I wonder how the old folks are tonight

The scurs received an aftermarket Weather Eye heat control cable from the AMC dealer. Weather improved dramatically. Will it last or does it revert back to hot and steamy? Starting Thursday, sunny with highs in the mid-70's and lows in the low 60's. Sunny Friday with a slight chance of rain. Highs in the low 80's with lows in the low 60's.

 

Sunny on Saturday with a fair chance of evening rain. Highs in the low 80's with lows in the mid-60's. Sunday, sunny with a fair chance of evening showers. Highs in the low 80's with lows in the mid-60's. Partly sunny on Monday with highs in the low 80's and lows in the mid-60's. Tuesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of rain. Highs in the mid-80's with lows in the low 60's. Mostly cloudy on Wednesday with more rain. Highs in the upper 70's with lows in the low 60's. On August 6th, we'll see the sunset at 8:30 p.m. CDT. August 9th we start losing daylight at just over two minutes per day. The normal high for August 9th is 80 and the normal low is 60. The scurs will be enjoying a gyro at the Freeborn Co. Fair.

 

More substantial rain last week across much of the area. If it doesn't get us to the end of the growing season it'll be close. Most received 2" or better, falling much more gently than the last several rainfall events. Then another surprise thundershower falling Tuesday morning. Operators have done their homework, applying fungicide to this year's corn crop in particular. As it turns out, southern rust was detected in an area field on July 30" this past week.

 

Now, one detection doesn't mean it'll be a problem. In fact the cooler weather may not allow it to develop enough to reduce yield. It also arrived later than last year when it was detected on July 19th. Tar spot is in play yet as it prefers the cooler weather. Still, it should be one less thing to worry about if a reliable fungicide was applied in a timely fashion.

We're starting to notice a subtle transition towards fall in bird activity at the ranch. The chickadees are back and their calls can be heard just about any time. Blue jays are a constant, but they also signal that fall is on the way.

 

Oriole presence has slowed to almost nothing. No singing contests with the cardinal that keeps us entertained with his vocalizations. There was an adult oriole peering in the bowls on the jelly feeder as the rain was subsiding last week, so I restocked it just in case. Occasionally one can be heard, but none have been spotted at the feeder. Barn swallows at the ranch continue to patrol the yard daily. Plenty of flying biting insects for them to ingest. Migrating swallows continue to gather on area powerlines, telling us that winter is coming whether we like it or not.

 

The garden has finally started to come online. Zucchini have been bountiful, although they did slow down during the earlier cooler spell. Same with the cucumbers. Some planting for fall will hopefully be possible if the rainfall cooperates. It should work well where the early garden was such a bust. It's certainly obvious the squirrels did a lot of their planting last fall. There are literally dozens of black walnut and oak trees springing up all over the property, most of them in places where one would rather not have them. Mowing the lawn gets the majority, but there are plenty close to the house and under trees. Have to deal with them up close and personal.

 

A few weeks ago at the neighbor's pasture, I encountered a plant that had 8-10 monarch caterpillars on it. It had narrow leaves and looked nothing like any milkweed plants I was used to seeing. When I brushed it, the monarch larvae fell off it and played possum underneath. The mosquitoes were eating me for lunch, so I didn't photograph it.

 

Recently I went back and found the plant or one like it. It had milky juice in it and when I looked it up, it was whorled milkweed. Then it clicked. Several years earlier I'd seen a patch in the middle of the pasture when I was chopping thistles with the tractor. It was in bloom and was very fragrant. It was an absolute magnet for bees and all sorts of butterflies including monarchs, so I didn't chop it. Didn't know what it was then. I do now.

 

Another rather impromptu car club outing at an assisted living in Owatonna in the Studebaker. We'd been led to believe that there'd only be a few cars from the Vista's noted Swedish astronomer's collection and whoever else from the club happened to show up. Much to our surprise, it turned out to be a car show with about 35 cars from all over, including our car club. No big deal. Regardless, the old folks are always so appreciative when they can see the cars and visit with people they've known. It was fun to sit in the shade and gab with other collectors too until it was time to go home. Another tank of gas was procured before leaving town, so we're ready for the next big adventure.

 

Poppy continues to be a handful when it comes to taking her heartworm and flea and tick medicine. She used to chew them up and swallow them like treats, but now it takes some trickery. Using my trusty as seen on TV Ginsu knife, I've discovered that slicing each chewable into several pieces and placing them inside a ball fashioned from a piece of American cheese makes them go down easily. It takes a while, but it beats struggling with her to get the meds down her gizzard. Finally, I've discovered a use for American cheese. Now, if you placed the medicine in a ball of real Swiss cheese, I might even eat it. Should help take care of any worms and keep the fleas away.

 

See you next week...real good then.