Monday, November 25, 2024
Pat and I returned last Monday evening from a week down at Disney. We had the best time, enjoying the Christmas decorations, some rides, and great restaurants. We even attended two after-hours parties, one at Hollywood Studios, and the other at Magic Kingdom. The “Jollywood Nights” party at the Studios was great fun. There was an ice-skating show, (yes, ice skaters in Florida!), several music venues, fireworks, special event stage shows, and really cool snack choices. We thoroughly enjoyed that evening. We dressed in 1940s style for the JN party.
Jollywood Nights was fun
A couple nights later was the “Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party” in the MK. We’ve attended that one several times in the past, and this one was just as special as any other MVMCP. Great stage shows, a fabulous Christmas parade, and holiday snacks are offered. Plus the fireworks for that event are even bigger than what they do on the 4th of July! We had a delightful time at Disney once again.
Entering MVMCP.
My favorite part of the “Once Upon a Christmastime” parade.
Sitting on the curb on Main Street, USA at MK to wait for the fireworks
We like Epcot,too!
Back home this week, we have been preparing for the end of the farm’s fiscal year on November 30. We had a lengthy meeting with our accounting firm on Tuesday, and now we are prepared with a strategy for finishing out the year in a proper way. The final results were a bit better than we anticipated at this time a year ago, and we again anticipate that one year from now, it will likely be a somewhat tighter financial picture. But this year we celebrate the results, and express our gratitude for the way the year has turned out. And a lot can change over the next 12 months!
Yesterday, I used the warm (60ºF 16C) and sunny afternoon to no-till some rye on top of areas where Dustin Hatton ran his bulldozer to repair terraces, and build a new WASCoB. Was it perfect? No, but almost. Is it late in the year to get the rye started? Yes, but it will eventually sprout and provide some protection to the soil in those areas. I got that task at the Ross and Huey farms wrapped up before dark, cleaned out the box of the drill, and brought it back home.
Working at the Ross farm, the soil was in better “plant-able” condition than I might have expected. So, we got it done!
Today, the guys got the little 1560 NT drill cleaned up and stored away for the season. In doing so, they also got the 6145R its final wash, along with the 9R540. They look pretty sharp when they are clean and shiny. I hope they pass the #Andyclean test. The new building provides us plenty of room to make sure all our machines are under cover for the winter. One final machine is yet to go into storage. Our R4044 sprayer is at Sloan’s in Vincennes to be inspected and winterized. Then, it will come home and get placed inside the new building.
The 9R 540 is shiny and stored away for the season.
The 6145R is also shiny and ready for the winter
The new JD 2633VT tool narrowly fit inside this older (1970s) building today. It’s great to have it under roof! I thought we may need a shoe-horn to get it to slide in there!
I got the yard mowed at home today, just before lunch. It was looking a little shaggy, and I was happy to get it trimmed up one last time before cold weather. Yes, cold weather is coming by the end of the week. 60º (16ºC) today, highs at freezing on Friday! Nights are predicted at 15ºF (-9º C). Brrr. But the calendar tells us that cold weather is not an unusual thing. Late November can be bright, warm, and sunny, but it can also be gray, drizzly, and cold.
I got that ‘last mow’ done before it rained this afternoon, and before the really cold weather arrives.
We anticipate a happy Thanksgiving this year. One special thing this year is a new granddaughter coming any day now. (maybe even today!). As always, we have so many reasons to express thanks to God for our blessings, and it will even more special this Thanksgiving. It is my goal that this attitude of gratitude is not just a one-day event, but that it becomes a regular part of my daily life. 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
Have a good week.
