Happy Easter everyone. Do you do anything special for Easter? Easter means it is the anniversary of a little experiment that I started in 2012. After a brief visit with Nick Reiher about his new role for the Farmers Weekly Review, I decided I would punish myself each Wednesday by adding 3-6 extra hours of work each week to write a column for this paper. What an adventure it has become.
First, my typing skills that I had learned in the 7th grade at Troy Junior High School were primitive at best. Second, I had spent most of my adult life working most of the hours that I was awake unless my presence was “necessary” for family obligations. I did not have much free time and found myself awake past midnight or later to finish many articles.
Thankfully, I can now type a lot better, even though I still tend to watch my fingers; and I have been able to bring the time I spend on each article down to less than 2 hours. Given that I cannot think of any topic of great worth to write about tonight, I will give the readers a couple more frustrations my stubborn self is trying to get over.
After a lifelong love for Red Wing boots, I can no longer support their business. They no longer sell the 953 model with the SuperSole. The internet says they do, but none of the shoe stores I have been to carry them, and I have been told they are no longer available. Several features of the boot were favorable for my life on the farm, but the non-treaded sole was superior for not tracking mud into the house. One shoe salesman even told me that it would be ridiculous to wear shoes without a tread on the sole. I guess I am ridiculous.
I have spent many a late night putting farm equipment away to prevent it from being rained on. Many times, it does not rain, but I continue this practice regularly. It always amazes me how many people have a garage but cannot get their cars in it. The recent hailstorms in Kankakee County may make some re-think what they put in their garage. My curious mind made me wonder what speed hail falls from the sky. It turns out pea size hail is at most 25 MPH. Golf ball gets up to 40; and over tennis ball can get up to 75 with larger getting close to 100. Imagine what it would feel like to be hit by that! And for my physics minded friends, terminal velocity is 120 and above depending on the size and friction of the falling object.
I have spring fever. I am anxious for favorable spring weather to allow me to plant some early fields of oats and hay. With the recent deluge of 4.5” of rain in the previous 2 weeks, fieldwork is a while away. I will end the month of March with a trip to New Orleans. If I return, I hope to give you full review of my trip. It is 82 degrees and gorgeous here.
Back to the theme of Easter, which is right around the corner. Even though I have sworn myself to never have a real garden again, every time Good Friday arrives, I feel obligated to plant some potatoes.
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