Nursing Home

Saturday night I helped at the Eureka Home Benefit Dinner. First I sprinkled slivered almonds on about 240 salads and then I worked the assembly line that filled and delivered 240 plates of food in about 15 minutes. My job was to place the dinner roll and the pat of butter on the far side of the plate away from the hot food.

I remember the first time I went to a Nursing Home with the Young Group to sing for the residents. I had just started my repentance and conversion (age 22), and it was very foreign to me. Satan kept telling me, "What in the world are you doing here on a Friday night. You should be out having fun."
But I quickly came to appreciate visiting with and singing for the elderly in the homes. We did regular rotation at 3 different nursing homes. By the time I left the young Group to get married, it had become one of my favorite and most uplifting activities. Even in their diminished capacities, many of the elderly residents still have a lot to offer. And they were always very appreciative of our visits.

I later had the privilege of serving 11 years on the board of directors for our local church nursing home. It gave me a whole new perspective on the care and needs of the elderly. And insight into some of the ridiculous laws and the delinquency of the State of Illinois.

May God Bless all those who feel it their calling to serve the elderly by working or volunteering at Nursing Homes.


Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.
Psalm 71:9

Finished

What a beautiful fall! A total contrast to last year. The weather cooperated with us and harvest is now finished. We finished corn last week after the new leg was finally put into service. We had stopped combining soybeans because they got too dry. But when several predicted rains never materialized, we decided to finish them even if they were too dry. Ideal soybean moisture is in the 12 - 13% range. But we were combining the last of them in the 7 - 9 % range. We were definitely losing yield because of the low moisture content. Even though we are the last to finish harvest in our neighborhood, it is not late.

We have been working on tillage, but that has been slowed while waiting on fertilizer. The distributors and dealers are having a hard time keeping up with demand this year because of the early, open harvest. Farmers are also trying to make up for what they didn't get done last year.

Our 4 wheel drive tractor is in the shop, so we are using a rental tractor for some of our tillage. Another unexpected expense on top of the tractor repair bill. We add this to the combine repair bill from the 5 day "hospital" stay it had this fall. It is a good thing that prices are going up to help cover the additional expenses.

And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
Exodus 23:16

Chinese

Yesterday we had a group of Chinese exchange students visit our farm. I gave them rides on the combine while we were harvesting soybeans. It was the first time most of them were on an American farm, and the first time any of them saw farm machinery. On the farms where they come from in China, the farmers do not have machinery, everything is done by hand or with animal power, and on a very small scale. Every facet is new to them, and it is fun to watch the expressions of amazement on their faces at the scale and technology of American farms. They were impressed with the size of a combine and the fact that it costs more than an average home. They took lots of pictures and videoed everything. They spoke very good English and I enjoyed our conversations. I explained to them that the growing Chinese economy and the increasing standard of living of the Chinese people is playing a large role in the current profitability of American agriculture.

Over the years, cousin Randy has brought numerous international students to our farm. We've hosted Chinese, Japanese, and African students, as well as visitors from Switzerland, Germany, and Eastern Europe.
This particular group of students were surprised when they got to central Illinois to learn that Caterpillar's world headquarters was in Peoria, and that Caterpillar was actually an industrial company manufacturing construction machinery. They told me that in China it is "cool"/trendy to wear Caterpillar shoes and clothing, and that is what they thought Cat's products were. The irony is that a licensee probably manufactures the branded shoes and clothes in China!

Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.
Deuteronomy 33:25

Delay

Because we doubled the number of hogs we are feeding last year, we are also feeding twice as many bushels of corn. Our old grain handling system became very inefficient and undersized. In March, we ordered a new grain bin, grain leg, and bought a used dryer. We made the down payment the first week of April, and our dealer told us the factory gave him a July 16 shipping date. Plenty of time to get it built before harvest.

In August, the dealer told us the leg still hadn't come in, and the company and factory personnel couldn't give him a ship date. The grain bin came and was built, as well as the used dryer was installed. We can't use the dryer or fill the new bin without the leg.


We learn patience.


On September 13, the leg finally arrives on our farm. The crew starts work immediately, but it is a tall leg and will take some time to assemble, erect, tie down, and place spouts. By now corn harvest is half over in our area.


Tomorrow, October 4th, we think the grain system will be finished and ready to receive corn. Our cornfields are the only unharvested fields in the neighborhood. The corn is so dry that we won't even need to run it through the dryer. And we are currently combining soybeans so it could be another week before we switch back to corn. Our corn fields will be the only corn standing in the county!

The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Deuteronomy 28:8