Snowstorm

Last week we took the snow blower off of the tractor and we parked the generator in a less accessible place. Sunday morning we woke up to a March blizzard. When it ended, we had 5-6 inches of heavy wet snow that the strong winds blew into 2-3 foot drifts.
We lost our power at about 5:30 in the morning so I knew I would have to hook up the generator in order to do chores and for the family to get ready for church.
I was hoping the outage would be short lived, so I did all the work I could without power, but when the electricity still wasn't on we hooked up the generator. We were just finishing up chores when my wife called from a hundred yards down the road that she was stuck in a snowdrift in the ditch. She had left for church early to help serve lunch. We got the 4WD pickup stuck trying to pull her out (it had no weight in it), and had to go back and get a tractor for both. Son #1 picked her up on his way to choir practice while we were working on the car, then he got his pickup stuck in my brother's yard while picking up my sister-in-law. He abandoned his truck and the three of them made it to church in my brother's van.
With chores finished (late), I quickly showered and prepared for church. No time for breakfast. The remaining family, in order to be on time, were going to leave me and ride with our future son-in-law to church - until he got his car stuck in our driveway. Just about then our nice neighbor called to let us know that the power had just came back on, so we could shut the generator off instead of letting it run while we were at church. So it was back out to shut down the tractor and make a quick check that power was indeed fully restored. The five of us piled into the Blazer, bucked the snowdrifts on the unplowed roads, and made it to church while the ministers were taking the pulpit. We had invited our daughters future in-laws for the day, and they were already seated without us. And we weren't the only ones who were late.
After a nice day in church, the trip home was much better. The roads were cleared and the sun was rapidly melting much of the snow. By late afternoon, all the still stuck vehicles were melted free, and things were back to normal.

And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.
Acts 27:41

Lately

The laptop has been back for a couple of weeks now. They put in a new motherboard (its 3rd) and it is currently working fine. Let's hope it continues that way.

Friday night we served/bussed at the Mennonite Relief Sale. It seemed like they fed a record crowd - they kept the tables full. Its a great opportunity to see lots of people that you rarely see and to help a good cause.
After our shift ends and our chicken dinner is enjoyed, we cruise the Center and check out the auction, the markets, and the booths. No MRS would be complete without partaking in some Uncle Bob's Homemade Ice Cream, followed by the purchase of a dozen or two fresh donuts for our Saturday morning breakfast.

Sunday evening we attended a presentation by Loving Shepherd Ministries at the Goodfield Fellowship Hall. I hadn't realized that their scope was much greater than adoption. I was impressed by the programs to provide corrective surgeries and group homes for orphans in third world countries. www.loving-shepherd.org

Last night we visited our harvest truck driver who is in the hospital. After no warning and minimal symptoms, he was diagnosed last week with pancreatic cancer. I appreciated his attitude of "God's will be done". But, he said, "this old rooster is not ready to meet Colonel Sanders just yet". We pray for God's comfort and peace - and healing if it's his will.

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
James 1:27

Bin Removal

We are going to reside our old corn crib and add on to the side of it this spring. There are two small bins sitting where the addition is going to be built. Today Billy Danial brought his backhoe to the farm to help us remove the bins.

The first bin will be junked. The backhoe goes to work tearing down the bin and folding it up in a compact package.

Billy is good!

The folded up bin is then set on the truck to be hauled to the salvage yard.

The second bin is going to be saved and used for a storage shed by my brother who lives a mile down the road. This will be a little trickier. the backhoe lifts the bin off of the foundation (carefully and slowly) and then heads on down the road with it.

This made quite a sight as it made its' way down the road. It made it to its' final destination without any major problems. Several cars had to pass during the trip, which made it interesting.

And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

Luke 12:18

T-Shirts

Seen on the back of T-Shirts recently. For all of us carnivores.

vegetarian (vej' eter' ean) n: Old Indian word for bad hunter.

I Love Animals . . . they taste great!

There's a place for all of God's creatures - right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy!

If God didn't want us to eat animals, he wouldn't have made them out of meat.

And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.
Genesis 27:4

Shopping

The old farmer and his wife spent a few days last week on a shopping/getaway trip up north. First stop was Schamburg. We hit Woodfield Mall, Ikea, Barnes & Noble, and Borders. Next day, we found an LL Bean store in Hoffmann Estates, and then spent a half day in one of my favorite stores - Cabela's.
The Granddaddy of all outdoor stores is Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Springfield, MO. I've been there several times and there is no store (or experience) like it. It is full of stuffed animals, huge fish tanks, and outdoor dioramas. But Cabela's is a neat store too, and I like their merchandise a little better, so I enjoy the store.

Then we spent a couple of days in Madison Wisconsin. We shopped the East Towne Mall and then found Rutabaga, a paddlesports shop. Its another neat store filled with canoes, kayaks, and all kinds of outdoor gear.

We then headed into rural Wisconsin in search of the "worlds biggest bookstore." An older couple runs it; he was a farmer and she was a college professor. After retirement, they turned their hobby of collecting books into a business. Their shop, sheds, barn, boat house, old school house, old house, and finally their old manure tank have been turned into bookshops.

The disappointment was that they were closed for the winter.

But we'll be back in the summer.

Here is the link to a youtube video about them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDAtNgjTRgM

The old farmer and his wife will probably be a lot like this couple some day with all the books we have!

We came home from our trip with a trunk full of stuff.:)

And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

Ecclesiastes 12:12