My Thursday Thoughts

It's begining to look a lot like Christmas!

Wordless Wednesday

I'm still holding out for a white Christmas!!

Do Not Be Afraid!

I repeat - Do Not Be Afraid!  After researching into historical weather records I have discovered that the yellowish white orb in the sky is in fact the sun.

It's my dad's birthday today.  Happy 71st Birthday Dad!  The only thing my dad ever wants for his birthday is to be able to plant corn.  Unfortunately, this will be one of those rare birthdays where he will not be planting.  Two weeks ago the soil temps were running right around 47F - 48F.  Then after one or two snow/slush storms the soil temps fell to 37F.  Today, the 4 inch soil temp is 42F.  To top it all off it rained and sleeted all day yesterday so it will be a while before corn planting gets started in Northeast Iowa. 

Soil thermometer at the 4 inch depth.

The soil temperature is a very important piece of information that crop farmers in the northern part of the midwest follow closely in early spring.  Corn germinates at 50F.  We like to start planting corn when the soil temps are below 50F but are definately rising and the weather is in the warming mode.  If seed sets in cold and/or wet soils for too long, the seed looses it's vigor and may not germinate or emerge healthy due to the onset of diseases.



Since he can't plant today, Dad is driving around the yard rechecking and double rechecking monitors
and electronics to make sure all is ready for when the weather does break.

Seed customers have been calling and stopping in today to pick up seed and discuss the late start to planting.  Everyone is trying to remain calm but I can tell everyone is nervous.   Let's hope the weather straightens out soon.

Joe loading a customer's seed. 
He likes to load seed once in awhile so
his forklift skills don't get rusty. :-)

Our employee "D" helping me in the warehouse since he can't be in the field.

Weekend on The Farm

This is what we woke up to Saturday morning.  It's a far cry from the 70F weather we had last weekend.

It's not the April 15th Blizzard of '72, '73, '74 or whatever year it was but it was definately Mother Nature's way of saying that it's a little early to be planting corn.

Last weekend we had
temperatures in the 70's with sunny conditions which was great for NH3, seeding alfalfa, and pulling fence lines.  It definately spoiled us.



Today, the sun came out and finished melting the snow but it definately is not warm out.  But, it is warm enough to clean out the calf pens.  Once planting breaks loose there will not be a lot of time get the corners of the pens clean so today it is serious, deep cleaning get all the nitty-gritty cleaned up.

 This is one of the chores that the boys hate to do.  I remember hating it when I was growing up but it is one of those character building jobs on the farm. 
It's also a great way to work off some of that extra energy that boys always seem to accumulate in the spring.

It's Melting!

                                  Goodbye snow.  Hello mud and mush!

 

                 

What Winter Is All About

Today the neighbor boys (I use this term lightly as Nicholas is 33 and has three kids of his own, Phillip is a 25 year old newly wed and Tyler is 22 and has a great girl friend and should be getting married soon - in my opinion.) invited our boys to a neighborhood sledding party.  As Phillip said it was a good reason to get our boys out of the scene so my Joe could get some rest and continue to recoup from knee surgery.  It was a great day for a sledding party - sunny and in the 30's with some melting going on. 



Is that feed dust or snow?


 It was a typical northeast Iowa sledding party with sleds, Gators, a Ranger, snowmobiles, a Skidsteer for good measure, and lots of laughs.  I chauffeured my Joe over after about three hours as he is one never to miss a good time.  Everyone was tired, soaked to the bone and ready for a good nights rest.  A good time was had by all!



Tyler, I think you're stuck!



Thank goodness, you're back on level ground

                        

Looking tired.



                                   

Last man standing