NOV 7, 2008

IT'S BEEN RAINING A LITTLE FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS. A FEW SPRINKLY SHOWERS MAYBE ONE MODERATE RAIN FOR A FEW MINUTES. NOT HAVING RAIN ALL SUMMER IT'S QUITE DIFFERENT TO HAVE SOMETHING OTHER THAN COW POOP STUCK TO THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SHOES. FARMING IS AN OUTDOOR SPORT, THEREFORE YOU WORK IN WHAT THE LORD GIVES YOU THAT DAY. WE 'RE JUST LIKE THE POSTMAN (OR WOMEN)!!


YESTERDAY WE WORKED ON ADDING SOME SOIL AROUND THE ALL SEASON WATERER BEHIND THE NORTH HOUSE. IT WAS THE FIRST HYDRANT WE SET, WHICH CAME OUT ABOUT 6 INCHES TOO HIGH. SHOULD HAVE DUG A BIGGER HOLE. LIVE AND LEARN? WE HAD A FAIRLY NICE SHORT RAIN YESTERDAY MORNING. OF COURSE WE MOVED THE DIRT YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. WE PACKED IT DOWN WITH THE TRACTOR TIRE. WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO HAVE MOVED THE DIRT THE DAY BEFORE AND LET THE RAIN SETTLE IT. SEEMS LIKE WE ALWAYS HAVE A KNACK OF DOING THINGS A DAY LATE(AND WE'RE ALWAYS A DOLLAR SHORT!). AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PICTURE WE HAVE OUR NORMAL SUPERVISION. SOME TIMES WE INVITE HIM AND OTHER TIMES HE JUST SHOWS UP.

IT'S 7AM AND GETTING LIGHT OUT. IT'S SNOWING QUITE NICELY. LIKE THE POSTMAN. TODAY WE HAVE TO FEED SILAGE, GREEN CHOP FOR THE COWS, BUILD FENCE FOR THE HEIFERS TO HAVE A WINTER HOME, AND FIX THE TRENCHER'S NOSE ROLLER.

NRCS WAS OUT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND WE TOOK GPS READINGS OF THE WATERER LOCATIONS AND THE WATER LINE ROUTES. THEY WILL SUPERIMPOSE THIS ON A FLY-OVER PICTURE TO GIVE A VERY NICE RECORD OF THE PROJECT. LATER I WOULD LIKE TO DO THIS FOR PASTURE BOUNDARIES, TREE STAND SITES AND OTHER LANDMARKS. AS WE WERE TAKING READINGS WE RAN INTO THIS SET OF BIRCH TREES. IT'S BEEN A WARM FALL THIS YEAR WITH A LOT OF PRETTY FALL COLORS.

GOD'S COUNTRY IS GREAT ANY TIME OF THE YEAR.

NOV 5, 2008

WELL WE GOT A NEW LEADER TODAY. VOTED FOR OR AGAINST HIM, WE NEED TO GET BEHIND HIM AND TURN CHANGE INTO REALITY. THE WHOLE WORLD WATCHED DEMOCRACY IN ACTION. THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A COMMON PERSON TO WORK HARD AND BECOME AN ELECTED LEADER MAKES MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN OTHER COUNTRIES AND CULTURES WISH THEY HAD SIMILAR OPPORTUNITIES.

THIS FALL WE BURIED 4,644 FEET OF WATER LINE TO PROVIDE WATER IN ALL THE PADDOCKS (8 ACRE PASTURES). FIVE WATERING LOCATIONS HAVE BEEN LOCATED WITH THREE HAVING CEMENT PADS COMPLETED. GOING TO COMPLETE THE NEXT ONE TODAY (NOV 6). TRENCHER BROKE, WE ARE FIXING IT, NEED TO RUN ANOTHER 1,000 FEET OR SO TO THE SIXTH LOCATION. THEN WE CAN POUR THE FIFTH PAD. HOPEFULLY, MAYBE THIS WEEK.

