Out here in the fields...

While shooting a little low on the high temps once again, the scurs were glad to see Indian Summer finally appear. The warmer conditions should stay with us through Friday then be seasonal through early next week. Highs Wednesday should be 65 with a low of around 40. Thursday cools slightly with a high of 55 and a low of 40. Friday should see a high near 50 and lows of 30 – 35. Saturday through Tuesday look for highs around 40 and lows of 20 – 25. Normal high is 43 and normal low is 26. A chance of rain from Thursday night through Friday night, changing to snow on Saturday. No heavy accumulations, just light precipitation. The snow on Saturday will remind the scurs to pick up their mushy pumpkins soon.

The dry soil conditions in the southern part of Waseca Co. are beginning to raise some concern amongst some farmers. While we are dry, that can change pretty rapidly by spring. Of particular concern right now is whether or not the ground is sealing behind the anhydrous applicator. The nose is still the best method of detection. Most of the unworked soybean stubble appears to have adequate moisture for the ammonia to adhere to while corn ground that has been deep tilled remains somewhat of a question mark in areas.

Gus and Lucy got to go for a ride on Saturday to one of their favorite spots, namely Krause’s at Hope. It’s been a destination for sheep supplies for years and like many things, the dogs seem to know it. When I give them the “ Alright, jump in”, they don’t have to be told twice and they’re in the truck. They’re always well behaved, unlike what we kids used to be. No burning things with the cigarette lighter, playing with the radio, no fighting. Mom probably wished she had been raising border collies rather than kids some days.

After polishing off one of my patented Sunday afternoon powernaps, I went out to finish the last of the harvest in the garden. There were still birdhouse gourds to harvest so collected them and put them in a good spot to dry. There were nearly fifty of them and thought to myself if they were occupied by wrens, no one would ever sleep past 4:30 AM in June and July. In the garden, the blue jays have been occupying their time in the sunflower patch and the piles of sunflower hulls under the rows reminded me of those bars where you throw the peanut shucks on the floor.

Was interesting to note that the striped cucumber beetles were active on that warm afternoon. They were crawling out from under the leftover green pumpkins where they’d been hiding to dine on the decaying skin. A little unusual for November 5th. Also seen on the south side of the barn were plenty of boxelder bugs with a smattering of ladybugs mixed in for good measure. The ladybugs haven’t been as bad in the house thus far but the boxelder bugs have more than made up for their absence. And, yes, boxelder is one word. Stupid old spell check.

With the dry weather, the evening goose music has been at a minimum but one of those Full Moon evenings there was the distinctive sound up high of some lesser Canadian geese moving through. With fall tillage underway, the seagulls are making an appearance as the good, black earth is opened up, revealing all sorts of invertebrates for them to feast upon. The perpetual strings of blackbirds are back, stretching often for miles, then setting down in a small spot, only to take off like a cloud of flies to their next destination.

Pat in the drugstore noted that women don’t call their friends little fat buddies while men on the other hand seem to accept it. For instance the other day, one of the little fat buddies asked me if I was wearing my wife’s shirt, implying that it appeared rather tight. Tossed in that I’d left it in the dryer too long and came back at him that coat he was wearing made him look chunky around the middle. He explained it was just too large for him. Granted, we both may have to invest in one of those travel gyms on TV that attaches to any doorknob, eventually, perhaps. While women may talk about being overweight, they apparently don’t ride each other like we little fat buddies do. Which begs the question: Do women have little skinny buddies instead?

See you next week...real good then.

If I get there before the snow flies...

Looks like another mess the scurs have gotten us into. Friday’s snow was a surprise as was the greasy skid stuff on Monday morning. They promise to do better this week with a more seasonal temperature and somewhat drier precipitation pattern in place. Normal high is 39 and normal low is 22. Wednesday appears to be the clinker for the week, with a high of 35 and a low of 25 with a slight chance of snow in the morning hours. Thursday through next Tuesday we should see highs between 40 and 45 perhaps flirting with the 50’s. Lows for the same timeframe will range from 20 to 25. Best of all, this should represent a sunny stretch for a change. The scurs are starting to thaw a 40 lb. Thanksgiving turkey that escaped from Greg and Donna’s barn.

Most weather observers seem to be agreeing with Al’s woolly bear caterpillar prognostication that this will be a warmer than normal winter. The latest NWS model gives the next 3 months a 52% chance of being warmer than normal. With El Nino continuing to be a factor in the Pacific, this should come as no surprise.

On clear nights, the Big Dipper is a prominent feature in the northwestern sky. Saturn is visible high in the southeastern sky around 6 a.m. and Mercury will be visible near the upper tip of the crescent moon low in the southeastern sky on November 19th around 6 a.m. Of course if it’s cloudy, you won’t see these events. Go figure!

The weather was the story of the past week, going from Indian Summer and 82 degrees in Mankato on Wednesday to 8” of snow 48 hours later, not to mention single digit lows Saturday morning. Some including myself heard thunder during this snowfall, reminding me of the first time I’d heard thundersnow. Think I was in 7th grade and I could’ve sworn we were being attacked by the Soviet Union! Oh well, was a good old fashioned blizzard and at least we got out of school a couple days. Temperature here this past Saturday morning was 5 above, making me glad I’d plugged the tractor in for the next days festivities.

Was time again to clean the pack manure out of the barn and get it hauled out to the field where it can be used by the crops. So, anyway, if you think about it, manure is not really that bad a word. I mean, it's 'newer', which is good, and a 'ma' in front of it, which is also good. Ma-newer , right? With the snow, drove out there first without a load just to see if it would work before getting stuck with a full spreader. It was fine so the games began. The 40-odd year old New Idea 210 spreader made yet another season but not before some minor repair with factory original baling wire. They just don’t make ‘em like they used to.

Had some company while barn cleaning too. There were several grackles in the barn itself and a very unafraid, young male red-winged blackbird was there too, rummaging for any spilled grain I might turn up with the skid loader. Thought it was a female at first but the dull red shoulders were a giveaway. In the yard this past week, the suet has been attracting nuthatches, hairies, downies and my favorite the red-bellied woodpecker. For some reason, most of the woodpeckers appear to be female.

