Albin News Oct 25, 2010

Albin News Readers,

The one and only convenience store in Albin is under new management. It is currently being leased out by the current owner, Juan Serrano, to a family who owns and manages Tres Magaritas in Greely, CO among other restaurants Besides selling gas and typical convenience store items, the new managers plan on selling made-to-order mexican food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They are currently constructing a commercial kitchen in the store so they can prepare their food on site.

In recent years, the store was owned by the Panhandle Coop of Scottsbluff, NE then sold to Guillermo (Memo) Serrano. Memo sold the store to Juan over a year ago and Juan did well to keep the store open through the slower winter months. After keeping the doors open through the summer, Juan sold off his inventory, closed the store and put it on the market for sale or lease.

If things go well for the new managers, they may consider buying the store or leasing it long term. In the mean time, quite a bit of work has been put into painting and remodeling the store for a grand opening in the near future.

Another exciting event happened on main street Albin that caused quite a bit of rubber necking. Two visitors from Sweden were helping Ron and Monte Lerwick move a 70 ft grain auger through the town of Albin when things went awry. One Swede was driving the tractor, towing the auger and the other was following behind with Ron in the pickup. The Swede driving the tractor was traveling east through Albin and was supposed to take a right before the post office and head towards the grain elevator. However, he missed the turn and (not knowing he could turn right opposite the Albin Store) attempted a U-turn on Main Street. Unfortunately, the swinging arc of the end of the auger was interrupted by the top of the cedar tree in front of the old town hall. As tree and auger collided, the auger bend sideways, then buckled in the middle and sagged to the ground. The tree acted as though nothing had happened, the Swede was horrified.

Using a pickup with hydraulic arms, Ron and Monte were able to pick up the sagging end of the auger and tow it to the old potato cellars in south Albin. Luckily only one section of the auger and one set of cable supports on the top of the auger were bent. Ron and Monte, with the assistance of ace metal worker and mechanic Brian Norman, were able to disassemble the auger so the damaged section could be removed and replicated by Brian.

I also want to remind everyone that next Tuesday is time to vote again! Three Albin community member will be on the ballot this election cycle. John Eklund is running to represent eastern Laramie county in the Wyoming house of representatives, and Ann Sanchez and Lindi Kirkbride are running to serve on the board of directors for the Laramie County Conservation District.

Condolences to Norma Lerwick in the loss of her brother, Lee McConnell to  a sudden heart attack.  Lee was 71 years old and his funeral is Tuesday in Truth and Consequence, NM.  Lee's son, Matt McConnell attended Albin elementary thru 3rd and 4th grade. 

Here is Dixie's latest update on Tim Malm:

“Tim had a good week--we are so encouraged that each day we see or hear another daily miracle(s).  He is talking clearer and louder. He is getting more movement with his arm/elbow/leg on the left side.  While he was taking steps during therapy on Wednesday, the therapists noticed that he had started to really do a good job of shifting his weight off the left leg to the right so the left leg was easier to pull/move forward and backward to make his steps on that side.  We (Howard and I) did get him in the pool at our Community Center here on Thursday and we all three did okay for the first time! Please continue to pray for Tim to get stronger, gain more movement, adapt to medicine changes (off of one medicine this week), and keep progressing in God's timing. Until next Sunday!!”

Cindi Ross also left an update on caringbridge.org saying that Garrett is getting stable enough that he may be transferred to Craig hospital soon. Although he hasn't regained full consciousness, he still reacts to sensori stimuli and his breathing has stabilized. He has struggled with some infection but so far has been able to overcome it. Hopefully next week I'll be able to post some of Cindi's updates word for word.

Master Gardner Ann Sanchez had this to say about planning for next spring's flowers:

“A great way to add fragrance, color, and interest to your home during the long winter months is to force bulbs. It’s not difficult and forcing bulbs creates a wonderful anticipation of the beauty of nature in your home. Start by buying quality bulbs from mail order companies or at the box stores. Don’t buy bulbs that are soft or have begun to sprout. Also buy some potting soil and a large pot with a drainage hole.

My friend Jerrene Randall always mixes the potting soil with water and lets it stand a few minutes before adding the bulbs. This allows the water to be uniformly absorbed throughout the soil in the pot. Next plant the bulbs with the pointed ends up, and as close together as possible, without letting them touch. Tulips and other bulbs with flat sides should be placed with their flat sides against the side of the pot. This will allow the first leaves to form around the edge of the planter. The tops of the bulbs should be visible at the top of the container.

After planting, place the pots in a cool, dark place, such as a cellar or refrigerator. At the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, they dig a hole in one of their outside flowerbeds and cover the bulb pots with 10 inches of soil, then 10 inches of straw. The bulbs should not be allowed to freeze. Then mark your calendar to remind yourself when you can start taking your pots out and also label your pots as to what you have planted in each one.

Forcing bulbs takes about 12 weeks of cold storage for early blooming bulbs (snowdrops, crocus, daffodils) and about 16 weeks for tulips. Taking your pots out of storage at different times will stagger and prolong your flowering enjoyment. When the time comes to take your bulbs out of storage, take them to a warmer place with indirect sunlight. Keep the bulbs watered. When the bulbs begin to develop, move them to a bright sunny location.

You will be pleased and happy with how fast the flowers develop inside your home. Hyacinths, which are my favorite, will share their wonderful beauty and fragrance for about two weeks.”

