Farming

This might be a stupid question, but I'm going to throw it out there anyway. Who spreads manure during a rain storm? The answer to that question is quite obvious: I do. This past week it rained. Then it rained again. Then it kept raining. It got to the point that I built a boat, put our oxen in it, two milk cows, the bull, two ewes, the ram, six hens (I like eggs), a rooster, two sows from 1900, and Bill the horse.

In one day we got 4 inches of rain. I'll say that again so that it sinks in. Four. Inches. Not quite enough to warrant an ark...but still a good amount of rain.

Anyway, this past week Steve and I hauled manure, fence posts, logs, fence rails, and more manure. I shouldn't say Steve and I did this, as the oxen were the ones pulling the loads but the boys needed drivers. Our vine crops have been going crazy with all this rain. They have started an invasion of oat field, and are working their way to the trail that leads to the barn. We can't even see four rows of root crops. While I do enjoy pumpkin pie, fried squash, fresh watermelon, and cucumber salad. We've been having them pretty much every day lately. That and tomatoes.

There is an old French prayer that translates into "Lord, protect us from the wrath of the vikings". We at the 1850 farm have adapted that phrase, "Lord, protect us from tomatoes". Our farm has been eating, stewing, boiling, pickling, dressing, pitching, and fighting with tomatoes for the past month. Apparently there was a tomato blight this year in Iowa that affected a lot of the crops that were planted, depending on planting time. The blight was bad enough that farmers markets were getting complaints of not having tomatoes to sell. Everybody else waited another two or three weeks before they had edible tomatoes while we were sitting pretty. Steve and Katie were very proud of the garden because of that for a week or so. Then when we had three dishes on the table for dinner involving tomatoes our smiles quickly vanished.

It makes me thing of Garrison Keillor and his "Tomato Butt" story. How, as a child, he was picking tomatoes alongside his brother and sister. He and his brother started throwing tomatoes at the crab-apple tree, and each other until Mother calls from the door that they better keep working. Sister scolds Garrison and bends down to keep picking tomatoes at which point he says on the radio, "What a target!". Katie and I had a similar experience with Steve. Steve was picking cabbage worms, Katie and I were in the tomato beds picking. She and I started tossing the rotten tomatoes to the ducks, then we started playing a version of basketball with tomatoes. Steve scolds us, then bends down to keep picking cabbage worms. I look at Katie who must have been thinking the same thing cause she nodded and smiled. I picked up a handful of rotten grape tomatoes and threw them right at Steve's butt. It was awesome. Especially because he only wears white pants to work.

Anyway.

Tomatoes are finally dying off, but there are some more blooms on the plants which doesn't make me happy. Our cabbage and cauliflower are starting to head which makes me happy. We were worried that they wouldn't because of the damage done to them my worms. Little green caterpillars. Smell bad when you make them go "squish". Pumpkins are turning orange. Patty-pan squashes, Turk Turbans, and Yellow crook necks are going nuts too. Georgia Rattlesnake Watermelons are getting nice and big and plump. Green nutmeg melons have started to be consumed at dinners. They're a small green melon that looks honeydew and tastes like muskmelon. Plus they're only about the size of a 12 inch softball. It's a good breakfast food. Sweet corn is done. I'm upset about this because I didn't get to eat any at the farm. They always ate it when I wasn't there. We've got red chilli's that are up and done, along with some Bulls Nose peppers. It's a pepper that looks like a red jalep, but tastes like a bell pepper. I was confused.

Red the Bull is visiting our milk cows, and causing a bit of a ruckus with the steers. Red is only about 2 years old or so, but he put Luke the previous alpha male in the bovine community in his place. Steve and I were placing bets on who would win and how long it would take. If you won you didn't have to do chores the rest of the week. I picked the right bovine, but Steve won on the time. So we split and we split the pot, I didn't have to do morning chores, he didn't have to do evening chores. I think Red is going to be here for another month, but don't quote me on that. Since nobody is there at night or after work to see if Claire or Ginger get bread or not. -And no Dad, Red isn't baking up there. He doesn't have thumbs. Or an oven. Or a bread baker machine. Or electricity. -

Anyway, that about sums up the whole farming thing. We're building an addition to the hog lot for the piglets, but it's a work in progress. I conned Steve into digging all the fence post holes. But I think it's fair. I took a piece of machinery to the groin while we were demolishing the old hog lot. I told Steve he could make it up to me by digging the post holes. Con completed.

Oh,

I traded my car in for a truck. Helps with the moving animals and what not. When only one of the Ag guys has a truck, and maintenance won't lend us a truck it's hard to move livestock. We tried to put T-bone, our yearling steer into the back seat of my Grand Am...nobody was happy that day. "Tonka" is a 97 Dodge Ram 1500, 5.2 liter V8, she's two tone silver and red with tan upholstery. The best part is that the heat and AC both work! We're still feeling each other out, but so far we've only had a few hiccups. She goes into the mechanic the week before I come home, so...next week.

College football is upon us, so I'll be spending more time over at Cory's place as all I'd be able to watch is what garbage the TV channels want me to watch. Not that cable would be much better, but Cory gets the Big10 network. That makes me very happy that he is willing to let me watch sporting events at his place. Especially since basketball is right after football. And the Big10 network shows volleyball sometimes. Awesome Awesome.

Anyway, that's about it.

Buck