Quiet

It is so peaceful and quiet here this morning.  I can't remember the last time the snow covered the ground here but it's been a couple of years.  That much snow really mufflies the noise up here on the hill and we don't hear any traffic or extraneous noises.  There aren't many out and about, either.  It looks like we have 4-6 inches and just enough to get the snowmobile out to say we did.  The children will like that.

So we will fire up the woodstoves and make a big pot of chili today and invite anyone over who can or wants to come.

This is a good day to work in a well equipped farm shop.  I wish I had some heat and insulation in mine but we have propane and other heaters for quick repairs if necessary.  There has been a lot written about farm shops and that is relatively new subject on the Internet, especially the last few years with all of the questions and shared information.

Here is a link to one I received this morning from Jules in Missouri, better known as the state of Misery or "the bastard state" as Jules calls fondly calls it.  I was wearing a new Sydenstricker hat and posted that picture of 4 grandkids around me in my easy chair on the Cafe and a friend asked if that is what it was.  I said yes, I pulled against Eddie's tractor 40 years ago and his mechanic Van Botkins pulled the Cajun Queen.  That is quite a story from the old Ford Barn website I was not aware of.

I could work on getting the old Oliver 77 tractor I bought a few years ago running again.  I know how to get 100 hp quite easily out of it, it just costs money.  I have work to do on the Oliver 1655's too if I had the energy and inspiration.  Younger men who have more energy and ambition than I do is helpful as I find myself busy just keeping the 2 wood burners going all day.

We are going to be taking off for Australia 3 weeks from today and Chimel has graciously accepted my offer to write some blogs for me while I'm gone.  The first destination is New Zealand to check up on my new notill friends there and end up in Sydney and Perth, new destinations for us.  I have a lot of work to do before we go and we have the National NoTillage Conference in between so 4-5 days of those 3 weeks are shot right there!

We will be leaving on LuAnn's 55th birthday, what a birthday present!  Happy birthday to us!  International gates with Homeland Security to take the edge off the excitement of flying completely around the world in one month!  We come back through Dubais so we will make a complete circle!  We have never done that before.

I guess I better enjoy this quiet before it becomes pure chaos!

Ed