Sunday, November 29, 2009

Friday, November 27, 2009

Harvest

Just a quick note. We finished the sunflowers on Monday. Mine ran about 1800# to the acre. We are going to start on the corn today.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Sunday, October 4, 2009

The Love of God

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

Refrain:
Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

Rain Update

We ended up getting a total of 55 hundredths. Really nice rains.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Frost Update

The frost was pretty widespread in this area. All my corn froze but the sunflowers didn't. We also got three tenths of an inch of rain this morning.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Frost

Well, we had our first frost this morning. My thermometer said 32 at 6:00. I could see frost on the deck and on the windshields. Don't know yet how wide spread it is.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Shazbot Nanu Nanu

Let's play a little trivia. Where did this phrase originate and what was it used for? What rock band included this phrase in the lyrics of one of their songs? Lastly, what is the name of the lead singer of that band and the song that includes this phrase?

Friday, September 11, 2009

Quote

"Can the liberties of a nation be secure, when we have removed the conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?"

Thomas Jefferson

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Another Day at the Lake

Brandon, Julie, Casey, Duane and I headed to the lake early this morning. We had a Beautiful day again. We thought we might end up quitting by dinnertime because the forcast said we were suppose to get rain, but it never even sprinkled until late in the afternoon. As you can see by the photos the water was nice and calm. Brandon, Julie and Casey went tubing today for the first time.


This picture was taken while we were eating dinner on the beach. One really neat thing about this boat is that we can dock it just about anywhere.



Brandon, Casey, and Julie. Not sure who is getting on the tube and who is in the boat.



Brandon, Casey and Julie.




Brandon, Casey, and Julie is on the tube behind.



As you can tell all of these pictures were taken when we first got to the lake and Duane and I were on the beach. After that I guess I quit taking pictures. There was one point where I wished I had the camera out again. Most of these were taken from quite a distance. When Julie and I were on the beach later I could have got some good closeups but I figured by the time I got to the pickup to get the camera and back again they would be back out in the distance.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Fun Boating !

Duane,Ryan, Brandon Alex, Casey and I took the boat out for the first time Monday night. We went on the River by Bismarck,It was awesome!! Beautiful day for it, we had a blast.

Brandon and Joe did some work on it last night, and he brought it home this afternoon. Duane, Brandon and Casey took it out. I was going to go out too, but decided to just wait on the beach because we had forgotten to grab the fourth life jacket. I didn't realize how much I missed just sitting by the water. It was so relaxing to just sit and watch the waves, and the boat go by,(yes Carol I can relax now watching them LOL). When I watched them from the beach last time (we took turns riding) I was a nervous wreck because I wasn't use to the boat and the cement pillars looked so close to the boat when they went between them.

I wish I would have remembered the camera tonight I would have gotten some awesome photos. They went around right past me by the shore and turned a few times as they were going into the distance and they left a trail just as still. I could hardly see them in the distance anymore and the trail was still there, then with the sun shining on it it was really pretty.





Friday, August 7, 2009

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Wow, it's been a long time again! We went for a nice drive today. After Church we came home and ate quick and then went to visit Mom. She seemed really glad to see us. She said she hadn't seen anyone from the family for a long time. When we got home Duane was reading my facebook and read that Warren had taken her to Mobridge for the day yesterday. I was telling Duane we need to go visit more she seemed lonesome. But now I know she just didn't remember going out yesterday, makes me feel better, here I was feeling bad thinking nobody was visiting for a long time.

After we vistied Mom we went for a drive to Mobridge. I got a few groceries, then we went home through Pollock. We took the scenic route out to Point of View, the boat dock and just checked out the river.

Brandon just called I told him we were checking out the river and he wondered if we were checking out boating places? He said if the boat they are looking at turns out to be as nice as they think it is we will be boating next weekend.

Just a little about what we have been up to the last month or so.

We helped Ryan and Sarah get moved from Linton to Bismarck. Brandon and Alex came down with one pickup, grandpa with his and us with ours. We got everything that they wanted to take along moved in one trip. Then they went and picked up some furniture that Ryan had ordered, and got that set up. So they had things situated as far as furniture arranged etc. I'm sure they spent alot of time after that unpacking everything but at least they had a bed they could sleep in and washer and dryer set up etc. Ask the boys next time you see them how much fun they had getting the washer and dryer in. Ha Ha Whoever remodeled that apartment made one of the bedrooms bigger which made it so there was only enough clearance in the wash room to get the washer and dryer in if you lifted it about 2 feet off the ground and then you could kind of cram it through. The furnace pipes and the wall were 27 inches apart in just a small area and the washer and dryer were about that wide. You could hear laughing and goofing around in there. At least when faced with a challenge like that they all have a good time and goof off through the process, along with getting a lot of work done. We have quite a crew. :)

Duane, Casey and I helped them go through stuff they didn't want, and clean the old house the next day.

