Dad

It seems that my head is empty lately.  I have nothing to say...  Which for some of you is a great relief.  I am currently listening to a cassette tape.  Do any of you remember those days?  My wife just flipped it over for me.  (Tapes need to be turned over if you want to listen to the other side.)  This is an old King's Heralds tape.  Another Rainbow.  Love the songs on this album and I am hoping VOP can record a few more of them in the coming years. 
It is amazing how these tapes that I listened to when I was child bring back memories from my childhood.  I remember my Dad taking classes at EMU one fall/winter.  The class was once a week and for some reason my brother and I went with him.  I think we were along to help with the driving.  Well, Jon helped with the driving I went along for the ride.  I remember one time we were traveling up in the rain and listening to this tape.  Anyway, I won't bore you with all the details, well actually that is not true.  I have shared with you all that remember from that experience.  It was nothing earth shattering or life shaping or perhaps it was.
 I remember another instance when Dad and us boys went to Baltimore, MD and attended a King's Singers concert.  What a thrilling event this was.  We spent the night in a hotel, which was unheard of for us, and the next day we went shopping, music shopping.  I don't remember how many stores we went to but we were sheet music shopping.  I also remember on this trip I had my first ever experience with someone wanting money for food.  If I am not mistaken Daddy took him to a little shop and bought him a sandwich. 
I remember another time when Daddy was doing research at UVA and he needed to make copies and we stopped at this little store and got a bunch of change.  I was the copy man.  Big stuff indeed.  Funny, I didn't know I spent so much time with my Dad...
I must admit I think highly of my Dad and I am so thankful for the influence he has had in my life. 

What Was That

Why would a tractor belch black smoke and cut off?  Why would a tractor continue to smoke, white smoke, while sitting still and not running?  For no apparent reason.  No loud unusual noises.  No knocking.  No warning.  Was it trying to be lazy?  I wonder...
This happened to me today.  I grabbed my handy dandy cell phone that has service occasionally and put in a phone call to my trusty mechanic.  I asked him this, "What does it mean when a tractor belches black smoke and then shuts off?"  His response?  "Not sure"  Then my cell service dropped and I was left in the peaceful quietness of the day.  Wondering how long it would be until the tractor was engulfed in flames.  I wasn't too worried I couldn't see any flames but the continual smoking bothered me.  Perhaps it was a sudden addiction to something.  Tractors are strange things at times and have weird addictions, sudden addictions apparently.  My phone rings, vibrates actually, I answer and it is Sonny.  He wonders what is happening.  I inform him that the white smoke seems to be increasing but the flames have yet to be located.  Well, I was informed that he was racing back with water.  (I was almost a mile from the hard top road.)  Those of you know Sonny will understand what the word "race" means in this type of situation.  I am assuming here but I bet that his head wasn't far from smacking the roof of the pickup.  Rough fields and driveways don't make good race tracks. When he arrived at the scene the smoke was still rising from the air filter canister.  Without water I didn't want to remove the filters.  I was afraid I would be unable to because of the heat and what if my trying allowed oxygen to the smoldering filter?  I was afraid we would have a roaring inferno...  So, after pouring water on things we took the air filters off and one of them was over half burned.  I had used ether to start the tractor and some how the air filter must have ignited.  I have never had such an experience before and would rather not have another.  Another malfunction episode...

Vacation

Putting together a family vacation is always somewhat of a challenge.  There needs to be things for children of varying ages to do.  You don't want to do to much or parents and children will be stressed out.  Vacation turns into something that isn't vacation.  Somehow, I feel like we have hit the jackpot this year.  We are staying at a lovely cottage in Mt. Joy PA.  The Oasis Cottage.  It really has been an oasis.  Lovely rope swing on one side of the house and a sand box and play ground on the other.  The only draw back has been the distance to the attractions we have chosen to visit.  There was some grumbling about going to Roadside America.  They wanted to know what it was.  I didn't know how to explain it other than tell them they were going to love it.   When we walked through the door and they caught there first glimpse of the attractions they were thrilled.  Trains, cars, water, the list is endless.  The other thing they seemed to really enjoy was the interaction at Turkey Hill Experience.  Loads of interactive games, computer games.  The free sample of ice cream didn't hurt anything.  We are headed for Sight and Sound this afternoon for the Jonah production.  This should be a highlight as well.  I think we have had a grand week. No, parents and children were not perfect.  Unfortunately we took our home attitudes with us.  But all in all I hope your vacation will be as great as ours has been... 

