Life is so complicated.

Yesterday I took my father to get his pacemaker scanned. It was interesting. It was going to be the subject of today's post.
However, I was in a hurry and went to work early.
I gave up and came back in the house for more coffee.
I thought that by the time I got to this point in life I would learn to make quick and decisive decisions and learn to focus.
It seems to have gotten worse instead of better.
I would hesitate to reveal this information as I am sure all the local folks who read this blog see me as a pillar of the ag community- but I have heard many other farmers say the exact same thing.
I do not see the farmers whose influences came from people who grew up in the 1920's adapting well to the 21st century.
I am trying to buy a new GPS antenna. You can't really go to a show room and look at them. The salesmen often know less than you, and they are expensive.
I think I want the Novatel Smart AG V-1 with glide technology and built in tilt compensation. I doubt I will ever get RTK, unless I can steal a signal off of a local network. Hmmmm, an idea!
I am the only person I know of who is so cheap that they built their own GPS.... Well I used this software. (FarmerGPS)
-I need to buy bosch headlight relays which are an essential part of my GPS and foam marker and tractor lighting system.
-There are many different prices and types of Bosch headlight relays on eBay and I can't decide.
-I need to buy a woodstove
-I need to make feed, but this includes putting an ad on craigslist, calling Seattle Bag Company to find burlap bags, figuring out how to set up my LLC for selling feed with Quickbooks, Filling the new bins I bought, actually paying for the bins using my LLC, fixing the electric motor on the bin, fixing the auger on the other, going after an auger to fill the bin, and a couple other things I forgot.
So, I came back in the house to have more coffee.
Then I remembered that my brother told the fellow from the oil seed place that I was in charge of the farm and the guy is coming out to talk to me about growing flax.
And my some-times-a-great employee texted me that he is out of food and must go to the food bank so he will be in at 10 a.m.
I wonder if it would be possible to hire a retired farmer to just follow me around and tell me what to do?

Happy Day

I'm having a hard time facing the new season. It is all moving too fast.
I finished the FWA on the 2-155 but need to take apart the PTO.
It is also becoming more and more apparent I made a really expensive mistake which I don't want to talk about and it is making me grumpy and raises my sensitivity to the junk surrounding me.
Yesterday was not a good day. I got up on the wrong side of bed.
My sometimes a great employee decided to come to work yesterday. I suspect that he had finally run low on gas in his car. I am fairly sure this was the case as he ran out of gas on his way to work.
I did not go directly to take him gas.
I had already spent an hour on the phone by that time.
I found out I needed to load hay today, plant tomorrow, or Friday, find out I had sold my last lot of hay about three times, discovered our Buckwheat had radish in it. (Another reason I dislike specialty seed growers up river) Found out I had way less money than I thought, was reminded again of the amount of scrap metal we have, and then discovered that I was supposed to take my father to the Dr. at 11:30 in the morning the next day. ( today)
So I had to drive an hour to get parts as I am supposed to plant Friday. The dealership's phone system was not working. I went anyway. The most important parts were not in. So that trip was sort of a waste. I got enough parts to get going.
But, I was irritated and especially cynical and was a bit rude to my brother and employee. I should have apologized to my brother but I didn't. I told my employee that it all paid the same whether I was happy and cheerful or not and he didn't have to come to work if he did not want to put up with a grumpy boss.
After that he was quite cheerful and happy and washed my grain drill for me.
Now I shall go to work.

The death of the sturgeon general

The death of C. Evert Koop, the infamous Sturgeon General of the Reagan era, cuts another link to the days of the "real" America.

