Weather, Calving and Political Football

It's strange weather time here in northeast Texas.  It was 64 degrees at 6:00 a.m. with an expected high for the day of 54.  I think The Weather Channel is a bit off on their forecast.  By this evening we will be in the low 30's if they get that part correct.

Wide weather swings are hard on cattle and other animals who live out in it.  We have had rain the last few days that wasn't heavy, but was persistent.  Now, with a day of clearing, we get a 30 degree swing in temperature.

This is also the beginning of calving season for many cow herds in this area.  I'm sure that with the cold front pushing through there will be new babies born and their first wobbly steps will be cold ones.  Their mother will lick them dry and nudge them to get up and find the source of warm nourishment they vitally need.  Then they will lead them to a protected place and let them lie down and rest for a short while before making them get up again and nurse.  The process of leading them to a protected place is critical because it forces that newborn to gain control of those thin sticks underneath them so they will be better able to escape predators which might be lurking nearby.

If there is wind with the cold front that is also helpful because scavengers like the Black or, Mexican Vulture, have a more difficult time detecting the scent and are less likely to attack the cow and calf.  Coyotes rarely will go after a newborn unless it is injured, or the mother had difficulty in the birthing process and is unable to defend it.  They may watch from a short distance, but unless a "sure" opportunity is presented, they typically will move on in pursuit of a small rodent or, some other meal.

Black Vultures, on the other hand, if they spot a cow in the birthing process, will surround her in large numbers and try to kill the baby -- even before it is completely delivered.  They will drive the cow to distraction, sometimes causing her to step on the calf and injure it.  They may remain around the cow and newborn for hours after birth until hopefully, the cow is able to get the calf up and moving to safety in the brush where the birds are less able to get to it.  Often, she is totally exhausted by that time.  In this area, a large percentage of calves lost at birth fall to the vultures.

I suppose this isn't really a subject most people want to read about on their Saturday morning.  It's not enjoyable to think about, but it is the way the world works.  There are predators and vultures at every turn trying to take advantage of the helpless and defenseless.  One of the worst was recently removed from a high position in the Iranian military.  The event seems to have disturbed a bunch of other vultures -- many of which are in our nation's capital.  They are ones whose predatory ways could be stopped by the voters in their home districts.  It's too bad the people who keep them in power are deluded into believing they should remain in office.

On a related subject, the behavior I saw on videos of the signing of papers of impeachment really did remind me of vultures.  They surround and look for every opportunity to pounce on the one who ordered that one of their own be removed from this earth.  I guess when you think about it in those terms it makes more sense that they would behave in the manner they do.

Vultures have a place in nature.  The Black Vultures are an invasive species in this country.  The vultures in Washington are an invasive species in this land of freedom -- they want to take our freedom away.  Black Vultures are also prolific.  It seems there are more and more of them every year.  The same thing is happening with the DC vultures.  Maybe that's what they should re-name their football team since everyone has been up-in-arms about calling them the Redskins.  The "Washington Vultures" would be an appropriate name for the team which represents those in power...

I didn't intend to get political when I started out this morning....

Weather On My Mind

Sunshine this morning,

Rain tonight,

Winds howling,

Carrying a bite;

That's the forecast for today

But, I'll go on my merry way

Because where I grew up

That was normal for the fall --

Except the rain of course.

Rain was a rare luxury

Much appreciated

Unless it was the middle of harvest

Which it still is.

Here?

Why,

Sunshine

And warmth

And light breezes

And falling leaves

Are typical this time of

Year.

A Cold and Windy Winter in the Forecast

Once again, it is that time of year when the Persimmons ripen and the weather forecasters come out of hiding for missing their forecasts.  With nature, herself, providing the necessary prognostication, formal training is out the window and all that is needed is a sharp knife to know what kind of winter to expect.

There are several different varieties of wild Persimmons that call Texas home.  I believe this is the Common, or Eastern Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana L.).  The fruit is slightly smaller than a golf ball and very astringent until "mushy" ripe.  The woods -- especially along the edges of open areas -- are full of them.  Birds and other wildlife distribute the seeds which must pass through the alimentary canal in order to germinate.

