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A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING AND THEN SOME

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This week’s farming update from Ben

It was a work at the college, work at home, Some travel, and some storms kinda week. 

Last weekend Kelly and I prepped the spot for concrete. Just working ahead to have it ready. 
I rented the plate compactor, picked it up on Friday, and, like so many things, it goes better the second time around. Last year, when I rented it the first time, it kicked my butt. But now that I know how to run it and how it really only goes one direction, it was like walking a dog. Just pull it around by the leash / handle. I did a better job scraping out dirt, and adding gravel. Using the laser level and a stick with marks on it, Kelly and I raked and shoveled, and compacted, and checked and added more or scraped a little bit out. So it’s “level”, meaning within a 1/2” one way or the other, which is good enough for the base.

Ben walking the dog
Kelly pushing the dog
Kelly is feeling my muscles.

Just need to get the rebar laid in there, and wired together, and a form on the open South side. The other three sides are against existing concrete so they’ll get a barrier glued them, to allow for frost movement if needed. All of that will happen next week. Got concrete planned for the 11th. 

On Sunday I moved all the round bales of straw. Something wasn’t adjusted right and twice I lost a bale off the back lift when going up a hill. I tried to adjust the bracket, but I didn’t have a big enough wrench in the tractor and I just tried not to go up the hill at such an angle. We managed. 
So here is a bunch of pictures of that process.

Rear carrrier
Front spear
Net wrap

A comment was made last week about the long rows of white plastic bales. That’s a bit different system. This is called ‘Net wrap’ and it does shed some water from rain. Sometimes the hay will be baled when it’s still green and wet and then, to prevent mold, it has to be sealed, oxygen free, in those white tubes, or individually wrapped in white plastic. Takes special machines to wrap the bales individually or in the tube. And if wrapped separately, the farmer would use a sort of ‘squeezer’ on the front of the loader to pick up the bales with out poking holes in the plastic. Silage, or haylage, or even shelled corn can be stored in those white tubes. Animals or hail can cause holes and that’s a problem of course, because then you’re gonna get mold. 

Early Wednesday morning about 1:30AM a heck of a storm blew through. We knew there was a chance of rain, but holy cow, this was coming sideways through the open windows. Got them closed and there was a crackling noise. I thought Kelly was doing something and I asked her what that was and then there was a CRACK and  large tree branch was down on the deck. Missed the house by “this much”. We were all awake anyway, because, well, we’re idiots. I think there are a couple chairs on the deck under that branch. And maybe a metal deck table. 

The deck is under this.

Considering we’re flying out at 5:30 AM, I figure I better go check the road for other trees. The rain was letting up so I get in the car and head up the road and i don’t make it about 100 yards before there’s a large branch blocking the road. OK, back for the tractor. Oh. Power had gone off too. Figures. 
I’m out in the shed with a flashlight, unlocking the doors and sliding the doors open and I can hear the tornado sirens going off. And I’m about to get in the tractor and head up the road. Good thinking Ben. 

Looks like a good time to head out…Good Job Ben.

I clear the first branch, then up to the woods, and there’s a couple small branches down, and only one large tree blocking the road. I move it enough that we can get out. Then back home, and sit in the dark for another hour and we finally all get up and head to the airport. 
Flying out of RST is always easy. It’s a small airport and at 4AM security is easy. Up to MSP and I made a few phone calls and sent some emails to other township supervisors about the situation. We have a really good tree service the township uses, Olson’s, and they were out first thing clearing the roads. When I talked to the owner on Thursday he said there wasn’t a lot of devastation, it was just such a widespread area. And for the people complaining he hadn’t picked up the pile of brush on the shoulders yet, he’s trying to get tree’s off people houses first!
Add in the holiday weekend, and he’s got crews leaving for the holiday, and they’re doing what they can. 
Our power came back on about 8 AM according to the electric coop website. Our friends who are house sitting had to reboot the router for the internet a few times but I guess we’re back in action. 
I’ve heard there are some corn fields that are flat. Like steam roller flat. Beans looked a little rough, from what I could see in the dark, but they should be OK. And there was some hail, but that missed us too I guess. I take out a hail policy on the crops and that has paid out a few times. Guess I don’t need it this time. 

HOW MANY TIMES HAS YOUR CAR BEEN HAILED ON?

ANY EMERCENCIES JUST BEFORE FLIGHTS?

