Tuesday August 22, 2006

 

Our Landscape is Changing

 

 

…and this is the responsible vehicle.

 

 

It is turning tall corn stalks into…

 

 

stubble…

 

 

and beautiful ears of corn (and stalk) into…

 

 

silage.

 

 

Each year I get a bit nervous as I look out my kitchen window and see my brothers packing silage tightly into trenches, by driving large tractors over it.

 

 

There is probably never a time of the year that I pray for them more fervently.

 

 

They get very little sleep for two days, and drive on top of the silage…

 

 

continuously for hours…

 

 

back and forth – back and forth – one tractor per trench.

 

 

When a truck delivers a new load…

 

 

the process is repeated.

 

When I returned this evening…

 

 

the trenches were full and being covered with layers of plastic and tire sidewalls.

 

 

My brother Clair said he will be ready for bed tonight.

 

 

My brother Dale and nephew Kurt place sidewalls on the plastic.

 

 

Kurt, Clair, and our nephewTristen

 

 

The plastic and tires keep air from getting into the silage, thus preserving it for a year or more – making nutritious food for the cows.

 

 

Bostonchic – I asked Kurt if I should post a picture for you.  I suppose this pose was a “yes!”

 

I headed home this evening – thankful that everyone was safe.