Harvest is OVER.

I got back from visiting the grandsons on Nov. 21st and Mike finished up harvesting on Nov. 24th. The yields were better than expected,this is a good thing; but of course we didn't have enough grain contracted ahead of time for the higher price. We saw an all time high of $7.00 a bushel on corn and it is now $2.93 and a high of $15.00 a bushel for soybeans and now they are $7.00. For those of you that don't know a lot about farming let me explain a bit. If we sold 1000 bu of beans for $15.00a bushel that's $15000.00 now we get $7.00 a bushel which would be only $7000.00 total. Do the math, we lost alot of money not knowing when to sell at the high. (It would have bought me many airline tickets to see the kids)
Farming is a BIG GAMBLING GAME.( We don't have to go to the casino to lose money.) Just so you don't think this money is all profit, it's not. There is the expense of the seed, chemicals, fertilizers, fuel,insurance, labor hired, cash rent of the ground and the repairs on all equipment (tractors, combine, disc, sprayer, planter, chisel, etc). The price of a tractor or combine can average around $200,000.00 (depending on the size and if you buy new or used.)
Harvest was later this year because we had such a wet spring and could not get the seed in the ground like usual. Then mother nature decided to give us plenty of moisture and we had to replant several acres (another added expense....twice the seed, fuel, time etc.) Did I forget to tell about our labor? Guess the time it takes to raise all this good food is sometimes donated since we don't make much of a profit. Oh well, our bellies are always full.
Mike finished his fall field work this past weekend and applied part of his anydrous for next spring.
Sorry if I am boring any of you; but I just wanted to get this down in writing about the strange year we had.

Grandma fix

I would see a lot of grandparents with their grandchildren or hear their stories of being with them the past few days and it made me really long to see my grandsons. Tracy found a great deal on an airline ticket for me and purchased it. I was on a plane in two days. It was going to be a short trip, but it turned out to be longer than expected.

I got to Richmond, VA, saturday the 22nd around noon. All the Joneses were there to greet me. After we got my luggage we drove to a nice restaurant in a shopping mall. The boys and I played next door in a children's store while waiting for our table. After our lunch the boys and I rode on the train around the mall sidewalk, water fountain, etc. After we got home, Tracy went to a cooking school for MOPS (I think) and Michael & I got to put the boys to bed.

Sunday we went to church and Zachary & I got to watch Tracy teach in her room. She is such a good teacher; doesn't matter if it's her own children or others. I'm proud of her. After sunday school we went to Mikie's friend Jacob's 4th birthday party. He had a dinosaur theme. His mother did an awesome job with the decorations, food and games. We had a lot of fun.

Monday I watched the boys at their gymnastic practice. They are very good. Tracy went to the store later in the day and I stayed and played with the kids.

Someone must have been sick at the party because all five of us came down with the flu early Tuesday morning. I don't know how many times Tracy & I changed the boys bedding and pjs (it had to be at least 5 times in the middle of the night.) I'm sure Tracy will tell you more in her blog. This flu must have been very contagious because we know of at least 5 other people that also got sick at the same time. Since I was to leave Tuesday and the airline has their seatbelt rules, I decided it would be better to stay a while longer. Tracy purchased me another ticket to return on Friday.

We spent a lot of time just laying around and watching tv and running to the bathroom. Oh well, I was still with my little guys.

Thursday we were all feeling pretty good. Mikie and I decided to do a Wal Mart run for some birthday & sunday school supplies. I had so much fun spending time with him alone. We acted silly in the van and store. While there I let him pick out some new trains for his Christmas present. I even found some new pjs for him. Just remember his favorite color is PINK and he likes elephants. Don't know if daddy was so crazy about them, but they can be stay at home jamies.

While I was visiting, two different people called Zachary a girl, so Tracy decided it was time for his curl to go. I was lucky enough to give Mikie his first haircut and she let me do Zachary's. He did NOT cooperate as good as Mikie did so the end results were not as good;but Tracy has his curl and here are some pictures of this torture.

oops I copied it twice

I had so much fun playing and enjoying the boys. Just wish they were closer. Thanks Tracy & Michael for my tickets and my quality time with my grandsons.

Usborne Books

I need help?!?!? I am invited to an Usborne Book Party this weekend. I plan to go and need any advise on what to purchase. I have never heard of this company, but I am all for books for my grandsons. I just need to know if some are better than others and this is where your knowledge will help this old granny out. I would contact Tracy, but everyone knows she is on another of her family outings. Thanks for any info you can provide me.

Harvest is here.

This is our combine with the bean head on.

Harvest time is here in Sigourney,Iowa. The farmers are bringing in soybeans and a little corn. The corn is still very wet. It needs to be 13% moisture to store or 15% to sell; otherwise you get a dock in price or pay the high price of lp to dry the corn. The corn is testing 28-30% now. It needs alot more good drying days yet. Since we had such a wet spring, the crops were late getting planted and they are now late getting out. Last year at this time, Mike was half finished. He just got started last week. The little corn he has done has been twisted in the field and is laying flat, so this creates the combine to work slower than normal. He is hoping that not all his fields will be this way. (I am also hoping this because he gets very irritable at this act of mother nature)

I have been working between both elevators and traveling back and forth to the field. When Mike travels from field to field this means many trips. He has to take the combine, semi (to haul the grain), tractor and auger wagon (sometimes he takes two tractors and wagons) and his pickup/service truck for repairs and traveling to town or home. (let's see that's 5 or 6 trips to ONE field.) It is nice to look at the beautiful countryside and the weather here has been great lately. Just to let you know how many different fields he farms ...there is 9 different ones. (unless I forgot one or two, ha,ha)

The two of us.

This is a picture 0f me and my husband, Mike.

Apple time

It's apple time in Iowa. I have made lots of applesauce and plan to freeze some shredded apples for cake and bars. I still would like to try an apple pie. (I know it will never be as good as my mother in law's used to.)