2026, animals, home, Nature, Seasons

Summer Frolic

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It’s been so dry here this summer that hint of possible precipitation gets me all worked up.  So, when there was a forecast for rain for yesterday morning, I was happy to hear it, even if it meant getting a bit damp doing my errands.  When it didn’t rain… well, grumpy-city!   

Time to cave and set up the sprinkler.  I did the backyard first and about 20 minutes later, as I was putting something in the recycling on the back porch, I looked out the back door and saw a good handful of sparrows having a frolic!  It was so cute.  Unfortunately I didn’t get a good picture – the dog barked before I could get a shot.  But here is a video that looked a lot like the scene in the back:

(This is a bit long for what it is… won’t hurt my feelings if you don’t watch it all the way through!) I’m not sure why I was so taken with this.  Maybe because we are barraged on all sides daily with such ugliness, seeing something sweet and unspoiled is even more special.  I know, I’m getting a bit mawkish here, but it was just one of days!

Anything sweet and unspoiled to report in your world this week?

Food, Gatherings, State Fair, crops, 2026

On Line…

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Lines and I have a checkered relationship. 

When my baby sister was 14 and coming up to visit me for a week, I slept in line overnight to get Bon Jovi tickets.  When I had to renew my drivers’ license (and had waited too late to get an appointment), I hit the AAA office at 6 a.m. to get one of the 75 walk-in slots.  The office opened at 9; when I got there at 6, I wasn’t the first in line!  You all know I’ve sat outside of Aldis in the past, in the cold for 3+ hours for the wine advent calendar.

But the lines at the State Fair stop me cold.  I think I told the story about YA standing in the donut line last year; the donut concession has upgraded to a building (they were in an RV before) but the line still runs all the way down the street and looks to be at least an hour wait.  Pickle Pizza has opened a second outlet which helps a bit but yesterday at noon, the main outlet had two massive lines, each going in opposite directions.

Last Saturday YA and went up to the Ag building first thing to see the crop art.  We clearly weren’t the only folks who had this thought.  We got there about 8:30 (exhibit opens at 9) and there was a considerable line.  Then a staff person came out to re-direct where the line was forming.  She said that the “come early” thought must have gone viral because the long lines had formed every morning so far; where we were standing was most likely going to be a 2-hour wait. 

And then there are the Apple Fries.  This is a new food at the fair this year and they’ve gotten good reviews, but the lines go down the street and around the corner.  We’ve read on line that most folks are waiting over an hour to get them.  

Not sure if I’ll see crop art this year.  I’m betting money I won’t be getting Apple Fries either.  YA has waited for donuts and Pickle Pizza, but not me.  Even if I had a stadium chair (like when I waited at Aldis and AAA), I’m not sure I’d want to waste so much time of my State Fair day waiting in line!  Hopefully some day in the future, the line for Apple Fries will be shorter!

Any good waiting in line stories?

2026, books, education, History, Movies, Mysteries

Rebel with a Clause

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A couple of weeks back, a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to go see the world-premiere of Rebel with a Clause at the Main Cinema downtown.  I’d never heard of this but my friend is a writer, super funny and super curious and super intelligent so without so much as even “bing-ing” it, I bought ticket online and that Sunday, off we went. 

Explaining it doesn’t even begin to do it justice, so here is the trailer:

It was SO funny, mostly because the idea of her quest is funny and a lot of the folks in the clips were hilarious but also because the audience was also hysterical.  The movie is split up into chapters.  For example, The Comma was a bunch of clips about comma questions.  In fact, when “Commas” came up on the screen, there was a huge reaction/laugh/groan from the audience.  Clearly grammar and usage hit a spot for many people and the audience obviously knew what those hot spots are!  This happened several times.

I have never been what you would call a stickler for grammar but for most of my adult life I’ve lamented about the sad state of English.  Even having studied Shakespeare and Chaucer and knowing that English has evolved, I stood my ground.  And then I had one of those life-changing reads.  The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson (what a great title too).  He was so effective in mapping out the path of our language that by the final page, I was completely converted.  The grammar that we were taught in school really is just arbitrary made-up rules and communicating is what’s important, not whether we’re splitting infinitives or not.  (And I’m really hawking his book – interesting and funny.)

This doesn’t mean that I have thrown grammar to the wind.  I still like to speak well and I certainly appreciate it when someone uses the subjunctive correctly.  I also still cringe when people mis-use reflexive pronouns, which seems to be more often than not these days.  But overall, I’m trying to let all that go.