Koop was opposed to homosexuality as a lifestyle, believed that sex should wait until marriage and was opposed to abortion. However, he put the treatment and prevention of AIDs as a priority, and while he was not afraid to state his personal beliefs, he strove to be true to science, medicine, and the duties of his office.
To beat you on the head with my point, he had strong beliefs which may have been a bit old fashioned. But, those same beliefs also reflected a strength of character and principles which ended up transcending party lines. As in doing what he thought was the right thing regardless of political consequences.
And he had the dignity to put on a silly uniform and actually command respect. The undefinable quality of being "old school." We don't see that any more. Joe Biden- a joke, Mitt Romney - AmWay salesman, Obama - smug white man pretending to be black, McCain - punch drunk.
But, I digress...

He was always good for interesting quotes, such as suggesting to medical students that abortion violated the hippocratic oath. (I think he was out of office at that point.)

Koop is credited with starting the crusade against smokers, which in a typical American estrogen enhanced fashion, turned into a crusade that has made it illegal to smoke cigarettes anywhere but in a huddled group around the employee entrance of Wallmart. 

Fortunately we now have meth to give those of a certain economic and social status a quick pick-me-up in the middle of a boring workday, if they actually have a workday at this point in history.

I do miss his uniform, gold braid, campaign ribbons and all. 

After all he was the Sturgeon General!

In case you did not click on the link above here is another excellent quote, which seems to be coming true. Or at least seems to be a much of a possible reality than in was in 1979 when he first said it. Of course in the modern world, the clever folks probably never even thought of this until they heard it in a Koop speech!

"Foes noted that Koop traveled the country in 1979 and 1980 giving speeches that predicted a progression "from liberalized abortion to infanticide to passive euthanasia to active euthanasia, indeed to the very beginnings of the political climate that led to Auschwitz, Dachau and Belsen."

Read more: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2013/feb/25/koop-who-transformed-surgeon-general-post-dies/#ixzz2M1E95acL

My second favorite Sturgeon General was Dr. Joycelyn Elders. She was a virtual hilarious quote factory. 

She was forced to resign after JC Penney was reportedly unable to keep up the demand for catalogues, there was an epidemic of blindness amoung high school student blind, along with the strange side effect of developing hair on their palms.

Now that we have the internet no one really notices...

Also, I am I the only one that finds it ironic that Bill Clinton was the one to fire her? If only he would have followed her advice! Well, on things other than listening to Peter Tosh.

An evening of Therapy

When I came in the house this evening there was a package of records awaiting me.

I’ve been trying to cut down on my vintage stereo obsession due the consternation that has  overcome me after hearing the USDA has declared Global Warming to be a major threat to American Agriculture.

The pleasure of an old Buck Owens album cannot overcome the absolute sense of doom that overcomes me whenever I hear of California being flooded due to the polar ice caps melting.

But, I put aside my worries and tore into the package with gusto.

I bought  The Greg Allman Tour on Capricorn Records, Buck Owens, I’ve got a tiger by the tale, and an EP by the Waitresses. (I don’t know why I bought that one)

As bonuses Mr. Stein also sent me Buck Owens, “I don’t care, and Kitty Wells, “Lonesome Sad and Blue.”

The first album I played was Buck Owens, “I don’t care.” It was an album I didn’t see listed in his auctions and I prefer it to “Tiger by the Tale.”

I only bought “Tiger by the Tale,” for songs, “The Band Keeps Playin’ On,” and “Fallin’ For You.”

I find some of the more familiar classic songs a bit tiresome.

“Lonesome Sad and Blue” has the classic “I don’t care,” but also throws in some little heard classics, “This Ol’ Heart,” and an amusing rendition of “Stand by Your Man,” wth Doyle (Buckaroo) Holly.

Buck Owens cranked out a few albums in his time and is probably best experienced on a best of CD compilation but I like the cracks and pops of old vinyl. This music was meant to be heard on an AM radio for cryin’ out loud!

These were not perfect albums but then I did not buy them as such. If I were more depressed I would build a record cleaner instead of working on tractors and wandering around aimlessly and worrying about Global Warming. I need less focus in my life…

I moved on to the Gregg Allman tour album but it seems the old Dynaco is getting a bit weak. I can’t achieve much volume before I get severe distortion. However if I turn down the volume and turn on the Loudness control it does sound better. I have four speakers connected with a Dynaco QD-1 adapter. But the sound does not improve if I disconnect it. I suspect the output caps on the ST-180 amp.