The fruit contains several seeds and you sometimes find those seeds in piles where some larger animal, such as a feral hog, made a meal of the fruit and left a deposit to be washed by the rains until nothing but the seeds remain.

I sliced open three of the seeds to see if the forecast was consistent.  You can see the results above.

Folklore says that the shape of the kernel inside the seed is an indicator of the type of winter to expect.  A fork indicates a mild winter whereas a spoon indicates heavy snows.  The seeds this year are in the knife configuration which predict frigid winds that will cut like a blade.  It looks like we are in for a cold and windy winter.

Last year we had a "spoon" shape and winter was extremely wet.  Given the fact that we are in an area where it usually isn't cold enough to snow I have to say the forecast was on-the-money.  I'm betting it will be a dry and colder-than-normal winter here this year.

Coffee and Cinnamon Rolls

It's that time of year when all of the cows

Look for a swimming hole

To cool their hides and drown some flies,

Drink coffee and eat cinnamon rolls.

Well, I've never offered 'em coffee

And as to a cinnamon roll?

I wouldn't give it to my cows

It's for filling my own pie hole.

I've been to Alaska and even to Maine

And they sound good this time of year

'Cause it's hotter than Hades here in this place

And it's cooking this old hide I fear.

Every August it gets this way

It happens each trip without fail;

I'd like to replace it with April or, June

In that calendar up on the nail.

The grass is all brown, trees dropping leaves

And the water dried up in the creek;

I got stopped by a rabbit with half-empty canteen

Asking directions to the nearest water leak.

Texas in August is not for the meek

And no home for the Heavenly Host;

It serves as reminder to straighten our ways

Or, He'll give us to Satan to roast!

Storm Trooper Weather Forecasting

Yesterday morning we went out to check cattle before the heat became unbearable.  It was actually quite pleasant and a few unexpected clouds were popping up to produce brief showers.  The one in the photograph was blossoming to the west and reminded me of a Storm trooper from Star Wars.  As I look at it though, it might have been a white gorilla -- hmmm...I suppose in some minds that would be the same thing.

I have always been fascinated with clouds and weather.  Where I grew up on the southern edge of the Texas Panhandle, watching the weather was sometimes a matter of survival.  Thunderstorms there often produce large hail, high winds and tornadoes.  The advantage there over many other places is that you can see the clouds coming for miles -- some might say, for days.

Weather is critical to agriculture.  I frequently find myself looking at weather app's on my cell phone to see what the local temperature might be, or whether a shower is expected.  Radar images are just a click away.  Some app's show rainfall totals, soil reflectivity and many other things useful to agriculture.  Weather satellites circle the earth and provide a tremendous amount of data that makes forecasting much more accurate each and every year.  The availability of those forecasts and other information gleaned by those "eyes-in-the-sky" is becoming increasingly important in precision farming.

Beyond things like rainfall, heat stress and weather risk, some app's even provide tools to help evaluate the likelihood of disease based on weather conditions and patterns.  If the outbreak of a disease is unlikely, spraying is probably not necessary or, conversely, if the risk is high, timely application of fungicides can prevent heavy losses or damage to a crop.

In my part of the world it would be helpful if we had something to predict an outbreak of army worms!  Last year they came just as the grass was recovering from a drought-stressed summer.  The new growth was quickly reduced to leafless stems.  Hope turned to dust overnight and hay became an extremely precious commodity.

After thinking about it, maybe that wasn't a Storm Trooper in the cloud yesterday morning.  Perhaps it was the weather guy taking a look to see what could be expected.  I was just thankful for the brief coolness before the heat began to bake us.  On a similar front (pun intended), we suddenly went from no rain in the 2-week forecast to a good chance, starting on Sunday, for a few days.  It will probably change again between now and then.  That's one of the frustrations of all of this new weather information being so readily available -- there are lots of different models designed to predict what will happen and as conditions change, the forecast changes -- sometimes multiple times a day.  In spite of all of these new tools, the "storm trooper" in the sky doesn't always get it right.  Storm Trooper just seems to be such an appropriate name for the weather guy....

Fixing What is Broken - and Climate?

