Charge the battery.

Took a few pictures of the Shumway pull on Sunday. About 120 miles from our house. Was worth the drive just for the view, even tho the roads were bumpy. I felt every bump.
Steve pulled 3 classes, our friend pulled 4 classes between him and his son. We ran into several other pullers we know and had a good time catching up with how everyone is doing and where we will see each other at next pull.



We are headed to Cameron on Sunday for another pull. I intend to take it easy and be able to pull there. After all, we take my tractor, and it wants mama to drive it. lol

Looking forward to watching fireworks go off as we come home that evening. Should be quite a show on the road home thru all those little towns.

I am reminding Steve to hook up the battery charger Sat. for full charged battery for Sunday's pull. Last Sunday we went and had to use battery pack to put charge in battery for we didn't charge it since starting pull season. Using magneto ignition instead of distributor and alternator makes no charging system to re-boost the battery, so we have to charge it a couple times a season. Just have to remember last time it was charged and make sure to boost it before we head out to long distance pulls.

Foggy start, Sunny finish.

My day started off foggy this morning. Moist clouds hung over the farms as I entered the country from town. Some places the fog was thick and required slowing down on the road just to see where I was going. As I drove on, heading to our farm and the sun was rising, the fog disappeared completely by the time I made it to the farm. It left everything dripping wet with dew, including me after walking around in the grass and starting my weeding.

I did enjoy watching the sun rise. even if it was all alone, just me and the birds. Oh there was a skunk in the driveway when I got there, but he headed into the woods at the corner of our field. I had to tolerate the smell for about 15 minutes as he must have encountered something which startled him at some time before he got to our place, for the smell lingered with his walk thru our farm.

My veggies are all growing at a fast pace. I discovered green tomatoes about the size of baseballs on the plants. Oh the wait is on now for them to start turning red. I picked more green beans, final total is approximately 3 gallon for my first picking off 3 rows. Very good first ripening I think. The rest of the veggies are growing good, my zucchini are so pretty with their big beautiful leaves, I wonder how they would look planted in a flower bed with flowers surrounding those huge leaves with the blossums on the bottom of them. I am disappointed in my sweet corn, as I don't even have half the stand I planted. Will see if we get just a few ears to eat.

On my way home, I stopped on the bridge over the Macoupin creek to take a picture of the high water. Northern IL has gotten several inches of rain the last few weeks, and it is coming down the country creeks and the IL river. River is out and some small towns along the river are seeing water rise and flood the lower areas of their towns. This isn't the first time for these creeks and river to be flooded this year. Unfortunately this spring has produced heavy rains here in our area alone, along with the heavy snow fall from winter which brought up the waters. At least I see it flowing fast, meaning it is empting out and now just holding the water. Farmers don't want the backup water in their fields again like they had this spring. Weird weather we are experiencing.

Generation ending

Last night we attended visitation for the last of Steve's parents generation. Uncle Leroy was 85 years old. He worked hard all his life, farming and odd jobs. He lived in his family home which all his siblings were born in, all his life, except for the years he was overseas serving in WW II, and the early years of his marriage. After his mother passed away, for his father had passed at early age, he bought the family homestead and farmed it and lived in that house the rest of his days. Imagine, being so content in life to never want to leave home.

As we visited with family and friends, the realization that our generation now is the one to start passing away, brought me to look close at these people who are Steve's relatives and those I have come to like more than others, well they got the tighter hugs and warmer smiles and I walked away with another memory to store for my old age days.

As Steve and I are the youngest of the family, we stood looking at the older cousins and talking with them, we were all discussing our grandchildren and how they are such joys in our lives, I got to also hear stories of Steve and his cousins adventures of growing up. Growing up for our generation, we didn't have much in terms of material things, but we had so much fun just visiting and knowing our family was close in love. So tonight was a sad reminder, that the generation responsible for teaching us how to love one another has ended, leaving us now to rely on our upbringing to lead us forward in our lives to teach our children and grandchildren the same as we were taught.

God grant us the wisdom to meet our new challenge and guide us on our mission, for now it's our turn to be the leaders in our family. RIP Uncle Leroy and thank you for the memories we shall carry with us til we meet again.

June 17 Garden

The garden is growing very fast now that the hot weather has arrived.

Field corn is growing inches everyday. Corn was planted in mid May. With all the rain we have been having it's made all things grow including the weeds. The grass I planted around outside fence has grown a lot too. I am now mowing it weekly, unless the rain keeps us from it.

When I planted the sunflowers along end of garden they were only just inches tall and a very scrawny stem. Today they are hardy and about 18 inches tall.

The green beans have purple blossoms, meaning in a matter of weeks I will be harvesting them. Zucchini and cucumbers are bushing, ready to train them up along fence to keep them off the ground.

Steve and I still have to place our cattle panels along the tomatoes, they need to be tied up off the ground also. Last year we did that with the tomatoes and our crop didn't rot on the vine, like in past when they layed over onto the ground.

Carrots, lettuce, green peppers, the 3 potato plants which lived, sweet corn, and the flowers I planted are also growing well.

Not sure how the herbs I planted are doing, as I wasn't able to get into area where they are planted. I hope by looking over the fence and in that direction the green I saw wasn't just weeds taking root, and it was them emerging. I'll be able to check on them if we get a couple days with heat and no rain, which is in the forecast for weekend and next week. Work in garden and just outside will have to be done early mornings, as temps climbing into mid to high 90's with heat index's into the 100's is coming with the dry spell. Too bad it's so humid with the heat too.

Reminder: next year don't till the garden quite so deep and fine, which will make it easier to walk in a day or two after rains. Walking in 6 to 8 inches of mud is hard on old ankles.