In Ag news, farmers have ended or are getting very near the end of the 2010 crop year. Thanksgiving is getting close enough that we can almost taste it. It's a relief to have the crops out earlier than normal so we can all look forward to a holiday season without the stress of seeing the year's work still out there at the mercy of mother nature. It's the time of year, when the big question gets answered: how will my crops yield? It's an itch that is oh so satisfying to scratch when the combines start rolling. After the barn is full of hay, the bin is full of grain, and freezer is full of meat, it's time to take a breather and celebrate Thanksgiving! Fall's harvest and the ensuing succession of celebrations is the push we need to make it through the winter solstice and survive until the meadowlark returns!

Albin news Oct 18, 2010

Albin News Readers,

I'm sorry to report another serious vehicle accident in the Albin area. Izzie Serrano was involved in a two vehicle accident last Friday and was seriously injured. She was driving along a county gravel road in Nebraska and met an oncoming car at a hill. The passing vehicles just clipped each other causing Izzie's vehicle to roll several times. Izzie was ejected and sufferd a broken leg and a broken neck among other injuries. Jan Rundell visited Izzie at Regional West hospital in Scottsbluff on Saturday and said Izzie was stable enough that they were planning a surgery on her neck in the near future. Doctors had already performed surgery on her leg the Friday of the accident. Condolences may be sent to Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff, NE.

A benefit dinner for Garrett Ross will be held at noon on December 5 at the Rendevous Center (located in the fairgrounds) in Torrington. This event will include a BBQ dinner followed by a silent and live auction. For questions or to make a donation for the auction, you can contact Lori Schafer at 532-2436 or Roberta Luke at 532-4068. If you are in the Albin area, you can contact Tracy Petsch 246-3473 with questions or to arrange delivery of donations. Also, Albin community members have been asked to bring a salad.

Garrett is still undergoing rehabilitation at the Kindred hospital in Denver, CO for traumatic brain injury. You can find Cindy Ross's updates on her son by going to caringbridge.org and searching “garrettross.”

The Boyce-Marlatt Chapter of American Legion Auxiliary met October 13 with five members present: Ted Anderson, Kathy Olson, Mary Beechler, Joann Hays and Bertha Sandberg. $35 was donated to the Community Hollowe'en party, and used poppies will be mailed to the state office for use at the Wyoming Veterans Cemetary in Casper. Items will be collected at the November meeting to be delivered to the Cheyenne Veterans Hospital.

Here is the lastes from Dixie on Tim's condition:

“Proverbs 16:9   A man's heart plans his ways, but the Lord directs his steps. This verse hit me because we, along with Tim, have to make plans (sometimes 'plans of attack') for the day or activity because they sometimes change within the hour!  We did fulfill one of Tim's plans to get on a 4-wheeler this week--Howard behind him with Andy driving and yes, they went real slow and just made a big circle where we work cattle.  The highlight of the week was hearing Tim tell everyone, "I walked" when asked what he did in therapy!  With both therapists on his sides, Howard behind him holding hips correctly, and me standing on a bench high enough to hold Tim's head up--WE  walked!  Tim was able to shift his weight to his left leg long enough to swing his right leg forward--weight to the right leg and the therapist on that side would move his left leg forward for the next step.  He walked 3-4 steps forward and backward for each time he stood up.  We went to the college rodeo on Saturday where he was so excited to see many, many friends!! It was great to see so many of you and for all the encouragement you have been and are to us!!  The part of the verse about plans and direction of steps---well, Tim sure is praying and hoping those plans and steps come together and he is there next year!?!  Only in God's plans and timing, but it's great to dream and have goals! The therapists are sure pleased how well they are getting more bend and strength in Tim's left leg/knee and left arm/hands!  Continue to pray for that left side!!  We hope you have had a great week--we are excited to see God work again this week--he is so faithful and good!  It was so good to see the patches the NJC rodeo team wore on their jackets with a cross,Tim's name, and his verse-Phil 4:13 on their vests! My sister, Shena, her verse is Phil 3:14--PRESS ON!!! Until next Sunday!!  “

Master Gardner Ann Sanchez had this to say about looking ahead to next year's garden:

“This week in the garden I’ve been continuing to harvest raspberries, tomatoes, and spinach. I’ve also been planting more spinach. Planting now can bring an early harvest in the spring. A few winter hardy varieties include: Bloomsdale Long Standing, Cold Resistant Savoy, and Tyee.

It’s always exciting to think about next year’s garden. Next year I’m going to use more raised beds. It’s handy to perch on the wall of the bed and plant and weed. It also helps prevent grass from invading your crop or flowers. I also like to amend the soil by getting compost and top soil from B.S. Compost in Hereford, Colorado. The easiest raised bed is to use an old stock tank that has a rusted out bottom. To make watering efficient and easy, be sure to run a drip pipe up through the bottom of the tank before you add soil. Next year I am using a tank to start an asparagus bed. Another low cost raised bed is constructed from the white rock we have in abundance in our farm fields. I stacked the rocks about one foot high and used this kind of a bed for my raspberries. I used water permeable landscape paper on the inside of the rock wall to keep the raspberry plants from suckering up out of the bed area.”

In ag news, corn harvest is still in full swing and some have started harvesting oil sunflowers. There are two different distinct types of sunflowers grown in the Albin area. The first is called an “oil” sunflower and is used mainly for it's oil but sometimes is sold for bird seed. These sunflowers produce a small black seed that is mainly grown on dryland acres. There are more variety choices for oil sunflowers and they are more widely grown.

