The Normalness Of Abnormal

We are all unique. We each have our own identity. Our own personality. Our own likes. That's a good thing. In fact, it's normal. Below five cousins from three families are catching up before church last Sunday. 

What we don't understand and see as abnormal God knows and sees as normal. Because of our uniqueness's we are all full of possibilities. Our job is to be intentional about seeing those possibilities in others and encourage them. When you hear "hearsay" folks are saying that seems abnormal about someone how do you react? Are you a lifter-upper or a putter- downer?  

Three weeks ago this morning there was snow blowing in my face as I came to the office for this visit. Many of us were sure we were in for a late spring. Two inches of snow in April in southern Iowa is abnormal. After a week of cold weather, a week of slow moderation, and a warm week of field work the 2018 crop is just about in. Wow. And it's still April. Years from now folks will look back and see this as just a normal spring.

One thing that's not normal right now is our moisture situation. I'm not ready to complain because planting around mud holes is never fun. The old timers say if you plant in the dust your bins will bust. However our moisture gas tank is empty and as you can see in the map below we are in a moderate drought condition. Have you noticed how low our humidity has been. In the teens believe it or not. That's Arizona. Have you noticed how crisp and cool our nights feel? That's just like the desert at night because we have no moisture in our atmosphere to hold our day time heat. 

What a week of field work for most farmers in our area. I would just like to acknowledge and thank our crew for a huge week. Kurt runs this outfit day and night. He, Karl, and Jim all had birthdays this past week.

This is the rig BJ plants with. Kasey helped him out some at night. Even Andy and Amara planted with it last night.

This is never a good thing. BJ's planter tractor went down last Saturday afternoon and we were without it until Wednesday evening. Thanks to Van Wall's for doing everything possible for getting it going. Thanks to everyone for keeping it going the last three days of the week.

Alex is in charge of soybean planting and had a huge week. Kasey runs the John Deere sprayer. He focused on soybean ground spraying most of the week. He did rinse out and help Karl with corn acres late in the week. Andy gets the ground ready for planting. He gets occasional help from others. Thanks Ethan for jumping in our field cultivator the other night while waiting on your dad with seed.

Karl runs the Ro-Gator and has for years. He is also in charge of dispatching all our spray acres. We do custom spraying and sneak our own acres in as time allows. Karl also does planting prescriptions and knows what seed hybrid goes on who's farm for us and our customers and can keep all that info in his head. He gets a lot of phone calls.

Jim and Pablo are the main tender drivers and bring loads to the sprayers. Often their days get quite extended as the sprayer guys ask for just one more load for the day. Thanks to Nathan at Osky and Hoet at New Sharon at CPS for spending long days mixing and loading.

I try and hang around the seed shed, treat soybean seed, and load customers when they come. 

Thanks to Ryan and Matt who come after their day jobs and help me run seed, fuel, and parts to the field. Trying to keep seed in the planters in the fields is a full time job.

Have you ever had your mind get mixed up on you? I was breaking bags into a seed tender, dumping the seed in the tender and throwing the bag on the ground. BJ pulled in for fuel with his planter and I looked up and noticed him. Then as I was hurrying I just dumped a bag of seed on the ground and threw the empty bag in the tender. Talk about feeling abnormal. I got it cleaned up.

Thanks to Lucas, Matt, Ryan, and Ezra for helping get one of our large test plots in yesterday. Every eight rows is a different hybrid so after one pass the boxes get vacuumed out and the next corn number goes in. We planted 28 different hybrids so we can compare them.

I can't thank the gals enough for their support and patience during planting season. Especially an abbreviated planting season.. It takes a special person to be a farm wife. Jan went to three different Grandparents Days this past week.

Some of you may remember we started the planters April 6 and had a fair number of corn acres in before the snow three weeks ago. Those young plants are solid, healthy, and growing. The early snow and rain activated the spray and nitrogen and the young plants are growing in soil full of moisture. In the Bible God promises no matter how abnormal things get seedtime and harvest will not end.

I'm late writing this morning. Just a wrap up. Life doesn't stay the same. Change feels abnormal. I happen to catch this picture of three tractors that used to get all our work done. Now they all play secondary roles. As we get older our roles change. Take change by the hand. If you don't it will take you by the throat. Keep a positive attitude. Believe in others even if they are different (abnormal) than you.

What does abnormal leadership look like? I think it's giving 110%, being a great listener, giving folks as much responsibility as they can handle and hoping they become better at the job than yourself. Make it a goal to help others fulfill their dreams. Love God with everything you got. And care about your neighbor as much as you do yourself. Make your life abnormal.