The University set Friday June 30 as our July 1st holiday, so we are working today, and I think most of Emo is closed. So, it might be a quiet day for us without any visitors. After three days off there is always a big list of things to catch up on. It is amazing how much things change in three days. Our spring grain variety trials are fully headed out. This is roughly a week earlier than “normal.” The moisture has really made our forage trials pop back up and we think they will be looking very nice for our Open House that is booked for August 2. Thursday afternoon our new to us combine showed up! It was exciting and nerve wracking. The nerve-wracking part was when the delivery was made the trailer went off the end of our culvert and we thought our new combine was going to end up being flat out in the ditch! The driver shrugged it off as if it wasn’t a big deal. It was unloaded safely and now we need to re-organize our shop as we are running out of storage room! I sure hope I am smart enough to learn to drive it – there is a ton of buttons and handles. It has a buddy seat for grain samples. I think it is quite amazing on what it can do. Stay tuned! I will be excited to share as I learn. Watch for it if you are driving by – we might have it parked outside while we are moving and organizing the other equipment.

Three days at home is a dream for me. I was able to tackle many jobs and because the weather cooperated, I baled some nice hay. I felt like I had a very successful weekend. I painted, did a few DIY projects that I didn’t know I would have time to do. One of the most exciting things that happened was we had a duck hatch! I was giving up on them again and was ready to complain to the incubator manufacturer, but one popped out on Canada Day! Though I don’t know the gender, I am calling her a she and I have proudly named her Canada. I was sure hoping she wouldn’t be an only child but so far that is the case. If nothing happens with the other eggs I am certainly going to be on the hunt for a partner. Lexi wants to be by her side all the time, but I am pretty sure that the duck will have the same feeling towards Lexi as Black Bettie. We really did think it looked like there were a few more eggs that were going to hatch but nothing has happened.

Last Thursday a group of friends gathered at my place to celebrate Susan Irvine’s 65th birthday! Many times, we are too busy in the hay field to celebrate her day, but Mother Nature allowed it to happen this year. We had a great time catching up, laughing, and sharing good food and drinks. It is a neat friend group that varies in ages, but we all have a good time together!
I hope everyone enjoyed their Canada Day! I love Canada and enjoy everything red ‘n white! Even my cows are red and white. The delivery driver of the combine didn’t know what Canada Day was until I explained it is like their July 4th! We are neighbours you would think he would know better. Right?