Finally in the field...well, sort of

Tuesday saw the combine rumbling through our first soybean field. Warm weather and a good wind had dried the crop down enough to get going. Wednesday we got a little desperate, since rain was in the forecast for Thursday. Betty and I took a load of beans to the elevator in the morning, and Dwight took off work early and was in the combine by noon. Thursday saw the rain move through and we still have many acres left to go. If nothing else, this lifestyle teaches patience.

We sell all of our crops directly out of the field - which means we have a hauling company drop a semi trailer off in the morning, and they pick it up in the evening and take it directly to one of the river ports. My dad, on the other hand (along with many of the farmers in the area) have their own storage and drying systems along with their own semis, which means they aren't governed as much by mother nature. We have to wait until the crop is dry in the field, which takes longer in weather like this. My dad can pick the crop when it's a little wet, dry it in his facilities, and then wait to sell, preferably when the price is good.

Some say farmers are crazy for taking this gamble year after year - and yes, we probably are. Dwight and I are lucky in the fact that we have other sources of income outside of farming, which is becoming more of the norm in the farming community. It's a definite forecast of what's to come in the future...the rural life is definitely changing. Time will tell if it's for the better.

Until then, enjoy some harvest photos (and of course, my little man!)

Love this next one - we were enjoying the poplar pastime of cloud watching ;)

This last one is classic...Weezr always on the lookout for evil doers, Rommel chewing on something (in this case, a pear - our dog forgets he's a carnivore), and Wyatt watching it all go down. Fun fact about the big tree in the center...it was planted when our house was built, which means it's over 150 years old. Still presiding over the farm, and will probably be standing long after we're gone.

Apples, Pumpkins, and Harvest (hopefully!)

Fall is my season. I was born in the fall, and I have the best memories from growing up - meals in the field with my daddy, riding in the combine while reading a Nancy Drew book, the list goes on. Now, I've got my own little farmer that I'm fortunate to raise the way both his daddy and I were raised. And it's a challenge we're ready for...


So far this fall, the weather has been less than perfect for farming purposed. In fact, many of the old timers can't recall a year when they haven't been in the field by October 19th. And here are, with only a 100 bushel in the truck. So, no harvest pics yet - hopefully they'll be soon to follow.


Instead, Wyatt and I have gone both apple and pumpkin picking. The apples were more of a hit, because you can eat as you go, and who doesn't love that?? Here's a couple of my favorites from the day...

Pumpkin picking wasn't quite as fun - weather was downright gloomy. Eckert's Farm is just down the road from us, and though they've gotten almost too big in the last few years, I have to admit that they do put on a good show for the kids. Not only do you get to pick your pumpkins, but they have a little program beforehand that tells how they plant the pumpkins, what it takes to make them grow - those little minds just soak it right up. Have you ever heard a bunch of little voices screaming "pollination!!" Cutest thing ever! We didn't get to go out in the field, but they had a lot of pumpkins already picked to choose from - only caveat? They could choose whatever pumpkin they wanted, but they had to carry it themselves. Sneaky, sneaky... this next one was Wyatt's face when I told him the rules...

Wasn't thrilled with his pumpkin, but we still had a great time. Hopefully I'll post sooner rather than later with some good harvest news!

2009...so far

Me, I'm really not so good at keeping up the blogging. So, I'm going to try to catch up the bulk of 2009 in one post - think it can be done?? Here goes nothing...

Springtime fun!! We had one of the soggiest springs in recent memory, which really set the planting schedule back by almost a month! So, while we were waiting to get into the field, we had some fun by going to the park, making a trip to the zoo and flying a kite with Dad. Also, Wyatt turned TWO on the 29th of March. Like mommas everywhere, I'm asking where did the time go??? Here's just a few shots of the fun...

Come summertime, the crops were barely standing knee high, but we were on a roll. Harvey, my father in law, has two antique tractors that he's very proud of. One is a John Deere 630 that he bought fully restored when Wyatt was born - I suppose to commemorate the event of the birth of his first grandchild. The second, a Case 400, he restored over the summer. Dwight figured since his dad was so proud of them, it was only right to show them off. By summer's end, Wyatt and Dwight drove the John Deere in three different hometown parades. Wyatt now loves to wave at anybody and everybody, and can drive a tractor no problem.

We also found time to go to the zoo again, this time with my nephews, sister in law Stephanie, my parents and my sister Caitlin. Much fun was had by all of us, petting the animals, riding the zoo train and petting the stingrays. That was probably my favorite part of the whole day.

Dwight and I also got to go on a mini vacation - a float trip down the Courtois River with our good friends Rudy and Keri and by brother and sister and law. As with all good float trips, the end of the float was a little fuzzy, I had mysterious bruises, and it rained. We all laughed at Dwight's way of combatting the rain - what resulted in our "hillbilly RV" :) But Dwight and I stayed snug and dry!

We finished the summer by attending the steam engine show in Pinckneyville, IL. Wyatt is fascinated by the big machinery, and it was neat to see a slice of the past. We just don't appreciate how nice it is to just jump in a tractor and get to work.

So, that's just a few things we did through 2009. Looking forward to what the rest of the year brings...

Fall Coming To A Close

Fall is probably one of my favorite times of year. Harvest time, incredible afternoon light, warm days, cool nights - what could be better? These are some of my favorite shots from this fall. My camera got a workout with all this gorgeous light. And yes, I know the subject of these photos is a little repetitive, but he sure is cute, isn't he?





We were just finishing combining the beans when I took these previous two photos. I wish I could bottle and sell this light





And this last shot is a reminder that winter is coming. Harvest is finally complete, the sun in the afternoon is just a bit weaker, and it's staying cold now. Time to enjoy all that winter has to offer!

Down on the Farm

Since the farms are such a big part of our lives, I thought I'd give a glimpse of some everyday happenings.

As you all know, alternative energy has been a hot button issue in recent politics. Funny thing is, this sign is over 15 years old.

Our main source of income is the thoroughbred racehorse training. Here's Dwight on one of our recent graduates, Marvan. Gorgeous, isn't he? The horse, I mean.

And recently, we added breeding to our program, standing not one, but four stallions at High Prairie (if you want more info on that, visit the farm's website at www.stlouisequine.com) Here are a couple of the babies.



And what would a farm be without a dog or two. This is Sissy, my sister's dog. She's one lucky critter - had a fascination with moving tires at a young age, got up close and personal with a few, and lived to tell the tale.


And to top it all off, we are rewarded with views like this almost everyday. A constant reminder of why we chose the life that we did.

Park Play!

My best friend Amber has the cutest little girls around. Allyson takes her job as big sis to Annabelle very seriously, but doesn't forget to have some fun.

First, we had to get some shots of Miss Ally in her momma's dress - one made for Amber with love almsot 25 years ago - I love heirlooms and all the meaning wrapped up in them.



Then, it was time to switch to some serious play clothes - cause Wyatt was getting dirty, and Ally couldn't be left clean and pretty anymore.




While the two terrors were playing, I had a quick chance to photograph sweet Annabelle. What a doll she is - and definitely her PawPaw's girl. She did nothing but snooze with Grandpa the whole shoot.




And just to show you the difference between boys and girls (if you didn't know already) - girls are naturally clean, and boys are magnetically attracted to dirt. It's a fact of life, I think.