A Fleet of Trucks & Equipment

We have experienced some problems this week, here on the farm.  The weather does not always want to cooperate.  David planted a field of sorghum to chop into silage which would become the dairy cow feed.  He has been saying this is the best crop ever.  A large convoy of equipment rolled in here last Tuesday or Wednesday.  The workers tried to chop the forage, but the ground was too wet.  The guys all camped out at Marvel for a few days, waiting for sunshine and drying.  The sun finally showed it's face one day and the weather warmed up....things were looking up.  Hay was mowed in another field in preparation for baling, and actually the baling started.  Then, as one of my favorite old time Sunday School songs goes...

        "The rains came down, and the floods came up", "the rains came down and the floods came up" - and the BIG TRUCKS rolled away. (I just made that last part up, but you know that, don't you?).

You can't even imagine the coming and going of this many moving trucks and machinery.

There was a bagger to bag and store the silage, a chopper, a tool truck,

trucks to haul the silage, a truck to pull the large travel trailer the guys stay in

and more....all for naught.

There are many bales almost covered in water and windrows in the field.

The sorghum will likely lay to the ground and ruin as the creek continues to rise.

There they go home......it was not to be.

Discouraging? Yes.  Costly? Yes.  Are we going to fold over this ordeal? No. This is just all part of it...life that is, especially farm life. We are very thankful that we have the corn silage harvested and stored.  We will survive.  These words below are encouragement, and not meant for any despair.  For we know the Maker.

"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;" II Corinthians 4:8,9

             and another great scripture:

         "But my God shall supply all our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

Happy Birthday Katie

This is Katie in 1978
She was born October 6, 1977, in Muskogee.
This picture was taken for her first Easter,
and the little spot on her forehead
was left from Chicken Pox.
I think I can see a resemblance of Nathan
that I had not noticed before.

This is Katie now...all grown up.
She is married to Craig and they have three sons.
Katie is pretty, caring, fun, loving, and sings.
I have been so blessed with children, grandchildren,
and son and daughter in-laws.

Birthday Season

Birthdays are special, but the first birthday is an event.

Nathan Luke Osburn was born September 25, 2008.
He celebrated his first birthday with a party
with his brothers, parents, grands and great grands.

Josh and Andrew helped open the presents.

Awe, and big brother is helping Nate

check out the birthday cards.

"You people know I don't like hats," says Nathan.
"Okay, for a little sweets, I will do it".

"Not bad"

"Works better without the hat and using a spoon"
Nathan is cute, smiley, huggy, dimpled, and active.

:) :0 :0 :)

September and October birthdays
are abundant in our family.
We have so many I may forget one, but Happy Birthday
to those I am sure are in these months.....Kelly, Kasey, Carole,
Bill, Cortny, Lexi, Katie, Gracie, Gillan, Nathan,
Momma, Big Dale, and oh me too.
Gracie celebrated her 10th birthday, September 23, 2009.
Gracie is our special girl--our only granddaughter.
Gracie is funny, silly, beautiful, imaginative, and athletic.

This is Gracie now.

Gillan celebrated his 12th birthday, October 1, 2009
Gillan was our first grandchild. Gillan commented
when he last visited, how he had been
thinking that, it was him who first made us grandparents.
Gillan is handsome, bright, serious, loving, and musical.
This is Gillan now.

This is Gracie and Gillan then.....so cute and still are.

Great Grandpa - "Papa"

My Daddy, and Great Grandpa to my grandkids will be "91" in November.

Whew, glad you can't see the tobacco juice on Papa's chin.

It is very visible in full screen view.
And, might I say obnoxious in person.
Oh well, I'm sorry--it is just him...it truly is,
and at 91 you get to do whatever you want...I guess.

I tried my best to get a good picture of all three of Katie's boys with Papa, have I have mentioned, it is difficult to get all of them looking and smiling at the same time?

Country Critters

Awe, how cute they are....please let me insert this disclaimer: I did not photograph any of these varmints, but I could have...because they have all been here at one time...maybe they are here all the time and I just don't see them...{{Oh shutter}} Anyway, I am just not quick enough to capture a picture of each critter on this place.

Skunks can create a lot of havoc. Stink..stink!!

But, this blog post is not about skunks.

I know God has a sense of humor, because of these animals He created. I could do a whole post on skunks, but I won't. I often write about the beauty of the wild life out here in the country, and I do enjoy it. But, I am going somewhere different with this one. Hang with me and don't jump ahead.I could watch a squirrel scurry around all day.

And, deers ...well, they are just majestic!

I said, "Don't jump ahead"! You did it, didn't you?


Racoons are adorable, but they can be quite a nuisance.

A little gopher, oh how sweet, but oh my, how destructive.

It is dangerous just to walk in our yard now.

This is a mole...rat looking varmint, huh? And, we get more yard destruction.

Armadillos are the absolute worst for digging up the whole yard.
There is not really anything too cute about them either, is there?

I have seen a little fellow something like this one on my front porch, about three times lately

and he likes to hide behind a large pot of flowers.
He seems to slink like a snake and I have never seen his back legs,
but I assume he has them...and he will stand up with his front legs and rear his
pretty little head up at me.........yikes, too snake like for me.

This double flower pot seems to be the big attraction for our colorful lizard.

Okay, now you can look......A Copperhead was on the front porch
a couple of evenings ago....and I can't stop thinking about it.
So many times I weed the flower beds, reaching way up under the shrubs..
Oh My Goodness!
Our porch is nice and flat and you walk straight in the door..no steps or incline--
just an easy entrance with the grandkids going in and out of the doors often.

As I said, this is not the actual picture of the snake or the other critters,
but it looked just like this one. Josh saw it first, as he was headed to the car.
He said, in a soft and calm voice....with silver dollar size eyes...and backing into the house..
"There is a snake out there"

Oh my...Oh my! And a poisonous one at that. I ran for a shovel and
cut the thing in half....as he hissed at me....yikes! David finished him off, but he still managed to wiggle off of the porch without a head.

A little critter like this one was lying dead in his tracks beside the snake the
next morning....poor thing (I am scared to death of mice). I guess the
snake scared the mouse to death! While I was outside getting
the remains of the dead.....the lizard came slinking out from behind the
pots of flowers one more time.
Lord help!

Creative Sidewalk Chalk Art

The artists were restless yesterday, so their Mom sent them outside with chalk.
Josh and Andrew worked vigorously to draw a town. This is a birds eye view.

City Hall

This is a jet flying over some apartments

Hospital complete with ambulance

School

SE Baptist Church with nearby houses

Rain clouds