From Sunshine to Snowboots

Last week we were enjoying the beautiful fall weather in t-shirts. We picked the last of the apples and cut the tops off the onions for the winter.



It's a good thing because now we're scrambling to find our winter clothes to keep warm. The kids insisted on dragging out the mittens and hats so they could go play in the snow. We kinda got knocked upside the head with this winter thing. But you know what they say, "When life gives you snow, make snowmen."

Big Deal

Grandpa Hillman pulled out Hudson's 1st tooth Halloween night. Grandpa has a lot of experience and did a great job. It was relatively painless. The family was together, so there were cousins and aunts and uncles to show the tooth to.

Once we got home (at bedtime) Hudson requested to call his Aunts and Uncles on the other side of the family. It was pretty important to him. Loosing teeth for a kindergartner is a pretty big deal.

The tooth fairy even came!

Happy Trails

We moved cows yesterday. Despite the cooler weather, the kids and I were determined to take part in the fun. We bundled up and hit the trail. Hudson was especially excited to ride his own [borrowed] horse. After riding around the pasture, the girls traded mounts for one with hand warmers, bigger saddle [lunch] bags, and more accommodating seats.




The funniest part of the entire day was when Brent was eating his snack-sized chips at lunch. The two older kids were begging for some as usual. In the meantime, Ruby reaches her hand into the bag to get her own. Verdict: There's not a chip bag big enough for the four of them.

Happy Halloween

With a week full of Halloween activities, we're glad this holiday is coming to a close. I must say we got our money's worth out of the costumes. Ruby was our beautiful butterfly, Hudson pulled out some aggressive moves as the Karate Kid, and Dalanie enjoyed telling people how her hair stuck up as a Garden Fairy.



We enjoyed a spooky lunch with friends, carved pumpkins, decorated sugar cookies and went to several carnivals.

RubY' Lantern

Need a little inspiration for pumpkin carving?

Hunting and Gathering

During the last few days corn harvest, the kids and I drove around the edge of the fields looking for piles of spilled corn. The hunt was on, and boy did they love doing this. Once one was spotted, the kids got ready with their colanders. As soon as the four wheeler came to a stop, they were off and scooping. We gathered over 30 gallons for our chickens. What a win-win, good fun and good food for the birds.

Every variety looks different. I especially liked this one that looks like candy corns.

Corn Harvest 101

Harvest rolls on. We had a few days break between silage harvest and high moisture corn harvest. Let me explain the difference. In silage we use a chopper to cut the entire corn plant, cob and all, into 1/2" pieces. It is done when the plant/cob are at about 70% moisture. In high moisture, a grain combine is used to collect only the kernels. It is done when the corn is much drier, at about 30% moisture.

Chopping

The chopper has knives that chop the corn. There is a kernel processor in the chopper that crushes the kernels so that it is more digestable for the cattle. Innoculant, a fermentation catalyst, is also applied through the chopper. Then the silage is hauled to either a pit or bag for storage. We use semi-trucks with special trailers that allow us to carry roughly 25 tons at a time and unload in about one and a half minutes. In this photo from the archives you can see the texture of the corn silage.

Oxygen causes spoilage, so you try to eliminate as much as you can for storage. When packing, you driving back and forth with an extremely large and heavy tractor that compresses the silage and reduces air pockets. When bagging, the silage is fed into a giant plastic tube eliminating oxygen. Pictured here is the bagger. Trucks dump the silage into the green table on front. High Moisture

The combine has a specialized header just for corn. It plucks the cob off the plant and sends it through the combine to be thrashed. As you can see, you are left with only the yellow corn.

A grain cart helps to transfer the corn from the combine once the hopper is full. While driving, corn is augered from the combine to the cart. The cart then takes it to the truck, so the combine can keep harvesting without having to stop.The trucks carry the corn 40 miles to a feedlot. There the corn is milled and stored to be fed to cattle.


In total we run 2 choppers, 7 trucks, 2 pack tractors, a bagger, combine, and grain cart. It takes a lot of horsepower and man power to run a full crew. Our harvest lasts nearly a month and a half.

Happy Fall

We have been enjoying this beautiful fall weather. It's like no fall I remember. We usually go straight from summer to winter. But not this year. The autumn mornings are brisk, but the afternoons are warm a pleasant before slipping away behind a golden sunset. We have been spending most of our time outside before we're forced inside from the weather.

