NOV 22,2008

SAT MORNING, THE FIRST DAY OF THE DEER GUN HUNT SEASON. OUR HUNTERS ARRIVED BEFORE DAWN, AS DID MANY HEARTY FOLKS WHO TRAILED THEIR BOAT TO THE LANDING, LAUNCHED IT, PARKED THE CAR AND TRAILER AWAY FROM THE LAUNCH, WITH ALL THEIR GEAR IN THE BOAT AND HEADED ACROSS THE RIVER TO THE TIFFANY BOTTOMS (13,500 ACRES OF WILDLIFE AREA) TO HUNT. ALL BEFORE DAWN. WOULD YOU CALL THESE FOLKS NIGHT OWLS OR PERHAPS MORNING OWLS! I TRIED TO TAKE A PANORAMA OF THE WHOLE LANDING BY WALKING DOWN THE STREET. THOUGHT IT WOULD SHOW EVERYTHING BIGGER. DOESN'T WORK! 31 CARS, MOST WITH TRAILERS ON OPENING MORNING.

GUESS WE NOW HAVE EVERYBODY IN THEIR WINTER PASTURES. WE HAVE SHIFTED FROM DOING FALL THINGS INTO DOING WINTER THINGS. ALL THE CROP STUFF IS DONE EXCEPT TO HAUL A COUPLE OF SEMI LOADS OF HAY (20 BALES (5' LONG BY 6 1/2 ' HIGH) ) FROM THE BOTTOMS. THEN WE CHOP THE STALKS FROM THE CORN IN THE BOTTOMS INTO A WAGON EACH DAY FOR THE BIG GIRLS. WE TORE APART A LONG FEED ELEVATOR AND SET ONE END ON A VW REAR AXEL I HAD SO WE HAD WHEELS ON ONE END AND MADE A STAND FOR THE OTHER, SO WE CAN MOVE IT WHEN NEEDED. THIS GIVES ALL THE CALVES A PLACE AT THE TABLE WHEN WE FEED THEM THEIR CANDY. EVERY MORNING WE FEED THEM SOME GROUND CORN AND PELLETS (CANDY) . YOU DON'T HAVE TO CALL THEM TWICE. WE ALSO GIVE THE HEIFERS CANDY EVERY MORNING.

NOBODY HAS RENTED EITHER OF THE GUEST HOMES FOR HUNTING SEASON. WE ADVERTISED THE SOUTH HOME PLUS 240 ACRES OF HUNTING LAND, BUT NO ONE WANTED IT. OR MAYBE, THE RIGHT PERSON DIDN'T FIND OUT ABOUT IT. I THINK ALL OF THE VACATION RENTALS WERE DOWN THIS YEAR. NEED TO GET THESE RENTED FOR TWO REASONS. ONE IS THAT SELLING CALVES (OUR ONLY FARM PRODUCT) DOES NOT BRING IN ENOUGH CASH TO PAY THE FARM BILLS. A WONDERFUL LIFE STYLE (WORKING WITH THE LAND AND ANIMALS) BUT IT TAKES ANOTHER SOURCE OF INCOME TO MAKE IT A REALITY. THE SECOND REASON IS TO ALLOW FAMILIES LIVING IN THE CITIES TO COME AND ENJOY THE JOYS OF THE OUTDOORS AND THE WONDERS OF MOTHER NATURE. THIS WOULD PERHAPS BE MORE REWARDING .

I SIT HERE LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW AT THE BIRD FEEDERS AND WATCH A CONSTANT ROTATION OF NUT HATCHES (THE BIRDS THAT WALK UPSIDE DOWN ON THE TREES) MALE AND FEMALE DOWNY WOODPECKERS, THE BIGGER RED BELLIED WOODPECKER (WHICH HIS BELLY IS SORT OF A GRAYISH COLOR AND HIS HEAD IS RED--IN MY WAY OF THINKING HE WAS NAMED WRONG), CARDINALS, BLUE JAYS, HAIRY WOODPECKERS (WHICH ARE A LARGER SIZED DOWNY), BLACK CAPPED CHICKADEES, DARK EYED JUNCOS, AMERICAN GOLD FINCHES AND MANY MORE THAT I CAN'T EVEN THINK OF AT THE MOMENT.

