Boon Lake Township – Part 3
In the early portion of 1966 and in short time, we were a well rounded farm. The cows were milking, the sows were farrowing, and there were lambs under heat lamps. Bring on the rest of what a farm needs.
Carrie was thriving on rice cereal and beginning to get table food. Orlin and I were weary enough each night to fall in a coma to rest for the next day. Orlin was 29 and I had just turned 22. Oh for the stamina of the young. Orlin’s long time friend Ted Skolberg, with Hector roots, farmed just down the road from us. It was great moral support. Sharon and I had been in 4-H together in years past.
What’s a farm without chickens! Orlin boxed off a small portion of the chicken house so we could keep the baby chicks under heat lamps until they were large enough to grow pin feathers to help with body heat. Mom shared duck eggs from their Mallard ducks, complete with the clucks to sit on the eggs for hatching. Man, those were nasty clucks. In one of the small corn cribs, each cluck had their own box with eight to ten duck eggs under them. I have no idea how Mom knew which of their chickens had cluck tendencies. I would imagine when it was time to gather eggs, there were a few of those chickens that would peck the hand day after day that was gathering eggs. Each cluck had a piece of twine on loosely tied to one of their legs. They could get out of the box and get to water and feed before allowing the eggs to cool off. Was the twine necessary . . . I doubt it. Their focus was sitting on eggs.
Orlin scored a grinder mixer from Hoverstein’s for a whopping $75.00. It’s first stop was Dad’s as it needed some welding and a once over for a few parts. It sure saved Orlin’s day and time when we could put it out from the double corn crib rather than being on the road back and forth from Mom and Dad’s. We were becoming more self sufficient . . . down on the farm.
The auction house was now being visited to purchase some machinery for the spring field work. There was a lot of advice that Orlin took from Dad in regard to preparing fields and where and what needed to be planted and who to contact for seed. There was eighty acres with the farmstead and pasture and eighty acres across the county road to make up the 160 acres. Our first year of planting was done with a fair amount of rust being worn off of used equipment. A used Oliver 70 was our first tractor. It could handle a four bottom plow. We were able to fill out what we needed and also borrowing from Dad and Ted to get the crop in. Then came the wait and see. Imagine watching beans coming up in a garden and expand that to a 40 acre track of beans. Yup wait and see.
—— to be continued.
Yup, I have another year under my elastic waist band.
So where in the heck did 76 year go! Is it scary when one doesn’t feel one’s age? It is either optimism or stubbornness. I believe determination is where it is all at.
I am taking a break from sewing on the new quilt project. When My nephew Larry and his wife Jennifer reached out and asked if I would finish a quilt for Jennifer’s mother, how could I not. Jennifer’s mother, Rita, is ill and her time is short. Rita would appreciate it if this small quilt could be finished for Rita to give to Larry’s daughter. The blocks that Rita had cut up were printed feed sacks from Jennifer’s grandmother. Why not!
Dennis’ daughter is a nurse in New Ulm and is working hard shifts with all that is going on. Like everyone else who works in the health world, she asked if I would sew masks. Well, in checking things out, not all homemade masks are a good thing. Today Dennis went shopping. In the parts store he found one box of 50 face masks of the formed pellon. Dennis announced this afternoon that we are making a trip to Mankato where Sandy lives and deliver the masks. I am going to make a stop at Hy-Vee for a few things. Wow! An actual road date.
I am having a perfect birthday. What makes it perfect is that I heard both of my children’s voices. Priceless. Not as sweet as being able to touch them with a hug, but it was wonderful. My Aunt Janet . . . it never fails. She remembers me each year. Special! I am well on my way to the next adventure that my days may bring, while keeping a level head, staying upright and open minded.