The other type of sunflower is the “confection” sunflower. These are the large striped seeds that are used for snacks and cooking. These seeds are usually sold while the kernels are still whole and so are usually grown on irrigated ground where farmers can better control the seed size and test weight. They are also worth more per pound with premiums paid for low insect damage and high test weight. There is one product on the marked called “Sunbutter” which uses ground up confection sunflower seeds to make a peanut butter like spread. If you haven't tried some, it's definitely worth a taste!

Albin News October 10, 2010

Albin News Readers,

This week we saw the return of rain to the Albin area and the salvation of the dryland
wheat crop! It started slowly on Friday night and by Monday morning there were actual
puddles. Approximately one inch of nice gentle rain fell in starts and stops, never too
quickly. This moisture was desperately needed to put our pastures and farm ground to
bed for the winter.

Also in community news, deer and antelope season is winding down. The Albin area
has some prime hunting available if you know where to look. Local resident Greg
Woolington harvested a very nice 9x7 non-typical mule deer buck near the beginning
of the season. Greg said he happened to spot the buck while approaching his hunting
area and was able to bring it down with a well placed shot through the mid section.
The deer was in excellent condition and will allow the Woolington family some savory
venison dinners this winter! The antlers had a 24” outside to outside spread and a quick
measurement using the Boone and Crocket method of scoring non-typical antlers put
the buck at about 145 inches. Greg runs the local county maintainer, and is a volunteer
firefighter for the Albin fire department.

Clint and Jessica Jessen enjoyed spending their 8th wedding anniversary together in Las
Vegas last week. Clint was especially thankful for the recent rain and said things are
going well.

In the Albin Elementary news, I’ve made the executive decision to move this section of
the Albin news to a monthly basis instead of a weekly basis. This keeps the work load
to a more sustainable level for me and hopefully doesn’t interfere with the flow of the
classroom for the teachers.

There have been reports of someone shooting cats and dogs with a pellet gun in the town
of Albin. Any incidents or suspicious activity should be reported to the Laramie County
Sheriff’s eastern division office at (307) 245-3838.

Finally, here is the latest from Dixie on Tim’s continued progress:

“Our first full week home and it has gone well--busy with different activities and some
routines. The hospital tried to have us map out a daily routine--HA! There's rarely ever
routine from day to day around here. We did a few small numbers of calves (pre-
conditioning them for those of you who know ranch work) on two different days and then
on Saturday we worked about 90 calves--and as we were out there in God's creation we
had 4 generations all working together! Tim's grandpa celebrated his 77th birthday this
week (he's the workhorse of the whole bunch!) and Tim's cousin's girls were with us. The
verse Psalm 89:1---"I will sing of the Lord's great love forever; with my mouth I will
make your faithfulness known through all generations" came to mind. I sing a lot while
working cattle because it's loud enough no one hears you! As I watched Tim sitting
and 'waiting on the Lord' as He heals and restores him, I continually praise Him for His
faithfulness. Tim had an excellent Phy & Occ therapy session on Friday!! The two guys
who work with him really pushed Tim and he was able to bend that left knee the most we
had seen! He was able to stand more on his left leg and his upper body balance is

improving!! Left arm is bending more and more!! Speech Therapy is supposed to start
this week--we'll see how that goes!! Tim was able to go to church today!! So good to be
back with our church family and in our community---as the saying goes, 'there's no place
like home!'. Tim is sleeping well and we have not had any pain medications all week!!
We continue to ask for prayer over that left side for it's movement, Tim's continued
patience and humor with us, and for him to stand this month on his own!!! Big prayer---
Big God!! The girls (Cassady and Jessica) will be coming home on a permanent basis!!
Such a blessing and thanks to their 'second home' with Stacy, Andy, and the three K's!!
All of our family and friends have been God's blessings of encouragement, strength,
friendship, and have allowed us to be with Tim as we have--again we say THANKS to
God and to all ya'll!! We have praise also for your prayers concerning Tim's emotional
response--he has asked alot about the accident, situations with him, and he and Howard
watched the film together of the accident when he asked Howard to show him...(his mom
has not watched it-even though she filmed it). I'm so thankful for the friendship and father/
son bond they have with each other--I truly hope this journey has brought several of your
father (parents) and son (children) relationships closer to each other and to our Heavenly
Father. Also, please pray for this weekend --Tim has stated that he wants to go to the
college rodeo at Cheyenne!?! Have a great week and God Bless ya'll --until next Sunday!
Our home address is Box 67, Albin, Wy 82050 and our phone number is 307-246-3262
(We have very little cell service so our cell phone stays off most of the time-so we wanted
to give our land line number for those of you who only had our cell number.)”

Master Gardner Ann Sanchez had this to say about growing and processing your own
fresh horseradish:

“If you love to eat horseradish with your meals, try growing your own plants. Start
by planting a small section of root in the spring. The root can be purchased or gotten
free from a gardening friend. Horseradish can spread in a garden, so plant the root in a
drainage pipe sunk vertically in the ground to keep the roots growing down and not out
to the rest of the garden. In addition to using the roots, horseradish leaves can be eaten in
salads.

