This and That

From Dana:

 

Let's see if I can remember all that I've been thinking to share.

 

1. I used my mom's cool vase she gave me for a flower Cole picked for me.  I like it.

 

2.  Twice in the last few weeks Marc has rushed to the farm after hearing reports that our "ground is blowing".  It is a major emergency for a few reasons, that I can tell.  One, it isn't neighborly to let your ground blow (by that I mean the top soil dirt blowing off from the crazy wind out here) into another person's field or the ditch or across the road, making it difficult to see.  Second, the top soil is valuable and necessary and you want to keep it.  Third, plants that are growing in blowing ground can really be hurt by losing their soil - their roots can become exposed making the plant weak and possibly killing it.  So, I've learned, it is a major deal!  To stop it, Marc hooks an implement to the back of the tractor, and plows (or something similar) strips in the field to expose the wetter dirt below and to make ridges for the dirt to blow into.  Yesterday, he did this to a field that had small milo planted in it.  He managed to drive in such a way as to not hurt the milo with either the tractor tires or the plow.  Impressive!

 

3.  The Lord has blessed us with rain!  Are you kidding me?  It seems like ever since BAK we have gotten a healthy dose of rain and thunderstorms--way more than I remember having at one time.  I think we may even be up for an average June rainfall.  But, this week we had hail.  Bad hail.  Not really in town, thankfully, but it devastated tons of corn crops around us and ones Marc checks.  Ugh!  So, Marc has spent a lot of time this week talking through thoughts and plans with farmers and making tough decisions.  Will the crop recover?  Is it a total loss?  Should we kill it and plant something different?  Should we just let it continue to grow and see what happens?  Tough week.

 

4.  Cole has learned to stand up without pulling up on anything.  It's like it all just clicked all of a sudden.

 

5.  Cole and I will be coming back to KC this Thursday so I can be in Rachel's wedding on July 5th!  We are sad to miss one of Marc's favorite holidays, 4th of July.

 

6.  Adam and Owen are coming out to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa this week without their parents, so we will probably have a busy and fun week playing with cousins!