Six inches of rain on the farm over 3 days. It is often annoyingly humid here in central Illinois to begin with and after all the rain, it seems even worse! Working in the yard feels like working in a sauna! I walked out of the gym yesterday to find my sunglasses fogging up as I walked to my car. The rain came in buckets with winds blowing, lightning crashing, and thunder rolling, then slowing down to a gentle shower.
Our mailbox blew over, a first, and a dead apple tree fell over in the wind that accompanied the storm. We needed the rain because the crops were dry.
We had to hire a tree service to take out a huge tree in our front yard. As far as I can figure, it had to be over 65 years old. It provided the most lovely shade and I am heartbroken to had to have it cleared away. The tree we planted to replace it looks so tiny.
It was struck by lightning shortly after we remodeled the house. The strike killed a neighboring tree and damaged this tree. Last year we lost two huge branches during strong winds and it was a matter of time before the entire tree came down. Actually, we were discussing the winds from this storm may well have taken it down if we hadn't already done the deed.
Planting went well this spring. My favorite farmer invested in a GPS unit for his tractor, a first for him, old news for most of our fellow farmers. It tickles me to hear him go on and on about the wonders of his new toy. Sometimes I understand all the jargon, other times I just smile, shake my head, and say mmmhmmmm. There is something to be said for gentle reassurance and camaraderie.
I continue to learn things on the fly here on the farm. Case in point, operating a fork lift. Without any previous experience. My first response to his request, "Seriously?" Yes, seriously! There are times I should learn to say NO. How can a loving farmwife refuse a request made in the middle of planting season. It is hard! Anyway...my favorite farmer needed seed and he was a good 8 miles from the farm. He texts, "I need 6 bags of seed. You can either toss them (50 pound bags) into the back of the pickup by hand, OR you can use the forklift and put the pallet in the back of the pickup. Your choice." Ugh!
I wish there was a camera with automatic thought bubbles I could set up and record what transpired in the shed that afternoon. They would have looked something like this:
How do I turn it on? Do I have to use the clutch? Oh, good. It started without lurching forward.
How do I make it go forward and back? Oh...there's FNR next to a lever. Let's try backing up. Drat, the forks are on the floor. How which of these 3 levers raise the forks? Oops, not that one. Good. I found it.
Just DON'T put the fork through the wall of the shed. I repeat, don't damage the shed. Drat. The engine died. Yay! It started. Drat. It died again. Yay. Repeat 4 more times.
Call the farmer, how do I get this *^&%$! thing to stay running? Ok. Breathe out, relax. Try one more time. Yay! Success!
DO NOT hit the truck...you'll never hear the end of it. Whew. The pallet is on the truck. Wait, the forks aren't coming out of the pallet. Try 3 times...start cussing, again.
Call the farmer, again. Thank goodness he can talk me through it. I didn't have the forks level to allow them to slide out of the pallet.
No good deed goes unpunished. It took me 30 minutes to accomplish what he can do in 10. Oh well, next time I'll be ready.
Through it all, Sophie the Doodle Dog tags along. Tail wagging and a smile in her step. She is a good pup and her companionship is very much appreciated. She has me pinned to the bed!
We had to hire a tree service to take out a huge tree in our front yard. As far as I can figure, it had to be over 65 years old. It provided the most lovely shade and I am heartbroken to had to have it cleared away. The tree we planted to replace it looks so tiny.
Planting went well this spring. My favorite farmer invested in a GPS unit for his tractor, a first for him, old news for most of our fellow farmers. It tickles me to hear him go on and on about the wonders of his new toy. Sometimes I understand all the jargon, other times I just smile, shake my head, and say mmmhmmmm. There is something to be said for gentle reassurance and camaraderie.
I continue to learn things on the fly here on the farm. Case in point, operating a fork lift. Without any previous experience. My first response to his request, "Seriously?" Yes, seriously! There are times I should learn to say NO. How can a loving farmwife refuse a request made in the middle of planting season. It is hard! Anyway...my favorite farmer needed seed and he was a good 8 miles from the farm. He texts, "I need 6 bags of seed. You can either toss them (50 pound bags) into the back of the pickup by hand, OR you can use the forklift and put the pallet in the back of the pickup. Your choice." Ugh!
I wish there was a camera with automatic thought bubbles I could set up and record what transpired in the shed that afternoon. They would have looked something like this:
How do I turn it on? Do I have to use the clutch? Oh, good. It started without lurching forward.
How do I make it go forward and back? Oh...there's FNR next to a lever. Let's try backing up. Drat, the forks are on the floor. How which of these 3 levers raise the forks? Oops, not that one. Good. I found it.
Just DON'T put the fork through the wall of the shed. I repeat, don't damage the shed. Drat. The engine died. Yay! It started. Drat. It died again. Yay. Repeat 4 more times.
DO NOT hit the truck...you'll never hear the end of it. Whew. The pallet is on the truck. Wait, the forks aren't coming out of the pallet. Try 3 times...start cussing, again.
Call the farmer, again. Thank goodness he can talk me through it. I didn't have the forks level to allow them to slide out of the pallet.
No good deed goes unpunished. It took me 30 minutes to accomplish what he can do in 10. Oh well, next time I'll be ready.
Through it all, Sophie the Doodle Dog tags along. Tail wagging and a smile in her step. She is a good pup and her companionship is very much appreciated. She has me pinned to the bed!
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