Week 10 and Attitude Adjustments

Another week, another picture, right? More documentation of this fun project, right?

Rrriiiiiggggghhhttt (think Lumberg in Office Space when you read that).

Well, kind of. We know that we are blessed to have had a little rain. We know we are lucky this year to have corn that has ears (yes, I said that right, some corn out there in the countryside has no ears, as in, no corn kernels to harvest.). We know that we are lucky.

We know, we know, we know...

But this drought is bad. It is not only affecting the corn crop, the beans and their potential, the cattle and their pasture to graze upon, but it's affecting our psyche.

Thus, I am calling for an attitude adjustment.

I am turning off the radar.
I am ignoring the clouds as they bank and then wither.

I am thankful we are okay. I am thankful our corn is still standing and has an ear, even though it might not be as big as the one last year.

Our various mantras for the past few years has included the phrase, "Make it until October," and this year is no exception. If we make it to October without losing our minds, it will be a great harvest. Thus, my attitude adjustment will include looking past the plants, looking past the brown grass, and pressing onward. Joe is a good herdsman, and thus is working longer and harder hours to now move cows around to better sources of water and grass, supplementing with hay when necessary. Our prayers will continue to include rain, but not exclusively, because God knows. He knows what we need and what we can handle, and, evidently, the Midwest farmers are superhero-like in what they can handle.

I have learned in the brief time we have been farming, that, like life, even if you "do everything right," it's all a shot in the dark. The farmers planned and purchased, planted and prayed, and it's all one big card game. There's literally nothing we can do except hope, and some times you just get exhausted of hoping, watching the radar and the clouds and the markets. While you know there's nothing to do, it's hard to see all that your husband has done as far as pasture management and planting burn up in front of your eyes.

So, instead of fretting and worrying and giving myself high blood pressure, I have decided to play the hand we have been dealt, and perfect my poker face.