Way Too Much Rain - the Drought is Over

We were up during the night as it was raining and lightning.  With the way the tile around our house is and the way it's supposed to drain, our sump pump is just a backup but it was running every minute.  Bill ended up having to go out in the rain and lightning to dig a hole with the tractor and cover an intake in our field.   It was due to our creek being up so high.  He says this morning that it's higher than he's ever seen it.  He says the golf course is flooded and so are three fields that we farm to the west of us.   That's what he's seen so far.  We've gotten 3.3" in the last 24 hours.

Our Memorial Day service has been moved inside.  There is always a maid rite lunch at the Lutheran Church which we will probably go to. 

The first picture is our creek which we can usually drive across and last summer was almost dried up.  I have a video of it flowing I may add later.  The next one is two holes at the golf course and then fields that we farm.

Our creek behind our house.

The golf course.

Hwy. 15 and the golf course road looking west.

The view out our bedroom window of our new grove under water.

Interesting Blog - Appalachian Trail Adventure

One of my downline with Stampin' Up!, Emily from Indiana - her son and daughter are hiking the Appalachian Trail this spring and summer.  Back in Carmel, we had a guy who gave up his full time job to take Indianapolis inner city kids out in nature, including some hikes on the Appalachian Trail.  Several years ago, I got to go camping and hiking quite a bit on the weekends and really liked being out in the woods like that so hearing about peoples' hikes on the Appalachian Trail has always been very interesting to me.

My friend, Emily, is pretty nervous about her kids being out there.  At first it was her husband and daughter, Mary, and their dog hiking, but the plan was for the dad to come home and their son would join his sister.  As of this morning, Emily says that her son, Will, has symptoms of the norovirus which a lot of  hikers in the area are getting.  They're trying to get a shuttle from the trail to a hotel and having some problems and it's raining. 

If you'd like to read about their Appalachian Trail Adventure and follow them, here is the LINK to Mary's blog and the beginning of their trip on April 11th.   You'll see (concerned) comments from Mary's mom, Emily (my friend), see lots of pictures of the amazing scenery and hear about seeing bears and snakes.  They've had a pretty wet start to their trip.

We're still on our rain delay for planting unfortunately with a very wet forecast for the next week.  Today is sunny so Bill and Tim hope they might get to spray the last corn field we planted - if the wind dies down and it's dry enough.  The wind usually dies down in the evenings so we'll see.  I've thought about heading to Indiana for a few days - that would be sure to change the weather for us if I was too far away to help!

Oklahoma Tornadoes

Spring is a pretty season and looked forward to after winter but with that comes tornado season.  I remember going to Grandma and Grandpa's old basement when we were kids too many times to wait out possible tornadoes.  My first spring here in Iowa (2008), I spent a lot of time in our old basement while Bill and the other firemen were out on storm watch.  Our town had been hit bad just a few years before and nearby Pocahontas, where Diane lives, was just a couple of years ago.  

After watching CNN and seeing how much is destroyed in Oklahoma, I can't imagine what all of those peoples' days and nights are like right now - where do they all go and how do they get there when the roads are blocked and their vehicles are totaled - or gone?  And how long did they have to wait before help got there?  How can there be enough help for all of those people?  How could they get so many patients from a hospital evacuated?

I just read The Pioneer Woman's blog post today (click HERE to read it all) and thought I would copy here what she has listed as places and how you can easily donate to reputable organizations.  If you text, it's super easy to text and have $10 donated and added to your cell phone bill.  The Pioneer Woman and her family live on a large ranch in Oklahoma.  The storms were not in her area so they are okay.

Salvation Army
Supporters are encouraged to give online at www.SalvationArmyUSA.org or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769). You can also text the word “STORM” to 80888 to make a $10 donation through your mobile phone; to confirm your gift, respond with the word “Yes.”
Samaritan’s Purse
Samaritan’s Purse has deployed a team to Moore, Oklahoma and will respond to the current needs in any way they can.
Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, in partnership with Oklahoma Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, is asking that the public support all rescue, recovery and disaster relief efforts with donations of cash to your favorite responding charity. Financial donations will allow disaster relief agencies to purchase whatever items are deemed necessary without resulting in the additional burden of securing warehouse space and volunteers to work donated product.
To make a tax deductible donation to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, go to www.regionalfoodbank.org or call 604-7111 or text FOOD to 32333 to give $10 to relief efforts.
Feeding America
Feeding America will deliver truckloads of food, water and supplies to impacted areas through its network of more than 200 food banks and 61,000 agencies. The organization’s food banks will also set up additional dropoff sites.
Convoy of Hope
International humanitarian relief organization Convoy of Hope is responding to the Moore, Okla. area this morning. Immediately after the devastating tornadoes struck, a Convoy of Hope assessment team was in the area and tractor-trailers were loaded with emergency supplies at Convoy of Hope’s World Distribution Center in Springfield, Missouri.
Those wishing to make a contribution to the OKC and Midwest tornado relief efforts can make a secure online contribution by visiting: http://www.convoyofhope.org. To place a $10 donation on your cellular bill, text the word CONVOY to 50555. Standard text and data rates apply.
American Red Cross
People who wish to make a donation can support American Red Cross Disaster Relief, which helps provide food, shelter and emotional support to those affected by disasters like the recent tornadoes in Oklahoma and Texas as well as disasters big and small throughout the United States by visiting redcross.org, dialing 1-800-REDCROSS or texting REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
Central OK Humane Society (For the pets left homeless and injured.)
Currently greatest need is financial donations to help treat and house lost and injured animals. Current in-kind needs are: Towels, paper towels, bleach, gloves, and crates. All donations can be taken to either Central Park Dog Daycare location (2905 NW 70th and 5420 N. Classen Blvd.) Pet food donations may be taken there as well.

