Corn Field award winning SEX.....

Finally YES YES, Yesterday and today it has happened it is happening and will continue to happen now for a few days in my corn field and others across America. Pollination is taking place...The packets of pollin on the tassle at the top of the stalks, glance down and see those beautiful blonde, red or brunette silks below and they just can't hold it any longer....They open and allow the pollin to float downward and fall upon those soft waiting silks. Then a almost miraculous thing happens. A single polin or maybe multiple not sure but they will enter into the inside lining of each of these silks and start a voyage of working their way downard, all the way maybe 12 inches or more to where the each individual silk is attached to the corn cob. When it reaches the cob another miracle happens and a grain of corn is born and will grow to maturity in the next couple months at that exact place on the corn cob. Since this is such a "text book" year there will most likely be 18 to 22 rows of kernals around these cobs and since this year's perfect conditions there will likely be maybe 50 most likely even more kernals in each row.

So a lot of silks are emerging out the end of these corn ears you see in the pictures to the right...Each will await its mate or shipment of polin from the tassle above and each will know what to do to make that trip all the way down the lenght of the silk hair to the point of attachment to the corn cob....A lot of baby kernals of corn are being made the next few days in the corn fields of America. Rain is falling today another huge plus for the polination process...Temperatures are not excessive another huge plus...All is right for some of the best sex corn has ever experienced and you saw it happen right here....ha Also you will note in the pictures that a second ear has emerged on most all of the stalks...It is an optomistic plant that does this and some years it shrivels and does not amount to anything but this year I am guessing a lot of these second ears just may produce at least a half size ear of corn, maybe that is the bushels we need to make up our shortfall of corn that is so much in demand out there.

You have probably read where some claim they can almost hear corn grow in Indiana or Iowa or Illinois, but this year I have to say I can almost hear some sensual noices happening out there as I stand and observe and take these pictures. So hope it has been as good for you, as it has for me, and I will do a follow up in a couple weeks and share how we know it all went well, and the nurseries are full and baby corns are on the way....Have a great day out there, and watch out for falling polin, its all over the place in Indiana....

One more share I have to tell you drive slowly on a country road between too polinating corn fields is no better smell to a corn farmer or ethanol stock holder or even a guy who Loves the Lord, and so appreciates all his miraculous handy work.
It does give off a most delightful odor, well to me anyway, maybe you had to grow up around it, but it is almost heaven....

I voted today for America

Does not make me a hero maybe a Patriot, and I do not put down those of you who exercise a right to purchase an imported auto. Many have died to insure that right for us to choose and to insure our freedoms. But today I did purchase a new Silverado Chevy Truck that is flat towable behind my motor home, and it has the "FlexFuel" engine that will allow me to vote for the "Midwest Corn Farmers", and America's Enery Independance each and everytime I fuel this truck...If the price of E85 is 15% or more less than Regular gasoline, I will buy the E85 and smile while doing so.

Before I left Naples in March I was captured by how cute the MINI Cooper Convertible's were down there running around in traffic...I told myself to forget the Patrotism stuff and get the fun car and have fun...I almost did I did love driving the little bugger, but they did want about 30 grand for it so I paused. While I was paused I found that it is not under warranty if I flat tow this car. Reality then set in when I looked myself dead in the eye and said your going to pay 30 grand for a car that will void your warranty and also send some money overseas...

That affair ended that day and I then turned to an drove a Pontiac G6 Hardtop Convertible and it was fun but also about the same money...Was flat towable but had almost zero trunk space, because the hardtop folds down into the car where a trunk would be. And did have a back seat for two people if your freinds were midgets.....or children maybe. And did not burn E85 fuel.

Not to put little people down...I love that show about little people on TV...And I did not coin those words, they were given to me by a car dealer I know in Cold Water Michigan....who tried hard to almost give me one over his cost...And he also sells GMC trucks which I could have purchased and it is the same truck, I know that but it has been a long time since I have owned a Chevy and I just wanted to do that, and now I do...Jim I am sure that next winter while enjoying the fruit of the vine you will have some reason why a GMC Script would have looked better on my truck there in Naples, than the Chevy Logo, sure you will...And it may take several bottles before we get past this, but we will...ha

So here I am in a nice four door Chevy truck instead of a flashy convertible...Gosh it was tempting but reality finally set in...I can now ditch fish along 41 south of Naples from the bed of my truck, can have my poles, my cooler of ice for fish and beer, and my favorite lawn chair, and all the while will not have my life threatened by those dam 12 foot gators that were 5 feet from me in a previous story I wrote before I said the hell with this, and through in the towel that fine day. I will most likely have my .45 Colt handy just in case they decide to bite my tires, it would not take a lot to prove I was being threatened and open up on those dam oversized lizards, yes it would do my heart good....They are beyond a doubt becoming increasingly overpopulated and aggressive as the food supply for them decreases...not good...

And so my fellow Americans, I can not help but still hear the words of JFK saying ask not what America can do for you but rather ask what you can do for America, well today I did it, I voted for General Motors, Chevrolet, Ethanol and I voted against money being sent overseas for auto's and oil.......

Another story for another day but I am invested in three Ethanol Refinery Corporations and I knew the road would be rocky but my moment of truth when I decided to do so, was that I had never fought in combat for this nation, never lost blood or limb and these investment were going to be my dues that need paid, win or lose....Right now we are loosing, Corn is too dam expensive, and my stock is worth half what I paid...I have no regrets, I did it for America.....A corn farmer saying corn is too dam expensive...never thought I would ever hear that or let alone say it......Come back tomorrow I think we will be talking sex again soon....

KELLOGG"S? Maybe your Hungry

Have I got a deal for you my loyals. Considering the exhasting read about sex in the corn field of Monday and since we don't smoke, well maybe your hungry....

And is it not just like Happy Hoosier to come up with free food? Yes it is and Kelloggs the cereal people are helping me out here you see to the right...Yes, yesterday I stopped for milk and then realizing I was getting low on my favorite cereal that sweet pea introduced me too, I cruised down the cereal isle looking for my Kellogg's or Kroger equivelant which I think truly is boxed in the same factory, but anyway its called Frosted Mini Wheats. Wow you drop your favorite fruit or even just plain and then drop that in the old tum tum and they are my solid rocket boosters till noon or even dinner...

But low and behold there before my eyes as you see in the pic to the right was something new costing a pretty penny, like $4.19, a Frosted Mini Wheats called "blueberry muffin". But the top of the box say's "try FREE"...Now that box went immediately into my cart even before I purchased two of the regular boxes...

Just mail in the register reciept and the application inside the box...Now they hope like crazy you don't find it to mail it in and you won't it is printed inside the box on the cardboard so I will cut it out today and so in maybe a few weeks I will be refunded the money except for the dern old 42 cent stamp... I tried them this morning and the good taste of my mini wheats are there plus the hint yes of blueberry muffins fresh from the oven.....so hold the fruit on this bowl full maybe that is why they figure its worth over 4 bucks cause they save the fruit expense...

Ok one other thing before I let you go is the take the time to view the latest "jib/jab" cartoon about the election coming up. They even allowed me to be in the movie with them..It takes a while to download so be patient, grab a cup of java maybe and take a laugh break...

Am watching the corn out there daily, rest assured we will not miss the excitement when the male polin first meets those gorgeous blonde silks waiting so pretty and innocent below...its gonna be good....take care...

Oh, and one more thing, Prelocks Blue berry pickin is open now and my daughter Suzette tells me they are huge this year and they even let you eat a few while you are picking...except for me they usually weigh me before and after picking...they are located east of Lafayette between Dayton and Mulberry just off Indiana 38...
Tellem Happy Hoosier sent you, so maybe this year they will not embarrass me dragging those scales out again....open 7 to 11 and 4 to 8 closed on Sundays....

No corn field sex yet but close, very close

Well it's almost happening,"sex in the corn field", we've all been waiting and it's just maybe a couple days away. As you can see in the pics to the right these male's (the tassels) and good looking blondie females, (the emerging ears and silks)may not be married yet but probably almost engaged...They are admiring each other from afar maybe 3 to 4 feet apart...The tassels overhead are coming out the packets of pollin are starting to emerge, the silks on the emerging ears are growing out the ends of the ears and are irresistable...Gravity will play the part of cupid here in a couple days. Timing is everything in sex and it's no different in the corn field...At just the propertime the pollin packets will open and millions of pollin dust will fall downward and in most cases polinate the ear below on the same stalk of corn. That is called "selfing", something we humans are not crazy about but corn has no hang ups about anything. In some cases with the aid of wind well, its gets a little more exciting as the poling from stalk A just may drift over to the gorgeous blonde silks on stalk B or C even Z....Since all these stalks are the same hybrid or have basically the same parent families they are all cousins so whether they self polinate or drift over to another first cousin really don't make any differnce...

Hopefully in the next 10 days now the weather will cooperate and not be too intensly hot. Heat can kill polin so keeping it under a 100 degrees should be a fine inviroment for what will be going on out there. Not all ears are blondes, some hybrids produce red silks and some brown...Interesting isn't it we seem to do the same...The intelligent designer, our Father God, I think sometimes maybe got a kick out of designing similarities to play with our minds a bit. One thing you can count of for sure all this wonderment did not crawl up out of the sea weed and evolve...Only people with emence faith in wild ideas and not God would believe something like that....OK were off its gonna happen and we will watch it and I will tell you a little more excitement in the next few days...Stay tuned...

Be careful out there on those country roads this time of year...these gorgeous blondes, red heads and brunettes do turn a farmers head as he drives by...Keep a sharp eye sometimes they stray off the safe path rubbernecking these beauties....take care....

