Catching Up a Bit
August 27th, 2006 by Northern FarmerThe work load is going to increase here dramatically starting this week. There’s silage to chop daily now for feeding all the cows and calves on the pastures. They’re starting to green up good, but look like a short mowed golf course. The hay is starting to re grow and maybe we’ll get to cut some soon. Normally I’d like to have around two hundred round bales of second crop hay for the young stock, but this year we’ve made twelve bales so far. The corn has stopped its burn down, and we should start doing serious chopping in a week or so. Then we don’t stop till it’s done, no matter what. If we can chop, we do.
Even today, Sunday it was work from sunup to sundown, except for church in between. That was just keeping the cows fed, more silage chopped for tomorrow and regular chores. No extra work. Says allot about my social life, eh. But that’s the way it is when you’re in a disaster or pulling out of one. At least there is church in between feedings, Praise Jesus, that’s the place we like to be. I was trying to figure out our title as far as what denomination our family is. Now that is a thought in itself. So I’ll just say that I’m a hillbilly holy roller, full gospel, old order, old line, whatever! You figure it out, all I know is I couldn’t be happier.
I’d better get off this contraption, get upstairs and get to reading the Good Book. Lot’s to do as far as getting ready for Wednesday evening services. Yup, even with all the work, we’ll get there unless it’s an absolute emergency. Work does go better when a person can give time to the Lord, He takes care of the roadblocks around here. I always say, if I’m to “busy†to be makin it to church it’s time to pull the plug, because we’re doing something wrong here.
Life goes on out here. Nothing earth shattering that I know of. Just the way I like it.
August 27th, 2006 at 11:03 pm
Hey Tom,
Glad you got a chance to squeeze in a post. You’re alot more faithful at it than I am. I get pretty easily distracted and haven’t found much time to blog this summer.
I’ve been thinking about you all during the drought and hoping it would turn around for you. Sounds like you’re “keeping on, keeping onâ€.
Later, Russ
August 28th, 2006 at 5:06 am
Morning,
I was reading leat night in the Cotton Patch Gospels where denominations weren’t important. He went through and listed em all, I didn’t see yours in there so I guess yours IS important :).
We worked through the weekend too. We have mass on Saturday nights or Sunday, so we try to get cleaned up and presentable on Saturday evening and then Work again on Sundays. Even as dry as its been, it seems my list doesn’t go down much. Our works been mostly maintenance work. Pulling fence posts to clean up the place and stringing a new hot wire on top of the field fence. Goats seem to be not trying to escape the last couple of weeks so at least we got that fixed (for now).
Congratulations on the baptisms. It sounds like y’all had a great evening. One thing I gotta know though…. Remembering the temperature of those northern spring fed lakes….You didn’t wear your longhandles into the lake… did ya??
(I’d have probably had to have went for a wetsuit, even if it was only up to the knees…)
Have a GREAT one,
Brad
August 28th, 2006 at 5:32 am
Morning Tom,
I’m having thar same hangup on what denomintion, I’m!
I like what you said, about you being a Hillbilly holy roller,
you have agreat day, and week!
August 28th, 2006 at 5:45 am
Hey Russ,
Good to hear from you and I hope the drought has busted over your way. Ours is over as far as I can tell, but the afteraffects will be with us for the next year. It was a ride this summer, whew!
After silage time I plan on catching up and getting things back in order around here. I seem to remember I have a letter to write to you that I haven’t gotten to this summer.
Take care and God Bless!
Morning Brad,
Yup, I’ll admit, I’m pretty high tuned, eh! What can I say, with a denominational title like that.
Same here as far as work, in fact almost all the work that I’m doing we normally wouldn’t be doing. But everything is upside down here, a person has to do things to keep it going. I’m not in the mood for a big sell down of cattle after all the years it took to get the herd to the point it is now. Not exactly an overnight thing, building a herd.
That water wasn’t what I’d call warm, in fact my teeth were chattering, more so as the water got above my knees, yikes! Didn’t wear long johns there, could of done like them English Channel swimmers and greased myself up to stay warm
Have a good one this week and God Bless!
Tom
August 28th, 2006 at 5:47 am
Hey Jan!
