Finally got my mower motor back

We finally got the motor for my 582 Cub Cadet back from the repair shop. They had it since Dec.10.

Steve got it put back into my mower, but had to fix the old clutch problem it was having before motor lost compression. My, did we have some hours on this mower, and it was used when Steve bought in back in 2004, for his Dad to use.




We mow like 5 to 6 hours a week with our mowers, so we put some miles and hours on them.
Steve's 782 mower is down with seals out again. Seems like every 30 hours or so, the seals leak, and he has to put new ones in it. At least we keep an eye on it and shut it down as soon as we notice the leaks, and he can repair it.
The other 782 is holding up really well. Thank God. As that's the easy hydro one that I use when mine is down.
I mowed after Steve took it for a test drive last night, and I need to get the feel of it again, as it's clutch is different now, than it was before. But I felt good in the seat. lol Funny how we get used to something, then have to change and come back to the old just to feel the appreciation of a loved one back. Wonder if that's how it will be in heaven, seeing and visiting with our loved ones. Dark thoughts evoked by a dream I had, I suppose, as I have been missing the folks lately. Heaven is a long way into the future, but their memories are like yesterday.

Father's Day weekend - 3.5 inches of rain fell

Father's Day weekend, our area got lots of rain.

Here at our home, we got 3.5 inches, at farm just 12 miles north, we got 4.5 inches.

Creeks were on the rise, and our river towns to the south of us had flooding issues again.

My garden and our field corn loved it. As did many of the area's crops.

Here's a tour of how things are growing since the rain.

Happy 28th Birthday Leslie

June 21st marked the 28th Birthday of our oldest daughter.

Happy 28th Birthday Leslie Anne.

Your Dad and I couldn't be more proud of you today, than the day you entered our lives and became our world.

We love you with all our heart.

We wish you the very best life has to offer in your adventures.

You've come along way baby !

Sunday - June 19th, Father's Day

Today, we celebrated Father's Day with our Dad's in our hearts and memories.
Miss both you Dad's. May you RIP in heaven.

Steve and I enjoyed having Kiley spend the weekend. She didn't act like she missed her parents. She was glad to see them this afternoon, and play with them. But the whole time she has been here, we didn't have any situation where she wanted them, or wanted to go home.

Steve had a nice relaxing day today. Nothing pressing to do but play with Kiley and watch whatever he wanted on TV.
Then when kids got here this afternoon, we all went out to dinner. His truck looks nice with it's new steering wheel cover and floor mats, sporting his favorite tractor logo. He hasn't put the mud flaps on it yet, and I have 2 stickers to put on the back window, but he's sure happy with what's new in it so far and the cleaning job I did on it this week. Entire interior is sparkling. I loved re-gifting him with my birthday items he presented me earlier this month. LOL He got all the items for my truck, but I wanted them in his, so I told him Happy Father's Day when I showed him I put them in his truck. He really does love me. lol


I hope all the Father's out there had a terrific father's day. Those who's father's have gone on to heaven, may the memories you all carry make your hearts glad and joy filled with remembering the time you had together.
Happy Father's Day Steve, with all my love.

June 15 - Middle of the month

June 15 - The month is marching on.
I've kept the garden and flowerbeds cleaned, cleaned some not-usual cleaning things in the house. Started a craft project, had a girls night out, visited graves of our parents, my sister and grandparents, etc., battled the heatwave we had early this month, enjoyed the cool front which brought us some much needed rain and allowed me to open windows, played hard with little Kiley, enjoyed time spent with all the family, and enjoyed a wonderful birthday. A typical beginning to the month of June really, around here. Today I will clean out both trucks, Armor all the interior and clean the cloth seats, then wash and wax them both. 2 inches of rain yesterday morning, and not sure how many this morning again, no garden work can be done today. I have some painting to do on our shed as well as cleaning around and inside it, and numerous other little to do things to catch up on while grounded at home.
Also today, I am praying for a co-worker of Steve's. Yesterday while at work, he was using an overhead crane, the weight he was picking up was too heavy for it, and the crane broke, falling and hitting his head. He suffered a skull fracture and was sent to a wonderful hospital in St. Louis for surgery to remove the broken bone and have a plate put in for repair. God was with him, as he was alert and responsive thru the examination, and they said that was good. I haven't heard anything else so far today, but sure Steve will be updated at work. Steve was entering the building on a forklift, said he heard the overhead crane motor operating, then saw it falling and his co-worker falling over some tractor weights. He said he shut off the forklift and run over and got the guy up and out of the way of the dangling machine, and stood him by the door and had another co-worker stay with him so he could go get the GM to come see about worker. He said the guy asked for a towel, cause his head was bleeding, for he had taken off his hat, and they saw he was injured. He was rushed to local clinic, then off to hospital.
God Bless you Rusty and a speedy recovery prayer for you also.

Tour of my garden

Tomatoes are growing and I found some have little tomatoes on them. I will be a watch pot for them to turn red. I planted 4 types of tomatoes this year. Better boy, cherry, Rutger, and Beefsteak.
I planted the cherry tomatoes at the ends of the panels, so they will be easily accessible. I plan to use those for experimential making sun dried tomatoes.

Cantaloupe are loaded with blooms, looks like I will have an abundance of those, and plan to freeze some then for fruit salad in the winter.




Corn came up pretty good. I have several spaces in the rows which didn't grow any, but instead of planting more, I am going to plant flowers and herbs in those spots among the corn.

Green beans are looking to be blooming in the next few weeks. I should have beans by 4th of July I figure. We will eat as many of them fresh as we can, then I will can some for winter use.
I bought a green bean frencher late last summer, and plan to use it to make french style green beans for green bean casseroles. Family loves that dish, and it's a must dish at holidays.


I am so looking forward to my rainbow peppers. New to my garden this year, I will chop and freeze those for use in dishes. I think freezing some whole to make stuffed peppers with this winter also. Of course I will make some with the fresh ones too.


First radishes I planted, we have eaten them all. I have more planted, but they are very tiny yet. Lettuce has been such a treat as wilted lettuce. Still have some growing, but not for long. I need to plant another row of it later on.




My sunflowers and other flowers are growing big. Can't wait til they start blooming.
Steve bought me a glider bench last year for Mother's day. It's now in my rock patio at the house, but I sit on the porch at my patio table. I plan to take the bench to the farm and place it in my garden, and spend time sitting and swinging in it in the evenings when we are at farm.







All the rest of the stuff I planted are doing great. Getting greener by the day, drinking up the rain we got over the weekend. Chances today for some more rain, and it will be a very welcome watering for the grass and the plants.
Of course, the critters are a bothersome add to my garden this year. Seems they like the roots of some of my plants. I sprayed Liquid Fence all around the garden but yesterday when Steve and I drove up to the garden area, 3 of those little critters headed back across the roadway to the trees when they saw/heard us. I didn't call them nice names, lol, and when I walked around the garden, I saw where they had been digging. I even had 3 hickory trees growing in the garden from their hiding the nuts. They won't be finding those nuts hidden any longer in my garden.
Visiting and working in the garden is so peaceful. I just love the time I spend at the farm.

Visit my blooming flowers so far.

Pot basil growing nicely. Ready to start using.

Hosta and live-forevers are huge this year.

Squirrel magnet. Little critters dig these out.

Black Hollyhock came back from last year.

Pic does no justice to the bright orange lily.

Yellow tiger lily. Just like sunshine.

It's June 11, 2011

My week has flown by. Accomplished many tasks this week.

I have worked in my garden, weeding and tilling, and planting.

I have watered, weeded, weaved around the rows and plants and loved every minute of my time spent at my garden.

I have my mp3 player plugged into my ears, my choice of music helping me get moving.

I really hope when the neighbors go by, they don't think me a crazy lady out there dancing in my garden as I hoe weeds. But the Beach Boys comes on and it's boogie time.

You can find me standing and admiring my plants as they grow at any given moment, either in my garden at farm, or at home in my flowerbeds.