Why there are no EX Marines

Today I recieved and email from a member of the Platoon 3002, A Major Jim Laney, that I and he and 73 others were a part of in Marine Corps Boot Camp in the summer of 56...The pic to the right was taken without my knowledge but is me getting personal attention on become a good accurate rifleman.

I know this is a change up from farming and family and corn and beans...it was not planned but when these emails arrive it is so easy to drop back into the mode of being and so dam proud of the title United States Marine....

So I will post the email below that explains pretty well as I have ever read why we are such a brotherhood and there are no ex marines ever...well maybe Lee Harvey Oswalt the misguided bastard that shot Pres. Kennedy but not others...Also maybe you were with me when I posted my personal boot camp story on Feb 17th of this year when I first began this blog...if not and you want to read my humorus but true account of how it all happened it is within this blog...Just pan down to the archives at the bottoma and click on the February stories...then pan down to Feb 17th....The story just above it that I posted called a Marine's Marine is also a good read and describes the guy that will be speaking at the Dayton Church next month on the 17th and 18th...

But for now here is the email that got my Marine blood cooking this morning....

> This may help you explain what we share that is so special and what
we have lived that makes us remember. To understand, you have to live our
experience, share what we have all shared, and feel what we have all felt.
It is about Corps values, and honor. It is about character. It is about a
shared experience that changed our lives.
>
> The common experience starts with DISORIENTATION. The Corps creates
a vacuum in your life, it takes away your hair, clothes, and friends, and
fills it with a drill instructor. He says things like get off MY bus ... Do
it NOW and as you stand asshole to belly-button on the yellow footprints,
your identi ty disappears. The D.I. Gives you a short lesson on the UCMJ,
and you learn that rights belong to the institution, not to the individual.
>
> You will live in a squad bay and you will march everywhere. He
speaks to you in the future imperative ... He says: YOU WILL ... And you
do! He gives you a new language ... Deck, hatch, head. It is a language
that is steeped in a tradition you don't understand yet. He takes away your
right to speak in the first person, and he takes away your first name. Your
platoon number is what's important now.
>
> Before your first meal you get 20 seconds to stow your gear, and you
learn that the only way to get it done within the time limit is to help one
another... The TRANSFORMATION begins. This is the culture of the Group, and
its members are anonymous.
>
> Although you don't know it, your drill instructor will become the
most important person you will ever meet, and your weeks of boot camp will
become the defining cultural experience of your life. For the first time in
your life you encounter absolute standards of right and wrong, success and
failure. When you screw up, everyone stops, and they penalize you,
immediately, so you won't forget.
>
> Disorientation and Transformation are followed by TRAINING.
>
> The rules are simple:
>
> a. Tell the truth
> B. Always do your best no matter how trivial the task
> C. Choose the difficult right over the easy wrong
> D. Don't whine or make excuses
> E. Judge others by their actions
>
> And above all,
>
> a. Look out for the group, before you look out for yourself. During
your training you are pushed beyond your limits, and you achieve. You learn
to make excellence a habit. The common denominator among you and your fellow
recruits is pride and accomplishment. Through your training you develop
spirit, and you develop self-discipline.
>
> You learn the ingredients of CHARACTER: Integrity, Selflessness, and
Moral Courage. And you learn the Corps Values of Honor, Courage, and
Commitment.
>
> These are your roots. The Corps is a rigid code that will stay with
you forever. It will define your character, and it will guide you for the
rest of your life. This is why there are no EX-Marines.
>
> Once you can appreciate what you are about to become, you learn
about those who have gone before you. You study our history, and learn the
lessons of countless heroes who acted, not for self, but for comrade, Corps,
and Country. Marines are about taking care of each other, always have been,
always will. It is our culture and it holds us together. As you learn the
history, you become part of the tradition. You have a new appreciation of
your God, your Country, and your Corps.
>
> One final element completes your training - you become a rifleman.
>
> The magnitude of what you have accomplished becomes apparent to you
at graduation, when you finally earn your title and are called Marine.
>
> What you know then, in your heart, but what you can't put into
words, is that there is something very special about this organization that
is unlike any other organization you ever have been a part of. What you
can't put into words, but what you know in your heart is that the essence of
the Marine Corps resides with the lowest in rank; The Marine is the Corps,
and the Corps is the Marine. ... Your uniform says it all. When someone
looks at you they don't see the name of your ship, a unit patch, or a branch
insignia ... What they see is a MARINE. That's all that counts! You are a
Marine! It is what matters to you, and it is what matters to every other
Marine. You know that you may never feel this important again, and you will
spend the rest of our life living the code, and holding on to the feeling
that every Marine is a rifleman, and that, the essence.
>
> But there is more to our story than our boot camp experience. There
is our experience of sacrifice and our participation in the history &
tradition of the Corps. We share stories and tell of the humor that got us
through the tough times, but we also have stories we keep to ourselves,
hiding the painful memories too personal to share.
>
> Shared experience and personal sacrifice are reasons the Marine
Corps is a Band of Brothers. It is the reason we celebrate today. The
feeling you have when you become a Marine lasts a lifetime. Whether you
serve 3 years, or 30, your experiences will never be forgotten. You will
never work as closely, or depend on others more, than you did in the Corps.
The Corps is your family, you can never leave, and you are always welcome
back. You are EXPECTED to come back!
>
> This shared experience, and personal sacrifice is our common bond.
It is why we love each other and our country so much, and why we cling to
our traditions. Our celebration preserves and honors the memory of all who
have gone before us and it is an example, and a standard, for all who
follow. In a time when there are so few proud and good examples to follow,
when so little seems to count, our views, our beliefs, our PRACTICE of our
tradition is, by others standards, EXTREME. We are perhaps all our country
has left to guarantee that the principles upon which this nation was founded
will survive.
>
> Many presidents, and congressmen, have tried to do away with the
Marine Corps, but we are still here. Why? The answer is simple - America
doesn't need a Marine Corps, America WANTS one! Marine, you are the reason
she feels that way. Remember that, and feel good about it.
>
> "It does not take a majority to prevail ... but rather an irate,
tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of
men."
>
> Semper Fidelis

and have a great Day after yet another rain makes grain rain last night...Jack

Soybean Orchids

Two pictures to the right here I took yesterday of soybeans that are surprisingly knee high to a six foot guy and blooming like crazy too.....Notice the blooms at close examination they are a perfect orchid very small and delicate but no less a beautiful flower....So beautiful that honey bees can not resist the temptation to harvest what they can from these little flowers. Then as they move around from delicious morsel to another, they carry polin on their feet from one flower to the next and thus they get polinated and bingo a pod is formed and soon 2, 3 or 4 soybeans are growing inside that pod...multiply that by maybe 70 pods on each plant times maybe 180,000 plants per acre and as the combine moves through the field at harvest a fair amount of valuable beans are entering the hopper to the delight of the farmer aka Happy Hoosier, now looking happier every week as this growing season progresses. Life is good....

Sex in the soybean field is kind of shall we say "average" or better than none at all, but hang on the corn will be more exciting, I promise...On my way to Mulberry yesterday to visit my sister Flo in the nursing home I drove by a field near the Wildcat Creek that had sex happening...I tried not to look and kept my eyes on the road and got by it as quick as I could...I want to save that experience for my own field of corn...we will walk through it together, but anyway it is starting and will continue until every field has said aahh many times.....

Well speaking of sex, I see in the news where Jesse Jackson wants to smash the pollen packets on our candidate Barack Obama...wow how could such a nice man even think such a thing let alone say it...I suppose with those words Jesse has snuffed out any chance of being President Hussien Obama's Religous counsel....And if he wins that will blow Jesse's old line of the playing field "not being level", for blacks...Maybe that is why he wants to smash the guys brains....

Well here I go again with politics, sorry, ok it is a beautiful day in Indiana and I think most all places where this blog may be read today. Whatever field you are in corn, beans, wheat, finance, healthcare, retirement whatever have a great productive day...walk slow and drink lots of water and enjoy the sunset.....

I'll get a grip soon....

Some of you are probably wondering what happened here the last couple days. The calm collect blogger has gone political all of a sudden...I am aware of the dangers of boring you with retoric that you hear all day long on other media's. So will get this off my chest quick and then move on to the good old stuff we like...

I have added some good reads if you have time over to the right...if you like hot topics like that there they are if not leave them lie...I will keep that current for those who enjoy but mostly that is where the political will be...On this side of the page we will stay with swimming holes, skinny dippin, sex in the corn fields, grand kids goings on, pullin weeds, cultivating sweet pea, stuff that really counts and has meaning and huge consequenses on the world around us, important stuff...so don't fear were still in charge here and this blog will stay ground zero for "whats happenin now" and that will keep you coming back not the triviling of Barack Obama...

We will get a grip....

May head out to the corn field with the camera today...I got to think that puberty has set in or is close out there...I pulled a tassle yesterday and there were 3 leaves to unroll yet before sex can happen so stay tuned....but with these rains that happend again last night when it happens its gonna be a good one....hang on...

OH and don't forget to vote over to the right please if you have not...I had 51 hits yesterday on this blog and only 17 took the time to vote so please practice your right to vote even here on this blog....Only one vote for Barack so far and it was my sister, she is so darn politically challenged, I don't know what happened but I am concerned and working with her...other than that she is wonderful.... Oh my heavens I now see an Obama promotion ad on my google ads...I bet sis had something to do with that maybe, good grief that puts me on his payroll...

And pan down a little farther and do the Lucas Cole test I think this is the last day on that one....

Have a good one...

A fair warning to us all....

I have grave concerns about where our nation is headed, should we be swept away in the tidal wave of love that is being adorned on Barack Hussein Obama...I direct you to the right side of this blog today to watch the link that I have come across that issues a fair warning to white America from a Black preacher in Harlem...I have watched some other of his speeches and while I consider some of his thoughts a little radical also, I do believe that he has the "well being of both black and white of America" in his message here...I hope you will listen to it and think about it.

