The Rest Of The Story

Most of us enjoy a good story. It's how we were made. It's part of relationships. It's how parents pass on family heritage. Below three grandsons and their friend are helping Mark with some custom bean planting.

Pictures often tell a story better than words. If our visits every week were just a page of words it would tell a story but it wouldn't show it and wouldn't be as interesting. We seem to listen, learn, relate, and communicate better with something visual. Below the crew is fueling up early one morning after custom planting beans all night on the North Skunk River bottom.

This picture says the planting season is same as over. Our seed tenders have for the most part finished with their responsibilities of hauling bulk seed to the field for another planting season. We will get them cleaned up, get some tires replaced or fixed, and put them away.

Around 90% of our seed comes in bulk boxes rather than the traditional bags these days. Believe it or not next years seed starts coming this fall soon after it's harvested, cleaned, and graded. This coming week we will break down these empty boxes meaning taking the top half off and flipping it over on the bottom half to make them half size for taking them back to the seed companies.

We often get asked what happens after the crop is in the ground. We do go to later starts and shorter days. However often the guys still come early and enjoy telling and listening to stories about their season, equipment, and who they worked for. I encourage all the crew to take time even during the busiest of the season to visit and communicate with those they are working for. We often get teased about being in the office or shop drinking coffee during rainy spells. We don't mind. Most often the folks doing the teasing join us.

As spring winds down into summer I encourage the guys to spend time with their families. Our goal on wet days is to tackle some jobs at the start of the day and kind of coast toward mid afternoon. It's also easier to have the younger grankids around which I totally enjoy. Being with grownups and helping will be part of their story growing up. I had Jackson tape on a seed tag on an outgoing seed tender.

Fun and work go hand in hand around here. Jackson took time from motorcycle riding to help Grandpa blow up a tire.

The little kids have filled the office fridge with water often enough that's it's a "job" unless they do it together as cousins. However they gladly accept the responsibility.

Another plus is they get to work with their dads and the younger ones that have to stay home usually cry when their older siblings pull rank on them. Below Jackson is helping his Dad vacuum out the drill.

This is the time of year when the equipment gets cleaned up again. The tillage equipment, planters, and larger tractors are put away.

 Two months ago this shed was packed with seed. Today it's nice to have room for machinery again.

 Often the rest of the story involves God and his plan for us. One of BJ's back disc replacement doctors, Dr. Don from Chattanooga, Tennessee, came by to check on him. He was joined by Christopher. What a doctor/patient relationship to come fly down and do a house call. Their website is balancedback.com

It was interesting to hear the rest of the story about BJ's February surgery in the Cayman Islands. A team of medical engineers observed during his surgery. By late March they had already designed and built a rasp/drill that is now assisting these doctors. Below Dr. Don is explaining to us how they designed, built, and are using this replacement. They are also currently talking to the "Big Seven" medical companies about the millions and millions of dollars it takes to get this apparatus approved by the FDA. As our local 99.9 radio station says, A Wow God story.

Today is Mother's Day and I wanted to honor my Mom's story with an old picture. Below is my Mom and Dad with their first born. They look great however I look like a runt pig, kind of a tail-ender. I think the picture tells a story. They look like they are deciding if they even want to keep me or send me back. :)

Happy Mother's Day Mom. I love you. And thank you so much Donna and Beth for spending time here. I enjoy your company even though I don't tell you often enough.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you that are mothers. You are or were the backbones of your families. You will not realize your significance until you get to Heaven. I am very little without Jan. We guys are the muscle, the make it happen, the get-er-done. You gals are why we do it even though we don't tell you near often enough.

The graduation season is here and we are starting to have lots of cabin guests as graduation parties tell the graduate's story of their k-12 lives so far and the rest of the story as they look forward to the rest of their lives.

God has had our story planned since before we were born. I'm confident it's big picture and not detail by detail or we would just all be robots. That's why He gave us a mind and abilities. Sometimes I think God gives us opportunities for the best way and we miss it and do it our way. His best way involves praying and yes, even listening. His way often involves surrendering and serving. Many times surrender brings us blessings we never expect. Thanks for the visit. And now you know the rest of the story. Goood Day!!