Surviving Minnesota!

[MissE]

Another day in the most humid desert in the world. I be dying!

I had some important stuff to do like take my prop to the prop shop in Sauk Rapids/St. cloud for you non-residents. I also needed an oil filter, motor muffs and a bag of winter rye.

So I stopped at the one stop shop “Mimbachs”. They normally have everything.

I can see the Covid economy has taken a toll on their staff. I found the motor muffs but they don’t have filters for Yamaha outboards. I knew it was a long shot.

Now to the rye. I did not stutter, I asked nicely if they had “winter rye”. The first guy said “yep, right of here”. Then lead me to the rye grass.

I explained I wanted winter rye not rye grass, but would take spring rye if that’s all they have.

I got the vacant stare and the guy was looking at me like I was the one with an IQ of 72. Then he smiled and pointed to the rye grass again and said, “yep, the rye is right here, it says rye grass right on the bag, rye grass is rye”.

I politely said. “Thank you, but that’s not what I want, have a good day,” and walked away.

Then I saw a guy driving a fork lift with a pallet of clover seed, I figured he would know where the rye is. No such luck, he took me to the same rye grass. When I said that’s not what I need”

Then he pointed a pallet of winter wheat. He said we have winter wheat. I said I need rye not wheat. I was going to explain I don’t have an allotment for wheat, but why bother with the big words.

I was on my way out the store and an important looking guy in the grey shirts was coming my way. So I asked again.

The guy said, “Sure do follow me”. I was ecstatic for 21 seconds to be getting my rye, but when he turned down the aisle with the rye grass, my glee took a nose dive.

He pointed at the rye grass and said, “here ya go”.

I informed him that was rye grass. He read the label and said, “Oh, you’re right”. These were 50 pound bags of seed in this area. I wasn’t going tell him I wanted a bushel or two, that would have deflated him to find out 50 pounds is not a bushel.

For those of you not knowing a bushel of corn and rye weigh the same amount, a bushel of wheat is more, oats less, for the city folk here considering applying at Mimbachs.

Then he got excited and said,” we are out of big bags but we have 5 & 10 pound bags of rye. Thinking to myself this is not going to be cheap. He lead me to a different area of the store with the lawn and garden stuff. I had a feeling this was not going to be good.
I was right it was not.

He pointed to some clear plastic bags and said, “this is all the rye we have right now”.

I said, “Where”, because I didn’t see the rye.

He said, lhere this is rye,” holding up a clear plastic bag of rye grass.

I thanked him and left the store.

I am still looking for a bushel or two of rye.

And that, my friend, is why I want to be a hermit. Ugh!

At least they have employees. Around here, even Holiday gas station isn't opening until 9am and then closing at 9pm because people don't want to work and they can't find employees. My feed store just had to go back to winter hours due to no employees

Call Homestead Mills in Cook. Not too far from Effie/Togo area. They will at least know what winter rye is, and likely have it in stock.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

What is winter rye?

 

[duluthralphie]

What is winter rye?

 

[ebrockman]

Ralphie what is your reason for planting rye? Rye whiskey?
It is thus far officially confirmed that of the chicks which my Marans hen presented to me one dies young and one is a cockerel and five are pullets. That is fantastic odds.
I don't ever recall it being this dry here at this time of year. We had thunder and lightning last night but no rain.
Ralphie you best get your fishing in before the fish go into the summer doldrums, which will likely come early this year. How did things go at Devils Lake?

 

[jerryse]

I am ok and still up north . Very busy . Very stressful trip as I have extra people . Weather has been a disappointment . No campfires this trip . No rain to start grass seed . After much searching I found the riding mower I wanted . Every place said we can order . Ugh had enough of that last year trying to buy a headboard for my bed . Wanted a bookcase type . delivery date kept moving until it was December . Had to cancel . Made progress on skeeter reduction . Found potted lupine . Too many shopping runs = lost work .Got appliances and furniture . Costly month . I did finally went fishing last night after supper . I needed that . I found out I have a aneurysm on my aorta . CT scan scheduled when I return home . Have fix that . Broke a piece off a tooth . Starting to feel like that dog named lucky. I will order kitchen cabinets so they should be here for my next trip north .

 

[duluthralphie]

Ralphie what is your reason for planting rye? Rye whiskey?
It is thus far officially confirmed that of the chicks which my Marans hen presented to me one dies young and one is a cockerel and five are pullets. That is fantastic odds.
I don't ever recall it being this dry here at this time of year. We had thunder and lightning last night but no rain.
Ralphie you best get your fishing in before the fish go into the summer doldrums, which will likely come early this year. How did things go at Devils Lake?

I need rye as a green manure and because of its unique herbicide like traits. Also the deer love to munch on it.

We had 4-6 drops of rain this afternoon. And I mean 4-6 drops.

Devils lake is amazing. I plan to go back again.

 

[R2elk]

We had 4-6 drops of rain this afternoon. And I mean 4-6 drops.

Sounds like here. I have 0.01" recorded this month. Of course it could have been a miller tripping the bucket in the collector.

 

[ebrockman]

Well it has finally happened. I am diagnosed with Lymes disease. I knew that getting rid of the Guineas would result in a bite in the end. That is not where I got bit though. Took a week + after being bit to experience symptoms, and then it was a difficult 5 days prior to Dr. visit. Now I am on these damn pills which cause sunburn complications and have to be taken with a full meal.

 

[hmarg06]

We actually got rain last night/yesterday, not sure how much, but it was measurable. Unfortunately, the storm that came with it had baseball size hail! It hit more in the Lake City, Wabasha, Buffalo City/Cochrane(WI), area, but they did get some in Ridgeway that size which is far too close to home. It skirted around my house luckily, but we did still have a few chunks around quarter size fall. Why is it every time it rains now we get hail?

 

[duluthralphie]

We actually got rain last night/yesterday, not sure how much, but it was measurable. Unfortunately, the storm that came with it had baseball size hail! It hit more in the Lake City, Wabasha, Buffalo City/Cochrane(WI), area, but they did get some in Ridgeway that size which is far too close to home. It skirted around my house luckily, but we did still have a few chunks around quarter size fall. Why is it every time it rains now we get hail?

You obviously don’t live right. We have never had hail here in the banana belt, AKA the land of milk and honey.