We spent a lot of time last night bringing the cows home from their winter corn stalks and getting hay bales set out for them. Why? Because of winter storm “Kayla”, which was predicted to bring 8-12″ of snow along with 40 mph winds to our little corner of the world. Livestock can handle harsh weather … More Blizzard February 2, 2016
You may, or may not, be aware that Nebraska is among the many states that was affected by the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Nationwide, around 47 million birds (chickens and turkeys) died or had to be euthanized because of this disease (late summer 2015). One of the possible vectors (ways to spread a disease) … More Avian Influenza, Toy Chickens, and County Fairs
My garden tendencies are a matter of public record on this blog. Too much. Too close. Great ideas gone awry (not posted in previous stories to protect the innocent). I tried to behave this year. I actually planted those tiny seeds and transplants far apart – like the label and catalog recommends. Really! I did not … More Garden Update: Invasion Of the Pumpkins
It has been a busy summer on the ranch. So busy, that I have not had time to sit down and write for a while. Three sons means that June is consumed with T-ball and baseball games. Except for that one week it rained…. The ball field in our little town is located in a low-lying … More Flood Cleanup At the Ball Field – More Than Just Getting Ready For a Game
I have written in the past about extreme gardening in the Great Plains. Between wind, drought, and more wind, I have often wondered if I should seek some type of therapy. I have gotten used to a gradually-warming climate (welcomed it even). One side effect of climate change is the uptick in extreme events. We have … More May 18. Frost Advisory. Unhappy Gardener.
A week ago, my family and I journeyed down to Lincoln to watch our niece play in a volleyball tournament. While there, we also took in a Husker baseball game. Sunday’s game (the final in the 3 game series) was cold and rainy but a great matchup between two good teams. Unfortunately, the Huskers came … More Husker Baseball v Ohio State Buckeyes
Crazy weather is nothing new for those of us that grew up or live on the Great Plains. I have written about tornadoes and temperature shifts on this blog. This summer has gotten off to a rather inauspicious start as northeast Nebraska has made national headlines for multiple tornadoes–one leveling a majority of the town of … More Close Encounters Of the Tornado Kind
All winter, the cows have been out on cornstalks. For those unfamiliar with Nebraska, cornstalks are what is leftover after a combine harvests the grain from a cornfield. The leaves and husks are good feed for cows. Of course, the combine never gets 100% of the corn , so the cows spend their first few … More The Cows Came Home
This is a photo my son took of some vintage planes doing a flyover at a Nebraska football game. Usually we only have time to get one or two photos of the flyover of Memorial Stadium, but these older planes were slow enough that he got about a half dozen. It was nice to pick … More “Flyover” Photo Friday Nov 15, 2013
You have to be a special kind of person to garden in the Great Plains; stubborn yet flexible, optimistic but cautious. The weather changes rapidly and oscillates between extremes. Wind, heat, frost, critters, weeds, and my own ambitious tendencies make it a challenging exercise to say the least. So, I took a few days off … More Extreme Gardening – Nebraska Edition
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