The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
9-9-2009 Column
Standing in the Gilman Creamery parking lot two weeks ago, I was watching how precisely dairy calves, yearlings, dry cows, sheep, pigs, pigeons, goats, beef steers and all show-supplies fit into one semi-trailer.
The feed bag brigade of boys and girls, parents and 4-H’ers lined up the loading chute tossing beet pulp, feed sacks and hay bales into the belly of the trailer. Noah couldn’t have done a better job in packing the ark.
A 4-H mom asked if Mark and I were heading down as chaperones and a “second honeymoon”?
I visualized sleeping in separate hot stuffy dorms in very uncomfortable beds with squeaky springs. We would be constantly surrounded by thousands of people. No time alone for just the two of us.
What kind of honeymoon would that be? I thought it sounded more like a self-induced shivery where the newlyweds were whisked away to the back sands and left to “find their way home” with an old draft horse as their only means of transportation.
Meanwhile, the neighbors were helping to “rearrange” the household furniture out in the front yard!
(This happened to my folks 49 years ago.)
I figured if we made it past 21 years of marriage without a shivery, I didn’t need to shivery myself!
I told Sharon that Mark never mentioned going on a second honeymoon, so I guess we would have to miss out on that experience.
But, I thought, with all of the kids at the state fair, we would have the whole house and farm to ourselves for a couple of days. Now that could be the scene of a second honeymoon.
Once I got home to start evening chores, the reality of the situation hit me. With all 4 kids at the state fair for the next 5 days, it was just Al, Mark and I to do all the chores and put up hay and straw.
No problem. That is how it used to be 20 years ago BC (before children).
While the kids were gone, we were trying to bale third crop hay and finish up baling straw. I ran to town to do some banking while the fields were losing a heavy morning dew. On my way home I met Mark heading north in the truck. He flagged me down and asked “think we can unload a couple of racks of straw before chores?” It was only 3 in the afternoon and I figured he would continue heading north to pick up the neighbor boys we lined up earlier in the morning to come help us. “Sure, we can get that job done.”
He turns around and follows me into the yard. “We” meant just us. Ok. I can do this I thought to myself.
Mark and I use to unload racks of straw by ourselves when we were first married. It was our “alone time” to talk over the drone of the conveyor. No problem. Second honeymoon.
BIG PROBLEM!
I’m 20 years older than when we first wed. My brain, or was it my pride, said “SURE” you can do this.
The first rack went ok. Halfway through the second rack my beating heart pushed aside my pride and screamed, “are you nuts!”
I’m nuts and stubborn. I forgot that I haven’t had to unload any hay or straw this season because the kids have always been around to do that job. No wonder I’ve been having problems losing my winter weight!
We kept at it until the last bale was stacked and then proceeded to start chores again for the evening while Al continued baling.
This got me to thinking. Jonathon will be heading off to college next fall. Michael is right behind him…then Katie. At least we have a break before Austin leaves us too. But they will all leave us and the farm within the next 5 years. I think I have seen the future and I am scared.
We can not continue to do things the way we use to when we were 20 years younger. Our pride may say we can, but our bodies are screaming “no you can’t!”
This state fair adventure may have been our wake-up call to take a closer look at how we do our jobs on the farm.
While I was having a flash forward, the kids were having a realization of the past. This summer they have worked hard with their 4-H animals in their care and training. The 4-H state fair show was their reward with purple ribbons, Grand Champions and Showmanship honors. The kids are starting to realize that success doesn’t just happen over night. Everyone works year round for that one moment in the coliseum when the judge points to your animal as champion. That moment when you lose your breath and are frozen in time as you realize he has pointed to you. The release of tears of joy streaking your dusty face from the show ring shavings as the crowd applauds your success and your mother screams. Congratulations to all the 4-H champions.
We all reached a crossroad of discovery this past state fair week as we have learned lessons from the past and prepare for changes in the future. We have recovered from the State Fair Flu and have put the show halters away for another year.
The final page in the summer adventure will be a State Fair Softball game in the pasture next Sunday, the day after our 22nd wedding anniversary. Maybe we’ll be able to get in another “second honeymoon” before the first pitch.
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As their 4 children pursue dairy careers off the farm, Natalie and Mark are starting a new adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their Minnesota farm. (Natalie grew up in Stronghurst, the daughter of Becky and the late Larry Dowell.)
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