In the fall, carefully dig up the plant and roots. Cut the leaves off and clean the roots of
as much dirt as you can. After washing the roots peel them with a vegetable peeler. I cut
the cleaned roots in small sections and using the grater attachment on the food processor,
I grated them up. I added some crushed ice and a little water to get a better consistency.
Grate only about a cup or two at a time. Make sure you have good ventilation at this time
because the fumes will be very strong when you take the lid off the processor! Put the
grated horseradish in a bowl.

To make a mild horseradish, immediately add 3 tablespoons of white vinegar and ¼
teaspoon of canning salt for each one cup of grated horseradish. A hotter horseradish
can be made by waiting 3 minutes, and then adding the vinegar and salt. The vinegar
stops the enzymatic action in the horseradish and stabilizes the degree of hotness. Put the
finished batch in a sterilized jar and keep it in your refrigerator.”

Ann is currently serving as secretary on the Laramie County Conservation District’s
Board of Supervisors. The board consists of five members who are elected to a four year
term. Two of the positions, including Ann’s, are up for election in 2010. Other people
running for the two positions are current board member Jay Berry and longtime Albin
community member Lindi Kirkbride.

In Ag news, there was a major shake up in the commodities markets this past week.
The NASS crop production report that came out last Friday lowered the projected
average corn production per acres from 162.5 bu/ac to 155.8 bu/ac, down 6.7 bu/ac. For
perspective, the 2009 crop set a record at 164.7 bu/ac. The corn yields are expected to
improve as harvest moves in to the northern corn belt. This survey has taken that into
account to the extent that surveys can. These surveys aren’t perfect, but they are usually
the best data we have and the markets take them very seriously. After the report came
out, the corn price moved from the $5.00/bu range towards the $6.00/bu range. It will
take several weeks for the price to stabilize given this knew prediction. In the mean time,
the corn price has dragged the wheat and cattle prices up and given the local farmers and
ranchers another shot at marketing this year’s production.

Josh Koenigshof and David Romsa were harvesting corn this week and reported yields
to be mediocre (in the 130 bu/ac range on irrigated and 50 bu/ac on the dryland). Like
the beans, much of the corn in the Albin area took a yield cut due to the hail. On the
plus side, the test weight has been excellent (56-60 lb/bu) due to the amount of heat
units received this year. David said I should mention that he and Josh are Albin’s most
eligible bachelors. Having nothing tangible to report to this effect, I’ll just say that their
qualifications will become self evident upon closer inspection. So there it is ladies; don’t
take my word for it, go have a look for yourselves!

Albin news Oct 4, 2010

Albin News Readers,

A huge thank you to Bette Lu Lerwick (Mother Lerwick) for submitting the Albin News for me the last two weeks. Megan and I are back from our trip through the Midwest. It was really quite a trip, just to see the American heartland at harvest time. I never knew soy beans can get 4-5 ft tall and dryland corn can produce over 250 bushels per acre! We stayed several days with my sister Koral and husband Shawn then continued on east on I-70 to about the middle of Missouri. We spent some time there seeing friends and family at a church convention like the one in Chugwater. We got to talk to a lot of people who spent time with Uncle Ken Lerwick while he was in the ministry work there. On the way home, we looped south through Kansas before hitting I-80 again for sprint back.  The whole time we got to stay with friends and family, always on farms or in little towns.  We were waiting for a coal train to slowly roll through some backwoods town in Missouri and I couldn't help think "this is America."

This week in community news, Tim Malm returned home to Albin! Here's the latest from Dixie:

3 John 1:4  I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.

I sang this song at Tim's graduation here in Albin and also at the State Finals Rodeo Church (Tim's sr. year and Beth's jr. year) and this verse speaks of the most important part of the song.  It is "Find Your Wings" by Mark Harris

It's only for a moment you are mine to hold
The plans that Heaven has for you will all too soon unfold
So many different prayers I'll pray for all that you might do
But most of all I'll want to know you're walking in the truth
And if I've never told you I want you to know
That as I watch you grow...

I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage to dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots and help you find your wings

May passion be the wind that leads you through your days
May conviction keep you strong and guide you on your way
May there be many moments that make your  life so sweet
But more than memories....

(chorus)
It's not living if you don't reach for the sky
I'll have tears as you take off but I'll cheer as you fly
(chorus)

Now talk about only in God's timing--looking back at my 2009 calendar..I sang this three times a few days before and after what would now be one year before the accident (June 6, 2010).  Look back through the words and there were many memories (rodeos, State Champion Calf Roper, National Reserve Champion Calf Roper, College rodeos, etc.) and the second line talking of the plans will all too soon unfold...but the strength of the whole journey has been in knowing that Tim knows the Lord and has a personal relationship with Him and that he is 'walking' in the truth. Our prayer from the beginning is that many, especially Tim's friends will have begun their walk or will begin their walk soon, plus let Tim know when they see him.

Tim has had much patience with his parents these past two days...has slept fairly well and is ready to begin therapies to so he can get back to work!  We took him to see his horses then to our outside working chutes to watch the family work some calves, hear the calves, smell the familiar smells, and he did well.  He had two steaks at noon!  We ask you continue to pray for all the planning with the therapists this week along with all the adjustments of home.  It is really good to be home!  Thank you again for your encouragement and prayers.  Until next Sunday... Howard and Dixie 

There is a landowner conference entitled “Protecting Your Land and Living with Oil & Gas” scheduled October 11 in Chugwater from 7-9 pm. It will be at the Chugwater Community Center and will cover such topics as negotiating an agreement to protect your rights as a landowner, and negotiating an agreement to protect your land and water. It is being sponsored by a group of the Wyoming conservation districts. More information can be found by calling your local conservation district. The Laramie County Conservation District's number is 772-2600.

