PULLIN' UP THEM BIG GIRL PANTIES

This post isn't about me so don't get your panties in a wad. Also, if I caused you to have bad visions in your head or nightmares with the title...that's your fault. Hey society today doesn't believe in self accountability.

I didn't know how prophetic the image on the right would be when I posted it on Rhonda's Facebook wall yesterday. With the challenges she is going through I thought it would brighten her day and it did. 

We parted ways as usual in the morning but we were excited for a special day. I would pick her up from the Juliaetta Elementary school and proceed to the Quality Inn at Clarkston, Washington for a luncheon to honor area Valedictorians/Salutatorians. It was SUPPOSED to be Dillon's day.

We had a stop to make before the event and that was to look at different landscaping rock. I have this bright idea that I can start and complete a project on the farm before Dillon's graduation party while doing farm work, helping Rhonda, and having a meeting thrown in. I love pressure.

Then Rhonda's phone rang on the way to look a the rock. It was a call from a doctor. The good news is that surgery dates can be set, the bad news is one of them is May 30th which is Dillon's graduation party and the other is July 3rd. As she ended the call (you don't hang up a cell phone) the tears began.

I'm thinking to myself "OK Robert, let her get some of it out and don't screw things up and make it worse." We were almost there and she pulled them puppies up with a look of determination.

I drove through the lot to find the rock piles and we saw what we wanted...fractured rainbow rock. We both loved the colors and thought it would go well in the area we wanted it in. 

Onward and forward to the luncheon.

Rhonda needed to talk. The more she thought about it the farther she leaned towards the 30th. She joked that I would have to place a faux Rhonda in the chair at graduation. I said that would be  easy, I would just get a blowup doll. Great, I got her laughing and the tears were from that instead of sorrow. 

Pulling them up even tighter now.

It was a great event and it was good to see people there that we knew. The four Kendrick kids were sitting together and we hurried to get a table (in the back so I can people watch and take pictures).

Afterwards, we congratulated kids and parents then headed to Home Depot and URM to shop for project supplies and party supplies.Stop for petrol and on to work and home. On the way we made another joke about the blowup doll being a replacement...it stuck. It will be the R n R...Rhonda Replacement.

Rhonda stayed at the school to catch up on work and wait for Logan while Dillon and I received the load of rock. Mission: Finish before Rhonda comes home! Five yard of rock doesn't seem like much but when you are trying to sling it around it's like a never ending gobstopper. Baby scoop to the rescue. I used it to do the major spreading and then it was shovel and rake. Mission accomplished.

I was mowing the windbreak and Dillon was raking grass when Rhonda came home. I finished my pass and drove to meet her by the pump house. 

She definitely had a sparkle in her eye and a smile on her face.It looked awesome and Dillon, Logan and I reveled in her happiness.

Then it was time to pull them panties up a little more.

We broke the news to Dillon and Logan that Rhonda will have surgery on May 30th...the day planned for Dillon's graduation party. We will have to cancel it for that day, but we will have one. Probably on July 4th, multiple celebrations.

Pull them up even higher and tighter...Rhonda will miss Dillon's graduation.

When we put things into perspective, it is more important to have Rhonda around longer than just one party or event...even if that is a big day for her first born. As parents, our focus has always been on our boys with no equivocation. They are the center of our life.

While this does break our hearts we know that God has a plan and it is not always for us to see or understand at times. We are both sure that the understanding will come. For now we need to focus on Rhonda and her being successful.

That was Thursday, May 22nd exactly one month to the day when we learned of the news about Rhonda having cancer. Today we head to Spokane for an MRI to help the doctors make sure that the proposed surgery is what is needed and nothing more.

So grab a cup of coffee, put on them big girl panties and face life with a sparkle in your eye and a smile on your face. There are always people with more and bigger problems out there and we are very fortunate to have caught this early and for the tremendous support Rhonda and our family has received.

