Friday, May 20, 2022

We got a pretty big storm  last night.    Tornado Warning.  The effects of it were not quite as severe right here as it was in far south Knox County.   There was a tornado that ripped through near Decker, but it lifted as it came northeast toward Monroe City and Wheatland.  Still, we had winds near 60 mph (96kph).  As the sun came up today, we went out to assess the damage.  Surprisingly, we had a few tree limbs down in the yard, but no real severe wind damage.  The 2.4″ (61mm) of rain will bring us some flooding of some of our flatter fields, and that will be a cause for replanting corn or soybeans in those areas.  It’s too early to know exactly how many acres will be replanted, but it is pretty certain there will be some to do.

The wheat crop is still standing, and that is amazing.  Perhaps that is due to the fact that we treated the crop with a growth regulator that shortens the plants.   Or it is due to the protection given by our Maker!  There was a little hail on our Shake farm, and it seems to have knocked out some seeds from some of the wheat heads.   It is hard to quantify the damage today, but we will eventually figure that out.

John shows us one of the hailstones

Again, we are grateful that our homes and buildings were spared from damage.  Others were not so fortunate last night.  We know of no injuries, just blown-away buildings and trees.  As your grandma used to say, “It coulda been worse.”   Later today, we will survey our fields and draw up a list of potential replant needs.  I guess it was premature for me to think that there would not be much replant this year!

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In other news, Devon came yesterday from Alliance Tractor in Vincennes to perform the repair work that was identified in the combine inspection from March.  The work went faster than I expected, and he was finished before lunch.

We had to drain the fuel tank to repair a leaky valve. The ThunderCreek trailer was a good receptacle. After the replacing the valve, we pumped the fuel right back in.
Devon replaced some belts, chains, and bearings, plus a few paddles on the clean grain elevator.

I did a little bit of mowing of roadsides on Thursday.  It’s kinda early to begin that task, but I had the time during this rain-out period, and it certainly needed it.

Mowing along Junkin Road..

Pat helped me choose some perennial flowers to plant at the office.  With her help, I got them planted.

Brandon is working on the Kenworth, repairing some minor air leaks, and polishing it up.

The KW will look even nicer when Brandon finishes his polishing

The sun is out today, and it is a breezy day!  The dry-out has already begun.  Perhaps next week, we can get back in the fields to plant or replant.

#plant22

#replant22

Have a great weekend.  Count your blessings!