You probably all know already but I'm not working anymore. Life is too short to do something you really really don't like. I miss the girls at work already but I really don't miss the job. I have had stressful jobs before, and you can convince yourself that you like them (I luv my job,I luv my job) I used to hear a lot of that at work when things would get stressful, but although my other job was stressful it was at least challenging, and rewarding. This job was just boring, it doesn't matter that my sales were really good I just hated the job, and felt it was a dead end! I won't go into the details of all of it but needless to say it just wasn't what I thought it would be.

So,I have been busy getting projects done around here. Never a lack of things to do!
Alex, Nicole and Brandon were all home last weekend and helped Duane work calves. Thanks Again boys. :)

Yesterday Doug and Milo helped Duane and Casey move the cows to the other farm. Thanks Doug! I did plan on helping them but Duane said they didn't need me because Doug had offered to help. Needless to say I was glad, not that it is such hard work but I never feel like I know what I'm doing. I guess I wasn't raised a farm girl and haven't had a lot of experience with cattle. I'm kind of scared of them. I got used to milk cows, and sheep, but haven't had much to do with the stock cows.

I told Duane he should teach me how to mow and I could help him, but he doesn't seem to eager to take me up on it. I think he's afraid I'll damage his tractor. LOL!

Well, I guess that's all for now. Hope you all had a great weekend.

Oh, one thing I forgot, we have 9 baby kittens, They are so cute! Wild as the dickens but they like to play on the deck and of course they come to eat but they won't let me pick them up yet. There are 6 white ones, one orange one and 2 orange and white. I have some pictures posted below.





Sunday, July 5, 2009

Happy 4th !

Hope you all had a Happy 4th! We had a great weekend! Kids were all able to make it home for a long weekend.

We had beautiful weather for a bonfire every night that they were here, and we took advantage of it. Brandon grilled burgers for us on the 4th for dinner, and then the boys went out to get more firewood and shoot some targets. We had Duane's parents, grandma, his great aunt Lois and his brother Harvey over for supper. Duane grilled ribs and they were awesome, grandma brought her potato saled (which is the best I've ever tasted), and I made a couple fruit salads. After the meal we visited until it was dark and then the boys lit the fireworks for us. It was an awesome show. Geat job picking out the fireworks guys!

After the fireworks we had another bonfire. I'm not sure how late that went because of course Ma and Pa retire before everyone else. But we all had a great time.

Needless to say we are all a little tired today. Kind of a lazy day.

Below I have a few pictures that I took way late in the evening.


This picture doesn't do justice to the lighting. We put an umbrella light around the base of the tree,and it had a neon green glow.But I couldn't seem to capture it with my digital.You can see the bonfire in the background. this was taken before everyone was out there.





Brandon getting more firewood to stoke the fire.




Ryan stirring it up!

I never took any pictures at the barbque or the fireworks this year. Getting lazy in my old age. Ha Ha

Monday, June 15, 2009

Pictures

Two old Chevrolet's, I think thirties or forties models. Anybody know?



An old combine.



A one bottom plow. Would'nt want to have a lot of land with this, it would take forever. Some farmers now have 60' air seeders. Wow, things have really changed. For the better I might add.



An old Case drill.

Pictures

I have some time this morning so I thought I'd put a few pictures on. We had rain last night, about .35. The car in the first picture is my Mom's from before her and Dad got married. It's a Plymouth from sometime in the fifties. I don't remember the exact year. The crabapple tree in the foreground was in full bloom, but the day I went over there to take the picture it was cloudy so it does'nt stand out as much as when it was sunny.




The next two pictures are from a dirt road leading into an old farmstead. The road has to cross a fairly big creek. To keep it from washing out so often this person built it out of rocks. My Grandpa bought this farm from his neighbor and it is now part of our farm.




Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Congratulations Casey! We are so Proud of you!

Our baby graduated on Friday. We are now empty nesters. Not too sure how I feel about that. I don't think it will really hit me until he leaves for college. I know I will sure miss having him home. But we are fortunate in that our kids all live within 80 miles of home so they can come home often and we can go visit.
Casey will also have 3 brothers in the same town so if he needs anything they are close by. Nicole (his brothers girlfriend)told him he will be invited for supper regularily, which I thought was really nice.

Casey was not feeling the best for the whole week of graduation. I wanted to take him to the doctor already on Monday but he thought we should wait and see if it got better. By Graduation night he was running a low grade fever and we all just hoped and prayed he would make it through his Welcome without coughing too much. He almost got someone else to do it for him because he figured he would probably start coughing and not be able to do it. But he made it through and did great.
Sunday night he couldn't sleep because he couldn't quit coughing. So yesterday we went in to see Ardy and sure enough he has bronchitis. She put him on antibiotics, prednisone, mucinex, and a really strong cough syrup. Today he can tell the cold is really loosening up,and he actually feels worse. But usually you have a few days after starting the antibiotics where you feel worse before it gets better.

Our wheat is all in finally. With the weather I was starting to wonder if we would get it done.
Today Duane started planting corn. He just left for the field and here he comes home, they were broke down before they even started. Luckily it wasn't anything too serious. He had to run to town and get parts but was able to get going right away after that.
Well, I'd better go get some work done.

Here are some of the pictures we took at Graduation.