Deer season opened Friday and antelope season has been open for over a week now. I'd like to hear some hunting stories if anyone is brave enough to submit one. Albin has some great deer and upland game bird hunting if you know where to look.

The Albin elementary was gracious enough to let me talk to the different classes despite being in dirty work clothes. The kindergartners were learning about the calendar and what makes up a basic sentence. Nikki Palma said she learned about mathmatical patterns. In first grade, Hunter Munson said they were learning about days of the week and weather descriptions. In math, Eliott Anderson said he learned about subtracting and Andrew Loya mentioned adding. Leslie Gutierrez said they learned what the verb “amble” meant. In second grade, the kids were learning “robust” vocab words such as “exercise” and “announcement.” Math lessens included rounding, counting forwards and backwards, counting by fives, and odd and even numbers. The third and fourth graders were also learning math patterns, but had much more complex patterns. Carter Kirkbride said he was learning to write an informational paragraph and Jonathan Vrtako told about multiplication tables. The fifth and sixth graders were writing biographies about someone who made a difference. They were also learning the difference between simple and compound sentences, and they seemed interested in writing the school news themselves. I don't know why not! There's nothing like practical application. The sixth graders were also beginning to learn algebra in math.

Local Master Gardner Ann Sanchez had this to say about extending the growing season:

This week I’ve been harvesting tomatoes, squash, raspberries, and huckleberries. It’s been marvelous to have such a long growing season, especially for tomato and raspberry production. The raspberries I’m growing are called Carolines. They are fall bearing variety. Each year when the frost arrives there are many berries that are formed, but not ripe. This year I’m going to try to protect them from the cold weather by using a temporary fence as a structure and wind break, plus a frost blanket called Reemay. Reemay protects tender plants down to 27 degrees if there is no wind. It might be a waste of time, but it will be a challenge to keep the plants going. If it works, the mouth watering flavor of juicy red raspberries will be the reward.

Jarrene Randall also submitting this article on pruning written by horticulturist Del Hemsath:

Fall is a good time to remove the old and diseased vegetation from gardens and flower beds. Residue management is important for disease and insect control. As we clean our beds, it is easy to see what branches need to be removed from shrubbery and trees. While we are outside and doing all of the cleanup, might as well do some pruning to get ahead of the work In the spring – STOP! Let's think about this a little bit. Pruning is necessary to keep plants healthy and looking good, but there is a correct time to prune those plants. The plant responds to the removal of branches through a process that causes the plant to actually produce more growth to replace that which has been removed. So if the new growth begins in the fall after one has pruned then the cold temperatures come along and kill the new sprout growth because it has not had a chance to harden before winter. When spring comes around, you then have more growth to remove because of winter kill and you have just created more work for yourself. Some plants might be weakened so much from the fall pruning that the desirable plant died as well. So now you need to replace the plant, another oops.

So, how does one know when to properly prune plants? There are some general rules that will work, the first one is to look at the plants that need to be pruned and decide if the plant is tree or shrub. If it is, do not prune in the fall until after a killing frost has occurred. This stops the growth of the established plant, kills the harmful disease organisms that can infest a pruning wound and also speeds recovery in the spring as the plant wakes up from winter and realizes that part of its structure is gone. The plant will be triggered to compensate for the loss of branches, but in a more controlled way. Pruning of trees can be done just about any time except in the fall month of August and September because the tree is susceptible to rotting diseases infesting the wounds from fungi floating in the air.

Shrubs can be pruned after they have bloomed. One can prune before they bloom but one will lose any blossoms that were formed the previous year. It is best not to prune fall blooming shrubs in the fall until a killing frost has stopped growth. If one prunes too early, the newly formed stems are susceptible to rodent or rabbit damage during the winter and those branches will need to be removed in the spring. Again, pruning shrubs in the fall stimulates new growth and this can actually attract feeders to the tender growth during the winter. I am sure that everyone remembers the winter of 2009-10 and the high drifts that formed a roadway for rabbits to feed on the trees and shrubs far up into the upper stems and branches.

The other perennials found in landscapes can be cleaned up as the vegetation dies. Even some of those perennials will be stimulated to produce new growth so you need to be careful with those as well. On some perennials, it would be best to wait until the ground temperature has dropped in order to prevent new growth. Roses can be a stickler for pruning as well. The best rule to follow is to wait until spring to prune roses because of rabbit damage or disease problems. If you have roses that you protect during the winter with shelters, pruning is necessary to get the plant inside the protective cover, but remember that you are protecting any new growth with the cover, so damage is more controlled.

Remember asking that question during biology or plant physiology class – "Why do I need to know this?" It comes back to haunt you doesn't  it?

If one takes a little time to just think about the plant you are pruning and how the plant is going to react, you can determine if you are pruning at the correct time.

In Ag news local farmers are pretty much through dry bean harvest and starting corn harvest. It seems like a long time since we were combining corn during deer season but I remember it happening once back in the 90s. It makes me feel like a old duffer to say it like that. The point is it's a very early corn harvest.

