I’m writing this on Wednesday, and it promises to be another nice day. Farmers are putting on anhydrous for next year’s corn crop, tillage is being done, calves are either weaned or being weaned and big round hay bales are being fed. The pastures are down to nothing because of lack of rainfall, and cows will be able to graze stalk fields of harvested corn or harvested beans. The pasture creek has stopped running, and I’m thankful for the rural waterer that was installed in the pasture a few years ago. That’s the scene in the country. You may see big, round bales of cornstalks sitting in fields. They make terrific bedding in the winter for livestock.
The scene at the house finds tomato vines and peppers pulled out of the ground after the frosts we had, the butternut squash is harvested, and there are just a few apples hanging on the Golden Delicious tree.
I was at McDonald’s the other morning for a cup of coffee, and there were four fellas wearing camo clothes . I wasn’t sure if they had been waited on, so I asked them. The reply was, “Yes, maam, we’ve already ordered.” Guessing they were deer hunters, I asked and one fella said, “Yes, maam. We’re from Alabama and my friend has done this for 20 years. We rent a house while we’re here.”
Julie had a similar thing happen, only those hunters were from Mississippi. At Wal-Mart yesterday a fella was headed to his truck that had a Pennsylvania license plate on it, and he said he was also a deer hunter but hadn’t seen many. They were bow hunters, and I would guess because of the warm weather the deer aren’t on the move very much.
Well, I’m not sure what the grain market is going to do today. Yesterday beans went down about 16 cents after going up for a couple days in a row when China said it would buy US beans.
The cattle market took a dive when it was announced we would be importing beef from Argentina. Things are not “solid” from day to day.
Well, the Halloween decorations are coming down. I have never seen so many full length (or larger) skeletons in my life. I don’t think they scare kids as much as this adult when I saw a tall one standing in a grassy field!
With the weather changing, I’m feeling my age. I read this definition of old age: You just wake up one morning, and you got it!
P.S. Farm Bureau members and non-members: Be sure and call the Farm Bureau office to register to go hear Steve Johnson talk about markets on Nov. 17 at Spoon River College.
Sharon Chenoweth is a resident and farmer of McDonough County. Her column focuses on rural life and will be featured every other week in the Community News Brief Friday Edition.
