Staying Ahead Of The Curve

Driving down contoured corn rows requires one to stay ahead of the curve. It means we have to anticipate what's going to happen before it happens and then compensate. Remember being reminded to take wide corners when pulling something? Staying ahead of the curve keeps us from riding over corn rows. It keeps us from driving in the ditch. This concept not only works in contour farming. It works in life as well.

Late last Sunday afternoon as Jan and I returned home from Michigan the bank thermometer said 100 degrees. I can not remember it being that warm in May before. Our crop heat units are ahead of the curve and just about off the chart.

Some of our family joined Mike down along the Des Moines River for a fish fry last weekend.

Mike deep fried fish. Kurt smoked and barbequed pork. Our kids enjoy and are good at cooking. Jan has been a great teacher and continues to be ahead of the curve when it comes to preparing food.

Mike and some of the rest of our crew did some diddy pole fishing on the river at night fishing for catfish.

Last Monday morning was the annual Memorial Day breakfast at our church. It's a fundraiser for our young peoples group to raise money for their work trip to Mississippi. Below grandsons Cody, Ethan, and Gideon are helping with pancakes.

After attending the Memorial Day breakfast I spent the day mowing road ditches.

BJ started out the week mowing down a bunch of hay and grass. The warm temps speeded up the curing process. 

Rains have been scattered and spotty however most of our farms have received some. I borrowed this picture from Elaine of Jerry checking the rain gauge.

Last Monday an unexpected yet welcome rain shut down haying for a couple of days here south of Oskaloosa. Many other places in the area received nothing.

Monday's small area of rain had dime to marble sized hail with it as well as wind. Here at home we had stripped corn plants. It will outgrow the damage if disease doesn't set in. We also had a little green snap. Green snap happens when the corn plant is growing so fast it becomes brittle and then breaks off when a wind comes.

We had four small fields to finish planting beans in this past week. One was a field south of Lovilia after a tiling project. One was after rye was baled. One was on some dozing work done on Karl and Kristin's farm. The last field was on a farm southwest of Pella that my father recently purchased. It had a bottom field across a ditch that was growing to trees.

We got the field cleaned up and no till planted and then received a nice half inch of rain there yesterday.

Chris sent me an email with a picture of this billboard on University Ave. in Des Moines mid week. I didn't look close. I was just grateful Joshua Christian Academy was advertising their inner city Christian School. Yesterday after a busy week as I was answering emails I noticed the picture of myself and some of the kids in the class Jan and I help with. Thanks Chris. I feel privileged to be part of JCA.

This is a 1941 D7 caterpillar that Jan's dad bought in the early days. I learned to doze on this machine when I was newly married. When Grandpa Gene updated to a D7E dozer we used this old one. Our kids learned to doze on this machine. I still remember where I was standing in the shop repairing this dozer when Jan returned from an ultrasound and told me we were going to have twins. Well, just a few years before Grandpa Gene passed away he decided this old dozer needed a V8, easier starting motor in it. It hasn't been the same since.

Yesterday BJ, John, Brian, Ezra, and I went to an estate auction just on the east edge of Oskaloosa. On this sale was a 1947 D7 Cat dozer, just six years newer than my father-in-laws. Brian, the son said his father had purchased this dozer off of the county decades ago.

Well I couldn't resist buying it. It brought just $900 over scrap iron price and runs great. You crank start a pony motor that in turn starts the diesel motor. I look forward to enjoying it with my grandkids. 

In the old days the farmers used to say knee high by the 4th of July. We often say a good start is knee high by the 4th of June and may even have to pull the corn leaves up. This year we are so ahead of the curve. With our warm temps the crop is growing day and night. If we continue to get moisture and warm temps the corn crop is on track to be black layered (matured) by mid August.

So as a wrap up how are we doing in our relationships with others? Are we ahead of the curve or are we riding over corn rows and going in the ditch? We hold other's identity in our hands in what and how we say things to them. Often I hear cynicism, criticizing, complaining, comparing, and even competing. Those words come from folks that focus on themselves and are trying to build themselves up by cutting others down. It makes others feel like hailed on or broken off corn. 

On the other hand when we accept, appreciate, affirm, applaud, authenticate, and advance others and their causes we stay ahead of the curve and help them grow ahead of schedule. Maybe even off the charts. Initially this looks like surrender however it brings blessings we never expect.

Staying ahead of the curve here on earth is impossible on our own. We worry about work, weather, finances, and things that never happen. God loves us, cares about us, and has a plan for us. Have a good week.