Besides, I might just have a replacement sitting next to me at graduation with an amazed look on her face wearing nothing but panties. Probably not, but maybe that's an image you can work up in your mind and have a laugh at today.

BREAST SUPPORTERS

It's amazing how one simple word can change your life and perspective. Cancer is one of those words.

Life just can't stop in mid stream. Since Rhonda was diagnosed with breast cancer in April many things have taken place. All of the seed is in the ground which is a great feeling. Dillon and I traveled back to Hartford, CT for a scholarship interview that he was successful on, and of course Rhonda had more tests.

The mental toll that takes places is indescribable. Not only for Rhonda, but for the whole family. Is there more cancer? What procedure should I do? Lumpectomy or Mastectomy? Am I letting everyone down? What about financial issues? The list goes on and on.

There is good news and hope...BREAST SUPPORTERS! Yeah, this is tongue in cheek but you can either laugh or cry. Rhonda and I are both ones that find sadistic humor in many situations. I've tried to make up words to go with BRA but I haven't had any luck. Maybe - Blair, Rhonda Activists! It just seems a little limp and danglely.

While Hillary Clinton said "It takes a village," we are finding out "IT TAKES A COMMUNITY and/or FAMILY." What we discovered is how large that community/family really is. It is global! The support from friends, co-workers, and even strangers has just been too amazing to describe at times. Overwhelming is a good word.

Back Row L to R: Emily Fredenburg, Jackie Kohler, Vickie Witt, Rose Norris
Middle Row: Heather Anderson, Rob Hoffman, Connie Reid, Dr. Park, Angie Tweit, Dawn Quigley, Suzanne Brammer,
Tracy Cooper, Shannon Heath, Morgan Heier, Chelsea Henson, Denise Silflow
Front Row: Melissa Eichner, Kandy Mccleese, Kim Cirka, Jan Patterson, Angie Cannon, Connie Hedler, Jessica Clemenhagen. Front & Center: Rhonda Blair

My last blog was about "Pink Tractors" which was done right after Rhonda's initial visit with two cancer specialists. We picked up a T-shirt with a pink tractor on it for breast cancer support. After I posted, the comments and support that came in was mind blowing.

Rhonda and I joked the day she wore it to work that there needs to be a special day for that...like Ta Ta Tuesday. Well, it stuck and with her telling that story to the staff at the grade school which led to the main reason for this blog.

Without Rhonda's knowledge they designed and ordered T-shirts. Now I like wearing pink. So does Logan and to some extent Dillon. But Rhonda....loathes the color. Being an athlete she associated pink with things over the top feminine. I get it, it's kind of like Chevy or Ford, you have your favorite.

So last Tuesday May 13th the BREAST SUPPORTERS sprung their surprise on her. Pink T-shirts with black ribbons on the front...and they know she doesn't like pink which makes it funny. The special part was on the back...TEAM RHONDA!

Rhonda called me to tell the story and it brought tears to my eyes. A small community is like a family. Most of the time life goes normal but there are times of arguments, jealousy, etc. Kind of like the petty stuff that takes place with siblings that makes parents go crazy. But like a family, when the chips are down, the wagons are circled, and they stick together. Rhonda's co-workers at the Juliaetta Grade school have been the BEST BREAST SUPPORTERS ever.

Rhonda is a "newbie" in the community. Now that I think about it, it's been over 20 years. However, I grew up here and know many of the staff from years gone past. My sixth grade teacher, Emily Fredenburg is still there. A classmate from the class of 1987, Angie (Hoisington) Cannon is a teacher and was the only one who signed my yearbook when I changed schools. A member from church who had kids a few years younger than me, Vickie Witt works there. Connie (Groseclose) Hedler was a cheerleader when I was in grade school and a mother when I was an AAU basketball coach to her son and my brother. My high school English teacher Suzanne Brammer. Dawn Quigley who's first year teaching second grade was when I was in third. Watching Chelsea Henson, Tracy Cooper and Jessica (Silflow) Clemenhagen grow up. Melissa Eichner whose husband farms and I coached her son in AAU. Kim Cirka who's son and Dillon were close high school friends. Denise Silflow who I like to tease when I go to The Dubliner in Washington, D.C. Angie Tweit who we have spent many a year together toting our sons back and forth from kindergarten to state basketball. There is a long, intertwined history with most people in a small community. GREAT BREAST SUPPORTERS!