Why we are being swept away in a sunomi type title wave for a junior senator that has accomplished nothing other than the mastery of the "art of bullshit arranged into words people love to hear" is totally beyond my comprehension.....

Peace be with you all today and may when Novemeber rolls around you have the good sense to vote for the survival of this nation....that would not be Barack Hussein Obama as the leader of this land....God help us....

Is this the year of the "EASY RAIN"?

I think it is, I am dubbing this the year of the "EASY RAIN", yes it is...

It is July 7th and I wake up to a gorgeous million dollar rain, the corn is approaching the tassle period when it throws it pollen. The plants have had easy rains the past few days when they decide how conditions are out there. They have decided now for sure to affix an ear or ears, with a high number of rows of kernals on each ear....In excellent conditions the plants will produce ears with as many as 22 rows of kernals around the cob...on stress full years the plants will sense that and maybe have 16 or 14 or even as low as 12 rows of kernals....

It will also decide soon or already has how many kernals it will produce in each row. Maybe as many as 50 or more on good years and as low as 30 or less on stressful years. This gorgeous rain this morning will leave little doubt for the brain mechanism that God gave these plants to "not hold back and go for it".....

It is said that one can not get too much rain in July and August the months that make the crops that we will harvest this fall...we are off to a grand start...Let is see where this all goes...Sure you can sense that this farmer is somewhat optomistic this day early in July.....

And as I set here vary thankful, I notice in the rainbow picture you can see the second rainbow close to that big tree..And that one is definately landing on Charley's house,..have a great day..

The Rainbow and God's Promise

Last week sweet pea and I as we sat on the back porch witnessed the most perfect full rainbow of our lives. It showed as suspected the pot of gold at my neighbors Charlie Greeley's house. But along with the perfect rainbow that lasted more than a half hour until darkness comes God's Promise to Noah to never ever destroy the earth again by a flood. New Orleans?, well yes this no doubt since it is built in a hole that is 9 feet below sea level but for the rest of us who know water runs down hill and always has, we are safe....

[God made his promise to Noah, his sons, and all the birds and animals that came out of the ark.]

2. What did God promise?

[God promised that the earth and everything living on it would never again be destroyed by a flood.] (well with the exception of New Orleans and maybe some parts of Holland) he did not take into account idiots being born.

3. What is the sign of God's promise?

[The rainbow is the sign of that solemn promise.]

So there you have it looked up on Dogpile.com and there it was as I have always heard. God's promise to never destroy the earth again by Rain and each of these Rainbows remind us of that and the Presence of a great and Powerful God above.

I was not far enough from it to get a picture of the full rainbow but it was there and so beautiful with the grey inside and the brighter outside the rainbow and it run from the center of my Pond over to Wainwright School it appeared. Actually a second rainbow you probably won't make out was present also....I remember Linda and I once saw a triple rainbow but it also was dim on the third bow....But the main rainbow that we saw this week has never been better....

The rains are predicted to continue to come with the weather forecast. It is looking like a possible great year for the crops here in our neck of the woods. The wheat harvest has begun and most likely will all be done this coming week by area farmers.
Have not seen a corn tassle yet but I know they are down in the whirls and just waiting for that perfect time to emerge and make there presents know, will keep an eye peeling....

Ok I looked it up and read it for myself...Gen. chapter 9 verse 11....

"I establish my covenant with you. Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood. Never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."

And then on into verse 16 it continues that GOD said the Rainbow will remind HIM of his promise to US.....

What a Savior.....

Have a good week.....

This one says it all for tomorrow JULY 4th

My Name is Old Glory





I am the flag of the United States of America.
My name is Old Glory.
I fly atop the world's tallest buildings.
I stand watch in America's halls of justice.<
I fly majestically over great institutes of learning.
I stand guard with the greatest military power in the world.<
Look up! And see me!

I stand for peace - honor- truth and justice.
I stand for freedom.
I am confidant - I am arrogant
I am proud.
When I am flown with my fellow banners
My head is a little higher
My colors a little truer.
I bow to no one.
I am recognized all over the world.
I am worshipped - I am saluted - I am respected
I am revered - I am loved, and I am feared.

I have fought every battle of every war for more than 200 years:
Gettysburg, Shilo, Appomatox, San Juan Hill, the trenches of France,
the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome, the beaches of Normandy,
the deserts of Africa, the cane fields of the Philippines,
the rice paddies and jungles of Guam, Okinawa, Japan, Korea, Vietnam,
Guadalcanal New Britian, Peleliu, and many more islands.

And a score of places long forgotten by all but those whoe were with me.
I was there.
I led my soldiers - I followed them.
I watched over them.
They loved me.
I was on a small hill in Iwo
I was dirty, battle- worn and tired, but my soldiers cheered me,
and I was proud.

I have been soiled, burned, torn and trampled on the streets of
countries I have helped set free.
It does not hurt, for I am invincible.
I have been soiled, burned, torn and trampled on the streets of my country,
and when it is by those with whom I have served in battle - it hurts.
But I shall overcome - for I am strong.

I have slipped the bonds of Earth and stand watch over the
uncharted new frontiers of space
from my vantage point on the moon.
I have been a silent witness to all of America's finest hours.

But my finest hour comes when I am torn into strips to
be used for bandages for my wounded comrades on the field of battle,
When I fly at half mast to honor my soldiers,
And when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving
mother at the graveside of her fallen son.

I am proud.
My name is Old Glory.
Dear God, Long may I wave.

60 Short Years.....

My brother Larry, WW TWO Navy man, served on a ship in the south pacific and finally came home got himself a fine lady Marge Isfalt and 60 short years later has a party, last Sunday matter of fact....Great poo poo's, drinks provided one of those parties you love to get invited too. And well attended by a host of family, and old freinds including the parish priest Father Dan. The setting was great, the weather perfect and the friends could not have been more freindly and family all took part to make it a perfect day for Larry and Marjorie Lahrman...bumped into a lot of good people, even sweet pea was there.

Yesterday went under the knife at Home Hospital a little knee problem that hopefully is fixed. Always have fun with surgery, yesterday was no exception, my IV was not working and had to be reinstalled on the operating table, and as they slid me off the gurney onto the table one of the 4 nurses said, "Jack usually you would have been pretty sedated by now when we rip your clothes off". I laughed and said, "this is my kinda place". Dr. O'Neil visited with me for a spell about a mutal freind we both know and then dropped the nighty nite juice into me without even saying goodbye.
Dr. Hagen did his magic (I hope) and although hobbling around on a couple canes today, and for now kind of into a self imposted senior day care program with me in charge, but surely will soon be back hopefully like I was before I decided I should become a 5K runner and my knee just did not go along with the grand plans.

July 1 today you gotta be kidding where in blazes is this summer going? Seems like yesterday a call came from sweet pea asking why was I still in Florida? Not having a good answer my motor home was soon working its way north to good old Indiana....
and thus a good case of MONO....Such memories we do weave as the days go by...I hope all of you are making good memories this summer also.....I need to visit nursing homes and grand kids ball games much more than I do. I spend way too much time watching corn and beans grow, mowing the lawn, writting this crazy blog, admiring flowers, fishing, swimming, lying in the sun, all just crazy summer time stuff...I do have to get a grip.......have a good day all day today maybe even tomorrow....

Shutters and Wheel Barrows and Baseball

Well I gotta tell you, I may have not been cut out to have been a detective. As we arrived home from Branson I told sweet pea that someone had been at my house as the wheel barrow was turned in the other direction of where I had left it. What I failed to notice is my white shutters had been removed and new dark brown ones had been installed to match my new shingles that were added last year. I had purchased these last fall and was going to get to this job just any day now. Matter of fact I had taken one white shutter down even, you know to kind of "nail down the job" so to speak. Well I guess I procrastinated long enough and of course with a sore knee in the works won enough sympathy to move my daughter Suzette to ask her wonderful husband Cris Post to do this work while I was gone...Said it took him 2.5 hours...It would have taken me longer that that by at least a day. Gosh but I am a lucky guy.

Now I also noticed last night that my grandson Nathan Russell is still a great catcher and hitter of the baseball...Yes he is and is growing up so strong and fast here in Indiana. And I also noticed that Tabby Russell can pitch a soft ball quite well and she still likes to walk beside me with her arm around me and set by me. She has such a big heart, at our Christmas dinner as I thanked God for Linda's 28 years with us and asked the blessing and a special blessing on Lucas who was soon to depart for Iraq, I got the crocadile tears and my throat closed and I could not finish. Tabby came over and hugged me and said, "are you ok grandpa".....Ok I got the same tears just telling about it so I gotta get outside and start painting, the sun will dry them and the white circle vents will look real nice when they are also dark brown...have a great day...

Good Corn and other important stuff....

Took a trip to Branson this week end..Great place to visit...Good entertainment and plenty of it...Can not wait to go back and stay longer.

Noticed the corn and beans as farmers do on the way to Missouri and back..By the way its Missouri with an A sound on the end. Best act I saw was a Johnny Cash impersonator that was even better than Johnnie Cash. He really had it down. He had the voice the looks, the head movements, oh what the heck I will put his pic right under the dead sweet corn....Had a great time, and went to church and three rows up I recognize the back of a head as a Marine I went through boot camp with and saw at our reunion 2 years ago..After church sure enough it was Chuck and Lois Paulson and attending a family reunion there in Branson...They and Sweet Pea and I did lunch and enjoyed reminising as Marines love to do...He from South Dakota and I from Indiana and the odds of my bumping into them is mind boggling.