I'm sure you've all noticed that we haven't got a rain in this area since about the first of August. This is a stark contrast to the last two falls Driving back across Nebraska, I noticed it starts to get really brown at about Sidney. The latest USDA crop progress report said that wheat emergence was behind the five year average in Montana, Kansas, and Nebraska. According to the Oct, 4 report, only 18% of Nebraska's winter wheat has emerged. The same report say the last five years' average for Nebraska is 25%. Kansas is the heavy weight and reported 12% emergence as compared to 24% on the five year average. This is bullish news for the wheat market.

Since the corn is nearly ready to harvest, there's not much point in continuing to report the GDUs. However, the difference between 2009 and 2010 is so remarkable, it's worth looking at again. The GDUs for 2009 and 2010, May 15 – Oct 4 (baseline 50 deg F) are 1922.0 and 2330.5! That's a 21.3 % increase over last year. We went from below average heat units all last year and one of the coldest April's on record to way about average heat units all summer and fall. As a realist I can see there's no way to out-guess the weather or the markets. As a farmer, I know there's no way to around trying to do so!

Last but no least, the fill-in Albin News reporter ruffled some feathers with this comment from last week's column: “In 2nd grade Mrs. Trevillyan is working on the long 'e' sound.  After she gets it learned, she will teach the students.” Apparently this wasn't a comment on Mrs. Trevillyan's character or teaching abilities but an attempt to use humor to spice up the Albin news. Who hasn't done that? Bette Lu apologizes and says she enjoyed getting to visit with the teachers, staff, and students the last two weeks. She also said Mrs. Trevillyan came across to her as a very proficient teacher.

Submit news to montedl@hotmail.com or 307-224-4466.    

Albin news September 27, 2010

This is the second week and Bette Lu Lerwick wrote the Albin News for me.

Another day, another week, and another column for the Pine Bluffs Post.  As to community news, two weeks ago, former Albin residents Mark and Cindi Cronk had a motorcycle accident on their way up to Estes Park.  Altho the farmers are all saying of their yields at this time of year, "It could have been better," Mark and Cindi are saying, "It could have been so much worse."  They didn't break any bones and the accident involved only their cycle and they were traveling with another couple, so help was right there.  They are both sore and bruised up, but thankful it wasn't any worse.  

Chris Lemaster had a smo'kin (as in highly successful--not a description of the food) open house showcasing her kitchen remodel job.  She had a brunch as well as a Scentsy party Sat. a.m.  There were too many people to get all the names, but I think you all know who you are. You almost couldn't see the kitchen for the people, but the food served proved that the new kitchen is much deserved and will be used to the max.  Thanks, Chris, for opening your home!!

The column last week was getting a bit long, so I didn't give space like I wanted to in memory of Nathan Walls.  I visited with Jerrene some more this past week to ask her about Nathan's life.  The obit in the Post covered pretty much all that Jerrene told me altho there was one thing that she mentioned that I feel is worthy of more attention.  Nathan and Joyce had four children of their own and then opened their home and heart to foster seven more children.  Their natural born children are Roxanne, Myra, Jason, and Brandon.  The seven foster children are Shannon, Cami, Fernando, Renee, Ron, Michael, and Makala.  From this came ten grandchildren and ten foster grandchildren.  Jerrene feels like Nathan will be most remembered in the hearts of all by his fun loving nature and his laughter.  Thank-you, Jerrene for sharing.

Ron and Bette Lu Lerwick will be hosting a couple boys from Sweden for a week or so.  The boys have recently graduated from high school and are visiting different homes in the states to learn about life in the country we love--the USA!!

Now for the up-to-date, on the spot news of the Albin elementary school.  Miss Poelma reports that the class is moving right along and is now studying the letters "N" and "P".  They are also studying the word "the".  I will have to admit that when she told me this, I wondered just how many days it would take to study the word "the" and just what is there to study, so I had to reveal my ignorance and ask.  The word "the" is referred to as a high frequency word--one that is used often in our language but doesn't sound at all like it is spelled, so...there you have it.  In math they are studying positional words--above, below, behind, etc.  It's embarrassing how much I am learning simply by asking what the kids are learning.

In 1st grade, the students were testing, so Mrs. Tideman wasn't able to report.  The children were being tested, but I think the teacher was being tried as recess seemed to be more of a needed break for her.  Next week will be better.

In 2nd grade Mrs. Trevillyan is working on the long "e" sound.  After she gets it learned, she will teach the students.  In math the students are studying odds and evens as well as number order--what is greater than, equal to, or less than.  In reading, she is having "paired reading."  This is when two students read together and work on teaching each other.  They are reading stories about pets which of course, brings up lots of personal pet stories.  A great subject to teach communication skills.  

Mrs. Natalie Freeburg in 3rd and 4th grades, reported on the field trip the class took to the Lar. Co. Ag Expo at LCCC!!  The kids loved the day and all they saw and learned.  The working cow dogs demo was exciting.  The making of wool was an eye opener--the demonstrator started with raw wool showing how it is washed, carded and spun into yarn.  They then were shown how a spinning wheel works.  They got to see and pet horses, sheep, goats steers, pigs, etc.  They were told about different predators in Wyoming.  Noxious weeks was a new word for them.  Then there was the demo on reading and writing a brand.  Whew!  How did they get this all done in one day??