At the Mall for Men have been trying to expand our cultural awareness. After studying French the week before, this week we’ve been into folklore. We researched topics such as snow plowed under causing the ground to turn sour, horse doo-doo being just that as far as a fertilizer source and reducing nitrogen application rates due to the nitrogen falling to the ground as snow. These of course are all myths to some degree and since the little fat buddies only deal in the truth, you know we won’t be spreading any falsehoods. Just remember, a fartin’ horse never tires, a fartin’ man’s the man to hire.

And finally, ES from Brooklyn NY, the only person who writes to me with any frequency whatsoever, was in town recently. Always a treat to visit with someone who finds the gang at the Mall for Men and surrounds fascinating. Luckily for her, she was there on one of the special days when we actually admit women. And, to mark the occasion, we gave her some lovely parting gifts from our little den of iniquity.

See you next week…real good then.

She's got legs, she knows how to use them

Took until Sunday to see very much sun but the scurs got very close on the temperatures for most days. Still there is always room for improvement and improvement we shall have: Thanksgiving week and Thanksgiving Day in particular should provide it. Wednesday and Thursday of this week should offer us highs in the lower 50’s and lows between 30 and 35. Friday will cool somewhat with a high temperatures of 45 – 50 and a low of 25. Saturday is back closer to reality with a high of 35 – 40 and a low of 20. Sunday through Tuesday should be back to reality with a high of 35 and lows near 20. Normal Thanksgiving Day high is 37 and low is 19. The scurs will have the turkey giblets all to themselves.

Speaking of coming home, loaded the sheep up from the kindly neighbors pasture and brought them back to the ranch. Lucy was along but this year, there was little for her to do. With the snow, was feeding some hay in the morning so they were bellering when I pulled up. Tossed a few slices in the barn and like magic, they all went in. Managed to pull the sliding door shut and came around with the truck and trailer, backing it tight against the door so there would be no escapees. Opened the trailer door and 4 of the dummies jumped aboard. Placed hay in the trailer and the rest followed. Almost as easy as loading up the little fat buddies I though to myself. Put coffee and food in front of them and they’ll go almost anyplace.

The sheep came home to a pasture that still has some forage value and to freshly cleaned barns. One casualty though of the barn cleaning: The old spreader finally bit the dust on the last of the 25 loads. The baling wire no longer held it together and after about 1/3 of the way through the load, things flew apart. The only good thing? It’s alot easier to pitch it off than it is to pitch it on.

Sunday was the day we’ve all been waiting for. After seeing the clearing line setting just off to our west for much of last week, a full day of sunshine was just what the doctor ordered. While moving some animals around, could hear some bluebirds passing through. Unloading some of feed equipment later, couldn’t figure out what was thrashing around in the corn I’d left for the pheasants on the west side of the garden. What else? Pheasants! An even dozen suddenly blasted out of there and flew off into the CRP. As much racket as they were making, would’ve guessed it was cattle.

The winter birds are continuing to populate the yard but aren’t feeding with any degree of urgency. And why should they? There is plenty of food in CRP acreages and with no snow, it’s accessible. The starlings have showed up again and it’s getting about time to place the feeder where only the woodpeckers and nuthatches can get at it; mounted and hung on the underside of a board.

While driving past St. Olaf Lake on the way to the cancer benefit, noted all the ducks and geese that were navigating in and around the skim ice. Squirrels were out in force along the edge of the road, apparently enjoying the sunshine and the fact the hawks were nowhere to be seen. Even the boxelder bugs hadn’t thrown in the towel just yet. Upon returning home, they crawled along the south wall of the barn, slowing as the shadows of the rose-colored late afternoon sun began to grow long.

Had a nice visit with the editor the other day while standing in the checkout line at the grocery store. Doubled my salary, again. Try doing that in Minneapolis. Never met Kugie though. Bet he’s just like Sid Hartman except he writes better and isn’t rude to people on his call-in show.

While Thanksgiving traditionally causes more travel than any other holiday, our tradition has been that we don’t travel and instead just cocoon. It always means a medium sized hen turkey cooked on the grill, basted with any number of secret herbs and spices, as well as fruit juices and various kinds of jelly combined in the blender. The smell is heavenly and the flavor is, well, just as heavenly. The leftovers feed us for the better part of a week but with the advent of the microwave, they are looked forward to. As for my favorite part of the turkey, some figure me for a leg man. I don’t need legs. I have legs.

See you next week...real good then.

I need to get back home to cool cool rain

After consuming mass quantities of turkey and Pepto-Bismol, the scurs are ready to do battle with the forecast once again. Last week found us enjoying warmer than normal temperatures and getting more days of it than we bargained for. The other shoe is about to drop however. Wednesday brings a chance of snow/rain a high of 30 -35 and a low of around 10. Cooler yet on Thursday with a high of 20 and a low near 5 above. Friday should mark the beginning of a slight warming trend as the high should reach 25 and the low will be 15. Saturday and Sunday’s high should be 30 with a low of 15. Warmer still Monday as highs go above freezing at 35 with lows near 20. Tuesday’s high possibly back to 40. Normal high for November 30th is 33 and the low is 15. The scurs put the Hawaiian Tropic on the shelf for another year though. At least they can stay warm by the calendar.

The Full Moon will occur on December 4th, and is known as The Full Cold Moon or the Long Night’s Moon. The moon spends nights are indeed long and the trajectory of the moon is high because it is opposite of a low trajectory sun.

Some much needed precipitation in the form of rain finally fell Sunday night over much of South Central MN. While the last vestiges of the November 10th snow were still evident in the fencelines and road ditches, that precipitation also soaked in so we are possibly getting a late start on our fall recharge. However, once the ground freezes, the precipitation of course will do little to benefit stored soil moisture. It may be of some value to recharge those shallow wetlands that have remained dry for much of the autumn season.

