Category Archives: Family

2024, Family, Farming Update, gardening, home, Kids, Uncategorized

Almost Farming

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Today’s Farming Update comes from Ben.

We’ve had some nice rainfall, and I’ve got the show open, and I’m trying to stay home and get ready to farm. Yet, every day seems to be interrupted by minutiae and farming has not become the priority it should be. Yet.

My brain cleared enough I found the three things I couldn’t find last week. Kelly pointed out to me the extra chicken waterers behind the house. Yep, that’s exactly where I put them last fall when that chicken hatched those eggs under the deck. And I found the rain gauge in the garage right where I thought it should have been last week. And it turns out the dog’s tick medication is good for 12 weeks, not four, so I had only bought one dose. And that’s why I couldn’t find more. There’s usually a rational explanation, isn’t there.

Over the weekend Kelly and I got 2/3 of the seed wagon cleaned off. (The “shed remodeling tool storage wagon”) so at least I have room for oats and corn seed and the oats will be gone before I pick up the soybean seed and then that can go on there. Daughter and all three dogs and I picked up oat seed on Monday. I also picked up another ton of the layer ration for the chickens. One ton, in 50 pound bags, equals 40 bags, so they are good for about eight months.

On Friday I got the tractor hooked to the soil finisher. If you park something in a field over winter, you need to put a board under the jackstand, otherwise it will sink into the dirt and the hitch of the implement will not line up with the tractor drawbar. I had a board under the jackstand when I unhooked it back in October, but the implement shifted and the jackstand slipped off the board. And then Friday it was 8” down in the dirt. I took a regular jack out to lift up the tongue to get it hooked to the tractor and that jack pushed down into the dirt as well. I had a board to put under the jack, but it was stuck under the hitch at first. Eventually I got that out and under the jack, and was able to raise it up, get the hydraulic lines hooked to the tractor, and attach the tractor and implement. See? I’m making progress!

I moved the chicks out of their first, smaller tank, and into the larger pen. They are about robin sized now.

The spring play at the college will close this Saturday afternoon and next week is a band and choir concert. We need to be out of the theater by about 5:30PM on Saturday, so we don’t have much time to dismantle the set. I hope to get things off the bookshelves on the set, and the small grand piano (it’s an electronic keyboard) off the stage. I’m hoping to get three or four strong young kids to carry it up the steps rather than tipping it on its side, taking off two legs, and trying to get it through a doorway sideways, like it came in. Goals.

I started delivering some straw this week.

Speaking of Straw, I was talking with a family friend about the hayrides that we used to do with 4-H or church groups. It used to be a very popular thing to take a tractor and wagon, make a pile of loose straw on the wagon, and then at night, in the dark, 15 or 20 kids would pile on the wagon and you’d go out in a field and drive around and push each other off, and by the time you got home again there was no straw left on the wagon. We don’t do that anymore. Can you imagine? What could go wrong?

I don’t know how come nobody got seriously hurt. My folks did it for the church youth groups for a lot of years. The only accident I remember is when one kid jumped off a wagon early and was going to cut across a corner of the driveway to catch a second wagon, and he ran into a barbwire fence. After that, the kids were told to stay on the wagon until they got to the field.

There is a story in my grandmother’s diaries of a 4-H hayride mid 1950’s, when the tractor slipped into a ditch. The wagon tipped over and several kids were hurt – none seriously by some miracle, but my uncle, who was driving the tractor, had several cracked ribs.

When our kids were young, the daycare would visit the farm and we used a hayrack with the tall sides, and they sat on bales, and we went in the daytime, and it was just a wagon ride. Not a hayride in my sense of the word.

I googled “hayride” to see if I could find examples of our type of hayride. Wikipedia says it’s a traditional activity consisting of a recreation ride which has been loaded with hay or straw for “comfortable seating”. They say it harkens back to farmhands or kids riding the load of hay back to the barn for unloading. And has since become a tourism gimmick to generate income for the farmer. I guess that’s one way to do it.

READERS CHOICE!

