Progessing on restoration of C

Today it stayed cool outside. Highs only got to 70 by my porch thermometer. I had windows open this morning anyway, but closed them when Melanie called and ask me to watch Kiley. So I turned on the burners of my stove to take the chill off house, and snuggled her up in fuzzy blanket and she slept all afternoon.

This morning I went out early and got the rest of the C painted it's first coat. I have to paint the hood, gas tank and grill, and turn over the fenders, but other than them, all things have been one time coated so far now. Complete project is only a matter of a couple good warm days and the C will be done. I still have to do the wheels yet though. I think I will work on them tomorrow, get them gound down and primed, then the final shooting of top coat can be done. I am finally making real head way on it.

Steve went out to the track and worked tonight with Terry, to get track ready for Sunday. I am watching the weather channel right now and it looks like rain is moving in for this weekend. So that may make for a rain out pull. With this being our last pull of the season, I am looking forward to getting it done so I can put up everything for the winter. Hope to be able to finish out the season and be done.

I've been looking through the new 2010 farmers almanac and it looks like cool weather is here for the fall already. I had hoped for a few more weeks of warm, for I want to get up to the farm and get the limbs and stuff piled up to have us a hot dog roast by Halloween. There is quite a bit of debri from storms and such while ground was rented out, and we plan on cleaning it up and trimming some of the trees and cutting some of them down. Clearing out the water ways, and making good usable crossings. Some of the clearing can be done during winter months if there is not a lot of snow. And it's good energy spent in the cold. This weekend would have been a good one to start on it, for Steve is off work on Sat. But have to get the pulling season done with.

Today I am planning on going up and getting things out of garden, the corn which is done, the beans and tomatoes plants are almost done, so will get them pulled up and piled to dry. Cut a few heads off sunflowers and dry seeds. Marigolds will hold on til frost, so will leave them. Sorry feelings that garden is done for the year, but have reaped much and enjoyed every minute of tending it and watching it grow.

BBRrrrrrr

It got cool around here. The winds today kicked up so high, I had to go out and tie down the tarp/canopy, for it was trying to fly away.
I went with Melanie today to look for vehicle, she needs one before she goes to work on Monday. She found a F-150 she liked real well. Test drove it, and she feel in love with it. So I haggled til we got it for what I thought was a fair price. I really hope the truck is a good one for her. I think Dave will like it as well. I for one, thought of the safety factor of it vs a small car, etc. for transporting a baby for the next few years. Steve looked it over too, and thought it was good for the money.
I got home and Leslie had made cookies and apple crisp. She can be a very good cook when she wants to be. lol Wish she would get in the mood more often.
I then headed up to the farm to get the last of my produce. With the rain which hit here on Saturday, it foiled our plans to work up there. Steve fixed the shredder, and I pulled out back and loaded up some firewood into back of my truck to bring home for these cool evenings. When we got home, I started supper and Steve worked on newest lawn mower, and drove it over to Dave and Melanie's for Dave's mower has bearings out of mower deck spindle.
After supper, Steve and I hit the sack early for a change. I have much to do tomorrow so better get back to that bed and rest up.

Sept. 25, 2009

I received a scary phone call today. Melanie called me crying and telling me she needed me to come over and get Kiley right now. Dave had been in bad accident and rolled their truck. No other details at that moment, and I went right over there. When I got there, Kiley was laying on the couch crying and Melanie was shaking too bad to pick her up. Melanie then headed right down to get Dave. He went to the Er to get checked out, he is real stiff and sore, but he climbed out of the truck, and a policeman was there at the scene and witnessed it all. It seems Dave was on green light and crossing road when the light turned yellow when he was in middle of road, giving him enough time to cross it. Lady come from the right at approximately 40 to 45 mph. She hit the passenger side of the truck so hard on level road that it rolled the truck 2 and half times the police said, the first roll was in the air, the second and half was rolling on road. Lady was ticketed for running red light for it hadn't changed to green for her yet at impact. She tried to say it was green, but the cop was there and there was no way she could have stopped even on red as fast as she was going when she hit Dave in the intersection. She was here in Alton on business from Peoria.
I brought Kiley home with me, and called Steve at work, he come home and we all went down to hospital to make sure Dave was alright and then to go with them to get personal things out of the truck. While viewing the truck, I told Dave flat out that God was riding with him in the front seat. He kept him safe. The truck is totaled, completely. It was Melanie's first vehicle. But it is replaceable and he is not. So Thank God for being with him. Will meet with insurance guy on Monday. Then get a rental car from there, and they will look for another vehicle.

