Thursday, May 29, 2008

The Week That Was

We had the Memorial services for two of my aunts this past Saturday. They were the last of many aunts and uncles. They had passed on over the winter and the memorial services were postponed until Memorial weekend and thus better weather.
We saw relation from all over the country because of those two services and also because of the local alumni association always holds their alumni banquet on the Saturday preceding Memorial Day.
So, we had family in from OK, NM, MD, just to name a few and several from Nebraska. The farm looked like a used car lot on Friday night.
Saturday night Marilyn and I attended the 40 year reunion of the class of 1968. There sure were a lot of old folks there.
I knew a lot of them amazingly well considering they are all a lot older than I. They've become senile, evidence the fact that some in that class thought I was old enough to have actually graduated with that class.
By the way, can we all agree to drop the question, "You don't remember me do you?" from our vocabulary?
If you'll do that I'll agree to stop saying, "Yeah, you're the girl who wouldn't talk to me in algebra class."
Just kidding here. I can't think of anyone who wasn't friendly to me in High School. Remember, a girl who is friendly and one who will actually agree to going out on a date are two different things.
Since we last talked we've had a lot of rain. I think. Every time it rained I would only get .40" It rained all night Thursday night and all of my neighbors got around 2.5" and I got .40" again. Being the CSI type, I brought the gauge in and filled it to the top of it's 6" capacity and leaned it in an upright position in the sink. When I came in at noon I once again had .40" I learned the gauge leaks AND I now know approximately how far up from the bottom the leak is.
I also have an electronic gauge that I can read from inside of the house. It recored zero. I'm thinking the national weather service won't be calling me for information.
The storm on Thursday night took down some spans of the big transmission electrical line west of me and several irrigation sprinklers in the area were upset. A few outbuildings on area farms were also destroyed.
The most damage we have sustained have been wind damage to my pickup, an upset grain auger, and we have water sitting in many fields.
I recently purchased a new lawnmower with a 72" deck and almost have the first set of blades worn out trying to keep up with a lawn that seems to get several inches of rain per week.
Later, I need to go mow.

23 comments:

Unknown said...

We bought a mower last week and the neighbor still came and took a swipe at the side yard yesterday. There go my morning plans. Oh Darn.

Cliff said...

Yeah, such bad news.

Rachel said...

Cliff, glad to hear that none of those tornados came through your farm. I was worried about you after watching the Weather Channel on Thursday night. So much so that I got out the atlas to see exactly where you were in relation to the storms.

I'm glad you got a new rain gauge. We need a new one too. When ours had a leak my husband put glue on the bottom to seal it up. That's been several years ago and I really hated to change it. I think I'll leave it but get a new one for another location.

It's amazing how old those people we went to school have gotten and we stay the same!!

So sorry about your aunts but glad you got to see so many family members.

Unknown said...

Hi Cliff,

I have an electronic rain gauge also. It had been reading real low for a couple of months, so I had to bring it in and unclog everything. Seems to read OK now.

I missed my 40th year reunion several years ago. Oh well.

I now have you on RSS feed, so I know when you post.

Anonymous said...

The nice thing about a cracked rain guage is that when you don't need rain you can always tell your neighbors that you didn't get nearly as much as they did. Our electronic guage wasn't registering either so I brought it in, took it apart and found dirt, spider webs and the spider. It now works but Blue had to fumigate the house in case any more spiders escaped.
BTW I made your favorite raisin bars to take to the Democratic convention tomorrow. Want to come?
Mrs. Blue

Ralph said...

Cliff
I am still waiting for your answer to Mrs. Blue about the raisin bars.
Ralph

Paul Nichols said...

Arizona is calling me for our HS's reunion. Always in October on D-Day. Our HS doesn't have homecoming. We only have D-Day.

Was wondering what you think about when you're out riding that 72" lawnmower.

Jerry in Texas said...

A 72" deck mower. I bet that makes those lazy farm cats scramble for higher ground!

I just had a classmate inquire whether we are having our 30th reunion. I got stuck planning the 25th five years ago. I told him he was the first to inquire, and their wasn't any prize for that. I think it's someone else's turn to host.

Cliff said...

Mrs Blue,
I'll bet I know who will be eating most of those bars.
And they're not related to you.

NO, I won't be at the Democratic convention.
Not even those bars could make me do that. :)

EV said...