Like I stated earlier we found out we have a large family/community. Support rolled in from around the world. Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, England, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Canada, Romania, Ireland, and all around the U.S. Many have been to our farm or we have visited them. These folks are also GREAT BREAST SUPPORTERS!

Then yesterday Rhonda received a card signed by people (I should use the word friends) in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. My life has been intertwined with many of them through different capacities. What made this special to both Rhonda and I was the word "FAMILY" on the return address.

Yes, we are a family. Small communities, the CALS family, The Eisenhower Fellowship network, Idaho Grain Producers Association, the National Association of Wheat Growers, and the Nuffield Scholars network are more than ever a part of our life and family.

I am reminded of a joke my father told me many, many years ago (he wasn't the most PC or diplomatic person mind you). "What is the strongest thing in the world? A brassiere, it holds up two milk factories." Now you understand my tongue in cheek title BREAST SUPPORTERS, THEY DEFINITELY ARE STRONG!

We call them Ta Tas, melons, knockers, headlights, gazingas, etc. Many jokes have been made about Dolly Parton's "endowed figure." Whatever we call them and no matter what jokes are made, it has definitely provided a different perspective of "the girls." But one things is certain, no matter what procedure Rhonda decides on "TEAM RHONDA" WILL WIN! Why??? She has amazing BREAST SUPPORTERS in her life!

PINK TRACTORS

April 7th, 2014 is a day that Rhonda and I will never forget. It was a Sunday and I was busy getting clothes ready to head to Washington, D.C. for the National Wheat Improvement Committee/National Association of Wheat Growers Research Fly-in.

Rhonda and I were sitting on the couch in the office (we have a separate building that serves as office, man cave, dog house for the times I'm in trouble, In-law storage, visitor retreat, etc.) where I stay the night so I don't wake the family up at 2-2:30 am to catch my flight.

"Robert, could you feel my breast? I think I have a lump" Rhonda said. Now as a guy I would normally be excited and happy to oblige to such a request...but this was definitely different. My heart rate increased, I was getting sweaty, and I was nervous...similar to younger days but in a completely different way.

I felt the "LUMP."

"Rhonda, you need to get that looked at. It might be nothing but it should be checked out." The timing couldn't have been worse for either of us, we were parting at a time of need for each other.

I left for DC Monday and didn't get back home until Thursday while Rhonda visited the doctor. We were both continuing on with what we needed to do professionally, but our minds had other things on them definitely that week.

The second week, things moved fast as well. On the 15th she had an appointment for a mammogram and her friend Dianne went with her. After that visit she went back on that Thursday the 17th for a biopsy with support from Dianne and her friend Jaime. That started the long wait.

I know my blog handle is "The Unmanned Farmer" and should deal mainly with UAVs and this story does have a UAV portion to it.

Tuesday, April 22nd is another date I won't forget. I had a reporter up from the Lewiston Morning Tribune doing a story on my use of UAVs. It was raining so we couldn't actually fly which was a bummer. However, standing around in the shop with the UAVs set up and doing the interview the phone rang.

I looked at the caller ID and it was the grade school. Oh, Rhonda is calling for something............

My heart dropped and my breath was completely taken away, she was crying uncontrollably and I knew she was hurt. The frightening part was I knew why. After getting her to calm down a little she told me she had to go to the doctor that day at 2 pm and would I go? Farming, UAVs, or anything else in the world didn't matter and I was not going to let her down.

I hung up the phone and still had an interview to do. Stay professional, carry on as if nothing happened, get through this with all costs and as normally as possible.