It's Raining again....

Well, I had plans to get things done outside today. But the rain hit here sooner than they had predicted yesterday when I made my plans. So now I sit here thinking I just might have to get in the attic and get down one of my Christmas trees and decorate it for my little grand daughter to enjoy since I am going to start having her daily when her mom goes back to work. I figure it gives me reason to put one of my trees up early. I love the holidays and I like to start early and enjoy the decorations throughout the house for longer periods of time. So rain has given me that reason. lol
My kitty cat is happy that I am stuck inside today, she's sitting here between my arms watching me type this and gets a pet now and then, so at least something is happy about today.
Cousin and her hubby are waking up and so we will get to visit again. At least all isn't lost on this dreary day.

I have to laugh, why does it seem like when we make plans and start out our day that things just intervene and throws the whole day off but in good ways? Does that even make sense?
I started off yesterday with well meaning plans to get things accomplished and then ended up getting very little done, but yet getting what I wanted done after all. I guess I didn't have much planned after all for my day. lol I enjoyed very much the visit with my cousin and her husband. Played with Kiley again, as her mom wanted to paint her living room. Then we had meeting of club tonight, had things lined out for it this afternoon, so was prepared with list of things we will need for our cookout at the last of the year club pull. I will call and set up winter months meeting dates and times, then will have some time off from those duties til Nov. meeting. Be glad to be able to clean out corner in kitchen where all the club stuff sits all summer long. Won't be long til I need that corner for my plants which go out in spring and come in in the fall.
I am taking my cousin up to see our farm in the morning. She says she has to know where we will be living at someday, so we are planning on going up and I will get the rest of green beans and tomatoes while I am up there. This Sat. I will go up and clean up the garden area and get it ready for Steve to take down the fence and it will be out of the way of harvesting when it's time to take the corn out. I sure will miss my little garden area when it's gone this year. I have so enjoyed tending it this year.

Today finds me getting ready to head out and get started on outside work, for with the way the weather is heading, it won't be long til it's time to stay inside and find things to do.

Yesterday I made curtains for Leslie's room. She hung them up and they look good with her new paint job she did.

Then I was looking for something in one of the "junk" drawers, and pulled that sucker out and cleaned it out, arranged items in little cups and now the drawer is neater looking and I am able to find what I look for. But the draw back is I have more "junk" drawers to do. So putting them aside for now, that will be one of the inside things I do this winter. My list is growing for busy "to do's" for cold weather.

Played with Kiley yesterday, she is growing so fast. She is just a month old, and already I can see her learning things. She has learned that grandma loves her lots and smiles when I talk to her. I know she doesn't understand yet, but she does respond well when talked to by people. When we are heating her bottle when she's crying and ready to eat, I keep telling her to listen for the "beep" for that is her food. She now quits crying when she hears the "beep" and listens for a few seconds then starts to squirm and whimper. By the time she is ready to get the full blown cry out, the bottle is ready and heading to mouth, making her a very happy baby.

She went to her doc appointment on Monday. Weighs in at 9.11 and is 21.5 inches long. Doc gave Melanie news that Kiley is growing good and that she is very healthy baby. She loves to be cuddled yet, and I am taking every opportunity to cuddle her while she likes it. lol

Well, it's time to head out and get started on my day of things I want to get accomplished, or at least some of them done. Some days are better than others, hoping for a good day today.

A Rainy Sunday

Today I made ketchup for the first time ever. Since I didn't have the ingredients to make it from a pouch I had picked up, I used a recipe book to look up the ingredients and made up my own recipe. Instead of tasting like regular ketchup, it tastes like BBQ sauce. But it does taste good, and I am no ketchup eater. Too, I added ground spices instead of making a bag of spices to cook in tomatoes then remove them. I do like the way this turned out, but if I make it again, I will alter the ingredients some.
This morning I called Melanie to see what she was up to for the day. Asked if we could have Kiley, she said yes, so we ran over and picked her up. Steve was off today, had no plans for him to do anything, for it dropped 2.4 inches of rain on us this morning. So he got to spend a day with his little grand daughter playing and holding and loving her. Melanie come over later on, then my cousin and her husband stopped by, and then Dave come over. So we had good visits with all. It was a nice way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon. Suppose to rain Monday again, so I might get to sleep in a little bit.