You have a great day!! Us’n hillbilly holy rollers gots to stick together
August 29th, 2006 at 5:20 am
Boy, I hope that cattle sell down doesn’t have to happen. A buddy of mine was talking about doing the same thing, but it looks like he’s going to make it because an old farmer friend of ours gave him all of his hay just before he passed on. Funny how farmers help each other even in death.
Looks like we’ll have enough hay for our goats this year. Corn now, thats another story…….We’ve been cutting brush most every day to give em the tops they hadn’t eaten yet. Some are starting to look like its January rather than August though….
Oh well, have a good one,
Brad
August 29th, 2006 at 5:30 am
Morning Tom,
have a great day!
God’s blessing on ya and family!
August 29th, 2006 at 5:37 am
Brad,
I ain’t planning on a selldown, but the bar is raised a bit for the cowherd this year. Not much mercy for loafers and poor doers coming this fall.
Isn’t that something about your buddy!! I’ve seen so many things happen good out here over the years too. You ever read the book, “The Time it Never Rained”, by Elmer Kelton? Now that’s some reading for folks in our situation. It’s about the seven year drought in Texas in the 50’s. In my humble opinion it’s the best novel I’ve ever read. About an old school rancher that kept on going, year after year, and the last few years with no cattle left his only chores were cutting live oaks to feed the angora goats. Great book! I know anyone drought stressed could relate to it.
Take care down there!
August 29th, 2006 at 5:38 am
Mornin Jan,
You always are able to slip your post in here while I’m answering Brad. Sneeky eh
Well, you have a great and blessed day too!
August 29th, 2006 at 10:08 am
Tom, if you’re gonna do the denomination thing I need to give you a few pointers, hope you don’t mind. Now, first off you gotta remember to capitalize like this: Hillbilly Holy Rollers. See, doesn’t that look nice? Much more official. Now after you do that, you go to the impressive acronym like this: The HHR convened in executive session to . . . Now the next thing you’ve already got a good start on. You’ve got to be ready for the inevitable denominational splits. It’ll be like this: The HHR, Full Gospel; then theres the HHR, Old Order and the HHR Old Line and the Whatever HHR’s. I know it’ll get confusing but if you really work at this denominationalism you can do it as good as anyone.
But seriously, I guess denominations are unavoidable right now and I don’t condemn them completely (especially mine you know). I like worshipping with people who for the most part believe like I do about the details of the Bible’s teaching. And much as I like you, I think you and I might be a little uncomfortable in each others churches. Christians need to be careful not to use denominations to decide who is or is not our brother in Christ, or who is or isn’t living in obedience to the Lord.
Glad to hear of your baptism. God strengthen you to walk worthy of it. Your description reminded me of a scene from O Brother, Where Art Thou. And it reminded me of my own baptism, too.
We were having the third driest year on record in our area through July and most of August, but God sent 4 inches of rain this past week and its looking much better out there. That book sounds good, I’ll have to pick up a copy.
August 29th, 2006 at 11:16 am
James,
Now to fit in I suppose I should call Scepaniak Family Farms, SFF. Get you NGF, (naturally grown food), at SFF, members of the HHR, eh! Does have a ring to it! Covers allot of bases too!
I never did get into abreveating stuff down. I swore the world was going down the tubes when they went from “Kentucky Fried Chicken” to KFC. Is there no shame
About denominations, I don’t worry to much about any of them and I have repeatedly said that I don’t care what denomination a person belongs to because God doesn’t either. If a person has their eyes on Christ and the Cross, well, Amen! All denominations have folks following Christ and all have those who don’t. Simple.
I’m glad to hear you’ve received that 4 inch rain, them are the kind that help after a dry one. I know they said that this was our third hottest summer ever here, with two years in the dirty thirties “barely” beating it. Next year!
The Time it Never Rained is my favorite novel ever, that Elmer Kelton really has a gift on showing how family ranching and farming truely is.
Have a good one!
August 29th, 2006 at 5:51 pm
How ’bout the HHREFCOGIC?
