Jake and I baling round bales at Grandma Moffat's in Perkins, OK. the end of September, 2004. Jake was raking the hay and I was baling. There was about 60 bales of hay from this field this time and about 100 from it in the early summer, thanks to all the rain this past season.
(photo by stan click to enlarge)
The John Deere equipment was something Dad was very proud of. Over the summer of 2004, Jake and I put up over 800 bales of hay. Not bad for a poor boy operation. This is plenty of hay for our cattle this season, no matter how harsh the winter. This is exciting, as last winter we had to buy hay to finish it out.
Jake is getting ready to help Marilyn build some fence and sell come cattle, so guess we will too. This is kind'a like the fall harvest season around here. Lots of folks looking for cattle for the wheat pasture, and fewer folks having cattle to market means the prices have stablized a bit at the upper end, but like most things in farming, if a crop of one type does good, everyone runs and plants that crop. In cattle, when prices head up, everyone keeps back replacement heifers to introduce into the cattle herds and the numbers increase and the price falls... same ole same ole...
Jake and Mom headed to Vassar Mfg. yesterday in Perkins to buy some parts for post hole digger we bought right after we moved to Stillwater in 1960. The folks there helping look up the parts were amazed to find that the digger was one of the earliest ones Vassar built. Like the 7th one or so!! How bout them apples??? If you build them good and sound they will last! The digger is very heavy and goes on the back end of a tractor, and takes two folks or sometimes three to hook it up! Today, I bet the diggers being built are far from that heavy and not built half as well.
Campaign season is about over. Mom wanted NO SIGNS put up on her land and we have respected that, even though we would like to put up one or two, but one canidate has put up signs on Mom's corner on highway, against her wishes, so I would encourage everyone who reads this and is in the district where you can vote for Denny, that you vote for anyone else but this person! Or don't vote in this race at all!! Denny has zero respect for Mom's wishes!!
Had an interesting visit with our County Law enforcement this am. Seems there was a cow out on our road. Jake has seen our neighbor to the west getting in a cow in his pasture last Sunday, but most along this road know we run cattle so we get the call or visit. I asked the law enforcement officers how they knew it was ours, before they ran in said cow, and one replied, " Well, it was expecting, and very big, and it was black, and it went through your fence!" sigh..... so are most of our neighbors, and .. oh well, maybe you had to be here to hear how he said it... haha... but am greatful she is off the road so no one will hit it, regardless of who's it is.
Still working on some family genealogy. Have corrosponded with my fourth cousin, Benjamin Hall, in California. He is forwarding some information to us regarding the Snethen family. Have recieved some things, and lots of it regarding Blankinship family from a very nice gentlemen, James Warner Blankenship, regarding Paul's family. Got a long way to go, but with folks like Mom, these fine gentlemen, and William Shaklee, in OKC., the way might be easier!
All for now...
Enjoy the day!