Steve and I took a trip yesterday to Paducah KY. The 3rd weekend of Sept., they have an Antique Gas and Steam Engine Show every year. We have made the trip off and on now for years. It has turned into our mini vacation, when we stay there for whole weekend. But this trip was just an early start and late getting back home trip. Besides watching the antique tractors pull and lawn mower pull, we get a chance to browse a number of vendors in the flea market infield too. Steve calls the tractor parts, bargains, and I call the numerous little items I find, steals.
It's funny, I am not a yard sale person. I won't waste my time going to them or having them. But put me in an area which their displays are lined up one after another on the infield of a fair grounds and I absolutely love looking through all the junk people don't want any longer. There have been many times we have gone and not found anything we were interested in buying, but today we found quite an array of things we liked and brought home.
We got there and I found several items right away which were good buys, and I purchased them. Steve made the trek to the truck, so we didn't have to carry them around. By the time he returned to find me with more things I had purchased, and again made the trek to the truck. By the 4th trek to the truck, he told me I could make the next trip. But it ended up that the next items I purchased we were able to sling on our shoulders and carry them to the bleachers to wait another truck trip.
We enjoyed the tractor pull, seeing tractors in which we don't participate against pull. Then there are those who are strangers and just strike up conversations with, which we enjoy also. As we walked around looking at the display of tractors lined up for show, we come upon a little C which we stood and admired, for that is what ours will look like when it is done. We talked of how this part went this way and I said several times, that's what that thing is that I painted. There were a few parts I asked Steve why ours didn't have, and he said it did, I said I hadn't cleaned it up and painted it yet. He said we'd have to find it for he had taken it off. Since Steve and Dave took it all apart, I am not sure what what is. It has a lot of parts which our M's and H and W-6 don't have, so I can't go look at them for reference. So I took out my camera and started taking some pictures of the various parts, and there are people all around looking at tractors, when these 2 guys stood beside another tractor and were talking. As I snapped away, I noticed out the corner of my eye, they were also talking about the C. So when I was done, I inched over toward them and told them I was restoring one at home and was borrowing this tractor as pattern and future reference to putting it back together. The younger guy said it was his tractor. I made sure it was OK that I had taken pics. He said yes. Then we stood talking with those two for quite some time. Turns out they are looking for mag repair, and it just so happens when we went to Greenville pull, we found an awesome guy who repairs them. Steve gave the guy a business card so he could get this fixed.
So, today also marked my truck turning over 100,000 miles. This truck of mine has been one of just a few we have had which are rare items to own, for it has been very sturdy and reliable. I am hoping that in years to come, I will be able to post about the next turn over it does and that it's still going strong. Steve's truck is another treasure. So I didn't want to leave it out. His has turned over 3 times now, but this motor is on it's 2 one. We take pride in taking care of our vehicles. As well as the tractors, we love our trucks. Thank you FORD for making great trucks.

Garden Update

Today I went up to farm and collected tomatoes and green beans out of my garden. I am surprised that I still have green beans coming on strong. My tomatoes are starting to die off. I will just have to keep them picked as they ripen, for there are no new blooms on them. So I now have some canning to do.
Soon I will need to get up there and start pulling the sunflowers and corn stalks out which have ended for the year. They sure were pretty while they lasted. I think often of Steve's parents, and wonder how their lives were years ago when they started farming this ground. They bought the farm in 58', the year Steve was born. He never knew another home but the one we created together, he was so lucky. I remember moving around as a child, I hated moving. So the memories we have will forever be etched in our hearts. The piece which Steve inherited was the last field we had worked physically side by side with his Dad in before his Stroke in 05'. So this piece of property means the world to both Steve and I. I still remember him and I cutting wild sugar cane tops out, before Steve combined the beans. He and I kidded around while working at it. Was a great memory made which no one can take from us. Material things can be taken away, but the memories made will live forever etched in our hearts.

