I'll never know!

 A Friend’s Umbrella

by Lawrence Raab

"Ralph Waldo Emerson, toward the end
of his life, found the names
of familiar objects escaping him.
He wanted to say something about a window,
or a table, or a book on a table.

But the word wasn't there,
although other words could still suggest
the shape of what he meant.
Then someone, his wife perhaps,

would understand: "Yes, window! I'm sorry,
is there a draft?" He'd nod.
She'd rise."

      This snippet of Raab's poem recalled an experience I had while teaching in Thailand.  It was  in the 6th grade class. The teacher was present and her English was excellent. These 6th graders included some very competent students. That day I was giving them words and phrases in Thai. Then the class, working as a group, would say in English what I'd just said in Thai. I thought I'd said "Go to the window" in Thai. The class exploded in laughter.  Al, to teacher "What did I say?" Teacher "You said something naughty."  Al "What?"  Teacher "I can't tell you."

     Guess what? I never tried to use that command again.

Takk for alt,

Al

               The aforementioned 6th grade class with the teacher in the front row. 

Basement company!

      Sitting in my recliner on a rainy Memorial Day, suddenly a jarring weather alert, more jarring because it's piped directly into my ears, told me to go to the basement. Grabbing a flashlight, calling Kaia, we headed to the basement.  Basement, cellar, by whatever name it's very primitive. While I was sitting on a concrete block waiting for the storm to pass Kai did her "somebody's at the door bark." Soon there was knocking on the basement door. Opening it there was my brother and his wife seeking shelter. Sinai is on their route from Brookings to their home, which they were driving when the storm struck. They decided to seek shelter until the storm passed.

    A modicum of safety could be offered but little comfort. Perhaps it's time to find some old chairs that can live in the basement for moments like this. The weather alert said that there had been a tornado on the ground near Sinai. Hoping no one nor nothing was hurt...I'll find out later.

Takk for alt.

Al

       Joanne's piano, which our new music minister played Sunday.

The Little House

      Kai and I are back in The Little House for some days. We brought flowers for Joanne. She loved flowers and she especially love yellow flowers. It was my practice to buy her 1-3 yellow roses frequently, rather than a dozen occasionally. 

    On the quest to read much of Ann Patchett's writing I finished her Run, yesterday. It was very engaging with exceptionally appealing characters. The ending was so intriguing I stayed up late to finish it. In these days of Black Lives Matter it fits right in. Her prose is always lush and Run has the plot surprises expected in a good novel.  It was certainly a pleasure to read. Patchett will need to wait a bit while I read Roy Jacobsen's, Eyes of  the Rigel.  It's the third of the trilogy that began with The Unseen, followed by White Shadow.

Takk for alt,

Al

Exploring

     The OHF is in a part of the Twin Cities previously unoccupied by me. While I was in seminary we lived in St. Louis Park, just west of Minneapolis, even though the seminary is in St. Paul. When we returned to the area in 1988 we settled in Golden Valley, just north of St. Louis Park. St. James Lutheran, where I worked for 19 years, was north of Golden Valley, so NW of Minneapolis. When we left out Golden Valley house we moved to a condo in downtown Minneapolis.

     The OFH is in the SW part of St. Paul, perhaps halfway between downtown St. Paul and the airport. Now that nice weather has arrived (finally!) it is time to explore. Driving east on Randolph Ave. from Lexington Parkway I found a place serving food with tables on the sidewalk. Quickly parking I requested the table in full sun, at A-Side Public House. It's a converted firehouse, the food was good and I got to bask in the sun.  Joanne would have liked everything except sitting in the sun. It's on my places to revisit. There is much exploration left to be done. I've visited Mickey's Diner, once, and that's only a couple of blocks from the OFH.

Takk for alt,

Al

  Sunset over the Mekong River looking from Laos toward Thailand.

Veterans Adminstration

      One of the blessings of the OFH is its proximity to the Minneapolis V. A. Hospital. The V.A., like many other entities, is struggling with hiring staff; specifically optometrists. When the V.A. was unable to schedule an eye exam at the hospital for lack of optometrists they referred me to a local Pearle Vision. On Thursday I went to Pearle Vision for an exam.