I need to disconnect the Dynaco and go back to my trusty Kenwood KA-3500 that has served me since 1984.

Gregg Allman is fine but I miss Duane's guitar. I think this was the tour right after Duane’s death.

I’m listening to “Will the Circle be Unbroken,” and my wife appeared with a somewhat quizzical look and observed that I must have got a good lot of records this time.

She is long suffering and doesn’t hate the Allman Brothers or Buck Owens.

Perhaps I shall this opportunity to let the tubes cool and tuck in my daughter. I’m thinking the days of putting the kid to bed are getting close to an end. 

I must say wstein55 has picked up a little of my chicken feed money. 

Since I can't afford the Chiropractor I no longer get the chance to check out GoodWill and the Garage Sale store at 9 a.m. in the winter.

I keep getting outbid on further purchases. I wanted albums by Dave Dudley, The Kinks, Jimi Hendrix,  Jerry Byrd, and the Ventures but I can't own them all.

An obscure reference to pot culture

I am somewhat disappointed my hidden reference to smoking pot was not discovered by an astute reader. It could be that while it seems quite obvious to me and in my head I had made a connection between believing passionately in Man-Made Global Warming and smoking a lot of Chronic, in the blog i failed to make that connection.
Then again, perhaps people are tired of seeing the same old view out the windscreen of my tractor and the same stupid joke about smoking pot at a certain time of day. I know I am.
So, while I had envisioned many clever comments about planting in the rain, global warming, and Peter Tosh, those comments only appeared in my own head.
As a non chronic user I really have no explanation for this confusion. Too many Cheech and Chong albums as a kid? Welding fumes? Diesel smoke? Lorsban?
I really don't know....
Have a nice day.

Planting annual rye grass in February

I actually planted something...
Due to the effects of Man-Made Global Warming as known to the USDA to be the biggest threat to Agriculture and the world in general, well, that and raw milk and fresh produce, we had a long dry fall.
(I so do need to take a basic sentence construction course from the local community college!)
As a result of expecting rain and never getting it I didn't do as much fall ground work as I should have. This was of course the work of Man-Made Global Warming and not to be expected in Oregon, even though we know that once it starts raining in the fall, it doesn't stop till May...
But, I digress...
Oh, right...
I didn't get the annual ryegrass planted or the volunteer annual sprayed with Nortron to prevent the field coming up solid annual bluegrass. Actually I didn't plant any of the 150 acres of annual that is growing on our farm. The ground I worked up in preparation to plant looks really good. The ground I was going to no-till looks a little yellow. I need to spread fertilizer on it.
I have been watching the ground dry out for a month and other farmers who do not farm river bottom plowing and planting.
I have also been waiting for parts for the planting tractor and drill.
So it was with incredible relief that I was able to put together a planting setup on the very last day of non-rain.
Of course all didn't go as planned.
I ran out of seed.
The heater stuck on and I had to open the windows when I discovered the airconditioning didn't work.
I had no GPS or calc-an-acre or fertilizer or little flashing lights which I have forgotten what they do.
I did have my invaluable Loup Drill Monitor which has an acre counter and beeps at me when I run out of seed.
Then it started raining.
I also discovered that I had the planter in the wrong gear and it was planting at too low a rate. I could see the population monitor was reading low but it doesn't seem to read all that accurately with grass seed anyway.
I texted Orin to see what he thought, and he was quite polite and didn't tell me I was a moron for planting annual into annual blue grass in the middle of February. He said I should bump up my seed rate. So in attempt to go to 17lbs I went to 20 and then I miscalculated what was left in the drill and thought I would go up just a smidgen and suddenly I was out of seed.
Fortunately our neighbor has a whole warehouse full of it and I only needed another five bags. I got ten. Cause, you never really know. (I really hope the fellow who wants me to plant radish at a rate of 3lbs per acre does not read this blog.)
The drill wanted to plant too deep or too shallow.
It started pouring which mean my brother could not apply the Monsanto chemical that kills everything.
But I soldiered on!
I followed the timeless logic of when in doubt quit looking and bump it up a gear.
The field looks rototilled in places but I don't think I need to worry about the seed not being covered. Folks have seeded fields by dumping bags of annual ryegrass out the door of an airplane at this time of year.
It was interesting to drive without GPS. I have come to depend on it for laying out lands and getting the field square.
Here is the view out of my front window. If you look closely you can see the line of my marker heading off into the horizon. I am slightly off the mark in this photo.

