StillwatersIowa

Two men were working. The first was busy digging holes. The second was busy filling filling in those same holes. Finally an observer's curiosity got the best of him and he asked one of the men what they were trying to accomplish. The worker replied that they usually worked as a three man team however the tree planter hadn't showed up. Ever had days like that? We all enjoyed a relaxing day last Sunday as we all got together for a noon meal after church. The guys see each other throughout the week so it's extra special when the girls and the kids are around to visit with and tease. We pray and ask God to help us fix our countries problems. Sometimes we expect immediate results. God is timeless. Sometimes he answers our prayers by sending us the next generation. Some examples. David wanted God to have a temple. His son Solomon built it. Moses led the people of Israel for 40 years to the promised land. His young helper Joshua actually led them in. Our 6th president, Jo...

The definition of expression is the process of making known one's thoughts or feelings. We express our thoughts by how we act, the tone of our voice, what we don't say, what we do say, and what we write. Our corn stalks going back to corn next year are just about all turned under. Thanks Ryan, Josh, Brian, and Brad for keeping this rig going. We use an in-line ripper to shatter the compaction layers in the soil. It's a good year to rip since the ground is dry. Ripping also allows the winter freezes to penetrate the fields and help make the soils mellow. Thanks for the long hours and keeping the hoses repaired Andy. We are hauling honey at Karl and Kristin's. It's the last shed we have to empty. Thanks Alex for being such a steady applicator after your day job.   Anhydrous has been popular this fall since it's $100/ton cheaper than last year and falling. Mark, BJ, and Kurt are all putting in long days pulling custom smoke for different ...

In the fall of 1849 young James Folgers traveled with his two brothers to California to be part of the gold rush. Since 15 year old James could not afford the equipment to mine he stayed behind in the camps and started serving the miners coffee. His business flourished and today his name is still in our kitchens and offices while the main event, the gold rush is just a memory. In 1853 24 year old Levi Strauss was selling canvas for tents and wagons to those miners. As time went on the miners pants started wearing out. (Kind of like the ones in the picture below :) Young Levi started making pants. However the canvas chaffed the miners legs so Mr. Strauss found a fabric from France called denim. The pants became a big hit and were nicknamed bluejeans. Once again Mr. Strauss's  service business long outlasted the main business of mining gold. Today's main event in agriculture is feeding the world. The participants are called farmers. There are a variety of agriculture bus...

Good morning. Hope you all had a good week. We did although it was way different than planned. I'm sure we look small through our Heavenly Father's eyes sometimes as we go about our plans. We picked corn around this good looking old barn this week. It's on my cousin Darrell and Bev's place. It's in pretty good shape. It just doesn't serve a purpose anymore. I wonder if God ever sees us that way. Yes we did get the combines back out. A friend called and asked if we would help them take out their last 500 acres of corn. Our State Auditor stopped by this week to say hello. Mary was appointed to her job earlier this year by the Governor. I needed pickup tires and Jan had a list so we decided we would go on a date if it ever rained. Well we received a much needed inch so after getting rained out around noon on Wednesday we headed south. Our first stop was at Dutchman's in Cantril. Claire is a Mennonite and has a booming business selling eve...