Long Days, Rollin’ Hay, Proverbs
Over in inch of rain over the weekend. Amy’s dad helped me move the chickens in the rain Saturday morning.
Monday morning I cut up a couple trees that had fallen on a fence and then did a little bush hogging. Got some hay down that afternoon.
Mowed more hay on Tuesday. Then we crated chickens from the field for Wednesday’s on-farm harvest.
Wednesday morning we got chores done, got meat back from the processor and into the freezer, got over 300 baby chicks settled into the brooder, and got 275 chickens killed and on ice. All before 11:00 a.m. With plenty of help, we cut up about 175 of them for parts that afternoon. Then back to the hay field to run the tedder over the hay I mowed on Monday and Tuesday.
Hallie and Hasten were proud to get the brooder ready for baby chicks by themselves. They’ve really started stepping up this summer. Hasten especially. Hallie has always been a helpful hard worker, but now were seeing that same attitude out of Haste. Even Wren has shown noticeable improvements since last year. And Carter, of course, will jump in and do what the others are doing.
Thursday morning we moved 650 three week old chicks from the brooder out to the shelters in the field, without the help of Hallie and Hasten who left for church camp. 20 shelters filled with chickens to move daily now. Then I mowed both yards at the rental cabins before making it back to the hay field to rake and bale. I even got Amy on the tractor to do some raking after she finished cleaning the cabins. With Hallie and Hasten at camp, we put the creek in charge of babysitting Wren and Carter while Amy and I were making hay. They played hard in the water for a while before both falling asleep on the creek bank.
Long days. It feels good to go to bed tired. Though I’m about at my limit, I feel like that’s probably where I should be. I’m thankful. Thankful for every bale that kicked out without a breakdown. Thankful for friends and family who continue to come help out on processing day. Thankful for my pretty wife raking hay, cutting up chickens, filling orders, making broth, cooking us dinner, and smiling as she goes.
I could’ve knocked out a couple audiobooks this week while making hay on the tractor and typically would’ve, but… let’s say the sponge is soaked. There’s enough on my mind already without adding more to it. Before starting our days, Amy and I have been following the Bible Recap plan and reading through the Bible chronologically in a year. This week we read a lot of Proverbs. Here’s a few words of wisdom from Solomon:
Proverbs 3:11-12 - “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”
Proverbs 11:24 - “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.”
Proverbs 12:1 - “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.”
Proverbs 13:24 - “Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.”
I couldn’t help but include these as well. And for the record, Amy is by no means a quarrelsome nagging wife.
Proverbs 19:13 - “a quarrelsome wife is like the constant dripping of a leaky roof.”
Proverbs 21:9 - “Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.”
Proverbs 21:19 - “Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.”
Couldn’t resist. Ha.
Have a good week.
Will