Yesterday, I went on a ride.
I was smart this time.
I actually remembered to bring my camera and my Canon EOS 7D book for Dummies! I’ve learned quite a lot from reading that book. It didn’t have a Chapter about how to take good pictures through a bug filled windshield, however. See . . . if you look close, you can see my husbands ear plugs on the dashboard as I was taking the picture. You can also see the bugs stuck to that windshield. It’s not too bad, considering I took it through the very dirty windshield.
Kenny was setting up a guidance system, up on the Rexburg Bench.
Did you know that most farmers don’t even have to drive their tractors anymore.
Those straight rows come from the guidance system!
Look closely, the rows towards the front are grain. The rows further back are potatoes.
Grain rows are much closer together!
POTATO 101
The rows are 36″ apart and potato seed pieces are placed 10″ apart by the potato planter.
The fertilizer is placed beneath the seed piece, and the funguside is placed in the ground to kill all the bugs that put the black spots on the potatoes that you buy in the store.
The red box on the planter has the chemical to kill potato beatles that eat the plant as it grows.
I learned all of this from my Book for Dummies……NOT!
They will fill that potato planter with the spuds that are in the truck picture below.
They are seed potatoes that were grown last year, in high altitude areas that are in disease free soils.
They are grown purposely small, so that the potatoes have several eyes. Eyes are the little indented spots that you see on the potatoes that you peel for dinner. Each seed potatoe has several eyes. When they cut the potatoes into two to three ounce pieces, you hope each piece has several eyes. These eyes . . . of each of the pieces, is where the plants starts to grow.
*If you have had potatoes start to grow little arms and legs . . . that is the eye of the potatoe. If you were to cut it into pieces and place it in your garden . . . it will GROW!
This truck of potatoes is all ready cut, treated and ready for planting. It holds 300 sacks. Each sack is 100 lbs.
I’ve driven one of these suckers before . . . . hated every minute of it.
My heart raced at stroke level the entire time!
Oh……how my husband wished he’d married a FARM GIRL.
When the Guidance System . . . fails to Guide, because the farmer pushes the wrong buttons,
he simply crawls out of the cab of the tractor . . . and calls Kenny!
My hubbie is the skinny guy.
ONE MORE TIME . . . push this button, then that button, then this button, then that button.
Don’t forget!~
Boredom has now set in . . . Let’s see how far my lens will take me.
Cannon . . . take me away!
My 24-105mm lens, is not the best for shots like this.
These grain bins will be very full come September.
Somewhere in Ashton, they have turned grain bins into the most fabulous house. Really!
When we did finally get home . . . Kenny had to check on the GARDEN.
Once a farmer – always a farmer.
I don’t live in a grain bin, I live in this house.
All the windows in this house are disgustingly dirty, just like that truck windshield!
Do you remember Pete . . . well, he’s still on the job.
He doesn’t do a very good job though.
He just sits there, and sits there, and sits there!
I took more pictures.
These blossoms are from our plum trees.
Did you know that if the trees don’t blossom, they won’t produce fruit?
Our yard will be Weed free . . . for about four to five minutes!
Like I said . . . Once a farmer, always a farmer.
We have this Old stuff at our house.
It’s older than I am!
This is an OLD potato Planter.
Can you imagine!
This is a Mower Sickle. It mowed hay . . . once upon a time. Horse drawn!
The Bumble bees are out in FULL FORCE!
and so are the TULIPS!
They are much sweeter than the bees.
They don’t seem to have a liking for me either.
These are my favorite.
and just like this post . . . all good things must come to an end.
My husband didn’t need a guidance system to plant his garden.
GO TO BED PETE . . . it’s getting late!
*My Camera is now in shock, as it actually got out of the kitchen.
Beautiful pics! We miss you guys! One of these days in our “spare” time we’ll come visit. I promise! 😉
That was a great post mom! I loved learning all of it. I did however know some of it!!! Those pictures you took look really really good. I love the first one with dad in the tractor and the ear plugs-I thought that was so neat. THEN the picture of the perfect bee in motion. That is so cool!!!! Thank goodness for those long sits in the truck and a good book for learning!!!!!
Curious. My husband grew up farming too. He has worked for his dad on and off for parts of our marriage (14 yrs). He is so happy when he is doing that, but we can’t pay the bills working on the small family farm. He is currently employed and unfortunately not happy. He’s keeping his eyes and ears open for something else…I saw those pics of your husband and wondered what it is that he does? Is his company hiring? My man has management experience, could sell anything, knows farming & farmers (spuds, grain, hay etc.) he works hard and is very honest. Most of our local hiring is word-of-mouth so I thought I would put it out there and see if you could tell me anything. Thanks…GREAT PHOTOS!
Hi! I just realized you changed your blog address. I was wondering what happened to your personal posts. Question: How do you clean the outside of your windows that are way up high? Mine are so dirty right now.
P.S. My dad is a farmer at heart. My mom would never let him go work on his dad’s farm after they got married, but I believe my dad has always thought our yard as his “farm” and he always called our lawnmower, “the tractor.”