Wednesday was one of those days off that really wasn’t. Took off from work in the morning to work around home to take advantage of some of the weather. Needed to remove the shrubs and bushes from around the house as they were in need of replacement. Besides, a sawed-off Swede was convinced they were going to be a nuisance when it came time for residing and window replacement. Felt bad as the tractor yanked them out rather easily, somewhat surprising given the fact they’d been there for 40 some odd years. They had been home and shelter to thousands of little birds over the years as the multitude of nests attested to. Still, they will be replaced by even more bird friendly shrubs.

Was rather fascinated by some of the things that Ten Eye Ta Ta’s old pal Aaron found as he ran the trencher to lay the new underground cable. A part of an old steering wheel and a broken guard off a sickle mower were the only artifacts of note. Nice to know someone else broke things too. Of course there were several rocks but no evidence of cream cans of money or any traveling salesmen buried around the yard.

Thanksgiving was truly a day to be thankful for, a beautiful day of warmth as well as sunshine, something all too rare this time of year. The Thanksgiving turkey was a success prepared on the grill under Gus’s watchful eye. The turkey was even more succulent than I had hoped. Inside, Mrs. Cheviot had cooked up a storm making it hard to go outside although after opening the cover of the grill to baste the bird, one realized that wasn’t all bad either. After we ate and lounged awhile, the sheep were treated to their annual meal of leftover pumpkins upon their return from the lower pasture. After all the cold weather the pumpkins were more like flattened orange basketballs. Sheep didn’t seem to care as they squabbled over them.

Friday, after swatting boxelder bugs and getting the shed cleaned up so the screening wagons could be put away, decided to take a break and check out the CRP one last time before the likelihood of more snow. Was a nice dry walk but the area where the pond basin was still muddy. Given some rains, it should hold water when some accumulating precipitation occurs. A buck scrape was evident on a small cottonwood sapling. What stood out on my journey though was the number of pheasants encountered. I lost track after ten or so and what impressed me was, I didn’t thoroughly cover the area. Had to wonder how many I had walked by or simply never saw.

The new confuser continues to confuse. After changing to newer software it’s automatically updated some of it already. Hadn’t figured out the first stuff yet. It’s almost like someone cleaned my office and rearranged everything twice and didn’t tell me where they put anything.

See you next week…real good then.

I am just a dreamer but you are just a dream...

The scurs prediction of a warm up was delayed slightly, but this week should see warmer temperatures once again. Fortunately we were spared the wrath of the snowstorm that tracked to our south. Highs starting Wednesday and Thursday should be with lows in the single digits both days. Highs for Friday edge back up to 30 with a low of 20 and for the weekend through next Tuesday the scurs are predicting highs above freezing. Highs of 35 and lows of around 20 should be on tap for that timeframe. Normal high is 30 and normal low is 12. The scurs are gleaning shoppers for weather forecasting tools to gain an edge for Santa’s Christmas Eve forecast.

Celestial happenings include the conjunction of the planets Mercury, Jupiter and Mars low in the southeast horizon this coming Sunday shortly before dawn. Unfortunately if you have a tree line to gaze over or it’s cloudy, they may be difficult to see.

This time of year, weather predominates much of our conversation and rightly so. So much of what we do is impacted daily by it. Last Tuesday’s rain amounts of between 1” – 1.5” did help to recharge some of the seasonal wetlands. The pond here got back to about mid-September levels. However, there was never a time when there was water in it that I could hunt waterfowl on it. Next year I’m not buying a waterfowl license until the day before I’m ready to go. St. Olaf Lake has frozen over finally but the ice is pretty shaky for anyone thinking about venturing forth. No fish is worth dying for.

The longer term weather outlook appears more promising. El Niño is still a major climatic feature in the Pacific and should moderate our temperatures soon. As long as El Niño remains strong, the cold snaps should be of short duration as this last one was. Warm air coming off the Pacific will move our flow more westerly and zonal in nature, and help push the colder air north farther. Because the air masses come across the mountains, precipitation usually falls out of them on the windward side and they are generally rather dry by the time they reach us.

The cooler temps of last week increased the amount of suet consumed by the downy, hairy and red-bellied woodpeckers as well as the nuthatches. The house finches come and go but the goldfinches are conspicuously absent at this point. Last year by this time they were eating us out of house and home.

Seed catalogs have already begun to arrive. Just barely got everything off of last year’s adventure. Did soil test it however, something that was long overdue. Interesting to note where the old cattle lot was likely located once upon a time. The high soil fertility levels last and veggies reflect it as well.

At the Mall for Men, we’ve been discussing the virtues of nose, back and ear hair. Oddly enough, the growth is inversely proportional to the growth of hair on our melons. Around the little fat buddy training table, it’s a well known fact that if we put leftover food on it, it will be consumed by the next morning. We’re also positive that Carhartts shrink more than they used to. Maybe I should buy some gum. Now see, this is what the holidays are all about. Three buddies, sitting around, chewing gum, huh?

Was called into action recently to help a damsel in distress. We’ll call her “Sue”. She was out having a heater while on break at One Stop and came running towards my truck frantically. “Mark, can you look at this cat over here. I think it’s dead.” My animal husbandry and curiosity about dead animal instincts kicked in so I went over to check it out. Sure enough, under a hood covering a compressor motor there was a cat laying there in a rather strange pose. Given the racket from the motor, had my doubts as to whether it was alive. When I got close enough, gave it the old “kitty, kitty” call. Sure enough, the grubby looking feline opened one eye, looked at me, stretched, then went back to sleep. Renowned napper that I am, had to respect and admire that kind of talent given the noise involved.

See you next week…real good then.

When I break down just a little and lose my head...

The scurs were back on track once again, predicting warmer than normal and little precip. Everyone save the ice fishermen is pleased with our recent good fortune in the temperature department. Most of this coming week will be similar but by next week, we may be back to near normal. For Wednesday through next Sunday look for highs of near 40 with lows tracking from 20 – 25. Monday’s high will be near 30 and low near 10. Tuesday will be a little cooler, with a high of 25 and a low of 10. Normal high for December 15th is 27 and normal low is 9. The scurs have plenty of time to finish their shopping, as long as the stores stay open late Christmas Eve.

