It’s Friday, and the end of another week of beautiful weather.  The nights have been cool, in the high 50s or low 60s, and days in the 70s or 80s.  The weekend is predicted to be warmer.  The relatively cooler days this week have protected the crops from the dry soils a little better than temps in the 90s.  Rain is predicted for Monday and Tuesday, and that will be very welcome!

Wheat harvest is complete, and the double-crop soybeans are now planted.  I had to wait about a day-and-a-half for our neighbor to get the straw baled up and stacked at that last field.  This was at our Shake Farm, a location we purchased in the mid-70s from a retired local judge, Curtis Shake.  Even though it was quite picturesque to see the bales out there, it was a relief to get going on the planting.  It was finished on Thursday evening.  I guess I must remember that this is early June, not early July, to be planting DCB.

Here is a photo of the Shake Farm, with some of the bales of straw waiting to be picked up and stacked away at the field entrance. It was beautiful sight on a beautiful day. This was taken Wednesday evening, June 6.

The combines have been thoroughly cleaned, and they shine ‘like new’.  The same for the grain cart.  Next in line will be the soybean air drill.  Next week, Andy Query, our John Deere salesman, will look it over for a trade-in on a 2013 model.  The order has to be placed soon for the delivery in time for next spring’s planting.  I’m contemplating a larger model, going from 40 feet wide to 50 feet wide.  The seed tanks on the accompanying air cart will remain the same at 350 bushels.  I believe my 375HP 9330 can pull the larger unit.

I will go do some work with the bush-hog today.  It gives the roadsides, field borders, waterways, and levees a more groomed appearance.  The yard at home will not need a mow this week; the dry weather has it looking like late August, not early June.