Sometimes you've got to fix what is broken.  We've had an amazing year of rain which began last Fall and has lasted until about a week ago.  It is time to turn on the sprinklers to keep the lawn healthy and green.  Yesterday, we ran a test on our yard system and found that one emitter near the driveway was a gushing fountain rather than a nice, pop-up spray as it was supposed to be.

Since I seem to have spent a large amount of my life working on irrigation systems of one kind or another, and being frugal, I dug it up and found the break.  It seems one of us managed to get an automobile wheel off of the driveway and run over the sprinkler.  With the damp soil, the weight apparently caused the tire to sink in deep enough that it snapped the line at the "T" beneath the sprinkler.  It will be a fairly easy fix, but takes time.

It's a good thing we tested the system before merely setting it and letting it run.  We operate our sprinklers late in the evening, after dark, to reduce evaporation.  We don't worry much about fungus on the lawn since the humidity is so extremely high most of the time that the grass is usually wet from dew anyway.  The test revealed the break, allowing me to repair it rather than to find all of the water from that section had flooded the driveway.

Why do we water our lawns?  Lawns are quite a drain on water resources.  Restrictions on watering lawns are one of the first things cities do in times of shortage.  I suppose we just crave the green space and are willing to expend the resources for our small piece of "nature."  As I think about it though, I believe there is more to the story.

I am not a meteorologist, but I have always been intrigued by the subject.  Yesterday, I watched a brief video of radar showing the outflow boundary of a pop-up thunderstorm over Lubbock, Texas.  The storm released its energy when almost exactly over the geographic center of the city.  Think about that for just a minute.

Cities are a complex of asphalt, concrete, rooftops and other surfaces that affect reflectivity.  If you don't believe me, take off your shoes and socks and walk on a street in August, then hop on those blistered soles to the sidewalk before tumbling onto the grass that is hopefully growing in a narrow band to the side.  Wow!  The grass is cool!

Urban development affects local weather.  I suspect the heat over Lubbock caused the thunderstorm to blossom through any strata that was capping its energy causing it to release the rain.  The cooling effect of that release created the visible outflow boundary seen on radar.  Sometimes that isn't the case.  Frequently, those heat domes over cities will cause clouds to "slide" around them and release their moisture over other areas.  The heat creates a barrier.

Now, to jump back to lawns.  I believe we need more "green space" in our cities.  We need lawns and parks and other areas covered with trees and water that help to mitigate the effects of the man made structures.  We also need to re-think how we build so that we change the heating effects -- perhaps with different materials.  We also might consider how to capture that heat when needed -- such as in the winter.

Maybe, the way we build cities is broken -- just like my lawn-watering system.

There is another piece to the puzzle that has to be considered.  It is well-documented that particulate matter in the atmosphere also affects reflectivity and therefore, heating of the air.  With the concentration of automobiles in cities, the exhaust adds to the heat-building effect of summer sunshine by helping to trap it rather than allowing the energy to be reflected into space.  As much as we hate giving up the independence of operating our own automobile, in the city environment, some form of public mass transportation is needed to reduce emissions -- it will improve the air quality as it changes the heat-trapping effect.

City dwellers often point to agricultural practices as the source of a warming climate.  They outnumber those in agriculture -- especially in highly developed countries.  The power of their voice and their vote is difficult to counteract, but they -- just like all of us -- need to look in the mirror before pointing fingers when it comes to "climate change."

We don't need to eliminate animal agriculture, or stop farming the Midwest and turn it back into a buffalo prairie, we need to figure out better ways to build highways and parking lots and skyscrapers and how to move people to-and-from their work without filling the roadways with automobiles.  It doesn't work so well out in the country where food is produced and people are spread over wide areas, but where people are concentrated into urban and suburban megalopolises, much could be changed that would make a difference.

Maybe what we need are strips of grass instead of sidewalks and gardens on the roof of every high-rise building.  Vertical greenhouses could be mounted to the sides of those same buildings.  High-speed trains might move people through green spaces of tree-lined spokes and concentric circles.  Sigh, I suppose I'm dreaming, but dreams are the stimulus for creativity.