Ellen Jovin clearly comes down on the side of not holding people’s feet to the fire over their use of grammar even though she really knows her topic.  (This is not a spoiler alert by the way.)  Turns out that in addition to setting up her Grammar Table, eventually, in all 50 states, she also wrote a book about the experience.  I have it on hold at the library. 

So…. (VS acknowledges she is using the ellipses incorrectly) I’m highly recommending both Mother Tongue and Rebel with a Clause.  And, if you’re here in the Twin Cities, the movie will be showing again at The Main Cinema on September 21 and September 24.  Highly recommended!!

Do you remember learning grammar in school?  Any grammar rule/s that you feel warmly about? 

2026, Art, Gatherings, Mysteries, State Fair, Uncategorized

Eye Catching

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For years I wore my State Fair t-shirts to work in August – a different one each day up until opening day.  But then, for some reason, I never wore any of them TO the Fair.  I’m not sure why and I’ll admit I never really thought it was weird.  I have a nice number of flowy, tunic-like tops (you Blevins folks have probably seen all of them) and I usually wore those during fair days.

Then this year, I had several dirty projects the first week of August and didn’t wear any of my fair shirts.  This made me think about my pattern and I decided to wear fair shirt to the fair.  Radical I know.

On Saturday, I wore my newest fair shirt (above) in addition to a pair of earrings I found last year at a little shop in the Grandstand:

I don’t think I’ve ever unintentionally drawn so much attention to myself.  From the time we got in line for the Park `n Ride bus until we got back to the parking lot (about 8 hours), 13 people commented on my shirt, 2 on the earrings.  All positive comments.  And after a few of the remarks, I started to realize that a lot of folks were noticing the shirt, even if they didn’t say anything.  It was weird and surprising since only two people had said anything about the shirt I wore on Thursday.  And one of them was at the Star Tribune booth; the shirt was a Steve Sachs design…

I met a gal later in the afternoon wearing the same shirt and we had a quick conversation about the shirt and she said she had experienced the same thing I had.  I suppose the colorful corn dogs on the black background make it stand out more than most fair t-shirt designs.  The great irony is that I don’t even eat corn dogs!  Haven’t even tried the vegan one at the fair yet!

Wonder if I’ll get a lot of comments when I wear the corn design shirt with the dangly ear of corn earrings?

Do you have any items of clothing that have gotten remarks?

2026, Business, Government, News, Uncategorized

The French Connection

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I read with great amusement this weekend about the deportation of Milo Yiannopolous, the right-wing rabble rouser described as a Provacateur. That French word made what he does, which is disgusting, seem so exciting and mysterious.

I wondered if he listed “Provacateur” as his official job description on legal documents and his British Income Tax returns. My father could have described himself as a Provacateur. He loved lively conversation in his coffee shop, and loved teasing and vexing his buddies who held different political beliefs than he did. I had to promise him on his death bed that I would include his signed photo of Hilary Clinton in the slide show at his funeral lunch. He wanted one last dig at his Republican friends. Heaven for him would be in a fishing boat with Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, and Billy Graham.

I think we should all start describing our vocations in French. Husband and I would be Psychologues. I don’t know the past vocations of all Baboons, but I know we have a Travailleuse Sociale (social worker), an Infirmiere Diplomee (registered nurse), a Poseur de Moquette (carpet layer), a Publicitaire (advertising professional), a Joueuse de Mandolin and Chanteuse (mandolin player and singer), an Auteur (author), a l’Agriculteur (farmer), a Technicien Lumiere (theatre lighting technician) and a Touche-a-tout (jack of all trades). Maybe we would all get paid more with such fancy job titles!

What is the French word for different jobs you have had? Would you enjoy being a Boulevardiere, Maitre d’hote, Danseuse, Raconteur, Flaneur, Sommelier, or some other French occupation?

2026, animals, chickens, crops, education, Farming Update, Music, Uncategorized

Chickens Love Popcorn 

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This week’s Farming Update from Ben 
 
I mean who doesn’t love popcorn, right? (I know there’s a few of you).  

Daughter went to a movie the other day. It was Tuesday so we did the Large Value popcorn (we usually have the refillable bucket, but this came up spur of the moment).  Shortly after she got home it was already soggy. Dang, we love leftover popcorn. I threw it out to the chickens the next morning. You know, back in the ‘70s, when I was in the hospital for three weeks with my leg injury, my mom would make popcorn, put it in a leftover bread bag, and freeze it. Then she would bring it to me in the hospital. You don’t often hear about people using bread sacks anymore, do you? They worked for boot liners and they worked for leftovers.  

