Merry Christmas...

Owen practicing with the Illini 

Owen & Max playing outside in the recent snowfall

Week ending December 15th...

Not much exciting going on right now.  The clean up of fall tillage and fertilizer equipment continues and year end tax planning and execution are top on the list.  We hauled corn out of our bins to fill our December contracts because we feared the Illinois River would close due to low water levels on the Mississippi River, thus stranding full barges on the Illinois River; but that hasn't happened yet. 

The weather has allowed us to keep working outside which is abnormal for December.  Due to changing guidance system brands, we have been out in the fields with the Ranger running all new farm boundaries and AB lines in preparation for spring.  These boundaries will allow us to do many different things with our new guidance system and the more we get completed now, the less we will have to do in the spring. 

A nice rain came through the area last night which brought much needed moisture.  While our area has been blessed with a few rains that others have not received, our tiles are still not running and that is concerning going into winter. 

Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone in Newtown, Connecticut.

The new planter has arrived... 

Mapping boundaries and making new AB lines with the Ranger

Week ending December 1st...

This begins the winter blogging where finding pictures of farm equipment and daily activities become a struggle.  However, the work goes on.  This past week we continued to wash and put away the fall tillage equipment.  We also began hauling corn to the Illinois River terminals located 25 miles West of us in Beardstown.  Normally, this winter project does not start until later, but the threat of the river closure due to low water levels has local grain company's scrambling and requesting early shipments.  While we are hauling corn out of the bins, we are trying a new practice that we normally wouldn't to help lower the risk of testing positive for afloxtoxin in our grain samples.  According to neighbors who have already begun hauling their corn out of local grain bins, the center core is the most problematic area.  I will try to get pictures of that process for next weekend's blog update.

Meanwhile, the Christmas Holiday activities are nearing and the boys caught up with Santa on Saturday.  We now have officially communicated their "wish list" to Santa and he has all but guaranteed them delivery of these...as long as they are good little boys...:)  I almost forgot to mention that Owen lost his first tooth this week.  That means we have seen both Santa and the Tooth Fairy all in the same week.  And let me tell you, inflation has treated the Tooth Fairy's payment plan a lot better than the Federal Government's...

Have a great week!

Owen & Max with Santa at Bomke's Patch

www.bomkespatch.com 

Owen was MVP of his basketball game this weekend.  Here he is pictured with his award and his coach, Mario.  Congratulations Owen on your six baskets!