It was county fair time, and we made a quick trip to see one of Bev's daughters, Carol. Her husband Greg had been asked to restore the kiddies train for the fair, so we got to see the results of his labors.
We also spent some time out at the farm, where nephew Bill showed John the inside of his new
equipment "shed". Bill farms nine sections, which amounts to 5760 acres in wheat, corn, and cattle feed, plus cattle. He bought the land from Bev and Cy and has raised his own two boys here.
The equipment is impressive.
Bill's wife Stephanie had visitors , a man from Belgium who had been an exchange student here over 40 years ago . He had very fond memories and wanted his family to see the country. I can't imagine the culture shock of seeing this country, coming from Belgium!
The boys did what all boys do when they get here - spend all their time on the four wheelers! This was always the highlight of my son's visits!
Stephanie, Bill, their son Allan, Bev and John. Another son Will was out on the tractor.
The loss of crops is unbelievable. The corn crop was declared a complete loss. The wheat was the same. They have sold off cattle, as has my other niece Kathi and her husband who are cattle ranchers.
Kathi and Brendan take their cattle to South Dakota to graze on rangeland during the summer. It's a massive undertaking, witih 2500 head of cattle. They will also need to cull their herd this summer because of the drought.
Equipment sits idle as they watch everything wither. They seem to take these dry years in stride - but it is heartbreaking to see and I don't know how they do it.
The clouds above look promising, but the dusty road tells the real story.
Even though we were there a short time, we watched the sky with anticipation and hope. Nothing came of it, as with so many similar days while we were there.
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