Life on the Farm

[bjrogg]

Yes Pappy. Usually things slow down a little during the winter, but we still always have a long list of jobs that need doing. It is a never ending list that is very adaptive. What’s a priority in the morning when I get up could be pushed to the side for something more urgent that suddenly pops up.

It’s looking like my busy schedule is going to get even busier. My brother had his colonoscopies and he didn’t pass. Very early in the information process but it sounds like it’s treatable. He’s going to need more test. And treatments. He’s my right hand. It’s really going to be hard for both of us. I pray he does well.

Yes Buckskinner. They sure do make a lot of it. I almost stopped and took a picture of it.  My youngest son works at a park and they are swarmed by them. They get lots of complaints from the campers about the “fertilizer”.  In the past they could chase them away with the gator, but they can’t anymore. They have to get a harassment permit to do that now.

Today I’m back in the shop. Had some logistical office work to do and I think I’m going to get back at the fertilizer on the planter. The parts I needed to finish the fertilizer system up came now. Gotta stay at something on the list.

Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

Waiting for a truck. Sun just coming up and full moon going down . Didn’t get a picture of the moon before it disappeared into the clouds.

Oh there’s my truck

Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

Truck

[Pappy]

Hope all goes well with him.
 Pappy

[M2A]

Great looking sunrise Bj. Will be keeping your brother in my prayers.

Cant cover ground like you can. Got about 6 acres done and a little less to go cutting out the big stuff. Working at it at as often as I can, as well as some others who are doing the fine work. Had to head up with the brush hog and grind up the mess I made to make it easier for them to get through. Prunners are powered by compressed air so the hoses get caught up in everything.
 IMG_4514 by Mike Allridge, on Flickr
IMG_4513 by Mike Allridge, on Flickr
Had a special project going the last few years and figured I had better cash out now before it interferes with production. A few apple staves I have been watching for the last few years. Sealed the ends but don't have the time to do much to them now. Picture makes them look a little nicer than they are but they are not bad, hope to get a bow or 2 out of them.  Hope in 2 weeks things will be a little slower and i'll be able to get back to my shop.
IMG_4512 by Mike Allridge, on Flickr         
       

[bjrogg]

Thanks Pappy and Mike. He is like my right hand. We work really good together.

Everyone worries about the test. Heck the test is nothing. The prep is uncomfortable but You can take it. I’m hoping that the test just saved my brothers life, but it’s to early to say that.

Hopefully we can work through a whole lot more of these sunrises

Thanks for sharing the pictures of your orchard Mike. I have about 3 1/2 acres of lawn. I have often thought about putting a orchard there. I probably have enough work already though.

Please anyone farming or anything related feel free to contribute to this thread. Gotta be some more out there

Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

Had a very nice weekend even if I had a cold. I didn’t get a lot of work done. I had a few more trucks to unload and I tried not to get to close to my brother and nephew so I didn’t give them my cold. I went home early Saturday and I slept good. Went to bed at 8:00pm and didn’t get up till almost 8:00 am Sunday. I was feeling a quite a bit better. My sister and brother in law were supposed to come visit at 1:00 pm. I warned them I had a cold. They said they were just getting over one so they still wanted to visit.

It was really nice seeing them again. Their son has been living in Albania going on two years now. They just got back from visiting him and it was really interesting hearing the stories of their adventures. I think they both feel more comfortable with their son being so far away living in a foreign land. They meet a lot of very nice and interesting people. Even another young couple who came from our state.

I made a arrow and stand I gave as a a Christmas Present. We put all the presents on a table. Draw names and you can open a present. Then you can either keep or trade it. My arrow was very popular and my brother in law really wanted it. He never got a chance to get it though.

I made another arrow. I text my brother in law pictures of the entire process. From straightening a river cane shaft and hafting a obsidian point. To painting my Bjrogg markings and wrapping my two fletch wild turkey tail feathers on with sinew. Then I made a display stand from driftwood.

All the while I was making this arrow I was planning on giving it to him. He wanted me to give him details about the arrow I made for Christmas. His brother works with Steve From “Meat Eater” and he shared pictures of my Christmas Arrow with him. I don’t always name my arrows, but recently I have named a few. This one I decided to name “Meat Eater” .

Dave was thrilled with the arrow I gave him. My sister was to. She asked him what he was going to do with it. I told him he could do whatever he wanted to with it. He could keep it, sell it , or give it away. It was his to do whatever he wanted.

He said he wasn’t going to sell it for sure. He said he was going to put it on his fireplace mantel until his brother came to visit. Then he was going to give it to him to take to Steve. That’s pretty awesome feeling for both of us. I hope Steve likes it. I really enjoy watching his show.

