Sunday, November 27, 2016

Thanksgetherness

With the workload of the fall farm season starting to wind down I have been trying to find ways to relax more. I have been reading some. Not magazines. Nothing thought provoking. With my brain totally in neutral I have been reading Westerns that Jan bought me at a flea market. They were written in the 1920s about taming the western part of our country in the mid 1800s. Even though they are fiction they portray a lot of accurate history. The railroad that goes through our place reminds me of the transcontinental railroad built across our country finished in 1870. Our railroad bridge in this picture was built just 30 years after the completion of that first railroad. 
Speaking of our country I think there are still a majority of our people that love who we are and what we stand for despite what the media is trying to tell us. It's heartwarming to see the thumbs up and horn honks we get as we put NH3 on around our neck of the woods with a big USA flag attached to our tool bar.
With the custom work about wrapped up the tool bars made it home and we are busy putting our own smoke (nitrogen) on getting ready for next years crop. We are covering the acres going to corn next year that don't have hog slurry on.
I have a question for you that I have been asking for 50 years. Whenever ground is being tilled on the farm thousands of these big white birds show up together and eat insects being uncovered. Where do they live and where do they come from? I never see them in trees or fence rows or idle ground. They came when I was 10 years old and driving a WD45 Allis Chalmers for my Dad. They come today out of nowhere.
I enjoyed going to a Thanksgiving supper put together by my friend and landlord Jerry at Gateway church in Monroe. The speaker for the evening was Norm and he talked about creation, the flood, and visiting the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter in Tennessee.
Last Tuesday some farm ground sold near Barns City and Andy asked me to go to the auction with him. There were 5 tracts that sold and they brought around $80 per CSR. CSR stands for "crop suitability rating" and measures the ability of the soil to grow crops. Cropland in Iowa ranges from around 50 to 90 with the 50s being hills and clay and 90s being black and flat.
The night before the election I had supper with Rick, Eric, and four other fellows in Des Moines where the old Hotel Fort Des Moines used to be. When I got home and mentioned to Jan where we met she said I think your cousin owns that restaurant. Paul's grandmother and my grandfather were sister and brother. Paul's grandfather was a Jew and was put to death during the war for helping fellow Jews. Paul's father was a Reformed Church pastor. Paul also owns the Centro, Malo, and Bubba restaurants, and the Zombie burger shops.
Since my sister Beth and Dan were here from Colorado and since my parents were looking forward to seeing Paul again my siblings, my parents, and Jan and I got together and went back last Tuesday evening. Paul was there to seat us and visit. We had a good meal and a great time.
Jan and I took time together to go to Albia and do some bank business. While we were down south we went on to the Country Kitchen near Moravia to schedule a time with an Amish family for our crew to have a post harvest meal together.
We got together for a Thanksgiving service on Thursday morning. It truly is the season for thanks and giving.
Many of our immediate and extended family got together at our home for an unbelievable Thanksgiving meal.
After dinner the guys went out and shot clay pigeons. I enjoyed visiting and watching the younger grandkids climb up and down a garage ladder we have going up to a hideout as they call it over our garage.
Later that afternoon Jan and I went together to visit Rosie. She lives in an assisted living home and has no family left. Her and her late husband Daryl were our landlords for 27 years and used to live north of Rose Hill.
Last night after praise team practice Jan and I had a date and went to Des Moines to look for a couple of new Lazy Boy recliners. After that we went to Texas Roadhouse.
This morning we are having a second service at First CRC in Oskaloosa at 11:30 am with a potluck to follow. The service is simple and is designed for asking guests and trying to make our church a more outgoing church where we can worship together with friends we don't normally get the opportunity to worship with.
The point of today's visit. Remember to be thankful and remember to do things with family and friends, including going to church.
The next generation is watching us. Our habits become their habits. What we like becomes what they like. They say what they hear from us. We're not sure what their future holds however we all have a responsibility in together getting them ready for whatever God has planned for them. Have a good week.

No comments: