Frost, Fencing, Swimming

The first frost was our indication it was time to head south to warmer weather. We had several events we wanted to enjoy before we headed out. I helped my brother install some new white vinyl fence to dress up his acreage. Always fun to put in new fence. Had some model tractors restored by our brother-in-law and what a nice job he does. Looking forward to some other work that he is doing for us. Went to Luther College to watch our niece swim at the first meet of the season. She has done a terrific job in her career and has a great future ahead of her. We watched from the stands along with her college roommate. The kids have a very good team and perform well together. A thumbs up for a job well done was earned.

Fun in the Fall

After an interesting summer we were looking forward to some camping fun at the Kaune Kampout, then going to the Kansas Speedway for the NASCAR Race, and helping with the harvest in the fall. The family enjoyed getting together for some story telling and of course the wonderful omelets on Sunday morning. The razzing began this year with Brett Favre playing for the Vikings, so some bets had to be placed on your favorite team. Kansas brought some cool weather that gave race fans a fast track. We met Jo's nephew, Scott and son, Jake at the track after they met drivers and toured the garage area. Got together with friends, Duane and JoAnn, as they were doing some moving this fall. Always fun to get together with them. The fall harvest has been hampered with wet and cold conditions. The crop is unable to dry and the ground conditions are very wet. Will create a late harvest and will not give us the chance to help take the crop out. Kevin and June have their equipment ready to hit the fields as soon as the conditions permit.

Summer Storms, Sawing and Sightseeing

The remainder of the summer brought several more storms, including one with tornadoes near the farm. Seems like the calm after the storm always brings a colorful rainbow and clearing skies. The storms required some trees at my brother, Steve's, home to come down. Always a fun time to fell a tree or two with dueling chain saws. We always enjoy company, with Phil and Ruth Ann, spending an afternoon with us, and having lunch at Gunder, home of the one pound, Gunder Burger. What a treat! Drove on to Pikes Peak State Park at McGregor to view the mighty Mississippi River. To end our summer we traveled to Branson, MO for a couple weeks of vacation. Branson has great entertainment and at times an interesting car show. The Ford, Model T's and A's, were fun to look at and watch as they toured along Highway 76 through Branson.

Farm Fencing

With the loss of the crop we were able to work on fencing and waterway projects on the farm. We installed some tile lines and intakes to help control erosion. We updated the perimeter fences with white vinyl corners for appearance and easier mowing. Other fence was removed and marker posts installed. The crop was bushhogged as no crop could be harvested. We took advantage of the open fields and cleared fence rows to improve the fence and manage soil loss on the farm.

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.