Have you ever waved at a conductor in a train engine and wondered where he was going, his destination? I know. The dude is probably doing his eight hour shift. However have you ever wondered how he got to driving trains, if he has a family, and where he calls home? That's his journey.
We've had 5 inches of rain in April. Our tile are working 24/7. For the most part we've been in the field in late March, and Monday-Thursday of this past week. There has been a lot of lawnmower seat time. When you can mow and think about other things at the same time. Like how so many things have changed on this journey of life. Folks want to think it's faster and crazier. However it was fast and crazy 50 yrs ago. I'm thinking narrower and less horsepower.
Our IHC 856 was purchased the summer after my Junior year in high school. A 4 row cyclo planter, the rage of the early 1970s, the spring before my Senior year. The $45/56# bag seed went in the ground with runner openers. The fertilizer for the crop was banded on in 50# bags. The herbicide was banded over the row and went in 20# row units on the back of the planter. Every tillage and planting trip was done with the same tractor. I had the latest technology with a blinking Dickey John seed monitor. With all the seed, fertilizer, and herbicide, bag stops, 60 acres was a huge day. It took about 1 gallon diesel/acre for a 100 hp tractor.
A 24 row high speed planter can put in 600 acres/day. That's over 250 bags of seed corn, treated with biologicals at the seed shed. And the driver can still get a little sleep at night. Most of our fertilizer was applied earlier. And a sprayer is chasing him out of the field, applying herbicide and a little more nitrogen. It takes only 1/4 gallon diesel/acre for a 400 hp tractor planting.
50 years ago we counted bags, and wrote it in a pocket notebook we carried. Today we count seeds. Plus the equipment keeps track of what you see below, plus dates, time of day, acres/hour, direction traveled/swipe, weather temp, humidity, wind speed and direction, and soil temp and moisture content. And the "cloud" puts it all in neat folders that you can pull up by field, by equipment, or by hybrid. This fall the combines have all this info preloaded.
Our late March planted crops look great planted during that dry spell. These acres will be ready for second pass spraying soon. The sprayers collect and save data similar to the planters. They count ounces of product and gallons of water. And the "cloud" keeps them from spraying waterways, terraces, and outside field borders.
Farming isn't the only set of tracks on our journey. In fact it's after our Faith, our Family, and our Friends. Jan and I were remembering and reminiscing last evening. Our oldest, Mike, will be 49 yrs old in August. Wow! Then Mark. Then BJ. Becky's birthday was 10 days ago. Kurt and Karl were born 37 yrs ago today. I remember all those "birth" days well, but won't bore you with the details. Thanks for the picture.
Our children all now have spouses, children, and activities of their own, and are on their own journeys. Friday evening was a preK-4th grade program at Oskaloosa Christian Grade School. They did a great job.
Last evening was Allison's (Mark and Stacy), and Natalie's (BJ and Cassia) 8th grade banquet. My 8th grade banquet was at Bethel CRC church in 1970. High school kids sang a chant, and made us walk around our table with a girl. Thanks for the picture Stacy.
Looking back, so many God directed details, struggles, and blessings. But let's wrap this up looking forward. How do we best live out this temporary journey here on earth? By being a 2AM friend to others. By showing brotherly love. By being salt in a spoiling world. By hanging on loosely to things. By having a servant heart. Folks say it's the journey, not the destination. Oh, but there is a destination. It's just not here on earth. It's spending eternity with our Lord. Let's help experience a little Heaven here on earth until we get there.
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