Race Against Time

Ripened fields of golden grain
Bend
As the waves of moving air
Flow
Quietly o'er the heavy heads
Waiting
For the giant machinery to
Harvest
The bounteous increase of man's
Labor.
While struggling furiously against
Time,
As looming masses of vapor
Bloom
In the western sky which
Threaten
To delay or possibly to
Destroy
The fruit of many months
Invested,
The farmer sends clouds of
Dust
To smudge the darkening
Sky
In a race against the violence
Nature
Has sent to thwart his
Effort.
Tiny kernels of the
Harvest
Heap in growing piles of
Gold
Where churning wheels
Transport
Them to a future turned to
Bread;
Sustenance for the growing
Masses.

A Sultry Morning

This morning as I step outside
The air is wet and thick,
Presaging what the forecast calls
A high risk of thunderstorms
With some likely severe.
It is days like this
That make me miss
The open plains where
A light breeze sweeps away
The heaviness of moisture-laden
Air.

The animals in silence
Pant heavily as they seek
The slightest breeze to relieve
Their misery
Of trapped heat that never
Dissipates into the
Laden molecules which
Are already at body temperature.
Relief will come later with
Rising winds, pelting rain and
Hail.

Food, Weather and Enlightenment

After missing a couple of days of posting it is a struggle to get back into the groove.  It has been a long week packed into the last couple of days and I just didn't have the time to write.  Sometimes the things we must do get in the way of the things we desire to do.

I got to see a pretty good swath of country this week.  The wheat crop in Kansas looks to be off to an excellent start.  I say start, probably it is past mid-point and looks to be well on its way to a good finish.

The same moisture that has been good for Kansas wheat has created problems in other ways though.  There continue to be many areas that are struggling to get ground prepared and planted.  There is flooding in Texas where many crops have already sprouted.

Further north into Nebraska I understand they are still struggling with the aftermath of the huge "bomb cyclone" that swept through earlier.  The impact will be felt for several years.

Agriculture is dependent on the weather.  For those not in the business of producing food there is little understanding of how important the weather can be for farmers and ranchers.  It would probably be good for everyone if they better understood that element of food production.  As populations grow throughout the world, the fine line between plenty and want will become more and more critical.  A single massive weather event could trigger widespread food shortages.

I had the good fortune this week to meet some young men from the other side of this planet who are developing and managing state-of-the-art facilities for producing a wide range of food products.  They are eager to learn and focused on applying the best technological advances to their art.  I was very impressed.

We struggled a bit with the language, but with the aid of an interpreter were able to have meaningful conversations on many subjects.  In this country we tend to think of ourselves as set apart -- as different from people in other countries.  I have been fortunate to learn that is far from the truth.  We need to remember that there are good and bad people everywhere and in every country.  The young men I met this week are some of the good guys and they are devoted to feeding the world.

Thunderstorm Time of Year

Sunday night we were awakened by tornado sirens.  They started at 12:15 and continued for 30 minutes.  No tornado was ever sighted of which I am aware, but there apparently was rotation in the cloud that indicated the possibility.  We received about 1/2 inch of rain accompanied by 1/2 inch in diameter hail which knocked lots of tiny new leaves off of the trees.  It seemed to be soft hail so it didn't do much damage to the roof or to vehicles.

It is that time of year.  It seems to be starting off early and perhaps a little more violently than the average though.

Growing up on the southern edge of the Texas Panhandle, violent weather is nothing new.  What is different here in northeast Texas from the way it was there is the visibility.  Here we have trees that block your view.  On the High Plains you could see the storms coming for miles.

Being awakened in the middle of the night threw me off all day yesterday.  I had been scheduled to catch an early flight out of Love Field, but the trip was canceled just a short time before I was to leave -- not by the airline, but by one of the participants who was key.  He came down with an illness and was unable to attend so, we decided to reschedule.  Having my sleep cycle interrupted by the storm had my head nodding all day long.  It's probably a good thing the appointment was cancelled since I might have struggled to remain awake.

I miss being able to watch thunderstorms.  As a youngster I wanted to be a meteorologist.  I think "storm chaser" would have been more accurate.  There is something about a thunderstorm that draws me.  I've been caught in a few.  I've also had a few close brushes with a tornado.  Twice I have been in hailstorms that were bad enough I crawled into the floorboard and hunkered under the dash because of the pounding of baseball and larger sized hail.