OK the corn crop pics at the right top one shows just how fantastic our corn is doing here in North Central Indiana....Best corn I saw all the way to Branson and back, right here at home there is no better corn out there...Now the other picture of the dead sweet corn needs some explaining...well my fault I should have told my chemical people not to spray my 8 rows of sweet corn..Completely forgot and round up just does not work well on sweet corn as you see...I will be in line buying that stuff as soon as it is available with the rest of you...And for those who are waiting with baited breath we are probably only a month away now from "sex in the corn field"....stay tuned.....

Pretty Birds and Red Water Lilly's

Stopped in to St. Anthony's Nursing home a few days back to see a friend. Have been there now three times but I am always drawn to the bird farm I would call it that they have for the residents to enjoy. Gosh I think it is a terrific idea having these birds...They have maybe 12 to 15 birds mostly pairs of different species with a wide range of colors. I love to watch them, it is rather large the cage they have them in and they can fly around a bit in there. There are lots of clever looking and very functional houses for them and there are babies so love is in the air there in that cage. The cage is kept almost spotless of droppings and feed is always present. Who ever take care of them is doing a terrific job of it...Why sometime I may just stop in to visit the birds as they are starting to recognize me I believe.

And the slow coming but worth it RED water lillies are in bloom in the pond. They are beautiful and there are lots of them this year. They are the last to bloom after the pick and the white ones. The two yellow ones I planted just this spring have yet to send up any leaves so maybe I was bilked again....I think this will be the third year in a row I laid out good money for yellow water lillies...When will I ever learn to keep the reciepts...Well sure the stores rely and profit from people who just trust each year that "this time I just know they will do fine"....

Well short post today I can report the corn is past knee high, and by the 4th of July I am sure it will be beyond waist high, and a couple weeks later the tassle's will emerge and then we will talk sex in the corn field...several are waiting on that so hope I don't dissapoint.....

Have a great week end out there be back on Monday night or tuesday with more happenings from Hoosier Land....

Wesley Putnam

Today I want to introduce you to one of my favorite people. His name is Wes Putnam, he is an evangelist and probably the very best evangelist that I have met. He is good because he tells Bible Happenings in story form and he does it so well. He is sincere and he is humorous and he is the real McCoy. Linda and I liked him a lot and we support his ministry financially. I will continue to do that because what this man says "rings true" to me. It is interesting how God brings people into your life. You see one of our Dayton Churches Daughters went off to Bible College. Her name was Holly Null and she met the son of this evangelist who also was attending the college...Her name is now Holly Putnam and who should she talk into coming to our church to preach years ago none other than her father in law this great evangelist. So thus it happens, We helped in a small way with Holly's tuition to college through our church's college fund, and the pay back came, as she turned out to be such a great mother and Christian lady, and the icing on the cake then was Wes Putnam visiting our church periodically and bringing us his God given talent of telling the true stories of the Bible in such a way that we of this age can completely relate to what was happening then and what is similarly happening in our own age.

I have to ask you to stay with me here for a half hour, if you don't have that come back when you do have as you need to watch the video that I have of him telling the story of Elijah as seen through the eyes of a Brooklyn Cop....

But first visit his web site http://www.wesleyputnam.org/ and see his picture and read a little of his ministry. Now my blog does not highlight web sites so you will need to cut and paste these web addresses into your brouser.. come on now you can do that just highlight all of it. Hit control C and then go to your web brouser and hit control V and you will have it after you hit enter.

Then click on this site www.youtube.com/wpministries and watch this good humorous video as it does not only tell the story of the world then, but I think you will see the similarities of today. After you are on the site it is a 3 part series to get the whole message in so after part one you need to move down and click part 2 and then part 3 and it takes maybe 20 minutes to watch it all...But I think you will enjoy and profit from a visit from my freind Wesley Putnam....

And while you enjoy I will be attempting to replant a few soy beans that have just been too wet to emerge well...So today maybe I am planting soy seeds and seeds of faith that will both benefit us all....see ya.

Linda and Larry Lillies

Well this should about wrap up my flower post in case you think I have gone to seed on flowers of late. But I had to do this one because I do enjoy two different type Lillies we have each year...They must be "taken in" each fall when it starts to frost and freeze and then brought out into the warm sunshine each spring and watered and allowed to wake up and "get going"...

And get going both of them do for sure. Let me start with the Larry Lilly's...Now I know that is not what the really are but I don't know what they really are called if you do send me and email and I will add this info...But they are fun..we take the pots in each fall and kind of cover them up and "put them to bed" you might say...They sleep all winter like a bear and then taken out in the spring and watered and soon they have spikes coming up...After maybe 3 weeks then lots of pretty pink flowers jump out in maybe even one night to greet you...Why are they Larry Lilly's well cause my brother Larry Lahrman has tons of them and he pots them up and gives them to his friends who may if like me just call them Larry Lilly's. Nice thing about them is the bulbs multiply as I guess maybe all bulbs do and then after maybe a couple years in the fall you can let them dry out and go to sleep and then dig them up and then make two pots of bulbs and share one with a friend...I do that now and then a couple freinds in Naples now have them...The Weithman's for one and last winter after I had long forgotten about giving some to them, Buzz said to me hey our Larry Lilly's are going to bloom soon I think...He even calls them that also.

UPDATE on Larry Lillies....a freind Mrs. Burkhalter was here last evening to pick up their brickyard tickets and she said I see you have some Rain Lillies...she said my Larry lillies bloom just ahead of the rain...no wonder they blooming their heads off this spring...its been raining...well that is the latest....

Ok now the Linda Lilly's are pretty special of course to me as my now passed 14 months ago wife used to have them for years around here. She had them even at our old homestead before we moved here. She planted them around her flower beds each spring, fairly large bulbs and then after the season at frost time she dug them up and dried them out and put them somewhere that they would not freeze and could also sleep all winter. Actually our garage does not freeze and that is a great place for them. Also we have a few in pots that we just slide the pot into the garage and bcak out next May. In the winter of 05 she was diagnosed of course with stage 4 lung and liver cancer and just did not have the spirit to plant them in the spring..I asked her how to do it and planted them for her. She enjoyed them all summer long and I then asked her about digging them up and storing them for winter...Which I did and then she passed in April before time to plant them...That last year the name changed from Calla Lilly's when I planted them to just "Linda Lilly's. And again this spring and I have begun to get so many that I also have several freinds in Florida and here in Indiana who now have Linda Lilly's blooming as do I....Why I even have Sweet Pea growing both Linda and Larry Lilly's....She understands as she was in my greiving class and knows as I do, that silly little things like this help a lot. Thanks for listening....

Fathers Day Bash

Well sort of as the pics to the right will show, the rope swing was enjoyed by some as you see my Granddaughter and I in the first pic, releasing the ropes and preparing to go under....Second pic shows three more grand children enjoying the swing. Was a fun fathers day for this Father and Grandfather for sure..Sweet Pea was a special guest along with 4 of my 5 children and at least a dozen grand kids. The food was fabulous, gifts and cards real nice and the weather held until the storm came through in the late evening. Sure hope equally good happenings at your places all across the good ole USA...Short post today as it is late, maybe more tomorrow....

Sweet Pea's and Summer Fun

Tomorrow is Father's Day and last week we tried out our new rope swing on the end of the dock...It was a lot of fun, we engineered it last fall, when the water level was low, but it took a warming of the water before we could really call it a success. I think it will be well used tomorrow as my children and grandchildren show up here for a cook out and some "summer fun". Grandpa will be in the mix, as will the pretty lady's on the dock. They both will be lining up for a turn on the ropes. With 10 adults but only 9 brave enough for a go at it, and maybe 15 grand kids the line will be reminise of Disney World at times...Pic at right shows Sophie Post hitting the water early and Caulin Post with feet on a lower knot in the rope going for a longer "ride" and then a release that will hard to tell which end goes in first. A couple Susie's watch the action.

Also enter the sweet pea's. They are in full bloom and came from Washington State near Seattle. The roadside at the foot of a mountain was totally covered with these lovely's and low and behold there was dried pea pods hanging on the vines....We harvested and we planted and now I have a peice of Seattle. I am growing to love sweet peas, there is just something about them that trips my trigger....And they like the roses keep right on making their presents known until the first frost of fall.

Gorgeous day in Hoosierland today and forcast for tomorrow also. Rain continues to fall and plague farmers who still have that last field yet to plant to soybeans. I am done but I am but a hobby farmer with the small acerage that I am now content to farm. But I think for the most part the crops in this area at least are tolerating and thriving on the rains although some warm dry days would be beneficial to get roots deeper into the soil to seek out the fertility and have a better footing if and when the dry season hits... it always does at some point and usually July or August. If it comes in July less corn, if it comes in August less soybeans. We will see and hey, I am not saying it has to come but it most always does at some point before the crops are totally made or mature...

Have a happy fathers day out there tomorrow...Will probably be back Monday....

Linda's Perennial Flowers

My wife will soon be gone for 14 months now but she surely is not forgotten. Everywhere I walk around the outside of the house her efforts are there and remind me of her. She told me her goal a few years back was to have all her flower beds in perennial flowers so it would be care free except for pulling weeds out of them.
That also is perennial in nature also, it never quit's, I can still hear her as she pulled them out and threw them into the lawn saying, "I don't know where all of these weeds come from". I would tell her sometimes that my dad had told me that Satan plants them at night. Not sure she bought that but I sure did, anything my dad told me at 8 years of age was the truth....

But today to the right you see her roses, they are always so pretty and they are already blooming like crazy and will bloom now until frost comes. I trim them back each bloom to keep them somewhat short and strong and it does not discourage them as they keep coming back prettier than ever. And "old habits" are hard to break, as I would cut them and bring them in for her to put in vases, but now I do that part too...

