Good Morning All. Mostly cloudy and a warm 76° with a slight chance of rain later this morning.
The doctor visit with my primary care guy went as expected yesterday. Everything was normal and blood was drawn for a multitude of stuff. I'll know the results later today if someone on his staff remembers to enter it online. They have been derelict on this before and I have had to call and ask for it.
I mowed most of the front yard yesterday. Last week I went east/west, yesterday I went north/south; next week it will be southeast/northwest. It does prevent a pattern from developing and I get a different view to break the monotony. Today will be the south side yard and a more proper mowing over the SW corner where the septic system is located. I mowed that extra high last time since it was well overgrown and I will do it at normal height this time.
Yesterday was the last day that I got to look at the "amber waves of grain" next door.
A very obvious intruder was present.
I did not take any pictures while it was on my side of the field due to the great amount of chaff and dust, some of which made it into the pool. It's something that I have to put up with one day a year unless the wind is out of the north, rare in the summer.
Remember the model of the John Deere 9620 that I just mounted on the flatcar?
That's a mobile grain hopper that the combines dump their loads into while in the field. It goes from there to an 18 wheeler parked on the perimeter of the field to be hauled to the elevator. Two combines, one of these and the 18-wheeler took about three hours to do 80+ acres. The truck had to make one trip to the elevator (seven miles away) in the middle of the operation. Meanwhile there is enough storage space in the combines themselves and this hopper to last until he got back.
I had a lull in the wind yesterday evening, so I was able to irrigate the garden for 2.5 hours with the overhead sprinkler. It had been six days since the rain last Wednesday night. Picked Yellow Squash yesterday. Since squash does not preserve well, I only plant a few plants for fresh eating.
The dark yellow one is the product of incomplete pollination, might be good, might not. These are all from one plant. I have more that I planted three weeks later to extend the harvest. Unfortunately with the warm nights, the tomato and pepper flowers will not pollinate, so that harvest which is just starting will end around July 4th. That tomato in the photo is a variety that I have not grown before called Juliette. It is a meaty variety that is good for marinara sauce, but doesn't get very large. There's quite a few green ones out there.
Thanks for the many comments and reactions regarding the flatcar load;
Patrick, Sherrel, Dave B, Smudge, Guy, Steve J, Karl, Louis, Tom O, Hughie, Rick, OB Ken, Curt, IB Ken, James, Tom, Jaz.
Out in the train shed yesterday, I mostly ran trains again. That's why I have them after all. But I also received a package in the mail. I don't normally purchase stuff over the Internet except for locos from ScaleTrains, but
Tom O had twice recommended figures from a Canadian company called Miniprints
These are 3D printed figures and accessories for model railroaders.
From the bottom clockwise are raccoons, squirrels, lady on air mattress, Daisy on a bicycle, lawn chairs, Adirondack chairs, Texas Longhorns, and armadillos.
I managed to get one of the Longhorns down the road to pose for me as a model. She seemed annoyed but unperturbed.
Damn fencepost! Here's the rest of the herd up close.
I don't know about the two young ones, but both of the big ones are mamas.
OB Ken -
Always gotta be something trying to eat my garden before I get to.
My gardening philosophy is to plant a little for the birds and four-legged critters, a little for Mother Nature (wind, rain, frost), a little for the insects and a lot for me. Usually works but not always.
Sherrel - I think that
Smudge hit the nail on the head regarding why they don't use blocks on tractor loads.
Guy - I believe that chain cinches are available in HO, but on my load they are hidden under the tractors. At least that's my story.
Curt - Those JD 9620's cost about $500K apiece. The guy who leases and farms this acreage has two that I know of, along with two combines and numerous other pieces of equipment. All in all, I am told that he leases or owns over 50,000 acres in our area.
Jaz - I am a basic hermit and don't go to movies or read any Hollywood gossip news, so I really didn't know who Amber Heard was. So I googled her name and was hit with a lot of pictures of her with no clothes on! Still never heard of any of her movies except Aquaman.
Everyone have a great day.
So it's safe to go there! I am looking forward to seeing my buddy there! We will be seeing that movie Top Gun Maverick in IMAX theater Friday. We will probably do a little riding around then go to the gun range he is a member of and do a little dust off. Then later that evening we will be going to the famous Cattle Men's steak house for dinner. Then Saturday we will be on Lake Fork with a professional fishing guide going after a double digit large mouth bass. I am hoping to get anything over 10 lbs. I have caught a few when I lived in Florida but it has been a long time.... So Sunday I will be back home again at which time I will prepare for my sister's arrival from London, England.