2024, animals, Family, Health, Medicine, pets, Uncategorized

As Sick As A Dog

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Husband and I are pretty anxious right now to find out how our dog is doing at the vet. We had to take him there Thursday after three days of constant hurling after meals. The vet did x-rays and found him to be constipated and dehydrated. There is the possibility that he has an upper intestinal blockage of some sort, perhaps from the shards of an Icelandic lamb horn, or the Kong Wubba he chewed and destroyed over the weekend, or a mixture of both. He hasn’t had anything different to eat for the past couple of weeks. He has been drinking water like crazy, though. He typically doesn’t swallow what he destroys, so we can’t think what would have plugged him up.

It is hard to tell when a terrier is under the weather, as they typically don’t let you know they aren’t feeling well until they are half dead. Even before we took him to the vet he wanted to tug, steal things, and go for walks. They are giving him special IV’s to hydrate him and get his digestive system flowing, as it were. They will do surgery if that doesn’t work. I refuse to take as on omen that the flock of vultures on the local butte were circling our home as I wrote this.

What health issues have your pets had? How can you tell your pets or human companions aren’t feeling well?

2024, Family, Gatherings, Music, Uncategorized

Groupies

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Next weekend our hand bell choir is performing at a ND State PEO convention in town. One of our ringers is a PEO member, and felt that they would appreciate our music. Instead of our usual sacred selections we are playing My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music, Ashokan Farewell, the Hawaiian version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow, and Puff The Magic Dragon, just the sort of selections retired teachers would appreciate.

A couple of years ago our bell choir director volunteered us for a State Eastern Star convention in Jamestown. She is a leading light in the Eastern Star. That was a pretty weird experience. It was also a 400 mile round trip hauling all our bells and equipment. At least the PEO convention is in town.

My father belonged to the Masonic Lodge. My paternal grandfather was an Oddfellow as well as a Shriner. I have little patience with these groups and their rules and secret handshakes. I know the PEO and service organizations have good intentions. The PEO supports women’s education. I was the recipient of a PEO scholarship as an undergraduate. It just amazes me that these groups can continue.

What fraternal or service organizations have you or your relatives belonged to? Propose some new groups that you might find interesting.

2024, Family, Kids, Uncategorized

Progress

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I was happy to read in the Luverne paper this week that construction has started on a 7.5 million dollar child care center in town.

A couple of years ago, residents expressed concern about dwindling child care options, and the city responded by securing funding for a municipal child care center to serve over 100 children ages birth to 12. The city just had to secure a $1,000,000 city match from community members. Well, that took only six months, and they exceeded the goal.

In Dickinson, child care is getting harder and harder to find, especially for infants. We recenly lost a terrific mental health tech because she had no daycare for her infant daughter. It is so good to hear the progress in Luverne, and I only wish Dickinson would follow suit.

What progressive things are happening in your community? Did you ever have babysitters, either when you were a child or for your own children ?

2024, animals, Family, holidays, Nature, Uncategorized

Up Close And Personal

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One highlight of our trip to Tacoma was a side trip we took to the northern part of Puget Sound to Orcas Island to see. . . orcas!

We took a ferry to the island and stayed in an Air B and B that was up a single lane, vertical dirt road to a place that was lovely and that afforded a gorgeous view of islands and the Sound. Vancouver Island was quite close.

The crew of the whale boat were three marine biologists who loved their work and who loved to tell us all about the animals. There were about 30 people on board, including some very lively children. We were very lucky to encounter a pod of seven orcas, including a young orca. We saw them chase a harbor seal, but we didn’t find out if they caught it. At one point the pod divided into two groups and we had orcas on both sides of the boat. The marine biologists somehow knew the lineage of the pod, and showed us the pod family tree going back to the great grandmother. We were also thrilled to see the largest and oldest orca in that part of the Sound, a huge 62 year old with a notch in his dorsal fin, probably from the bite of a Stellar’s Sea Lion.

With regard to the sea lions, they were the only animals stationary long enough for me to get a photo. They were lying on a large rock, grunting and bellowing, and roaring. You can see them in the header photo. They smelled terrible!

The orcas leaped and swam but were too fast to catch on camera. So were the otters. It was nice to just sit and watch with my eyes and put my phone camera down for a while.

What are some memorable “up close” wildlife encounters you have had? Did you ever want to be a marine biologist?

2024, animals, Family, Farming Update, Uncategorized, work

Chicks!