    With the prescription from the eye exam clutched in my hot little hand I went to the V.A. Hospital this morning. There in the eyewear clinic, without a wait, my prescription details were entered into the system, new frames were ordered, my old frames were straightened (I vow never to sit on them again) and in less than 30 minutes I was on my way. New glasses will arrive via USPS in a couple of weeks.

    Thanking the person who helped me I left. My only regret is that I failed to tell her that she'd made the entire experience pleasant and positive. Notch one up for the V.A.

Takk for alt,

Al

                   Fish market, Lisbon, Portugal.

                           Way to go, Pearl! 😁

Accepted!

     On January 7, (my mother's birthday) I moved from a downtown, Minneapolis, condo to the Old Folks Home in St. Paul. Shortly after that the condo was listed for sale. Since it was listed we've had approximately six parties view. Slightly more than one per month. Not the kind of interest one might hope for.

   Yesterday a potential buyer made an offer. Was it for the asking price, which had been lowered once? Of course not. Given the lack of interest, rising interest rates and not wanting to be greedy, the offer was accepted. The proposed closing date is June 27. 

   When I began disposing of items during downsizing I began being particular about the destination of those things. It wasn't long before my attitude changed to "I don't care where its going, just get it out of here."  My attitude about the condo had similar curve. Pricing it optimistically, expectations were high for a prompt sale. As time drug on, and potential buyers found fault, the attitude became "someone just buy it!" Now that there is a potential sale I'm much relieved. So I hope the closing dates ends my ownership. Three abodes is one two many.

Takk for alt,

Al

     Second grade, Ayutthaya, Thailand...but who is the grey beard?

Planning

    One of the things that Joanne and I did right was estate planning. The late Richard Anderson is due the credit for that, he referred us to a good estate attorney. It was valuable when Joanne died. We had revocable trusts which meant that after Joanne's death it was not necessary to go through probate, which saved both time and money.

   The original trust documents were composed in the early '90s. There had been a number of amendments over the years. It was time to refocus, make some changes, and streamline the trust. It was also a good time to give Lisa and Lars power of attorney. This means that they can send me to an old folks home...wait I'm already there! Fooled them! 😉 So, today we met at the attorney's office and signed the papers. That's a relief. My will is included within the trust. 

Takk for alt,

Al

                  With friends on the streets of Arendal, Norway.

Old man and dog at Old Folks Home!

     The last couple of trips to The Twin Cities have put us here at rush hour. Leaving The Little House at 7a.m., brought us in at 11:00a.m. That's a much better to time arrive. A series of state and county roads, with almost no traffic, brings me to Buffalo Lake. Today, highway 212 from there had very few vehicles. A traffic jam in Sinai is waiting for farm machinery to pass.

    While I'm in town there are people to visit, papers to sign (no the condo hasn't sold) a school reunion, and medical appointments. The VA is so short of optometrists that they are sending me to Vision World, at their expense. It's time because its been two years since my last appointment. My vision seems good, no trouble reading, nor with night vision. At my last VA optometrist appointment I was told to eat green, leafy vegetables to stave off macular degeneration. Since then I've eaten a mountain of raw spinach

Takk for alt,

Al

.My late 1970, DiamondReo, in the 2007, Sinai Centennial Parade. That's Joanne waving from the passenger seat. The air horn was my favorite feature of the truck. When the bulldozer was sold I didn't need the truck so it was also sold. I do miss it.

Old Man Reads Old Book!

      Well, it's not exactly the Guttenberg Bible. That's really old old. This old is for contemporary fiction from a current author. Having first read State Of Wonder, then  These Precious Days, The Dutch House and Commonwealth by Ann Patchett, all of which I enjoyed, Halfprice Books offered up more of her writing.

    When I posted about other Patchett books several persons recommended her Bel Canto. It was copyrighted in 2001, does that qualify as old?  All of Patchett's books offer up astute observations about humans and their relationships. Bel Canto is no exception. I'm very glad to have read it, yet, I'd rate all the books mentioned in the above paragraph above it. This is no means to disparage Bel Canto, in my estimation it is slightly less than those other lofty works from her pen.

    Patchett has the ability to describe characters that the reader cares about. Her insights into the human psyche and nuances of human relationships makes everything she writes rewarding.  I plan to read more of her works.

Takk for alt,

Al

PS Note in the comments I may be up to six readers. Heady territory!

                 The lilac by The Little House.

 

     

Metaphor

      There is a sizeable lilac bush in the yard of The Little House. During last year's drought I kept it watered and now it rewards with gorgeous purple blooms. Fragrance wafts from it. It is best not to pick the flowers. Pick the flowers and put them in a vase with water and they quickly wilt.

    That could be a metaphor for living in the moment. The past is that, past. The future is also that, future. What is a available is the present and that's a present to us when we savor the moment. Let the past go, forego anxiety about the future. Now is what we have, like blossoms on a lilac bush that bloom for a short while, but longer, if we don't pluck them.

Takk for alt,

Al 

One of the guests at the anniversary party yesterday admitted that she reads my blog (four readers now?) and that she liked this picture so I'm reposting in her honor. One foot in Norway and the other in Sweden.

 Spring

by Linda Pastan

Just as we lose hope
she ambles in,
a late guest
dragging her hem
of wildflowers,
her torn
veil of mist,
of light rain,
blowing
her dandelion
breath
in our ears;
and we forgive her,
turning from
chilly winter
ways,
we throw off
our faithful
sweaters
and open
our arms.

May 25, 1962

     It's difficult to farm in Brookings County, SD, when your National Guard Unit is situated in Colorado. His unit had been activated becasue of the Berlin Crisis. Two weeks of leave is sufficient for corn planting....if, and it's a big if, the weather cooperates. But in May of 1962, when David came home to plant corn, there were days of rain. Somehow he got the planting done and on one of the last days of his leave, he married Jonetta. They started to Colorado after the wedding...that very evening. Today we gathered to celebrate with them, 60 years of marriage!

    Even though David, is my brother I didn't attend the wedding. We were doing tag team farming at a distance. The aircraft carrier, the USS Princeton, was carrying me back from Asia to the U.S. in late may 62. Which day we landed I don't remember but I got my discharge (honorable) from the USMC on June 4, 1962. After a trip to The World's Fair in Seattle, I went home for the summer to farm. When David was discharged in August he took over the farming and I went to Augustana College.

   David and Jonetta are the parents of two daughters and two sons. They have six grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and a third expected in November. they reside in a lovely home, rural Sinai. It was one of those days that feeds the soul.

Takk for alt,

Al

            Granddaughter Alyssa with great-granddaughter Nora.

Anointing!

      During the night a gentle shower of rain anointed the newly planted corn. A perfect .25" fell to ensure that every kernel of corn planted yesterday will have sufficient moisture to germinate. A gazillion weeds seeds in the soil will also quickly sprout. When corn grows enough it shades the ground and inhibits weed germination. Modern planters have narrow rows which speed the shading. My planter is antique, probably a 60 something model. Its rows are wide, either 36" or 38", so shading takes longer. 

    Why did older planters have such wide rows? Modern research has demonstrated the maximum rate at which seed corn can be planted effectively. Corn does not like to be crowded. That is why it is never found growing in the wild. So why wide rows?  38" row spacing was wide enough for a horse to pass as it pulled a cultivator. So, why did it take decades for corn planter manufacturers to narrow the rows? Ask a farmer. My guess: inertia.

    There's an old joke about not leaving your car unlocked in small towns during the summer lest you find it full of zucchini when you return to it. Last night my truck was parked on main street and when I returned there were two pint jars of rhubarb jam in it. 😋

Takk for alt

Al

                        The late, great Trygve.

Finished!

      Seed corn from Iowa, Clear Lake, is bound to be good.  "Wow! I'm getting stronger" I thought as I tossed the bag of seeds up on the tractor fender. Wrong! Emptying the bag into the planter it was clear that it was a much smaller bag than the ones last year. Yes, this was 40lbs vs last year's 60lbs. Fortunately I had a bag from last year so I was able to complete planting.

    Yes, the corn is planted. Only one minor breakdown. There's some chance of a rain tonight which would be perfect.  Last year the soil was so dry that the corn was slow to germinate. This year there is enough soil moisture to germinate the seeds even if it doesn't rain tonight.

