With the cows going out on pasture now, my chores have been reduced in the barn and I’m able to stay in after breakfast and get things done in the house. I just got done doing that wonderful mundane duty of cleaning. It feels good now that it’s done, but it’s not my most favorite chore. It’s overcast and misty here on the knolltop, but still warm, which is nice. Last night, the boys lost both baseball games and didn’t get home until 10 pm. Then they had homework. Well, JW had homework, Luke kept Dub company while he did it and Bobby and I went to bed! I know that doesn’t sound very supportive, but 4 am comes too early to stay up that late!

JW came home from Regional FFA officers camp yesterday worn out and all excited about FFA. He and I milked last night while the other three kids and Big Daddy went to baseball practices. JW got to meet one of the national officers and was thrilled that they kid sat down and visited with him and even remembered his name when they said goodbye. Now he’s got his sights set on running for a regional office and then one day he wants to be a national officer. I told him he is definitely officer material. Seeing my son get excited about that kind of leadership stuff just thrills me to no end. I told him we needed to go to the National FFA convention in the fall. We’d better put in our requests now for time off on the farm!

JW came home from Regional FFA officers camp yesterday worn out and all excited about FFA. He and I milked last night while the other three kids and Big Daddy went to baseball practices. JW got to meet one of the national officers and was thrilled that they kid sat down and visited with him and even remembered his name when they said goodbye. Now he’s got his sights set on running for a regional office and then one day he wants to be a national officer. I told him he is definitely officer material. Seeing my son get excited about that kind of leadership stuff just thrills me to no end. I told him we needed to go to the National FFA convention in the fall. We’d better put in our requests now for time off on the farm!

Trent has done it again. Tomorrow morning they are going to have fun in Springfield, Illinois. I’ll update you tomorrow as I get the information…I can’t wait!

Trent has done it again. Tomorrow morning they are going to have fun in Springfield, Illinois. I’ll update you tomorrow as I get the information…I can’t wait!

We’ve been blessed with some sunny days lately and after the snow in April, I’d say we’re due! Yesterday afternoon, my youngest son Jake was chomping at the bit to get his Allis out and drag the garden. My garden is an extension of the neighbors field and he plows it every year. Then after the field is planted and my garden is tilled, my kind neighbor always comes down and plants at least 10 rows of sweetcorn for me. He says he’s just getting rid of what he has left over, I know he’s being a good neighbor. This year, he planted 8 rows and was planning on coming down with another variety in a couple of weeks. The rest of the garden needed to be planted, but I just hadn’t gotten to it yet and there were some weeds starting to sprout. Jake spotted the weeds and felt the need to take care of them for me. Knowing he might plow up my sweetcorn, I was hesitant to allow him in my garden, but then I relented and said if his older brother Luke helped him then they could drag the garden. As I watched farmer Jake drive his antique tractor back and forth across my garden my heart melted. It was such a beautiful picture of him…but then upon closer inspection that melted heart turned to stone as I noticed half of my sweetcorn rows had disappeared! I was upset for a few minutes, but then looked into my little farmers eyes and realized the value of that sweetcorn couldn’t compare to the value of Jake’s small farming experience. Boys, you gotta love ’em!

We’ve been blessed with some sunny days lately and after the snow in April, I’d say we’re due! Yesterday afternoon, my youngest son Jake was chomping at the bit to get his Allis out and drag the garden. My garden is an extension of the neighbors field and he plows it every year. Then after the field is planted and my garden is tilled, my kind neighbor always comes down and plants at least 10 rows of sweetcorn for me. He says he’s just getting rid of what he has left over, I know he’s being a good neighbor. This year, he planted 8 rows and was planning on coming down with another variety in a couple of weeks. The rest of the garden needed to be planted, but I just hadn’t gotten to it yet and there were some weeds starting to sprout. Jake spotted the weeds and felt the need to take care of them for me. Knowing he might plow up my sweetcorn, I was hesitant to allow him in my garden, but then I relented and said if his older brother Luke helped him then they could drag the garden. As I watched farmer Jake drive his antique tractor back and forth across my garden my heart melted. It was such a beautiful picture of him…but then upon closer inspection that melted heart turned to stone as I noticed half of my sweetcorn rows had disappeared! I was upset for a few minutes, but then looked into my little farmers eyes and realized the value of that sweetcorn couldn’t compare to the value of Jake’s small farming experience. Boys, you gotta love ’em!

Well, my good friend and commrade Trent Loos is up to something….again. He’s taking a stand next week in defense of horse harvesting. The stars in Hollywood don’t think we should slaughter horses so they’ve managed to lobby their way to closing all the horse slaughter plants in the nation. Now we have unwanted horses being dropped off like unwanted kittens instead of being used for useful products like pet food–uncontaminated pet food, I might add. Trent feels a ban on horse harvesting will undoubtedly create unwanted horse problems but beyond that it is a violation of the personal property rights of farmers and ranchers. So Trent has developed a plan. He’s going to stampede the Illinois state capitol on Tuesday, May 8. That’s right, he has secrured horses for anyone who shows up in support of his horse harvest rights rally and they will ride(calmly, not actually stampede) to the state capitol and demonstrate while the Illinois state senators prepare to vote on HB 1711 (an anti-slaughter bill) in committee later that day. What I would like for anyone who reads this is to pray for the group. I guess things can get kind of hairy when it comes to horse slaughter. This needs to be a safe, effective demonstration.

Well, my good friend and commrade Trent Loos is up to something….again. He’s taking a stand next week in defense of horse harvesting. The stars in Hollywood don’t think we should slaughter horses so they’ve managed to lobby their way to closing all the horse slaughter plants in the nation. Now we have unwanted horses being dropped off like unwanted kittens instead of being used for useful products like pet food–uncontaminated pet food, I might add. Trent feels a ban on horse harvesting will undoubtedly create unwanted horse problems but beyond that it is a violation of the personal property rights of farmers and ranchers. So Trent has developed a plan. He’s going to stampede the Illinois state capitol on Tuesday, May 8. That’s right, he has secrured horses for anyone who shows up in support of his horse harvest rights rally and they will ride(calmly, not actually stampede) to the state capitol and demonstrate while the Illinois state senators prepare to vote on HB 1711 (an anti-slaughter bill) in committee later that day. What I would like for anyone who reads this is to pray for the group. I guess things can get kind of hairy when it comes to horse slaughter. This needs to be a safe, effective demonstration.

Yesterday at the baseball tournament, JW’s team split, they lost the first game but won the second. We got home in plenty of time to work outside, so I finally got all the law mowed. Boy, that makes me crazy when I can’t keep the lawn as nice looking as the widow next door. On our farm, we have two farmhouses and our neighbor is the widow of the farmer who used to own our farm. She is meticules about her lawn and keeps her flower beds in tip top shape. It’s nice, not only because we have a pretty view when we look out our window, but she also keeps me accountable. I can’t let my lawn get long when hers looks so good. Besides, we have to keep the farmstead looking neat for the Sunday drivers through the summertime!