Family Planning

      On Wednesday September 26, we left Kansas yet again for Colorado where we traveled to Avon, Colorado for our Family Farm annual meeting.

    But first, some important business in Limon.  I met with an insurance agent and took out a crop insurance policy on the wheat just planted.  The paper work had to be done by September 30, and the bill comes due—in July 2013.  Hmm.  I guess that makes sense, 2013 crop and all.  But it doesn’t do much for my sense of bookkeeping.  2013 crop expenses are mostly expended in 2012.  Oh well.  With any luck at all, I’ll have some harvest expenses in 2013 and the insurance can go with that.

    Then out to the farm where I had an appointment with Dusty to check the residue left by my tillage operation.  (A farmer has to file a conservation plan with NRCS.  I was selected for a spot check to see if I am in compliance with my plan on file.)  Some devil got into my head and prompted me NOT to take any pictures.

     Two things threw Dusty off his routine:  the field was ex-CRP with lots of grass stems and roots, not crop residue.  And, it had RAINED.  Thus, the cellulose was wet and weighed more than it would dry. 

    So, he threw down his hoola-hoop like circle, picked up the dead grass stems within the circle, and threw them in a paper bag until it can be dried and weighed later.  Residue is apparently measured by weight. (This is all new to me and was quite interesting.  Dusty was quite patient in explaining things to me.)

     But, we were walking on and kneeling in wet dirt!  A check of the gauge later revealed .53”.  Some of the wheat was up, but the moisture should insure a good stand.

      Well, pick a few cucumbers and peppers and off to Denver Wednesday evening.  We visited with Number One Daughter as she called on an absent friend’s three cats.

     Our Thursday got off to a rocky start.  The Goodwife, a Groupon addict, bought a coupon for an Italian restaurant in Idaho Springs.  Then we spent two hours trying to download and print it.  Eventually, we left for Avon about noon sans coupon and stopped in Idaho springs at Triggers, the restaurant.  The chef managed to print the coupon after he got logged on to the Goodwife’s Gmail account.  It was about 2 p. m. and lunch rush was over, good thing for us.  Somebody worked pretty hard for that dinner.

     On to Avon where I was forced to learn how to drive through roundabouts.  We had a beautiful view of Hole 10 from our bedroom in the condo sister-in-law had rented.

 

                                          The aspens were in their prime all during our trip. 

 

                                  We went up to Eagle and out to Sylvan Lake on Friday.

 

                               Then to Yeoman Park where we used to camp 40 years ago.

 

     Saturday we cruised Glenwood Canyon to Glenwood Springs where we spent the afternoon with friends, former Atwood, now Paonia residents.  We actually discussed some farm business Saturday evening and fell into a hot political discussion.  We mostly spent the evenings playing Skipbo and Farkle.

    Sunday, back to Denver where we concluded the farm’s business by getting our oldest sibling’s signatures on CRP papers and via power-of-attorney, our sister-in-law's.  Then on to the farm where I changed the oil on the car.  An expensive two months, 50000 miles since August 1.

     The rain gauge had more good news:

 

                                   Better yet was the view when the sun cleared the clouds: