changing challenges

This last winter’s weather has been the most unusual to say the least. That is what we got up here, the least. Your beautiful winter scenes (as compared to Iowa and some other places) were our usual we haven't seen all winter.

My mud is drying up after only a couple days having to put up with it. I can't believe it, but I sure as the devil like it. All ready in drought conditions I'm worried about stressed crop conditions going into the planting season. It's crazy only a couple years ago we had so much rain a lot of our seed rotted rather than germinate in the fields. There was a whole lot of replanting going on that year.

There's been no need my ever entering a reservation casino around here. Farming has become a very serious gambling venture here.

Established alfalfa fields will be our mainstay fodder supply, while we've got them, and we haven't enough of them. Drought could be stuntingly tough on sudex and corn seedings. Going to be interesting how well our clover will do perhaps yielding us but one/first cutting.

It doesn't look like we'll be mudding any corn in this spring. coming to mudding in corn a couple years ago we're seeing more and more FWD tractors around, not only this farm (we'vee one more making two now), but bigger operation neighbors.

It is something to see the millions of dollars spent upon more and more Stieger classed tractors around Michigan. The Sixguy’s farm across the road around the corner, they’ve six Stiegers. My word, there investment in chisel plows, land preparatory, land levelers, two planters, and three combines; all the equipment purchased new they’ve dollars in millions invested sitting in and around their winter sheds when they’re home.

I just a might be a mite green (blaming it upon shade); but, we’ve got the 2150 FWD Oliver and lately the 4-180 White for bigger bruisers.
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Things I’ve forgotten to write down:
Six robin redbreasts showed up a couple days ago (3-16-2010) looking for worms and bugs on my excavations. Opportunists, they are! J
The fire having gone out a couple day’s ago, I’m reminded, having to build a new fire this very AM. (grrrr) Which in turn reminds me. I need to field four buckets woodstove ashes taken outback.
Plus the biggy. I was taken for Santa agin yesterday. Those New York publishing clowns have no idea the going’s on in the real world…….
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Getting back to the meat and potatoes of farming I am emotionally languishing in my ability to enjoy the first half my day doing a little of this and a little of that. Filled fuel cans removed and clean skidsteer battery.
Having had one cup coffee home before getting out I didn’t start me a new pot I likely would not have stayed around and drunk. I however relented heading home stopping for a cup coffee with a pretty lady I hadn’t seen for a few days. From there I had stopped for the skid steer’s needs and some gasoline. Next stop, I FINALLY found RD home. We’re about the same age. He’s lost his sight and now he’s on Dialysis
three times a week. I hurt for him. The man and his love for working the land. Gosh, I’ve got to get back with him more often if for no other reason than we can reminisce the same time periods of recent history.
Near to pull in my drive I noticed the ladies all gathered up standing in the shade behind the barn. Silly girls ain’t got the wherefore-all to remove their winter coats.
My tractor time consisted of grading the varied ruts out in the high and low driveways, the side driveway, and the most difficult ruts from the hay-yard into the winter pasture.
Our census has been picked up and I’ve parked Ugly along side JD for fueling. Coming in for lunch I commented to Frieda, “I didn’t have breakfast.” She corrected me telling me, ”You did to! You had rolls with your coffee.” Witch only goes to show, any interested party, I can’t remember what I had for breakfast. One thing sure I had to eat and quickly get back out-a the house post haste to see what afternoon adventures were going to do or bring me.
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Late afternoon 3:30 PM I’m making herb tea. Smellin’ good even before it was done. The water boiled I let it stand a few moments while I reflected the afternoon’s activities. Opening the barn the Cushman started straight up without so much as having time to be choked. Hey, The Cushman’s acting like it is ready to go.
Not necessarily in this order: the Cushman was unloaded its full to over flowing load; we hauled out my ashes to dump them on a patch of dead ground; I fueled the JD with three cans nearly filling it to the top; I checked the oil’s in Ugly, Cushman, and JD; loaded a whole bunch of odds and ends that need putting away down the road. That way I’ll know where they are when next time I need them. I put what air I had in my portable air tank in an Ollie tire. Then found the barn compressor short on oomph to pump it up again. I can’t believe I did all that in three hours and found myself undecided whether as to was I moving to fast or to dawdling slow.
I had also done my best cleaning off my leather work boots slapping them together trying to knock the mud out of the cleats. This was just short a last desperate method of wearing them into the shower to wash their dirty soles clean.
And s the afternoon wore on until it were time enough I needed my rattlers. Those downed with another herbal tea I was off down the road to skidsteer move stone for Handy’s leach field so’s he may be kept busy all day Saturday. By the time I was through with that getting myself back home it certainly looked like I was going to eat my supper after dark. Daylight savings time somebody’s ass?!?! I’m already keeping late Spring’s hours and Spring isn’t even here yet. To late, to tired, I skipped looking in on my quadracycle. Besides I had had not time today to round up the required crank shaft parts for one of the next two steps, fitting in the jack shaft as well as another cross member. Oh well, tomorrow’s another day. BGKC.
Fernan