Spring of 2012

This years 2nd yellow rose in my flower bed. It's smaller than the first one. But love the bright color of it once again.

This years lilies, camera did not bring out the orange of this one.

This one is my yellow lily. They both flowered earlier than usual, with our mild temp. My peonies even bloomed and are gone way before Memorial Day. Loving the colors of my flowers that have bloomed early. I should have mums blooming in a couple weeks. Hoping for color all summer long and into the fall.

Garden is planted, adding later crops in a few weeks. Garden is planned for all summer long harvesting with the space between first planting and later plantings.

Also in the works, is restoring/painting a golf cart and a Farmall - H. Been busy most days with working a little on all the projects, along with getting trees trimmed along roadway at farm, painted a wagon we made last winter, helping Steve get the soybeans in, cleaning up after heavy flash flooding rains, and mowing, which started the second week of March, and has had to be mowed at track, farm and home once a week. Then there is watching Kiley everyday too. She's such a big helper to me now.

We also have started tractor pulling, so we have our fun days too. It's good to be outside working again. Sure lifted my spirits, after a nice warm winter without being able to really do anything til the weather was for sure going to stay warm. Farmers took advantage to plant early, but some had to re-plant, as we had low land flooding from heavy rains which made the creeks go out of their banks into the planted fields. We held off planting til last Tuesday, normal planting time. Wishes for some snow next winter. Sure missed it.

Been Busy

Summer is on the way out of here, Fall is on the way in.

Thankfully with the ending of summer, the heat has left us also. Drought conditions still, but good news, we got rain last Friday. Home received an inch and half, farm got just under an inch.

I have been canning and freezing all my produce from my garden.

List of canning done: Tomatoes - sauce, juice, pizza sauce, sloppy joe sauce, and spaghetti sauce.

Frenched green beans

Mock apple pie filling, apple butter, raspberry jam, strawberry jam.

Sweet pickle relish.

Dill pickles.

Into freezer I added: sweet corn and summer squash (shredded, chopped, diced and sliced)

Now that cool weather has come here to my area, I have gotten some of those outside things done, which I didn't do, with the heat of summer.

Also, we are building a shed at the farm. It's been hit and miss, as Steve works all day, and we work on it in the evenings and weekends. Sides and back is up. Now we are working on getting the roof on it. We had 4 more post holes to dig, when the post hole digger broke down, so the guy's dug 4 foot deep holes by hand for those last 4, and the ground was hard like concrete from no rain.

During the day, while Steve is at work, I am cutting tall weeds along the ditch and tree lines of our little corner where eventually it will be yard. Still have sticks and limbs and a couple willow trees to clean up, from spring/early summer storms. Now's the time to get to them and pile them up for a fall hot dog roast/hayride in October/November weather permitting at Halloween.

I'm sure I have forgotten to add things, as my time has been limited on computer with being gone, and coming home late, getting supper and then getting things done around the house so the next day I can head out again. So looking forward to only having one place to take care of, instead of the 2.

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.

Spring 2011 Look around the Farm

While dropping off tree trimmings and some left over fall leaves from home in town, then loading up and bringing home the W-6, I took the opportunity of snapping some shots of the area of farm we were at. Our fields aren't quite dry enough to disk yet. My garden is still to wet down under the top 2 inches to till. The waterways are flowing with ground saturated from snow and rains so far this spring. Driving up, saw the creeks are just half way up their banks with the relief of no rain for a couple days now. The rivers in our area are on the rise with the water coming from up north heading our way. Everyday, the news reports another height in the rising water. Some of the small river side towns and farmers who farm along the river are experiencing some flooding in the lower spots. We are nowhere near the flood area, we do have many farm friends who are. Praying this year isn't a major flood year for our rivers. Back in the flood of 92' and 95, Steve's company he workes for volunteered help in getting farm equipment moved to higher ground before the rising waters could sweep it away. Then in the evenings we sat glued to the news watching the rivers rising. We were overwhelmed with sadness when we watched those we knew loose their homes and buildings being swept away by the roaring waters flowing fast down state. Often the news shows footage from those floods, and at least now, we can visualize the new homes they have now and know they are safer from building on mounds higher than flood stage now. Many lost everything and had to start all over. So, as I took these pictures, mental note of things needing done before it gets too far into spring were made in my head. Now time to put aside to get them done. I'm working on that time allotment now. Headed up today for a few hours to start on them.

Some of our natural waterway here where we parked our implements. Shed shoud be built this spring/summer for it to park in. But now all will fit in the shed we are going to build here. But it will be a start.

Tree line in the top of this picture is our border line to the north. There actually is the start to the creek which runs thru us.

Introducing Farming Equipment to Youth

It's harvest time here again. Steve is working day job and nightly finds him running combine. Last night, I took Kiley up to see what her Papa is doing, and she got her first combine ride. She watched every move he made, every lever he used, and watched him drive thru the field shelling corn.