Here is what I am planting into. I am no-tilling which I am doing solely to off set the effects of MAN-MADE global warming and because I worry that Monsanto will go broke if I don't support the use of Round-Up (their registered chemical name).

For all this effort I am ashamed to report the number of acres I planted.
I can plant 70 acres in a day.
I did not...

In other news: I actually am starting to feel silly about my posts on Gene's blog. I too am missing the point of the actual blog. I'm not sure why I have the compulsion to equate global warming believers with religious zealots. It just so funny to see them get riled up and start spouting facts that come from their own dogma. The creationist gets made fun of when quoting the Bible to support his argument but yet no one appreciates the irony. Of course it is not ironic, it is science and facts and I know it is so because I believe it.
Dadgummit, I've done it again!
Not that anyone will read this update as everyone that reads this blog is an early riser and already checked it this morning...
Now I am off to work in the rain. Oh boy!

The Galaxy revolves around the earth, specifically the part of the earth were the clever intellectuals live...

Ed Winkle has turned his blog over to a clever person. I actually like his posts and I'm sure he is a fine fellow but he does drink the kool-aid from time to time.
Got to Ed's blog and click on the links to the USDA study on climate change.
The USDA thinks MAN-MADE climate change is going to do more to kill agriculture in the USA than big Ag, Monsanto, or the recent bills passed by congress that makes it virtually impossible to legally sell produce that you grow yourself.
If it involved a traveling salesman it could come straight out of a Flannery O'Connor short story. (a pretentious plug to show I've read Absurdist literature)
The USDA's report on climate change supports Our Dear Leader's views (naturally) and probably has as much basis in reality as the wetlands project the NRCS did next door to us, which is working quite well I suppose, as it has flooded our farm which was probably the point.
Ok, so the climate goes through cycles. Perhaps we can predict those cycles. Great! But now we are going to have the government give us advice on how to solve this new crisis. Now there is a brilliant plan. Like bringing democracy to the mid-east, or all those failed conservation projects or peace through war or fighting a war on drugs while at the same time creating a huge market for drugs or bailing out banks or spending tax dollars to jump-start the economy.
But we do need a cause as money and influence are gained through change!
Perhaps we can pollute foreign countries with battery factories or kill bats with windmills or run the price of food through the roof by growing corn for fuel.
Heaven knows, the American farmer doesn't actually grow anything you eat. That all comes from Mexico and China...
It is all one big unfunny joke.
I suppose I just illustrated why I need to take Gene's advice and not worry about it...

Edit: Perhaps I should be perfectly clear.
1. I accept there are climate trends. I accept the earth may be entering or at the middle or at the end of a cooling or a warming period
2. I am undecided about how man affects these trends.
3. I am certain that whatever we do will be the wrong thing and much economic capital will be squandered.
4. I am certain that the group of people who are promoting the idea will make a lot of money.
5. I believe the concept of man made climate change has become part of the core belief system of many people.
6. If you give me 5 million dollars I research climate change in my own special way.
7. I like puppies - and grapes!
8. And pie, lots of pie. Pie, especially given to me, will stop climate change.