Something to think about.

http://dailywd.womansday.com/blog/2010/06/daily-dose-is-this-really-the-best-way-to-treat-ocd.html


I think so many of us can relate to not understanding mental illness. The article from online Woman's Day magazine published a blog by a lady who didn't do her research on her topic, just critiqued the TV show she had caught one episode of.
I myself have misundertood OCD, and thought without medical diagnosis that I had it. Forms of OCD are many, and I now have to say I am not one of the millions who suffer from it. OCD is more complex than my little habits and oddities. So I am going to change my outlook on those who really suffer from OCD. The little things which bother me, I am able to control and having mind over matter is something those who suffer OCD have to retrain their minds to be able to overcome their obsession. So for those who suffer, God be with you on your journey.

Week round-up

The week has sped by, accomplished little, started a new craft object. One is made, another is in the works. I am using old odds and end dishes. So far nice comments about it.

Yesterday Steve and I worked in the garden and at the farm. Grass sure grows fast when the rains come often and warm to hot weather hits. Doesn't take long to get tall again. I got the weeds out which had started to sprout again, my last planted corn and green beans are growing good that I planted Memorial Day. Must have planted in the right moon sign.

Kiley spent the night last night, she's growing so fast and trying to walk from one thing to another. Her little steps are so cute, then plop down and get up and start all over again.

Leslie will celebrate her 27th birthday a week from tomorrow. This is a time when us parents ask ourselves where has the time gone. The kids are all going out together, so Steve and I will watch Kiley again while they go celebrate.

Pending weather tonight and tomorrow, I plan to get more grass seed to plant around my garden fenced area. Being on a slight hill side, during heavy rains, we end up with some major washouts, and growing grass in the area will deter the soil from washing away so bad. What I have planted come up good and thick, but I need more in the area where the rain took it down the road way.

Also, I will take the t-posts to farm and start getting ready to put the panels up along side the tomatoes to climb on, keeps them off the ground. I already need to start training my zucchini to grow up the fence, it will take the cucumbers another couple weeks to have to train them onto fence.

Have so many odd things to do, weather holds off most of them, as they are outside things. Again, depending of the weather, I will get my shed floor started also. It will take me a couple days of digging and leveling, then pouring the concrete. It should take off once the little time consuming things get lined out. I hope the next few days go a little slower so I can see what I got accomplished in them.

June 2010 Pull

Sunday our club hosted our first pull of the season. This year we added another Division for pullers to choose from, and we added $100 to a Bonus class of the day, on top of the winnings for that class. The money will be split with the top 3 pullers in the class. The June pull, K Westerhold pulled the Division and Class for the Bonus Class of the day. Div. III 6500# class got the added bonus of winnings. B Stock won the class.

Day started off on the chilly side, as this area had a cold front move in over night. Sure felt nice after the last 2 hot days we had with high humidity also. Tempuratures stayed in low 80's, breeze was out of the WNW, so the sled operator and the stage felt the dust and dirt the whole day, but we enjoyed the

nice weather and the fun of the pull. Our club president took time to pull also while keeping things going throughout the day.

New this year on our website, I have added a page for the pull results, which was a much requested page from pullers, as they like to keep track of their distance in different track and weather conditions.

http://tiredironatpa.yolasite.com/

Early Spring Gardening

This picture was taken early this spring while I was working up the flower beds at our house. Even the grass hadn't started greening up very much yet. I had bought Kiley her own gardening tools and we had to get picture of her chewing hers while I used mine.

Now she bangs hers on whatever is close to hit. I keep telling her to hit the dirt to loosen it, but she would rather pick it up with her hands and try to eat it than work it to plant. Next year she should be a lot of help to me if I can keep her at the weeds and not the plants themselves.

Now that the warm weather and rains have arrived, everything is growing really well. Such pretty vivid green this year. Just hope the rains continue as needed to keep things growing like they are. Corn crop really sprouted up over the last week of hot weather and rain at night. Most farmers are done planting now. Low lying fields which got flooded during the wet spell in May had to be re-planted, and beans have finally gotten in after that rain also. Farm Bureau magazine reports that 95% of crops are in the ground and growing.

Off today to check out garden after the showers this week, hoping to see seeds I just planted starting to sprout. Hope they didn't wash out. Really need to get out of town for a while. Love the free feeling when I visit the farm, breathing room is how I feel when I step out of the truck. There is usually a breeze, which should feel great today as the heat has moved back into our area. 74% humidity and 90* temps. Just a tad sticky out.

No, I have not lost it......yet.

Thinking of winter and snow and Christmas today. 207 days til Christmas, let the countdown begin. lol

Just thought I would make a list of things I can work on this winter while cooped up in the house with the cold and snow. That's what prompted the thoughts of this journal, not that I have lost it...yet. Well, depends on what day it is and who you ask, if I have lost it.

After a post over on CM, I followed a link, and come across a very interesting site which gave me inspiration to look at everything before I throw it away. Containers, papers, magazines for pictures, and even those long ago dishes, vases, and glass candle holders I usually throw away, now they can be recycled and put to uses around the house and gardens as attractive accent pieces. The possibilities are endless, and will help beat the winter blahs for anyone who wants the challenge. Depending on the personality of person, they will also make very nice Christmas gifts too. Hence, this journal post.

On my next shopping expedition, I am going to look into the purchase of paint, glue, unique bottles and containers when purchasing my products. At auctions, old watering cans, containers, old dishes, etc. Those old pipes, metal rods, motor guts, and steel posts from Steve's shed will finally be put to use in making stands for my crafts. I won't always be asking Steve why he keeps this or that, for I will find ways of using them for him.

So in summing up, I again will get thru the winter with things I like to do and hoping to make Christmas easier on the pocketbook as well as giving something homemade for those to cherish and enjoy the next spring and summer in their gardens and yards. My issue of a challenge, to myself, for me.