Every Now And Then

There are weeks in farming every now and then when a person needs to look ahead, make a plan, and get some of those jobs done that have been on the list awhile. The crop still needs some attention but this week we put aside the fact that it's not raining, rootless corn syndrome, pythium seedling rot, and poor soybean emergence, and tackled some of those other projects.  

Oh, we're still spraying. Since it's been so windy we have been to the field, loaded, and spraying by daybreak. Then we quit early when the wind gets strong.

BJ does a lot of baling. One day he called and needed a ratchet strap and a log chain. When he ejected a finished bale from the baler it rolled down a hill and into Arvin and Deana's pond. Every now and then you end up doing a job you never expected.

Jamison and Ross are cousins. They came and turned seven dead pine trees into mulch for Jan.

We poured a lot of cement in front of the shop and a little in front of the dock. Here Josh is explaining to his son Trenton what is happening.

The kids and grand kids came early one evening and helped plant another batch of trees. Someone digs the hole with the skid loader auger. Then others plant, set the bucket for water, pound the posts, and put net around them so the deer don't eat them.

I love this picture. If it had a heading I call it "A new kind of Grandma". My memories of Grandma include an older person with her hair in a bun, a long dress and funny black shoes, sitting in her chair reading to her grand kids, most likely the Bible, most likely the King James version. This is Jan driving Kurt's vehicle. It looks like the grand kids are saying, "lets jump that terrace over there, Grandma". 

These are sister-in-laws visiting at a Sunday get-together. They are all pretty cool gals.

Last Sunday evening after church Jan and I went to the cemetery to visit her mother's grave. As we were wandering around like I usually do at cemeteries, I ran across Walter. At 16 years old I was a pallbearer for Walter with five other old guys. I had started working for Walter as a hired man as a freshman in high school. One night I went to chore and found him dead of a heart attack. If Walter was around today I'd thank him for giving me a job. If his son Bill was around today I'd thank him for renting me a farm.

Early one morning I went up on the hill to talk to God and to watch the sun come up. It's the same hill I talked about in this blog a few weeks ago when I was sharing about the 1980's, telling God then I wasn't getting things done on my own, and asking Him if He would help me. Oh how He has helped me. My goal since then has been to thank Him by helping others. Every now and then a person needs to slow down, look back, and count his blessings. Memorial Day weekend is a good time to do that. 

"But until then, my heart will go on singing. Until then, with joy I'll carry on. Until the day, my eyes behold the City, Until the day, God calls me home."