StillwatersIowa

Greetings friends. Shortly after our visit 2 weeks ago I started feeling tough with aching, shaking, sweating, and being incoherent. I was admitted to the hospital on 9/11 with sepsis, a blood infection. We were at Mahaska Health for a week. The hospital staff and our family's gals took good care of me while I was unable to take care of myself. Below Jan, Dr. T, and Kristin are discussing a plan forward.  I returned home this past Thursday evening. Even with over 6 inches of rain in the last 10 days the guys were busy harvesting an abundant crop. I sat on the cabin porch and watched them. If you have any questions or interest in the details of my journey please ask me or a family member. Any of us would be glad to answer questions. I just don't want this visit to be all about me.  Last week a fuel refinery south of Chicago including diesel production for the Midwest went down due to flooding. Our fuel supplier has been told to expect a terminal shutdown for a week period. Sinc...

Many of us remember starting new chapters in our "dash" between our first day and our last day here on earth. Harvest/2026 has started on our farm and many others. Some of my memorable chapters have been meeting, loving, and marrying Jan. Starting a farming occupation, raising a family, and building a farmstead including a cabin in 2009 and a home in 2015. More recent chapters include loving and working with middle age children, and watching the next generations, including grandchildren grow, mature, become assets in society, and in God's kingdom. This weekend we look back and celebrate the working part of our dashes (Labor Day). Last evening was Concert on the Square in our community. Thousands of community folks gathered for good food from vendors, worship music, and great fellowship. Conversations with old friends and new ones were the highlight of my evening. This past week our family hosted a group of Brazilian farmers. I'm guessing the timing of these visits coi...

We think, read, and practice a lot about leadership. It's an attribute worth pursuing. But to borrow a phrase, if one turns around and no one is following, then all you're doing is going for a walk. Followership is the capacity and willingness to work under someone. Not in just a passive obedient way like sheep. Not in just being a yes man way without thinking. Not in an alienated way with lots of criticism. Followership takes reliability and commitment, action and engagement. It takes humility and a teachable spirit. A follower becomes a reflection of whom they are following. After BJ moved our 6R dozer home, I leveled off some ditch cleaning dirt that the DOT had brought and dumped on some poor reclaimed coalmine spots. August has just enough time to squeeze in some odd jobs. My followership title this morning came from a conversation Jan and I had with our friend Tim, in Indiana. We attended Becknology Days in Atlanta after being asked to be part of a meet and greet the even...

The start of harvest is just weeks away. Chopping season is already underway. Our summer season has had blessed times. It has also had struggles. Both situations come with responsibility. Responsibility to make a difference. We have mowed a number of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres for others. Some choose not to take the risk of mowing. These acres often come with surprises. Like flat tires from thorn trees and sharp stumps, broken batwing mowers from unseen obstacles, and falling in holes. We choose to help with both the blessed acres and the struggling ones when when folks put their trust in us. Our family is blessed to have different members in it with a variety of abilities to help others. Mike is working on building wetlands in a reclaimed coalmine. Mark is digging basements for new homes and demolishing old ones. BJ is here loading his trencher to help a landlord with a wide wet waterway. Jan and I headed to Iowa City early Thursday morning. Her MRI showed no additional ...

Last Sunday afternoon on a Ranger ride, Jan and I stopped at a cemetery north of Fremont. Most all the grave stones had a birth date, a dash, and a death date. The dash represents an ongoing journey of living. It won't be perfect. However those of us visiting this morning still have the opportunity to intentionally live our dash so it positively impacts our families, friends, and community. We found Jan's great-great-grandfather. Margaret, his first wife's dash was only 40 yrs. Rebecca, his second wife, died at 36 years old. His 3rd wife Amanda, outlived John by 11 years. Jan's great-grandfather Elijah, died at 69 years old. Jan's grandfather Carl had a twin brother Curt. Our twin sons Karl and Kurt were born 100 years later, and are named after them.  In 1964 my dash was 8 yrs long. I was in 3rd grade at Osky Christian. Our family moved to Pella in late November. So on December 15, 1964 Miss Tobac had my 19 remaining classmates write me letters. They meant a lot to...