After they left I went to our beach. Most of the ice is melted. The lake is a little lower again this year. That’s a good thing. Two years ago it was so high people were losing their houses. Now it back to where it was about six years ago. Except it washed away all the brush and phragmites and left a sandy beach. It’s just amazing how much this beach is constantly changing.

Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

This part of the lake is very shallow and was all phragmites when we first got it. The high water washed them away. I’m pretty sure they will be coming back now

[chamookman]

Wow - didn't realize the water was down that much. F=Really enjoying Your posts - Bob.

[bjrogg]

So glad you are enjoying the thread Bob. Sometimes I think it’s probably not real smart to be sharing as much here as I am. I tend to trust people more than I should sometimes, but I do appreciate the chance to show a part of modern agriculture that is often misunderstood. I also feel blessed to be able to care for this land and enjoy sharing that blessing with others.

The lake shoreline is always changing. The change is fascinating. I should look back through my pictures from several years ago and see if I can show that change.

Yesterday was just one of those days.  I still was feeling a bit sluggish from my cold and had a headache. As soon as I got to work I was greeted with the job of pulling the pump out of the well and changing it. Honestly it went pretty good. It was warm and sunny and everything came apart good without damaging anything. We already had a pump and we got it installed by noon.

Bjrogg

[bjrogg]

Then we had another fun job. The State requires us to cover our Biosolids with plastic if we have to store for longer than 21 days. I don’t think we are going to be able to spread these by then. Frost is coming out of ground and it way to soft in the field to drive on with tractor and spreader. I’m hoping not to store it for much longer than that but I’m think probably more like 30 days. This site and covered like this we are permitted 90 days. I’m sure it will be spread way before then.

[bjrogg]

I put in a little overtime and finished up a arrow and stand. It’s hill cane with obsidian point. Two fletch. It’s a pretty arrow and I am hoping to get it in the mail to someone special soon.

Bjrogg

[WhistlingBadger]

Great pictures, BJ.  Hope all is well with your brother (and that reminds me, I'm about due for one of those fun tests, too).  It always kind of makes me laugh when people aren't allowed to "harass" the geese.  It's never good when we forget that we're the ones in charge...

[bjrogg]

Sorry it’s been so long since I updated. Been busy.

Thanks WB. I hope your test goes well.

We found out we have a water line leaking under ground, under our shop. Thats never a good thing to find out. We have a plan but for now we just turned water off to shop.

Between water problems and wet basements it seemed hard to get anything else done. But we did get parts for combines. We put new feeder house chain on my sons and wear strips on both. New clean grain elevator sprockets, bearings and chain on my sons. New straw chopper floor on ours.

Still a bunch more to do on both, but the temp dropped down to high of 25 low of 14 for a couple nights.

I went on swing shift and started spreading Biosolids again. The first night I started at 3:00am and conditions were perfect. The ground was frozen enough that I didn’t leave a track. I had a 11 mile round trip with my tractor to get from the pile to the field. Then another two miles in the field spreading. I was going to have to drive pretty hard to spread this stuff before it thawed again.

I first morning I watched one of the planets rise. I’m not good with them but I think Jupiter. Then about 35 minutes later Just a sliver of the moon rose. Next the sun but the first morning it never came out shining bright. It got cloudy and kept the sun partly hidden most of the morning. By 2:00 pm even though temp was still 24 the sun was melting the top layer of ground and I started leaving tracks.

I went home ate, cleaned up and went back to bed till 11:00 pm. Then I got up and went back at it. The second morning I got to watch Jupiter, a sliver of the moon and a beautiful sunrise all within about a hour of each other. Kinda makes the swing shift worth it. I was glad I started as early as I did. By 10:30 I was starting to leave tracks but I had the field done.

The rest of the pile was supposed to go on a worked field and although I don’t like making tracks, I kept going till I finished the pile. Was good feeling to have that job taken care of. I put over 300 miles on my tractor in two days. Or nights. Plus loaded 33 spreader loads. I slept good last night.

Another of my old timer friends passed. His funeral is this morning. Dang really getting to dislike this. Lost three really good friends in four months. Going to miss them all.

I’m getting ready for winter to be over . I could see lot of tile runs showing up yesterday afternoon. The ground dries over the tile runs first leaving “white” dry ground over the tile. Darker wet ground in between.  Usually if the weather cooperates another two weeks and the fields are ready. It’s freezing rain now though.

Hope you are all well

Bjrogg

Wish the picture was better. Jupiter risen with sliver of the moon right behind and sun just starting to brighten up the clouds

[Pappy]

Beautiful picture BJ.
 Pappy