MIA

Let's see. I did talk to my husband on the phone yesterday. And I watched him run out the door on Tuesday morning. So I know he's still out there. But I'm pretty sure our toddler thinks Daddy is Missing In Action.

We were supposed to get rain yesterday, but didn't. (!!!) The forecast predicts more rain for today. So even though it is not actually dry enough to be doing some of these jobs, the guys have been working round the clock trying to beat the storm.

I think they have sprayed several fields; I think this because the weeds in the field around the house are turning yellow and drooping in a way most becoming to weeds. I also think they may have accomplished some dirt work and various other "mostly-dry" tasks.

But, in fact, I really do not know.

Because I haven't seen my husband in a couple of days...

Tanks

This crazy get-up is the anhydrous rig. I snapped this picture on the one day in April the weather cooperated enough to allow Brian to apply the fertilizer. They ran several acres in the 24 hour dry spell. But now it's raining. Again.

So what are they up to now? Swiping tanks. That thing that looks like propane on wheels comes from the local Co-op, as does the anhydrous. In order to run you need (well, first you need dry weather) a steady stream of tanks being pulled from Co-op to the field. I have actually known my husband to set his alarm clock for 4:00 or earlier AM to be the first in line for tanks of anhydrous. If you have to wait in line at Co-op, or Co-op runs out and you have to wait for a new shipment, you are accomplishing nothing in the field. As we are now several weeks behind schedule it is imperative not to sit twiddling our thumbs should the sun ever shine again.

So we are swiping tanks. There are several tanks near the shed, more in the next field, and some more sitting in the field planned after that.

Now we just need to store up some sunshine!

If Only

If we could just hold out for a few more days it could actually happen.

What could happen? you ask.

Farming.

Real farming. The kind that involves more than eating hot dogs at the local tractor dealership and looking at lawn mowers. (Although we do need a lawn mower, so I'm glad we went.) But I'm talking pulling tanks and disking corn stalks. Running the anhydrous bar and repairing terraces. Mopping the dinning room and making dinner. Oh. Scratch that last bit.

The weather is finally warm, and with the wind we have going here the ground should dry out in no time. If only it would stay dry!

Share

It certainly does not feel like spring. Spring should be warm (or at least not snowing) with cheerful tulips and magnolia trees in blossom. Instead we have frost advisories and rain, rain, and more rain. Which, naturally, puts a bit of a damper on the farm's plans.

Brian would like to be done with anhydrous by now, in reality he has hardly started. Corn could be going in the ground within a week or two; I count us blessed if the ground dries out by the end of the month!

They are hauling a lot of grain to town on a somewhat miraculous contract. The Chicago Board of Trade is not paying much of anything for commodities, but the local markets still need corn and beans. Brian and his Dad worked a deal with a local plant to deliver corn now at a great price! It meant locking in prices for next year-- which is an uncertain business-- but for the moment it appears to be a great deal, both now and next year. The other plus, the little guy can ride in the semi as Brian hauls the grain. Provided he doesn't scream in his car seat for pancakes all the way to Kansas City and back that is!

So if you are reading this from some sun drenched plain or scorching desert, please. Share.

Pretty Please

Yesteray was my birthday and Easter is still a few weeks away, but my favorite day of the year might just be today. For any of you not counting down, today it the first day of spring!

I used to teach my kindergartner's the seasons do not just *bang,* change like that. Some of the days before March 20th will seem like spring and some of the days after will seems like winter.

But please.

No more winter.

Wishful Thinking

Did you know there are 15 days 'til spring?

I did.

In fact, I'm counting down each one of them.

Winter is a nice season; it is just that most of the nice things about it are already over. So on to spring! And just to assure myself that spring is actually coming I have made a list of the signs of spring.

• magnolia tree has blossoms!
• Brian is getting the anhydrous wagon ready
• talk about getting out the planter is more common
• chives are sprouting in the flowerbed behind my house
• swimwear is appearing in clothing stores
• cats are slimming down
• people don't think I'm nuts when I talk about Easter
• daylight savings is this weekend

So there you have it. Spring is coming!

Missouri

Last Thursday my husband reported the farm had considered putting on anhydrous. Prerequisites for applying this liquid fertilizer: ground thawed and dry. At nearly 70 degrees, Thursday was nearly ideal for getting started.

Today the thermometer on my computer screen tells me it is 18 degrees and the sunlight is bouncing off the drifted snow, causing me to squint when I look out the window. Naturally, I could close the curtains-- but that is not the issue here! What happened!

