Oh, I want to get away

The scurs have the Weather Eye behaving with seasonal weather once again. Are we continuing down this path or taking the fork in the road? Starting Thursday, sunny with a fair chance of rain. Highs in the low 70's with lows in the mid-50's. Partly sunny Friday with a fair chance of forenoon rain. Highs in the upper 60's with lows in the mid-50's. Mostly sunny on Saturday with a slight chance of rain. Highs in the low 70's with lows in the low 50's.

 

Sunday, cloudy with highs in the upper 60's and lows in the low 50's. Cloudy on Monday with highs in the upper 60's and lows in the upper 40's. Tuesday, mostly cloudy with highs in the low 70's and lows in the low 50's. Partly sunny Wednesday with highs in the upper 60's and lows in the low 50's. On September 17th we'll start losing daylight at two minutes and 59 seconds per day. That will continue until Oct. 2nd. On the 21st we'll see our sunrise at 7 a.m. CDT. On the 22nd we experience the autumnal equinox, ushering in astronomical fall. The normal high for September 22nd is 71, and the normal low is 48. It soon will be time for the scurs to locate their long winter gatkes.

 

Hopefully we will continue towards harvest without soil conditions suddenly becoming an issue. It's been a few years since we've had a wet September, so one could say we are due. Looking back, since 2019 we've only had above normal Sept. precip in 2019 based on the normal precip recorded at the SROC. We have developed a pattern of drier Septembers. Several of them have also been hallmarked by above normal temperatures and growing seasons extending well into October. There are never any guarantees, but data doesn't lie. This has been advantageous to starting harvest in a timely fashion and being able to sustain the push through October without major delays. Are we due for a departure from that pattern? We shall see.

 

My recent trip north through MN revealed few surprises as far as crop progress. Just as with the local crops when I left, one could only surmise that there were some major differences in planting dates and maturities in both corn and soybeans. Just as advertised, there were areas that hadn't been nearly as blessed as we were in the rainfall dept.

 

Particularly in the corn, the ears were tipped down, giving the indication that harvest was nearer there than other areas. As the Pro Farmer Crop Tour indicated, MN is still likely to lead the way corn yield-wise nationally, thanks in large part to the southern third of the state. Not that there won't be any issues. We've seen more stalk rot, which wasn't unexpected after doing numerous yield checks. Soybeans are always a crap shoot, but they seem to have held their own. We'll know more when combines start to roll on both crops.

 

This edition comes to you from my fortress of solitude in suburban Flanders, ON. Sometimes I've got to get away.

 

After dealing with people and their problems for a growing season, it's imperative to take a deep breath of fresh air and exhale. Dusting off the confuser and blowing the Corgi hair off of it is always the fist order of business. After that it's anybody's guess what might exude from my fingertips. This has been a lengthier stay than some with fewer outdoor chores than others, thanks in large part to a chainsaw that refused to commence. That's OK. As I learned back in my days living in North Dakota, it'll be there tomorrow. And likely the day after that. No one else is apt to tangle with it in our stead. I just appreciate the opportunities I've had to visit such a beautiful place and recharge my batteries.

 

The flora and fauna in this area of Ontario are always a treat to observe. This trip I was introduced to a dock spider, sometimes known as the fishing spider. Large spiders are capable of getting up to 3+" across. They're noted for catching and preying on small fish, tadpoles or insects. They are harmless to humans. This particular model was only 2" across, but it was on the loose in the cabin. The only fish it might encounter there would be kipper snacks.

 

We captured the large arachnid and released it outdoors where it would be more likely to find prey before the weather becomes inevitable. We've also been on the lookout for hummingbirds. The last one at the feeder at the camp was Sept. 10th. That was the same day a monarch butterfly was spotted in Atikokan. That one will need to hustle. Before I left the ranch, there were monarchs gathering in the trees. Fall has started to leave its imprint.

 

It seems like an eternity since I've seen Poppy, even though she wasn't exactly on my Christmas card list when I left for points north. That early morning there was a thunderstorm moving through Bugtussle and environs. Her reaction to thunderstorms has become more intense and less than amusing. It had taken me a while to get to sleep that night, trying to remember everything before finally dozing off. After three hours of sleep, I was in no mood for her antics, especially since I had a column to finish and several other tasks to complete before hitting the road. Nevertheless, time heals all wounds. It looks like thunderstorm chances upon my return are minimal. That's good for all concerned. Besides, it's hard to stay mad at someone whose primary function is being that cute.

 

See you next week...real good then.