This early morning's song (Sparrow) on KCWN, 99.9 radio is talking about worrying our life away and not being able to add a single day. I think that means we really can't subtract one either? Jan shared her morning devotions with me about midweek. It talked about the divine protection we have every day. We love our children and grandchildren and help keep them safe. God loves us, His children, and I believe He sends angels to keep us safe.
I love this picture you took Emily. I forgot to ask Jackson if he is pushing Jayden or Lane. I'm guessing the helmet was big brothers idea. So do we have guardian angels looking out for our good? Is it more comfortable to call them ministering spirits? Or does God who is everywhere all the time protect us on His own? In the Bible (Matthew 18) Jesus's disciples were arguing over who was the greatest. Jesus called over a child and told them that they had to have a humble dependent spirit like a little one. Then He says to be careful not to look down on these little ones because "their" angels are always in his Father's presence.
Have you ever stopped at a stop sign, looked both ways, and then just as you were going to proceed a car comes flying by that was in your blind spot? You say to yourself, "Wow, that was close". Is that just coincidence or are you being cared for? When I get to heaven I look forward to hearing the countless stories from the angels that watched out for me. I think if we believe we are being cared for, we need not be so scared of a virus.
We started harvesting Wednesday afternoon and hit it pretty hard the rest of the week. BJ and Kurt run our two main combines. Kasey, Karl, Mike, and John kept the corn away with graincarts that weigh the crop.
When we have enough semi drivers I help with our smaller combine doing the smaller sections of the fields. Test weight is 53 to 56 pounds. That will improve with drying. Moisture is variable running from 20% on shorter season corn up to 28% for fuller season. Yields are also variable. Corn on soybean ground is almost normal. Corn on corn is ok on the good dirt but drops significantly on poorer soils due to dry weather at the end of our growing season. I'm guessing our 2020 corn crop south of Osky will be down about 30 bpa from our average.
We harvested at Kurt and Emily's yesterday west of Leighton. John who is a 9th grader is unloading into the semi I'm driving to Eddyville. He can handle about any job he is given.
As I mentioned last week most of our crop is already committed to the processor where they make corn syrup, citric acid, ethanol, and other things. Thanks for unloading us Doug, Patti, Dustin, and others. By the way. We are not just being taken care of with health or accidents. We will also be provided for in our material needs, to live and provide for our families.
There is a camaraderie in working together. We have business band radios we communicate on. We have a number of folks helping truck. I will forget someone if I list names.
Kudos to Matt and big John for helping clean up the field edges, terraces, and waterways by mowing with the batwings after the field is harvested.
A big thank you for filling our Pella fridge with food for the harvest season. Thanks for the picture Kristin.
Friday evening it felt "normal" watching Pella Christian play PCM in football. I'm thankful for kids going to school and I'm thankful how the administration and board has handled Covid. Grandsons Cody and John are on the team.
Last evening also felt "normal" as our Oskaloosa square was packed with folks that came to the park to listen to a free concert. Bev from 99.9 and Wyndell introduced the bands and did a great job. Also thanks to all the volunteers to make this evening possible. And thanks community. It felt good.
I argued with myself a long time about including this picture Doug took last Sunday and story today. However I think this tells a powerful fact. Mom broke her leg just above her artificial knee and can't walk. She occasionally tries and falls. She needs assistance we as her family don't have the ability to give her so she is in assisted living care. Visiting her through a closed window is not the answer for her well being. She doesn't care about a virus. She just wants hugs and relationships. Plus she has "ministering spirits" (angels) looking after her. If life was normal, one of three things would happen: Mom would not catch the virus. She would catch it and recover. She would catch it and go to Heaven. That's a win, win, win. Now she is going downhill from social isolation and loneliness. What are we as a culture afraid of today folks?
One more thing about guardian angels. What about when bad things happen? I can think of almost a dozen of you who read this blog who have lost loved ones very close to you in the last 12 months. I can't answer that. I don't know why. Yes, I know all the "right" answers spiritually. I heard once that grief doesn't end. It just changes. That's as good as I can do, is to tell you that you are loved and cared for. You grow up, get married, have kids, grandkids. Life is good, and then something happens like Parkinson, cancer, or blood clots, or accidents, and you have this huge hole.
This is the weekend last year when our bookkeeper's husband was killed in a semi accident. Linda's guardian angel spared her. It was Kevin's time to leave earth. It seemed too soon. The Baracuda below was Kevin's first car. He bought it new in 1974 for $4300. He and Linda parked it in 1980 when they started having a family. 40 years later Linda had our crew get it out of the chicken house and clean it up. I guess I'm saying we have memories. And we absolutely have a promise that we will be taken care of in spite of short crops, loss of loved ones, and yes, even a virus. Let's make the most of life while we have opportunity. Thanks so much for stopping by.
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