Nothing

You know, I was going to write something but the writing wasn't going where I wanted it to go so I discarded it.  Perhaps later it will do what I wanted it to do.  But, back to nothing.  My mind is somewhat blank and I have work to do.  There is a vacuum pump problem at the barn that needs to be addressed.  I have hay to bale.  I have 5-6 acres of new ground to sow.  And, truth be told, you probably have something better to do then read this so.  Until next time...

Memories

I mentioned on Facebook that I was camping with my wife's family this past weekend.  There are things about camping that are grand and glorious and then there are things that are, well,  less so.    A fire is always a must.  Not a roaring smoke free fire or a perfect hot dog roasting fire, lots of good hot coals.  Most camping fires I have been responsible for NASA would be proud of.  I am sure they wonder what sort of rocket or shuttle has been launched.  A silent shuttle to be sure, unless to much gas has been used, but lots of smoke.  Beautiful smoke.  Lung filling smoke.  Nicotine free of course but glorious blue smoke wafting through eyes and nose before winding gracefully through the trees. I enjoy and appreciate the nostalgic feeling one has when tears are streaming down his face. Cooking is also an incredible experience.  I was able to create a rather impressive fire one morning.  It was the  result of some sort of raw meat which ha falling into the fire and is turning into something resembling charcoal but is also causing a roaring blaze.  Grease will do this.  If you don't believe me try it sometime but please do it outside.  Your mother/wife/children will appreciate it.
And then there is the tent that I never could master.  So many little stakes and pegs.  Rods with some sort of stretchy stuff you have to thread through holes,  bending and twisting them so the roof of the tent is dome shaped instead of flat, like a pancake, on the ground.  Then, once the tent is erect you can place things in it to sleep on.  Sleeping bags, air mattress, foam mattress, etc.  Most air mattress I have used are always flat by morning.  Why is this?  It could be brand new, never used, fresh from Wal-Mart and by 1:00 in the morning it will be flat and some root will be annoying you nigh unto death .
And of course there is rain.  Glorious rain.  Rain that makes the crops grow and the fires smolder and sputter.  Soggy hot dog buns are always a great treat.
Then there are elephant ears.  Cooked over a pot of oil which is sitting somewhat precariously over the fire.  A few accidental slops and you will have another roaring inferno.  This is something men greatly enjoy watching.  Women?  Not so much.
Then you have all the incredible work of taking the tent back down and packing everything back up and going home to a hot shower.  Your shower.  Need I say more?
I must admit this past weekend I did none of this, I slept in a little cottage which was equipped with an AC, shower, restroom and a bed.   However, I did try to cook over the fire.  But I am digressing from the title.  The memories that were made.  Looking back on this weekend.  The children spent hours and hours riding bike and playing.  The rest of us sat around the fire talking about days gone by and swatting at the bugs buzzing around our ears.  We remembered previous camping episodes.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.  We laughed about the ugly and proved to ourselves that we had matured in the last ten years.  I think we had a great weekend....
Oh, did I mention I had more elephant ears than any one else.  They were really quite awesome...