So short one today, got stuff to do outside getting my plates renewed today for car and truck, and while in town a pretty lady is allowing me to take her to lunch at Arni's. I suspect a couple Arni's juniors will bite the dust right before out eyes. Was encouraged yesterday that I saw a last years IN GOD WE TRUST license plate with an 09 sticker on it...That is good and will surely be my choice to keep that plate visible for all to see for another year. There is a plain blan looking totally blue new Indiana plate that I am sure the ACLU just loves...It don't say anything about God or Faith...they will be so happy....

And while we are on that, see now you got me going, I saw on TV that one of the Carolina's have a new optional plate that has FAITH on it and a Cross over the faith.
Good for them.. Of course the ACLU are promising a quick and strong law suit...I love those guys they keep my blood pumping so well....and I pray for them....

And final update on the Indiana In GOD WE TRUST license plate...Yes I was able to get 09 stickers for this beautiful plate and not only that the lady told me I could probably keep it for about 5 years....Whooppeee....And may the ACLU spend a fortune appealing the case against this plate that seems to really wad up thier under shorts....

till next time...

Rapid Corn Growth Has Started

With corn at over 6 dollars a bushel this has to be of course the prettiest field of corn this farmer has ever laid eyes on. You know two years back $2.50 corn was pretty much the norm for the last few years. Then the US finally woke up to the fact that our dollars and huge dollars at that have been purchasing fuel from none other than a lot of people who want us dead. So quickly we have Ethanol in the form of E85 which takes a lot of corn. Corn quickly rose to over 3 dollars and everyone was happy. Then 4 dollars then last winter 5 dollars and now 6 dollars and it is moveing towards 7 dollars. It is truly nutsville in these markets for all the grains and I have not got any answers except for the fact that the secretary of Agriculture should have released the CRP acres to allow corn to be grown and stopped the taxpayers subsidy to grow nothing... Yes to me this was a no brainer but that is government they can not easily handle no brainers.

But anyway forget the price is this not a picture of beauty to the right? And it is happening in a corn field near you right now. The corn seen in the pic at the right is now in its 6th leaf stage. Which means the growing point of the plant is about at the surface of the soil. In other words it could be mowed off or hailed on and beat up pretty badly at this point and still survive and continue to grow. Another couple more leaves coming out in the next few days and the growing point will then be maybe 3 or 4 inches above the surface of the soil and then hail would cause major damage to the crop. Corn has entered into its annual stage of very rapid growth. Believe this in a month from now this corn will be 7 feet tall and have a tassle sticking out the top and an ear emerging with silks beconing the pollen to fall and bingo we have sex in the corn field boys and girls.
Well I won't get into that miracle right now you kids are just not ready for that but I will later when I have pictures...Maybe by then you will be able to handle it all.

We are totally blessed here on moisture and proper heat to move this crop right along so far. To the north and to the south of west central Indiana where I live too much rain has taken a toll and way to many acres are flooded or maybe even did not get planted because of wetness that stayed to long. I feel for those guys for sure especially in a year that price offers such promise. But that is farming and we all have been there and it is what causes a farmer to dream stressful dreams about farming disasters and if he is smart it drives him to invest part of his profits into crop insurance for such years that he knows come now and then....

OK on my way to C'ville this am to learn all I can about wind turbines. so must be off... Have a great day where ever you are.....

I see by the comment on this post that interest is increasing to a frenzie peak on my upcoming article about sex in the corn field....I will take care to tell the truth and the whole truth and promise to not throw in stuff just to get an X rating for this blog....That may be good for readership numbers but never fear we will keep it clean...ha

Water Lilly's take center stage

To me this is the prettiest time of all the year for my pond. The moss is minor, the water is warming, the grandkids can't wait to try out the new rope swing out that we built last fall, and my lilly's are coming to center stage.. Right now the whites and the pinks are pretty much "showing off". In a week the dark red ones which seem to take longer but their beauty worth the wait...Kind of like sweet pea's which are also just today starting to bloom next to my house. Nothing is more exciting to me, than a "sweet pea", but today were on water lilly's and will stay there.

Also this year I purchased a couple yellow's and I can not wait to get them started as they are my absolute favorite color Lilly as I recall seeing that color a lot in the natural ponds of Yellowstone National Park. Also making its debute today is the yellow rose along the house that my wife Linda planted a few years back. It blooms from now all summer long until it frost and provides so many gorgeous yellow roses.

And that ain't all that's blooming around here either. I have blue gills and bass making whoopy in the pond the last couple weeks also. Along the sandy beach area they have with their tails carved out several nice "bowls" that the females lay their eggs in and then the males swim along and try to "bomb" these nest with sperm.
Gosh it all looks like fun, but I am glad God made us humans different and allowed a little more "up front and personal" with the lover stuff....But be it sex in the city or in the pond it's exciting stuff and life does go on....The Lilly's and the Fish expecially the "newly hatched" do have a great connection. The babies will hide among the Lilly Pads in an around them as the larger fish try and enjoy them for a meal...The dum ones, get eaten, the average get eaten by bigger fish after they get filled out a bit and just more than a hungry bass can pass up, and the smart ones get to make the nest and lay eggs some day or swim along and bomb the handy work that their little darlings provided. But eventually someday they will bite on our hooks and end up providing a really nice fish fry.....

Seems like these "studly" fish are kind of "swingers", as they sometimes bomb one nest, probably made by their "little woman", and then try and hit a secondary target on the way out kind of like the B-29's over Japan during the war. Well that's maybe where the Air Force picked up that trait, who knows....Well gosh one thing about it you have to admit my mind does indeed "wonder".....But its all Good, if God made it and he did, its good.....

Have a great day my friends....

The Kousa Dogwoods/and good to eat

I have three of these trees seen to the right, they are in full bloom now as is about everything around here but these deserve a little press as they are not only beautiful but they are good to eat. These beautiful 4 pedal blooms surround a small green bud that will be a pretty good fruit next fall. I don't think any other fruit that I know of takes so long to develope..All summer these get very slowly larger and larger until maybe early September maybe late August they get to about your thumb nail size and turn a nice orange and look and taste pretty good. I found that they were edible visiting www.ediblelandscaping.com. It declared them good to eat and granted I did only eat one or two a day for a while till I kept waking up each morning and then my trust developed and I went for them...Usually while mowing my lawn the temptation is just to great and I park my mower under one of these trees and enjoy a few.

Why would I eat them? Well I am just one to believe that each food that God created for us probably has some unique charactoristic that only that food possesses. Maybe that is the tree of life in some way who knows or maybe it is the Morel mushrooms that midwesterns that have any sense at all, crave and desire so much. So much that they are even willing to pay 40 to 50 dollars a pound for. We find what we can and a friend and I did find 15 one Sunday afternoon and by that evening they were soaked in salt water, dipped in egg and then cracker crumbs, and then fried in butter...Oh my, "heaven comes to town", when all that happens...And thus while the season is with us a few of us including yours truly do purchase a few of these. Sorry I do not have any pictures of the morels mushrooms. Once they are before me I do not think of cameras, I think of the finished fried product that with a glass of fine merlot, and maybe even the company of a beautiful lady, well yes, Heaven does come to visit....




http://www.fast-growing-trees.com/Kousa-Dogwood.htm

Cornus Kousa Chinese Dogwood
This species from China and Japan is much like our native dogwood, but the floral bracts are pointed and produce several weeks later in the season. Tree develops interesting bark as it grows and the showy fruits are edible. Leaves have good fall color. Kousa has few pest problems. It is highly resistant to dogwood borer and dogwood anthracnose that has been plaguing flowering dogwoods in recent years. Zones 6-8

Computers are just too smart

We all know that statement is true and for it to be true comes realization that there are people walking among us that have made it so...Well I am glad but to be that smart must be just pretty darn cool...Don't like to think about it a lot, as it can get depressing that one was not in the really good brain line when we were being downloaded....

I came to this computers too smart realization as I looked through some of my old stories from February and I noticed that when ever I clicked on a particular story and it came up on the blog that the google ads at the top were automatically the same as the content of the story. A story about Naples Beaches brought ads for Naples real estate instantly...A story about Marines brings ads selling Marine related stuff. A story I wrote last week about my church pastor brought ads for Bible colleges and Large churches.

It just all kind of blows me away that computers have come this far and that again "jealousy is setting in", that some got downloaded with those brains that figured this stuff all out...well I am happy for them, hey I bet they don't really understand much about how residue continues to disappear in a corn field and I bet they really don't even care...So there then I don't really care how all this stuff works either, glad it does but I really don't care...

Have a great day out there, if you have a brain "use it", if you don't smile and tell someone you love them....if they love you back it will be a good day....

And lets just see what the posting of this story brings in google ads at the top..
Gosh no doubt it will be about computers this brain is thinking...

Summer Finally, I love it.....

Gosh thank God, finally we are rid of cold and damp and summer weather has arrived.
OH, how I love it, and the crops love it as well. The corn as you see in the top photo taken last night is getting good color and will soon send it's roots deep enough to tap into the ample supply of nitrogen that I placed there beneath the rows last fall...It should be quite a year if ample rain falls when needed as by error of my fertilizer dealer I applied 250 pounds per acre and not the 160 that I was shooting for....But should I get the ideal growing season it could provide me with possible the best yeilds yet seen on my acres...Always something to hope and pray for.