PAT HAS GRACIOUSLY TAKEN OVER MY BREAKFAST DETAIL AND MADE US BACON SANDWICHES SO I CAN KEEP WRITING. WHAT A SWEETHEART. GREAT SANDWICH (ACTUALLY WAS A BLT). HAVE TO GO AND FEED 200 PLUS CREATURES. THAT'S A LOT OF MOUTHS!

NOV 19, 2008

HAVE BEEN TRYING TO TRENCH WATER TO THE HEIFERS AND COWS THIS WEEK. MONDAY THERE WAS NO WIRE-TRIP TO MENARDS IN EAU CLAIRE.

TUESDAY FIXED TRENCHER STUFF IN THE AM AND GOT STARTED TRENCHING AFTER NOON. CAUGHT A FEW WELL RODS (WERE HIDDEN UNDERGROUND) AND OTHER THINGS IN THE TRENCHER CHAIN, WHICH SLOWED US DOWN A BIT, BUT WE GOT THROUGH THE FENCE AND A FEW HUNDRED FEET INTO THE FIELD. WE WERE TRENCHING UNDER THE FROST LEVEL SO WERE FIVE FEET PLUS BELOW THE GROUND LEVEL. THE TRENCHER CHAIN MAKES AN EIGHT INCH WIDE TRENCH FIVE AND A HALF FEET DEEP. QUITE A JOB AND WE ONLY GET ABOUT 1 FOOT PER MINUTE DISTANCE. EVERYTHING WAS GOING REALLY SMOOTH.

WEDNESDAY WE MOVED THE COW HERD ALL AROUND THE FARM AND TO A PASTURE ALONG BEAR PEN ROAD. AFTER FEEDING AND OTHER MISC. CHORES, WE STARTED TRENCHING AGAIN. EVERYTHING WAS RUNNING LIKE A CLOCK. THE RUN TO THE HEIFER PASTURE WAS ABOUT HALF DONE, THE TRENCH RIGHT BEHIND THE MACHINE WAS PARTLY FULL OF DIRT AND THE PIPE WAS BROKEN OFF. I'M NOW IN SAND AND THE SIDE WALLS ARE COLLAPSING BEFORE THE PIPE IS IN THE BOTTOM. NOT AT ALL GOOD. THE SOIL FROM HERE TO WHERE THE DRINKERS GO IS MORE SANDY THAN IT IS NOW.

THURSDAY MORNING THE SUN IS SHINING, THE WIND IS BLOWING (HOWLING) AND IT'S JUST BELOW FREEZING. WHAT A DISCOURAGING DAY. WOULD LIKE TO DUMP THE WHOLE PROJECT.

NOV 16, 2008

I HOPE YOU KNOW YOU CAN LEFT CLICK ON ANY OF THE PICTURES TO ENLARGE THEM. THEN YOU CAN DO A CTL/+ TO ENLARGE IT FURTHER. DO IT MANY TIMES

WE WERE TAKING DOWN THE WATER TANK YOU CAN SEE IN THE VERY LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE PANORAMA WHEN IT LOOKED LIKE FALL TURNING TO WINTER, AND I HAD TO TAKE THE PICTURE.

WE HAD PLANED TO GO TO MENOMINE SUN AND SHOP UNTIL JOHN CALLED AT 7:02 TO SAY HE WAS READY TO COMBINE THE CORN IN THE BOTTOMS. THAT CHANGED THE DAY PLANS. RUSHED TO GET GRAVITY BOXES READY TO HAUL CORN, GET EVERYBODY FED, CHOP ONE LAST FEED WAGON OF GRASS FROM THE NEW FIELD IN THE BOTTOMS AND MISC OTHER THINGS.