Takk for alt,

Al

                                 Modern equipment.

                                          Iowa seed corn.

Misidentified!

        Some days ago I reported the presence of bluebirds in the houses that were placed last fall, Yesterday I got a close view of the birdhouse occupants. While they sport some blue on their backs they are clearly not bluebirds. So which species are they?

      That's the purpose of the bird book to which I repaired, identification of birds. The answer is: tree swallows. The picture in the bird book was a perfect match of the occupants. Bluebird or tree swallow, it doesn't matter to me. I'm just glad that the houses are in use. 

Takk for alt,

Al

                 Wait staff at the restaurant in the Dominican Republic. 

                                      Ah, YES!

"Into every life a little rain must fall"

        Moving from waiting for rain to waiting for it to stop has been a short span. Awakening to rain this morning it was clear that field work was not possible this day.  The rain stopped about 9am. Waiting for things to dry a bit, after lunch I removed the flat tire from the disc and went to town to have it repaired. Driving back from town rain began again. Here it's not so much the quantity of rain that's and issue as is its frequency.

     For me it's a minor annoyance.  For farmers to the north, who cannot get their wheat planted, it is a serious issue. Most farmers rely on government backed crop insurance. To be eligible for that insurance there is a deadline by which the crop must be planted. As the deadline passes insurance is reduced steadily. Terribly stressful to wait for a break in the weather when one's livelihood depends on it.

Takk for alt,

Al

 

A Peaceful Day
by Rozel Hunt

A Peaceful Day on a Shaded Porch
As a couple dozen Holstein cows
Swaying their great udders march
To the barn behind this house.
We rock in the chairs, drinking tea,
Thinking of the ones who died,
Working this farm before you and me,
Singing, “Fast falls the eventide,”
Thinking of all they must do
Before the end and the deep abyss,
They took great comfort from this view
On just such a peaceful day as this.
     Which says: our time is short, no time to waste.
      Let us improve today before we are replaced.

Return

      Last evening electricity was restored to Sinai. It's now 4pm Monday and some of the rural residents are still with out power. Kaia and I returned to The Little House about noon. That was sufficiently early to give me time to disc one field in preparation for planting. If the predicted rain does not materialize I plan to do the other tomorrow. Some of the corn which was planted early has now sprouted.

    Last Thursday's windstorm was very destructive. The destruction would have been much more extensive had the deciduous trees been fully leafed out. Perhaps the cold spring may have saved many of them.

Takk for alt,

Al

      The Twedt Brothers barn, 5 miles east  of Sinai, was a storm casualty. 

 

Still waiting!

     The Little House remains without electricity. A neighbor reports that Sioux Valley Electric now says that the restoration is taking longer than predicted. Perhaps that means that there will be no service before tomorrow (Monday). The storm was Thursday, early evening. Brookings regained power Friday evening. Hanging out in in OFH is not a problem. It just a matter of patiently waiting. The old pun about the frog, comes to mind, who said "My how fun the time is while having flies."

Takk for alt,

Al

This cottonwood tree went down in a previous storm.

Mind Tracks!

      Sitting waiting for a haircut I observed the electronic signboard of the church across the street. It reminded me of grocery shopping for Joanne. Joanne did not like grocery shopping and I never minded it. She'd prepare a shopping list and it was best if we reviewed it before I headed out. One day I arrived at the store without prior conversation. On the list was the item "Jello".  How many varieties of Jello live on the shelf of a well stocked grocery store? This was before mobile phones. When I returned home to Joanne I remarked that "the difference between success and failure in any endeavor is the difference between general and specific objectives."  This would be 'Jello' vs 'sugar-free, strawberry Jello.'.

     This exchange came to mind as I watched the church sign flashing messages. It's a very expensive, large sign on a busy street with a 30mph speed limit. This gives motorists 3-5 seconds to read the sign. The sign rotates 12 messages, changing it every 5 seconds. This means a passing motorist will get a shot at one of 12 possible messages. That's very random and the chances of the particular message been appropriate to the driver is quiet remote. The sign programmer would do well to contemplated the need for 'specific' objectives.'