I don't know what it is about the storms that draws me.  I suppose it is just the awesome violence of nature. 

Such Is Symbolic -- Tell Me Why?

It's that time of year when you don't know whether to set the central heating and cooling on AC or heater.  The last few days we have needed the AC in the afternoon, but when you wake up to a cool 64F temperature (in the house) in the morning, you either need to layer on the clothes, or turn the heater on for awhile.

I shouldn't complain.  I recall Dad telling of when he was a child in southwestern Oklahoma back during the Great Depression.  There were 7 kids in a small farm house.  The attic area had been converted to a sleeping room for the kids.  The house wasn't very tight or, insulated and so they would often wake to a light dusting of snow on their bed covers that had blown in through the cracks during the night.  Of course, they didn't know what air conditioning was in the summer.

Being married to a Realtor, I occasionally go with her to view a property for some reason or other.  Yesterday we looked at one in Rockwall that was about 4,000 square feet of living space with a 3-car garage attached.  It completely filled the lot on which it sat in a neighborhood where the houses were crowded together barely 10 feet apart.  This particular house was priced at something over $400,000 and it certainly wasn't the largest in the neighborhood.  I did some quick math and estimated there were probably around 300 houses in this particular area -- which by-the-way was adjacent to many more developments just like it -- and if we assume the $400K price to be average, that's $120,000,000 of houses in that one neighborhood which is merely a small part of a suburb of Dallas.  It's mind-boggling when you think of the amount of money flowing in our economy!

Many of those expensive houses are occupied by the grandchildren of folks who lived in conditions similar to what Dad described of growing up in the Depression.  They have no concept of the difficulties, or the conditions their ancestors faced.  They take for granted the wealth they enjoy in their decadence.  Such is symbolic of our country.

I'll just stop there.  If anyone is so inclined, your thoughts as to why I would make that last statement would be appreciated.  I'm curious to hear what others think.  Just leave a comment.

Cattle, Rain and Blizzards Oh My!

I'm listening to it rumble this morning as a thunderstorm makes a glancing blow across the area.  The fog is dense and other than the sound, the only sign of its presence are the diffused flashes that periodically light up the sky prior to the reverberating tones that seem to move across me.

It is warmer than it has been.  It is very still which lends a spookiness to the atmosphere.

Now, I hear the sounds of rain as it begins to fall on the roof and the vents, making a low noise as if someone is sliding a cardboard box across concrete, but with "sprinkles on top" of drops hitting the vents with a light tinny note.  I love to hear the sound of rain in the night or, the early morning before it is time for the sun to light up the sky.  It is not likely to show its face today.

We are fortunate that it is only rain.  We are on the tail end of a system that is bringing blizzard conditions to southwest Kansas where they are expecting heavy snows that might total a foot or, more, accompanied by winds that will likely gust in excess of 60 miles per hour.  Fortunately, the storm is expected to be short-lived.

I seem to write about the weather more than almost any other subject.  Being involved in agriculture, the weather is critical to the crops, the livestock and the people who care for them.  Today, I empathize with my friends in Kansas who will be out in the storm making sure the cattle are fed.  Some may be searching for drifted cattle once the storm has passed.  Many areas have cattle grazing on wheat pasture which is likely surrounded only by an electric fence.  Conditions like what is expected today will cause the fence to be ineffective and the cattle may wander for miles from their pasture.  It may take days to find them all.  Hopefully, they will find shelter and be in good shape when tracked down.

Again, I am thankful that we are only dealing with rain.  We've had plenty of it though and the pastures are saturated.  Whatever falls now will just run off into the creeks and low places.  It won't do much good this summer when it is dry and hot.

It's a good morning to sip on a hot cup of coffee in a warm house.

Groundhog Shadows

I step into the darkness
Here at the end of night
And behold in the near distance
A faintly glowing light

On the back porch of a neighbor
Less than a block away
And I feel the misty silence
Of this cool and foggy day.

It's as though I've been enshrouded
In a pearlescent veil
That reveals a world of wonder
Like some far Arabian tale.