The Soybeans in the lower photo are equally off to a flying start...Emerging well up through the corn stalk mulch that was last years corn crop flatened by my John Deere no till drill...I love the system, the savings on eliminating "recreation farming" I call it of tillage that truly is not needed... it is ugly and that right there keeps a lot of farmers from doing it...We all spent so many years watching our fathers till the soil each year plowing it under and looking so clean and nice and we then did it ourselves likewise...Most have reduced the tillage trips, but not many of us have kicked the tillage completely, but once you do and you know you can and it will work, it is a great feeling to know that you are not only saving so much diesel fuel but the time and wear and tear on equipment also. And then the real bonus of knowing that you are building soil in a partnership with earthworms...Yeal they are willing partners working night and day coming to the surface and eating thier little tummies full of last years crop residue lying there...Then they decide to go down their little runways deep into the soil for a nice drink of water and then they wiggle around a bit and take a big poop...yeal the best part of their day, and then they head on up for yet another nice big dinner of crop residue....The runways they make in the soil also provide huge benefit by allowing rain fall to penetrate the soil down these holes and not run off to a low location and make a pond that maybe then destroys crops....It is all so cool, and is just something that no tillers enjoy thinking and talking about.... Not a lot going on in Indiana this time of year and hey it does not take a lot to entertain an Indiana corn and soy farmer...

Have a great day and be nice to earthworms, if you see one crossing the street though, go ahead and run over him as the ants just love'em...

My Native Grasses/ My Prairie

I have about 5 acres that I have restored to the original prairie that was once here in area's of Indiana and even more so Illinios and Iowa and most likely the Dakota's....It is very interesting to watch and imagine what it must have been like in those days of the Indian and the Buffalo...

I selected Big Bluestem, Little Bluestem, Indian Grass, Switch Grass and Side Oats as the mix for my Prairie Restoration. Native Prairie grasses are almost totally drought resistant and they root so deeply into the soil...I have read that most of them will root as deep as 15 feet into the earth. So you can imagine at that depth that they could find moisture and never be stressed even in the worst of droughts. Thus God in his wisdom perpetuatued the Grasses thus the Buffalo and thus the American Indian. So think about it, if the Grasses never quit florishing, the Buffalo never wanted for grass to eat, and thus the Indian never wanted for meat to eat and skins for their clothing and housing...

My little 5 acres in the late summer gets to a height of about 6 to 8 feet tall. I kid my friends sometimes that come in the late fall to harvest some of the seeds from the grasses that if while they are out there they stand very quiet and very still they can with a little imagination actually hear the grunt of the buffalo...

And maybe an occasional Indian creeping along hoping to bag the big Tatonka as they did in the movie Dances with Wolves....

I have read stories of the Pioneer farmers who first plowed these praires and what a time it was to cut through the deep roots of the grasses and I have read that there was almost a constant popping sound of these roots being severed by the freshly hand sharpened plow shares that they used. But what soils these grasses produced through the centuries before the white man came...Each year this enormous growth would decay and add more humous and food for nightcrawlers who would then devour the last years growth and then take it deep into the soil and pass it as waste...Much as they are building soil even now in my no till acres each year as the residue from the previous years crops lie there on the surface to be eaten by the same soil builders the night crawlers....

But my main reason for reestablishing this small part of the original prairie is to attract and make habitat for Pheasants and Quail. The Quail have returned and have florished here. Constantly all summer long providing someone for me to talk to while setting on my back porch..The "bob white" is always good to hear and sometimes try an immatate...I think they enjoy it as much as I and always return the bob white right back to me.......

I have it sectioned off in 3 parts with a 12 foot wide bluegrass fire break between the sections. This allows me to burn one section each year so that it gets burnt about every three years. It is very interesting to watch the growth then in the section that was burnt each year. It starts very quickly and is always the most agressive and lush all summer long. So in those days of old when lightning set it on fire in early spring it was actually good for it but the fires being so huge no doubt destroyed more than the grass sometimes. This year my mono delayed me and I for the first time in years did not do a burn. It is too late now as nesting I am sure is taking place and that will be protected...

Ok thats my prairie, it is off to a new start as you can see in the picture to the right and I will maybe update the story a bit later this summer when it gets full height and especially so if the buffalo and the Indian should return....

Pastor Dr. John Walls....Dayton Indiana

Well I surely am not going to admit that I went to upper Michigan mushroom hunting and came back skunked, nor will I admit I am not out planting the last of the beans because the ground is still too damp, but I will take this opportunity to enjoy and share some pictures from my son showing my Pastor and my little Grand Daughters Brook and Haylee.

All of my grandchildren have captured my heart of course but this preacher has also.
It all started about twenty years ago I was making some hay and a friend Don Miller showed up to buy some out of the field and he said I brought our new pastor along as he has horses and wants some hay also...The preacher was a joy to meet and although not my preacher I felt I had not seen the last of this guy...

A land fill was attempting to go in not far from my house and in the Dayton area, most were against it of course, and a big meeting of the Area plan commission was held one night not long after at the Mars theater in Lafayette so as to hold the crowd that was expected. In line to speak against it was this Dayton preacher I had met...I am thinking, what is he going to say. His turn finally came, and although I think a lot of the APC members were for siteing the land fill in the county when he was done speaking to them and I can not even tell you what he said, but he did quote scripture a little, but mostly he just talked to them from the heart about doing the right thing. Anyway when the vote came about the first couple of them said jokingly, "well, I sure as heck ain't gonna be voting against GOD", and that seem to set the pace and I think the vote went unamamous to not allow the land fill in the area at all. I suggested to Linda driving home and she agreed maybe we should visit this church....

Not long after we did and I am a firm believer in the work of the HOLY SPIRIT in guiding us in what we are comfortable with and in telling us when things "ring true"...I firmly believe this when I hear preachers talk some things don't ring true, very much of that and I leave those pews empty and search for a new church with a preacher who does say what my heart and mind, thanks to you know who, tell me is ringing true. I also believe if allowed to do so that this same "HOLY SPIRT", the third person of the trinity can guide and lead a good man of GOD preacher...I think this is happening most of the time with Pastor John Walls of the Dayton Indiana Methodist Church...Linda told him once he preached like a Baptist some times...I think what she meant was you are not the norm of Methodist preachers and he is not.....Any way he is human of course some times I have not even liked him but not often and not for long.....He has a way of getting back on your "fond list", if you give him half a chance...

But in the pulpit when he is in his element, and relaying what GOD has placed on his heart he is 95+ some percent of the time dead on the money, and ringing as true as what I know true to be.....That feeds my soul and encourages me to go and do likewise when opportunity knocks....I wish all could hear the same in all churches each week... It could be why he has taken this church with the help of a lot of good Christians that make up this church from less than 100 to 650...

One more thing he did his first weeks in Dayton was to knock on every door in the town and invite all to attend the church...Now Linda liked to refer to it as the Church of "what's happening now", south of the tracks.....funny but true....
Any way a lot of time he heard no, we don't like getting dressed up and getting up early on Sunday...Guess what???? He started a late service on Sunday and made it casual dress and to make them comfortable he changes from the suit he preaches in at 8 am to blue jeans an cowboy boots....They get the same message and the service is by far the largest of the two....

One of the pictures to the right says "born 150 years late"...That may be true, he would have loved to have been a circut riding preacher that went from town to town on horse back delivering the gospel to early settlers....But for the people in this neck of the woods, the present day "settlers", were glad he was not....

That's my preacher...as long as that HOLY SPIRT keeps saying, Yes its ringing true.....

PS... Today would have been Linda's 61st birthday. In grieveing class they taught us to prepare for these days and to not get "blindsided" by not preparing...This post has helped me in that....JL

The Corn is Coming in the Heartland

Well we seem to be having a normal spring, not what we are used to but just normal.
And "normal" is not what we really enjoy and prefer. We have been spoiled the last several years with temperatures that moderate in even early March sometimes and then we have been off to early summer weather. Not the case this year. I got a mailing from my friend Jim Hopf yesterday who is my former seed sales supervisor, boss what have you. Anyway Jim shows on a chart what I have suspected this "normal" spring that we are way under on "growing degree days" as compared to last year but that for a 30 year average we are pretty much "normal"....All this boils down to proof for me that Al Gore is a profit NOT and that the Good LORD is still in charge around here and that we are winding through our normal curves of climate constant change up and down that has been around for centuries. Well that gets my political statement off my chest for the day and so back to the corn.....

My ugly corn field is looking prettier every day. As you can see in the picture my mulch is in place to conserve moisture and protect the soil from erosion when hard rains fall. But you also see the slots throught the field, that my planter made, where my seeds have been placed and they are out of the ground kind of hard to see in this picture but if you look close you may detect a faint shade of light green that is corn plants about 1 to 2 inches tall, skinny but finding there way into this world. They are kind of yellow tinted from the cool damp "normal" temperatures we have had now for several days. Warm will come soon and with that better pictures as we watch this corn crop do its magic this growing year of 2008.

Still some soybeans to be planted yet but for now the soils remain too damp and we must wait for the perfect window of what is needed to place these seeds in an inviroment that will allow them a good start. That is it for today am going to Michigan for the week end to hunt mushrooms near Traverse City. Beautiful motor home park to explore and check out... And it will get me away from yellow corn and soils that are hesitant to become that perfect envirement that I am counting on they will be next week...Maybe will have a mushroom picture for you maybe not...

Mono Man nearly busted watching beans grow...

This Mono is interesting. I spent some of the afternoon lying in the sun soaking up D and drinking orange juice and some milk. Tonight I thought after my bath I'd check and see if that corn is up yet and some of it was but not much probably in a couple more days you will be able to see all the shoots out of the ground on that ugly farming scene.