Our final class, the 5th and 6th grades with Mrs. Nussbaum.  After a week of campaigning, giving speeches and making promises, the results are in!!!   Drum roll!!  Drum roll!!  Our new treasurer is Viviana Duarte, the secretary is Daniel Childers, vice president is Kaden Malm, and the President is... KATIE NORRIS!!!!  Congratulations to all.  I was able to ask a few of them what their campaign promises are.  Kaden would like to see more spirit days which is also what Katie wants so maybe the two of them can get things accomplished.  Katie also wants to have more pep rallies and educational field trips.  Daniel Childers sounded most like a politician with his answer--he wants to make the students great ideas happen.  Kind of vague, but it sounds good.  It looks like a good year coming up for the Albin elementary school.

Albin news September 20, 2010

Bette Lu Lerwick filled as Albin News reporter for two weeks so I could take the family out to see Koral and Shawn!  Mom's really will do anything for their kids.

This isn't Monte writing this week as Monte and Megan have gone back east to visit Koral and Shawn so I, mother Lerwick, have taken on the challenge of getting the news out to all of you.  We mothers are astounded every once in awhile at what we will do for our children and this is one of them---I never, ever in my grandest dreams and ideas of great achievements thought I would be writing the Albin news for the PB Post, but here I am.

News for last week that didn't get in:  Jan and Ligie Rundell hosted a backyard bar-b-q last Friday in honor of their new grandson, Griffin.  The parents who have had to take the back seat of attention are Jeff and Dawn Rundell.  Also attending were Matt and Kelly Rundell and family, Leonard Powell of Gering, Jay and Julie Rundell of Potter, Crystal and Shane Zuke of Las Vegas and Art Bartell of Bull Canyon.

Garrett Ross, son of Cindy and Scott Ross, is currently in the Kindred hospital in Denver, CO.  He suffered a traumatic brain injury in a vehicle accident near Albin over a month ago.  He has made some progress as there seems to be some response to sensory stimuli.

News of a death if always painful, but perhaps even more painful when there is the confusion of unanswered questions that the ragged edge of suicide brings.  Illness and accidents seem to be more cleancut in our understanding.  Our sympathy goes out to Jerrene Randall who lost her youngest brother, Nate Wall, this past week.  Nathan had just turned 64 on Sept. 16.  By the time this is published, the funeral, which was held at Ogallala, NE will be over, but cards can be sent to Jerrene at 2705 CR 155, Albin, Wy  82050.

Now that school has started, we would like to include the elementary school here in Albin in our news column.  We are hoping for news from some "student reporters," but for this week, we visited with the teachers, which is probably a bit more boring than information we can get from the kids, but for starters, this is what is going on.  Miss Nikki Poelma in kindergarten reports that the students this past week have been working on the letter "T".  All students know how to write their names and when we visited they were busy getting as many colors as they could on an elephant which they then had to cut out, so they are working with color recognition as well as the use of scissors.  Their favorite part of the day?  PE and recess!!!

In 1st grade, Mrs. Tidemann reports that Monserrat Serrano will be celebrating his birthday and he will be 7.  They are working on the short vowel sound of "A".  In math they are working on addition and realizing that no matter the order of the numbers, if you use the same numbers, they will always add up to the same frontwards or backwards.

Mrs. Lori Trevillyan (Freeburg is so much easier to write) reports that her class is picking up speed in math fast facts.  They are learning what happens when you add one to anything.  A very important subject--they are learning about money.  Hmmm--I wonder if some of our govt. workers need to go back to 2nd grade?  Odds and evens are another topic of math.  In reading they are learning to identify vowels and consonants.  They have music on Mon and Wed and art on Thurs.  

Mrs Natalie Freeburg in 3rd and 4th grade celebrated the birthday of Lash Branigan who turned 10 on Sept. 19.  In math they are working on place values (get them to explain it) as well as writing numbers in word form.  In social studies they are studying communities.  In reading they are discussing characters in a story as well as the setting of the story.  They will also be learning how to do an interview and incorporating this into the writing of a paragraph.

Mrs. Chris Nussbaum in 5th and 6th grade reported the excitement her class felt at being a Blue Ribbon school.  Congratulations to the whole staff!!!  For the kids who have birthdays in the summer, Mrs. Nussbaum allows them to choose a day during the year to celebrate, so this week they celebrated the summer birthday of Tyler Norris.  This next week they will be getting ready for student council election so there will be campaigning, posters, etc.  This is open to grades 4-6.  WE hope to report the results.

Before leaving the school, Mrs. Diedre Hanson cornered me wanting to report an important mandantory immunization law that was just signed on Aug. 25.  All students grades K-12 have to have two chicken pox immunizations or a statement of previously having chicken pox or they will be excluded (from what, I was never sure) until he/she can get the shots.  The statement of previously having chicken pox can be written by a parent but does not need a doctor's authorization.  This used to be recommended but now is mandantory.  This has to be completed by Sept. 25.  The city county health is doing clinics in outlying areas with Albin having done theirs  on the 16th.  If you missed the one in Albin, you can call the city county health and find out where they will be next.  Altho there is not an overall limited supply, each clinic will have a limited supply on the day of the clinic due to the nature of processing this type of immunization.  It is best to know in advance the specific number of shots that will be needed so it is best to make advance arrangements as there may not be enough prepared for walk ins.

