2024, Farming Update, Uncategorized, work

Lost And Found

34 Comments

Today’s Farming update comes from Ben.

So far, so good this year. Even the last planted crops are coming along. The soybeans are just coming out of the dirt. Most guys, or maybe it’s just the bigger farmers, ‘roll’ the soybeans, with a big steel roller, to push rocks down and make a good smooth seedbed (important at harvest), and also to create optimum seed-to-soil contact. I don’t have a roller, but the last few years I’ve run over the fields with a ‘drag / harrow’ to try smoothing it out. This year it kept raining right after I finished planting, so I didn’t get it done. Not the end of the world.

In the Header photo, the oats are on the left and looking good. Corn is the upper right and it’s coming along. The lower right is soybeans. Can’t quite see rows yet, but it’s coming.

Here’s a photo of my “Parts Shelf” at home.

Most of the boxes are filters for two tractors. Then there’s a new set of lawn mower blades, and a ‘throttle plate’ for the old 630 tractor, and some clips for the gas strut on the passenger door of the gator, and a new beacon to replace the one I broke off when I forgot it stuck up higher than the garage door is tall. There are also some wall brackets for tool storage, and brackets to attach the posts to the concrete when I get to building the fourth wall in my shed.

I am gainfully employed at the college through Tuesday June 4th, then off for the summer. Maybe then I can get the tractor unhooked from the drill, and clean up machinery, and return seed, and cut grass, and get back to working on my shed.

Right now, working on another play, ‘Clybourne Park’ is a sequel to ‘Raisin In the Sun’. Act 1 is 1950, and the black couple is about to move into the area. Act II is 2001, and the neighborhood residents are dealing with the changes to a lot of things. It’s a good cast and well written show. The lighting is pretty simple; just general interior lighting, with some specials for the ending, and a change from 1950’s look, to 2001 look. Think ‘sepia’ for 1950, and brighter, but the house is run down, in 2001. “Dingy” lighting. I’m having fun creating that.

I’m having a problem these days keeping track of my water bottles. I have three in the fridge door, and I take one with me to work or outside. By evening there’s only 1 in the door. I joke that at the college I need a workstudy to keep track of my clipboard and water bottle. And I need a phone case that comes with a guy to carry it for me. Generally, I find the water bottle the next day, out in the shop or in a tractor, or in the garage where I set it down to collect eggs.

Are you drinking too much or not enough?

34 thoughts on “Lost And Found”

  1. I have a problem with water. It doesn’t call out to me. I make two thermos’ of tea every morning and usually finish most of that. If I don’t finish it it goes into a koolaid pitcher in the fridge for later. Debbie gets frustrated because I use the big drinking glasses for drinking my tea and I usually take two of those in the car with me and I tend to misplace them then grab another. I’m kind of a it’ll show up guy and deb is kind of a let’s go find it now kind of person so it’s an ongoing saga. IKEA has the best malted milk style glasses but to enter ikea is a little like going into house on the rock with cavernous catacombs of twisting and turning pathways designed to distract you into loading up your cart with uncharted bargains and dodads and it usually works but by the time I’m through the store I feel like I’ve put in a full day so instead deb goes the dollar store and gets glasses I hate but use because they’re what we have. The grandkids have water bottles, my kids have water bottles deb has water bottles we have a cupboard in the laundry that is exclusively there to accomadate water bottles that have lost their turn in the rotation but if I grab one of those I’m informed that I am using Olivia’s water bottle or Spencer’s water bottle and I should find a different choice. Debbie is a kick.
    hey ben you could start hunting the wire racking for the shelving my experience is that it’s like $5 or $10 for a 4 foot section and for me works better than plywood on braces

    I heard about the raisin in the sun sequel last year and would like to see it

    I’ll do little digging ben and ind that info on the crop to plane to aerate the soul and make life better on the farm

    I was super impressed and thought you be interested

    I’ll bet the new shed makes life better for you going forward enjoy

    I e got a monster thermos I’ll grab for iced tea and see if I can work my way up to water. It would be good