My days start early, and end late. The longer days just tend to add to my working around the house and outside and on days at the farm, working there as the to do lists grow. But hey, it's late spring/early summer. Time to beautify the places before the havesting begins.

Oh, I have little tiny tomatoes popping out on my tomato plants. I know a watch pot never boils, but I will still watch those little beauties til they ripen.

I'm not liking those silly cicateas, they are pests at the farm. As I was tilling yesterday, I tilled many under that were dead on the ground. Then I had to swat off some which thought I was a landing post. NOT

I have put off taking little Kiley with me to the farm. I can't leave her outside the fence around the garden, and I am not sure how she will be in the garden with me. I cherish my plants too much to try to take her without someone with me, and they all have been working or going to school. So she and I hang out at home, she does fine staying out of my flower bed, well, after the one incident of her pulling up a marigold plant, and when I yelled NO Kiley, she tried to re-plant in in the hole before I got over to her. Gotta love it. And good news, the flower is fine and growing even after being pulled up.

Everything is growing great. I've had to water it, but tonight finally, we got rain. Natures watering for me for a change. Thank God. We needed the rain.

It's been a busy week, and tonight Blogger decides not to let me upload my flower pictures. Will try tomorrow. Hoping the rain hangs around til noon like they predicted. Gives me time to catch up on what's what.

First Tired Iron Pull of the Season 2011

June 5, 2011 - Tired Iron ATPA hosted our first pull of the season. It was hot and humid here on Saturday while we readied the track, mowed the area, and fixed what broke.

We didn't have a good turn out of pullers, but those who come had a great day. We received a shower early morning, which was very welcome, then it misted for some time later on in morning, again welcome as it's so dry here right now with the high 90's and heat index into 100's.

We could see a massive storm north of us in the next county. The skies were dark blue, and the line for the storm by Accuweather stopped it just 5 miles from us. So we were lucky to not have to call off the pull due to rain.

Leslie and Dave ran the sled pull back tractor of ours. Steve and Jerry had to replace the hydraulic pump on it first thing Sunday morning, but it got fixed and run great after that. Kiley got to ride with her Dad a few times. She watches intently as we do things, and she then tries to do things on her own. We have to be very careful to turn off motors or set breaks before we get off them, because she will try to drive herself. Not even 2, and wanting to drive already.

Leslie only got one picture of me, as she was busy keeping Kiley off the microphone. She got in chair and was telling me to go go go over the intercom. I even heard the Mamma go go go over my tractor motor. I think she might grow up to be our announcer at our pulls.

Dave and I were the only ones who pulled yesterday. Steve had to run the sled, and Leslie and Melanie don't pull too often, they like to watch us. Dave pulled Kiley's little C and Steve's 39M, I pulled my little 42H.

It sure was a great day. Things run smooth once everything got underway. Really enjoyed the surprise birthday cake that Steve got the kids to order and bring out behind my back. Guess you could say it turned into a surprise birthday party for me, as all the pullers and guests enjoyed sharing the cake with me and wishing me Happy Birthday all day. I could have done with no announcement and having cake at home with the family, for I was quite embarrassed with all the attention. Thanks to all of pullers and my family for such a great day.

June 1, 2011

June is upon us already. Hard to believe 5 months of 2011 are behind us.

June brings plenty of sun shine and the heat of summer to come. Already into the 90's. Hot and humid. Looking forward to watching the garden and crops grow from the warmth and sun.

It also brought out the buffalo gnats. Such bothersome insects. I think I got bitten by one on my left eye lid. Woke to swelling and half open eye. I used ice first, then warm compress then massage the top lid to work the swelling out and get the eye to drain. Suffered all day with looking at a blob next to my nose. By evening it had gone down considerably, but it messed up my day of working outside, as the sun irritated it. Tonight I suffer with the itchy healing. Boy, do I look a sight. lol

Getting things ready for the first pull of the season this coming Sunday. Sure hoping for a great turnout of pullers. Our summer socializing tends to be our tractor pulls. Many friends have been made over the years. And this year we have lost several whom will be remembered with a moment of silence at our first pull.