The scurs put a picture of the sun on milk cartons when the Weather Eye nixed it in last week’s forecast data. Does our January thaw morph into a February thaw or is Old Man Winter done vacationing? Starting Thursday, mostly sunny with highs in the low 50’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Mostly sunny Groundhog Day with highs in the upper 40’s and lows in the low 30’s. Mostly sunny on Saturday with highs in the low 50’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Sunday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid-50’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Mostly sunny on Monday with highs in the upper 50’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Tuesday, mostly sunny with highs in the low 50’s and lows in the low 30’s. Cloudy on Wednesday with highs in the low 50’s and lows in the mid-30’s. On the 2nd, the sun will rise at 7:30 a.m. CST and on the 3rd we start gaining daylight at just over 2 ½ minutes per day. We achieve 10 hours of daylight on the 4th while the sun will set at 5:30 p.m. om the 6th. The normal high for Groundhog Day is 23 and the normal low is 5. This week, the scurs will be rearranging their patio furniture, hoping not to see their shadow.
El Niño continues doing its thing. Warmer temps arrived and most weren’t sad to see cold temperatures go. Our dark soils appear to help raise air temperatures several degrees above the forecast highs when the sun shines. We still have some frost to whittle away in most places, largely due to our lack of snow cover during the below zero temps. On January 22nd, there was 15” recorded at the SROC in Waseca under bare soil. To our west, friends in eastern SD had a snowpack most of January, so there is very little frost in the ground. Shades of last winter here. Some will contend that this warm weather is unprecedented. Not totally. In January at college, I can remember grilling lamb chops on the Hibachi outside our basement apartment window. I can also recall in 1987 that Norbert Schultz seeded hard red spring wheat towards the end of February. The wheat made it despite germinating in March beneath a layer of frozen soil. More marvels of modern science.
The first lambs hit the ground Monday afternoon; a set of twins. A few more ewes are getting close. With the days growing longer, there’s getting to be more daylight on both ends of the spectrum. It always helps to put a little light on the subject. The ewes are in full fleece and it’s almost like being attacked by a gang of overstuffed chairs when they’re grained at night. One can see udders protruding under their skirts of wool. While I can’t say for sure when any of them are due, their appearance and experience tell me there are likely to be more either side of the end of January. We have to be thankful that the bitter cold left when it did. Keeping new lambs dry before we shear will be a primary concern. The girls have a date with the local sheep shearer on February 10th. While he might plop them on their butts, he never stands them up.
Saturday morning two weeks ago was a cold one. I kept most of my activities close to home and indoors. During a.m. coffee, someone rang the doorbell. It was a young fella wondering if he could have permission to hunt coyotes. The temperature was well below zero, so I admired his ambition. I was appreciative as there seem to be more of these creatures than ever. I’m not exactly sure why. When we spent our first winter here 40 years ago, there were no coyotes howling at night. 15 years later, we heard them frequently. Was the increase due to confinement hog dead boxes, composting operations, the DNR no longer picking up roadkill deer, lack of trapping increasing roadkill furbearers or CRP increasing their habitat? Could be any or all. We’ve been fortunate the coyotes have left our sheep and dogs alone. Others have not been so lucky. If you ask rural livestock or pet owners whether you can hunt coyotes on their land, the answer should be a resounding “Please do!”
As anticipated our indoor insect activity has increased at the ranch. Scattered multi-colored Asian ladybeetles have been crawling around on the floor, while boxelder bugs have reappeared to annoy primarily. Not surprising as the temps outside and inside are both warm enough to stimulate activity. These insects await their chance to get outdoors, feed, and reproduce. The ladybeetles disperse, mate and will look for plants with soft bodied insects such as aphids where they will lay their eggs. Boxelder bugs feed on plants and seeds a few weeks before mating. About mid-July they move to female boxelder trees to lay their eggs and start the next generation of annoyance. They tend to thrive in years with hot, dry summers followed by warm springs. Like many insect species, they’re less active at lower temperatures and more disease tends to plague them with damp weather.
Our recent cool, damp weather has also favored the development of respiratory disease in humans. Several of us have contracted what Steve Cannon used to refer to as the alien. Even though temps haven’t been bitter cold recently, it has a track record of hours of chills, ear popping and nose blowing thrills. It also can mess with your sleep by interrupting it with coughing spells. Trying to keep up has been a challenge. Now if only we could resurrect the magic ‘CCO cough button.
Mud season has arrived early this year at the ranch and Poppy is already missing her snow. She likes to walk around in the little snow remaining around the yard. Being low to the ground still puts her in closer proximity to the wetness from that. Luckily, she shies away from puddles and sloppy areas, which is a good thing for anyone who tries to wipe her off. She’s a pill about being toweled off, making it into a game by biting the towel and wiggling like a worm. Once dried off and inside, she’s ready for food, people time, and a nap. Hard to argue with that approach.
See you next week…real good then.