We got on the road early for us (9:15) and spent a little time with the nighbors who were trailering for the first time. They were from MN. I offered a few 'tidbits" of help and two items to look for . 1) a "quick release" faucet attachment for water which really speeds up the activity and prevents dripping water., and 2) to always survey the ground that the trailer hitch is standing. If it is gravel make sure it will not slip or slide before you unhitch from the trailer. (It is a tough job to get the trailer hitch back off the ground. (Been there, done that!)
Probably the outstanding sight today on the road was the corn crop. No it is not that there IS a corn crop, but that two weeks ago there was no corn harvested yet. Today about 50% of the corn and most of the beans have been harvested . The extended dry weather has allowed the farmers to get out and get it done. It appears from all the data that the crop this year is about an average yield. ** See P.S.Below.
The campground "Hickory Hollow" that we are in, is full and we were fortunate enough to get in. When I walked in to check in for one night, the two "70ish" ladies with golden hair and purple shirts, at first said, "No' , but upon further examination found that one party had moved out early so that site was clear. Whew! When the lady (Louise) started to write out the info slip (long hand, although they use a computer), her handwriting was just like I remember the nuns teaching in the Cathoic school. A beautiful cursive style. So, I asked her, "Did the nuns teach you handwriting?" and she answered , "Yes, it was from the Srs. of Mercy." I knew it was true. So we has good discussion about those days when we learned cursive in the second grade. Both ladies went to the same school a few years apart. Imagine still working together after all those years. "It's a Wonderful Life".
So to wrap up, I will post some pictures that we didn't see before , some of plants, colors, and scenes of the Iowa landscape. ( I did not post the pictures as the internet is too slow here. I will when I get home tomorrow) Again, thanks for reading along, and and if you care to comment + or - , you can connect with me at 2crazy4birds@gmail.com. Just salute me with ,,,"Hi Jim".
P.S. This just came in from the Des Moines Register.
DES MOINES, Iowa • The expected record corn and soybean harvest will be slightly bigger than previously estimated, the result of late summer warmth that helped fill cornstalks with ears and soybean plants with bean pods, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Friday.
Farmers are expected to bring in 14.5 billion bushels of corn, up 80 million bushels from the September estimate. It's the third consecutive month the USDA has increased its estimate of the corn harvest as favorable weather helped the crops develop. And soybean farmers will harvest an estimated 3.93 billion bushels, up 14 million bushels from last month's estimate.
It'll be a banner year for corn, with farmers expected to harvest a national average of 174.2 bushels per acre, a significant increase over the record of 169 set in 2009. Though the USDA lowered the number of acres planted by 1 percent to 90.9 million acres, the increased yield pushed the total expected harvest higher.
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