The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Greetings to ever one in western Illinois and all readers of The Quill.
I'm hope'n everone had a good Palm Sunday and have their hearts and minds set fer the proper observation of Easter come'n up.
The old timers say'n is: "Not much field work gets done til after Easter Sunday."
That has seemed to hold true many times for years past.
EASTER
In years past, women folk use to sport their Easter Bonnet and their newest dress and gloves but it's a rare thing to see an Easter bonnet today and even to see the ladies in dresses.
It seems the sun rise services has become more popular of late and folks enjoy the celebration of that Easter morn'n along with a meal and some socializ'n.
The men folk are attend'n since farmers don't have as many milk'n cows these days and can take part in the service and meal as well.
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS
People should have adjusted to Daylight Savings Time by now and their loss of an hour. But to a farmer, he doesn't lose or gain an hour. He works according to the time of the sun.
snow geese
Buster Jiggs said a lot of folks his way was enjoy'n watching the snow geese that were in the thousands the last couple of weeks, cover'n the fields white mixed in with a few swans.
Cornelius Farkwad, me neighbor to the east, said it is sure awful nice to see the robbins and all the birds that are back, sing'n their songs and bring'n their cheerful music back into the community.
Fess McGee said his neighbors with cow herds and sheep herds are gett'n along well with calv'n and lamb'n this time of year, and it's helped since the temperatures have been mild thus far.
weather
Jasper Jenks said, The weather man is call'n for a wet spring so we better have all our machinery tuned up and ready to hit it hard when we can get in the fields.
SPRING
Here we are neari'n the end of March and April all set to come in, said, Orville Figpluker who lives the other side of Skunk Holler: "In like a lion, out like a lamb!" he said.
Patty Murphy of the next county, asked, "So, where did the phrase fer March "In like a lamb, out like a lion" come from?"
I guess Orville had heard it grow'n up. While many say'ns are based on observation and are accurate, others are the rhymes and beliefs of those who came before us.
Jasper Jenks, added, "I read In the old-n-days, folks actually believed that bad spirits could change the weather adversely, so they were cautious as to what they did or didn't do in certain situations. Those beliefs also included ideas that there could be a balance in weather and in life.
So, if the weather came in bad, (like a lion) it could go out good and calm. (like a lamb)
Since March is such a changeable month, however, in which we can see warm, spring-like days, or late season blizzards, you can understand how the saying might hold true in some instances yet be just the opposite-"in like a lamb, out like a lion."
Elmer Fudpucker said he had read in the old Farmers Almanac, some other March related sayings include'n:
"A dry March and a wet May? Fill barns and bays with corn and hay."
"As it rains in March so it rains in June."
"March winds and April showers-bring forth May flowers."
And my misses, she really does loves them flowers! She plants "em every Spring and cuts some for our kitchen table. It sure makes the house smell good." Elmer said.
I'm a hope'n, since March seemed to come in like a Lion, and we and the boys know, some of our heaviest snows has happened in March in the past, that this is the year, it just tip toes out like a lamb."
Glen Finkenbinder said, "I hate to spoil your day-dream'n but the weatherman is say'n high winds and it could be snow and rain Thursday. They are predict'n gusts of 40 mph.
The boys went on talk'n about a storm that went through from the south out of Mississippi state and came up and cut across the river travel'n up through Good Hope area and hit a lot of farms in those parts.
Elmer Fudpucker, who lives off to the east just over by Oscar's Holler said a feller's new shop was destroyed.
Glen Finkerbinder, just across the way said that Sam McGrew's barn was destroyed with horses in it. He told the boys that McGrew had to get a horse chiropracter to work on the horse. Its neck was caught in an odd angle and was trapped in the barn.
It made some of the boys think they wished they had some of those old fashion storm cellars to go into, when they had an advance warn'n..
Instead, we hear, some people drove quickly to family and neighbors houses to get into a more solid structure.
Folks were see'n the hail hit all over the place, Jasper said. "Some were thinkin' they wished they had of gathered up some of those hail stones and added salt to it and made homemade ice cream. Hylda has done it in the past," Jasper said.
FEED WORK
Prior to the heavy rain, a lot of the folks around her got a lot of their NH3 applied to the fields and some spring tillage field work. Most areas not too far from here were too wet to get into the field.
There's still some corn around these parts to be harvested in both Iowa and Illinois and I am sure they will be gett'n on that as soon as weather allows.
HUNT'N
Cornelius said, "We sure had a mild winter that allowed the wildlife to survive, especially quail and pheasants.
"I've seen a lot more rabbits around these parts than I have in past springs. That must be a sign that the coyote population hasn't been as hard on "em as they've been in years past."
Some of the fellers have take'n their dogs into these stand'n cornfields that remain this spring, and ran into the coyotes who were hunt'n fer rabbits.
The coyotes would take after the dogs try'n to kill "em and the dogs come run'n scared right out of the stand'n cornfields with the coyotes hot on their tail!
At that point, the hunters are wait'n fer the varmit at the bottom of the corn field and have been able to kill quite a few coyotes.
That sure seems like an interest'n way to hunt fer coyotes.
HELP'N OUT
On a lighter note, the fellers and a lot of neighbors are travel'n to those parts the storm hit and offer'n help with the cleanup to those struck by the tornado and storms that went through. It sure make fer a good feel'n live'n in these parts with such good friends fer neighbors.
Well, I guess me and the boys are need'n to get back to make'n ready the planter and tractors. So I guess, that's all fer this week.
Keep on enjoy'n the life the good Lord's give'n ya, and help make someone else's life better.
Hope'n to see ya early in church this special day of Easter Sunday. Invite a friend.
Wherever ya is, whatever ya be a do'n "BE A GOOD ONE!"
Keep on smile'n,
Catch ya later,
BARNYARD BRUKE