     What else do I have to do as I wait for electricity to return to The Little House? A helpful neighbor is keeping my refrigerator cold with his generator! How sweet is that?

Takk for alt,

Al

                   Storm clouds over South Dakota.

That was interesting!

     Kaia and I are back at the OFH. Thereby hangs a tale. When I met a banker on the street in Sinai yesterday he remarked the high humidity. I said "it feels like a storm." Wow, was I correct. When weather reports nixed a planned meeting with Lisa, I stopped in Brookings to go grocery shopping. Heading SW from Brooking toward Sinai...less than 20 miles...I saw dark clouds in the SW. Hoping they were moving SE I sped for home. About a mile short of Sinai the storm struck (see below). Passing a plowed field the air was so full of blowing dirt that visibility was about 20 feet. The storm featured the darkest cloud I've ever seen. At The Little House Kaia and I ran to the basement in darkness...the power was out.  The storm quickly passed and emerging from the basement destruction was evident in the many trees down in town. I was fortunate not to sustain any damage.

    Sinai remained without power this morning as did Brookings, population 22K. Volga, population 1750, lies between Sinai and Volga. With the power out in Brookings, but not Volga, the Volga Café was jammed and the line to buy gas stretched for blocks. At noon today neither Brooking or Sinai had power.

    After spending a powerless night in The Little House, without the aid of my CPAP machine, I decided to wait for the restoration of power in the OFH. Driving around the community this morning I saw myriad tress down, a barn blown over, steel bins ruined, irrigation sprinklers upside down, roofs open and two mallard ducks swimming placidly in water pooled in a field. 

."SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — It was a lot like a hurricane whipping through the state.

The May 12 storm that covered roughly 300 miles in eastern South Dakota and killed two people brought winds of hurricane speed, said KELOLAND meteorologist Brian Karstens. Wind speeds of 75 mph or higher were reported and those are hurricane speed.

Officials: 2 fatalities confirmed, widespread damage

“Yesterday the sheer volume of reports the second highest total in the United States since 2004, for those hurricane force like winds in one single system. When you look at the plains of South Dakota it was a very historic day,” Karstens said.

Karstens said there were 169 reports of wind with about 60 of those reports of winds of 75 mph or higher.

The highest gust was 107 mph in Tripp.

The highest wind speed reported to the National Weather Service’s Aberdeen office so far was 102 mph at the state recreation area on Lake Cochrane, at the Minnesota border, Travis Tarver, a meteorologist with the NWS in Aberdeen said.

“The majority of our higher end was 80 mph to 90 mph,” Tarver said. “That was fairly widespread.”'

     Did it remind me of the typhoon on Okinawa? Yes and no! Certainly the wind but the typhoon was much more sustained...two days...and had much more rain. This cloud was much darker. 

Takk for alt,

Al

                            Okinawa, Japan.

Plow

       If your background is farming plow maintenance is likely familiar. For the uninitiated plows need care before they're parked. The plow shares and moldboards that actually turn the soil are bare, shinny steel. Left unprotected they'd quickly become a rusty mess. This morning I removed left over soil and then painted them with special 'plow paint.' This will  keep the rust at bay while the plow stands idle behind the shop until plowing time next year. It's a bit of a hassle but necessary...plowing is more fun. 

    With the rainfall yesterday, .4", the plowed ground needs to dry aa bit before the next tillage. Disking will be next in preparation for planting. The free seed corn from the SD Game Fish & Parks, this year is 101 day maturity. That's appropriate for the local growing season. Because this corn will not be harvested but left stand to feed the deer and pheasants absolute maturity is not critical.  Harvested corn needs to be dry enough for safe storage.

Takk for alt,

Al

      Drawing a crowd on the school grounds in Ayutthaya, Thailand.

"Tomorrow's another day!

       It is in more way's than one, i.e., "tomorrow's another day."  Yesterday was perfect, cabless tractor weather. When I finished plowing the first field and was debating whether to do the other I thought "tomorrow's another day."  The weather app suggested rain in the afternoon but plowing could be done in the morning.  Just as I finished plowing the rain started. It's seven miles back to town, the tractor's top speed is 18 mph, and no cab. At least the tractor has rear fenders. Well then, we all make choices. Weather wise it certainly was another day.