But on my way back I nosed my car into a soybean field and rolled down the window and looked at some baby soybeans coming up in the field across from the house we used to live in. Actually I was wondering if they are 10 or 12 or 14 dollar soy beans, and it is just hard to tell when they are such babies yet, and have just come out of the ground and not knowing what the growing season will be like here in Indiana. .I was not there long and a Sheriff car pulled in behind me as I was probably looking "suspecious"...Sure enough he looked at Mono Man and felt sure he had a "problem man" on his hands..He said, "how you doing sir"? and I replied ok, I am just setting here looking at these soy beans coming up..."oh he said glancing out where I was looking and probably not seeing what I was seeing. He said you got a license on you, I said yes, and he said I'd like to just check this out OK... I said sure why not..He got behind the car and called in the plate number and stuff.

He came back up to the window and said where you coming from? I said well I was over on Peshewa drive looking at corn coming up and on my way home and decided to see what is happening in this field also...He said, "have you been drinking quite a bit today Mr. Lahrman? And I said, "well, yeal matter of fact I have been...I been drinking a lot of orange juice and milk"...He said, "really", and I said, "yeal I got full blown mono, and I have to drink a lot".. He backed up a couple paces and said I never heard of anyone your age getting mono, I said "yeal that's what my doctor said also"....It makes me appear to be a little bit squirrley and out of it... He said yeal it does... I said yep, that's mono ok....He said can you make it home ok Mr. Lahrman?... I said oh yeal I just live a mile away and soon a I get home I am going to have some more to drink and then go to bed....He said well OK then take it easy and I said I will, I appreciate your doing your job... he said thank you sir...

And Mono man made it home and is downing yet another large orange drink and thinking about turning in and maybe not taking pictures of baby beans and corn until I get my color and normalcy back in place...Gosh if I were in a line up they'd be busting me for everything that has happend the last few days....I'll stay in bed all night and hope not to attract too much attention at church in the morning....

Good night all.....

Mono Man has teamed with Mayo Clinic experts

Now your in for it...Your gonna know MONO like the back of your hand, below to get us started is something I got off the Mayo Clinic site today. What I am searching for is to find if there is a "season" so to speak for getting and spreading mono, A couple doctors and a nurse or two have suggested that April/May are good months to get MONO...other have told me anytime so that is my study going on and why I don't know probably because I need a subject for my blog, really who gives a ----. But I will look and see what I can find...just for you that is why, it is just for you my loyal readership...ha I know your excitement levels are very high...

Am a good week into my treatment the only treatment for mono and that is bedrest and good fluids...I am feeling better every day, and I got good news yesterday from Dr. Hagen on my knee...He looked over my MRI and did an exray and says surgery will be a 3rd option that we most likely will not need...He told me I do have torn cartledge but he thinks if I take it slow with therapy and start to introduce bike riding and some walking maybe swimming I am gonna be fine...that was good news as these two things I had going on at the same time a knee injury and full blown mono really complicated each other and the treatment of each...now we have them seperated and addressing both for what they are...At first I had myself convinced and maybe even been able to convince my doctor that my knee swelling infection had spread throughout my entire body even making my eyes bug out and turn yellow...Had myself convinced and I think he was even buying into it...ha But now I know that is a classic symptom of MONO in an older person...Thank goodness he ordered more blood test and got some science involved in this process and not allowed the patient to direct the treatment for too long a period....sorry Doc.....but you have to admit it was a good story.....

OK here is what the exerts at Mayo say on Mono in the opening page......
from the Mayo web site on MONO
...............................

Infectious mononucleosis (mono), or glandular fever, is often called the kissing disease. The label is only partly true. The virus that causes this disease is transmitted through saliva, so kissing can spread the virus, but so can coughing, sneezing, or sharing a glass or food utensil. Mononucleosis isn't as contagious as some other infections, such as the common cold.

The cause of mononucleosis is the Epstein-Barr virus, although similar signs and symptoms are sometimes caused by cytomegalovirus (CMV). Full-blown mononucleosis is most common in adolescents and young adults. Young children usually have minimal symptoms, and the infection often goes unrecognized. In lesser developed countries, mononucleosis is more frequently acquired at a young age, so classic signs and symptoms of mononucleosis aren't as common as they are in developed nations.

Mononucleosis usually isn't very serious, although the virus remains in your body for life. Most people have been exposed to the Epstein-Barr virus by the time they're 35 years old and have built up antibodies. They're immune and won't get mononucleosis again. Treatment mostly involves bed rest and getting adequate fluids.

........................................

OK its me again and don't you just love the sound of that treatment? BED REST and Adequate fluids...Boy there is a lot of adequate fluids around this house and a bed that just says stuff to me as I walk by like, "Hey I am here for you", and "maybe you should just lie down here and look at your grandkids pictures"? That one gets me everytime and in the sheets I go....I think it makes me sleepy lying there looking at them and trying to count them all before falling asleep maybe...kind of like sheep....well going to post this for now but will add to it if I can find any fact on a season for MONO, I kind of doubt there is as I think mono is a self inflicted ailment that while you are getting there your on a mission and after that you realize maybe you raised the bar a notch or two to high....

Later

A Tooth Holiday that was today....

Twice each year I volunteer to do one of my very favorite things. The cleaning process is really a treat for me...I know I am different because I enjoy it all. The water pic jack hammer or whatever they call it... The scraping and vacuming, the polishing, the measuring the pockets to see if I get a good score. Man I am into this stuff and to prove that there is never any blood. That is the sign that you have been a good boy in your dental hygene habits...and I am I do the floss I do it all...

But this year was different as I felt I should alert my hygenist and the Doctor and the exray person that I am a MONO MAN...They seemed not real frieghtened of my declaration.. I told them all three right off that they were probably being adults amuned to picking anything up from me... I did suggest that just to be safe they should maybe refrain from any substantial kissing of me while in the vulnerable chair posistion. They all laughed I don't know why, and agreed that they would "hold back"....

But my long time hygenist announced she is moving to Tenn to live in Cooksville as her relatives have purchased a resort their...Old friends of mine and I wish them well...if you like Dale Hollow and fishing they probably got what you want so check them out on the web....www.cedarhillresort.com Some day I will have that kind of energy again as soon as I sleep another few days....Good night all its bed time somewhere in this world.

No Tillage Corn Farming

To ugly for most Indiana corn farmers but to an experinced "ugly farmer" it is a thing of beauty. We who are into "no tillage" of the soil for many reasons have to quickly get used to farming ugly and learn to deal with it least we will fail.

You see in the two pics to the right the residue of last years soybean crop still lying there and also the previous corn crop residue from 2006 and several years residue previous to all of that...But if you get your mind made up that it can and will work it does and has for me for several years now. If you look close you can see where my planter has parted the soil and precisely placed the seed corn 2 inches deep and then covered it with firm moist soil. This 6 inch wide ban will now draw warmth from the sun and not reflect heat like the adjacent areas will...That is good though also as summer arrives and becomes very hot but the area has been pre mulched you might say with all the residue from those previous crops that have yet to be eaten and turning into soil by earthworms. So the 24 inches of the 30 inches between the rows is mulched by design and will not only reflect heat but will conserve moisture that falls and not allow it to quickly evaporate. Also during hard rains the soil will be protected from erosion that occurs on bare soils.

In a few days I will add a picture of the emerging corn plants that are right now swelling in the warm moist soil and sending down a tap root into the soil and a plant shoot towards the surface that will start the reproductive process we know as growing corn...We will follow this area from here to harvest this fall at least twice a month as everyday something changes in the corn field and exciting stuff happen some of which is not going to be like a good movie but you may find of interest as this summer passes by.

My first day of my three days of corn planting was the most challenging of my career as the MONO had a pretty good grip on me and was yet a few days before I knew what was taking me down. But usually the first day of planting season one is out early excited and ready to start a new year. Not for me that day which was a week from today. I did not get up until noon and I told myself I must get started so I went to the barn and did dig my planter out prepare it and air the tires. I came in the house thinking I would eat a bit and then plant corn... Instead the bed looked so good I got back into it for two more hours... I finally got to the field about 4 in the afternoon and did plant 20 acres of corn before dark....at least I was started.
But mono is an interesting illness and until you are told you got it and to go to bed you just hope each day that it is the worst and that tomorrow you will recover...It never comes till you admit that only sleep will cure you...which is where I am headed in about 5 minutes and have been doing most of this day....

MONONUCLEOSIS Oh Yeal....Mono Man.

I have full blown Mono, sounds scary huh? It really is not so bad, matter of fact I think I may have the designer disease of seniors...Give me your tired, your weak, your exhausted get your self down a few more cogs. Maybe pick up a fever that stays with you for a couple weeks. Finally friends start sayiny, "you know you just don't look good"...Your eyes are really puffy and blood shot...So you go to CVC thinking I need I eye drops...The pharmasis says "gosh you really look bad what all you got going here?

Any way my diagnosis was complicated and delayed because a month ago while on my way down to this level, I damaged a knee running my 3 miles every other day. So the injury took my attention and was even blamed for my run down condition...So it delayed things and the two conditions hand in hand supported each other so to speak and until this week I knew I was sick but did not really want to admit it. Well I am admitting it and business may pick up here on the blog as I got time to burn. I have wireless and a laptop and even now snuggled into one of my most favored spots, "MY BED"....

After several test the Doc walked in the room and says this is very interesting. We don't usually see this in folks your age, you have Mono....I said does this mean I have to quit dating? He laughed and said "no, most adults are amuned to this, if she has not got it things will be fine in a couple weeks...I can not help you with pills this is a virus and your going to bed for a couple weeks and then you should be fine...

Getting Mono was kind of fun, having it was much less fun but getting over it is going to be a dream come true...sleep for 2 weeks as much as you can and drink nice juices and eat good food...I mean someone pinch me here, this has to be the designer disease of all time....Mono where have you been all my life.....