See this video of me calling the chickens; they love leftovers, and popcorn all the more.  

https://youtube.com/shorts/P4e7q77LJ1c?si=dfzfUz5Dq5WL9T67

Finally got the last of the straw baled on Sunday. Saturday, I baled and stacked 110 bales in a wagon for the strawberry farm in the neighborhood. He’ll take them in November just before it gets really cold or snows. He’s got a shredder / blower type machine that he can stack about a dozen bales on, then wife or child feeds them into the chute to chop it up and spray it over the berries while he drives down the rows. Looks pretty slick for that job. On Sunday, Neighbor Craig was over and round baled the rest. Got 18 large round bales, called 5×5’s. Five feet wide and about five feet diameter. At some point I’ll get out with the tractor and loader and bale fork on the front and bale lift on the back and pick them up and put them in a row until neighbor Dave picks them up for use as bedding this winter. As I’ve said before since there’s no under seeding planted with the oats, they can sit there for a bit. If there was something planted underneath, and they were left sitting, the bales would smother whatever was growing. I do want to get these fields dug up and planted to rye, so I need them moved sooner than later.  

I called John Deere to come out and check why the big tractor is overheating. I pulled the side panels off.

Hmmm. Maybe this pipe?

And I decided, yeah, let’s call a guy. I don’t have that much time right now anyway being back at college and all. I bought this tractor used. It has 11,000 hours on it, which is equivalent to 50,000 miles on a car. And I put about 100 hours on it per year. It came from a local farm, so my local dealer might have some history on it. I don’t. I can tell the radiator hoses are soft, meaning they should be replaced, and it probably needs a water pump and new thermostat. I’m guessing $3500 parts and labor. Will let you know in a month.  

Got new lights installed on a trailer, then went to pick up rebar and a 6″x6″x16′ green treated post for a fence down in the cow yard.

Fancy new lights

We’re also prepping for more concrete in the shed. Padawan and I excavated dirt this week. Got two loads of gravel delivered for the base. Rented a plate compactor for the weekend. Padawan was out for a couple hours, and he and I worked on digging out the dirt and gravel next to the existing concrete. Man, I am so looking forward to having concrete in here! Another one of those things I wish I’d have done 20 / 30 / 40 years ago! But, you know, money. And life. And I’ll appreciate it more now. (Padawan 2 is back at college).  

Another project
This looks like work.

I changed the spark plugs in the swather, and then I was tired of looking at it. Remember I said I’d drive it around for an hour so it felt needed? I drove it for 20 minutes and called it good. It worked, it made all the scary noises I’ve come to expect, and I parked it back in the shed for next summer. I’ll try to start it once a month and move it back and forth until winter. I say until winter because usually I have something parked in front of it, so I can still start it, but not be able to move it after that.  

At the college I am taking two classes: Music Fundamentals, and Introduction to Humanities. I don’t usually do two classes. But music only has 11 students and I was afraid it would be cancelled so I registered for Humanities and now they’re both going. I signed up for music because I wanted to learn more about WHY I like the music I like. How is a song created? What makes rock sound like rock and country sound like country? And what do they mean when they say, ‘This is in the key of A’?  

And the teacher for Humanities is a great teacher. I’ve taken 3 of her classes before. Both these are online and so far, so good. From what I’m learning so far in chapter 1, I’m pretty good at the Humanities already. I am mostly open minded, and I use a Socratic method of teaching. (Trying to get others to think and answer questions themselves and not simply lecturing).  

Anyone familiar with Rhaphidophoridae? Otherwise known as Camel Crickets?  

Eww!

We have had them in our house the last few years. They’re creepy. We have an exterminator / bug guy that does bait stations outside to control mice and rats, so we had him spray the basement too.  

The ag co-op had me apply for my crop loan for next year. Got that approved. Saved a $250 application fee. Looks like I can farm again next year.  

I’m seeing a few soybeans starting to turn yellow. Haven’t seen anyone chopping corn silage yet, but that will be happening soon. I picked a few ears of corn the other day. It is well dented. Counted 14 kernels around, and 38 long. Usually they’re 16 around, a really impressive ear will be 18. They were both filled all the way to the end, meaning the plant had everything it needed and didn’t need to abort any kernels to survive. Now that was just this one place in this one field. I could go to another field with more rocks and it would look worse.  

