After a hot end to August, the scurs have their heart set on a cool down. Will it happen this week? Starting Wednesday, partly cloudy with a slight chance of a shower of thunderstorm. Highs 75 – 80 and lows near 50. Mostly sunny on Thursday becoming partly cloudy with a modest chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs near 75 and lows around 55. Partly cloudy and cooler on Friday with a modest chance of a shower. Highs close to 70 and lows near 50. Mostly sunny and continued cooler conditions. Highs around 70 and lows near 50. Sunday and Monday, mostly clear and slightly warmer with highs of 75 and lows of 55 – 60. Warmer on Tuesday under clear skies. Highs of 75 – 80 and lows around 60. The normal high for September 10th is 75 and the normal low is 50. On the 5th we slip below 13 hours of daylight, about the same as we were back on April 5th. The scurs will be tuning to watch the Vikings, knowing full well a nap will probably break out.
The blast furnace like heat and wind last week moved the crop maturity along at a breakneck pace. Most April planted corn as of Friday had reached physiological maturity and soybeans were turning rapidly. Some corn has been harvested and the results are variable. On some of the lighter soils to the southeast rumors of sub-100 bu./acre corn have been heard. Closer to Bugtussle, the corn has been a pleasant surprise with moisture running in the low 20% range and in the 160 – 180 bu./acre range. Some recent sweet corn yields have gone over 8 ton per acre for the first time so there has definitely been some encouraging news. Unfortunately the cavalry never came in the form of significant precip during the last 3 weeks for most of the soybeans. They may turn out to be the crop that could’ve been once again. We’ll know once the combines roll and if things don’t change they could roll all night long just like last year.
In the garden, winds and high temperatures blew the sweet corn over the cliff maturity-wise in matter of two days. Corn that had been excellent to eat on Tuesday was done for by Thursday. Even the raccoons were apparently not impressed that it was sticking in their teeth. The melon crop has exploded as anticipated and the quality has been superb. Some years like last year, they were disappointing but in years like this one everything clicked. The cucumber beetles however have been doing their level best to make things miserable in the rest of the vine crops however. There is an exceptionally high level of spotted cucumber beetles this year not only in the garden but also in the fields. It makes one wonder if given the warm winter, we aren’t seeing some localized overwintering and what kind of diseases they might be vectoring. The cucumbers have about given up the ghost after their feeding and it appears they may have cucumber mosaic virus. The tomatoes also are showing up with some whitefly infestations but as of yet, they haven’t caused appreciable damage.
On almost any given plant around our yard, one can find aphids of one sort or another. Dry, warm weather conditions seem to favor aphid populations. For instance I’ve located them on the oak trees, muskmelons, Indian corn and cucumbers. It is interesting to watch the beneficial insects hone in on the heavy infestations however. At any given time one can see ladybugs, lacewing nymphs, pirate bugs, syrphid flies and tiny parasitic wasps vying for their prey. It's apparently been an especially good year for the parasitic wasps as there are more aphid mummies in evidence than I ever recall seeing. Aphid mummies result from the wasps poking their ovipositor into the aphid, depositing an egg and the wasp larva consuming the aphid from the inside out. They emerge from the puffed up, typically tan-colored shell of the aphid body once their life cycle is complete.
Overall, it is shaping up to be an early fall on just about every front. The heat and lack of precipitation has hastened the process. As mentioned, harvest has already begun in places and given the forecast, it won’t take long for fields to be bare. Trees have shed many of their unnecessary lower leaves due to stressful conditions. Some prime examples around the yard include poplar, ash, silver maple and black walnut trees. The dry leaves seem to have more of a typical October smell to them and when the wind blows, they have formed a mulch around some of the garden plants. The nannyberries have begun to blush as have the sumac. The nannyberries themselves are ripe which about 2 – 3 weeks ahead of schedule is. They were a tasty snack however as I made one last dirty, dusty trip around the backyard on the lawnmower. The weeds were just a little more than I could stomach and some of the grass on the west side of the house was long and still surprisingly green.
Mrs. Cheviot made a triumphant return to the ranch after a week at the Great MN Get Together, and then promptly fell victim to this year’s version of the State Fair Sheep Barn Crud, complete with chills and thrills. Of course it probably has something to do with the diet she consumes while there in addition to the hours she keeps. The air quality and ventilation in that building has always left something to be desired. After about 4 days, the ammonia and dust in the place doesn’t do anyone’s lung tissue any favors. Stay in the Cheviot Sheraton or Hampshire Hilton for 7 or 8 days and it’s amazing anyone lives to tell about it.
Ruby doesn’t care. She’s just glad to see us upon our return, regardless of condition. While we’ve been away, she’s been busy cementing her position as Most Spoiled Border Collie on the Planet. Staying at some friends’ house on Beaver Lake while we were gone, it’s a little like being at Club Med for her. I have a sneaking suspicion she might’ve tried to sleep on a bed or couch if she got the chance. Of course, we’d never allow that kind of behavior here. No sireee!
See you next week…real good then.