For the past year since my return to Nebraska to farm with my father, when people ask me what I do for work, my usual response is: "I'm just a farmer". Some people laugh, some don't even believe me, but here is a little poem that made my day and I wanted to share it because it is NOT an easy life to live and still find time to enjoy it like my father does.
JUST A FARMER
And I laughed cause I knew
All the things that farmers
Must be able to do.
They must study the land,
Then watch the sky,
And figure just when
Is the right time and why –
To sow and to plant
To buy and to sell
To go to the market
With cattle and well –
You know the books
That farmer's must keep
To pay all those taxes
And be able to sleep.
And you know the 'fixin'
That farmer's must do
When machines like mad monsters
Blow a gasket or two.
I guess when God needed
Folks to care for His earth,
He chose "just farmers"
'Cause He knew their true worth.
- Helen G. Coon
Sunday, February 1, 2009
'JUST A FARMER', a short poem
CO-OP
Anybody know what COOP is? pronounced like "Kowh-Awpe"
Well, here in Seward, NE, it's a full service gas station that also sells tires, horse feed, or a salt block fer yer cattle, etc..
Now, I haven't lived here in 12 years and the guy pumping my gas knew me. I didn't know him.......? "Are you a Curtis?" he asks. I have one brother, thats it! hmmm.. I wonder if he knows about my new first name in progress, Barbi Baler too?? "Yes, and charge it to my mom please." Hee hee. Forgot she has an account at COOP!! hee hee. Oh, I'll pay for it, I already have in more ways than one if you know my mother!
Anyhoo, back to the point of the subject. I was asked tonight by a friend of mine who lives out of state, about the Nebraska vs Texas A&M football game today. I didn't listen to or see the game, so I asked my brother who was intently watching the weather on TV lying on the couch in the living room.
"Hey, Jesse, who won the game today?" I asked with crossed fingers hoping we didn't get trampled again.
His reply: priceless.
In a very serious voice he said: "I don't know but i think we lost, cause nobody wanted to talk about it at COOP today."
I burst into laughter and I just had to share it, cause I dunno, it's friggin' funny!
I rest my case. Gotta love the small town.
I also was in "town" today to get something fixed on my car at the local automotive repair shop. I was going to drive my dad's "grain truck" home as it was to be finished at noon, but he picked it up early. So, i said to the owner of the repairshop, "i'll call my mom for a ride". He said, "Oh just take one of our cars for the day."
It was nice newer Impala with a $7000 sign hanging from the rear view mirror and dealer plates.
I said, "Do you want my driver's license?" No. "Do you want my insurance card?" No.
"Well, what if I can't get back here til after you close today, it's saturday...??"
Oh, just put the keys under the mat and park the car in front of the shop and I'll just mail you the bill.
Really.....
These are just 2 lovely happenings that the people who live here take for granted every day. I used to live here, I was born and raised here, so why does this not seem normal to me? Of course I've never been accused of having anything to do with normal or his kind... but...
I guess I forgot to set my clock back 100 years when I crossed the Nebraska state-line.
Ain't it good to be back home again?..........Absolutely Yes.
Until the snow comes!! LOL
CO-OP
Anybody know what COOP is? pronounced like "Kowh-Awpe"
Well, here in Seward, NE, it's a full service gas station that also sells tires, horse feed, or a salt block fer yer cattle, etc..
Now, I haven't lived here in 12 years and the guy pumping my gas knew me. I didn't know him.......? "Are you a Curtis?" he asks. I have one brother, thats it! hmmm.. I wonder if he knows about my new first name in progress, Barbi Baler too?? "Yes, and charge it to my mom please." Hee hee. Forgot she has an account at COOP!! hee hee. Oh, I'll pay for it, I already have in more ways than one if you know my mother!
Anyhoo, back to the point of the subject. I was asked tonight by a friend of mine who lives out of state, about the Nebraska vs Texas A&M football game today. I didn't listen to or see the game, so I asked my brother who was intently watching the weather on TV lying on the couch in the living room.
"Hey, Jesse, who won the game today?" I asked with crossed fingers hoping we didn't get trampled again.
His reply: priceless.
In a very serious voice he said: "I don't know but i think we lost, cause nobody wanted to talk about it at COOP today."
I burst into laughter and I just had to share it, cause I dunno, it's friggin' funny!
I rest my case. Gotta love the small town.
I also was in "town" today to get something fixed on my car at the local automotive repair shop. I was going to drive my dad's "grain truck" home as it was to be finished at noon, but he picked it up early. So, i said to the owner of the repairshop, "i'll call my mom for a ride". He said, "Oh just take one of our cars for the day."
It was nice newer Impala with a $7000 sign hanging from the rear view mirror and dealer plates.
I said, "Do you want my driver's license?" No. "Do you want my insurance card?" No.
"Well, what if I can't get back here til after you close today, it's saturday...??"
Oh, just put the keys under the mat and park the car in front of the shop and I'll just mail you the bill.
Really.....
These are just 2 lovely happenings that the people who live here take for granted every day. I used to live here, I was born and raised here, so why does this not seem normal to me? Of course I've never been accused of having anything to do with normal or his kind... but...
I guess I forgot to set my clock back 100 years when I crossed the Nebraska state-line.
Ain't it good to be back home again?..........Absolutely Yes.
Until the snow comes!! LOL
THE BIG MOVE HOME
NEBRASKA, I"m BACK!!!
|
I have finally made it! The big drive home took 4 days of a long journey to say the least, but we all arrived safely home to the 1500 acre family farm outside of Seward, Nebraska. My two horses stood and endured the four days and spent all but 1 night of their time in my big ass 26 foot horse trailer. Turbo and Sahara are enjoying endless acres of green pastures and a nice cool fall now. I guess when you have virtually NO traffic and 2 lanes of nothing forever, you need to obey the 10 second rule......... damn he was a fine looking young sheriff though .....maybe I should go to court on that one........LOL... He and I came up with this: Barbi Baler Curtis. Hay baler that is, like hay for horses, which is kinda what we do out here..... So why not? It's kinda catchy... and just think PINK, John Deere did. |
One of my favorite poems
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth
Then took the other just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet, knowing how way leads onto way
I doubted if I should ever come back
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference
Robert Frost