Everybody needs a little time away

High and dry, the scurs and the Weather Eye were on target. Do we get another week, or do we get back to reality? Starting Thursday, sunny with highs in the mid-80’s and lows in the low 60’s. Sunny on Friday with a fair chance of rain. Highs in the mid-80’s with lows in the mid-60’s. Mostly sunny on Saturday with a modest chance of showers. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Sunday, cloudy with a modest chance of rain. Highs in the upper 70’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Mostly cloudy on Monday with highs in the upper 60’s and lows in the upper 40’s. Tuesday, partly sunny with highs in the low 60’s and lows in the low 40’s. Mostly cloudy on Wednesday with highs in the upper 60’s and lows in the upper 40’s. On the 6th we’ll drop below 11 hours and 30 minutes of daylight. Coincidentally, it’s also the date of the Full Moon. The normal high for October 6th is 64 and the normal low is 41. The scurs will be plugging in their electric blankets soon.

 

The Full Moon as mentioned occurs on October 6th. It is aptly called the Harvest Moon as it is the Full Moon closest to the autumnal equinox, this year anyway. The Harvest Moon allowed those settlers to work into the night without the assistance of artificial light, gathering the Harvest that would take them and their livestock through the long winter months ahead. It would also allow settlers and native Americans alike to stock their larders with staples from the livestock and wild game. The Ojibwe knew this as the Falling Leaves Moon and the Sioux called it The Moon when Leaves Fall. At the ranch we call it the Transition Moon as we move into the cooler temps of November. Best have the well pit covered and be ready to commence barn cleaning once the weather keeps us from doing anything more constructive.

 

Harvest thundered along with farmers able to harvest almost at will, once the dew came off that is. Soybean harvest has moved quickly with many being over half done combining, with some being done and going after the corn. The hail from a couple weeks ago was a kick in the pants no one needed. If one had the proper insurance coverage to soften the blow, it helped. It still isn’t in most farmers’ minds as good as having the crop that might’ve been as opposed to watching the volunteer soybeans germinate only to become an expensive cover crop. Where the hail didn’t hit, reports are common of yields in the 60’s. Some white mold appeared late, taking the top end out of the yields in fields where there had been a history of the disease. No huge surprise, and, as I’ve mentioned in earlier columns, it’s somewhat surprising it wasn’t worse given the heavy rainfall in July and August.

 

The garden is winding down. The cucumbers have slowed down. That or we’ve just become tired of picking them. That’s OK. The sheep can clean up the resulting monster cukes. Likewise for the monster zucchini, although some would argue that’s where they belong in the first place. Now we’ll focus our attention on the fall vegetable scene. Lots of Jack-Be-Little pumpkins, some regular pumpkins and gourds to be picked for decorating. Once the Indian corn is mature, it can be harvested to dry. The remaining carrots I’d planned to finish digging after all the rain are still there. The drier weather since that time should mean that the wait will make them that much sweeter. Alas, we weren’t able to plant the winter radishes and greens as planned. I suspect we’ll have plenty to do without that.

 

I somehow managed to escape to Canada from Sept. 25th – 30th. It was the only time schedules would allow before getting in the middle of all the Fall activities at the ranch. Time to get away and exhale for a few days, although there were a lot of projects needing completion at the camp. Observing the flora and fauna is a large part of the experience. Loons calling off the end of the dock, followed by the appearance of a Harris’s sparrow as we relaxed one late sunny afternoon. We see Harris’s sparrows pass through our yard every spring at the ranch, only to reputedly disappear to the boreal forests far to our north. I now can confirm that is indeed true.

 

Somewhat surprising, the fall colors weren’t at their peak yet. What wasn’t surprising was Canadian Hydro decided to shut the electricity off for maintenance, lasting over 12 hours. It’s understandable to a point. Not much topsoil to secure electric poles or bury the lines. There are a lot of electrical lines through the forest where trees could fall on them. There are a lot more trees than people to be sure. Still, I have to wonder what would happen in our area of southern MN if all the sudden the REC decided to shut down power for over 12 hours in our neck of the woods, er, prairie. It would not be pretty, I assure you.

 

Have missed seeing Poppy’s happy little face. The barking, not so much perhaps, but you have to take the good along with the not so good. Lots of red squirrels at the cabin that would’ve certainly kept her occupied if she were here. There’s always the Corgi hair too, but judging by the looks of my computer case, it appears she sent some along with me. A reminder that, along with lots of attention, she’ll need a good brushing upon my return.

See you next week…real good then.