This spring’s weather is playing havoc with the field work, and spring storms have caused some damage to our house and barn. As well, some of our daughter’s softball games had to be postponed. When the girls are able to play, the games are stacked on top of each other with doubleheaders on consecutive nights, just to get the season in.
We got our oats planted and, in between working the rest of the fields up for corn, my husband has been able to tackle spreading manure on our fields. The necessity to pile the manure resulted from the volume of snow we got this winter. When it became impossible to spread, it was dumped in one spot. That results in extra work in the spring.
We, just as all farmers, have been putting in long hours. I pack our lunches, each of us hop up in a tractor cab and we go from field to field. The first time out on the tractor I realized with a start that I missed this. I missed being outside, driving tractor, seeing the rich, fertile soil as it’s being turned and worked up. It is humbling and invigorating and leaves me with a deep sense of satisfaction. (Until my back starts aching!)
The first real storm of the season brought with it damaging lightning and deep cracks of thunder. Watching it from the safety of my living room, I saw the lightning brighten the sky, its bolt seemingly stretching from heaven to earth. That kind of lightning always precedes a growling boom. Tense, I waited for the peal of thunder, and I wasn’t disappointed. The storm resulted in damage to our house and barn.
Later, we discovered our TV in the living room was hit. Along with our satellite box, the eye on our satellite dish and a connecting cable for our satellite box were damaged as well. Outside, our yard light by our heifer barn got knocked out, as well as blown fuses on the silo unloader switch.
As my husband was milking that night, he noticed a light was out down toward the back of the barn by the calf pens. Because of all the hullabaloo that morning, he suspected this was related. Reaching up to adjust the long florescent-tube light, he heard it sizzle. He immediately smelled something burning and then saw smoke.
Quickly he unplugged the unit, but by that time the cows were already on edge, intuitively sensing something was wrong. The ones closest to the damaged light showed signs of alarm, their noses up in the air sniffing, ears forward, prancing in their stalls. I cannot imagine the sheer magnitude of their terror should ever the barn catch on fire. It must be simply horrific.
The wet weather has caused havoc on the outdoor spring sports and numerous doubleheader ballgames are scheduled to get everything in. High school boys baseball and girls softball games are played on the same days simultaneously and many times the boys are playing relatively close to the girls.
One late afternoon as I sat watching my daughter’s game, I heard a “heads up!” from the adjacent baseball diamond, located behind and to the left of the softball diamond. In slow motion, I noticed the hardball arch way up, up, up and then come down in rapid descent. Really, is there a word in the English language that describes the sound one would hear as a baseball connects with a person’s lower back? It was a “scrooch” not “thwock,” like you’d expect it to sound as it hit wood!
You might be guessing I got hit. You’d be right. As it connected, my eyes immediately filled with tears, the unexpected pain stingingly sharp and pinpointed. The ladies around me (all moms) went into help mode. One wanted to rub my back. Another one stood up, came toward me, leaning in, palms up in a gesture of help. All in one breath she asked, “Are you OK? Do you need ice? Are you OK? You sure?” I actually thought she was a nurse or an EMT, because she seemed so focused and concerned. Later I found out no, she was none of these. She was simply and profoundly a mom, helping out someone in distress.
That night, my lower back sported a lovely, perfectly round, baseball-imprinted black and blue bruise, lasting for a good little while. Sitting in the skidster irritated it for a time; I think it was the shape of the seat that caused it. Whenever it hurt, it reminded me that maybe next time I should move out of the way. (Duh. Ya think?)
Wet weather, thunder and lightning storms and smashed together ballgames complete with errant baseballs, are all a part of this year’s spring weather havoc.
(“When He established the force of the wind and measured out the waters, when He made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm, then He looked at wisdom and appraised it; He confirmed it and tested it. And He said to man, ‘The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.’” Job 28:25-28)
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