The sense of one transported
To the center of a cloud
Floating far above the planet
And the ever maddening crowd

Fills me with a peacefulness
That rests upon my mind
Until my thoughts are bubbling
And quickly there I find

The sun won't soon be shining
Though the dawn is oh, so near
But, I know there'll be no shadow
On Groundhog Day this year.

Super Wolf Blood Moon

Can you imagine a life under the open sky where the movement of the moon and stars is transparent and integral to each and every day and seeing the "Super Wolf Blood Moon" that occurred last night?  In our lives lived beneath a roof, we merely look upon it as an oddity, but for our ancestors who lived much more "in tune" with the natural world, it was a traumatic event and it is no wonder there are superstitions based in legend regarding it.

In today's world, we "deal" with the changing seasons and the various weather events that impact our lives.  We still are affected by storms and cold and heat and wind, but for the most part, we have modified our environment to the point they are not nearly as disruptive as they once were.  The quality of our shelters, our modes of transportation, the availability of affordable warm clothing, paved roads, all help us to cope with the weather.

Today, in this country and throughout the developed world, about the only people deeply affected by weather events are those who work in jobs that are "outdoor" in their orientation.  Such jobs would include power company linemen, emergency response and public safety personnel and farmers and ranchers.

I've noticed through the years that a full moon tends to bring out a little craziness.  I can't imagine what law enforcement had to deal with last night.  I'll bet there were plenty of people out howling at the moon....

As you come in contact with those who are most directly affected by the weather, show a little empathy.  Thank them for what they do so that you don't have to.  Thank the linemen who keep the electricity flowing, the road maintenance crews who clear the highways, law enforcement who keep the "crazies" in check, and thank a rancher for caring for his livestock when it is miserable outside.

A full moon affects livestock too.  I'm betting we had a new calf or two born in the cold under the full moon.  It's time to go check.  I'll let you know tomorrow.

Chasing Hats

This morning as I listen
To the wind up in the trees
I'm reminded of perspective
For it's just a gentle breeze

To those whose life is rooted
On the open Plains
Where the howling of the Northers
Rattles window panes,

Uproots the Russian Thistle
That becomes a Tumbleweed
And sends it ever rolling
Spreading all that noxious seed

And how it's hard to walk
Without leaning to the wind
Unless you're chasing hats
That the whirling banshee sends

Flying 'cross the prairie
Where it lodges against a fence
Until you run and try to grab it
But, a gust catches it and hence

You're left standing, leaning,
Braced against the grit,
Abandoning the headwear
That still hasn't lit

But, races with the tumbling balls
For chance to take it in
Upon a place where it might wait
Until you run and try again

And you turn to face the onslaught
With your hand to shield your face
Against the rolling, prickly tumblers
In their helter-skelter race.

Allergies and Responsibilities

In our part of the world we have had a very mild winter so far.  It has been wet and it has been cold, but it hasn't really been that cold.  We have only had a handful of days where the temperatures dropped below freezing.  I haven't had to break ice on the cattle water a single time so far.  I'm sure that will change, but the near-term forecast isn't calling for it.

The mild weather has meant an early allergy season.  I don't think the cedar trees in our area are releasing pollen yet, but they will soon.  However, the cedars to the southwest of us in Central Texas are in full bloom and the amount of pollen arriving on the prevailing southwest breezes has been overwhelming.  It affects my breathing and my eyes mostly, but on some days, I can't stop my nose from running either.  My better half has been fighting it for weeks.  It is debilitating to someone unused to dealing with it.

Growing up on the High Plains of the southern Texas Panhandle I didn't have to worry about cedar pollen.  It was all to the southeast of us and prevailing winds took it another direction.  What got me there was the pollen from Careless Weeds (Pigweed), Kochia, corn, grain sorghum and who knows what else.  In the fall, the dust from cotton affected me greatly.  Gin dust triggers asthma within seconds of breathing it.

I've lived with allergies to pollen and dust all of my life.  You just learn to suck it up (sometimes literally) and go on.  It saps your energy and it is annoying -- both to you and to others.  It keeps the Kleenex company in business.