Disappointment

Today I got started early, working out on the little C. Making progress as the morning went by. I got the motor scrapped and ground down, also the radiator is finished. The steering column wasn't hard to prepare for priming, so day was off to a good start. I sat and scrapped around the u-joints, digging out years of dirt and dried up old grease. Wire brushed the front wheels on the outside rims. By 1 o'clock, I started feeling the effects of what I had accomplished in the last 3 days. By 4 o'clock, I was done for the day. I showered and dressed, but my energy was zapped.
Since suffering this shoulder injury, my hours of labor using it causes me to "poop out" to soon for my mind. My mind then gets down, and I feel like I have failed in plans I had hoped to accomplish for the day. It's been 3 years now, and I still haven't found a way to shorten my list of things to do. Someday, I hope to be able to adapt, but til then, well, it sure is hard.
Many days I have wished for that day back, and for the accident to not have happened. But if wishes were money, I'd be the richest person alive.
Tomorrow is another day...

God Blessed My Roses

This is picture of one of my rose bushes I have planted here at my house. I am waiting for the red one to fully bloom also. It has been later than this one. This one stands 5 foot tall. It has bloomed all summer non stop. This particular bloom had all 5 flowers together. I have so enjoyed my flower bed this year. I have honey bees galore, and butterflies too.

At the farm I planted some sunflowers and marigolds in the garden, and they too grew tall and flowered well. Marigolds got 4 foot tall, and sunflowers got about 8 foot tall. So far the sunflowers have peaked and are starting to die off. While all the others are still going strong.

With fall fast approaching, I will miss the blooms. But what was with all the spiders this year? We have had spiders, huge ones at that. Webs are thick and heavy. Then there are our nest of hornets in our tree above our shed. I noticed in our little shed we have a nest of wasps too, and a mud dobbers nest as well. I guess the bees think our home was safe to live at this year. Will have to google bees and find out what draws them and maybe not have those next year. lol I think winter will be interesting for 09/10.

Fall

I love this time of the year. Cool crisp nights, warm days. As I was outside today, looking at my flowers in full bloom, I suddenly got sad, for they are almost at there peak. I wish flowers could live throughout the winter also. The colors would so go with the white of the snow.
The leaves on our trees are starting to turn and fall off the trees. Going to have to get out the rake soon. But that also is something I like doing. Making everything look spruced up and clean when I get them raked.
I still have so much to get done outside, I hope weather holds and I am able to get it all done. Still, I won't mind putting the jacket on and still being outside. I do look forward to burning leaves and if we have enough twigs, we will have a fire and hotdog roast.

Watch out for that...Tree....

Just saw this picture in one of my albums, and it reminded me of mowing at the farm this summer. Steve and I were spending the day, he on the big tractor with shredder, me on my little cub doing the small stuff. It was hot and humid, very little breeze. I had this umbrella in truck and tarp strapped it to the seat, to give me some shade. So I set off mowing the road way, tootling along, and come up to low hanging limbs on the trees lining the drive, well you know what, I ducked under the limb, but forgot about the umbrella, and wondered why something felt like it was pulling on the tractor as I went along. When hey, the umbrella is taller than me. duhhh... It did break one of the supports, but I can use it again. I just have to remember it is taller than the person on the seat. When I told Steve about it, he laughed. Some days he just says I'm a blonde. Wonder what he means by that? lol

Family of Strangers.