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Today’s Farming Update comes from Ben.

The college says it’s ‘Aggressive Goose Season’. Proof of Spring if I nothing else is.

There are two pairs of geese. One pair in the courtyard on the West side of campus and they will fight you. And another pair on a median in the middle of the East parking lot. The male stands in the middle of traffic keeping watch. It’s down to single lane there and security has put cones around them.

I picked up chicks from the post office on Thursday. Poultry chicks I mean.

I ordered 50 this year. And because details are a problem for me, somehow I got 15 male ‘Blue Laced Gold Wyandotte’. I didn’t mean to order boys. Still don’t know how I did that. And I looked at this order several times last week to watch the ship date and I never noticed. Details. They’ve been vaccinated for coccidiosis.

So. Guess I’ll have fresh chicken to eat this summer. My mom showed me how to butcher chickens several years ago and that’s when I decided I’d rather collect eggs. I think I’ve heard the neighbors says there’s place I can take them to be butchered. It’s not a good idea to have adult 15 roosters. The poor hens don’t get a chance as they boys never give them a break. And they fight amongst themselves. And believe it or not, we’ve never had a whole chicken to bake, so that will be something to learn and experiment with. Baby chicks are kind of expensive depending on the breed. Somewhere between $4.55 (for the boys) to $5.19 for the green egg layers. I’ll be ordering baby ducks later this summer and they’re $8.36 for a mixed variety, to $9.52 for mallards. Minimum order is 15.

We heard the sandhill cranes this morning. I hope they stick around a while. Saw a turkey vulture too.

Our dogs, Luna-tic, and Bailey are getting along better. Bailey has realized she can fight back, and when she does, she can hold her own and not let Luna push her around, and now they are playing more than just fighting.

TIPS FOR BAKING CHICKEN?

WHAT’S YOUR POST OFFICE LIKE?

2024, Family, Food, Gatherings, Kids, Travel, Uncategorized

How Do You Know

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Husband and I don’t travel very much. Twice a year I have to go to a conference in various destinations in the US or Canada as part of my work on a regulatory board, and Husband sometimes goes along. If I didn’t have to attend the conferences we wouldn’t travel as much. We are just too busy with work, gardens, and family pets to leave home very often.

This week we are visiting our daughter in Tacoma, WA. It is so nice to travel without an agenda or meetings to attend.. Wednesday we drove to Gig Harbor to a wonderful bagel shop and cooking store that Daughter loves, and walked around in the marina. We also saw a very strange tree.

We then had a lovely evening with Daughter and two of her dear friends, a married couple, at a wonderful Italian restaurant. Of course, we had to have a sampling of Washington wines masterfully curated by the friend’s husband.

My Husband asked this morning “How do you know you are on vacation?” To him, it means that someone else is letting the dog out, or else he is by a large body of water. To me, it means that I have no access to work emails, and someone else does the driving. Daughter has curated our trip nicely, planning visits to lovely restaurants and time with her friends, along with some great sightseeing. Yesterday we drove north of Seattle, stopping off at the Tulip Festival in Mount Vernon, then driving farther north and west to Anacortes, where where we got the ferry to Orcas Island and a B and B way in the middle of nowhere.

We were advised to travel there in the daylight, as the road there had so many switchbacks. It is a beautiful place. This is the view from the front room.

Today we go whale watching. By Saturday we will be back in Tacoma for more luncheons with Daughter’s friends, and an appointment at a candle making studio. Monday we go home.

How do you know that you are on vacation? What are the best and worst vacations you ever had?

2024, Family, Food, Technology, Uncategorized

Death By Toaster

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Husband and I got a new toaster the other day, trading in our British-made Dualit for an Italian SMEG. The Dualit worked great for about 20 years, but finally gave up.

One feature I really liked in the Dualit was the ability to raise up the finished toast over the top of the slots with the lowering lever after it was done. No need to stick your fingers in the hot slot to retrieve the toast. The SMEG doesn’t have that capability. The other day I was fishing some toast out of the SMEG with a fork when I heard a voice from the past, my mother’s, saying:

“Stop! You’re going to get electrocuted if you stick that fork in there!”

