Falling Apart Or In Place

The forecast was for heavy rain the end of the week. We had just finished a custom combining job near Deep River. It was Tuesday afternoon. Our crew moved to our last 450 acres of corn between Sully and Peoria. Cassia brought out supper.

We knew the combining crew could get this farm out before the rain. However I wasn't as optimistic about our five trucks hauling 80 loads 35 miles in the two days we had. The folks who have helped us truck earlier were all busy. We appreciated Andrew's help on Thursday.

We have an Iowa Select hog facility on one of our farms. An employee and young farm wife called and wanted an interview and a picture. Thanks Erica. And thanks Eleanor for being ok with my request to include a grandson in the picture. John stayed home from school on Thursday to run graincart.

We were also blessed to have our landlords come out and join us for combine rides. Thanks Keith, Karen, and Kathy and family. One of the things that make our vocation so great is the relationships we have with those we work with.

We had a belt assembly fall apart and a combine go down on Wednesday evening. After leading young peoples BJ headed to Fort Dodge for parts. Our Cat mechanic came very early on Thursday morning and by 7am the combine was running. Thanks Cody. Things fell in place and by early evening on Thursday our 2022 harvest was complete.

We have four Johns helping this fall so they all have prefaces in front of their name on the two-way radio. Big John. Papa John. Banker John. And Little John, although as you can see in a previous picture Little John is bigger than Grandpa. Anyway Big John and his wife Amanda provided us a turkey supper late Thursday afternoon in the field just as we finished up. Thanks for your help John and thanks for your understanding of late nights Amanda.

As our crew moved harvest equipment home Thursday evening I asked Alex if he would make sure our NH3 toolbar was working so I could put on smoke (nitrogen) for next years crop. Thursday night after moving the combines home I was able to get on 150 acres of anhydrous applied. BJ jumped in the high speed disc and tilled in cover crop before the rain.

Karl and Kristin updated their seed trailer by bidding and buying on an on-line auction earlier in the week. So early Friday morning Karl headed to the Quad Cities to pick it up. Thanks for the picture Karl. Since it wasn't raining yet early Friday morning Alex jumped in the tractor and continued applying anhydrous. It started raining around 8am. And we had a wonderful two and a half inches of gentle rain. Things are falling in place for next year's crop. Thank you Lord. So often we worry about stuff that doesn't happen.

Last Sunday after church Jan and I headed to Sioux Center in Northwest Iowa for a Dordt University Ag Advisory board meeting. After staying at Henry and Carla's Holiday Inn Express I got up early Monday morning and went looking for a cup of coffee. My, I have never seen so many livestock trailers and semi feed trucks in my life. The whole town smelled like cattle lots and Caseys had flies. I was ok with both. Kudos to Sioux County for having the most ag-related livestock industry in our state by far and maybe even the country.

The ag advisory board is made up of ag business folks from all over the country. Henk on the right of the picture owns and operates a dairy in Texas. He immigrated from Holland and moved his young family to America in the early 2000s. When I asked him about his move he said there was more opportunity, less government interference, and more freedom here. I found it interesting that he told me the same things he left The Netherlands for 20 years ago he is now facing in our country. Thanks Henk. I enjoyed getting to know you.

Monday afternoon before heading home we toured the Dordt farm where Mike is showing us the new cattle mono-slope building. Thanks Gary, Dale, Jeremy, John, Mike, and others for teaching kids about agriculture and incorporating their purpose in God's plan. Dordt Ag's next phase is going to be in Ag Services. Since our industry is so short of service techs (mechanics) in our farm implement stores.

Last week we talked about our fuel situation having the possibility of falling apart. I'm not sure of the likelihood of that. However because of high fuel prices I did experience lines on Friday afternoon in the rain to fill with gas at Costco while Jan was in shopping.

We still live in the best country in the world. On Tuesday we get to vote. Because of events over the last two and a half years it would not surprise me if Tuesday is not normal. I hope and pray you can all remind me next week we had nothing to worry about. Voting needs to end with results at the end of the voting day and I expect that won't happen in all states. My security in all this is God is not wringing His hands and saying, "Oh my, now what". As I see things falling apart, God sees things falling in place. According to His divine plan and for our purpose.

Life is a series of stories. Authors write stories with words. Artists like Joe draw stories with their art. Photographers like Becky tell stories with their pictures. And song writers tell stories with their songs. Last evening we were blessed to attend a night of hope through storytelling in music at Cornerstone Church in Pella. We had a taste of Risefest as Rise Ministries came to Pella. Many of the stories told last evening were about life seemingly falling apart. When in fact it was God directing things to fall in place. Thanks Rob, Mark, and Micah for your stories. Thanks Sandy for your words of encouragement. And thank you Lord for writing the best stories. His-story (history). Blessings.