     In a short period of time the situation has gone from very dry to "the rain can stop now." Many areas north and east of The Little House have been too wet for any fieldwork. Local farmers were fortunate that much corn planting was done prior to this wet spell. The trees and grass are happy!

Takk for alt,

Al

              Mother and child, Kunming, China.

The bluebird of happiness!

        Last fall, at birthday time, three bluebird houses were gifted to me. Placed in the early winter they had time to shed the human smells from construction and other handling. Now it appears that all three houses are occupied by bluebirds! This is a source of great delight. The wren house hanging outside the kitchen window of The Little House may not be occupied yet.

      One of my corn fields is plowed. Plans are to do the other in the morning. When I drove from the Twin Cities to Sinai Sunday I saw very few fields that had been tilled. The dry weather locally has given the farmers here a boost with their planting. Many farmers are finished planting corn. Fields are being prepped for soybean planting.

Takk for alt,

Al

                                  Statues in Kunming, China.

Waited patiently!

       Well at least I think I did, wait patiently. When I signed the paperwork for an apartment in the OFH in October, the administrator thought I'd get a parking place in the garage in February.  February, March, and April came and went without a place. Admittedly I was a bit ambivalent because I feared getting one because someone lost their driving privileges...it is an old folk's home after all. 

      A call from the parole officer in charge of  parking at the OFH informed me that there will be a garage spot for me when this latest furlough is over. Concerns about someone losing her/his driving privileges didn't materialize the. The current inmate just decided to move to a different facility. 

      Turkey vultures circling over my head while I was walking in the cemetery raised my anxiety. Hurrying over to my grave marker I ascertained that my end date was still blank. What a relief! 😂

Takk for alt,

Al

Parole!

     Kaia and I are on parole from the Old Folk's Home. Therefore, we relocated to The Little House on the prairie where we just arrived.  .5" in my rain gauge.  More will be written tomorrow.

Takk for alt,

Al 

Organized!

     Organizing spaces is not my gift. Once a space is organized I can maintain it. A nice feature of my apartment, in the OFH, is a utility closet that opens off the kitchen by the front door. It features a washer and dryer and came equipped with two shelves. The maintenance man added two more shelves at my request. On another wall I added a row of hooks.

    Today Lisa joined me for lunch then she organized the shelves, new and old, in the closet. She also did some organizing in the walk-in closet off the bedroom. Both spaces are much better organized now. Such organization makes me happy!

    Running an errand with my granddaughters this morning I found the streets and highways choked with traffic. The sun is out, January finally ended, the temperature is in the 70s, so everyone said "quick get in the car we're going...." Not so much of a problem in Sinai, though the road west of town is busy now that US Highway 81, is closed for construction again. If Lake Joanne ever goes dry Highway 81, will look like a Roman causeway!

Takk for alt,

Al

                       To the right entering the closet, shelves over the washer and dryer.

                              The view straight in with washer and dryer on the right.

End of January?

      Word on the street says this April was the windiest April on record in South Dakota. That's very believable.  Now it appears that climatically we're about to go directly from winter to summer! I. for one, am ready for HOT!  It doesn't mean I won't complain, I reserve that right, but I'm tired of cold! November 1, began the recent period during which I've been consistently cold. Enough already. It's been a good reminder of why I spent weeks each winter in tropical Thailand for many years. Will I get there again?  COVID permitting? Time will tell.  

Takk for alt,

Al

                                      This F-20, was manufactured the year I was born. 

People Time!

      Through 2020 and the long COVID quarantine the telephone was my lifeline to connect with people. Joanne worried that, in her absence, I'd become an isolated recluse which, of course, has not happened. Now, a brief stint in the OFH allows me to make connections with family and friends face to face. In the past I've referenced Martin Luther's assertion that "the mutual conversation and consolation of the saints" is sacramental. That's been much of my focus these few days I'm here, and yes, it feels sacramental. The phone is still a very important connection when I'm at The Little House. But, the Old Folk's Home is a pretty good place.

Takk for alt,

Al

 Draft oxen powering a sweep which transmits power to a tumbling rod to run machinery; Mt. Pleasant, IA.

