It seems like I'm always starting out this blog with an observation about the weather, and here I go again ... Man Alive! Is it ever hot out there! My ancestors came from the cool, lofty heights of the Scottish Highlands and I'm just not made for temperatures above the low twenties. Neither can my white skin tolerate the blasting UV rays that a day like today throws at it. Hence, I'm hiding out in my house and finding something - anything - to do that keeps me out of the heat and sun. I can see how badly my garden needs weeding from here, but I'm afraid it's on its own until the shade stretches across the lawn at about 7:30, and by that time the mosquitoes will be out for blood.
The rain that I talked about last time and the sun we've had since have completely turned around the hay picture in our area. It's not likely that we'll get the full tonnage we got last year, but we're pleasantly surprised at how much the crop recovered from the cold, dry, slow start it had. The pastures are looking lush and green; the cattle, sleek and content. We have split the herd into three parts this summer - the older cows are up on 21 and have recently been joined by the older Angus bull. The two year old Hereford bull is out with the 2nd and 3rd time calvers across from the house, and I think tomorrow's project is to sort out which of the heifers we are keeping as replacement cows and putting them out to pasture with our young Shorthorn bull on the east side of the home quarter. All the bulls should have been out by now, but Glen has been too busy in the oilfield to be able to get the farming done too. From time to time he comes up with the idea that "we" need to cut back somehow, but besides talking about it, he isn't really committed to the idea. I keep telling him that if he drops dead from overwork, that he's not going to be happy with what I spend all his money on. So far that threat hasn't managed to change anything.
There is an annual family camping weekend coming up that Glen had said he was going to make it to this year, but I can already see the writing on the wall - the guy we get to cut our hay has been at it for two days now, so guess what Glen is going to be doing for every waking minute for the next three weeks? I'm just going to sit back and see when this fact is going to occur to him. I've got a kind of secret bet with myself about which day I'll be told the old "I can't go, but you go and have a good time" line I've been given every year since we got the cows. It will be either Tuesday or Wednesday next week, just you wait and see.
The main focus of this summer is going to be the wedding, anyway. Not much time for any holidays, I'm afraid, as I intend to go to great lengths to keep ahead of the grass and garden situation. We are also very excited about Wayne, Jacqui and family being here for a whole month. We keep in contact with them with web cam conversations, but it will be so much fun to see the kids in person. I've taken two weeks holidays during that time, but am starting to wonder if I should see about taking more. Guess I'll re-assess a little closer to the date.
Besides, I might want to hang on to a few holidays for a winter trip to somewhere in the sun - which seems to be a little crazy when I've just told you how I feel about gardening in the sun. Let's just say that sitting in the shade of a cabana and sipping some kind of fruity rum drink is something I can tolerate in one week doses.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
AT THIS RATE WE MAY NEED HIP WADERS
It's the old adage about too much of a good thing ... first there was no rain, then there was one half inch rain, and then another .... and today the heavens opened up and we've nearly had two inches since 11:00 this morning - and the Weather Channel is predicting at least another inch. True to form, there are already farmers that are crying the blues about too much rain. It's no wonder that they have their whiney reputation.
Not that they don't have legitimate long term concerns, but this one big rain is only part of the picture. The crops went into dry ground; it was easy seeding, with no sloughs to go around, and lots of acres for the same reason. The rain eventually came, but dry was only one worry - this spring has been cold. Not long ago you could still dig down and find frost - this is not good for germination. Some crops have come along - slowly, albeit, but coming, while others have had very spotty germination. Sometimes it's a case of seeds just not germinating at all, cutting down on the plant population and harvest potential, and sometimes it's uneven germination where all the seeds eventually come through the ground, but their life stages are different. They need spraying at different times, and they don't ripen for harvest together. Farmers who have literally hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in the crop year so far spend a lot of time wandering around their fields and worrying about stuff like that.
We spent the weekend two weeks ago sorting the cattle to go to the various pastures. The cows and their calves are already out on green grass, but the bulls have to wait one more week. There will be no babies born in the winter next year! Some farmers believe that calves born in January or February bring them more money in the fall but we're not convinced. Their checques might be bigger for the bigger animals that they sell, but how many did they lose in blizzards and freezing temperatures? It's cold, miserable, and unhealthy for all concerned to be out there at 40 below, and more and more cattle producers are deciding that it's just not worth it.
This rain should help the pastures. We were out moving the cows on 21 over to their next paddock on Sunday night and were checking out what there was to eat. Last year when we put them out, if the calves laid down you couldn't see them in the grass and hay. This year there is no losing them - the crop is only at one third of a regular year. This was partly due to the lack of moisture, the rest is the lack of heat and sunshine. Glen baled everything in sight last year and I was beginning to think he was nuts, but he did say that you can never count on next year's hay crop so take what you can when you can ... Is that the same thing as saying you have to make hay while the sun is shining? At any rate, we have a good start at next winter's hay rations already stored - and I'm thankful that my husband tends to go a little nuts from time to time.
I spent last weekend putting all my bedding plants out - and worrying if there would be enough water to water them for the summer. Now I sit in here and wonder if they'll survive the root rot all this water is going to give them. At the moment a big chunk of the lawn I mowed two days ago is under water - we're living in the land of feast or famine.
Not that they don't have legitimate long term concerns, but this one big rain is only part of the picture. The crops went into dry ground; it was easy seeding, with no sloughs to go around, and lots of acres for the same reason. The rain eventually came, but dry was only one worry - this spring has been cold. Not long ago you could still dig down and find frost - this is not good for germination. Some crops have come along - slowly, albeit, but coming, while others have had very spotty germination. Sometimes it's a case of seeds just not germinating at all, cutting down on the plant population and harvest potential, and sometimes it's uneven germination where all the seeds eventually come through the ground, but their life stages are different. They need spraying at different times, and they don't ripen for harvest together. Farmers who have literally hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in the crop year so far spend a lot of time wandering around their fields and worrying about stuff like that.
We spent the weekend two weeks ago sorting the cattle to go to the various pastures. The cows and their calves are already out on green grass, but the bulls have to wait one more week. There will be no babies born in the winter next year! Some farmers believe that calves born in January or February bring them more money in the fall but we're not convinced. Their checques might be bigger for the bigger animals that they sell, but how many did they lose in blizzards and freezing temperatures? It's cold, miserable, and unhealthy for all concerned to be out there at 40 below, and more and more cattle producers are deciding that it's just not worth it.
This rain should help the pastures. We were out moving the cows on 21 over to their next paddock on Sunday night and were checking out what there was to eat. Last year when we put them out, if the calves laid down you couldn't see them in the grass and hay. This year there is no losing them - the crop is only at one third of a regular year. This was partly due to the lack of moisture, the rest is the lack of heat and sunshine. Glen baled everything in sight last year and I was beginning to think he was nuts, but he did say that you can never count on next year's hay crop so take what you can when you can ... Is that the same thing as saying you have to make hay while the sun is shining? At any rate, we have a good start at next winter's hay rations already stored - and I'm thankful that my husband tends to go a little nuts from time to time.
I spent last weekend putting all my bedding plants out - and worrying if there would be enough water to water them for the summer. Now I sit in here and wonder if they'll survive the root rot all this water is going to give them. At the moment a big chunk of the lawn I mowed two days ago is under water - we're living in the land of feast or famine.
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