The news this morning is there is a Canadian goose sitting on the lid at the top of the grain bin! I certainly hope it’s not planning to lay an egg there because it will certainly roll off!
Yesterday I was waiting in the driveway (in the shade) for someone, and I heard a LOUD noise behind me and thought the person I was waiting for had an awfully loud muffler or his truck was falling apart. When I turned to look, I saw a yellow spray plane dipping and diving to spray the field of corn behind me with a fungicide. I am always so amazed at how low they go at such a speed and miss the tops of the grain bins and trees.
Crops look good now, but the high temperature in the day time, and still hot at night means the corn is “unhappy” with temperatures over 70 at night. The beans that had lots of wet spots in the field from the heavy rains a few weeks ago have finally gotten oxygen and are a dark green again. They are shorter, but alive and growing. I know there are drowned out places where the water stood waiting to drain through the tile line upright, but there’s nothing you can do about that now. I’m expecting a lot of tile holes in lines because of the pressure that built up as they drained. Won’t know until harvest.
On the home front, Ellis (5+) was here one afternoon while his Dad was baling hay. The plan was for him to be here for a while, and then Erik said he could ride with him in the tractor when he called. Didn’t work that way. All the great grandkids (even 2 1/2 Wesley) like to “work.” So, Ellis and I got the garden rakes and raked the rows of grass that were left after I mowed. It was rake, load the wagon, pull it to the barn lot and dump. I don’t remember how many trips we made, but when his Dad called, Ellis said he wanted to stay and help Grandma. Later on, Ashley brought Wesley out and for a while, we had “dueling rakes.” Both boys were raking and headed to each other with long handles, but there was no collision.
Erik said that night all the boys were talking about was helping Gma Sharon rake grass. I have found all the great grands are happiest when they are doing something like that (sometimes it’s just digging in the dirt). I guess we “old, big kids” are the same way. Actually, there’s times the difference in ages disappears and we become kids again!
Stay cool. The weeds in the garden seem to be growing as fast as crops. Don’t forget to think about planting a late garden. Almanac says: beans July 14-21, and beets August 15-31 with the best day on the 29th.
Oh, the other day I heard prices at a sale barn were $3,000 for a cow and baby calf, and $2,500 for a bred cow. Prices of corn, beans and wheat have gone up and down, but corn has “backed off.”
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.
