tight until the last second, making good chasing candidates. Inside, chasing flies and ladybugs keeps her occupied. Outdoors, her favorite butterflies are the red admirals with their herky-jerky flight pattern. She’ll never catch one so they’re in little danger.  June bugs are another time consuming pastime, especially at night when they’re active. Poppy can spend a lot of time dawdling, chasing them around in the dark. Usually this occurs during her last potty break when we want to go to bed. Poppy continues to have close calls with some of the bumblebees visiting Mrs. Cheviot’s numerous planters. One of these times she’ll grab one and there won’t be any mistaking what happened. Who knew we had a budding ornithologist and entomologist in our midst?

See you next week…real good then. 

[Dotch]

I ain't 'fraid of no ghost

The scurs are focusing their concern on the Weather Eye’s inability to deliver much desired rain. Are their worries justified or are they all for naught? Starting Wednesday, partly sunny with a slight chance of a thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Mostly sunny Thursday with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the upper 50’s. Mostly sunny on Friday with a fair chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the low 80’s with lows in the low 60’s. Saturday, partly sunny with a good chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the low 80’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Sunny on Sunday with highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Monday, sunny with highs in the low 80’s and lows in the mid-50’s. Partly sunny on Tuesday with a modest chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the low 80’s with lows in the low 60’s. On June 7th our gain in daylight slows to just below one minute per day. From June 13th, we will increase our daylength by roughly two more minutes on the summer solstice. The normal high for June 13th is 78 and the normal low is 58. At least the scurs can dial the AC down a tad given the forecast.

Crops responded well to the heat with corn planted the first week in May at V5 (five collars) on Monday. By the time this reaches print, it will likely be V6, the same as the April planted corn was, which will likely be V7. There are some getting excited about applying additional N in places. One needs to know their rainfall amounts before getting trigger happy. Corn outside of the heavy rainfall area looks phenomenal. Some are looking at it strictly from an expense and price perspective. There is no one size fits all answer to whether it’s a paying proposition. Corn planted on soybean ground in particular looked vastly improved after this past weekend as the corn plant’s root system converts from the temporary seminal or primary root system to the permanent nodal root system. The latter will carry the plant for the remainder of the season. Something to keep in mind if nitrogen is applied and soils remain dry, it will not move. It becomes positionally unavailable with the roots moving deeper in the soil profile in search of moisture. Roots do not grow in dry soil.

The past week showed just how spotty some of the rainfall has been. Last Friday afternoon a downpour just east of town refilled all the potholes and areas that had been replanted with water in a matter of a few minutes. Likewise near Hope where low spots remained full of water yet Saturday morning on my feed run. On either side of Friday’s downpour east of Bugtussle, there was .05” in town and .06” at the ranch, barely enough to wet the sidewalk for any length of time. From a broader perspective, the Drought Monitor is beginning to show drought creeping into parts of the eastern corn belt. That could make a rough ride as those soils don’t have the moisture holding capacity we have locally and rely on more heavily on abundant rainfall over the course of the growing season. Though we cursed some of our soils a few weeks ago, they could still be our ace in the hole as the season progresses.

The garden at the ranch is still in relative infancy but it’s closer to completed at least for the late spring-early summer planting. Some of the 32 hills of vine crops are starting to emerge so that meant the electric fence had to be moved before the sheep discovered they had something new to eat in the scorched off area of their pasture. It cooled off enough Monday night and the breeze kept the mosquitoes at bay long enough to accomplish that task. Still awaiting the emergence of the string beans and the recently planted sweet corn. Some of the 16 tomatoes are struggling with transplant shock due to the heat and lack of rain. It’s hard to keep them watered sufficiently when some of the leggy plants were trenched in, still trying to support a large factory. On the other hand, the dozen pepper plants barely noticed they were transplanted and adapted quickly. Good thing the bunny guards are in place.

The flowering pots Mrs. Cheviot has around the house are in midseason form after this week of heat. The hummingbirds have taken note, dining on nectar from salvia and petunias. They also know when the nectar feeders are being cleaned and refilled. Sunday when I headed out the door with the clean feeder, a little male hummer with his ruby red throat-patch greeted me face to face, trying to get at it. He wasted little time once the feeder was rehung to feast on its contents. I took down a couple of the suet feeders and replaced them with nectar feeders. There should be fewer territorial squabbles over what feeder belongs to whom.
 
Had been wondering how the bat population was coming with the recent outbreak of mosquitoes. Looking at the sky after dusk, could see no evidence of bats in existence. Then last weekend as I was sitting at the confuser I felt the sudden swoosh of air blowing by and a shadow quickly pass above me. Thought maybe it was just a ghost or something so didn’t think much of it. I felt the swoosh again and looked up to see a bat making a U turn in the hallway. Battle stations! I quickly alerted Mrs. Cheviot who grabbed a tennis racquet while I armed myself with a straw broom. After several swings and misses Mrs. Cheviot brought down the flying mammal with her wicked forehand smash. We quickly swept the stunned creature onto the racquet, clamped the broom over the top of it and tossed it outside. Obviously, it wasn’t mortally wounded as it flew off. Was glad it did. The odds of it getting back into the house were small and the odds of it eating more mosquitoes were greater.

Poppy has begun eyeing the bed more and more. One morning when she was on the loose inside, and I hoisted her up so she could see what it was all about. After playing puppy for a while, she found a spot to sleep by my feet. Not long after that she snuggled in against my back. When I was getting dressed for work Tuesday, I could see Poppy looking to see how she could get up there. I may have started something I’ll wish I hadn’t. No question in my mind that if she gets a head of steam up during one of her zoomies, she’d clear the foot of the bed with ease, making a landing about like a Cox airplane on an aircraft carrier. Not sure that’d be a good thing. There’s plenty of extremely fine dog hair all over the house to begin with. Not sure I need it in bed with me too.

See you next week…real good then.