July 24, 2009 - Hail Storm

At 1:30 PM on Friday, July 24 the storm clouds rolled in from the north west and the skies grew dark. Within minutes the storm was upon us. We had pea and marble size hail for 25 minutes with winds from 80 - 110 mph. What a terrible storm it was, 9 miles wide and 50 plus miles long. It impacted an area from Cresco to Greeley. The damage was devastating. The most severe loss was the crops in the area amounting to 350,000 acres. We had hail piled on the north side of our buildings that remained there until Saturday night. The crop on our farm was a total loss. We have never seen the fence rows and ditches so clear of growth.

Summer Projects with Tool Time Tim

Spent time with Tim and Marilyn doing project work at their home. Replaced some picket fence, placed new pavers around the flower beds, and installed drainage pipe along the garage. Of course we had time not only to finish the yard projects, but also to play card games in the evenings.

Red, White and Blue - 2009

July 4th was spent celebrating the birthday of our country with family and friends. The coolers show our true colors or is it our true coolers? Lunch was a terrific barbecue with Lynn and Fred. Then on to the farm for a great supper. The kids of all ages enjoyed the tractor rides around the farm yard and the evening ended with a spectacular fireworks display viewed by everyone. We love this country and our freedom.