This harvest weather is stressful. A couple of mornings I woke up and I had to blink to make sure my eyes were still working. What is with this dense fog in the mornings, anyways? Better than rain I suppose. The straight cutter guys have trouble getting a dry sample until mid-afternoon. Makes for a short day. There is always some unsettled weather around the Equinox. Except for the morning fog and little spit showers we are having a nice Aboriginal Summer.
On weather news there is a tempest in a teapot brewing. The Farmers' Almanac has looked at muskrat mounds, tree bark, song bird nests, pig spleens and some other secret markers. They have predicted a real old-fashioned T-Rex Winter with more snow but it will be light and fluffy. Environment Canada says it is not going to be that bad. With the track record they have I don't believe either one of them. I know there are people who can make winter predictions. I am not one of them. I have noted with surprise that the ravens are back already. They normally go north in summer. Are they trying to tell us something or is it easier to make a living off road kill in this area?
One foggy morning, I was talking to fellow farmer Cal Donald. He said he learned something new every day. I thought I would stump him so I asked what he had learned that day. Quick as a bunny he says, "I learned you can't trust the weatherman. There was no fog in the forecast!" Good one Cal.
On the home front, my green feed wheat is still green and heading out nicely. That contrasts with the ugliness of the tree leaves that are turning yellow and falling off. It is a pleasure to drive by and see such a rich green color. Maybe Jack Frost will leave it alone for another month and it might make wheat. Here is to dreaming, have another stiff rye, eh. The only thing the frost did was it burnt the edges of the leaves. I have never seen that before but then I have never seeded wheat so late.
The green feed oats on the other hand were stunned by the frost for a couple of days, but now have recovered and are dark green again. It looks nice. No heading yet but it can't be far away. My green feed are just little patches, but I find them interesting.
Son Ron's corn on the other hand grew eight feet tall. It was a real jungle. That little bit of frost came and it is deader than dead. His cows are eyeing up the crop with envious eyes and can't wait to get in there. Corn breeds will have to improve before it becomes anything but cow feed. I think the corn breeders are doing this on purpose as every year they get to sell new seed. What ever happened to squaw corn we used to have in the garden when I was a kid? It was shorter and matured early. It was a tough little plant more adaptable to this area.
We are finally done swathing and the swathers are home sitting in machinery row. They can rest up until next year. The green swather is beginning to like its motor oil a little too much for my liking. Next year?
We are busy combining wheat as my crop has been swathed for a month. It is cured. It is not subject to the moisture variations of standing wheat. I smiled to myself as one of the spray and straight cut guys is swathing his wheat. I think this old fossil is right on swathing versus straight cutting. Swathing is more work but in the end your crop gets ready to be combined quicker. By the time you read this column, unless the creek rises or the wheels fall off the combine, we will have very little wheat left and all taken off dry. I have none on aeration either. I did combine the odd goose feather but no damage I could see. The hawks are still on patrol. Thank you Big Guy!
I am still in disbelief at the spending of the Canadian Wheat Board. Is this going to be a repeat of the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool? The suits got control and took the company from the very top to bankruptcy in the basement in three short years. The only thing that saved the company was the backing of the provincial government. Are we watching a repeat performance? Where did the money come from, anyways?
In the news, it was surprising that MLA Tim McMillian, Lloydminster constituency, has resigned from politics and has taken a job with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. He has held many cabinet posts and his down to earth and common sense approach to things will be missed.
In Alberta, Jim Prentice has been sworn in as premier. He has appointed a new cabinet, much smaller than Redford's. He has only 20 cabinet ministers compared to the 30 Redford had. He has two cabinet members not elected to the house. He himself is not elected yet but said they will all face the electorate and get elected to the legislature. Many who were in the cabinet and had positions in caucus have been demoted to back benches as there are thoughts they were complicit in the spending scandal of the Redford government. Prentice has done some popular things such ashalting the change of the Alberta licence plates. They will stay the same as they have been for years. He also is going to sell the fleet of aircraft owned by the Alberta government. All are steps in the right direction. Alberta has good income from taxes and should not be struggling with finances. All that is needed is someone to manage it well. Alberta is a good example what happens when bloated bureaucracy takes control of taxpayers' money. We hope Jim Prentice can bring back good government. We wish him well.
Joke of the week: When a woman got married she put a shoebox in the closet and told her husband not to open it. After 60 years of marriage, she was dying and told him to open the box. When he opened it, there were two doilies and $85,000. He asked why this was in the box. She replied, "When we got married, mother told me to crochet a doily whenever I got mad at you." He smiled thinking she was only mad twice and asked what the $85,000 was from. She replied, "That was what I earned selling doilies."
