Heat wave

The extreme heat took us by suprise this past weekend. Neither we humans nor the pigs were ready for it. Pigs don't do well in heat because they can't sweat like we and other animals can. Very pregnant sows do worse. We lost two sows in crates on Sunday. Not at all a pleasant job on a 90+ degree day - pulling 500 Lb. sows out of farrowing crates and down allyways by hand to get them out of the building before nature doubles the size of them. Despite fans and water, its hard to overcome the extreme heat stress at the wrong time. Once the sows have lightened their load by farrowing, they can handle the heat much better.

At 3:30 this afternoon we finally completed soybean planting. And there was much rejoicing! We had a 2 hour rain delay in the game on Monday afternoon when one of those mini popup storms moved over our field. But with the high heat, sun, and wind we were able to get back at it. And it's still May. Now comes sidedressing, cultivating, spraying, and praying.

And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, . . .

I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase

It smells around here

As V. P. of Waste Disposal at our farm, I spent the morning relocating many loads of hog manure. Or shall I say that I was applying organic fertilizer to our fields(to bring forth greater yields!).

And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. (Luke 13:8,9)

My employees (sons) also spent the day hauling "honey". We're trying to get the pits empty before the last field is planted.
Some people complain about modern livestock operations and the manure created by them. Consider the following environmental info.


Question: In the U.S., these systems handle 31 billion gallons of waste each day. In addition, they discharge 3.2 billion pounds of nitrogen directly into surface water each year. What waste system does this describe?

a. Human waste treatment systems
b. Pork waste treatment systems


If you answered “a”, you’re correct. It’s true – human waste treatment facilities are legally allowed to discharge millions of pounds of waste into surface water each year, while pork producers are held to a ZERO waste discharge standard. Pork producers have much more stringent regulations than human waste treatment facilities when it comes to discharging waste into lakes, streams and rivers.

I've cleaned sewage lines and septic tanks. I'd rather work with hog manure any day than human waste! I've changed my share of diapers also. Why is it that I can get manure on my hands, wipe them off on my pants or shirt, then eat a sandwich - - but, if I get baby poop on my hands, I freak out until I can get them scrubbed? Somehow its just different!

After this pleasant topic, have a nice weekend!

Rode hard, put away wet

I was going to make one more round and then stop to refill the boxes. I was heading north. It was getting darker in the southwest. When I turned around at the end of the field 1/4 mile from the road the front hit me. I was immediately engulfed in a huge cloud of dust. It was Dust Bowl 30's. I throttled up and headed south. Visibility was the front of the tractor. Flying blind.

When I got to the end, the deluge hit. Torrential horizontal sheets of rain. Pretty sure it was a surfer dude I waved to going by. I sat in the cab with zero visibility, not wanting to venture out to fold the planter so I could go home. Not sure I wasn't in the middle of a tornado. After about fifteen minutes ( and watching all the neighbors tractors trudging by on their way home), the rain became just a vertical downpour. I hopped out, flipped the lever, pulled the pin, and soaking, jumped back in the cab and folded the planter. And we headed back to the stable.

I will say that we have a pretty clean tractor and planter right now. Unfortunately, it spends far to much of its time lately in the shed.

Back in the Saddle

We had a weekend of beautiful Worship, weather, fellowship, and graduation parties.

I spent the noon hour Sunday with a hurting friend and Brother in Christ. I felt inadequate knowing that there were no words of encouragement that would remove the trials and solve his problems. As we stood and talked the sun was shining thru the foyer windows, despite his gloom. I am reminded of the following lyric

Farther along we'll know all about it

Farther along we'll understand why

Cheer up my Brother, live in the sunshine

We'll understand it all by and by.

I'm praying for that Brother and his family, and indirectly for all who are hurting or needy.

Today, the sun is shining brightly, the sky is clear but for a few high wispy clouds, the air is warm, and the soil is favorably dry.

The Cornbelt Cowboy is back in the saddle! (the Old Farmer is back on his John Deere).

Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

Bibliophile

I love books.
I love to read.
One of my dreams was always to live in a house that had a big library in it. I don't know if that will ever happen, but I do know that our farmhouse has books in every room and not enough bookshelves to hold them all. We all like books here on the farm and we just seem to keep adding to our collection. Not collectable books, just books we like to read.

Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house. ~Henry Ward Beecher

A house without books is like a room without windows. ~Heinrich Mann

My favorite book is the Holy Bible KJV. I hope and pray that I never get tired of reading it. I don't think we can because it is a living word and it is ever new. My favorite authors are the inspired men of God who penned the books of the Bible.

All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (II Timothy 3:16)

For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost. (II Peter 1:21)

I have studied with other versions, but I still prefer the King James Version. I like the language, reverence, and the dignity. It is still the standard by which other versions are measured. When I was in Jr. High School(and High School) we read and studied Shakespeare. I figure that if Jr. High kids can read and study Shakespearean English, then I(as a college graduate) ought to be able to read and study in King James' English. I also like the fact that the KJV is public domain. There are no royalties being paid from the sale of God's Word. No ulterior motives to sell a version that makes a certain publisher more profits.

