Wearing Different Hats

July in Iowa is about parades and rodeos and tractor pulls and county fairs. It's when towns get together to celebrate. It's when families get together and vacation. Diane and Dave and their family came to get together with family and to enjoy the festivities in Leighton. They drove Diane's father's IH 856 in the parade Friday evening.

I appreciate seeing folks enjoy their hobby. Wearing a different hat so to speak. It might be my banker on a Harley. It might be my truck salesman on a tractor ride. It might be my pastor grilling a beef loin. It might be our hired men drag racing or riding bulls or golfing. Ken and Joyce are enjoying the evening in the Leighton parade in their 1970s Cadillac.

No celebration would be complete on Fourth of July week without fireworks. Leighton was full and their side roads were packed as folks came to watch the small towns annual show.

Pella was about as full as Tulip Time as they held their "Ag in the City" Thursday evening. I think it's great when communities can combine their urban and rural neighbors together. It's kind of like a county fair for an evening.

Thursday night in Pella the Marion County Farm Bureau sponsored a tall corn stalk contest. Jackson won the contest with an entry of 10 feet 9 inches.

While visiting Pella we drove toward the north end of town and I showed Jan where our family lived near Calvary church on Elm street when I was in third grade. Yep, believe it or not I lived in Pella for 11 months. My Dad installed carpet with my cousin Dick for Wormhoudt Furniture Store. I rode my bike to Pella Chr. Grade School on Hazel street (the one going by the east side of the hospital) which was a dirt road.

Early last week Jan and I went to watch Gideon and his team shoot in the State Skeet finals in Waukee.

Yesterday evening the PC shooting team got together with families at their home shooting range near Knoxville. Clay shooting allows for a whole different group of kids that maybe don't wear a basketball or football or track hat so to speak. Yet can compete in a sport they enjoy.

With so many kids involved it takes a lot of folks that step up and wear a coach or helpers hat. Thanks to these 20 or more volunteers that give time, energy, and money to make this happen. 

Amelia shot last evening on a team with her Dad and both Grandpas. I know she beat me bad and maybe even all of us. Thanks Jamie for letting me borrow your 12 gauge side by side double barrel shotgun.

Thursday at coffee time Jan told the hired men June 28 has always been a storm day. They looked at the forecast on their phones. No chance of rain. Yep, we had an unexpected storm. In fact we've had unsettled weather all week. Des Moines was a mess last evening with flooding and 7 inches of rain in spots. Below I was coming home from a Family Leader board meeting in Urbandale last Monday evening and drove from Pleasant Hill to Prairie City in a 4 inch rain. Much of the water from Des Moines comes through us in the Des Moines River and the water north of Des Moines comes through us in the South Skunk River. Many of us are pumping water trying to save our crops on the bottoms.

Well, did we do any work last week? Oh yeah. Kurt and Kasey sprayed some fencerows north of Ottumwa while I enjoyed cleaning up the road ditches. Folks ask me what my hobby is. I guess if a hobby is something you enjoy spending time at then mine is mowing road ditches. This field is along the 4 lane just east of the RJ Polaris dealership.

Mike and Andy are building a pond at Andy and Amara's place southwest of Barns City.

The DNR had a project they asked me to help with south of the Des Moines River. We managed to get it leveled off between wet periods and ready for seeding, a project the Pheasants Forever group is sponsoring.

As I was spraying beans up north yesterday I ran across an unfamiliar cemetery and asked my brother about it. He told me about the family who used to own and operate the ground in this area way back when and how many of them who had lived all over are buried here.

Yesterday Jan had some of the crew help her pick cherries. Then she made them a pie and brought it out to the office. Earlier in the week on a wet day she had us come to the house for ribs. It's not unusual for Jan to put on Snapchat that she's planning on lunch and feed a dozen of us.

The gals put on a different hat and tried their skills at paddle boarding. Good job in the background Cody. Thanks for the picture. I'm looking forward to vacation with you all in a couple of weeks.

This is a random picture off the internet and I don't want to intrude on folks privacy. Jan was in Drakesville on Friday and saw the funeral of Merlin, an Amish boy who was killed in a hit and run accident close to his home as he was walking home from church last Sunday night with his two brothers. My point this morning isn't that we know some of the family because of their very capable woodworking skills. My point is that the 1200 folks that attended the funeral had the assurance and comfort that Merlin is in heaven. I hope you have that comfort as well. As I watched Howard and his Amish crew replace brother Bill's hog shed roof this past week their hats represented their faith in our mutual God and Savior. I hope my faith shows.