It's Ground Hog Day!

The infamous ground hog or wood chuck; how much wood could a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?

Don't know and don't care to find out! Those varmints about destroyed dad's farm after us kids went on to Ohio State, marriage and our careers. Ever broke a front end of a tractor in a ground hog hole?

Those sorry moments made us laugh at Caddy Shack and Ground Hog Day.

I would like to see Grand Torino as I watched all the Clint Eastwood movies. LuAnn wants to see Marley and Me. Dogs are really "in" right now with the economy and the fast times and so many lonely people or distrusting people. We don't go out to see many movies and never have.

Like the lazy farmer, we had a good Sunday but we never had Chinese! I have some bad stories about Chinese food, LuAnn loves it but it tears me up with all of that monosodium glutamate! I spent a month teaching and touring in China in October 1985 and that was close enough to the real thing for me! I lost 25 pounds in a month but the weight found its way and back and more!

We went to church, got the stoves going and watched the ice melt(not like watching paint drying). LuAnn made her first homemade pizza from scratch, less than $5 and no comparison in taste.

Then we watched the Super Bowl, one of the most exciting in years and laughed at the commercials with thumbs up or thumbs down. Old Bruce though looked like me trying to crawl across that piano! Pretty good Sunday!

Of course we played with Sable. She crate trained immediately and now is in full puppy mode, chewing on everything. She is shy around others but about knocks both of us down she is so happy so more training goes on. She knows several words now, sit, NO!, etc. She is an active young dog and a handful but the relationship is strong already. She won't leave my side when I am outside until I go to the truck. I can't see her being a truck dog but it has only been two weeks now.

Today I started the process of moving accounts to our new bank that is going to finance our farm operation. We were able to knock over 10 years off our mortgage at good terms and can deal with one sound, local bank. Reappraisals are running behind with all the business going on right now.

Now that the inputs are locked in, the process begins of trying to lock in a profitable average price for our commodities. That is a full time job for most farmers if you take it seriously and no one can afford not to. It is key to our business.

Taxes are finished and ready to send, county auditor waiting for first half real estate taxes. Or is it second half of last year? I can never remember though I held an Ohio Realtors license and LuAnn held a New York realtors license. Talk about a comprehensive test! Reminds me of the CCA exam I took in 1994.

LuAnn is studying the bailout bill to put her work at the forefront of opportunities that arise. American's don't want the bailouts as a whole but our elected officials want them.

When she gets home we discuss everything we have been through for the day before, during and after dinner. Then we watch one of the 6:30 news reports, watch some other things of interest or read or check email etc. By nine I am filling the stoves and we are both ready for bed by 10.

That is life for us here on the farm in southwest Ohio.

How about yours?

Ed Winkle