Sat through a talk this past week by Mark Seeley, Extension Climatologist and was introduced to a term known as “Flash Drought”. What is meant by this? As Dr. Seeley points out, “flash drought refers to a relatively sudden drought onset brought on by the prolonged absence of significant precipitation during the middle of a hot growing season”. We certainly did that, going from a moisture surplus to a moisture deficit in June. Statewide, this was the 3rd driest July since 1895. It was also the hottest July since 1936, ranking 5th all-time. However, 1936 had multiple 100 degree days whereas July 2006 gained its place due to multiple overnight temperatures in the 80’s. Sweating to the oldies or just oldies sweating?

The Geminid meteor shower will be at its peak on December 14th. Best hours to look start about 9 PM. If the 14th happens to be cloudy, the days either side of the 14th should provide very adequate viewing. Look to the east and fairly high in the sky.

Gus and Lucy are on a hair trigger since construction started at the ranch. Even the slightest bump in the night seems to set them off. Not that anyone would try to kidnap them for keeping the neighborhood awake. How can that be the dog? We’ll get him to bark!

Heard one last bluebird on Saturday and while I didn’t see it, the song is pretty unmistakable and there are reports of them still being in MN as of this past weekend. Also saw a bald eagle about a half mile to the south of home. No mistaking that one; the striking white head and tail feathers, not to mention the huge size made for excellent viewing on the way in to work.

Took advantage of the warm Saturday afternoon and finally got the tree wrap in place on the small trees that dot our yard and windbreak. While there’s still time to protect them, there was already evidence that the vermin, namely cottontail rabbits had been chewing on them. Rabbit numbers the past several years have been high as evidenced by the number of them killed in the road. Up until a few years ago, about the primary critters one saw as road kill were raccoons, skunks and opossums. Maybe the bunnies have been taking road crossing lessons from them. If matters don’t improve, I will take up arms a la Elmer Fudd. Be vewwwy, vewwwy quiet…

The Gopher men’s hockey team continues to roll, sweeping Michigan Tech over the weekend. After seeing the debacle of their men’s basketball team, one has to have one winter sports team from their alma mater worth following. Always concerns me when they’re rated #1midseason though. Tough to keep the momentum going for an entire season.

Contracted the alien once again so this will probably be a somewhat abridged column. Has been awhile and since getting a flu shot, figured I’d be safe. Sunday, after chores, got chills and thrills, followed by burning up and my whole body aching. Decided this was not your garden variety cold virus so laid low while it ran its course. Still operating about ¾ speed but at least the chills are gone and hopefully am on the mend.

See you next week…real good then.

OK... you set yourself up for this one... Have you ever ran at 100% full speed? Hope that you are feeling better soon. Oh... any geese down your way that we need to thinned out? Might as well use that license for something this year! Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

Sorry Jimbo, with the building project in full swing, Christmas rapidly approaching on the horizon, end of year business at work and the wife tired but cranky, goose hunting is a fading memory for this season. After the 1st, would expect to get some ice fishing in--if we ever get any ice that is.

Have a holly jolly Christmas...

Another warmer than normal week in the books but the scurs are thinking our luck is about to run out at least temporarily. Wednesday may usher in some precipitation but will likely start out as liquid Wednesday night turning to snow on Thursday. Highs for Wednesday through Friday should reach 35 with lows hovering near 25. Saturday and Sunday will bring with them slightly cooler weather with highs around 30 and lows of 20. For Christmas Day and Tuesday, look for highs near 35 and lows around 15 Normal high for Christmas Day is 24 and normal low is 5. Chance of rain/snow mix possible for Tuesday. The scurs are all snug in their beds, while visions of Mark Seeley’s “Minnesota Weather Almanac” danced in their heads.

Lucy and Gus seem to be getting in the Christmas spirit and since Lucy’s 10th birthday was the 18th, we had to be extra nice to her. Even let her stay up a little past her bedtime to watch her favorite show: Dog the Bounty Hunter.

At the Mall for Men we continue to slave away in preparation for Christmas by taste testing any number of delicacies that happen to hit the training table. So far there hasn’t been anything that hasn’t passed certification, although two of the “green” little fat buddies (meaning John Deere not environmentalist) are requesting more samples.

A week or so ago, one of my favorite gardening cohorts stopped in with a jar of my favorite homemade condiment: Horseradish. Since it froze up too fast for me to get at our patch, had to welcome that gesture. For some reason, the locally grown product is sweeter than the store bought. More recently, I received a padded envelope in the mail from the Steele Co. Soil and Water Conservation District. Had no idea what it might be but upon opening it, discovered it was a bag of seed including prairie cordgrass, fringed sedge, bottlebrush sedge, manna grass, softstem bulrush, green bulrush and many other assorted wetland seeds. Another Festivus miracle!

This seed was to be dormant seeded around the wetland this winter so with the beautiful Saturday I took the liberty of mixing the seed with some oats and spreading it where it looked like there was the least amount of natural wetland vegetation. There are already some areas of the wetland that have some nice cattails, bulrushes and sedges but am not sure exactly what types the rushes and sedges are. Also cleaned up some of the undesirable woody vegetation such as boxelder and soft maple. Hopefully if this is kept in check until the first burn we’ll do a good job of controlling it permanently.

Bird activity with the warm weather has included more red-tailed hawks and kestrels or sparrow hawks. Was wondering if they were finding enough to eat as the red-tail was eating some road kill. However, in my foray into the CREP acres, found several voles or field mice on the loose so the hawks shouldn’t be wanting for lack of prey. Saw a few goldfinches on Sunday, the first noted in quite some time. In the morning the Chinese chickens (pheasants) crow in their garden food plot as we stumble out the door to do chores. Canada geese are still in evidence too. Can hear goose music near sundown as they head for open water. They’ve kept an area open in Beaver Lake and noticed now that St. Olaf Lake has opened up again, they’ve been working on that as well.

