Long Week

It was a long week here on the farm. With harvest in full swing and no rain breaks, we were weary by Saturday night and ready for a day of rest. We had a good week, but it was not without its trials. Our auger wagon tractor is still in the shop waiting to be repaired. Saturday we finally got the needed parts from a salvage yard in southern Illinois. The hitch on the honey wagon broke, so number 2 son didn't get as much manure hauled as we would have liked. After being in the shop to have a head gasket replaced, our tandem truck is back on the farm. The first day of use the cab filled with smoke. It seems a mouse built a nest in the heater wiring. After this problem was taken care of, the truck started dying unexpectedly at inopportune times - like driving down the road. The problem is in the wiring because our ace mechanic (my father) found shorted wires and wires with the insulation melted off. So, the truck hasn't seen just a whole lot of action yet.
It was warm but beautiful harvest weather and our local cooperative elevator set records for the amount of corn they received. On Friday alone, they took in 309,000 bushels of wet corn! As a result, there was some long lines at times waiting to dump which slowed progress. We also ran into a little bit of down corn from a wind storm this summer.
But despite the setbacks, all in all it was a good week. We have much to be thankful for - including this day of rest.

Rest from your labors on this holy day, and give thanks to God.

Harvest Begins

Harvest officially began for the old farmer today. We combined our first corn. It seems to be yielding good, but we have taken no official checks. This, despite the fact that our tandem grain truck is still in the shop and our auger wagon tractor was hauled away on a flat-bed trailer this morning. It seems one of the employees wasn't paying attention while hauling honey the other day and hit a tile hole, breaking off the front wheel and twisting the axle. The mechanics are seeing dollar signs! A typical start to harvest.

Isaiah 17:5And it shall be as when the harvestman gathereth the corn, and reapeth the ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim.

Labor Day

I called it a day after 10 hours of labor.

The LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything. Deut. 2:7

Late Summer

The days are becoming more pleasant temperature-wise, the nights are much cooler, the kids are back in school and the crops are starting to turn. Fall is just around the corner here on the farm. We are anticipating a bountiful harvest this year and the prices are good. Again, we have much to be thankful for.
Our Aunt Dorothy Gledhill gave me a china plate years ago with the following poem on it.


THE FARMER’S PRAYER.
Let the Wealthy and Great
Roll in Splendour and State,
I envy them not, I declare it.
I eat my own Lamb,
My Chicken and Ham,
I shear my own fleece, and I wear it.
I have lawns, I have bowers,
I have fruit, I have flowers,
The Lark is my morning alarmer.
So jolly boys now,
Here’s God speed to the plough
Long life and success to the Farmer.

Life is good.

(But eternal life will be better.)