Families come in all sizes and shapes, as well as personalities. Mine come together as strangers. Sounds weird, but there is no other way to describe it.
I write this. not in pride nor shame, just fact. I come from a large family. There were 6 of us, which shared the love my parents dealt out. Being of many personalities, my parents had ideals of raising us, like so many parents do, like I have done in raising mine too, that us kids didn't share in their thinking. But whose parenting is the right way of raising children?
Today found us attending and helping host an open house to introduce our Grand daughter to friends and family. Attending the event were some of my family, who graced us with their presence, some we haven't seen in years, but live only across town from us, and the farthest, 30 miles away. It was a very nice visit with each other, catching up, who's who, who's where, who's doing what, etc. But we sat visiting like strangers, throwing topic after topic out to just converse.
The 6 of us grew up together in as normal of ways, I guess, but in the end, none of us really connected and held any special bond between us. As the years went by, busy with each of our own families and new families as we married, we never stayed friends to the end, sort of thing. I don't know if it is truly competition, just loathing, or dislike between us, but we don't even care enough about each other to call and check up on one another, from time to time. I know myself, someone has asked me how one of my siblings were doing, and I stood there wondering myself how they were. For I didn't know and til that moment, just didn't care.
Not to be misunderstood here, I think we all love each other, but nothing lasting to hold a foundation together. Like many families, we gather for funerals, to show respect, love and grief when someone dies. Other than that, we go on with our lives individually, dealing with our lives ups and downs, not leaning on each other, not being friends, not staying in contact.
So today, when 3 of us were together, it turned out to be us 3 younger ones, it felt good, just seeing how we look, hearing how we've been, talking about our children, work, our personal conflicts and conquests. #3 brother is gone now 7 years. The 2 oldest didn't care to join us, so at least the day wasn't lost to my daughter and her sister in knowing no one cared from my family.
I wonder sometimes, where we went wrong growing up, not to have formed a bond like many families have. And I watch my own 2 girls, talk of future things, make plans to do things together, share their troubles and joys, and wonder why I don't miss that bond with my own siblings. Maybe it's the different personalities, and if I meet them on the street, they won't be someone I would want to be friends with even, or if it's the fact that I know them too well to want to be friends with them. Maybe they know me too well too. Or the fact that we knew each other in the past and know secrets that would be better to stay buried.
All in all, these 3 strangers today, enjoyed sitting in a group and sharing with each other our lives since we last encountered each other. The 2 oldest ones, well they don't know what they missed. It was very nice, and I think someday soon, I might drive the 9 blocks and visit with my sister, and some Sunday afternoon, drive the 30 miles and visit with my littlest big brother too. They just might grow on me someday.

I Remember

Today, Sept. 11, 2009. the memories of this day in 2001, still are vivid within my memory. My girls were babysitting for a co-worked of mine, so the TV was going with a movie for the little ones. I was getting ready for work and giving the girls instructions on watching the kids. We were all laughing and going about our start to the day like every other.
Off to work I went...
I arrived at work to co-workers asking if I had seen it happen. I didn't know what they were talking about, and they told me what customers had been in to tell them. I immediately went home and grabbed a radio, and headed back. Turned it on and we all listened to the continuing news coverage. We all had our hearts torn out at the time, for we couldn't even imagine the horror those people in the area there were going through. Each time we went outside, our eyes immediately went to the skies. The media had put fear into the whole USA. We were all on guard and wondering what we would do if something transpired around here, in the middle of the USA. Living just 15 miles from a major refinery, and 40 miles from St. Louis, the news had said these areas were being watched for similar attacks.
There was fear in me for the "in case" something like this would happen. In the end, I realized, we were helpless. We, "civilians" are in fact at the mercy of the Armed Forces to protect us in an event as this one. After the attack, for we live in an area not inhabited by people of other nationalities and race other than white and black, we became "on the look out" for foreigners. The news had started flashing pictures of "maybe responsible" attackers, and the mental imagine this set forth in our heads, pointed us toward faces we were on the lookout for being the bad people.
As the days went on and the lack of airplanes in the air, we are just across the river from Lambert Airport of St. Louis, we continued to watch the sky and our fear lessened as the days went by. But we still were watching people of other countries where ever we went. Even today, like every one since Sept.11,2001, we are brought back to this day, when encountering foreigners. Even though the good people of all races outnumber the bad, this sterotyping makes me realize why as a nation, people tend to remember the bad those have done, before the good most can do. Will people ever get over this "lableling" of the human race? The future will only tell....
So on this day in this year 2009, I pray the families who lost loved ones in those attacks will feel peace and joy from God's arms as they continue on in life, always with memories which will never die. May we never have the fear return in our country, we felt that day in 2001.

I witnessed it....ooowlala.

