• Using the grain vac for the first time

    Our soybeans are stored in some older bins and to get all of them loaded into a truck for delivery we have to use a grain vac, a super large vacuum. One of the truck company drivers was nice enough to teach us how to use it as we loaded their trucks. It did end […]

    READ MORE

  • I see green!!!

    The small stream behind our house has finally melted. No more snow!!! The groundhog didn’t see his shadow February 2, 2011 so spring really does come sooner. This stream flows through the pasture where the sheep graze in the spring, summer and fall. It flows into a river that flows into the Mississippi River.  

    READ MORE

  • historic barn features

    The upper story of an old barn stores bales of hay for livestock. I was just admiring the sunlight through the window, lighting up the spiderwebs and old beams that I find so fascinating. I can’t imagine the amount of labor put in to building such a structure. These wood pegs were made by hand […]

    READ MORE

  • another dump

    We got yet another fresh dump of snow that laid on top of the last dump and the dump before that. I had to keep thinking that all this moisture will someday melt and supply the ground with water for the green grass and flowers to grow. I was hoping that day would come soon […]

    READ MORE

  • feeding sheep

    The sheep get fed everyday. They need a few square bales of hay and a pound of corn per sheep to give them energy to stay warm during the cold months. I learned that sheep don’t feel that cold, especially in their feet. Their hooves don’t have nerve endings and their thick wool keeps them […]

    READ MORE

  • then the snow came…

    I have no problem saying that this last winter was tough on us. It helped to know that Iowans felt that this last winter was one of the longest and snowiest in decades. You just have to keep busy, keep your mind off the cold, and plan for many interior projects. We each packed on […]

    READ MORE

  • sunsets, sunrises, harvest moons and stars

    Iowa has some beautiful sunsets, along with sunrises, big orange moons the night sky lights up with stars. I had forgotten all of these naturally occurring spectacles and they make it an even more special place.

    READ MORE