We seem to be in a no sun cycle, just overcast days. Not cold, just bleak overcast weather. I much prefer the sunshine, but one cannot complain about how cold it is outside. Any of these days of “not too cold” weather is fine with me. Every day is one day closer to spring. Remember Dec. 21 was the shortest day and after that, more daylight every day
For you hoar frost believers, June 13 to 16 look like a good rain. We will see.
On the home front, my front yard is just a sheet of ice. I swear that another thousand gallons of water and I could have an Olympic-sized skating rink. To get to the vehicles, my wife and I are doing the “moose-crossing-a-frozen-river walk.” You know, shuffling, short little steps, never lifting your feet off the ground very high just sliding ahead. Falling is not a good option. It would be easy to fall. It would be really easy to break something. Slow and careful is much better. I don’t like falling. Well it’s not the falling as much as the landing.
My man Jaco has returned from South Africa. I have seen the whites of his eyes across the kitchen table. That is how I can tell if someone is truly here and coming to work. He looks tanned and rested. He tells me he had a good visit with his family. He tells me his father had one of his knees replaced so this knee problem is all over the world I guess. His father is about the same age as I am.
He was here Saturday and got the two pins in on the arms of the bulldozer blade. We had the bulldozer blade hanging on the tractor but needed three pins put in. He had rebuilt the nosepiece on the tractor that was broken last year in a towing incident. He welded one of the tabs on too close so we could not get the plate on that holds the bulldozer blade up. I will get him to trim it back with an angle grinder and Jackall it up so we can slide the pin in. The blade started out as a 10-foot model made by Universal Industries. I have modified it many times and extended it out to 16 feet. I had it first on a 4020. Then I had it on my JD 8630, then my JD 8850s. Each time it got modified. Now it is modified to fit this JD 8970. If I was in the snow plowing business, I would have to do something about the push pole or buy a new one. The blade itself is almost indestructible, with double plated construction. This is good enough for me as I use it to clean up my yard only. I don’t have bin yards scattered all over the country anymore.
Jaco has the shop cleaned out so we can get the tandem truck in. I found a good used 3208 Cat motor over at Cudworth. It is sitting on the floor of the shop beside the dead cat motor. He needs to remove the drive disc from the new used motor as it came out of a combine. Then he needs to put on the flywheel and clutch from the old motor. Then we can get the truck into the shop and lift the new motor in. I am glad to have Jaco’s help as I don’t fit under the truck very well
Jaco is working on getting his 1A so he has driving lessons in Lloydminster. Whenever he is not doing that, he can work for me. There is always a to-do list on the farm. It is nice to have someone look after the to-do list. Nothing is very pressing right now unless you leave it to the last minute. Then I know things jam up real fast.
In farm news. the grain prices are creeping up if you have a grade No 1 or a No 2 with high protein of 13 per cent or more. The high protein wheat is nearing $7. Grain prices have come up for the quality grains but the ethanol wheat’s are down just over the $4. Malting barley is in short supply and I understand the prices are good. Canola is playing with $10. It has not made it there yet, but it will for those who can wait. Make sure the darn stuff doesn’t heat on you in the meantime.
I am still waiting for the government to impose the $100,000 fines per day on CN rail for not hauling what they were supposed to. Then they changed it to $100,000 per week. Now that seems to have gone away altogether. Is this government going to fine this railway or not? There is a saying “justice delayed is justice denied.” What is it going to be? Maybe we could suggest all future bank robbers just wear suits and ties. You will get off. As long as you are a big enough suit you can do anything. That non-hauling trick the railroads pulled cost the Canadian farmer millions in lost sales at a higher price. As my Newfie hired man used to say “if you does the crime, you does the time.” That’s what I think, too.
Joke of the week, thanks to Janet. Three women got into an elevator. They noticed each other’s perfume. The one says “Chanel No 5, $40 an ounce.” The other one with her nose in the air said “Ralph Lauren, $80 an ounce.” An older, heavier lady let go with a pungent blast of flatulence and with a smirk on her face said “Cabbage, fifty cents a pound.” The elevator emptied as soon as the door opened.