I suppose I could jump on the "Climate Change" bandwagon and blame my allergies on the rest of humanity.  It couldn't possibly be something natural that is causing this mild winter; it must be the result of human activity.  After all, if a person doesn't believe in God, everything becomes the result of human effort.  It also fits the pattern of finding fault.  It is popular to blame someone else for your problems rather than just accepting that things happen and moving on.

I'm responsible for my behavior.  Part of that responsibility is in how I react to adversity or, to the good things that happen in life.  I also believe we each have the responsibility to help others through times of adversity because we may need similar help in the future.  Right now, I will pass the box of Kleenex and take on a few extra chores because for whatever reason, the allergies aren't affecting me quite as hard.  Maybe I've built up some immunity through the years.

Winter Rain

A soft gray glowing dome
Of reflected light
Before the dawn,
Without a sight
Of bursting colors,
Day is creeping upward
Tentatively
As though reluctant
To reveal the dreariness
Of expected winter rain.

Unpredictably Constant -- or, is it the other way around?

It has been a year of flood, then drought, then flood again.  We have had a total of over 53 inches of rain this calendar year and may see more before the year is done, yet there is a severe shortage of hay in the area due to the drought during the summer.

Weather is the constant for agriculture.  It is the constant because we know it will be unpredictable.  I wonder if there has ever been an ideal year for the weather?

Yesterday we moved the cattle.  I say we moved them, when in reality, it was a matter of shutting one gate and opening another.  We have what we call "the trap" in the center of our place.  It is where the water, corrals and vet shed are located.  It is also where we usually feed the cattle.

With the arrival of the first calf of this year's calf crop, we decided to go ahead and shut the cattle off from the bottom land on our place and open the upper pasture to keep them farther from the woods.  The new babies attract predators.  In fact, it was quickly apparent yesterday when we arrived to check cattle that there was a new baby due to the large number of black vultures.

The other good thing about getting the cattle to higher ground was the expected rain last night.  We had heavy thunderstorms that passed through during the night which dumped 2.24" of rain.  That much rain on the saturated ground means the bottom is probably flooded this morning.  I would hate for a new baby to get caught in the flood.

Knowing that the weather will be unpredictable is a good thing.  It causes one to prepare for the ups and downs.  Most folks don't think about that in their life.  We should.  There will always be ups and downs -- good times and bad.  We need to prepare for those times when the bad times come along.

With the new year upon us, perhaps it would be a good idea to include plans to prepare for the unexpected -- for the things which will come that take us unaware -- to set aside for the rainy day....

Here's the new calf: 

The Mud is Getting Deep!

We've parked the tractor by the gate
Because the mud is so deep;
Even with the 4-wheel drive
The pickup is not a Jeep.

It's about a half mile to the pens
Where I must feed the hay
And rain keeps falling from the sky
Day after dreary day.

I know I should not complain about
The rain that has no end
Because last summer all my prayers
Were that God, rain would send.

So, I feed the cows some hay
In ever growing muck
So deep that even my mud boots
Off my feet it would suck.

I'm thankful for this rainy spell
And glad that it has come
But, we could use some drying time
And wish to see the sun.

Blue Norther

I understand the Panhandle is looking forward a cold front passing through.  Growing up in that part of the world, I am quite familiar with the weather.  Thoughts of experiencing it inspired the following:

As the light begins to rise
I look toward the north
And see a line of darkest blue
Down low, near to the earth.

The breeze which blew from south, then west,
Has settled down to calm;
The period of quietness
Just before the storm.

I watch the low and scudding clouds
As they precede the blow
With swelling gusts and puffs of dirt
From the Arctic start to flow

And then it hits as though a wave
From off the polar ice
Has rolled across the placid Plains
With tumbleweeds as froth.

It's Carhart's, gloves and woolen cap
As temperatures do plunge
And stinging drops which turn to ice
Begin to pelt the earth

Leaving coat of crystal clear
On all that is exposed
To howling winds that bite
The face and chill the toes.

And tiny stinging balls of sleet
That sing of more to come
In form of swirling flakes of snow
That soon begin to pile

Behind each post or clinging plant
Where shelter give it home.
And each long, mounting pile of white
Is pointing to the south,

Accusing that which left behind
Wrapped up in bitter cold
Those who surely know
The Blue Norther passed this way.