Today, I spent the biggest part of the day at Melanie's. Leslie and Becky are having an open house for the kids, to welcome our grand baby to the family, instead of a baby shower, we thought it would be better to include everyone, so even the men and children, could see her and visit with the new parents. The party is at Melanie and Dave's house, so I went over to help clean and get things ready for it. I remember how it was having a new little one demanding attention. I had gotten Kiley when she woke up from a little nap, and put her on her tummy on the floor to watch her mom go through a stack of magazines, then we went into Kiley's room and I had taken her in there with us and put her on the floor while putting away a load of clothes. There she lays on the floor on thick blanket on her tummy and not crying, just wiggling around, and there she went, she rolled herself over all by herself. She layed there a moment with her little arms flung out, like whoa, what happened. I laughed and told Mel to look, she had rolled by herself. When I picked her up, I praised her on being such a big girl. And she just kept smiling. She will be 3 weeks old tomorrow. So in closing, Grandma got to share in a special moment already and not just have to hear about it, I witnessed it. And it was great. I look forward to many more firsts with her in the days and weeks and years to come. I think she will keep me young at this rate. That moment was good for my heart. lol

Hhhmmmm....

Just wondering why would hornets build in our tree here in town. We live in a small town which is surrounded by country. At least 12 miles to the nearest towns surrounding us. So why would hornets decide this year to build in town a quarter mile in? This is the first year in almost 30 of living here, that we have encountered this. The nest is huge, and they seem to be adding to it. It is getting bigger. And it is very high up. Steve and I was working on the C and he stood there looking up in the tree above our tractor shed, and the hornets were busy going and coming to the hive. I had worked out there off and on all day, painting and sanding, I had watched for them in case I bothered them, but none visited me all day long.
I asked Steve how we were going to get them down and get rid of them. He said we have to wait til like the real cold part of winter and then we will have to lift someone up in the loader of the 50-M and spray it with hornet spray, then that person will have to use the limb trimmer we have to cut down the hive.
I guess if we go by the new Farmers Almanac, then we are in for a cold and hard winter. If this is also a sign, then they moved to town to get out of the cold this winter. As I love the winter time and the snow, I look forward to it. Not the heating bills, but the "not sweating" weather is welcome here. I guess I will never retire to FL, or any southern states. Just couldn't do the heat. I think I could be happy in Alaska, or maybe not, for I like the sunshine too.
So when we get that thing down I don't know what will move in next year, but I am sure there will be something, like the squirrels which eat my tomatoes, and the rabbits which eat my flower plants when I put them in in the spring. Then there are also all the birds which like to doo doo on my truck and the tractors.
Hurry winter so we can get rid of these hornets. I really don't like them out there, and next summer our little grand daughter Kiley will be playing in the yard, and I don't want her stung by those things. So goes the saying, "don't stir up a hornets nest".

Tuesday's work and Steve got stuck...

Today I helped Dave (sil) build a work bench in his shed. It was time well spent. Him and I often do things together. He loves to learn how to do things he has never had the chance to see done, or helped do. He is a very avid learner. He listens and watches and helps. I love working with him on projects, for he is particular in his doing of things, he tries real hard to do things right. I love it.
We laugh at each other often, and sometimes just laugh at what we are doing when we come across something we are doing we don't really know if it's the right thing to do or not, so we just wing it and laugh. Steve is usually at work when Dave and I are doing these things, like today, building Dave's work bench. It turned into a "good enough for who it's for" project. Some of the nails would bend and we would say a few "not so nice" words, take them out and put in another. When Steve got home, we took tables and chairs and picnic table over to Dave and Melanie's, I showed Steve the bench we made and talked of the bent nails, he said I could have brought over the portable air tank and used the air nailer. Oh now he tells me. Then it turned out that his friend has the big nail gun anyway. All in all, the bench is useable and Dave is already cutting out trophies and he even cleaned, vac'ed, his work shed.
When I got home, I got my table covered and put all the little C parts out on it to start the "red" painting. I should be able to get most of them done in one painting, as long as the sun shines for the baking process.
We had supper with Dave and Melanie, and of course I got to take care of the little grand baby while her mommy did other things. I sure loved that part of the evening. loved spending time with the kids too. Steve and Dave run a load of limbs to the farm after supper. I told Steve to be sure to give Dave a flashlight, so Dave could go get the tractor when Steve got stuck, and he would have to turn on the gas for I had shut if off since it was leaking after I parked it yesterday. Steve said he wouldn't get stuck, and again I told Dave to turn on gas when he went to get tractor when Steve got stuck. Low and behold, they come back and Steve had gotten stuck. But he didn't make Dave walk to get the tractor, he walked and got it himself. What did he expect. When he told me where he was going to take the pile of debri to, I figured he would get stuck. They both laughed when they got back and told me about it. Not often, but every once in a while, "old blue" won't go where Steve thinks he can take it. Them are the times we find humor in the adventures of farming.
The kids haven't been up to the farm this summer since the corn was like 3" high. So when Steve took Dave up tonight, it was dark when they got there, and Dave couldn't believe how things look now. The garden is producing, plants are tall, flowers are bloomed, we have kept it mowed, and the corn is over 8 foot tall. He told Steve he wishes he could have seen it in the day time. So I plan to take him up next week one day when I go to get tomatoes and more green beans, so he can see it before we start taking out the crops. Since there are no buildings yet, we only have our equipment and 2 tractors up there, and odd and end things there for now. The other 5 tractors are here in town with us. But the building should commence this fall after corn is out and then we will all be spending time there building and organizing. They have all volunteered to help, so we are taking them up on the offer. Once we get built and get our home there, they will be spending alot of time with us up there. Til then, it's just maintaining work to be done.

