Fire bug!

         Much of my grassland, about which I often write, is in a Federal Government program called the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).  Contracts are offered for ten or fifteen years. Participants agree to a number of things:  plant native grasses, control noxious weeds, do not plow or mow, the exception is in drought years haying is permitted, and do a mid-term restoration process. The choices of restoration methods are light discing, haying or burning. It's mid-term in one of my contracts, thus the following.

     Of the three restoration methods, burning is most effective. The primary desired grasses are native, late summer varieties. Before the advent of the plow frequent prairie fires swept the plains. So, a controlled burn, replicates the effect of prairie fires. Controlled, meaning only the field in question is burned.

     Today we burned a twenty-five acre CRP field. It went well, burning the grass but nothing else. To ensure this control I disced a fire break around the perimeter. USDA, administers the CRP program. Before burning they required I completed a compressive Burn Plan. Permission to burn from the local fire chief was necessary because there is a county burn bane in place. It was also necessary to inform the Brookings County Sheriff.

    One of the positive effects of burning is inhibiting invasive grasses that tend to take over. One of those grasses is smooth brome. The fire helpfully burns off the thatch that's accumulated over the years. It also consumes thistle seed that's blown in.

   Key players in the project today were two representative from Pheasants Forever, who supplied the 'know how' and significant physical help. Also, my nephew and my Sinai friend were invaluable. They both brought ATVs with water tanks for spraying hot spots. Were Pheasants Forever personnel not available I would have hired the local fire department.

Takk for alt,

Al

The pictures show before, during and after.

Half Day Man!

     Very few of the tasks here are urgent. Consequently, I've developed a pattern of working? half days. Being in a pattern of arising at 6:00, working is typically in the morning. That allows for an afternoon nap, because I believe you aren't likely to sleep well at night if you don't practice in the daytime. That practice, plus a clean conscience, are helpful for night time slumber.

    With temperatures in the 20s this morning it wasn't tractor weather.  By mid-afternoon the temperature was 70 so I did some late afternoon tillage. It was 7:00 pm by the time I finished and got back to the house.   Why am I tired?

Takk for alt,

Al

Fortunate!

         The man's cap said "Marines".  It also said "Vietnam."  Ed and I were fortunate. By accident of birth we were too young to fight in the Korean conflict. By that same accident of birth we were too young, barely, to be sent to Vietnam. Ed, with a year left of  duty after my discharge, did honor duty accompanying the bodies of Marines killed in Vietnam to their families.

       Neither conflict would have been easy. In Korea the Marines were engaged with the Chinese in the frozen north thanks to General MacArthur's stupidity. Duty at the "Frozen Chosen" would have been horrific. Even as a young person I didn't like cold and the thought of combat duty in extreme cold gives me the shivers.

     Would duty in the tropical heat and mud of Vietnam been any better?  Our accident of birth allowed us escape of both conflicts. Too young for Korea and too old for Vietnam. Thankfully, we escaped both.

Takk for alt,

Al

This picture of me sitting on my bunk shows how little space there was between them. The ropes were threaded through gromets on canvas and then around aluminum tubing which formed the perimeter of the bed. It was actually quite comfortable. My M-1 rifle is hanging beside me. It was issued to me after boot camp and I kept it until we left Okinawa for the States and my discharge. You ask: "Why are you wearing tennis shoes?"  It was the Battalion Commander's idea to go easy on the surface of the ship's deck. It amused the sailors. Admire my nice haircut.

ed

Blow Down!

      That's a first!  With 25 nesting boxes to supervise, mostly the problem is wrens stuffing them with twigs to eliminate competition. Cattle have knocked down a couple. This time it was the wind blowing down the dead tree on which the box was mounted. Fortunately the tree fell box side up so it wasn't damaged. Now it's placed on a live tree so little chance of it falling. It wasn't occupied so now it's ready for a migrant.

      The few minutes I spent in the grassland exposed to the wind was sufficient. Twenty nine degrees with a plus 20mph wind makes me uncomfortable very quickly. Do what needs to be done and quickly retreat to the truck.

Takk for alt,

Al

Asked if I cook I reply, "I don't cook, I prepare meals."  This is an example. The entree, in this case a Cornish Game Hen, is done in the air fryer. Frozen vegetables are done in the microwave. Spinach salad with blue cheese dressing completes the mean. 

It happened!

       As the weatherman predicted the temperature swung. It was 70 degrees at bedtime and 39 at breakfast. Not that it changes anything, but I much prefer hot to cold. Then there was Joanne going out in sub-zero weather wearing a wind-breaker.

     Convening the family for dinner, there were eight of us tonight. As the convenor I choose the time and place. It turns out that none had been at tonight's venue since last November when I last convened them. Though I suggested others could convene there were no takers. It's not difficult, I just group text, time and place, they RSVP and I call in a reservation.

Takk for alt,

Al

1954 Austin Healy, 100...it would be fun to have again.

Temperature Swing.

       The temperature today is 82. The predicted daytime high tomorrow is 42. We live too far from the moderating effect  of the ocean.

    Realizing the high temperature tomorrow I opted from some tillage work today. Operating an open station tractor in cold weather is not on my list of desired activities. The 25mph wind with gusts to 35, was bad enough, but cold??? forget it. So, I worked until there was equipment failure. L asked "Why do you have so many break downs?"  "Well, all my equipment is 50 years old, or older."   

    Filled my truck with gas today. The total? 101.33$   It could have been worse because it was 3.40$ per gallon. That's the lowest price I've seen in awhile.

Takk for alt,

Al

Saw a version of this in Marine Boot Camp