OFH

     Kaia and Al are back at the OFH for a few days. It looks as if January has finally ended, 😏  All's well with us and I'll write more tomorrow!

Takk for alt,

Al

                                           South Dakota forest.

Visitor

      One day while I was cutting cedars out of grass two men came to visit. They saw what I was doing and stopped to compliant me on my efforts. Used to toiling alone, and frequently doing contrary to real farmers, it was nice to have my efforts acknowledged. Cody is a Farm bill biologist for Pheasants Forever, a conservation organization. Lucas is a private lands biologist with the South Dakota, Game Fish and Parks.

    Later Lucas called me to arrange a walking tour of some other property. After studying land maps he recognized some land that might be suitable for wetland restoration. This field is currently serving as pasture. 

   Today we walked the area and Lucas described the potential for wetland restoration.  This is where I run counter to my neighbors who tile and drain. On one property I constructed five dams to retain water. An open question is whether the restoration would be compatible with grazing cattle. The farmer who rents it has for many years and it's a vital piece of his cow/calf operation.

    After we completed our walk I introduced him to lunch in Nunda, S.D.  Wikipedia says this about Nunda.   "Nunda is a town in Lake County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 46 at the 2020 census. The first settlement at Nunda was made in 1877 by a colony of Scandinavians."  It's placement in Lake County is significant. Sinai is five miles north and in Brookings County, and for many years the county was "dry." Our lunch in Nunda was at the bar. Oh yes, the lunch special was roast beef, mashed potatoes (real), vegetable  and dessert: $8.00. When the train powered by steam ran between Nunda and Sinai it would take on water in Nunda and coal in Sinai.  That's today's geography lesson. 😁

Takk for alt,

Al

Preparing!

     The ground is still too cold to germinate corn that's seeded. However, local famers were planting until the recent rain stopped activity in the field. Modern seed corn is treated with antifungal and other protections. Consequently, it can lie dormant until the ground warms and then it will germinate.

     Most days have been too cold to drive a tractor without a cab so I'm not ready to plant. Today I cleaned and lubricated the planter so it is ready to go. Can you guess why it is necessary to clean an old planter prior to planting?  If you guessed spiders, you're correct. Their webs in the chute that delivers kernels to the soil can foil the flow of kernels.  This is probably not an issue with modern planters. Mine probably is 60 years old.

    This cold spring has been difficult for farmers with cow/calf operations. These farmers need sufficient feed, mostly hay, to carry their stock over winter. The cold spring has retarded grass growth in pastures. This necessitates farmers having to feed these stock longer. This isn't too serious if the farmer has sufficient hay from last summer. But, last summer was dry so hay production wasn't good. Farmers out of their own hay have to buy it and that's very expensive. It's time for a serious warm up!  Let's get those cattle to pasture.

Takk for alt,

Al

         Today's random is a vineyard in Portugal.

Just for fun!

          A couple of years ago Gerry gave me Bill Bryson's A Walk In the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail, which I've just read for fun. It recounts the adventures of  Bryson and, his friend Stephan Katz, walking 870 miles of the 2100 mile trail. It's not a new book, copyrighted in 1998, but delightful, as his books are.  Added to the account are historical and natural observations about the trail and what it passes. As always with a Bryson book, it sparkles with humor. Yes,  it was fun to read.

        It brought back memories of hiking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu with Lisa, Steve and Marylynn. We began at Cusco, Peru, elevation 11, 152 feet, via train. Cusco is located at the bottom of a bowl too steep for the train to climb out directly.  It would take a slice of the hill, back up another slice, then forward again many times until it finally summited. We dismounted a distance from Machu Picchu, and then hiked the Inca trail four days, so entered the way the Incas had.  Bryson and Katz agreed they'd hiked the Appalachian Trail, when they'd done 870 of 2100 miles.  So we had hiked the Inca trail when we'd done four days of 1200 miles of trail. 😁  Compared to climbing Kilimanjaro, which we'd done the previous year, this was much easier.  

Takk for alt,

Al

PS My gauge held 1.5" of rain.

Takk for alt,

Al 

          Machu Picchu seen from the Inca gate.