Am checking my shopping list for the staff of the Star. Made sure I got Betty some bling-bling. Think she might get mad if I wrapped up one of my company advertising spatulas? For Ray I got some irradiated beef; you could even say it glows! For Reed, a free haircut from Kim across the street. For Al Batt, I got the newest version of Trivial Pursuit. Would be suicide to play him however. For Kugie, I need to find a new athletic supporter but will have to consult the Captain to get the right size. For Dick Herfindahl, some wax worms. Think there are still some in the portable storage shed/fish house left from last year. For Jim, a donation has been made in your name to the Human Fund. They wouldn’t take old Fencelines columns. (sigh)

Merry Christmas…real good then.

All is quiet on New Years Day...

The scurs liked last week’s forecast so well they’re going to go with one very similar for the upcoming week. More of the same with highs running from 30 – 35 for the upcoming week and lows running between 20 and 25. The only possible fly in the ointment? An increased chance for snow and/or rain starting on Wednesday or Thursday. Normal high for New Year’s Day is 23 and normal low is 3. After counting up all the shekels they’ve saved on heating bills thus far, the scurs figure to throw one tremendous New Year’s bash.

Days are finally starting to get slightly longer although the sun continues to rise later until January 5th. The sun sets a minute earlier every couple days from the winter solstice December 21st on while the sun rises a minute later every four days or so. Not a big difference but it beats a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

Got through Christmas in one piece although was beginning to wonder as I spied people placing packages in my vehicle when uptown to get the mail. No explosions ensued although my waistline will explode if I don’t share all the goodies with my little fat buddies.

Speaking of little fat buddies, the other afternoon at the in-laws I was shot so decided to rest my eyes a minute after eating a sizeable meal and a dessert that hit bottom like a cement block. It was lights out for about two hours while the relatives chatted. Woke up just in time to drive home, go to church, do the “chorse” and grill pork chops on the grill. Even used Grandma Memma’s napkins.

In the morning while on the way down to the barn, the great horned owls have been just heading to bed, hooting from a tree in the fenceline. They begin to nest in January so hopefully they’ll help thin down the bunny explosion we’ve been experiencing. Since we began construction here, bird watching at the feeders has meant some slim pickin’s. The nuthatches, downies and hairies are pretty regular but everything else has been slow. At my Mom’s place however there were more goldfinches than we’ve seen all winter and several chickadees which we haven’t seen in many moons. Wanted to smuggle a few home. Few things say winter like a chickadee.

Critters are on the move with the warm temperatures. Lots of opossums noted alongside the road. They’re really doing a good job of playing possum too as they always seem to be in the same place whenever I go back past them again.

The woolies continue to put on girth although a lot of it appears to be wool growth. They look like marshmallows with toothpick legs at this point. In about 6 weeks we’ll get them shorn and then we’ll know what’s underneath all the cover. With calm nights and lows above zero, they frequently sleep out under the stars as long as the ground is dry. On frosty mornings one can see the outline left on the ground where they slept in their big fluffy wool coats.

Gus had a big night not too long ago. After letting Lucy and him out for their evening potty time, couldn’t figure out why he was making such a fuss. Got the high powered flashlight out and looked around a few minutes but nothing was in evidence. Then I shone the light up into one of the ash trees and saw a white cat about the size of a large raccoon.

Not sure just when the deadline for this week’s episode is and since I still need to play “20 Questions” to figure out what today’s holiday schedule is yet, best get on with it. Looking forward to another year of writing for Jim and his crack management staff at the Star. One never knows just exactly what might show up here but they seem to be willing to give me enough rope to hang myself. I appreciate it.

Happy New Year…real good then.

Like the deserts miss the rain...

The recent snow came as no surprise to the scurs as it is after all January. Appearances can be deceiving and somewhat fleeting however. More of the same weather we experienced is on tap for this first week of the New Year as we suffer through yet another brutal central Illinois winter. Look for a high of near 40 on Wednesday with highs slipping into the mid-30’s for Thursday and Friday. Lows will be near 20 each of those nights and there is a slight chance of rain changing to snow on Friday. Slightly cooler Saturday with a high of 30 and a low near 15. Sunday and Monday the temperature slide continues as highs will peak around 25 and with lows of 15 and 5 above on those respective evenings. Tuesday brings an even cooler high of 20 and a low of 12. Possibility of yet another warm up followed by a snowmaker moving in for next week. Normal high for January 5th is 22 and normal low is 2. The scurs are thinking they are living in Springfield IL where the normal high temperature for January 5th is 33 and the normal low is 17.

The Full Moon will occur this month on Wednesday January 3rd. This was known as the Full Wolf Moon by the tribes of the northeastern US as they would pack up outside their villages. This was also known as the Old Moon or the Moon After the Yule by pioneers and European sources. The Ojibwe knew this as the Great Spirit Moon and the Sioux knew it by the Moon of the Strong Cold or the Moon of Frost in the Teepee. One can only imagine as the wind howled across the plains as the Indians did their best to survive.

Recent rains were welcomed by most of us in the ag profession. Soil moisture to this point has been a concern going into the spring, especially with the drought to the west of us strengthening going into the winter months. While the ground was frozen, much of this last rainfall event appeared to stay put, soaking into the several inches of thawed soil above the frost. The fact that it came relatively slowly helped. Also signs that some of the wetlands benefited from as well. Much more water in our seasonal wetland at this writing than last week. The open water on St. Olaf Lake increased in size as well making one wonder if there will be any permanent shelters on area lakes this winter.

New Years Day was a good time to take some of the birdfeeders down and clean them out. With the recent damp weather, some of the seed had clumped up, making it difficult for the birds to access it. Emptied them out and placed a new suet cake in the feeder while the sound of rooster pheasants whooping it up in the CRP could be heard in the background. Was the first day in awhile I’d been home long enough to watch the feeders for a spell. After the snow, there was increased activity but pretty much the usual cast of characters including blue jays, downies, hairies, lots of nuthatches, a red-bellied woodpecker and a token goldfinch.