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    2. Try using canning jars. They are cheap, they don’t break easily, and you can fit them with lids that convert them to drinking cups. Many sizes available. Some sizes work well with the kind of can coolers you put on 12-ounce aluminum cans.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. This is one companie’s product, but there are many others available….https://masonjarlifestyle.com/products/silicone-drinking-lid-mason-jars?variant=46983380533529&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_source=google&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=20747295115&utm_adid=&kendall_source=google&kendall_campaign=20747295115&kendall_adid=&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsPCyBhD4ARIsAPaaRf037uJIgIuOMeRtQR5EjvmtDEa95lzWkeV1V607xxHL-HpwY-S_koQaAjnvEALw_wcB

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  2. I am a yeti/yeti knock off aficionado. I love that they keep the drinks cool and the ice from melting too fast. I like a lot of ice in my drinks. Like tim, plain water does not call to me. But YA gave me a soda stream for solstice that adds carbonation and just a couple of drops of some kind of flavoring makes it doable. I am also addicted to my caffeine free diet pops!

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  4. I have a daily water goal of 2000 mL (2 liters) daily. I also drink tea. If it’s herbal tea, I count it toward my daily goal. If it’s caffeinated, I don’t. I don’t count coffee toward my goal. I usually make it to my goal before 4 p.m. (I’m a little OCD, and this goal is one of those things.)

    I have Klean Kanteen water bottles. I guess they’re similar to the Yeti ones but they’re a little less clunky.

    I use some glass jars at home for drinking glasses. Old canning jars work well. There are pint and quart sizes which work well for me since I know how much they hold. I’ve also got a set of four old Pier 1 glasses that work well. If it’s glass, I leave it at home. I take the stainless steel water bottles out with me. I no longer buy any bottled water in a plastic container. I do have two 3-gallon water bottles that I take with me and refill at the Co-op.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

      1. I just don’t. Caffeinated drinks do provide some hydration, but they also tend to be diuretics. I try to drink water but I do include other clear liquids like herbal tea or apple or cranberry juice.

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply

  5. Hydrating: ah, that bugaboo. Major issue with all my health issues. Hard to keep up with running back and forth and here and there. They took away coffee at the beginning of the month, now gave back decaf, but coffee is sort of a net loss. Have two bottles but often both are with Sandy or I forget to bring one over. Mankato water tastes terrible. Hate buying bottled water but I keep small bottles in her fridge for sides to help when they give her meds but I steal from the supply now and then. Sorry, Earth. Got a stern lecture from doctors last week about bigger need now. Hydrating, yes, that bugaboo.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    2. for you and krista

      britta is amazing

      filter lasts forever 3-4 months but slows way down when it’s time to change

      takes all the bad flavors out and costs 20 to start then 10 dollars every 3 months

      a great product

      Liked by 4 people

      Reply

  6. I have water bottles everywhere, and usually they are re-used from some boughten beverage. Husband needed to by Boost last year, and i.e., those little plastic bottles are very handy…

    I am always, always thirsty – I do drink a lot of tea in the mornings, and I guess that’s somewhat dehydrating, also some wine in evening with the same result. I should drink more just straight water. I do not like ice in my drinks unless it’s really hot out.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  7. Rise and Shine, Baboons, from JacAnon,

    I drink a lot of liquid and some of it is caffeinated. I have the same problem Ben does, though–whether phones or water bottles I lose them. Recently the Eden Prairie Comm Center gave away some little carrying do-dads that help a little, but really I leave a trail of belongings behind me. Phones and water bottles are just more things to lose. During our Arizona winters I did become accustomed to always having a water bottle with me. Even a small amount of time in the sunny on a warm day could produce de-hydration.

    Last weekend while at my sister’s house, I came down with a nasty cold that is mostly gone, but hanging on. What misery a cold is. And I did force fluids.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  8. I drink seltzer water at work. I don’t suppose I can count a glass of wine toward successful hydration. Husband drinks lots of water during the day due to his diabetes. He puts lots of seltzer in a little bit of juice. He also drinks ice tea. Everything except for coffee has to be really cold for him, so we go through lots of ice.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  9. Plain old tap water is my drink of choice – rarely drink anything else whether I am at home or eating out. There are always at least 2 or three bottles of water in my fridge. The Contigo stainless steel bottle works best for keeping the water cold and ice cubes frozen.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

        1. There are so many inspired versions of this song. From Leadbelly to Sweet Honey in the Rock, and numerous choral versions, each has it’s own unique charm.

          Liked by 2 people

Leave a comment