A Busy Memorial Day Weekend...

It was a beautiful weekend here!  We couldn't have asked for better weather...for those who were picnicking with family and friends, or for those who had outside work to do.

As is usually the case, there is a lot to do this time of year on the farm.  Our corn is usually planted the first week of May, but with the late spring this year, everyone is running behind. On Tuesday of last week, the planter made it to our place.

Mark has just filled up the boxes on his planter with seed and starter fertilizer, and is making some adjustments to the planter...

He didn't get very far in the first field before there was a glitch.  He's trying to take off a hose clamp to find the problem, while our Amish neighbor Jake looks on...

Found the problem...a clump of starter fertilizer was plugging up a hose...

...and he's ready to go again.   Do you know what that disc sticking out to the left of the planter is for?

It's a marker.  When he gets to the end of the field and turns around, he will line up the hood ornament on his tractor's hood with the mark it makes. That ensures that rows of corn will all line up properly.  It's important that they be evenly spaced for the harvester this fall.  He got a couple of fields planted, and then the rains came and he finished up towards the end of the week.

On Friday morning, looking ahead at the weather forecast, Jim mowed hay here at home, hoping to bale some dry hay on Monday...Memorial Day.

Our respite was on Sunday afternoon when we spent some time with friends at the Holtwood Pinnacle, overlooking the Susquehanna River.  We've had a lot of rains lately, and the river was high, and very muddy, but still beautiful...

When Monday morning rolled around, the day looked like it was going to be pretty busy...and it was!

The soybean planter arrived, and the stack of bags up in the barn were soon emptied.  This is just a few of them...

It's hard to believe, with all the rain we've had lately, how dry the ground was!  The weather this weekend was hot and breezy, quickly drying things out, making the dust fly...

Mid afternoon, Jim began baling, and soon the hay wagons were filled.  Eric and some neighbors did the unloading...

I know it's not the greatest picture, but at this time of day there wasn't any great place to get a picture with good lighting.  You get the idea...two on the wagon...two in the mow, stacking bales...

This mow started out completely empty, but was soon beginning to fill up with stacked, dry hay...

Jenna helped me with some mowing, fed calves, and others pitched in with feeding the cows while I did the evening milking.  Jim finished baling just in time to milk a first calf heifer that freshened in the morning.

It felt overwhelming in the morning, looking at all that had to be accomplished during the day, but the weather cooperated, the equipment worked great, the kids and the neighbors were great help, and we finally reached this place...

Evening...with cooler temps and contented cows out in the meadow for the night.  It felt good to fall into bed tired, but with a sense of accomplishment with all that got done, and thankfulness for good help, good weather, and equipment that worked like it was supposed to!

As I write, on Tuesday afternoon, we're just beginning to see the first shoots of corn peeping through the ground!  All the corn and beans have now been planted, (except for the corn that will be planted after barley) and now we need to be patient and watch it grow!