Double Duty

My brother/partner is on vacation this week, as is our neighbor.  Therefore with students back in school, I am doing double duty chores this week.  It was going fairly well until last night.  At the neighbors I walked into a nursery room to find that some starlings had found their way in.  They panicked when I came in and one of them tried to exit through the large wall fan which was running because of the hot afternoon.  As they say, it won't have the guts to try that again.  The problem is, he broke the fan blade which caused an unbalanced, unstable fan which had to be shut down.  That's not good on a 93 degree afternoon.  After searching for spare parts, I made an emergency cell phone call to my neighbor somewhere in the mountains of Colorado, and he was able to tell me where he had spare fan blades.  I was able to get it repaired quickly (which is amazing for hog house maintenance) and got the fan running again.
This morning I found a dead sow in a farrowing crate.  The heat yesterday afternoon was too much for it.  With no one around to help, I decided to try pulling it out myself.  Fortunately it was still pliable enough for me to horse around, and with the help of a winch I got it out of the crate, down the hall and outside.

Tuesday night we went to Borders going-out-of-business sale.  You shouldn't let me do that!  We saved $98, but I won't tell you how much we spent.  Books are definitely a weakness.  I bought mostly classic literature.

We lost a dear cousin/friend/sister in the Lord this week after an 8 month battle with brain cancer.  We really wanted to attend the visitation and funeral, but because of the chore duties we will not be able to.  My heart will be in a familiar church in Lester, Iowa tomorrow morning.  Our prayers go out on behalf of her husband and the whole family.  Very thankful for the faith, hope, and comfort that we can have in Christ.

Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
Genesis 50:21
 

Moving

Most of the week we enjoyed warm days and cool nights.  We are still very much in need of rain, but the pleasant weather makes it feel less urgent.
We call this kind of weather "camping weather".

Thursday, we took another load of daughter #2's stuff down to C-U.  I think she's all moved in now.  I attended the annual Agronomy Day at the South Farms - it was the first time I made it down for it in many years.  The University is letting the South Farms deteriorate because they are planning to move everything south, farther out of town.  There are lots of neat historic old farm buildings there, and I hope they save and restore some of them.  Of coarse they haven't come up with the money yet to build all the new buildings, so its sad to see the current state of disrepair.

I was preparing to drive out of the yard yesterday, when I saw my wife frantically waving at me and pointing to the front yard.  It seems that there was a skunk waddling around the landscaping in front of the house.  I ran into the house and grabbed the first available gun that would be ready for action.  It happened to be a semi-automatic rifle with a scope on it.  I was stalking around in front of the house, gun ready, trying to spot where the skunk went just as the sheriff's car drives by.  He didn't stop, so either he didn't see me or he thought nothing of seeing an old farmer in his front yard with an "assault rifle".
I never found the skunk.

When I had some free time this week, I tried to help at Jenny and Bob's house preparing for their move. 
Today was the big moving day.  But because they are coming out of a small duplex, and they don't have much furniture yet, and they've been moving little stuff all week, it was somewhat anti climatic.  Which was OK.  We enjoyed the day, and didn't have to overwork.
We wish them God's blessings as they make their house a home, and a haven in a fallen world.

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:15

Gas

Monday, I hauled a load of furniture down to C-U for daughter #2 in preparation for her moving down for the fall semester.  We got the truck unloaded and everything set up in her apartment just before a rain shower hit.  So I took her out to lunch while it was raining.  I think it was the slowest Taco Bell I've ever been to.

Meanwhile, on the other side of campus, the old farmer's wife was helping clean the "Salt Shaker".  That was after they had to evacuate the house because of a gas leak.  It seems the guys had been smelling gas for a couple of weeks, but thought maybe it was paint fumes.  When the moms came down to clean they demanded that Ameren be called to check it out.  The guys found the leak before the official showed up, but the official also found some code violations (no big surprise).  The leak happened to be right over Jake's bed.  But because of the heat, he had been sleeping upstairs on the couch were there is air conditioning.  The gas was shut off, and an HVAC company was called in to fix the problems.  The mothers were able to finish the annual cleaning. 
I came over after lunch and helped them hook up their "new" gas stove (from ISU via AC World Relief distribution center).  I believe that all is back to normal.

The temperature was very pleasant today, but we are still in need of a good rain.  Preliminary yield checks in the corn are showing an average to below average crop.

But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.
Phillipians 4:18

Hot August Night

Actually, the July nights were much warmer than August so far.  In Central Illinois, July was the 7th hottest on record.  Thankfully, the temperatures have moderated.  The hogs and I are not terribly fond of high temps and humidity.  It seems like I would spend 10 hours working to accomplish 8 hours worth of work.  Now we will see what the dog days of August have in store for us.  Hopefully, normal temperatures and a little more rain to help finish out the crops. 

We finally got our new in-ground dump pit installed that will feed our new leg.  Last year we used a portable drive-over pit, but we didn't like it.  I think we will really like this pit.  It will be easier, quicker, and safer to use.

We had the Young Group over for root beer floats after they sang at WCV tonight.  We always enjoy having them in.

Many of life's circumstances are created by three basic choices: the disciplines you choose to keep, the people you choose to be with, and the laws you choose to obey.
-Charles Millhuff

After dinner, rest awhile, after supper, walk a mile.
-Arabic Proverb


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