News from Dixie and Howard Malm: Ps 71:5, 8 " For you are my hope, O lord God, You are my trust from my youth.  Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your Glory all the day."  One of the books we draw from also had the following with this verse, "Your faith in Christ is bread for daily use, not dessert for special occasions!"  Oh, how we have lived on that daily bread and have so appreciated all the verses and encouragement you have shared with us!  We've helped each other grow in this journey and all praise and glory go to God!  Tim had his nurse and tech up at 1 a.m. and along with some meds, he had 8 individual servings of applesauce and not sure how many popsicles before they called us around 5 a.m.!  Howard went over and brought Tim back to the apartment for awhile and then returned for breakfast.  He had a pretty restless day, but had about a dozen visitors throughout the day so that helped move the day along.  We left around 10 p.m. and Tim was asleep so we hope for a restful night!  (for everyone)  We think the day might have had something to do with all the therapy on Thursday and Friday--we will stretch and exercise him some tomorrow!  We pray each one of you enjoy your worship tomorrow and will share what God lays on your heart with us!  Like Tim answered yesterday when I said, "God is good," he said, "...all the time!"  We now say, "And all the time...God is good!,

In the ag news for last week, copied by Mom from what Monte had written down for last weeks column but didn't get sent in time, bean harvest had been slowed down by lack of dew.  Farmers need the dry bean pods to toughen up a little before they can windrow them for harvest.  The dry conditions are also making the dryland wheat growers nervous.  If the little wheat plants cannot put on good fall growth, winter winds and temps will kill out some of the crop.  The last rain in the area was around the first of Aug.  On the plus side, much of the corn in the area has reached physiological maturity.  That means that if the corn plant freezes and dies, this will allow the corn kernels to dry down.  Much of the corn, especially the corn in western NE, partly froze on Sept 6.  The average first frost date for Albin is Sept 20 so this is two weeks early.  Luckily, most crops were mature enough that it didn't have much effect.

Growing degree units for 2009-2010, April 15-Sept 13 (baseline 50 deg F) are 1881.5 and 2112.5.  We've been going on the assumption that approximately 2100 GDUs are needed to reach physiological maturity on most corn in this area.  We've now passed that number and most of the corn has reached maturity!  After seeing disappointing wheat and now dry bean yields, I'm forecasting irrigated corn yields to be up from last year.  As you can see, we were hurting for GDUs this time last year.

Now for this weeks ag news sent to me from Monte via e-mail:  Megan and I just made a trip back to eastern NE to introduce baby Milo to my oldest sister, Koral, husband Shawn, and nephews, handsome Lincoln and highly intelligent Jasper (adjectives inserted by Grandma). It was after sundown Fri night and we saw equip lights to the north of the interstate.  Sure enough, there was a corn farmer just starting to harvest on Sept 17th!  If you remember awhile back, I mentioned a NASS report that seemed to suggest that the northern cornbelt was ahead of the last five years average corn maturity and the southern corn belt was behind.  I know in the Albin area we were ahead in GDUs and CO was behind.  While driving down the front range this summer, it seemed like our corn in the Albin Area was actually ahead of the corn around Ft Collins and Greeley!

In recent weeks, the corn market has spiked on disappointing corn yields in the southern corn belt and I've been wondering if that would change once corn harvest progressed north of I-80.  While filling up with fuel in York, NE, the guy next to me noticed my WY shirt and asked me what I thought about the upcoming WY-Boise state game.  He looked to be a farmer so after talking football for awhile I asked him if they were harvesting corn in the area.  He said a lot of the dryland corn was ready and confirmed that it was yielding very well.  I asked him how he thought it compared to last year and he told me that they never lacked for moisture there and expected they wouldn't give up anything to last year's yields.

We drove on east and a little south to Auburn, NE and found that they were just getting a good start on corn harvest too.  It's all dryland corn and soybeans in that area  with lots of rolling hills and woody creek bottoms.  Last year, my brother-in-law Shawn helped a neighbor with their corn harvest and said the corn he harvested averaged some where around 200 bu/ac--a banner year!  We drove around a little and looked at the crops and walked into a few corn fields to check things out.  From what I could tell, the corn won't be quite that good, but still looks good.  Counting rows and columns of kernels on an ear, I would guesstimate the yield to be in the 160-180 bu/ac range.

Please don't take this for market advice.  It just makes me wonder if we're due for a correction or at least a firming up of this corn market as corn harvest progresses north.  Unlike the wheat, there seems to be a strong enough local demand to handle the price increase and the basis has only moved around $0.05/bu as compared to last year.

As far as the gardening news goes--your green bean plants should be pulled up as well as the cucumber plants.  You can roto-till the area where they were.  To encourage the ripening of tomatoes, it is good to cut back all greenery that doesn't have a tomato on it--you can actually do this the middle to end of Aug. with our shorter growing season.  If you cut back beautiful but useless growth, the energy of the plant will then go into the fruit production and ripening.  An idea for composting--how many of you have access to the multitude of empty cattle mineral tubs  that the local farmer/ranchers accumulate but don't know what to do with?  If you offer to trade some zuchinni for some tubs, they will probably give you some just to get you with your zuchinni off the place  Get a drill and drill holes at random all around the tub as well as at the bottom.  Set this near your garden and start throwing your kitchen scraps into it as well as grass and yard trimmings and clippings.  To keep the flies down, cover the kitchen scraps with a layer of dirt.  Cutting melon rinds into smaller pieces will help them compost quicker.  Toss in a worm now and then from your garden to help the composting process.  

This wraps it up for now.