The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.


The Wisdom of Barnyard Bruke: "More Drought, Other Problems, Help'n a Feller in Need"

Greetings to everyone in Western Illinois and surrounding areas,

I'm a hope'n everone is a make'n the best of these warmer days and long dry spells.

Fair season came and went, up north in Henderson County, and it brought nary a drop of rain fer our area. Well, maybe that's a misstatement fer I'm a think'n a neighbor said he counted a drop or two on one of those days.

Another neighbor said he saw a drop of rain a head'n down toward earth above the cornfield near his house, but a sparrow flew up respondantly and fetched it before it could touch ground.

There are stories go'n round about fields of corn with no ears on "em. Other folk has brought in ears with only five or six kernels on the cob. The rest of the kernels pollinated and then dropped dead!

Beans in some fields is shuck'n off the blossoms and abort'n those what has got an early start. We needs us a good rain and less extreme heat. Those depend'n on pasture and hay are find'n things a comen up short as well.

Some folk now sez "Those "fools' that planted early in late March and the first week of April is a look'n like Brain Child Prophets. Their crop is a hold'n up a bit better fer now." Today's lesson could be next year's mistakes.

Some fields of corn is a start'n to shut down fer early maturity, a robb'n and cannibalizen from stalk and leaf, sacrificen itself to make some kind of seed fer reproduction. That's why youn's can abnormally see ten rows or more into the corn field, from the road.

Soybeans, on the other hand, have the ability somewhat ta put themselves on hold a wait'n for a drink. But, they can hold on only fer so long before they also begins to give up. Those heavy "dews" we had several mornin's are life savers or should I say "plant savers" as well.

A lot of chatter these days centers around the size of crop, if any at all fer some folk. A big question however, is will this drought bring on micro toxins, such as aflotoxin, and to what degree?

Ya might have corn to sell but if'n it is full of aflotoxin or some other micro toxin ya might discover it hard ta find a buyer ta take it. If'n a buyer can be found ya might gets ye a heavy discount.

Fer those with "on the farm storage" ya might think the corn crop is O.K. when ya puts it away fer storage but micro toxins multiply in the bin. After wait'n fer a spell fer a better price ya could find yerself with a bin full of unsellable corn. Anyways, give these thoughts some consideration as we move closer to fall harvest. Central Illinois claims they will start fall corn harvest this year the first weel of August!

Speak'n of fall harvest, I hear tell up north, Jim Purlee and Les Allen is a plan'n a neighborhood fall work frolic fer Steve Giertz, the feller that had that bad accident this summer. I'm not sure how to reach any one of them fellers, but me thinks Les Allen works in a Monmouth bank and Jim Purlee farms up north there somewheres.

I'm a think'n Gary Sanberg, at the Biggsville Bank or Chuck Vaughn, at the Stronghurst Bank or Art Kane, at the Raritan Bank would know how to reach em, if'n ya would like ta offer a help'n hand fer a feller in need.

Me and the neighborhood boys will try'n search it out and report our find'ns as we draw closer ta the event. We is talk'n strong of a gather'n together as a team and head'n up north ta fetch a "Good" man some help.

I'm extend'n a big thank you to the nice elderly feller up north around Biggsville area who responded to a recent column by send'n some real good information on how legislatures voted to relieve ever one of some of their hard earned money, to support pensions.

I'll report on his information in a later column. I always appreciate all the information I can get to help keep the facts straight in our neighborhood "jaw'n" sessions.

Speak'n of help'n out neighbors what has fallen on tough luck, I got some thoughts I wants to share with you'ns about bein "Too Busy To Be Friend."

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space betwixt each name.

Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.

It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.

That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long the entire class was smiling. "Really?' she heard whispered. " I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!' and "I didn't know others liked me so much,' were most of the comments. No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.

The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by his coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.

As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her.

"Were you Mark's math teacher?' he asked. She nodded, "yes.' Then he said, " Mark talked about you a lot."

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon.. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak to his teacher.

"We want to show you something", his father said taking a wallet out of his pocket.

"They had found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded, and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.

"Thank You so much for doing that" Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."

All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my dresser at home."

Chucks wife said, " Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album."

"I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary."

Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. " I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: " I think we all saved our lists."

That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.

The density of people in society is so thick that we tends to forget that life will end one day. And no one knows when that one day will be.

So please, tell the people ya love and cares fer, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it becomes too late. Remember, ya reaps what ya sows. What ya puts inta the lives of others comes back into your own!

Let's keep that Giertz feller and his family in our prayers and plan on offer'n a help'n hand. It might be a fair piece of travel to get there, but distance should be no obstacle fer help'n a man in need. You are never too young, or too old, too busy, or of the wrong occupation, or the wrong sex fer this type of thing!

Spread the good cheer this come'n week and hope ta see you-ns in church come Sunday morn'n.

Keep on Smilen

Catch ya Later

Barnyard Bruke