Earlier this year I received a comment from a reader named Jerry. He stated that if my dream of being able to travel more ever happened I should write about it. Well, here goes. After years of hearing how many people love the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois, my Read more…
Wow did the weather change! After a month or so with little to no wind at all fall, came blowing in with a vengeance. After writing two weeks ago about the ever-constant threat of combine fires, I was literally on edge each day with low humidity and strong winds. A Read more…
Have you ever put a decimal point in the wrong place? In the movie Office Space, the employees hatch a plan to steal from their employers by installing software that will funnel all the minute fractions of a dollar of each transaction into their own account. The plot goes astray Read more…
How much is one coyote worth? Forty years ago when I trapped a few coyotes each winter they were worth about $15-$30 each. I am not sure if they have value now even with today’s inflation, but I know at least one is costing me money. My chicken coop has Read more…
Does everyone know who Warren Buffet is? How about Howard Buffet, his son? I have contemplated many different ways to take this weeks article while I sprayed my corn with herbicides. Where will my overactive mind take us? Howard Graham Buffet, Warren Buffet’s son, farms in Illinois. He wrote the Read more…
He was an amazing man, and he had an amazing life and wife. Last week this paper ran the obituary of Robert George “Bob” Fitzer. It was an honor to have known him. Bob passed many stories of his life as a farmer on to me in the 30 plus Read more…
I have had an underlying dilemma that has come full circle. Horses may possibly be the dominant livestock in Will County. For those who have never taken care of a horse there is one issue that can be overwhelming, manure. Horses cannot be potty trained; the manure never ends. Here Read more…
I am hopeful that by the time this article is in your hands farmers like myself will be busy in the fields. As April ends, most farmers want to be busy planting and performing many other tasks in the field and not be “outstanding” in the field looking for Mother Read more…
Imagine John Kiefner as a special agent licensed to kill. What would my agent name be? Would the members of Spectre: Dr. No, Blofeld or Jaws and Goldfinger be in danger? Would I have to drink vodka martinis? That is enough fantasy for now; I am going to finish this Read more…
Do you celebrate April Fool’s Day? Do you ever wonder if you are a fool? I suspect I have been a fool many times. But, I must clearly state, I will always have fond thoughts of that day coveted by jokesters, April 1. I am not an environmental activist. However, Read more…