Watched the Gopher bowl game debacle the other night and kept flipping back and forth between that and “Braveheart”. Figured the English would still be getting killed by William Wallace and the Scots and the Gophers would manage to get killed by Texas Tech. Was right on both accounts. Difference was Wallace kept his job (until the English caught up with him) and Mason didn’t.

At the Mall for Men, the little fat buddies are convinced there has been an increase in the earth’s gravitational pull. Simply no way all these scales could possibly be right. Could it be those pudding skin singles? Thank goodness the October through December feeding frenzy starting with Halloween candy and ending with all those Christmas goodies is over. Up next: Office cleaning although I still find that cleaning actually makes it dirtier by removing the protective layer of paper and allowing dust to accumulate.

Finally, managed to procure a replacement for the old New Idea 210 manure spreader that had served me so well lo these many years. Was excited to find a New Holland 520 in good condition so close to home and at what I considered a fair price. So excited in fact that I had to call Mrs. Cheviot in Sioux Falls where she was decorating for a wedding to tell her of my latest acquisition. She of course was understanding but could tell she wasn’t as thrilled as I was. When she hung up she told one of our sheep friends and he just shook his head. “Only a sheep farmer would get excited about a new manure spreader” he said. Yup, he’s right.

See you next week…real good then.

I like the enchiladas and the teriaki too
I even like the chicken if.... The sauce is not too blue.

As predicted the snow melted once again leaving the scurs and other ice fishing aficionados wanting once again. While it will cool down in the upcoming week, the possibility for a large accumulation of snow appears small. The high for the week on Wednesday will be 35 and Wednesday's low will be 20 – 25. Thursday will cool us down slightly with a high of 25 and a low of 10. Friday’s high of 20 and low of 5 are very seasonal. Saturday and Sunday ratchets the high temps down even further at 15 with lows of 10. There are slight chances of snow for Thursday through Saturday. Monday sees the bottom of this cold snap as highs struggle to make the double digits and lows hover above zero. Tuesday rebounds; highs of 20 and a low of around 5. The scurs are forecasting an increase in snowman longevity this week.

Speaking of snowman longevity, we were greeted at the ranch by a snow figure designed and sculpted by our construction crew. Well aware of their talents with wood, was amazed by their creativity working in another medium. Luckily, the warm weather over the weekend melted it before too many people had a chance to enjoy it.

At the Mall for Men, the little fat buddies have been poring over historical documents once again. This time we were looking at a 1956 Cardinal annual. It was determined that the annual must have appeared shortly after the invention of the wheel and was transferred from scrolls into page format. Notable graduates of the Class of ‘56: Dave of DKW Transport.

While we have become hothouse flowers, the change in our weather this upcoming week will come as a shock to our systems. Overall though, we have been blessed with a near record setting warm winter thus far. And we’re not alone. In other areas of the country for instance, the ski resorts in the Northeast are remaining closed due to lack of snow and weather to warm to make snow. Cherry blossoms are reputedly beginning to pop in Washington DC. Locally, pocket gophers are reputedly still digging as are tile machines in many areas. Boxelder bugs were seen crawling on the outside of the windows at the Mall for Men on December 28th. St Olaf and Beaver Lakes have remained open over much of their surface. While some skim ice was evident the morning of January 8th, was unlikely that it would remain frozen given the ducks and geese that appear almost daily to keep the water open.

Celestial happenings this week include the planet Venus shining brightly over the western horizon. Look for it an hour or so after sundown in the WSW sky. It will continue to climb into the western sky as the month progresses. Jupiter can be seen in the SE sky, rising about 2 hours ahead of the sun. Mars is also in the SE morning sky, rising about an hour before sunrise.

Saturday decided that it was a good idea to take the tractor to the doctor for some minor surgery so mounted the horse and headed out. Should’ve tossed on one more jacket as without a cab, it was plenty chilly despite the fact temps were in the 30’s. By the time I got there was glad to get into a heated shop to warm up. Can’t take ‘em off if you don’t put ‘em on.

Now that the holidays are over it’s back to more normal table fare including cardboard pizza and TV dinner-type food. Fortunately we have garden produce and invested in fruit from the FFA once again so we at least have something healthy in our larder.

Was a good Gopher sports weekend aside from the Gopher men’s basketball team getting clobbered by the Badgers. The women’s basketball team won at The Barn and the Gopher men’s hockey team swept a home-in-home series against Minnesota St. Ran their school record and best in the country unbeaten streak to 22 games. Been threatening Mrs. Cheviot that I will become a face painter. You know, support the team.

See you next week…real good then.

And I’ll bet there’s hot biscuits in the pan…

Surprise, surprise! The scurs swung and missed at Mother Nature’s curveball. The system or systems that were giving us chances of snow through Saturday last week slowed down and stayed for Sunday. Worst of it is the scurs believe we’re in for a little of the same along with colder temperatures. Wednesday’s high should be 20 with an overnight low of 10. There’s a slight chance of snow after midnight. Thursday warms slightly with a high of 25 along with an increased chance of snow. Lows will crash into the single digits after the front moves through. Temperatures will moderate and be seasonal Friday through next Tuesday. Highs will be near 20 and lows near 5 above for that timeframe. Possibility of snow over the weekend once again. Normal high for January 19th is 22 and normal low is 2. The scurs have officially dusted off their red Flyer for that first trip down the big hill. Watch out for the fence!

The snow also brought welcome relief to local snowmobilers and with no school on Monday, the ditches were in use. Several portable fish houses were in use on local lakes over the weekend. St. Olaf and Beaver have both frozen over but the ice on the most recently frozen portions with the snow on it could be an invitation for disaster for those not familiar with the area. This fluffy snow makes great insulation.

