June 01 - Rain, Rain, Go AWAY!

It's Raining again. Hard! Two straight days of rain that followed an already saturated week. I haven't checked but I'll guess about 6 inches this week. The pastures are now lakes and the wood ducks are swimming everywhere in them. They were really looking good before this. A lot of neighbors had hay down, as everyone around here has been out of hay for a long time. I saw a field floating down to the river this morning as I was heading home from church. Apparently a system is stalled right over the whole state of Ohio. We did NOT need this.

June 10 - Alfalfa

We mowed down 10 acres of Alfalfa this past Saturday. We will be baling it either late today or on Wednesday. Southern Ohio received rain over the weekend but we were spared this time. We lost very little, if any, corn due to last weeks flooding. The beans are another story. They took it very hard, very. We began knifing 28% on the corn yesterday (Monday). This could be a decent crop.

The show string is coming along nicely. It will be a young one this year, mostly Fall & Winter calves. Our best group are our high carcass value calves, sired by New Trend 315, JR Juice, and Finks 5522-6148. The EXTs are nice as well, but are a little younger and the older ones are really growing now.

The Bon View EXT 473 heifers are looking good but I still have doubts about the bull calves out of him. He sure looks to be a heifer producer to me right now.

June 14 - Good Week

We baled this past Tuesday in record time. Two balers really helped us make hay, even if it took several bales for me to get the hang of using a round baler. The field generated about a ton and a half per acre of really nice feed. Southern Ohio got more rain but we were again spared. We could use a couple of tenths more if it came slow and easy. The calves are growing very well and we are progressing nicely on rebreeding for next Spring.

We finished knifing 28% on the corn as well as applying a 2-4-D and Sencor DF mix to take care of broadleaf control. This is a very good and cheap control. The Sencor allows you to use less 2-4-D and get much better burn as well. We replanted about 20 acres of Soybeans that were hit hard by the flooding a couple of weeks ago. Everyone in the area is in the same boat. It looked as though every planter and drill in the county was back in the field on Wednesday and Thursday this week.

I have been working on the Ohio Shorthorn Association Directory & Handbook, doing typesetting and design for it. I also managed to do some updates at the Plus2.com graphics site. I am starting to get a little happier with it as well. I think that it should be a little easier to understand now. As I will be at the Ohio Preview this week, I've been trying to get ahead a little with my work. Luckily, we are caught up with most of the crop work and the crew here can spend more time watching the cows while I am gone.

June 18 - Beautiful Weather

We have had several days of fantastic weather. Light breezes and temperatures in the low 80s F. It has been raining very heavily in Southwestern Ohio the past several days , but nothing up here until early this morning. Rain had been in the forecast the past several days here as well but never got up this far North. We did receive an inch over five hours this morning.

Did a final clipping on the Tag # 291 cow and her EXT heifer for this weekends Ohio Angus Preview. I leave for the Portage Co. Fairgrounds at Randolph, OH very early on Thursday. It will take between four to four and one half hours to get there from here. Jay Clutter with Creek Side Farm at Coldwater is hitching a ride along with their heifer entry. The ride goes faster when you aren't alone.

I received some very great news on Sunday Afternoon. Make sure to Check back at the Home page after the first of July. I will let everyone know about it then. It made me a happy camper!

June 22 - Home from Preview

Made it back home from the Ohio Preview last evening. It took right at four hours. You always make better time going home! Nice show, even if overall numbers were down a bit. Our Julie cow placed first in her cow/calf class with her EXT heifer taking a third in the individual heifer class. One of the biggest cow/calf classes in several years, with some nice entries. I can't find my program yet so I'll have to list the show champions when I dig it out. Booth Hill Farms of Hamilton and Way View Farms of Hebron were both very strong throughout the day. Ask Fred Penick of Way View how his new pup did in the show, better yet, ask his wife about her flowers.

John Hausner of Dover, PA judged the Junior Show while Greg McKean of Mercer, PA judged the Open Show. I believe that nearly everyone present would recommend these two gentlemen very highly! Greg McKean also made a VERY generous gift to the Ohio Junior Angus Association. Thanks ever so much, Greg!!

Crops across the entire Northern part of Ohio look very stressed due to excessive rain, flooding, and planting delays. While we were hurt as well , I know that we have been very lucky around here.

June 26 PM- Web Site Award

I know that it is not July 1st yet, but since I received my June/July issue of the Angus Journal this afternoon, I guess that I can announce it anyway.

Sidey Angus Online has been named the Most Creative Web Site Award in the 1997 Angus Journal Best of the Web contest. Pretty neat huh? Now I really have to work to make sure the site is worth visiting! I promise to try! Click on the banner at the top of the page to see the other winners.

June 26 AM - Heat broken, Rain

Received six tenths inch of rain overnight and another three tenths this morning. After several days of 95+ degree temperatures, it was welcome. Temperatures dropped into 60s as the front passed. No Complaints, we needed the heat to get the corn and beans going. We were able to get another10 acres of Alfalfa baled on Tuesday evening. So far nothing has gotten wet. Knock on Wood!

Northern Counties around Putnam and Van Wert received much more rain along with bad winds. It is the Putnam County Fair week so it just has to storm for them! We lost some more paint off the South side of the barn as well as a little more barn roof damage. Last Saturday evening's wind storms did more damage around here though.