A Good Day

Today, Steve and I went up to the farm. I worked in my garden first, picked green beans and tomatoes. Wow, I hadn't been to collect tomaotes in over a week, so today I got a lot of them, considering I only have 5 plants. So I made tomato juice when I got home, ended up with 14 pints. So that should help out on grocery bill this winter, not having to buy so much for making chili and soup.
After I got my gardening done, I cut down some of the weeds which just keep growing. lol Some of them are taller than I am, which doesn't take too much, but I can't get to them. They will just have to die out in the winter. Then I hopped on the W-6 and took myself for a ride around, while Steve was shredding. The corn looks real good this year. We sure are happy about that. The weather has cooperated, could have used more warmer weather, but we sure can't complain with it being our first year solo farming. I often talk with my father and mother in law, God rest their souls, they are gone, but in my heart they still are with us. They had never put a garden in this part of their farm, so this year was the first one. I am happy to say, it grew real well.
After my little ride around on the W-6, Steve was done with the road banks and told me to hop on with him while he headed back to the water ways of the field to shred back there. So up I went, sat on the fender, rode around til my bony butt couldn't sit there any longer. lol I finally told him to let me off and I would walk back to garden, he said he was almost done, but I told him I couldn't sit on the hard fender any longer. I told him I was going to make myself a soft pad to put on that fender for my next ride. He laughed and said his butt didn't hurt. Well, NO he had the nice comfy seat. So I enjoyed the walk back to garden area. I washed the W-6 while I waited for him to get done. I only had 2 gallons of water with me, but the birds had roosted above it while parked under a willow tree, and I was able to at least get the bird dung off it. I also got the big table loaded onto the trailer to take home for using to lay all the small parts of the C on to paint them.
We have to have water run, and electric hooked up to our part of our place. So still very primitive back there for us. But I don't mind carrying TP and used walmart bags and squatting. Heck, I grew up with an outhouse for toilet and bathed in wash tubs when I was younger. But that was many moons ago.
I have a whole list of things to do this week. A very busy one which I welcome to pass the time. Til next time, God Bless.

Sept. 09 Antique Tractor pull

Sunday was our annual Sept. Labor Day pull. We had to deal with rain on Sat. off and on. But only got half and inch. It made the top soil wet and had to get county to come in with grator and take off top, but it sure made for a great track which held up throughout the whole pull.
I only got to pull one class, placing 2nd. It's hard to be a participant when you have to do the signing in, colections, placing, adding, changing, paying out, and dropping of classes. So I did get to take a few minutes to get out there and pull the little H. As Steve runs the sled, he doesn't get to pull at our pulls. He has pulled only two times this summer at other pulls. Sure wish other places would start having their pulls again, but so many have found the cost of insurance and sled rental is just too high to put them on any more.
We didn't have many pullers to turn out, guessing they got more rain than us and thought ours was cancelled. But those who did come, seeemed to have a good time, so the day wasn't lost after all.
Oct. 4th will be our last pull of the season. It is our annual cook out pull. If farmers aren't in the field at that time, we usually have a pretty good turn out for it too. Guess we should pray alot and ask mother nature to cooperate with us for that one.

