Speak of the Devil . . .

Buffalo River Farm

Ozark Mountains

Photo by Brian Cormack

Yesterday's post mentioned Uncle Cran, and who should show up about the same time via email but the man himself! The occasion was Uncle Cran's sporadic farm report, known to one and all as "Down on the Farm" -- despite being up in the Ozarks! Uncle Cran begins with a lament:

A busy time down on the farm.

But not too busy that one can't issue a report, I reckon.

The hay season is now in progress, which will likely continue through June and into July. With all the rain this spring, the hay crop is really good. My 4 X 5 round baler makes a bale weighing about 600 pounds. That is about the amount in 12 square bales. The first small field usually makes 22-26 bales, and this time it made 34.

Anyone ever notice how those 'square' bales were rectangular? I don't know what a "4 X 5 round baler" is, but those 'round' bales look cylindrical to me. Check out those bales in the photo above (not Uncle Cran's farm). I guess there's little call for precise three-dimensional geometry in the farming life.

We have about two or three days of sunshine between rain sessions, so we have to "make hay while the sun shines," as the old-timers would say. This has led nephew Bill to comment that he received ". . . . nearly 2 inches or rain." I'm not exactly sure what that expression "or" indicates, so will leave it for you to decipher. We got about 1.6 inches here. My brother-in-law Paul and I do fields in partnership. We both mow the field, then he rakes and I bale. It works out well. We cut our west field yesterday, and have until Tuesday evening to get it baled, before the next rain system comes through. Then we repeat the process until it is all done.

As the old-timers would say? I do believe an old-timer did say! And just listen to Uncle Cran ridiculing Cousin Bill over a typo! Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! Uncle Cran himself erred in punctuation with this very quote, using four dots where just three are needed! I'm sure everyone is aware of when and when not to add the extra dot to an ellipse (and, no, I'm not talking geometry here).

Gay noticed a young cow standing away from the other cows, and going back to the middle of the field, so after the hay was cut yesterday, I got on the ATV and drove over where she was standing. She had delivered the calf during the latest rain, and it didn't survive. So we can say that our hay is up, but stocks are down. You always hate to lose livestock, but that's a part of farm life.

That is a sad story, so I won't make light of anything here, for I do have some standards of right behavior . . .

My Class of '57 met again the previous Saturday for a reunion. The Viola High School has several new buildings now. We lost another classmate and one classmate lost her husband since our last meeting. Some who usually attend didn't make it, so our group is getting smaller.

On that somber note -- and recalling that I was born in 1957 -- I will end by echoing Uncle Cran's closing words: "We hope this finds everyone doing well."