It's a Boy!!

The calving season Has begun once again on Herdegen Family Farm. A healthy bull calf, about 70 lbs, was born this afternoon.

Blessings

Counting down the days

Well, there are two different occassions that I am counting down the days for. Calving and graduation. Theoretically, calving could start Friday. I am SO excited!!! If any of you know me at all, you know that I loook forward to calving every year. I just love them little guys. And then I graduate from college in 10 days. It doesn't seem possible but am excited to get my diploma after being done with classes for the last four months.
The tractor has been coming along pretty good. Don't know if I am going to meet my goal of getting it done before grad, but I am going to try. Starting to put the engine block back together today with the sleeves and pistons. I cracked a sleeve, so I'll have to order a new one, bummer. But got the TA ordered today, so hopefully that will be here by the end of the week so that I can start putting all that back together.
Finally got some rain last weekend. Half an inch was like gold. The corn should get a good germination and start now. More rain is forcasted for later in the week. I was hoping to clean barn this weekend, but will now have to wait to see if/how much rain comes.
But I better get back to the tractor.

Blessings

Got Rain?

It's been over two weeks since we have received any type of moisture around here. There is a chance of rain this whole weekend, I just hope that it comes. It's been windy lately and it is disheartning to watch the dust and top soil blow away. But, through it all, the yards have ben able to dry out, which will hopefully lead to a successful year of cleaning barn in the spring.
The lake still resides in the pasture. We are thinking that we are going to have to redue some of the tiling now. Yet, we are not going to be able to do any of that until all the water receeds, which who knows when that will happen. Maybe I should start aquaculture. Haha.
Calving will begin in roughly a week. As much as I am not ready to lose sleep at night, I am SO ready to see little calves running around the cattle yards. It's the most exhausting time of the year, it is my favorite time of the year!!
The tractor overhaul is going well. The engine overhaul kit has arrived, so hopefully I'll be able to start working on the new piston heads on Monday. The old TA is out and seems to be pretty much shot. Will be ordering a new one next week. Still hoping to have it done by graduation, but we will see if I am able to make that goal or not. I hope that I am because I have to start getting hay equipment ready soon. Oh, the joys of farming......but they are SO worth it!!

Blessings

Knicked up Hands

Once all of the grease is removed from the hands, other suprises seem to always show up. I don't think that I can do any type of mechanical project without creating new marks on my hands. Maybe God is trying to tell me that I am not supposed to be doing mechanical work....but it's so much fun!! Anyway, many new scars are showing up on my hands, arms, and face. The project is only a few days in...we'll see what I look like at the end of the work. I just hope that I have four limbs still attached!! Haha.

Blessings

Greasy Hands

Once again, I have found myself tearing into an engine of a red tractor. I haven't done this type of work since I was in high school and worked in a mechanic shop. Well, I have returned to the same shop, but with my own tractor. A 1951 Internation 656 Utility will be my life for the next three weeks. I will be comepletely overhauling the engine, redoing the TA, among many other fix-its. This is the biggest tractor that I have taken on on my own, but am up for the challenge and having fun so far!!
Other than that, the 3 acre lake in the pasture is slowing going down. Wishing it would go down quicker so that I can do some reseeding. Cattle yards are gettin' drier, hopefully will be able to smooth them out tomorrow and feed hay.

Blessings

Catch-up

So, I figured that since I haven't posted for a while, I should spend a little time catching people up todate on what is happening. Granting that there are people that do read this..you guys are great!!!!

It has been quite the transition since coming home after college. Going from being busy with homework hanging over my head and always being around friends to not having any homwork to do and with no friends around. That is, I am now officially done with college assignments after giving a final presentation down at Dordt this past week. It is different being able to sit down at night and not have to worry about the paper that I should be writing rather than catching a few minutes of whatever is on TV. But is has been good, I need to learn how to relax a little more.

However, I think that I have gotten caught up of relaxing. I am still in the midst of job searching. I haven't been able to find anything locally, so now the job search area has broadened outward. I initially thought that I would come back to the home area and settle down, but like usual God has a different plan in mind. I am beginning to accept the fact that I may be moving to another area for the rest of my life. God's will will be done.

The weather has begun to warm up outside, so it has been nice to get out and start getting outside work done. I start overhauling a tractor tomorrow. I hope to have it done in three weeks, but we'll see if that happens. There is a lot of work to do on it so it'll keep me busy. Calving starts in a little over two weeks. As much as I don't feel ready for it, I'm excited to see little baby calves running around the corrals.

Well, time for bed. I hope to be out here a little more regularly than I have in the best. We'll see if I am able to keep that up. :)

Blessings

So, it would seem that with all of the time that I have on my hands these days, I would be able to keep up with posting on a blog. But as many have seen on my other blog, that isn't the case.

So, why with the new blog? I don't know to tell the truth.

Blessings