The Most Important Thing

Over the last three years I have slowly come to realize what the most important thing is. Perhaps I have known it a long time but it didn't really sink in.  I was in the middle of, what I would consider, a huge building project.  This project was moving about as fast as a glacier.  I made phone call after phone call leaving messages.  Trying to get some sort of take on what the builders status was. When was he coming?  Was he coming?  We need to get this done.   I wasn't ready to "dump the builder" I liked him and he did good work.  I was really struggling with how to be a Christian in the middle of the headache and aggravation, ok, I may as well be honest and call it anger.  I came to this  realization.  Six  months after the barn or project is completed and we move the herd moved into the barn I will have forgotten all the grief, pain, aggravation and anger that went with it.  But, six months after the project was complete I knew the builder would remember what kind of person I was.  If I was unable to rise above the circumstances and live in peace he would remember this and never do business with me again.  Worse than that it would affect his view of Jesus.  One of the questions I still continue to struggle with in these situations is how should a Christian deal with these issues.  I am speaking specifically about business deals.  How does Jesus affect the way you do business? 

All In A Name

The name of our farm is "Airy Mont Farm".  I have gotten more strange looks over this name.  Where did that come from?  Did you say Dairy Mont Farm?  Or maybe Dairy Mart Farm?  I always wonder if these folks simply need to purchase a nice pricey pair of hearing aids.  But I digress, Airy Mont Farm.  If you have ever planted your feet on our farm in the spring you will understand where the name comes from.  The farm buildings are located on a hill and we get more than our share of wind.
But there is more to it than this.  Years ago Merle Yoder coined another name for our farm, "Malfunction Junction".  I am really disappointed I can't take the credit for such an appropriate name.  It fits so well.  If you read my previous post you read about a decision which led to some hay being rained on.   Well, we raked it yesterday only to have it rained on again last night.  Another form of Malfunction Junction.  It never ends.  Some days we spend a considerable amount of time trying to find ways to make this name remain true and faithful till the end.  We spend so many days working toward this goal that I had "Malfunction Junction" printed under "Airy Mont Farm" on our checks.  The bank was somewhat surprised.
But wait, there is more.  We are in the process of purchasing another farm in Pittsylvania county. (Should have closing in a couple weeks.)  This property has an incredible number of creeks and streams as well as bordering Straight-stone Creek.  (Which I would call a small river and I assume this "Creek" is quite offended by it's poorly chosen name.  It isn't very straight either.)  Anyway, lest I ramble on forever I have been pondering names for this property.  We had quite a list.  Double Creek, Triple Creek, Rolling Creek, on and on the list goes.  None of which struck me as the appropriate name.  Earlier this week it came to me that perhaps it should be called Troublesome Creek.  Malfunction Junction and Troublesome Creek.  After all we have a reputation to uphold.

Making Hay

Monday morning I made decision.  It is what a boss does, at least he is suppose to do this.  I made the decision to mow hay.  Very little chance of rain the last time I had checked and I have no idea when that was.  You know, one thing you can't trust is the weather man.  Poor guy.  So, Mr. weather man says 20% chance of rain, we mow hay.  By Tuesday morning there is 60% chance of rain.  Now is when the dilemma beings.  Rain, we need it.  How to pray?  We need rain yet we have hay on the ground.  We WANT it to rain.  Yet we DON'T want it to rain.   So, we assume it will rain.  We ted the hay several times and by 4:30 in the afternoon we start baling.  The sun is shining brightly much to our delight.  Finally about 7:00 we decide it really isn't dry enough and we need to wait.  Thirty minutes later I see this very wide, dark, ominous cloud looming on the western horizon.  At 8:30 it begins to rain.  It is now 9:15 and it is still raining.  Apparently I missed this one.  I messed up the decision.  But, we needed the rain worse then we needed the hay.  

A Brief Jaunt Back To Blogging?

For some unknown reason I actually checked this blog this morning.  I haven't looked at it in months.  While glancing over a few of the posts I got this uncontrollable desire to post something.  Not that anyone will see it.  After all, if one doesn't ever post why would one keep checking back?  So, perhaps I will begin posting occasionally.  There are things about blogs that are much nicer than book face.  (I did that on purpose) one being the room or ability to type for as long as one wants.  Plus, I know that it will not clutter up someones wall or drive any one mad.  So, I see the clock has ticked past 7 and I am now late for work which is a bad thing when your the boss.  So, until next time...  If there is a next time...