Now in my second day of recovery which has been just as much fun as yesterday I am loving this...ON doctors orders there is no guilt here of waking up after a nice long nights sleep and eating a little something and just getting back in here and taking a nap till noon...another bite to eat enjoy the gorgeous day out side but then saying you know I think I will just sleep all afternoon..and doing it...and my temperature that has been with me for weeks has left, the first sign that things are going to turn out fine here...

AS the office staff prepared my mono screening test order and made my appointment with a knee specialist, I said well I guess the old guy has MONO huh? They said kind of looks that way, don't see that much at your age, kissing disease they say?

I said well however I got it, I am taking this as kind of a "badge of honor", they laughted and said "why not good attitude Mr. L....In January my triplet grandaughters and I were on a back water fishing trip into the waters south of Marco Island. One of them had just become engaged..Our old salty Captain looked at my Grandaughter and said well, I have failed a time or two, I have been around awhile but I think I have a worthy piece of advise for you young lady. He said " if that man is not spoiling you so dam rotten that no other man would ever want you, then you need to drop that sucker at first opportunity"...We laughed but I began to think of what he had said and it is true, if it is not happening in a blooming relationship like that then it probably will not. I think his words sunk into her as she has since broke off the engagement. And like her grandpa may be cultivating a new one.grandpa has started a friendship with a fine lady he met in a greiving class, and those words are still in my head and maybe have taken grandpa down mono lane...Well maybe that and the Marine training of focusing on an objective and not stopping until it is achieved. Probably the biggest culprit in all of this has been an agressive exercise progarm I began in December this year when I arrived and settled into Florida..I enjoyed walking the beaches and I enjoyed watching weight loss happen and cholesterol and blood pressure levels drop...I knew I was doing my motor good like in that song "Maybaline", an so I probably ethusiastically abused myself somewhat wanting to be as healthy as I could and that landed me here, but however I am here, I have enjoyed getting here and am now totally enjoying sick bay here for the next two weeks.

So here I ly and as these days go by sure a story or two will be generated so check out the corn and bean man, aka MONO MAN, as there will be activity here I think....

Advice from way "out of the box" to Christian ministres...

Well I said about a week ago I would do this "tomorrow"...I guess its is like the spanish version sometimes Monyana hardly ever comes...But today it has because I need to do the promised so tomorrow I can begin anew with a new designer disease that I have discoverd for semi retired as I...

But first lets run this patch threw the bore and see how it may go...

I realize I am way underqualified to even offer ideas but I do want to throw it out along with ideas that I have heard expressed by other good Chritians that support ministries around the world. The others that have shared with me lend some credablity to my thoughts.

A man I respect very much said recently about giving to the ADF in honor of Linda, "you know I enjoy this gift and especially the good work they do, but what I will not enjoy is getting a report and request for more funds about every month or even two weeks in the future."

I know it is a real challenge to the men and women who work for these ministries to try and win the hearts of those who give and support the cause. But he is right it affects me at times in similar ways. It is often too much I know they want to share their achievements and need for more funds but it takes some getting used to. Especiall on days that maybe three arrive from different good ministries all the same day. And in an overload short circut all three go into the trash can unopened.

Sorry but that does happen especially if all three of them maybe have written to you two or three weeks prior....It bothers me less I think to both recieve them and throw them away until I feel in my heart it is time to give to this ministry again. But I think of what this must cost of in funds that could just be for ministry and not fund raising...I think my good friends additional remark was and "then they maybe spend half of what I have given them wanting more funds"...I understand I have had the same feelings...I have arrived at kind of a blind love for the ministry in just overlooking it and saying hey it must work for some people so let it go and read he reports and then not feel bad about not giving on the request until such time God moves me to do so not because some guy wants to match my funds...Let him give all he wants and I will also give what God lies on my heart...

So that is my crude words of sort, no hurt intended, but they finally got said and now we will run a nice lightly oiled patch threw the bore and be ready for another story tomorrow....

Alliance Defense Fund***** Worth a pat on the back

Today post is not a fun one for me, and posting a picture that is not becoming of the beautiful lady I was blessed with for 29 years also hard to do. But I want to use it to make a point, about GOD, and Country and Personal salvation through belief in HIS Son Jesus Christ. Those statements may end the visit for a a few here, but for the most of my good friends it will not, and recently I recieved yet another Notification from the Alliance Defense Fund that over a year after her death money is still being given because she asked people to do so in leiu of flowers in her obituary and at her funeral. The latest being Marine Boot Camp buddy Don DeWitt and his sweet wife Beverly.

The significance of her picture and why I needed to post it shows her on the phone calling her 4 favorite Christian Ministries, just 18 days before her death. She told each of them of her plans to have an evening service that people could attend and not be working, and about 400 did. She told them her pastor had assured her that her service would be one of joy for her and a good salvation message, and he assured her he would also throw in some humor now and then like he is so good at as Linda said "to make them laugh". And last but not least she told them each to send out 100 copies of their best literature about their ministry to be displayed and picked up at her funeral and that she would ask that they donate to her four favorite ministries in leiu of floweres that would just shrival and die. She said this way God would be pleased and much better served.

It is all almost a blur for me now but I do remember UPS trucks frequenting our drive way just the week before her passing. They each left a big box that I did not open as I knew what it was and just was not ready for it yet but I did assure her when each one came that what she had asked for had arrived. I think the last came just a couple days before she may have not understood but probably she did, she was now ready for her final act of dieing well....The good pastor came at 6 on April 12th, the family gathered around for prayer and before the Pastor had cleared the drive way she took her leave.......

But we as Christians know she instantly went to be with the Lord that day. I like the thought that business must have picked up in heaven of late, and he just needed a pleasent lady that could flash a cute dippled smile as a greeter and I think she is on that job today happier than anytime ever in her life here. That is our hope that the scriptures are GOD inspired and that as stated, by true belief we also will one day share in God's plan.

OK one of those ministries to me has kind of risen to the top of the heap and deserves a "pat on the back" and that is what this post is really about, but I wanted to lay the ground work as painful as it was, to bring you to follow the path of one of "Linda's favorite minitries" to now one of My favorite and appreciated ministries. For the last 30 years at least the ACLU has caused a lot of havok for our land. They have been unchallenged and have intimidated many a city, county and states goverenments, to passing laws grating special treatments to some, at the expense of others. Since unchallenged they won a lot of court cases that they should have not won...Everyone was intimidated by lawyers who wanted God out of everything not for just themselves but for everyone.. Below is the first ammendment to our constitution.

Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791. Note

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

A few years back a few strong Christian leaders realized we needed a new sheriff in town, that the towns had been kind of taken over by bullies, and people were frightened and intimidated. Thus was born the Ministry of which Linda knew was happening and followed it to the point of her death. She shared it with me I did not share the keen interest she had in it, I have to be honest but I do today. For Alliance Defense Fund, this nation needs to be thankful and appreciative, as they have taken back the towns for the most part, they are currently in the process of taking back the campuses across our land. They have given courage to many and offer support when ever Christian ideas that the first amendment does guarantee (or prohibiting the free exercise there of) to us all...we kind of lost track of all of that when this ACLU the last few years were on the rampage of intimidation, of anything with God connected to it, or promoting and making special certain life styles. Well the pendulum swang a little too far and good men and women everywhere said "enough is enough". ADF has actually won hundreds of cases dealing with religious freedom, the sanctity of human life, and marriage and the family since we started in 1994. (In fact they win well over 75% of every case they litigate to a conclusion, including 34 wins at the U.S. Supreme Court.) Recently ADF has an undefeated streak specifically with cases that are on the public university campuses, that continued with our latest win last month (the 40-0 that I mentioned).

They have given city and county and state government new hope that the peoples representatives will set policy for the people, and not a group of ACLU lawyers. God bless them in their work, I will support them at least for a few years and I hope that you will consider also supporting such a cause as we have not seen for a long long time. Type in the name into a Google Search on your computer and you will see an array of heading describing the good work they do below I will list their address also

Alliance Defense Fund - Defending Our First Liberty The Alliance Defense Fund is a legal alliance defending the right to hear and speak the Truth, through strategy, training, funding, and litigation.
www.alliancedefensefund.org

here is site http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/main/default.aspx that will take you to their home page where you can look them over sign up for email updates etc.

Also will give you below an address and a gentleman who would be glad to accept any donations you have in Linda's honor if so led...Of all the four minisitries they have been by far the most grateful even featuring Linda in the monthly news letter last August with her picture telling how results of her efforts keep coming to them.
Maybe a couple more will come also...


Kyle Hawkins
Constituent Relations Manager
(800) 835-5233 x 8127
(480) 388-8127
(480) 444-0025 (fax)
khawkins@telladf.org
www.telladf.org

ALLIANCE DEFENSE FUND Attn Kyle Hawkins
15100 N. 90th Street
Scottsdale, Ariz. 85260

While not necessary as her presence in heaven is assured but you can tell them Linda sent you if you like....

One more point related to the good work of the ADF, is the empowerment that our state legislator have had the last few years. A boldness that resulted in the issuing of this beautiful current 08 License plate. And the ACLU did recently challenge this plate in court and were sent packing by a judge that told them that the legislators elected by the people did not violate any law in offering this plate to those that wanted it.... And a different plate to those who did not...

So all in all good things are happening and this ADF has to be credited with the battles they have waged to defend our First Amendment right...they are warriors worthy of your support....
Jack

Comming tomorrow I will offer some advice to ADF and all the Christian Ministries that I know of about good steward ship of our funds and our time...

One final thought on The Alliance Defense Fund......

When you bring a new Sheriff into town and he cleans up crime and keeps it out it is worth something, you should all know that....It takes a lot of money to hire even part time attorneys stand up for the rights of the First Amendment...That is why I know it is important, you stop paying a Sheriff and he gets another job guess who comes back to town....think about it...JL