Spring Happenings

We're finally getting our first shot of spring moisture in the form of a good soaking rain.  It started Sunday evening, and has continued throughout the day today.  Locally, I've heard of reports from 1.5 to 2.5 inches so far.  It sounds like it should continue tomorrow, and a few more chances are forecasted throughout the week.  The moisture was needed, and hopefully some warm temperatures will follow to get the crops and grass growing for some excellent pheasant habitat.

The birds are in full swing in their nesting season, but plenty of time remains for them to get after it and for young chicks to hatch.  The month of May is a critical time for the birds and June will  soon follow as chicks begin to show up, as long as Mother Nature cooperates.  Things look good so far.

We've been getting a few other outdoor activities in, as we tested out the fish ponds last weekend.  The bass seemed to be in pretty good shape, and Marlys showed us all up by catching the largest fish of the day-a good healthy 16.5 inch bass.

The perch pond was not as active, but the signs of life were there with numerous egg masses spotted hanging from submerged vegetation.  We'll continue to test the waters and keep you updated.

In other happenings around Presho, there was a fire in one of the large grain bins at the elevator near the lodge.  One of the bins, holding nearly 190,000 bushel of milo began smoldering last weekend.  As smoke billowed out the top, the fire department was called and a plan was made.  The elevator has been continuously drying grain since harvest this past fall, with grain constantly being hauled in and out.  They soon began spilling the grain out the side of the grain bin to find the smoldering grain.  This continued for several hours as the County helped by pushing grain into a pile as it poured out and the firefighters sprayed it down to eliminate any hotspots.  Approximately 70,000 bushel was dumped on the ground before they figured they had removed all of the burning grain.  The milo will most likely be sold at a reduced price for cattle feed.