We are all anxious for spring, especially after several nice days teasing us into thinking it might finally be here.The signs of spring are all around us though. Just look at the grass getting greener, buds are on the trees, and flowers are beginning to poke their stems through the ground.
When you leave your job or retire, you have an opportunity to manage your funds that have been accumulating in an employer sponsored retirement plan such as a 401(k), 403(b) or government 457(b) plan.Depending on the situation, you generally have four options when you leave your employer.1. Transfer the assets to an IRA through a rollover2.
If a contest were held today to determine the most beautiful butterfly to live in Missouri, the Zebra Swallowtail would surely place in the top three!These vibrantly colored butterflies cannot be mistaken for any other species, especially in the Midwest. They are referred to as polymorphic butterflies, meaning they have two distinct color and size forms.
I remember sitting in the seats of Arrowhead Stadium on an unseasonably warm day on January 11, 2004. The 13-3 Kansas City Chiefs were the number two seed on a path of destiny to take on the number one seed New England Patriots for the AFC Championship.
Of all the insects I receive calls about, carpenter bees are among the top five.Carpenter bees derive their name from their nesting habits, in fact their genus name of Xylocopa translates from ancient Greek to mean “wood-cutter.” A very fitting name for an insect with a preference for wood as their nesting sight.In the spring females will mate and begin looking for suitable locations to excavate a nest. Unpainted, untreated, weathered wood is her prime choice, and if the wood is cypress, cedar, redwood or pine all the better.
Proper management of the spring flush of tall fescue gives pastures and cattle a head start for the rest of the grazing season, said University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Harley Naumann.Spring flush occurs when conditions are right for cool-season grasses to come out of their dormant state. This happens when soils warm to 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit, typically late April to early May in northern Missouri.
As a financial planner, I frequently get asked if Social Security is running out of money. According to their own projections, the Social Security trust fund reserves is expected to be depleted by 2035.
The high price of eggs and egg shortages in some places have led some consumers to seek out other sources of protein.“Eggs are still a good source of protein and nutrients, but, ultimately, it’s up to the consumer to decide if they fit within their budget or not,” said Sarah Wood, University of Missouri Extension state nutrition specialist. “The rise in the price of eggs doesn’t have the same impact on all households.
Not all fungi is created equal; one rocket-fuel injected mushroom could give you more than a stomach ache.Spring will be here soon; many individuals are already looking forward to warm weather and time spent outside in the sunshine.Spring also means mushroom season. Avid mushroom hunters and aficionados begin anticipating the next season before the dust has even settled on the current season.What are these fans of mushrooms so anxious to find? The morel of course! There are several species of morel mushrooms, and all are considered edible, with variable palatable differences.
Seeding certain species into pasture when frozen can give them a head start when the growing season comes.Carson Roberts, State Forage Specialist for University of Missouri Extension, says one of the advantages of frost seeding is when you broadcast seed onto frozen ground the freezing and thawing cycle makes the ground expand and contract and that movement actually moves the seed into the soil and gets very good seed to soil contact.Many people seed pastures in the fall but winter seeding may avoid some problems.Roberts says red clover, which is probably the most commonly winter seeded crop, can be seeded from August 15 to September 15, in April or winter seeded in February. The main goal is to have good seed to soil contact and to have enough moisture for the time to establish itself.“If you look back at last fall most areas didn’t receive any rain from August 10 until the last week of October,” Roberts said.