Seldom Look Back

During a busy Memorial Day this past Monday I stopped by the house about supper time. I just had this blessed feeling and gratitude for everything that was happening. I shared that with Jan. She said she was feeling the same way and we shared encouraging words about each other and our family. Jan asked how that Bible verse was worded that I like so well.

 Ecclesiastics 5:18-20 "It is good for people to make a living and enjoy their work here on earth during the short time God has given them for this is their destiny. Moreover when God gives possessions and good health, the ability to enjoy work, and to accept their destiny in life-this is indeed a gift from God. Folks seldom look back on the days of their lives, because God keeps them occupied with the gladness of heart".

Thanks to Jim installing a new fuel tank and Dean for fixing leaks in hydraulic cylinders this week, the old 330 Owatona skid-loader is alive and well. When I drove it out of the shop I was quite surprised. The ground speed, the hydraulics, and the steering were all sooo slow. It was actually the same speed it was 40 years ago. We are just so used to everything reacting and going faster now-days.

Another example is the vehicle we ride around the farm on for errands and checking crops. Our first 3-wheeler in the 1980s had 110cc motor. Today's Rangers have 1000cc motors. We are so used to a faster paced life these days.

Back to Memorial Day. Jan and I went to our young people's pancake breakfast at our church. Decades ago when Jan and I were youth leaders our neighbors Ken and Linda suggested we try a breakfast at church for a fundraiser on Memorial Day. It's been a popular event ever since.

After breakfast Ezra and I watched Mike clean the undergrowth in timber and make trails with his forestry mulcher. He also uses this skidloader attachment to clean CRP acres and pastures for folks.

Memorial Day was a big baling day with warm temps and low humidity. BJ baled the alfalfa acres with his big square baler while his son John round baled the grass acres.

Round bales are net wrapped and shed water when it rains. These 900 pound alfalfa bales are more susceptible to rain so we worked well into the night to get the many semi loads picked up from the fields and into the barn. This winter BJ will take semi loads of alfalfa to the various hay auctions in the area including the Amish auction every Friday in Drakesville. Sometimes we send in a core hay sample to check quality. The result is called RFV (relative feed value).  Hay quality is much greater when harvested in the bud and early bloom stage. Later in the week we applied 250# of actual potash (fertilizer) on these hay acres. Hay acres should be mowed in 28 day intervals and we get 4 cuttings per season here in southern Iowa.

Early Tuesday morning we received 4 tenths of rain. It has been our most measurable rain since April 23. It is not a bad thing for our good looking crops to be a touch dry early in their growing season. So Tuesday morning about a dozen of us including grandkids broke down 2 semi loads of empty seed pro boxes. Breaking down boxes means you take the lid off, unlatch the top half of the box, and flip it over on itself to make the box half size for return to a Becks Seed warehouse or production facility.

Karl, Kristin, and their kids returned these to the Becks plant in Mt Pleasant where they picked up and brought home a few more soybeans for a farmer with acres in southern Iowa.

It's that time of year when the equipment gets cleaned up and put away. Alex took a break from applying extra dry treated urea (nitrogen fertilizer) to corn acres and cleaned up our high speed disc.

Mike continues to have dirtwork jobs. In this sunset picture he has just parked his dozer after building terraces for his brother BJ in a cattle pasture above a new pond. Sunsets and sunrises are beautiful in summer over our green landscape in southern Iowa.

Dozers are another example of how far machinery has advanced in the last 40 years. This late model Cat 6T can get so much more work done with it's fast acting hydraulics and horsepower than the old D7-3T Cat dozer sitting in my machine shed.

An interesting story. Aaron from our government soil office called and said he would like to come out and check two of our fields for residue cover and waterway maintenance. The only government help we get these days is a subsidized crop insurance premium. Farmers are to have a conservation plan on file. There is a clause that says 5% of acres could be spot checked to see if acres are in compliance with that plan, however it rarely happens. However if one is turned in by someone, it is required that they go and check. Both fields were north of Oskaloosa. We passed with flying colors having from 60% to 75% of last years crop residue still showing. This is to control erosion and soil loss. Aaron also complimented us on our well maintained waterways. He said most calls coming in are from disgruntled or jealous folks.

This is the second time we have been checked in recent years. I seldom look back and think about possibilities. It's just our business to do the best job possible to take care of our farms for the next generations.

This past Thursday evening twelve couples hosted tables for a get-together in Pella with a couple of local folks running for office in our state legislature. Ken is rerunning for his Senate job. And Barb, who we mentioned last week, is running for a House representative possibility. Governor Kim came to help endorse these candidates. It made my week that our daughter Becky took time from her busy schedule to join her Dad. Also thanks to Joel, Lisa, and Trent for joining our table. I am so grateful when good folks are willing to "serve" in our civic arena. And I feel blessed to have the opportunity to work behind the scenes.

In 2019 a South Dakota farm girl came to Pella as a doctor to talk about brain health and good lifestyle choices including what we eat. Jan attended that seminar and she has been friends with Dr. Annette ever since. This past week they were able to catch up as Dr. Annette once again came to Pella.

You might think these fellows would have enough to do without this job. However they enjoy and are very good at it. Brothers Mike and Kurt often work in the evening and night hours as reserve deputies. Their job often involves being a presence at local events or taking an overnight shift driving around keeping us safe. This past week they worked together at the Eddyville dragstrip.

We often get company for early morning coffee at our office and we enjoy it. This past Friday morning Steve and Tim from Dordt University stopped by with Jaarsma bakery goodies. Thanks for the visit and goodies guys. Jan and I along with a couple of grandkids are coming to northwest Iowa this coming weekend. So if you see us in Sioux Center or Sheldon at Risefest, stop us and say hello.

Your reputation is determined by what you do when everyone is watching. Your character is determined by what you do when no one is watching. Last Sunday Mike, Suzanne, Cody, and his friend Tori went to see Mom after church. If you see Mom holding Cody's hand you can see she loves the visit.

Last Sunday evening we got together at Brian and Becky's for Ezra's 8th grade graduation party. Time continues to move on. Jan and I have middle age children for Pete's sake. And grown grandchildren, many with friends. Folks talk fondly about the "good ole days". They were good, but it wasn't intended that we continue to live them. Enjoy the now and seldom look back. If you look forward closely you will see that "you seldom look back because God is keeping you occupied with the gladness of your heart". Evil is loose for a little while. However it will not prevail. Blessings friends wherever you live.