May flowers bring spring showers

Well, this week has been exciting! Almost as exciting as graduating boot camp and finally getting off Parris Island. But it comes in a very close second. As I lightly alluded to last week, I was invited to join Bill Zortman on his radio show. Hold the phone and let me tell you.

I’ve never been in a radio station, much less in close proximity to those fancy microphones. Cool would be quite the understatement. With being a journalism major back in the day, you’d think I’d might have had some experience with that but I guess the profs didn’t want to lose people to the dark side of the more ‘glorious’ aspect of news reporting. If you ever get a chance to work with Bill or join him on his show, jump on that like you have ninja skills with NBA star reflexes.

He was the perfect host and so charming to talk with that I almost forgot I was on live air (not quite though). I most certainly did forget that I had been a little nervous and hoping that I wouldn’t forget a word and need a thesaurus. During my little segment with Bill, we talked about planting – both here and in Canuckland, as well as the different crops we plant there. We touched upon my blog (this one!) and I was able to give a little shout out where to find it. This led into how I became the hyphenated farmer’s wife. 

Quick recap, found my now humorous hubby on ChristianMingle.com which culminated in marriage (obviously) and me moving to Canuckland and the joys of that experience. (Those joys may be found in previous posts in 2016.) Also, I come back to the home of my heart’s memories, SoDak, and farm with my dad; splitting my time between two farms, families and countries. I’ll never be bored with this life.

Bill Zortman (left), David Kolsrud (back right) and me. Photo credit: Lisa Meinders

Thank you, Bill Zortman, for the opportunity to join you on your show last Wednesday. You can find him on 1320 AM or 107.9 FM KELO Newstalk in SoDak on  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 9am - 11am hosting the It’s Your Business show. Or you can find his blog at http://kelo.com/blogs/its-your-business-with-bill-zortman/

I'd had the chance to make the acquaintance of one David Kolsrud with tru Shrimp. He was there on Bill's show as well speaking about the developing shrimp business in Minnesota. It sounds like a unique diversifying opportunity for the agricultural community as the shrimp are fed soybean meal. Keep your eyes peeled and ears bat-like tuned as this idea possibly becomes realized as legislature discusses it.

Planting is roaring to a close like a train into the station. The sun and wind have finally made it possible to get those wet spots along creeks and sloughs finished without the sinking feeling of your planter bogging down in the muck. My farm pup is showing signs of boredom now that first rush of the season is slowing. Maybe I could teach him out to clean out seed boxes? Hmm. Well, it was a thought.

It’s not every day this happens. We can definitely check off ‘well made’ on its list of qualities. You know how it goes. You go back for a routine check of the planter and you notice that a bolt is missing or about to drop its pack and let go of this life. So you get the tools you need and turns out you need a little water to get some mud off that’s covering a key sensor (the kind that either lets you plant or not). What do you do? You grab your water bottle, of course, because anything in farming is fair game even if it means you’ll be a little dehydrated so planting can continue.

A double check and triple check are performed to make sure all the tools made it back into the tractor because, really, no one likes walking a section of field to find their favorite wrench or screwdriver. You have to have your eagle eyes on for that joyful walk, usually filled with muttering and thoughts of how to tie your tools to yourself. Meanwhile, Mr. Water bottle has been forgotten. 

He was discovered missing when you reach for a drink of water and the dreadful realization hits, ‘I left it on the planter.’ He still holds water amazingly enough but his capacity seems to have flattened out a bit.

The one downside to spring and the fun of planting is the lawn mowing. I know you thought I had the saying wrong when I titled this “May showers bring spring flowers” but this May really has brought the spring flowers and the mowing. The flowers this spring have popped and flourished in comparison to last year.

Of course, that means the lawn is growing when you’re not looking. It seems to go from golf course green-like to wild and wooly, no-one-lives-here kind of thing. Uff da.

May your spring be warm, the grass short and non-flattened water bottles be near you.