A Day Without Rain

Why You Should Never Quit College

This is what our corn field looked like this morning.  I am happy to say that thanks to Boyd's hard work and the first day in a long time without rain, the water has receded substantially.   At one point this morning,  he commented that the difference between being behind the camera or behind the shovel was a college degree.   Yep!   But, I want it noted that I was WILLING to help.

Really, the road crew needs a water truck?

Wherein, I begin to win again...

I love December 21st for the simple reason that we start to gain daylight again.  I hate doing chores in the dark, both morning and night.  Boyd, however, says June 21st is his favorite day because his work season starts to wane with the sunlight.   Some people are polar opposites, I guess you could say we are solar opposites!   Call us whatever you want, but I started to win again today.  And anytime I win, life is good.

Logan

We went to Logan for shopping and to celebrate our anniversary (yeah, late).  Got most of the shopping finished, ate at a restaurant I chose (big mistake) and ended up taking some quick pictures at the temple.  Almost hit some deer on the way home, but Boyd saved us with his quick reaction time. I didn't even scream, only because it was over before I had a chance.

Because

Reasons why I haven't posted pictures lately. 

• It is cold, rainy, snowy, slushy and very, very gray.
• It is cold, rainy, snowy, slushy and very, very gray.
• It is cold, rainy, snowy, slushy and very, very gray.
• It is cold, rainy, snowy, slushy and very, very gray.
• It is cold, rainy, snowy, slushy and very, very gray.
• It is cold, rainy, snowy, slushy and very, very gray.
• It is cold, rainy, snowy, slushy and very, very gray.
• It is cold, rainy, snowy, slushy and very, very gray.

Well, that pretty much covers it all.  It was somewhat warm and almost clear enough to see today, so I forced myself to take the dogs to the river.   Nothing fabulous, but something all the same.

Calves (just two) across the river, who wouldn't pose for a picture and high-tailed it out of there as soon as they saw the dogs.

Tracks:  You name the critter.  My vote is on raccoon.

Farm Work

 

A short video of the combine in action and disc'ing.

Midnight in the Corn Field

Well, it wasn't quite midnight, but it was past my bedtime.   And more importantly, it was long past time to get the corn out of the field, on to a truck and sold so we could get a check in hand.  Best case scenario, we would have been done in November.  Too many things worked against the harvest this year, mostly the weather. Tonight it was finally cold enough and dry enough to give it a go.
Here's what I have learned about growing and harvesting corn in my short four years on this farm.  It's risky, expensive and totally stresses my husband to the edge of his sanity.  It has to have a certain moisture content to sell to Scoular's. Dairies will buy it with higher moisture, but they won't buy it all at once, yada, yada, yada.  The field has to be dry enough that the heavy combine doesn't get stuck and you have to line up trucks and drivers to haul it off.  The seed is expensive and it seems we are booking and buying corn for the next season before the current harvest is out of the field.  You have to fertilize it more and water it more than the other crops we grow. The birds eat it. The deer eat it.  The raccoons eat it.  The skunks eat it.  The Africans visiting neighbors down the road eat it.  Yet, Boyd still plants it.

This is the view from inside the combine.

Loading it into the truck.

The combine.

The field at night.  You can see that the corn in the foreground is cut.

Watching it load.

Blurry, but cool looking.

Cranking the cover over the truck.

The stuff that gets left behind.

Good night!  Pray for moisture test results under 15%, a high yield and a jump in the price tomorrow. 

Question of the Day

This post is by Boyd.  

What sort of dangerous animals would require this level of security to keep them from harming the other animals on the farm?

Yep, the goats.  

Dogs at the River

Really, it is just the dogs at the river.  I have a really great camcorder, but I have to lower the quality to post it.  SORRY!

Goat Pen

Cleaning the goat pen was a slippery, slimy, smell mess.  Good thing I know a trained professional.  I got fired after I drove into the newly remodeled goat house.  

A Ray of Sunshine

Finally, an actual bit of sunshine here on the farm this morning.  We have had a lot of rain and even more than rain, dreary gray days.  The snow has melted and life is a muddy mess.
To celebrate a day of sun, we cleaned out the goat pen!  Can't beat that for a fun Saturday afternoon project.  I might post the video, you just never know.
Speaking of posts, Boyd has a few in his back pocket, but he won't tell me what to write, so there they sit. 
I will however, steal two of his photos that I found on my camera this week.  He had to do all the picture-taking because I basically come home and it is dark.