My favorite books of the Old Testament would probably be:
Proverbs - short sayings for teaching youth.
There was and is no one(human) as wise as Soloman was. Wisdom is still very useful today.
Psalms - reading the Psalms is a great way to praise God and prepare your heart for
worship.
My favorite New Testament chapters would probably be:
John 1 - this is foundational
Philippians 4 - beautiful exhortations

I will share favorite authors and books some time in the future.

The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it. ~James Bryce

Powerwashing

Usually the entry level employees get the dirty jobs like powerwashing. Which means I usually get my sons to do it. But they were not around today, so I spent my afternoon powerwashing farrowing rooms. Bosses/managers should be willing to do anything that they require their employees to do - - not only willing but actually do it.

As I was washing I was reminded of Christ's example when he did the lowly and dirty job of washing his disciples feet. What a great example of willing, humble service.

After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe [them] with the towel wherewith he was girded. (John 13:5)

Do you remember in the winter when you were a kid and you played in the snow for hours building snowmen, snow forts, digging caves, and having snowball fights? Do you remember how your gloves would get soaking wet? Do you remember what your hands smelled like after you came inside and took your wet gloves off?
That's what your whole body smells like after powerwashing all afternoon.
Pleasant thought?
I'm thankful for hot showers and Ivory soap.

Water, water everywhere . . .

. . . and not a drop to drink.

Last evening the deep well pump started blowing fuses and quit working.
When you have:
1200 hogs
55 chicks
13 cats (guess)
1 dog
1 rabbit
6 humans
all dependent on the pump to quench their thirst, it gets to be a little concerning when it quits.
The well/pump repairman showed up at 8:00 this morning and by noon we had a new pump installed and running water. Then the pump started vapor locking from the natural gas in the water/ground and would stop pumping. So, the afternoon was spent replacing the new pump with another new pump(different style) and by 5:00 we had running water again.

I am thankful that through Christ we have a source of Living Water that will never fail us.

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14)

I am also reminded of one of my favorite verses from the Revelations.

And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. (Revelation 22:1)

And it rained again. Happy Birthday.

Patience

PATIENCE, n. pa'shens. [L. patientia, from patior, to suffer.]1. The suffering of afflictions, pain, toil, calamity, provocation or other evil, with a calm, unruffled temper; endurance without murmuring or fretfulness. Patience may spring from constitutional fortitude, from a kind of heroic pride, or from christian submission to the divine will.2. A calm temper which bears evils without murmuring or discontent.3. The act or quality of waiting long for justice or expected good without discontent. Have patience with me,and I will pay thee all. Matt.18.4. Perseverance; constancy in labor or exertion. He learnt with patience, and with meekness taught.5. The quality of bearing offenses and injuries without anger or revenge. His rage was kindled and his patience gone.6. Sufferance; permission. [Not used.]7. A plant, a species of rumex of dock.
(Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

Waiting is to be our earthly schooling . . .

We've had a week of cold, damp weather that has kept us from planting soybeans. Is been so cool that the best place for the seed has been in the bag in the shed. So we patiently wait for warm weather and dry soil, and know that the Lord has promised us seedtime.

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. Genesis 8:23

Actually, its been great weather if you were a duck - and I've been called worse. I love ducks. I have one of the most extensive vacation duck picture collections around. Thats pictures of ducks taken on vacation, not pictures of ducks taking vacations.

We used to raise ducks here on the farm for a few years. They are fun to watch waddling around, but they have this obsession with sidewalks and patios that leave an awful mess!

They are great eating - - especially after we finally figured out the proper cooking time. They are harder to dress than chickens, so we usually had someone else do it for us. The last batch we raised must have had some wild mallard in them, because when fall came they flew away. I think they heard the wife had a new recipe for Duck A La Orange!

Anyway, we wait and find odd things to do to use the time.

New Life!

New life was abundant this past week. We got our annual batch of day old baby chicks on thursday. They are really cute little yellow furballs. We dip their beaks in water when they arrive to teach them how to drink and after that instinct takes over. Its fun to watch them half-hazardly careening around the pen bouncing off each other, cheeping loudly, then huddling under the heat lamp to rest.

The newly planted corn is emerging from the freshly tilled fields. It's an exiting day when you drive down the road past a field and you can "row" the tender plants as they push thru the surface seeking sunlight. The barren ground of winter gives way to the greening of spring. Similarly, our barren hearts receive new life when we seek the light of the Son.

My little sister gave birth to a new baby boy last week. I am always in awe of how little newborns are and I marvel at their tiny fingers and toes. We are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Two of our children were announced before our congregation as having found peace with God after repentence and conversion. We are thankful, humbled, and blessed. We look foward to their baptisms.

New Life!


"Who plants a seed beneath the sod and waits to see believes in God"

The farmer ploughs through the fields of green
And the blade of the plough is sharp and keen,
But the seed must be sown to bring forth grain,
For nothing is born without suffering and pain--

And God never ploughs in the soul of man
without intention and purpose and plan.
So whenever you feel the plough's sharp blade,
Let not your heart be sorely afraid

For, like the farmer, God chooses a field
From which he expects an exellent yield--
So rejoice though your heart is broken in two,
God seeks to bring forth a rich harvest in you.

(Author Unknown)

Mat 13:23
But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth [it]; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.