I have to post about my cat.

Since my Leslie has ring tone on her cell phone set for me as "Your momma's calling,....to talk about the cat...." I adopted my kitten Aug. 21st, the same day my granddaughter was born. She was 8 weeks old then, so 10 weeks now. The people at 5A's call her a tabby point-Siamese. She is a very beautiful little thing. She loves people, and loves to be cuddled. Then when I sit here at my computer, she likes to try to chase the cursor and today she found the letters running across the screen and tried to get them too. But, she can't be doing that, so I took her into living room with Leslie and put baby gate in door way so she has to stay in there, while I am journaling.

Friends Forever

Often we find a friend or two in our lives which become irreplaceable. Fortunately, Steve and I have found a few of these in our years. Personally, if the choice ever come up to choose families, we would surely find we could choose the very best family in the world. You can count on the family to be busy picking their fingernails clean when you meet them in the store or out in public somewhere, but your friends will let their milk and meat get warm in their carts to share news with you about the family and whats been happening in their neck of the woods, and to be sure to inquire about you all.
Growing up we found friends and lost friends. Thought the world would come to an end, during those times of adolesence. But we all muddled through and found as we aged, true, loyal, and honest friendship is earned, not just available whenever. We're simple living people, not famous, or inventors. We have shared many funny, happy times, as well as bad times, lonely times, and of course lifes pitfalls of loosing our parents and other loved ones throughout the years. And in the end, those true friends held our hands tighter than most of our family. And still today, they hold that special place in our hearts.
We have several of those kind of friends, and I have come to believe they were sent from God to be in our lives. So to all those of you who know who you are, God bless you always.

Greetings

Where to begin? I'm Laura, married to Steve. We have 2 beautiful girls, Leslie and Melanie. Melanie is married to Dave, and have a little girl Kiley. We are a small family, used to be from large ones, but you know how life is, some families grow green eyed monsters, and our did. Jealousy is so unbecoming of humans. We tend to laugh at animals when they vie for attention, but in humans it turns ugly and really breaks the heart of those who are true. Sad to have to say, Steve and I have experienced it in both our families.
We will be married 30 years come March 14. Hard to believe when your having this much fun, life speeds up so fast.
Steve and I both grew up on farms. We are both from small farming communities, we were only 20 miles apart really. Met and married in the county we have lived in all these years. Our girls have only known one home. In the next couple years we plan to sell this house and move to our "retirement" home, as I like to call it.
August 21st we become grandparents, our first one, and we love it. It sure gives a new meaning to parenthood, when we watch our own go through the process of having a child. For me, I couldn't take the pain away for my daughter and she had mercy on mom and let us wait in the waiting room. Her sister and husband stayed for the event. Leslie was/is so impressed with her new little niece, and Dave couldn't be a prouder Daddy. As for Grandpa, I don't think this little girl will ever hear him say "No". For me, Grandma, I have to say, if dying is like the flashbacks from my own life experience having and raising my own girls, then dying won't be bad at all. So many memories and the flood of feelings, well, it's really indescribable. All wonderous and glorious and just love blooming all over.
Steve and I are avid Antique Tractor pullers and IH collectors. We love to find old broken down, rusted, missing parts, partly there antiques and refurbishing them to look like new again. Our passion for the International line of letter series tractors. Our collection so far is 1939-M, 1950-M, 1942-H, 1942-W6, 1948-C and Steve's fathers old Farmall-706 and IH-966. The first 4 are completely restored and we pull with them, as well as use them on our little farm. We are in the process of restoring the C now. It's all disassembled and parts are primered, the rest is getting ground down and sanded so we can finish primering it and then I can apply the "red" paint. That's always the proud moment, after it is painted and we can stand back and look at all those hours and know they were not wasted. Of course it also has the benefit of Steve and I getting to spend time together doing things we love, and working together on these projects are things we love to do.
So til the next time....God Bless