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.

Welcome To The Farm

It has been a very busy spring once we arrived back at the farm, with it being cool and wet. We continue working on the lawn and landscaping after a cold winter. Looking to our west, we have two new ponds that we enjoy. Jo was working on some flowers in our building and a hummingbird, we named Chirp, followed her into the building. We had to rescue Chirp from the trusses and she allowed me to place her in my hands and get her to the feeder where she recovered and soon took flight. Of course, the tractors are a highlight of the farm and my brother, Steve, and I drove two tractors in the West Union Dairy Days Parade. What a kick we had in driving these tractors and sharing them with the community. Many of our friends have been traveling and included us in their stops. We have enjoyed the company of Keith and Bernie from Texas as they traveled north to Minnesota. Our friends at the ranch in Montana, Albert and Gloria, were in Iowa for a few days and stopped with relatives from the area for a BBQ of Iowa chops. Beet piler friends, Ron and Corinne, from Minnesota were able to visit for a few days and we walked in a park near the farm to see Dutton's Cave. We enjoyed showing them the area and spent time relaxing at the farm. Now that the landscaping is completed we are able to watch the birds as they eat at our feeders. The Gold Finches stop in the mornings for their feeding before heading into town.

Friends, Family, and March Madness

March was full of "March Madness" and we had lots going on with four couples from last falls beet harvest visiting us in Brooksville. It was great to see them all and recall piling beet stories without too much embellishment. So good to see them and spend quality time together. Jo's sister, Marilyn and husband Tim, were able to spend spring break in warmer weather. They had to contemplate their picks for the March NCAA basketball tournament. We celebrated St. Patrick's Day and of course Tim had to "wear the green". We crossed the Sunshine Skyway Bridge on our return from Punta Gorda and enjoyed the warm breeze off the water. The spring flowers are in full bloom with the paint brush tree loaded with flowers. We hated to see Tim and Marilyn leave as we knew they would be heading back to see more snow in Iowa. We are all looking forward to spring.