Rain Delay and Farming "Incidents"

I posted on Facebook this afternoon that I had mixed emotions about watching the sky in the west get bluer and what I saw coming on the radar.  We're still not done planting corn (160 acres to go) and have not started beans so we need to keep going - and our grass needs mowing for the first time.  But, we've been working some long days so it'll be nice to have a break - just hoping it's only a short one!   We really wanted it to rain on just this one field, but no such luck.   One of the weather programs I looked at said we would have rain at 7:00 and that's exactly when it got here.

I started seeing lightning in the west and the south but just had a little more to go to finish the field I was in so kept going.  I got it done and got the tractor home and in the shed just as it started raining.  It's dangerous to be out there in lightning. 

Some of you especially enjoy reading about my rookie farming "incidents" I know.   I usually do something really stupid on the first or second day of the spring or fall season and this one was no exception.  This is the first season that they've had me move the tractor and field cultivator from field to field much - on the ROAD!  So the first field I was getting ready to pull out of, I had stopped and pushed the button to fold the field cultivator up (to make it narrow enough to drive on the road) but forgot to LIFT the whole thing first before doing that.  Then I proceeded to pull out on to the gravel road but looked behind and saw that the field cultivator was clawing into the gravel road as I was slowly pulling out and turning!  YIKES!  Not good.  Bill spotted the owner of the field fixing the road the next morning.  Luckily this didn't damage the field cultivator.  The good news is I've even been on the highway with it a couple times and all went well, and I'm not as nervous as I used to be.  I'm not Catholic but sometimes feel like I should do the sign of the cross before pulling out on the road!   

Then there's always the intakes . . .  They are orange or yellow plastic tubes with holes that stick up a couple feet in the field - usually at least two in a field.  (or like in one field today - about 15)  They are there to help drain water from the field.  Tim has been going around lots of them for me so I can stay waaaaay away from them but even then I sometimes manage to "have problems".  I've only popped one off so far this season and was able to just put it back on but I've gotten too close uh, a few times, and had to back up (sometimes more than once) to get away from the things!  I'm a perfectionist and always want to get close to them to knock all the weeds down.  It's very bad if you damage the intake - or the field cultivator by hitting them.  Some have metal bases.   Some of you have been reading long enough that you might remember the time I totally ran over one and covered the hole it came out of!  Carl had to use a probe to find the hole, but he did!!  I made him a cherry pie but probably still owe him.  (I'll take a picture of an intake or two or three and add here soon) 

 



 

Record Heat Yesterday!

We just had 5 1/2" of snow on May Day and yesterday it was a record 104!!  Strange, strange weather.

We are going gung ho planting corn.  Just have about 400 more acres to go.  The heat yesterday caused my tractor to get hot which meant going in a lower gear which means it's slower so takes longer to do a field and, I had to stop every round or so for a couple minutes to let it cool down.  Normally, tractors are done for the spring before it gets hot and in the fall it's usually never that hot either.  I think our county was in a fire warning due to the heat but with all the rain we've had recently and the tilled ground, the risk shouldn't have been that bad.  It was windy too though so if a fire had started in the wrong place it wouldn't be good.

My nice boss let me off in time to go to my P.E.O. meeting last night.  :)  Unfortunately, this evening we have to go to the funeral home again.  A fellow farmer from our town had a heart attack.  He was only 57.  This is the third person we know well that was 57 and died since Christmas time. 
 

Pretty pond I worked around the other day.

Bill filling the planter with seed.

 

Back in Business!

Yesterday Bill and Tim found a couple of fields dry enough to work and plant so they got busy, and we have 70 more acres planted and two more fields worked and ready to plant finally!  It got down to 31 last night but we didn't see frost when we got up.  We just need a few good days that are dry!  Housework is done (is it ever done?), meals are in the freezer, our bookwork is ALL caught up (it's a Miracle!) and I'm ready to be put to work in the tractor!