Admittedly the weather man is calling for a warming trend by the end of the week.

But at least the little guy will get to use the snow pants I bought him for Christmas...

Opportunity Knocks

While life must always hold challenges, some days lend themselves to personal growth more than others. My husband ought to be three feet taller by the time he gets home today.

Harvest, ideally finished by Thanksgiving but happily accepted by the beginning of December, is now dragging on into what feels like infinity. Or at least the Supper Bowl. (Positive notes to ponder: beans are finished and the corn yield has been good, thus some of our harvest problems.) There is less than 300 acres yet to be stored in bins, but somehow life just keeps happening.

Saturday, for example, our grain truck caught fire. Yes, that's right. Caught fire. Brian says mice probably ate away at the lines in then engine, causing it to become combustible while being driven by our hired hand. But, more positive notes to ponder, Cory was able to stop the truck (apparently fires inhibit brake lines-- not sure how that works...) and put the fire out without harm to himself or further harm to the truck. So clouds do have silver linings.

Then, Sunday, the temperatures dropped. I have no recollection of living in other states (though Wisconsin was once my home) but I do believe it takes a Missouri day to drop more than 50 degrees in twelve hours.

So that brings us up to Monday when single digits caused every piece of equipment on the farm to gel-up, shut down, or otherwise become cantankerous. I am informed that only one Dodge pick-up and the haying tractor would run. Brian left the house at seven in the morning and called me just before five that evening to say the combine and (non-burnt) grain trucks were finally up and going. So they harvested till the wee hours of the morning and then...

Today. Its snowing. And for people who live their lives by NOAA weather radio I had no idea we were expecting so much as a flake. But you cannot harvest in the snow. Too wet.

So as I say, today, as well as most of December, is a great opportunity to learn patience, anger management, and financial self-control.

And if we don't learn it all today I'm sure we'll be given another chance. Because sometimes opportunity knocks. And sometimes it comes busting down your door.

The S Word

Ugh. I am totally in denial. There is white stuff falling down from the sky. It must be rain 'cause I'm not ready for... the "s" word.

Our son has a toy combine that opens up into a book and in the book "Corey Combine" says you have to get all the corn in before the *#@! flies. Its been our joke this year since Marshall farms is rarely ever done harvesting before then. However, just because I've joked about it does not mean I'm ready! Icy roads, frosted windshields, slick sidewalk. I am so moving to Florida. NO! Cozumel.

But I guess they don't grow a lot of soybeans in Cozumel...

Wonder how my husband would feel about growing bananas?

More of the Same... Weather

.04 inches of rain. That is what the digital gauge is reading, but it is apparently enough to bring harvest to a grinding halt. And within just a few hours of finishing the beans. Aargh. NOAA has big predictions for rain tonight (90%), so I doubt it'll be back to the fields for a while.

On the bright side it is not snow! Some forecaster was predicting just such weather. After I hunt him down and let him know exactly what I think about bringing THAT word into our vocabulary, I plan on being glad of it.

And as I read back it seems a lot of my posts are about the weather. Funny enough it seems as if my life might revolve around rainfall, temperature, and wind. For my next blog I'll just link ya'll directly to the day's forecast...

Undecided

Do you ever find yourself in a position where you don't know what to think? Not, unable to think, which does seem to vex me more often than it should considering I'm still in my 20s. But pulled in two directions, feeling that to root for either side would be okay-- but should you?

No, this is not about the election.

Its about the weather.

Ironically, no matter what I think, I have very little (okay, no) control over the weather. So why the worry? Well, I guess its just the life of a farm family. Brian has been in the combine for almost two weeks straight.

Which is good. We are getting near the finish line for harvesting soybeans. Just a few more days and we could have them all in the bin. Then we'll start back on corn. And there is a lot of that to harvest. And it needs to be in the bins before a storm can knock it over or the deer eat it or snow stops our progress in the field. And all of these are very good reasons for wanting the weather be fair and sunny.

On the other hand-- I miss my husband. Its amazing how many things I need to tell him, but I feel as if I've hardly seen him. A quick phone call here or there to discuss the most important stuff. A few rides around the field to talk about how harvest is going. A speedy kiss before he runs out the door in the morning. I miss my husband.

So... what to wish for? Rain, sun, sleet, hail-- oops, not hail. Just get the harvest over with as quickly as possible and then he can come home, or a small break in the chaos to spend an evening with us? Ugh. I just don't know.

God knew what he was doing when He did not bequeath me power over the weather. Wth my whirling thoughts we'd probably have a tornado.