The snow made for another brisk tractor ride home from the tractor doctor. Face was about frozen but in true little fat buddy fashion, was thinking about food so had to eat after that stressful episode. Was great to get the machine back though just in time to pick up some messes ahead of the snow the next morning. The hydraulics work just like new and that straight-6 IH engine still purred like a kitten as I cleared the driveway for the construction crew and any trucks that needed to deliver materials.

Birds are still relatively scarce as compared to some winters. The snowfall may change that pattern temporarily however. In the meantime, last week brought about a small flock of red-winged blackbirds and a flicker in the front yard. The red-bellied and downy woodpeckers were regular visitors at the suet feeders over the weekend. The red-bellies also like to pick kernels of corn off the cobs, flying back to wherever to devour them then returning for another one.

The house has officially been declared a disaster area and it only promises to get worse before it gets better. New windows installed, floor heat functioning, throwing away accumulated junk and loads of crud picked up in the yard. This week the west wall of the old house comes out meaning we will be forced to live in a portion of it. The stove will be unhooked for awhile so cooking will be somewhat limited. Have had to make some adjustments in our fixtures, etc., as we’re trying hard to stay within budget. Being the multi-tasker I tend to be, am still hoping we can put that garbage disposal in the shower.

Every once in awhile Gus and Lucy remind me why we keep them around. Journeying across the yard the other morning, encountered a ram and ewe that were not in the proper place. Generally we expect the sheep to be in enclosures not running around loose. After feeding the brood ewes, it was time to deal with the escapees. As I came out of the gate, the Cheviots looked at me like I was in no way going to put them back in. One call for the dogs (waiting by the house for Mrs. Cheviot) and they came on a dead run, trying to get around the sheep as is their instinct, bred into them for centuries.

Also bred into them is an overwhelming will to please so when I gave the “Down!” command they dropped and seemed to sense that I needed them to flip the switch, becoming drovers and not herders. As I moved ahead they would’ve circled to bring the sheep back towards me had I not given the signal to slow down and drop again. About this time the sheep decided we meant business so they turned tail and went back through the panel they had knocked down. The sheep might get out but they never escape. Lucy and Gus were wound like a couple coil springs as I praised them for helping me get matters back in order. After all, order is what border collies are all about.

See you next week…real good then.

I am the eye in the sky...

While Tuesday mornings -20’s were a bit of a shock, the scurs got back in the groove last week with the weekend snowfall being the proof in the pudding. This week promises some of that January weather we’ve all come to know and love. Wednesday will bring highs of 25 and a low of 0 – 5 as well as a chance of snow. Thursdays high should be near 20 and low should be 0 – 5. Friday should be slightly warmer with a high near 25 and a low of 10. A cool down is in store for us starting Saturday with a high of 20 and a low of 0 – 5. Sunday through Tuesday highs will reach only 15 and lows will remain in the 0 – 5 above range. Normal high for January 26th is 23 and normal low is 3. The scurs are tossing another log on the fire in anticipation of more cold to come.

Venus continues to be impressive in the SW sky shortly after sundown. What is generally referred to as the “morning star” has been there at choretime for the past week when feeding the ewes their screenings. Jupiter is a feature of the morning sky, rising a couple hours before sunrise. Somehow going outside at 4 a.m. to toss the sheep their hay at 4 a.m. to see it just isn’t in the cards.

Saturday the surface of St. Olaf Lake was dotted with portable fish houses. Not sure if any fish were being caught but it sure seemed like people were glad to be outside enjoying the sunshine in spite of the windy conditions. After Sunday’s snowfall, snowmobilers are getting more action here than in most of the rest of the state. At the SROC in Waseca, there is 13” of frost in the ground so no corn planting this week. Mosquitoes are becoming scarce. Looks like winter has finally set in.

At the Mall for Men we discovered by accident that dozens of boxelder bugs have taken up residence in the German ivy plant inside the doorway. After opening the front door and receiving a cold blast of air, the leaves on the plant appeared to be moving. Upon further inspection the movement was our favorite wintertime insect pest. May have to see how they deal with the vacuum cleaner and the upcoming morning low temperatures.

The remodeling project continues to roll along. The original house has to be close in age to what we thought, built sometime in the 1890’s. The square nails found in places lend some credence to our suspicions. Some of Tone’s buddies, the bats, that inhabited the house apparently do hibernate although they were rudely awakened. A few days it’s seemed like Green Acres when we had to climb a ladder to turn the lights on and off. And living behind a sheet of plastic, one begins to feel like a Bubble Boy.

In anticipation after the snow, the weekend birds were highlighted by the pheasants hanging out in the red osier dogwood and their food plot. In the glint of sunshine, the Indiangrass behind them looked like amber uncooked spaghetti poking out of the snow. In the yard the downies, hairies and nuthatches were busy at the suet. The red-bellied woodpecker spent most of her time on the leeward side of the tree staying out of the wind. Blue jays came and brought the juncos along to clean up under the feeders. On the trip to Spring Valley, was glad to see that the chickadees and the finches that have become scarce at our feeders were plentiful at Mom’s.

The trip to Mom’s over the weekend always triggers memories of some kind. While loading the dishwasher, she mentioned that she was now using a set of glasses for “everyday”. Still remember the clothes we’d buy every year before school started. Usually by the time the school year was over, the clothes had received enough wear and tear that they were pronounced good enough for everyday. Then the next August the cycle would repeat itself again. Somehow, by that time the everyday clothes didn’t fit anymore. After eating like a king as is my wont when visiting Mom, the pattern continues to this day. The pie she sent back will probably cause the construction crew to outgrow their everyday clothes too.

See you next week…real good then.

Dancing on the light from star to star.

The scurs were on the right track once again as the weather definitely cooled down for the weekend and for much of the week to come. Look for another reinforcement of cold Arctic air to be in place Friday. Wednesday and Thursday should be our “warm” days with highs near 20. Lows should be 0 to 5 above with a slight chance of snow on Wednesday. Friday and Saturday, highs will struggle to get out of the single digits and lows are expected to be 5 below zero. Sunday through Tuesday expect little relief, with highs of 5 to 10 and lows of – 5 to - 15. Normal high for February 2nd is 25 and normal low is 5. The scurs igloo shows no sign of melting in the near future.

