The Power To Do So

Last Monday around mid-morning the younger grandkids wanted to go on a Ranger ride. I asked if they preferred a long ride or a short one. Of course, they said a long ride. So we loaded up. I heard Lane tell his cousins he was going to take the BB gun along in case we ran into "robbers".

We drove south to a farm where Karl was spraying fungicide. We have family members using Luke and his Hagie. We have others using the helicopter. We're also using our regular sprayers where the center section drags the tassels. Because of the hot dry forecast, we're also adding a biological called Terramar. It improves the corn plant's response to stressful conditions.

I occasionally remind our crew to enjoy their week, and our grandkids to do their best. What do these have in common?  With being intentional and the right attitude, we have the power to do both. To change things up a little this morning, rather than focusing on our main summer jobs like haying, trucking, and spraying, we're going to visit about some of the smaller details that go into a summer week.

When I grew oats in the old days for seed, we would transfer the grain after it had gone through a sweat. We helped Ezra and his family grow a little wheat this summer. So yesterday, while transferring from one wagon to another I used a fan to blow more chaff out of the grain sample.

While mowing around field edges with our skidloader mower, we sometimes take a Ranger along to scout the rest of the farm. Also the 6 ft. mower is hydraulicly driven, and has 4 blades sharpened on both sides. So if we're in brush, the hydraulics run the blades clockwise. Then if we're mowing in a neater grass situation, we switch the hydraulic flow, run the blades counter clockwise, and use the second sharp blade edge. 

Early this coming Tuesday morning, three grandsons are heading to Cadet International Camporee in western Canada. There will be around 900 boys plus counselors attend from all over the USA and Canada. Kurt has donated his semi and Karl his van trailer to haul the kids' luggage from this area of the state. Our helper Dean and his son Matt will be driving this rig to Alberta. I hope Jackson, Malaki, and Harris feel they have a piece of home at camp as these grade schoolers spend a week 1500 miles from home.

There is a new machinery category at our local Southern Iowa Fair this coming week. It's called "You build it, you bring it". We were asked to bring the Hybrid so it got a bath yesterday.

Our 2nd crop soybeans on wheat stubble are emerged and growing. They were planted 10 days ago. Our every day lives are about relationships. With God. With others. Proverbs 3:27 says; "Don't withhold good from those who deserve it, when it's in your power to help them".

Solomon has more advice. Proverbs 18:21says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Wow. It's so important to recognize as spouses, as parents, as grandparents, and as friends, that we show God's love, and bless others, by planting words of positivity and encouragement, rather than words of negativity and criticism.