A Bird's Eye View

Sometimes when we are busy with the up close details of life and relationships, we lose focus of the big picture. And we need to take a step back, or up, to get a birds eye view. It will remind us of our blessings, our accomplishments, and our purpose.

The linemen working on the electric transmission line through our property finished their updates and repairs this past week in our section. When we look at the picture below we see a helicopter and poles. But if you look close you see Tony and Max hanging from a rope working on the 70 foot structure. If you look really close you see Daniel, the pilot, with a birds eye view, watching out his door as he gently lowers his co-workers to their job at hand.

It was fun to get to know these fellows from all over the country as we often had meals together.

Friday afternoon Jan and I were invited to go for a ride to get a birds eye view of crops and farmsteads.

Mike worked on filling in an old 60 year old pond that was no longer serving a purpose.

This is the worksite where Mike is close to finishing leveling the old pond. Earlier we built three terraces below this area to catch water and stop erosion. 

I was busy visiting Tuesday evening at our customer appreciation supper and forgot to take pictures. This is BJ, Mike, Kurt, and Kasey grilling hamburgers and hotdogs on our family's grill.

Thanks to Kristin for sharing this picture of the gals that served our guests. My wonderful wife Jan. And our lovely daughter-in-laws and daughter Emily, Stacy, Suzanne, Kristin, Cassia, and Becky. Linda, our bookkeeper, also served ice cream.

Jan and I went to the Iowa State Fair yesterday afternoon. Wow. It was wall to wall people. I'm thinking it had to be a record on a beautiful day.

We went to watch Mark and Stacy's daughter, Amelia, compete in the queen contest. She did a great job. Elli, from Clarke County was crowned 2024 State Fair queen.

Hazel, Allison, Brynn, Sydnie, and Natalie asked Grandpa to take a picture of them standing on their pretend podium with their pretend Olympic metals. 

I'd like to wrap up with three thoughts I shared Tuesday evening. Whether we want to admit it or not we are living in unprecedented times. Economically, we need to think out side the box. In crop farming $3.50 corn and $9.50 beans will take a different plan than in the past few years. Socially, we need to work on face to face relationships. Not just texts, snapchats, social media, and emails. This will help to lean on each other when bad things happen. And pat each other on the back when good things happen. And finally spiritually, we need to take a step back, look up, and remember God. We're pretty helpless without Him. But with His help, we can make things happen. Blessings.