Falling Rain

Another 3 quarter inch last night. Inch and a half last week. We are not short of rain and the timing was pretty good for the crops recently seeded. I got a couple of opportunities between too wet and too windy to spray a couple of tanks on chem fallow. Way late as usual but at least it is done. The flax field that did not get the burn off spray before emergence is looking weedy. I did not dare look too close as I was passing by but its going to be weedy. Have to rely on the post emergent spray now and hope the weather gives me a break to spray when the crop is ready.
The rain puts me in mind of this old "Song of The Lazy Farmer"  article from the Winnipeg Free Press.

The weekend was nice weather. I did a grass cutting marathon with the old John Deere and got the yard looking like somebody actually lives there again. So I had to take the Merc out for it's regular exercise and a picture or two. 

Snow

A mix of rain and light snow is falling this morning. A pre-cursor of the 5 to 10 mil snow we are expecting tomorrow. On top of the who knows how much rain fell the last few days. About the only positive thing I can say is that the crop left in the field can't get any wetter. Having nothing else , here is an entertaining page from the vintage "Song of The Lazy Farmer" series.

Good Time To Be A Lazy Farmer

Farm activity has slowed down some since harvest was completed here on Oct. 29. Just in time too as it was not long after that we had snow and even colder weather. With wind chill factors down in the -20 to -30 range for the last few days it is no kind of weather to work much outside. There is just enough snow to shovel a little. Helps to keep warm. Not enough to be a problem getting around yet. Grain movement is extremely slow and my September canola contract finally got hauled earlier this week. This was the year I planned to move as much grain as possible before winter set in. Guess that won't be happening at this rate.
I will post another "Lazy Farmer" cartoon from the 1960s. I am not trying to compete with the real Lazy Farmer who some days seems surprisingly busy

Guess its about that time of year again when the seed catalogues give us hope that winter will eventually end and gardens will grow. This old Lazy Farmer cartoon is classic.

Now Is It Winter?

You wouldn't think it to look at the bare ground but temperatures are more winter like than usual for November 1. It rarely gets above freezing by day time and I am thinking I may not do any more field work, even rock picking or gravel hauling.
Cattle and cats are acting really hungry. The cattle can still eat some of the grass they turned up their noses at back in the summer but the cats seem to have exhausted the supply of mice on the farm and are relying on cat chow and baked potatoes twice a day.
I'm still trying to emulate the " Lazy Farmer" and sit and sleep by the fire. But I have no fire and feel a little too lazy if I sit around for long.
So today I worked at clearing up dead wood in the maple hedge. Also tightening the wheel spline on the old Cockshutt 40 tractor. The transmission and final drives of these tractors are legendary in tractor puller fame but they do occasionally need a little maintenance. The photo shows it takes a fair bit of leverage .

Lazy Farmer In The Fall

Seems like its time for another verse from "The Lazy Farmer". Since we are into mid October here is an appropriate one.

Another Lazy Farmer

I've been meaning to post a few more of the "Lazy Farmer" cartoons but lately have not had the time. Seeing as this is a rainy day I thought this one was appropriate. He makes a lot of sense about the rain clouds. Once the rain starts to fall, the suspense is over. I don't have to stand out in the yard scanning the sky to try and decide if I dare dump the couple of thousand dollars worth of herbicide into the sprayer tank in hopes the rain will hold off long enough for me to spray it out on the crop . About 3 hours. Yes, when its raining I can park the machinery and concentrate on other necessities of life. The weeds will keep on growing but theres nothing I can do about it , for now anyway.
I like the philosophy of this old lazy farmer but never seem to get around to putting it into practice. Too many things need doing and time passes quicker with every year so I can hardly keep up. Although I am planning to adopt his laid back lifestyle once I get a little more caught up in my work.
Disclaimer.......any resemblance between this cartoon lazy farmer and The Real Lazy Farmer  is purely co-incidental and in name only.