The reunion sounds fun! Glad that wind damage wasn't any worse. Say, since it's electronic, can't you just turn the rain gauge up?

Janell said...

I was wondering about you when I heard warnings and such for the Tekamah area. We had 3.3 inches that night.

I hated going to my class reunions. People kept saying, "You haven't changed a bit." Of course, I had grey hairs and middle-aged spread by the time I was 18, so I didn't take that as a compliment!

Ramblings of a Villas Girl said...

Hi Cliff! Sorry about your Aunts. Funerals for me are like reunions.

I'm glad that no was hurt in the storms. Must have been pretty scary if the winds were strong enough to upset a grain auger. Just watching the news and they said that there was a report of a funnel cloud in Cape May yesterday. Well then. That is to close for comfort.

A lawnmower with a 72" deck? I could have my lawn mowed in record time with that. that would be great in the heat of the summer.

Well time to go. Have a good Sunday. Lisa

LZ Blogger said...

Cliff ~ I hope you got all you seed in the ground prior to the rain? Are you thinking of buliding an arc? How big is a cubit anyway? ~ jb///

Miki said...

Hey Cliff, checking in with you on a Sunday am! Glad to hear that the storms didn't carry you and Marilyn away, I was watching for your area on the news! Sorry about the memorial services, it is so hard to say goodbye, even though the services take place afterwards. As for the class reunion, I went a couple of weeks ago to an "icebreaker" as a prelude to a 25th reunion, and I am thinking that I certainly am not as old as most of those folks. My husband never ever attends these things with me, he didn't have fond memories of H.S. so, I go with a group of my friends, those whom I have remained close with over the years, those whom are the best group of folks that I could ask for in my life. It is amazing, we see each other a lot, and get together a lot, so we all asked the question: What are we dong hanging out here, when we could do this anytime we want????? But it was neat to see some people and how they have changed or not changed. Glad you had a nice time.

Paul Nichols said...

Cliff,
I had orange cones all over my Internet yesterday. Sheesh!!! I don't know what was going on, but somebody has finally fixed something. The cones have been picked up and things are zipping along nicely now.

I liked your dad's saying about the mattress going upstairs. I have been there and done that, lemme tell you. Good one. Thanks.

PinkCat said...

Missed you Cliff. I guess I have lots of catching up to do.

xx

Lucy Stern said...

Cliff, sorry about your aunts....I'm glad that you got to see a lot of your family at their services...

The question is: Is the corn coming up? The rain hasn't drown the corn, has it? Yes, I think a new rain gauge is in order.....lol.

I'm happy that your house was not damaged in the rain storm....It sounds like it was a real "hum dinger".

Jim said...

Well, Cliff, I turn my back for a weekend and you almost do yourself in. It seems the weather is what you need to work on.
When we get up there I will put a little of Adi's chewing gum over the hole in the rain gauge. Then it will work better than the electronic one.
..
BTW, most electronic devices need fresh batteries everynow and then. Check the box to see if batteries were even included.
..

Jim said...

I'm sorry, I meant to tell you that we are sorry about your aunts passing away. They could have been ladies I knew?

It seems most funerals turn out to be family reunions. We had four last year, an aunt, a mother, a father, and an adopted mother.
For Christians those funerals can be a celebration of life and death.
For non-Christians sake, I hope there was a meaningful sermon about how to have eternal life with God.
..

Jamie Dawn said...

I'm sure family members enjoyed seeing each other even though the reason for the gathering was memorial services for your aunts.

Were you THAT far behind in school that those you attended with were SO much older than you??
Don't tell me it took you six times to pass fifth grade!

We seem to get a storm with rain about once or twice a week. I like it.

Shannon said...

At least you know that it was the rain gauge and not just less rain, lol. Last year by the time our corn was spiked up like pineapple plants from no rain and everything green was dead. We also have been mowing quite allot around here. Sometimes twice a week, and the pastures just got bush hogged. STILL making hay, planting beans, and the wheat is almost ready.

Peter said...

We are getting that same sort of rain in Queensland Cliff, while here in SA its threatening to rain but not happening yet.
I'm going to get home to a lawn like yours eventually, Vicki is improving enough for me to at least think about leaving.

nora leona said...

I have a rain gauge in my backyard. Once a farm girl, always a farm girl.
I hope you dry out soon. Still soggy in Indiana and more thunderstorms predicted for tonight.