Tuesday, November 18, 2008, 14:00

Single Digits

The temperature first thing Tuesday morning was 8 degrees Fahrenheit. I checked back in my weather records book, and the last time the temperature was in the single digits was last winter on March 10, 2008, when it was 0 degrees. That was eight months ago. After the last low temperature of 0 on March 10, it warmed up a little bit and the low temperature did not drop below 10 degrees from there on out.

The first time the temperature got down into the single digits last year in 2007 was November 27 when it also dropped to eight degrees -- nine days later than this year.

The average daily temperature for last week was 30.36 degrees Fahrenheit. When I checked the weather book to find out when the last time that the average daily temperature was below freezing, I discovered that we had not an average daily temperature that low since the first week in April of 2008 -- more than seven months ago.

Although the sun was shining on Tuesday and the high in the afternoon was about 30 degrees, the air had a cold, piercing quality that makes you think maybe you should have put on another layer of clothing before you left the house. I was surprised to see that the wind was out of the south when I was picking up horse manure around the pastures. Of course, there is nothing colder than a south wind in the winter. Seems kind of strange, but I think it's because a south wind is usually a damp wind, so that makes it feel colder.

I spent an hour Tuesday morning hauling manure with the wheelbarrow from Isabelle's pile to the tomato bed. The septic tank is under the tomato bed, and I don't want the outlet pipe to freeze. That happened the first winter we were here, and I would rather it didn't happen again. We've got straw in the barn that I *could* use to cover the tomato bed, but I don't want to use it. Isabelle will need that in her shelter to make a place where she can lie down when there's snow on the ground.

I also do not want to use any of the hay to cover the tomato bed. We had to buy hay at $2.50 a bale this year, and I don't feel like using the hay to put on the ground. When we have our own hay from our own hayfield, then it's not so bad. But I have a feeling we are going to need all of the hay we've got, especially if it's going to be as cold a winter this year as it was last year. And if the temperature first thing Tuesday morning is any indication, I think maybe we're in for another cold winter . . .

LeAnn R. Ralph

Monday, November 17, 2008, 12:37

Sandhill Cranes

Now I know that winter really is not very far away. Monday morning, while I was picking up horse manure around Isabelle's pasture and Kajun's pasture and hauling it out to the hayfield, I heard the creaking-croaking-trumpeting calls of Sandhill Cranes.

I looked up in the sky and saw a flock of them flying overhead. It was very cold out on Monday. About 20 degrees with a stiff wind out of the west/northwest. Mostly cloudy but with a few peeks of sun coming through. The ground was white with a thin layer of snow first thing Monday morning.

As I continued picking up horse manure, I heard another flock of Sandhills. And another. And another. All together while I was out there, a dozen flocks must have flown over. Apparently our little corner of the world lies right beneath their travel route for their southern migration.

Sandhill Cranes sound so prehistoric, like something that might have been heard when dinosaurs still roamed the earth.

It's interesting to watch the Sandhill flocks. They fly in a very loose V formation. Geese, on the other hand, fly in a tight V. But the Sandhills fly in a loose V with a number of them circling around the outside of the V. I have seen geese "switching" their V so that a different leader takes over, but the switch occurs relatively quickly. The Sandhills do not appear to be switching leaders when there are a number of them flying around the edge because they all stay in the same place and continue flying.

When the Sandhills are headed south, I know winter is not far behind. The geese will start flying at the end of September and early October. The Sandhills are later.

We see Sandhills during the summer around here in open fields. They are large gray birds with a red cap. And when I have seen them, they are usually just standing out in the field, not doing much of anything.

A while back, a neighbor told me about a Sandhill coming to fish at his little ornamental goldfish pond in his backyard. The crane would land and would walk right up and catch some fish while the neighbor and friends sat nearby. He was not afraid of them in the least.

The neighbor said he called the DNR and complained that the Sandhill was raiding his backyard goldfish pond (the man brings the fish inside over winter). He was told by DNR officials that he would just have to let the Sandhill catch as many goldfish as it wanted because they are protected birds. If they don't have more fear than that of humans, it is probably understandable how they came to be on the protected list in the first place.

I don't like to see the Sandhills leaving because it means that winter truly is at hand. But in four months or so, the Sandhills will return. They are among the first of the migrating birds to return in the spring. I know they have to leave in order to be able to come back. So, here's wishing them Godspeed on their journey.

LeAnn R. Ralph

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