Sunday, April 26, 2009

Unexpected

I had a few surprises this week.  After chilly and cloudy weather for several months, Thursday we had sunshine and 91 degrees.  Then, Friday afternoon it began to snow.  The snow was a welcome sight, as it provided more opportunities for me to utilize my hooded sweatshirt collection.  I really wasn’t ready for summer, it would be nice if we had a little bit of spring first.

Saturday morning, looking across the street at the practice field.
A friend of mine who lives in Wisconsin called mid-week and said he was coming to South Dakota on business.  A Fairbanks-Morse rep, he is also talented at remodeling and carpentry tasks.  Sunday we toured hardware stores looking at tools and other home improvement supplies; he is pictured below in a shower stall at Menards.

The only photos I have of John are him in some sort of enclosure.

In a cooler at Smitty’s in Superior, Wisconsin.  He’s now engaged to the attractive lady shown here, congrats John and Kate!


In the engine room of the Speer, where I met John.  Like the cooler, this was a cold environment with no natural light.


Next to a generator, which was a little bit warmer.


The forecast is for cloudy and cold weather, which will give me a chance to slowly wean myself away from sweatshirts and space heaters.  I’m thinking we might have spring sometime in May.  It’s back-ordered, but I’m confident that it’s on the way.

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Monday, April 20, 2009

Wide Open Spaces


Recently I saw a young man fly a kite made out of a trash bag.  As he ran across his front yard, his creation took flight.  A trash bag, a scrap of string, and a piece of lumber are the resources available to him.  I suppose the lack of local a toy store will serve him well: a vent here, a careful cut there, and the bag is re-engineered to fly.  Creative enthusiasm fed by the distant horizon and plenty of fresh air…a great way to grow up.

At the other end of the spectrum is Moogie.  When feeding time arrives, he gets wild.  To get the little guy calmed down, I lock my knees around his ribs to hold him still while he downs a bottle of milk.  Oddly enough, he responds well to the confinement.  Today was colder than expected, and he spent the majority of the day in the barn, snuggled in the straw.

Moogie is resting in the barn, and the humans are enjoying the infinite outdoors. 
Somehow it feels right.

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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Welcome to the Barn

When a calf is born, it quickly figures out that Momma Cow is a roaming snack bar.  The majority of our little ones latch on to Mom and all is well.  However, some don’t figure it out, or Mom is distant, or there are other complications.  Charlotte has been watching one of our new arrivals with a curious eye, and feeding him when warranted.

Gordie tagged the calf with the same number as the Mom so we could track their interactions.  After giving Mom a few days to show up and be hospitable, it was clear that we needed to take action, or lose the calf to malnourishment.  Today, Charlotte scooped the little guy up and put him on the ATV.

Some calves panic and put up a fight.  This guy was comfy being held as we made our way to the barn.

Cruising down the road, he enjoyed his nose to the wind.

When we arrived at the barn, Charlotte worked out the lodging details.  We decided to put our first guest of the season in a deluxe suite.  Fresh straw and a warm spot out of the wind was a treat for our first “Moogie”.

Snuggled in and ready for a nap.

It was three years ago today that I quit my career and decided to look for a job that was more interesting, educational and challenging.  I awoke this morning and scratched my head, wondering what I’d learned since 2006.  I thought about my Merchant Marine experience, my farming experience, and the ship engine rebuild experience.  This afternoon I drove a semi load of corn to town and thought, “Oh, yeah…three years ago I didn’t know how to drive a semi…”

However, there are moments when I am vividly aware that I’m working on a farm trapped in the body of a broadcaster.  Not every day is filled with a cute calf who enjoys riding on an ATV with his nose to the future.  Some days are filled with what comes out the other end, and plenty of it.  I think the poo to fresh air ratio brings balance to life, and keeps our nose to the wind.  I have a plaque hanging over my desk that reminds me of this:

“Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass,
    It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

Moo.

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