StillwatersIowa

Doesn't it seem like life happens faster than it used to? There are jobs to do, places to go, people to see, meetings to attend. And that doesn't even take into account the cell phone calls.   We figure out ways to be more efficient, to get things done faster. Down time nowadays feels abnormal. It's not just in farming. Kids have to be out waiting for the bus by daylight it seems. We put more miles on in a day than our grandparents did in a year. We get up early, get in line, and then we wait. The gals hurry to town to be on time to pick up the kids and then wait their turn. We return supposedly important phone calls only to hear, please wait while we transfer you.   While our trucking crew gets up early to go to Cargill, our field crew starts just as early to service their machines, wash their windows, fix breakdowns with parts delivered to a drop box overnight, and load more trucks. Zeiglar brought out a 16 row cornhead and encouraged us to de...

Do you enjoy your work? Are you good at what you do? Is it ok to feel you're good at what you do? God gives you your talents. He expects and wants you to use them. He allows you the stuff and things you have. He wants you to be your best. It's ok to feel we are good at what we do. The kicker is we are to do it for God's credit, not our own.   One of the ways we show gratitude to God for who we are and what we have is to be sold out to helping others. We do that with not only our treasures, but also our time and our talents. Landlords, Ed and Mary, came out with some friends from Cambodia to have them experience harvest here in our country.   Ezra, Elliott, and Zach helped Monday harvest their parent's, Becky and Brian, corn crop.   One person who is outstanding in her field at keeping our place look liveable is Jan. She enjoys taking care of her yard and is good at it. Emily and Jackson came out one afternoon as we were finish...

Teamwork is a requirement in any operation or organization. I'm often asked how everyone knows what their responsibilities are. Most of us appreciate structure where we know what's expected and exactly what our job is. However we also like flexibility where we can do our own thing, not get in a rut, and contribute to the whole cause. Some of us are organizers. Some are problem solvers. Too much structure leads to rigidness. Too much flexibility leads to no focus or goal. God made us all to feel needed and appreciated. That doesn't just include the combine operators and truck drivers. It also includes the meal makers, clothes washers, babysitters, and house cleaners. Harvest is in full swing at our house. Corn moisture on early April plantings are ranging from 19% to 26% on 105-110 maturity hybrids. Farm yields are ranging from 180 bpa to 230 bpa. Wet corn test weights are ranging from 52# to 56#. Stalk quality will be an issue by the end of fall.   90% of o...

One afternoon as we were working we noticed a baby kitten clear up in the combine. 6 year old Ati immediately wanted to rescue it but wasn't quite sure about crawling in a narrow spot with lots of pointy things poking her along the way so she coached her 3 year old sister Nati to try awhile promising Nati a share in the treasure if she could reach it.    Well Ati finally mustarded up enough courage to crawl to the front of the combine and claim her orphan kitten. Their mother Cassia is now helping them feed their new family member every 4 hours with a small bottle. Kurt, Emily, and Jackson are enjoying living west of Leighton. Harvest started this week and Kurt is on a learning curve with his grain setup. Their family enjoyed time together in the combine. Their first crop at their new home is a good one. Those of you that know us, yes, there is an extra in the picture. Becky and Brian's, Harris, was over for a visit. God's ti...