We've been enjoying fresh cut flowers from our garden (still!?)


There has been no shortage of popsicle eating (gratefully accepted by a teething Ruby.) And even Bran Flakes on the front porch. I'm totally excited my children have discovered them as a snack. I totally remember eating bowlfuls as a kid.
We have gone on nature walks along the river and thrown rocks numerous times. I really am surprised that my kinds haven't diverted the natural flow with all the rocks they throw. It's a favorite pastime.

Blessed

I am a visual blogger. I usually blog when I have a decent picture to share. But lately there have been too many thoughts rolling around in my head and not enough pictures. Not because I haven't been taking pictures. They just don't seem to capture my feelings. Feelings of my life: happiness, discouragement, love, and gratitude.

I tend to be too hard on myself. Harvest is crazy, and a bit frenzied at times. A time when I feel a bit out of control. There is the garden harvest and canning to be done. Corn harvest and break downs and meals to fix and holes that need filled in the crew. Children that practice patience, but only for so long. Sometimes it's just hard to be needed . . . that much.

Despite the chaos, there are moments when I feel profound joy and happpiness for our lifestyle. Like at the end of the day, as the sun is setting behind the corn fields and I marvel at the beautiful fall. An extension of summer really and answer to our prayers, where our corn was able to grow and mature. And there are moments when my dirty urchin children run to take lunch and hugs to their dad in the field. And sitting down to a meal that we have grown entirely on our own. Or looking into the heavens and seeing the stars sparkle in the crisp black sky with no regard to light pollution. I feel all too lucky. Too lucky to even call it luck, I feel blessed.

Blessed with family, blessed with health, blessed with our lifestyle and the simple things in life. Blessed with my testimony and blessed with the beauties of the earth. It's hard to capture that in a picture.

Burning Daylight

Each day is a race to see how much we can get done before it gets dark.

Hitches

It seems that someone at our house is obsessed with hitches. He often points them out while driving around and comments on "nice" hitches. As a matter of fact, I found both him and Dalanie squatted down admiring the new shiny ball on my 4 wheeler one day. He has recently bolted a hitch on his little red wagon and was trying to upgrade a hitch on his toy semi.

He approached me with his proposal and recommended some super glue. He left it in my hands and I got the new fifth wheel plate glued into place. Once it was dry, he took it upstairs to his farm to try it out. "It works awesome!" He bragged it up to his Dad during lunch in the chopper.

On the way home I asked if he knew that mechanics needed paid. I told him it would probably cost $30, or maybe he could just pay me in kisses. After another play session, he came bouncing down the stairs telling me how amazing it worked. He said "How about I pay you now," as he laid a big kiss on me.

Spud Harvest Break

School is put on hold for two weeks while people work in the harvest. Although it's officially "spud harvest" it's perfect timing for our corn harvest. Hudson has been enjoying packing his pocket knife around nonstop. His mornings are spent in the chopper with Brent. He loves having jobs and being helpful. He has become very useful in leap-frogging equipment around now that he can drive the 4-wheeler.

In addition to the harvest, we've been making the most of the beautiful (downright hot) weather. We've been eating popsicles, sleeping out, riding our bikes, eating alfresco, running the waterfall, and canning up the season's finest-corn, tomatoes, peaches, and apple.

Dinner Bell's Ringing

It's harvest time and the kids couldn't be happier. We've been fixing and then delivering food to the crews. We even grilled burgers right in the field one night. Dalanie loves that it means drinking pop and Hudson loves catching rides in the trucks and chopper. One thing's for sure when you see our car beating through a corn field- the food has arrived.

Cold Turkey

My baby, almost 10 months, up and quit nursing this past week, cold turkey. Apparently there are more exciting things going on than hiding under a blanket to eat. Especially when you can already feed yourself spaghetti.

Let me just say "ouch!"
Ouch that she doesn't need me anymore.
Ouch at the price of formula.
And ouch from engorgement.

Our Secret

As soon as the older kids are fast asleep, Ruby and I play. It has to be our little secret because Dalanie would certainly not approve, she couldn't stand it. We don't have to share my lap and we never get interrupted. There are high speed crawling chases and sweet little neck munches. Baby lotion and footed pajamas. Giggles and cuddles and tickles. It doesn't take long before she's completely worn out and joins the other sleeping ones, followed shortly by me.