As if on cue, the scurs and the Weather Eye predicted a cooldown and we got it. Will it be permanent or is this just a brief intro to autumn? Starting Wednesday, sunny with highs in the low 80’s and lows in the low 60’s. Thursday, sunny with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Sunny Friday with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the low 50’s. Saturday, sunny with a slight chance of evening showers. Highs in the low 80’s with lows in the upper 50’s. Mostly sunny on Sunday with fair rain chances into the evening hours. Highs in the low 70’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Labor Day, partly sunny with a modest chance of rain. Highs in the mid-60’s with lows in the mid-40’s. Mostly sunny for Tuesday with a modest chance of rain. Highs in the upper 60’s with lows in the mid-40’s. On September 5th we drop below 13 hours of daylight for the first time since April 5th. The normal high for Labor Day September 7th is 76 and the normal low is 54.The scurs have Labor Day off. Actually they have every day off.
The crops didn’t take any days off this past week and were pushed hard by the heat. Fortunately, the abundant August rainfall kept them from going backwards and moderating temps over the weekend didn’t hurt. Monday’s surprise rainfall started to refill the tank for next year as we had plenty of moisture to finish our crop already. The milk line on the corn has started to come down in most fields. Many of them were closing in on half milk line as of Monday. Likewise, with soybeans with everything except replants being well into R6. Some earlier planted earlier maturing fields are starting to change fast, especially with the rain. Leaves are turning and lower leaves in particular are dropping. It’s entirely possible with normal temperatures that we could see some soybeans combined as soon as three weeks from now. With warmer temps, it could come even faster than that.
I made another journey into IA this past weekend and couldn’t believe how rapidly the heat has changed their crop. Corn that had still been green two weeks ago on the Pro Farmer Crop Tour was burning up. It added insult to injury in areas where the Derecho had hit. Not only was the corn flat, it was dying prematurely as well. Soybeans weren’t faring much better. It was easy to see in places in fields where they were out of gas and cashing it in. Some of those pods there was a chance of filling were history with the heat and no rain. It was easy to see small areas that were lucky enough to receive a timely rain. The crops looked very similar to what we’re seeing here.
It is a transitional time of year and one that I’ve always enjoyed, even though it doesn’t last too long. The bird song that was constant well into July has become quiet. The orioles are still here though, and while buying one last jar of jelly, TP at the grocery store confided that she had started feeding them again too. Seems one had shown up and it needed to be fed. Apparently it told its friends. At the ranch we still have a half dozen regular customers since my return from Crop Tour. All of them appear to be Baltimore type with a couple full colored males. Also increasing in numbers are the hummingbirds. The cannas are in full bloom now and along with everything else, they should have it made up until the time they decide to pull the pin.
The white-lined sphinx moths show up in late August to early September and this year has been no exception. The first one spotted was working over the petunias on the patio. No surprise there. When grilling a few nights ago I didn’t see any so decided to check out the four o’clocks about dusk to see if any of them were working them over. Sure enough, there was one taking its time helping itself to the recently opened flowers. It had cooled down some and the flowers had responded with another explosion of the lightly scented blooms. Monday night I checked and I heard the sudden whirring of wings not unlike that of a hummingbird. That too will be coming to a close. The shortening day length has the four o’clocks beginning to set seed. I’ll be thinking of the flowers, birds and moths fondly in January. Oh would that it could stay like this until then.
Ruby has had a relatively easy summer. Staying in air conditioned comfort for much of has caused her shedding to be delayed up until recently. I brushed a grocery bag full of hair off of her then turned around a week or so later and got another partial bag full. There have been plenty of storms to keep her occupied. The surprise thunderstorm early Monday morning was no exception. I’d heard something around 2 a.m. so rolled over and fell back asleep. I was until about 2:30 that. All the sudden there was a scared red and white Border Collie on my head trying to burrow underneath me. I tend to like garden variety thunderstorms. Ruby not so much.
Labor Day has been one for some great memories. Last year I saw ZZ Top and Cheap Trick with my little fat buddy on Labor Day. I’m sure my Mom might’ve remembered Labor Day in 1968 fairly well. It was the year she got her first automatic washing machine after using an old wringer washer ever since she and Dad were married. The first one she had was even powered by a gasoline motor that had a kick starter on it. I was young enough so I never saw it in action but loved to crank the old motor over in hopes that it’d take off. A little gasoline might’ve helped. The rinse tubs also were a thing of the past. Dad also purchased a new clothes dryer for Mom that Labor Day. The old one had likely seen its better days. It was a gas dryer. At the other farm when sparrows got into it through the vent there was always the concern they’d get lit up and start the dryer on fire. We were just happy to have the appliance boxes to play in. They probably got lit up too after Dad got tired of us fighting in them. Good times.
See you next week…real good then.