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

11/14/05

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See you next week…real good then.

Now That's the NEWS! Thanks Dotch.

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See you next week…real good then.

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PS – Thanks for the cookies Lorraine!

See you next week…real good then.

Hawks and doves...the real kind.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See you next week…real good then.

Quote:

---

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

---

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Merry Christmas!

See you next week…real good then.

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



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

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

From the heart of downtown Bugtussle...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See you next week…real good then.

One good nap deserves another...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See you next week…real good then.

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