A Few Moments to Play?

After a long 6 weeks and no post (once again) I can say what could be planted is, insurance and other paperwork has met the deadline, some sleep has been caught up on and a deep breath has been taken. Yet, as so many of us know, you can never get ahead of mother nature. Infact, I was told just a few days ago, I have two days to go until spraying is caught up and then I will find myself 5 days behind. All I could do is think, I don't even know what to say.

Then I thought, if you don't go check the field for a day, you won't know that you are 5 days behind! So that is what we did! We took a much needed break, 2 infact and boy did it make EVERYTHING so much better.

Steven headed camping and four wheeling in the Badlands 2 weekends ago and then yesterday we headed to the lake without kids, but with family and friends for an afternoon. It's amazing how much more can get done when you set out, take a break and see the "world" instead of feeling like your world is getting smaller and smaller.

One great thing we have in ND is wide open space, and with is comes the ability to see things in the distance, a sense of natural freedom and feeling that all things are possible. So I have again been reminded, when the times get tough, the tough step outside (the house, the car, the tractor etc.) and breathe in possibility, patience and perservence! How awesome ND is and how lucky we are to live here!

Blogging as an Educational Tool

Who said blogging couldn't be educational? Well, I am here to tell you that it is definately a better way to use technology than cell phones in classrooms!  Kids blogging can actually force them to write correctly since it will be seen by a lot of people and it can be reviewed by the teacher fro input or editting suggestions before publication. It can also be a way for kids to interact with people or topics that they may never else do. I can also tell you that many kid blogs are set up as tools to help kids learn academic content.

So, I have taken another leap into the world of technology, stretched my creative mind, thought about how I can connect with youth and started a blog to help kids and others who may be interested learn about what happens on our farm in central North Dakota through the year. I also pose questions hoping to get some responses. Where else should the info about what happens on farms and ranches come from, but from the farmers and ranchers themselves!

from USDA. gov

Amazingly it is very simple.... I have to add the users, I can elect to approve comments and blogs added by users before they are published to make sure it is appropriate and I can upload pictures, video and create links. I believe that my blog http://kidblog.org/Agriculture/ will help teachers, students, and individuals not involved in agriculture know more about the oldest industry of our great nation...agriculture!

If you want to be a user of  A Day in the Life of ND Agriculture ( my youth centered blog)... add a comment or send me a message and I will get you set up!

Views From My Windows

Growing up in Minneapolis, MN, I did not know what wide open spaces were. I was raised knowing that when you saw the black clouds above or heard the booms of thunder over the traffic that it was going to rain within a few minutes. I will never forget my first weather experience in ND.

 

Ok Ok, my first ND weather experience was a beautiful day and looked something like this view of a wheat field from this past summer.

My most memorable ND weather experience ....I was riding in the tractor for what seemed like forever. Early in the afternoon we were harrowing a very bumpy hilly field headed southwest and I looked out the massive front window onto the horizon and noticed a line of dark clouds. Instinctively I said, " We'll have to head in soon. It's going to pour in just a bit." Little did I know that the storm was over 60 miles away and was probably more like 150 miles from our location. I was quickly corrected and spent the rest of the afternoon amazed by the building and movement of the storm.

 Ever since then, I have been fascinated by the views of the sky and the countryside that I can see from the many windows I sit behind: the kitchen windows, front windows, car windows and yes, even tractor windows. No matter how often the sun shines, flakes fly, winds blow or a storm brews, I love all that the wide open spaces of rural ND that I call home.




Snow in backyard as of last week



Shingles blown off from the wind in front yard