Acorns are falling too. They are good sized this year. Must have been a good year for acorns. And it seems like some of the barn swallows have started to leave. The world just keeps going around.  

THINGS YOU USED TO USE FOR LEFTOVERS YOU DONT USE ANYMORE?

2026, Family, home, Kids, Uncategorized

New Digs

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It was fun to be in Brookings this past week. Brookings is the home of South Dakota State University. Both our son and DIL work for the University, he as a mental health counselor and she, in a new position, as a Freshman student advisor.

Classes started on Monday. Last weekend Son helped students move into their dorm rooms. Golf carts were involved, and Son also helped direct campus traffic. DIL helped students rearrange and tweak schedules. Though they can’t and didn’t give us any individual details, both stated the incoming students were pretty anxious.

I started at Concordia in Moorhead in 1976. I had never lived away from home before. A band trip to Europe that summer seemed to have cured me of any homesickness. As an only child it was rather disconcerting to have to share a dorm room with someone, though. I was in the oldest dorm, Fjelstad Hall. My roommate was tolerable enough, but a local girl and more interested in her hometown friends than she was in developing a relationship with me. I quickly found friends on other floors.

Concordia had very strict rules for students. Freshmen and Sophomores had to live on campus. The school openly acknowledged taking an in loco parentis role with students. You couldn’t have a vehicle if you lived on campus. That meant taking the Fargo-Moorhead transit system around town. There was, of course, a total ban on alcohol in dorm rooms. (All that meant was that people got really sneaky.)

I wish all the first year SDSU students well. I am glad they have my son and DIL for support.

What were your first digs like when you moved away from home? Ever live in a dormitory?

2026, Food, Seasons, State Fair, Travel

It’s That Time Again!!!

35 Comments

You all know where I am, right?  That’s right – the VS State Fair Fest has begun!

Tickets purchased (actually bought them in November for last year’s price).

Blue Ribbon Coupon Book purchased.  Both YA and I have added our post-it notes.

Food list assembled and printed off.  This includes traditional items that we like every year (corn, cookies, crepe, Hawaiian shave ice, etc.) as well as new foods. 

Trial drive to parking lot done.  I do this every year to make sure there isn’t any surprise road construction.

Turtle bag “packing list” updated… actually just printed out this year – we didn’t make any changes from last year.

Turtle bag packed (bandaids, Tylenol, pad/paper, address labels, collapsible container for cookies, coupon book, cash…).

Depending on what time you’re up and reading this, I’m either feeding the dog/cat before I leave, driving to St. Paul, waiting in line, on the Park & Ride bus.  Once the bus gets to the transit hub and I get through the entrance, who knows what the day will bring for me!

You’ll have to talk among yourselves today.  Anything planned for YOUR day?

2026, Family, home, Uncategorized

Is That Smoke?

32 Comments

Our son’s dishwasher has been making the most dreadful noises all summer. He was hoping to wait until September to get it looked at by the appliance repair folks.

We are currently staying with our son and Dil looking after our grandson. Yesterday I started the dishwasher after I had finished making some Franzbrotchen, a Hamburg pastry. The dishwasher made its usual grinding noises. Not too far into the cycle it stopped and a warning signal began beeping and a special code popped up on the display to indicate what the trouble was. Husband and I were the only adults home. We contacted our son and he sent us the on-line information of what to do in this circumstance with this particular warning code. It said to unplug the dishwasher for 5 minutes, then restart it.

I followed the instructions. After I restarted the machine it no longer made the awful noise. Then, however, I noticed that something that looked like steam but had a burning, electrical smell was wafting out of the top of the door. I checked, then double checked and decided it was actual smoke. I immediately turned off the dishwasher and unplugged it. I removed the bottom access plate to see if anything was burning under the machine, felt all around on the floor and cupboards to see if anything felt hot, then checked the ceiling in the basement where the dishwasher was perched. It was ok.

For some reason when I woke up yesterday morning I distinctly remember thinking that Son needed to get that dishwasher replaced because the awful noise it made could mean it might start a fire. How weird is that? PI never have had a premonition, but this is pretty close. We helped him choose out a new dishwasher late yesterday afternoon.

Ever had a premonition? Any memorable appliance fails?