Passing of a dear loved one.

My grandpa, Delmar Smith

Things have been overly busy the last couple of months around here.  About a three weeks ago my grandfather on my mothers side was taken into the hospital for a hernia repair.  He has been battling COPD, mainly emphysema, for almost a decade now.  So when he went into the hospital we were concerned but he pulled through the surgery good and was able to move to a step down unit right down the road from his house last week.  Due to the hectic schedule at work and trying to keep up with everything at home I was only able to get to see him once at the hospital.  I was off on Friday sick and had one of my kids at home as well.  Because we were not feeling well we wanted to wait till Saturday to take the kids to see him at the nursing home and spend a few hours with him.  Mom and Grandma spent the day with him and said he was doing very well and we were excited to go spend time with him.  

Fate however has a way of changes even the grandest of plans.  Grandpa came down with severe pneumonia Friday night and was gone by Saturday afternoon.  My grand parents have been together for 60+ years and this is really gonna be a rough one to get through.  Most of us are hanging in there and we are all gonna need to help grandma get adjusted and keep her going.  

I have been running non stop at home to get all the misc. items buttoned up before the funeral today.  I wanted everything done so I can spend the day with my entire family without having to think about what all needs done.  I buttoned up the last of them yesterday morning.

Since most of the things I had started last week and had to finish before today involved a lot of tractor work I have had some time to think about where I have been, where I am at now, and where I am headed.  I have always been raised to work.   I do not know any other way.  Both my grandfathers were born on a farm.  My dad's father stayed on the farm and taught me a lot till he passed in '94.  My mom's father moved off the farm as a teenager and got married and worked at the wax paper factory for quite a while and then took a job as a repairman for sears.  He worked there till he retired when I was in high school.  

My family has instilled a very strong work ethic in all of us children.  After spending time thinking back to my childhood however, I believe I missed another very important thing they tried to teach me.  This was you need to spend time with family.  Once that time is past it can never be gotten back so get it when you can.  Some of this time comes from working with family, but a lot of it comes from taking a break from work to spend down time with family.  In the years following my graduation from college I have been working almost non stop to get ahead and provide for my family.  Now I am assessing how to balance this work with family time.  I think the reason I am drawn to the farm life is because even when I am working here I am still with family.  When I am at work I am with strangers longing to be home.  I missed several opportunities to spend time with the last three family members I lost.

Smith Family Christmas, approx 1986/87 ish.

I spent Sunday night at grandma's house going through old photos, telling stories, and learning all the things they did and places they went before I was old enough to remember.  These photos also brought back a lot of memories of my childhood and all the great times we had together.  Above is a picture of the last Christmas we had as a smith family.  On the couch from left (youngest) to right (oldest) is my Uncle Harold, My grandfather Delmar, and my Uncle Duane.

We are headed to the funeral home to say goodbye one last time here in a little bit.  We had a toast with grandma last night to grandpa with his favorite wine.  I plan on having another today after I get home by my self with his favorite whiskey.  


Even in the hardest of times there are little things that remind you life goes on and there is always a chance to make a change and start over again.  While you may not be able to change the past you are in full control of your future.  Nothing is ever permanent!  The good times and the bad are only temporary. 

On Sunday afternoon before we headed to grandma's house I went out to check the animals.  I found our heifer Prairie Fire had her first calf.  A beautiful little girl.  This brightened our day a lot and was perfect timing. 

Prairie Fire with her first calf

 Here is my daughter checking her out just after I tagged her and treated her for flies.

Prairie Fires daughter

 Yesterday my kids were home with me till calling hours.  Around lunch we headed out to check the cows because I had a gut feeling I should.  We found one of our new cattle that we purchased in the fall with a little baby boy chilling in the trees.

One of our Momma Cows, Maine

 Here is little man.  He was covered in flies so I treated him for flies and tagged him.  As I start getting more cattle I have a hard time keeping straight who is who since they all look almost the same as calves.  So this year I am trying to tag as soon as possible to avoid that!

(Maine Anjou) x (Charolais x Angus) cross bull calf.

 We were up pretty late last night and when we got home from grandma's we all went straight to bed.  When I awoke this morning I made the coffee and headed out to check the pigs because we have been waiting on Berky to have her piglets.  Daisy pig had hers on Saturday and only had one piglet.  So I have been worried we were going to have another horrible round and I would be short pigs for all the orders I have. 

As I stepped in the barn I immediately noticed Berky was missing.  I thought maybe she was out looking for a snack and stepped out the barn door into the pasture and saw her laying in the weeds under the nut tree.  She made a nest outside in a perfectly shaded place and gave birth to Eleven awesome piglets!!!!  All are healthy and happily eating like crazy!

Berky with her Tamworth x Berkshire cross piglets

 Here is a pic showing the tree.  This is looking toward the west.  By lunch she will be perfectly shaded for the rest of the day.  I can't wait for the tree to get bigger so they can all lay under it.  I was very happy to find that all the bad things I have heard in the past as reasons to pen pigs up for birthing were dispelled today.  The other sows did not bother her at all during labor.  She did not lose any being outside due to not having a pen.  They actually look like they are doing better outside than they did when born in the barn.

Berky feeding her piglets outside where they were born!

My third cutting was another thing that brightened my day.  Last year I had horrible year for hay due to the drought.  This year I should have an awesome year and should hopefully make up for the bad year last year!

Mowing third cutting

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, time to get ready for our final farewell to Grandpa Smith.  I leave you all with this.  Spend all the time you can with your loved ones.  Someday they will not be there and you cannot go back in time and get that time back!  I am fortunate that the time I missed was minimal and I can change my future to not miss it the next time it presents itself!

Kenny