I think my mother said that to me every time she saw me making toast. I don’t know if anyone ever died by sticking a metal implement into a toaster after the toast was done, but she sure was going to make certain I didn’t.

I ignored the warning from the past and fished out the toast with the fork. I didn’t get electrocuted. The toast was good. Sorry, Mom. I am just going to live dangerously.

What safety admonitions did you get as a young person? How do you live dangerously? How do you like your toaster?

2024, education, Family, Farming Update, Travel, Weather

What Day is This?

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The weekend Farm Report comes to us from Ben.

I have been completely discombobulated since returning home from Seattle. The weather did hamper our Sunday return flight and because I had purchased my plane ticket separate from Kelly and daughter, Delta automatically rebooked me on a redeye from Seattle to Minneapolis, while leaving those two on their own. Eventually they were able to get on the same flight. We left Seattle at 12:30 AM Monday, arriving at MSP about 5:30 AM and back to RST about noon Monday. We were all exhausted and needed naps.

But the extra day in Seattle allowed me to see the ‘gum wall’.

It’s… something.  It’s kinda gross. Glad I didn’t have to pay for that.

The dogs were mildly excited to see us. They had good sitters while we were gone, and those people said they did their best to turn the dog’s loyalty. I think a few more days they could have done it. I laughed that all the dog treats were gone. No wonder the dogs liked them best.

I attended that workshop called “Psychology of Stupidity”. It was presented by a group called ‘Risky Business Resources’. The room was full, standing room only in fact, which I thanked the crowd for being that interested in safety, and kudos to the presenter for his title. If he had called it ‘Analysis of theater Safety’, it wouldn’t have been so full.

We discussed how people make decisions, and the factors that lead to people making mistakes. He had us play ‘rock paper scissors’ with our left hands, while thumb wrestling with our right. It can’t really be done. Some takeaways: Sleep debt and fatigue increase risk taking. Underestimating risk is a big one.

What stuck with me the most was discussing step ladders. We’ve all stood on that step second from the top. The one that says not to stand on. So why is that step even there?? Some ladder manufacturers have tried removing that step. People complained the ladders weren’t tall enough then. And there was nowhere to put the sticker saying not to use that step. It made the whole room laugh.

On the last day, I took part in a Kazoo parade.

It’s part of a fundraiser.

By Tuesday I was right back into things. A ceiling leak at one theater. Striking lights at another. Back to my set at the college.

I saw a killdeer! It’s nice they’ve returned.

I ordered some extra tough shoelaces off amazon. I got some that are fire and heat resistant. I could  see the need for that if I was a firefighter. But if I need shoelaces that are fire and heat resistant, I’m doing something wrong.

WHAT’S THE DUMBEST ATTRACTION YOU’VE SEEN?

2024, Family, Food, holidays, Mysteries, Seasons

Eggs-tremely Envious

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Every year I am jealous of Renee.  Her daughter always tells her she wants an Easter basket and tells her what to put in it.  No guesswork, no trying to figure out what might appeal to a grown daughter.  SO JEALOUS.

As I mentioned a couple of times, YA likes the traditions of Easter but doesn’t like to admit it.  I’m not sure why; it’s the same with some other things.  So every year when I ask her what she wants in the basket, she says “Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs”.  That’s it.  Well, you all know me – it’s hard on my nature to fill up her basket with just one item.  Every year I get carried away and every year she enjoys it. 

This year was the same.  Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs.  I spent a few days thinking and routing through her room before I headed out to shop.  I wandered through Target and Walgreens and Cub – oh, and the Dollar Store (which really needs to be re-branded since everything is $1.25 these days).  I ended up with a handful of skin and hair products that I know she likes.  One Lindt chocolate bunny.  Amy’s Bunny Grahams.  Ghiradelli caramel bunnies.  Little bag of Garden Veggie Chips that are egg-shaped and in spring colors.  A lambie toy (this is technically for Guinevere – I tied an Easter ribbon around it’s neck).  Two Apple giftcards as YA is saving for a new computer – safely ensconced in spring giftcard holders that I made.  Cheddar bunny snacks and, of course, Reese’s PB eggs. 

It’s a glorious looking basket and even without the Apple cards, surely the most expensive basket I’ve ever assembled for her.

Why did the Easter Bunny get its job?