Just rambling thoughts about anything that happens to be on my mind and that usually isn't much!
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Sunday, April 12, 2009

Spring time in KS

You can easily tell it's spring in KS when the calves run in playful glee, ranchers begin to burn their pastures and storm chaser vehicles cause traffic jams on normally vacant roads.  The temperature begins to soar, bringing with it spring fever and cold fronts.  The warm days begin to heat the moist air which rises in the cold upper atmosphere, cumulous clouds build generating tremendous updrafts, then as they cool fall with tremendous force back to the earth, tornado sirens blare, radios break from programming to give warnings and storm chasers hit the roads.
 
Since mid March I've had to wear two hats; a straw hat on days that would reach near 80 and my bald head would sweat or a ball cap with ear muffs on those days the wind howled from the north and chill factors fell below freezing.  One day you talk to a rancher about the need for a summer mineral program to help reduce heat stress and the next day you're selling him feed to warm the cattle during cold blizzardy weather.
 
Fruit trees begin to blossom, their limbs covered in pink or white blooms only to droop and break the next week under a load of ice.  Wild flowers open their buds in a variety of colors only to turn black the next morning because of a heavy frost.  Farmers get antsy with soaring temperatures and begin to plant their crops only to watch the fields set vacant of emergence for two or three weeks as returning cold, cools the ground temperature below germination levels.
 
Dang, I sure love living in Kansas.
Dennis

8 comments:

Staci said...

Great description of the season! I think there ought to be name for the time in between winter and spring (wing? sprinter?) because it seems like it's the longest time of the year.

crabby old man said...

REMINDS ME WHY I MOVED FROM THE HIGH PLAINS OF WEST TEXAS

The Ponderer said...

Darned global warming is what it is.

Staci said...

Thanks for signing up for the contest!

It was 95 degrees down here yesterday. Makes me wonder what July and August will be like!

crabby old man said...

R U STILL ALIVE

Dennis said...

ha ha ..... yep. Just waiting on a thought worth writing about!

Cindy said...

Hey guy, just checking to see if you're still around! I put a lot of posts on my blog yesterday, you'll have to check it out!

Jackie said...

Haven't you thought of anything worth writing about yet?...lol

Hope you and the wife are doing well. Have missed your words of wisdom.