After the first round, she thought she knew enough to help him. She wanted to drive, and when we told her No, she then got over to the pedals and wanted to push on them, again telling her No. She didn't just stare out the windows like our girls did, she wanted to do it. Only being 1, she sure things she's older.

You can see her reflection in the window as she watches what is going on during the start thru the field.

When it was time for us to head home, Steve had to hold her back til he could lift her down to me. She wasn't afraid of the height at all.

I think she had a good time for her first ride in the combine. I am sure she will have many rides in the future, and I know she will learn how to drive one too. She is after all the heir to our farm and equipment. We hope she carries on the tradition of farming in the family.

Feel the Fall

I complained last week of the heat and humidity. Temps were in the 90's, days were swelteringly hot. I hope that is a word, swelteringly, sounds just like the days felt here in my area. The whole summer has been record setting hot here. So I haven't really enjoyed it all that much. Usually our summer consists of very warm, but not so miserable that it's life threatening for weeks at a time. This year was like 7 weeks straight of heat warnings, day and night. Then we had some relief, only for it to come at us again for weeks. Then again last week. Friday morning early, we saw some rain, was damp out, but the temps were tolerable.

Then Saturday, we really felt the relief, as highs only climbed to the mid 70's. The sun was shining bright, so it felt warm, but with the breeze blowing, we enjoyed working outside in it, putting up summer tools and equipment, mowing at pulling track, and then heading to farm to mow there also. I got some grass seed sowed while there, and gazed sadly at my garden, what used to be my garden. It's almost gone. I only have some carrots to dig, and tear down the fencing we put up for tomatoes to grow on, then pull out the last of the tomatoes and green beans. Zucchini has died out. Green peppers are still producing too. But nothing else is left to enjoy.

My hollyhocks are bloomed, some of them. Some won't bloom before frost gets them, for they were planted too late. But they are growing proudly all alone in the space I planted them.

While driving home, I took an interest in watching the tree lines along other farms and creeks, there is definiately fall in the air now, as the trees are starting to turn, grasses are dying, farmers crops are being harvested, and the fields are bare where the early crop is already out.

We slept with the windows open last night, and awoke to a cool house this morning. Steve said it is time for the warm sheets now, (flannel) and I told him not right yet. He suggested I cut the sheets in half and sew them together, and I would have cool sheets while he had the warm sheets. You know, he just might have an idea there, as going thru the change had made my body temperature higher than it used to be. I am thinking of looking into doing just that for the both of us. Doesn't matter if they don't match, the sheets are covered with the comforter when bed is made and that is the first thing I do everyday upon rising. I personally think people lazy who can't make a bed. How hard is it really.

So the windows are closed for now. I turned on 2 burners on the stove to take chill of the house. And I lit my candles in all the rooms. The house smells so nice and spicy, flowery and rain scented. Candles are different in every room, so it's all mingling together. It really is smelling of fall.

Well, off here, heading outside to enjoy some of the crisp cool air and watch some of the leaves turn as I piddle around out there.

Busy but great day at the farm

Spring clean up at farm started today. Grass was tall, got it mowed, trimmed low hanging branches from trees along drive, cut fallen trees into firewood pieces, hauled debri to wash out area hoping to stop the errosion process, and admired the view along with the wind and warmth, and peace and quiet. Checked thw W-6 for mice nest around radiator and under hood of motor, so far looks like they didn't set up house in it for winter.

Friend of ours had mice nest in his big tractor's breather, so it wouldn't run when he tried to start it to use in the field, so Steve went over and looked it over and found them, removed them and tractor is running great.

Leslie helped mow today, she got sunburnt. So now I have a whiney 26 year old, Melanie and Kiley brought us up lunch, Melanie told Leslie she got sunburnt too, but Leslie said she wasn't as red as Les is. M and K were only with us for couple hours tho. Leslie stayed with me til we had to go take Steve his truck to SD's Kane farm so he could come home late, then Les took me back to farm and went on home. I finished up, loaded the mowers, left the wagon up there for the night, took stock for mental list of what else needs done over the next few weeks, and headed home for shower and nice glass of tea, and comfy chair.

Kiley is spending the night, as kids went to movie and dinner. She had herself a very cleansing fit for us, cried it all out I guess, then played in playpen in my room while I read, then she sung for a minute, and fell asleep. During her fit time, she wanted nothing to do with any of us, but yet she wanted us to hold her, then she didn't want down, she'd crawl around and bury her face in blanket on floor and cry, we'd hold her, she'd cry, we'd try to give her a bottle, she'd cry, she just had to get it out of her system, then she was a happy baby and went to sleep on her own. Go figure, PMS in early stage?

I will head to farm in morning for another day working there, kids will pick up Kiley who will stay with Leslie at home, Steve will go to Kane farm and work ground for his friend SD. I just love staying busy when the weather is so beautiful. Didn't get any garden planted, or worked. Steve did bring disk to farm from pull track in our town. So it's ready to be used to break up the soil so I can till it fine with tiller. Looking forward to gardening so much.

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.

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