The Boys in the Graduating Class of 2009



Casey and Aaron giving the Welcome speech



Casey at his reception



Casey's Graduation Cakes
made by mom (my last graduation cake)



Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Prom 2009

Here are some of Casey's Prom pictures.



Cattle Pictures

As you can see this heifer got herself in a bit of trouble. The bale feeder is missing half of it's lower rung, therefore it is quite low on one side. She did manage to get out by herself. I have also had bulls do the same thing with good bale feeders. The feeder is too tall for them to jump out so I have to lift it up to let them out.






I don't remember why I had the camera, probably taking pictures of raging water, but when I came to this cow it looked like she was posing for a picture.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Casey got his Tux!

Yesterday Duane and Casey and I went to Bismarck to pick up Casey's tux for Prom. After we got home they did some welding on the bale feeders, did chores, went and got the drill fill out of the back of the pole barn and brought it up onto the yard. They also pulled the pressure tank and pump out of the old well pit.

While they were doing that I set up my program for printing labels. It had been so long since I used it it took me a little while to figure it all out, but is well worth it not to have to write them all out, and looks so much nicer.

After supper Casey and I worked on address labels for Graduation invitations. I had to rebuild my address database since we cleared the computer out. However having the computer cleared out and starting over sped it up so much, plus the program that I use for this was no longer working because of my computer problems. Anyway we got the database built and only have to add a few that I didn't have address for. Hopefully I will get them all mailed tomorrow. I also found my lists from Alex's Graduation so I have a good idea how much food I need to get and how many cakes to make. Now I just need to work on his school photo album and get that finished. Now is really a good time to be a stay at home mom, gives me so much time to enjoy and prepare for the events in Casey's last few months of High School.



Weekend Project

The guys put in a long weekend. Friday night after chores Casey and Duane went out and started tearing stuff apart, and Brandon came out right after he got off work. They worked late into the night and were back out there again the next morning, after a quick parts run to Linton. Grandpa offered to go to Bismarck and pick up the shocks (we had to special order them) so they were able to keep working. They didn't come in for dinner until about 3:00 then ate and went right back out. When they were finished and we ate supper (really late) Brandon helped me redo my computer and then headed for home. What a long weekend for him. Although he loves to work on cars, this had to be a tiring weekend. Casey really appreciated it, and learned alot about cars while doing this. Thanks Brandon ! Thanks also for helping me with the computer, I never could have figured it out by myself.



They are going to put on an Edelbrock aluminum intake and Carter 4 barrel thermoquad carb. We bought both the intake and the carb from Alex. They came off his Dart.

He recently bought a 1973 Dodge Dart. We weren't there when Alex and Brandon worked on it, so I only have a few pictures that he sent me via email, but I will post those later. For all you Mopar fans.

We also put Big Wheels (purchased from Brandon) and tires on for him.







Finished Project





This is the finished project. Well almost finished. The shackles come today, and they want to redo the exhaust yet.


Ryan's Graduation and Alex's Birthday Celabration

These pictures were taken at our Easter get together, where we also celebrated Ryan's Graduation. He recently obtained his GED.

We are so Proud of him for going back and accomplishing this!







These pictures were taken on Easter Weekend. All the kids were home, and we celebrated Alex's 21st Birthday.

Awesome beard Alex!



Saturday, April 11, 2009

Challenger

This is a music video featuring a special free-flying Bald Eagle named 'Challenger' (in honor of the lost space shuttle crew) cared for by the non-profit American Eagle Foundation (AEF).

He's a 'human-socialized' bird raised by the people who rescued him - after being blown from a wild Louisiana nest in a storm as a baby in the late 1980s. Declared 'non-releasable' by federal and state wildlife authorities, he was trained by the AEF to perform educational free-flight demonstrations at high profile public events.

He's the first Bald Eagle in U.S. History that learned to free-fly into stadiums, arenas and ballrooms during the singing of the Star Spangled Banner. The celebrity eagle has appeared at numerous major sporting events like the World Series, Pro-Bowl, All-Star game, BCS National Championship, Fiesta Bowl, Men's Final Four, etc.

Challenger has also flown before 4 U.S. Presidents! His life story is told in a children's storybook titled 'Challenger, America 's Favorite Eagle.'

Challenger - Amazing Free-Flying Bald Eagle


Friday, March 27, 2009

Ice Chunk

I thought this was pretty cool. An ice chunk floated down the creek (pronounced crick) that runs through the farm. It was left high and dry when the flow of the crick slowed down. This ice chunk didn't look like this yesterday. No icicles. It's amazing how much power the sun has this time of year.

More Pics

This is standing on the main road looking north toward the lake.



This one was taken standing in the stubble field on the north side of the road facing south. The culverts aren't big enough to take all the water. These are the outlets of the culverts.



Here I'm standing on the main road again facing south toward the grove of trees on the farm.



This is Casey standing where the water was running over the road. This is east of the farm near the section line.



This pic should be up with the first three. This is the whirlpool created because the culverts couldn't take the water fast enough.



This is the small lake created where Casey was standing in the earlier picture.





I took this at sunrise. You can see the sun just starting to light up the background in the picture with the moon up above.