Dan the Man Does Jury Duty, Ugh!

Today Dan the Man had to report for jury duty. This really puts a wrench in our operations here on the farm. We are just getting ready to get corn harvest underway. We have had such weird weather that the fields have been too wet to get into and the corn was not dried down enough to get started. Now that the conditions are perfect, Dan the Man is called for jury duty. Go figure.

He actually was called earlier this spring right during planting time so he was able to get his jury duty postponed until November. We are really hoping to get all the corn up before our vacation to Japan. We are going to spend Christmas with our oldest son, Nick, who is stationed there at Yakota Air Force Base. We leave in less than 4 weeks. With God's help we'll get everything done in time.

Dan the Man left me a simple list of chores to do today since I am the one left to run the place on my own. I'm praying that he does not get selected for this trail but my hopes are growing dim since he has not come home yet. If he wasn't so stubborn and would get a cell phone he could have called me at lunch and let me know what was going on.

Anyway, the list, like I said, was pretty simple, which was a good thing since I myself had to go into town for a doctor's appointment. And since I had spent more time on the computer before I got started with the chores, I was going to have to hurry to get done in time to make it to my appointment in time.

1. Feed the steers.
Check, no problem.

2. Run the naughty cows (who keep insisting on getting into the corn) back in where they belong down on the creek.
Better hurry and get down there since I still need to get into the shower, shouldn't take long. Get on the four wheeler and take off towards the creek. WHOA, who put that electric wire across the road!! Someone could "clothes-line" themselves with that if they are not careful. It's not even flagged or anything. Oh yeah, I put that there and that was on MY list of things to do. Wow, that was stupid, wonder if anyone saw me do that??

Now I need to add "fix the gate handle", that I just broke, to the list along with "mark the wire with something" so people don't run through it! When I got down to the creek I didn't see any cows out, so I drove the four wheeler all the way around the corn field looking for them. Sure did seem to be steering kind of weird, like it had a mind of it's own! After driving all the way around the corn field and seeing no cattle I assume they must have let themselves back into the pasture they are suppose to be in. What good girls they are!

2. Run the cows back in.
Check

When I got back to the shop, I realized the reason the four wheeler was steering like "it had a mind of it's own" was because that is how it steers when the front wheel is flat. Oops! You have got to be kidding me!

Add "fill front tire (before Dan the Man finds out that I drove on it) with air" to list. Oh great, my list is getting longer and I still need to shower! I still have a little time I can do this.

2a. Fix the gate handle.
2b. Flag the wire.
2c. Fill the tire with air.

Time to take shower and fly into town. As I cross the creek on the highway, I see three cows in the corn. I'll have to take care of them when I get home.

2. Run the cows back in.
UNCHECK

3. Fill the stock tank.
Check

Got to the appointment at the exact time of the appointment. Got in trouble with doctor for not taking my meds like I should so now I have to go back in three months to test again. I tried to tell her my whole bathroom routine which includes taking my pills was interrupted due to the bathroom remodel. She wasn't very compassionate and told me that was not a very good excuse! LOL! Don't get me wrong, I love my doc and she is the best!

Back home to finish up Dan the Man's list.

So I took the four wheeler back down to the creek and ran the naughty girls back in. They must have known I meant business because they were waiting at the gate for me. They probably knew I was serious by the way I was flying down there on the four wheeler!

2. Run the cows back in.
Check

4. Take corn sample into the elevator to get the moisture checked. The conversation with the elevator guy went something like this. I'm sure he is still rolling his eyes and feeling sorry for Dan the Man.

"Can you test this corn for me?" I hand over a whole big coffee can of the corn to the elevator guy. He dumps about a handful into his machine. (Why did Dan the Man tell me to take a whole coffee can when it only takes a handful? Now I feel a little stupid, oh well, not the first time nor will it be the last time!)

"It's 14.7" says the elevator guy.

"Is that good?"

"It's ok. What kind of truck do you have?"

"Uhhh, what do you mean?"

"How big is it?"

"Uhhh, I don't know, it's a farm truck, not a semi." (Is that what he wanted to know? and what does it matter what kind of truck we have?)

"How big is the box?"

"Duhh, I don't know, it's not much bigger than that one, I think, well, I'm not quite sure."

"How does it dump?"

"Hmmm, (all I know is that you push this knob under the steering wheel and it lifts up the box) there is a little door at the back that opens."

"Does the whole gate dump?"

"Ummm, I think so..."

Then he explains to me that the reason he is asking is because the only space they have left for corn is in a building that the trucks have to be small enough to fit into and still be able to dump. I tell him I'm kind of new at this and don't know a whole lot. I'm sure he already had that one figured out on his own. Then I told him I was Dan the Man's wife. Oh, he had already talked to Dan the Man and they had already established that Dan could take his corn there. Then I had to remind him that Dan the Man was doing his civic duty and we weren't sure when we were going to start hauling the corn. Dan the Man just wanted to make sure that the moisture wasn't too high. I spared the poor guy by not telling him that I would probably be the one driving the truck and bringing the corn!! LOL!

So we'll see how the rest of the week goes with me "running" the place! LOL!! Hopefully Dan the Man will not get chosen for this trial! I'll keep you posted! Time to get started on the nightly chores!

-Kathi