( Hillbilly Holy Roller Evangelical Free Church of God in Christ)
August 29th, 2006 at 6:27 pm
HHRFG? ( Hillbilly Holy Roller For Christ)
HAGNT
August 30th, 2006 at 5:44 am
Morning Tom,
I put that book on the list of winter reading. I’m not too sure if I want to read it this year or not. I might wait for a year when the pastures are under water…….
Things are looking up a bit here. Pop up showers three days in a row on my place. I think I actually saw a puddle
!! No water in the creek yet though.
The past couple of days, I’ve been getting the ol trailer ready for an equipment trip. Its easy to let the thing go when you just use it around the farm. I guess you need something called tread on the tires if your going on the highway.
I’d try an abbreviation, but I haven’t even had my first cup of joe yet.
TTFN (I just remembered the one off of winnie the pooh “ta ta for now”)
Brad
August 30th, 2006 at 5:57 am
Monring Tom!
have a great day!
August 30th, 2006 at 12:40 pm
Patti,
That’s a little short isn’t it????
Brad,
Whew, I’m ah busy here. Just found out last night we start shingling our house today, why not, nothin better to do eh. So was out earlier than normal trying to get chores done. Well, I’d better get out there.
Ta Ta!
Hey Jan,
You have a good one too!!
August 30th, 2006 at 8:25 pm
Here at the Fish Creek House, Bed Breakfast & Barn I can totally hear you.. every day’s a gig… different but the same in one thing… G-d is always there. Sometimes I have to remember my Proverbs 3:5… and just let Him lead my path. From Montana… Big Sky Country and G-d’s country
August 31st, 2006 at 12:14 am
Hi Tom:
I just love the fact when you don’t blog that there is still lots of good stuff to read in the ole comment section.
When I think of denominations, I go to that silent hour Christ had with His father. I soak up Jesus’ prayer. It is a stunning prayer and it jumps out at me off the pages. I think of what Christ was getting ready to endure and the words impact me all the more. He was innocent yet his body was mangled beyond recognition. All he asked from us was to be one. That they may all be one. I read of those who like their denominations and emphasize their differences then I go back to this quiet time Jesus had with his father and I weep. After all he did for us on the cross after all the beating he endured we can’t seem to stop the divisive nonsense. We can’t stop thinking about how our way of worship is more comfortable than the other place of worship. As we emphasize the differences, we reach down and pick up that hammer and look into our saviors eyes and slam that hammer against those spikes causing him to writhe in pain. Woe to those who crucify Jesus again and again. Woe to me too as I have done this myself. It is not MY church versus YOUR church. It is Jesus’ church. He is the head. We are such fools to think any other way.
August 31st, 2006 at 4:53 am
Amen!
to what you just said, Ksmilkmaid. you have great day!
and Morning Tom,
hope you made it off the roof, in one tack
have a great day!
August 31st, 2006 at 5:43 am
Cyd,
Welcome! Great comments! Ah, Montana, just 7 hours away on I-94. I’ll be back to your site and blog in a few days, when I catch up here, and check everything out!
Christina,
Amen, Amen! Thanks for such wise words!
I’m a bit pressed here so forgive me on the short responses. Your right about how it can keep going around here even when I’m not posting. But, everyone’s welcome to just shoot the bull, just the way it should be.
I’ll try to catch up on e-mails tonight if all goes well. God Bless!
Jan,
It’ll take us a few more days, small crew but good.
Have a Blessed Day!
August 31st, 2006 at 5:44 am
Well thats on my list too (shingleing that is). Go figure three months of dry and I don’t notice shingles missing on the farmhouse I’m de-storing (combination of restoring and destroying- one of my wifes favorite terms). The day before the rain comes back, I’m walking around up there and low and behold there’s some patchwork to do. Three days of rain and some bucket emptying later, I know I gotta get up there and do that (hopefully this weekend if the rain holds off…… Ohhhh it feels good to say that!!).
Happy roofing,
Brad
August 31st, 2006 at 5:48 am
Brad,
Here too! I’m checking the radar to see if we should strip a roof, “almost” hoping I don’t see anything on the radar, egad! Heaven forbid I should be thinking like that! We should have shingled in July to draw rain, but then again 100 degree heat ain’t the best time to be up there.
Have a Blessed Day!