The Full Moon for the month will occur on February 2nd and was commonly known by the tribes of the northeast as the Full Snow Moon. Snow became deep and as a result, the moon was also known as the Full Hunger Moon as game became scarce and more difficult to track through the deep snow. The Ojibwe knew this as the Full Sucker Moon as the suckers begin to run in the rivers and streams during February. The Sioux knew this as the Full Raccoon Moon and also as the Moon of Dark Red Calves, as the previous years buffalo calves coats would weather to a reddish brown color.

Saturn has taken center stage in the eastern sky in the evening hours after sundown. Best viewed through a telescope around 9 p.m. as viewing earlier when the planet is low on the horizon tends to distort the view due to the large amount of refraction of light by the atmosphere. Given a good telescope, reputedly one can see the rings as well as the moons. Venus continues to rise higher in the SW sky at twilight, generally the first feature to show above the horizon shortly after sundown.

Birds are becoming more active at the feeders and along the roads for that matter. Pheasants have been abundant along the roads in the morning hours gathering grit for their gizzards. Our local contingent of pheasants seems to be growing in numbers and is spending lots of time in the corn food plot. Watched a nuthatch surgically pick apart and remove the heart from a safflower seed, wedging it in the ground. There are hundreds of seed hulls embedded in the bark on the remaining ash in the front yard. Tree sparrows joined the juncos cleaning up under the feeders this past week.

In the barn, no fake owls to scare off unwanted birds. We had the real deal and were surprised by an eastern gray phase screech owl roosting in the rafters during Saturday night chores. At first glance, thought it was a small pigeon but one look at those “ears” and it was pretty easy to see who we were dealing with. Screech owls are cavity nesters and begin that process in April. In the meantime, hope the little guy (or gal) stays around. They eat lots of rodents and small birds. Their presence usually makes sparrows give them a wide berth.

Got out ice fishing thanks to the efforts of some of the local talent. Always a pleasant surprise to come to your fish house with the holes all drilled and cleaned and the house already warmed up. To catch a few fish is and added bonus. Ice was thick enough to drive on, about 12” where we were at. Where were we fishing? A fisherman never divulges his secret spots.

We continue to see great progress in our building project. We also have lots of “inspectors” making sure we’re doing things right and offering sage advice. My favorite was the brown toilet suggestion. Just think of all the time that would save!

This column marks the start of the 5th year of Fencelines. Decided that rather than celebrating the end of another year completed and confusing those who were hoping I’d quit, would look forward to another year of writing if Jim will allow it. A special get well to Joanie, one of my favorite loyal readers. Always appreciate the kind words we get when we’re out and about. I’m pretty easy to spot; just look for a short, stocky, slow-witted bald(ing) man with a bunch of plaster dust on his coat.

See you next week…real good then.

Wasted days and wasted nights...

The scurs got their lows and highs confused as the highs turned out to be close to the predicted lows for the weekend. This week promises some improvement or it had better. The longer this cold streak goes on the worse it is for Al Gore’s box office sales. Take heart, we are looking at the start of an albeit gradual prolonged warm-up. Look for Wednesday through Friday highs of 10 with lows of 5 below. Saturday highs back to the mid-teens and low finally of zero. Sunday promises the first high in the low twenties in what seems like months with a low around 15. Monday and Tuesday we get back above normal with highs in the lower 30’s and lows in the upper teens. Possibility of snow Monday and/or Tuesday. Normal high for February 9 is 27 and the normal low is 7. The scurs are looking forward to the day when their snowman suffers from shrinkage.

As if on cue, the ewes decided this past weekend was a good time to start lambing. Never mind that it causes Mrs. Cheviot to keep no regular sleeping, eating or cleaning schedule. With no heated buildings to lamb in, low temperatures of -15 and wind chills of – 35, couple this with the fact the fish have been biting on local lakes and Mr. Cheviot suddenly becomes even grumpier than normal.

Speaking of Mr. Cheviot being grumpy, spent much of last weekend looking at appliances and hardware Mrs. Cheviot had picked out and giving them his seal of approval. The cheaper the better of course. Oddly enough, I don’t recall asking for any okey-dokey on how the dirt looked after I was done digging it out of the crawl space and throwing it down the old cistern. And Betts wonders why men go ice fishing!

The cold weather seems to bring out the worst in just about everything. The confuser has given me more of than its fair share of “blue-screen” warnings than I really care to see lately. That and the repairs that reputedly work are so confusing it’s tough to tell if you actually did what you were supposed to do or not. The gas furnace has also been acting up, causing lots of trips to the basement to reset it. If I wanted to mess around with a furnace that much, I’d burn wood. Fortunately the boiler for the floor heat continues to impress, relegating the forced air furnace to that of a backup system once the plastic is removed between us and the rest of the living space. Then of course there’s always the white van leaving puddles of tranny fluid on the new garage floor. My ’74 Gremlin suddenly sounds like viable transportation. That or a horse.

About the only thing that has been entertaining? The birds which continue to feed around the yard and food plots. The pheasants have begun roosting in the Austrian pines and continue to feed in the corn plot every morning. Still lots of the usual winter birds: Red-bellied woodpeckers, hairies and downies, juncos, tree sparrows and blue jays. Not a lot of nuthatches this week for some reason. Must be finding better vittles somewhere else.

The Super Bowl 41 is history. Hopefully the NFL won’t censor that as prior to the game they had a gag order on everyone to not use those words. And the NFL wonders how it gets the nickname “No Fun League”. Had to be happy for Tony Dungy though. He was the quarterback for the Gophers when they were still playing outside, on campus at Memorial Stadium, the way football was meant to be played. After some of the disappointments and tragedies in his life, it was great to see someone deserving win it. “Da Bears” losing didn’t hurt my feelings either and at least the game was entertaining. The rain added to the fun as there were lots of turnovers. Mmmmmm…turnovers.

See you next week…real good then.