The superficial sighs are the borders of our lives

The scurs and the Weather Eye manufactured one more week of beautiful late fall weather. Is Old Man Winter knocking on the door or is it another aluminum siding salesman? Starting Thanksgiving Day, mostly sunny with highs in the mid-20's and lows in the low teens. Increasing clouds Friday with a good chance of evening snow.

 

Highs in the mid-20's with lows in the upper teens. Mostly cloudy on Saturday with a good chance of snow. Highs in the upper 20's with lows in the upper teens. Sunday, mostly cloudy with a modest chance of snow. Highs in the mid-20's with lows around 10. Partly sunny on Monday, Dec. 1st, with an increasing chance of snow. Highs in the low 20's with lows in the low teens. Tuesday, cloudy with a good chance of snow. Highs in the upper 20's with lows around 10. Cloudy on Wednesday with a good chance of a snow shower. Highs in the mid-20's with lows in the mid-single digits. Our loss of daylight slows to under one minute and 30 seconds on December 1st with our sunrise on the 3rd at 7:30 a.m. CST. The normal high for December 1st is 33 and the normal low is 18. The scurs would start their Christmas shopping procrastination, but it's way too early for that.

 

Still some anhydrous going on here and there as well as some broadcast fertilizer being spread. Also some corn left to be picked as one moves east towards Owatonna. Not unusual as areas vary as do yields. Many of the tilling operations are wrapping up and it's about time. With snow and cold in the forecast, it's inevitable that the ground will freeze and operations will cease whether they want to or not. It has been about an ideal fall once again to take on some of these projects large or small. We seem to be stuck in a pattern of later warmer falls, and we've started to become accustomed to it. That can change, and when it does, everyone will grumble and wonder why.

 

The upcoming change in weather means that the start of barn cleaning at the ranch is imminent. As of this writing, there are still some oil changes yet to be done and lubrication to be made before it can commence. Hopefully some of the outdoor pack will remain thawed enough, so it can be run through the spreader. If not, at least remain thawed enough to move and stockpile for future reference. Like most of these tasks, the best part is when you're done.

 

Before procuring more small squares of hay on Saturday, the official ranch rain gauge was moved back to its regular spot. The mud had dried enough, so that it became feasible. Mud in the fall is not your friend.

 

Sunday after putting out round bales in the main lot at home and scraping up the slop in the other lot, it was time to retrieve the ewes from the kindly neighbors' pasture. Typical Cheviots, the ewes were a handful. We breathed a sigh of relief once they were corralled and in the trailer. It was especially prudent to bring them home as we knew one ewe was bred. Based on the gestation chart, she could lamb within a matter of a week or so. We placed her in an empty pen in the main barn once we'd unloaded the main group. Better to have that ewe at home where we could keep an eye on her as opposed to chasing said ewe and lamb around the pasture. Given the forecast, definitely something to be thankful for.

 

Gardening is pretty well wound down, aside from freezing some buttercup squash yet. They've been outstanding, despite their late seeding date. Around the yard, there are still some bunny guards to be put in place. The burning bushes are noted "cottontail candy."

 

Even though the new forsythias are reputedly not as attractive to bunnies and deer as other species, I don't trust any of our four-legged pests. There is evidence of bunny chewing on the hydrangea. And, even though it had a deer guard around it, there has also been a little stripping the bark on the Honeygold apple tree by rabbits. Tree wrap was employed within minutes of that discovery. Something more permanent to thin the bunny herd will be brought to the fore anytime the perpetrators are located.

 

It should be interesting to see what kind of reaction we get from the bird population once the weather decides it's going to be winter for a while. The feeders at the ranch have been well stocked for quite some time to relatively light feeding activity. There was one interesting development. On Sunday between tasks, it was time to eat lunch, so I got to watch the bird feeders for a few minutes. I noticed the familiar presence of the red-breasted nuthatch and didn't think much of it until I spotted another one. They kept going back and forth between the feeder and the spruce tree, much the same as they have on many fall afternoons. They make adequate replacements for the chickadees that are still absent.

 

Fresh off her recent pedicure, Poppy has been active, especially since we've been around more. It makes her stealthier when you don't hear those toenails clicking on the floor. It just makes her gyrations quieter when popcorn is mentioned. Say the word and it's game on. Sometimes that is accompanied by Poppy's conversational skills. A talking Corgi? Well, sort of. There are nights after chores where we'll have Poppy in our laps or on the couch beside us. She makes a series of odd noises, often in response to something we've said to her. It helps to scratch her right between the shoulders to solicit more noises and keep the conversation going. She tends to leave us hanging most of the time, but oddly enough it's more intelligible and makes a lot more sense than some people we've come across.

 

See you next week..real good then.