PAT CAME BACK TODAY UNEXPECTEDLY (WENT TO IL TO VOTE AND SEE HORSE) AND HAD TO PICK UP AND CLEAN UP AFTER ME WHEN SHE GOT BACK. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T COMMUNICATE. SHE COULD HAVE BROUGHT ME A GALLON OF MILK, BUT SHE WOULDN'T CALL. (WHEN I GOT BACK, YOU WERE IN EAU CLAIRE GETTING YOUR CEMENT FOR MORE PADS AND COULD HAVE STOPPED AT ALDI'S AND GOT YOUR OWN MILK. BUT NO, JUST TOO LAZY, I GUESS!) IT IS NICE TO HAVE HER BACK.
PAT AND PETE DO ALL THE WORK, WHICH ALLOWS ME TO RELAX AND WATCH THE CORN GROW. WHAT A LIFE!!

HAD OUR FIRST NOVEMBER THUNDER STORM ON TUES MORNING. IT MUST HAVE BEEN ONE OF THOSE JULY-AUG STORMS THAT GOT LOST. THE CORN DOESN'T CARE ABOUT IT NOW. WELL WE NEED THE SOIL MOISTURE FOR NEXT YEAR. TWO CRAPPY DRY YEARS IN A ROW. IT'S GOOD TO GET THE BAD YEARS OVER SO WE CAN ENJOY THE GOOD ONES.

APPARENTLY SOMEONE DID SOME ROAD POACHING, BUT THE BUCK GOT AWAY. NICE BUCK. YOU CAN SEE THE BULLET HOLE THAT GOT HIM.

WHAT A THING TO BE LOOKING AT WHEN I WAS EATING MY LUNCH, YUK!!!

NOV 3, 2008

BEEN A LONG TIME. BEEN A NICE SUMMER. BEEN A PRETTY FALL. ALL IS WELL IN THE NORTH COUNTRY.

COWS ARE IN FROM THE PASTURES, AND WE'RE FEEDING THEM ALREADY. IT WAS A POOR YEAR FOR CORN (NO RAIN) ONLY HAVE TWO SILAGE BAGS (NORMALLY HAVE THREE) AND BECAUSE WE FEED THE HERD FOR ABOUT A MONTH DURING THE SUMMER (PASTURES WERE NOT GROWING (NO RAIN)). WE'RE A LITTLE SHORT ON HAY. USUALLY WE HAVE MORE FEED THAN WE NEED. SECOND CRAPPY YEAR IN A ROW. MIGHT AS WELL GET THE BAD YEARS OVER. NEXT YEAR HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET SOME RAIN (WE'LL PROBABLY DROWN).

SAVED FIFTEEN GIRL CALVES (BORN LAST SPRING) THIS SPRINGS (HEIFERS) AND BOUGHT A GOOD LOOKING BOY (BULL) TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. GAVE THEM EXTRA GRAIN AND FEED, THEY'RE LOOKING VERY GOOD. ONE DIED, SO WE HAVE 14 NEW MEMBERS OF THE MAIN HERD FOR NEXT YEAR.

THIS SPRINGS CALVES ARE LOOKING VERY GOOD. HAVE LOST ONLY TWO THIS FALL. WE FOUND ONE NICE STEER WITH HIS HEAD CAUGHT IN THE FEEDER ONE MORNING, APPARENTLY THE CALVES ATE THE BOTTOM OF THE HAY BALE SO IT LOOKED SORT OF LIKE A MUSHROOM AND IT FELL OVER TRAPPING HIM. WE SAID WHY COULDN'T IT HAVE BEEN THE RUNT CALF WE HAVE. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY! WE FOUND THE RUNT JUST LAID OUT DEAD ABOUT A WEEK LATER. COULD SEE NO REASON FOR IT. MOVED THE KIDS TO THEIR WINTER LOT. THEY HAVE THEIR SILAGE BAG, THEIR LICK TANK; WILL MOVE THEIR BALE FEEDER AND GROUND CORN STUFF LATER IN THE WEEK.

ALL FOR NOW FROM THE NORTH WOODS!!! GUESS WHO IS BACK!!