Rains

We had more rains move through last night.  We received about an inch here at the house, and more chances are in the forecast for this week.  Wonderful!  The haying has been slow due to the showers or threats of showers, but I have heard very few complaints about that.  We will take the rains when we can get them!

Tasseling corn

We had 0.1" of rain this morning and another 0.55" this afternoon here at the house.  The afternoon storm was very spotty so I imagine some fields got more and some got less.  We were out checking fields and watched the rain roll in.  Driving a couple miles down the road we went from dry windshield to blowing rain to hail to rain to dry windshield again.

The corn can use the moisture.  It is tasseling in most fields and overall looks good.  If we can keep the rain coming, we may have another great crop!

Watching the rain roll in

Finishing up

Quentin is out finishing up soybean planting.  He will get all the after-wheat soybeans planted today, if all goes well.  The weather is hot, and we are already hoping for another good rain with the next front coming through this weekend.

The beans are growing well, even the ones planted directly in to the hay meadow or CRP ground.  They will have to try and keep the grass controlled, but so far things look good!

Beans on CRP ground

Rain!

We finally received a good rain.  We had about 1.4" over night.  The corn is happy!  Quentin finished planting most of the beans yesterday morning.  All that remains are the after-wheat soybeans, which do not account for very many acres.  Now that we have some good moisture, I imagine he will plant those this week.

A little rain

Despite three hours of thunderstorms and a radar that LOOKED like we should be getting a good rain, we only ended up with 0.3" last night.  We had hoped for more, but we still have a couple more chances tonight and tomorrow night before the next system moves out of the area.  The corn is growing fast and could use a good "drink" in this hot weather.  Quentin is getting anxious to plant the rest of the beans and may try to put some in the ground today.  Hopefully, there is enough moisture to get them up and growing.

Short harvest

Wheat harvest was short and sweet.  Quentin finished easily on Tuesday.  Early Wednesday morning, we had a rain shower.  We had 0.2" in the rain gauge.  It was enough to settle the dust, but not enough to get the planter back out.  There are a few chances of rain today through the weekend so we will hope that we get something measurable in the near future.  It has been very hot and windy so the fields are getting very dry.

Wheat harvest

Busy!

The farm was humming with activity this morning!  I spotted both the rake and grain truck out early so I knew it would be a busy day.  Paul had mowed down the first hay over the weekend, and it was ready to rake and bale today.  The first of many bales!

Quentin headed out with the combine after lunch and cut the wheat on Marilyn's.  He plans to do Chambers' wheat tomorrow and that is all the wheat we have this year.  Short harvest!

Getting ready

 

Waiting for rain

Quentin has one more soybean field that has enough moisture left to plant, which he will finish today.  The remaining fields will need some rain before they can be planted.  There is a chance of storms late next week so we will have to wait and see.  The hot and dry weather is drying up the wheat.  It will be harvest time before we know it!

In the meantime, Paul is busying spraying and respraying.  We had several corn fields where the herbicide failed so the men have been dealing with chemical reps to try to work out the problem and get replacement herbicides.  Unfortunately, that means a lot more time in the sprayer for Paul.

Hot and dry

The weather has turned hot and dry!  Our little shower this weekend did not keep the men out of the field for long and did not provide much moisture for the corn or beans.  Quentin has been planting away.  Yesterday, he planted down at Rose, and today he is on Steeby's.  Then, he will have to decide whether to finish up or wait for rain.  Meanwhile, the corn is busy growing.  I am sure it would like a little rain, too!

Growing corn

Goodbye runway

Kenneth's unofficial landing strip is officially gone.  Quentin planted Paul's hay meadow to soybeans yesterday.  Today, he planted part of our ground that came out of CRP.  It will be interesting to see how both fields of beans do the first year out of grass.  Late this afternoon, they were rained out of the field...or at least sprinkled out of the field.  Nothing too measurable yet!

   

 

 

Dry weather

Storms have been dodging us for the last few days.  We had rain north, south, east and west of us, but nothing to speak of here.  A couple of the fields are getting too dry to plant without a little rain, but the ones with cover crops seem to be holding their moisture for now.  There are even a few wet spots left on a couple fields!  Quentin is out planting a few small fields today, and Paul is catching up on the spraying.

Avoiding the hard rains does have its benefits at times.  The first planted soybeans are starting to pop out of the ground, and we have not had to worry about the soils crusting.  In the field directly west of our house, you can see the rows lining up!