The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Greetings to ever one in western Illinois and all readers of The Quill. Harvest is gett'n right along with the corn crop and several folk have'n started in on combine'n soybeans. Many reports are a come'n in at surprisingly better corn yields than was earlier expected.
Neighborly Help -
In travel'n up north along Route 34 I saw some of Steve Giertz's neighbors start'n in to help him get his crop out. Steve is the feller who lost his left leg above the knee and his right leg was given multiple fractures rendering it unable to use fer a while longer yet.
I was told already Terry Davis, Curt Schrock, Clark Kelly, and the Clark brothers have started harvest'n Giertz's non-GMO corn. It was anticipated because of his new farm bin storage system, various fields will have to be harvested in stages rather than all at once, which often is the custom in situations like this.
That is probably a good deal as it will allow neighbors to more easily schedule the help into their fall harvest work schedule. Anyone enterested in help'n Giertz out can call Dan Defenbaugh (309-221-1926) or Matthew Defenbaugh (309-297-0548), I'm told. Truck, labor, or combine is welcome along with your earnest prayers fer a good recovery. A fund has been set up at the Midwest Bank of Western Illinois fer those unable to physically help but will'n to help with financial aid. Steve was of good spirits the day I stopped at his farm and he seemed lifted up by see'n harvest begin, even though his condition prevents his physical participation.
Heart Attacks -
Dr. Virend Somers, a cardiologist from the Mayo Clinic, was a lead author in a report on aspirins relationship to heart attacks in the July 29, 2008 issue of the American College of Cardiology.
We know that most heart attacks occur in the day, generally betwixt 6:00 a.m. and noon. Have'n one dur'n the night, when the heart should be most at rest, means that somethin' unusual happened.
Somer and his colleagues have been work'n fer a decade to show that sleep apnea is to blame. Those breath'n machines could save your life along with given ya a good night's sleep. Plus it could give you a better demeanor betwixt other folk dure'n day light hours, if'n ya gets your proper rest.
If'n you take an aspirin or a baby aspirin once a day, take it at night. The reason: Aspirin has a 24 hour "half-life"; therefore, if'n most heart attacks happen in the wee hours of the morn'n, the aspirin would be strongest in your system.
Aspirin lasts a really long time in your medicine chest. Fer many years it can be affective. When it gets old, it smells like vinegar.
Bayer is make'n crystal aspirin to dissolve instantly on the tongue. They work much faster than the tablet. It might help you some day to know this.
You should keep aspirin at your bedside because of heart attacks. You need to know the symptoms of a heart attack. Some folk have heart attacks and never fully realize it.
Pain on the left arm one symptom. Ya must also be aware of an intense pain on the chin, as well as nausea and lots of sweat'n; however, these symptoms may also occur less frequently.
It should be noted that there may be NO pain in the chest dur'n a heart attack.
The majority of people (about 60%) who had a heart attack dur'n their sleep did not wake up. However, if'n it occurs, the chest pain may wake you up from your deep sleep. If'n that happens, immediately dissolve two aspirins in your mouth and swallow them with a bit of water.
Afterwards: Call 911. Phone a neighbor or a family member who lives very close by. Say "Heart Attack". Say that you have taken 2 aspirins. Take a seat on a chair or sofa near the front door, and wait for their arrival.
DO NOT LIE DOWN!
Hopefully familiarize'n yourself with this information might save your life one day and enable ya to remain a faithful supporter of The Quill and this community.
Drought Of 1936 -
One last thing on the drought of this year. While it was bad fer man over a wide area, there was one worse in the minds of many older folk today. The year was 1936.
Farmers were familiar with harsh conditions back then. After all, the Great Depression had been go'n on since 1929. Those were the days in rural life before air condition'n, electricity fer most folk, and run'n water.
The heat was stifle'n. You couldn't sleep well at night and many slept outdoors on a porch or in the yard. It was hard to do the manual labor required in those days, without a good nights sleep.
Some folk applied rub'n alcohol to young children to cool them off.
Many folk yet farmed with horses. The intense heat caused fatigue fer man and work animal alike. Many a farmer waited to even'n hours or early morn'n to get at their work and then laid off in the heat of the day. Of a full moon, a farmer could cultivate all night long, believe it to not. No air conditioned cabs on them horses to hold off the heat.
Milk'n and daily chores yet had to be done mostly by hand, heat or no heat. Fer the woman folk the cook stove only added to the household temperatures. Many utilized summer kitchens.
In those days there was no crop insurance to fall back on. Land values and crop prices crashed. Many people died in the cities from the heat. Rainless storms came which brought dust storms that darkened the sky. No one had seen anything like that before and many worried it was the end times.
Bugs plagued the farmers crops with no aid from modern insecticides of today. Grasshoppers did especially well in the hot, dry weather.
The chinch bug was especially bad. It was amber and white and less than one-sixteenth of an inch long. They traveled in hordes across farmland and sucked the life out of hayfields, pasture, and field corps alike.
A common practice was to dig deep ditches at your property line and fill them with creosote oil, try'n to trap the little flightless buggers. Hopefully they would get stuck in the oil and be stopped at that point. EPA would have fun with that today.
Anyways, maybe this look back will make ya feel a little better about the conditions of 2012. Think of it this way: 76 years from now ya oughta have quite a story about this year's drought fer your grandchill'n. Or, if'n ya writes it down, they can read about it if'n ya are no longer around.
Wherever ya are, what ever ya are a do'n, Be a Good One"! Don't forget church next weekend.
Keep on Smile'n
Catch ya later
Barnyard Bruke