Unfortunately, this means our plans for an early Mother's Day brunch today in Clarion with Bill's mom got scrapped.  But being a farm owner, she says it's ok, planting is a good thing!  Now she's going out for lunch with a friend.

Happy Mother's Day to my mom in Indiana, my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law, Karen, and some of the other moms who read my blog - that I know:  my IA mom, Marge, cousins Pam L., Kelly and Dina, Aunt Lois, Aunt Jan, Anna Ruth, Suetta, Pam L., Phyllis, Lois S., Marie, Marilyn, Sandy, Luan, Sarah, Cindy.   

Some of my favorite pictures of my mom:

At Daisy's on Main in Clarion this spring.

at Mom's

Me, Mom & niece, Diane at the P.E.O. Wine Tasting here.

Mom & Camry

lunch on our porch

Rob's Tree!!

I went to Humboldt today and when I got home and pulled into the driveway I noticed immediately that we had Rob's tree!  This evergreen tree is one that nephew, Rob, planted several years ago on their property here.  Glenn had been telling us to get it for quite a while, but recently he sold the lot that it was on so we made arrangements to have it moved this spring and today was the day.  It looks nice at our house!  We hope it will survive the move so Rob can see it growing here for years to come.  Some of the trees we planted last year in our grove are not looking too good.  See fourth picture. 

Rob's tree

Rob's tree where it was before being moved to our house.

Not looking good.

Our trees had a rough summer with the drought.  

Our rhubarb is coming up nicely and so are the chives.  

It's still too wet to plant . . . but the sun is shining today and soil temps are warm enough.

2nd year rhubarb and chives on the east side of the house

this bunch is on the north side of the house - I can use it this year!

Not Good

Bill had this fire call this morning at about 7:45.  The school bus stopped for the railroad crossing but the car didn't.  Amazing that the two in the car climbed out on their own and seemed to be ok.  There were about 15 kids on the bus.  Bill is on the right in the white helmet.

With the wet fields the past few days, Bill has been working in the shed hanging pipe for the heaters and spread fertilizer on our yard and his mom's.  Yesterday I hosed down the screened porch, washed the windows and scrubbed the porch furniture.    We've finally had a couple of really nice days but unfortunately for planting, rain is predicted again for tomorrow.

Bill is at a fire dept. meeting/training tonight.  They do that twice a month.   

It's a Winter Wonderland in May!

We ended up getting 5.5" of heavy, wet snow.  Lots of downed power lines in the area and trees weighed down and many split - or branches broken.  Bill was called out at 3:30 a.m. for power lines down north of town.  It was in the ditch and not causing any problems for people passing by so they didn't have to babysit it until the power company came.  

Lots of people in the area were without power for several hours including Peggy and Tim & Bette Jo.  Ours tried to go off twice but didn't.  Schools are closed.

The gravel roads were very slushy and mushy but the highways were all good so Bill and I made a trip to Ft. Dodge.  He had several things to get for the shed at Menard's.  We had bad luck with places being closed.  We were going to have lunch at Sports Page but it wasn't open.  Bill was wanting two things from Radio Shack in the mall but we found that it has been closed.  Then on the way home we wanted to get some ice cream at Dairy Queen in Humboldt but it was closed due to no power.  Not our day!

Something we learned with this snow storm, wet snow sounds like thunder when it slides off the roof of the new shed!   The good thing is the snow is melting fast.

Delivering May Baskets While It's Sleeting

It's hard to believe that we were working ground, planting and spraying in three fields just yesterday when we have snow tonight with 6-9" possible!  

What it looked like when I was delivering May Day baskets.

I had been thinking about doing May Day baskets off and on and then saw some ideas for some on Miss Spenser's blog yesterday.  I liked the idea of making them out of cans (like pineapple, green beans, etc.) since I had a couple of empty ones in recycling I could use.  Also, in my stamping tools, I have a Crop-A-Dile that will punch holes through anything.

I just used one sheet of 12 x 12 designer paper to cover both cans.  I attached it with sticky strip so it would hold.  I punched 2 holes in each can to tie the ribbon handles through.  Then I used my Beautiful Wings Embosslit to cut out several sizes of butterflies (color is Summer Starfruit).  I added some pearls to one butterfly and a rhinestone to another, then attached them to the covered can with glue dots.  I made a tag with the Extra Large Oval Punch and the Scallop Oval Punch and wrote Happy May Day!   All products used were Stampin' Up!  Order any time through my web site - above right.

One is for our neighbors and one for Lacey and Camry.   The only thing wrong was that it was sleeting when I went to deliver them!  We went from working ground and planting corn yesterday to getting 6-9" of snow today!  A couple of days ago I was getting the screened porch ready for the summer!

Before filling.

Filled and ready to deliver.

Snow in the porch

I picked these after taking the picture.