During our reminiscing about this quick journey I would equate my reactions that day to President George W. Bush being informed of the Twin Towers being attacked. I'm sure the shocked showed initially, but you needed to get through the current job as quickly and professionally as possible to not alarm others so that you can deal with the situation.

Farmers deal with tough situations every year, especially if they raise animals. Farmers pull on their years of knowledge and experience to identify the problem, quickly analyze it, and then take a course of action. This all happens in the blink of an eye usually. I could not use my skills as a farmer to solve the problem of someone I truly love hurting over the phone. I could not reach out to provide a comforting touch or reassuring embrace. And I still had the interview to do.

That day we met with the doctor and received the news that Rhonda has Breast Cancer confirming our fears.

Since then we had a visitor from Australia who took our mind off of things for a couple of days. Simon Mattsson is a sugarcane farmer from Australia and a Nuffield Scholar. Also, our church had a service dedicated to the seniors of the high school.

Monday and Tuesday Rhonda met with two great doctors to (As Paul Harvey would say) get the rest of the story and plan a course of action.

Things have moved very fast in less than a month, even to the amazement of the doctors. Support has been great and having some answers to the unknowns has been a relief. There are still tests to be done and more unknowns, but there is HOPE! God's hand has definitely been there in many different ways but that is a different story and should and probably told by Rhonda.

Now to the Pink Tractor. As Rhonda was checking in to her first appointment Monday, I saw a young nurse in the facility with a black shirt with a pink tractor...I NEED TO GET ONE FOR RHONDA is all I could think. I called a couple of people that I know and there was one waiting for us at Farm Credit Services Northwest in Spokane https://www.northwestfcs.com/Stewardship/The-Pink-Tractor .

If there is one color Rhonda loathes it is pink! However, since it is on a tractor she could handle it and wear the shirt.

Our spirits are up and our family is dealing with it well. Rhonda and I cannot say thank you enough to all of the support that has been there from friends and strangers. It truly is amazing and has turned this crisis into more of a mission of hope and determination.

I am certain that this will not be the last post I will write on this journey or subject and there are definitely better stories that can be told from this month of shock and discovery but I will leave that up to best friend, partner, soul mate, and wife Rhonda. Maybe for Mother's Day I will give her a pink tractor to drive.

As a note of recognition and thanks we want to thank Northwest Farm Credit Services for their recognition and support for Breast Cancer! Rhonda and I both hope that you and your friends will take time and be more aware of this cause.

FARM RAISED CARROTS & LETTUCE

Again, it's been awhile since I have written in the blog and I need to do better. Life gets in the way, I have other things to do, and a million other excuses that I can think of. However I believe I have found inspiration.

Don't get me wrong, there have  been many things that I could have written about such as continuing to talk about my McCloy Fellowship in Germany, my hired man being diagnosed with cancer (he is doing well btw), Dillon breaking his ankle in hoops, or ag group meetings and life on the farm.

However my inspiration has come from spending a week away from home at the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) winter meeting in D.C. and catching up with an Eisenhower Fellow and friend in the North Carolina Research Triangle area.

The week started out by going through WOLF (Wheat Organization Leaders of the Future) training. This start to my time in D.C. was great, especially being at the dinner table with Jay Byrne of V-fluence. Listening to his stories and facts about environmental activists was fabulous, eye opening, and shocking. Horror stories on the battle front of agriculture.

Jay also was one of the presenters at our meeting talking about crisis management. He had worked in the Clinton administration and did communications work for a few Democrats previously. He talked about how agriculture needs to change and embrace questions about our industry, who better to answer them than us.

What really hit home was the amount of money spent world wide on environmental advocacy, both sides of the issue included. Can you believe that $2.2 trillion is spent annually? Yes that number is correct making it the 5th largest economic sector worldwide. While pro agriculture and industry money is included, they don't hold a candle to the deep pockets of the other side. How can we compete? My conclusion is we can't outspend them, but we can speak up; we need to speak up!

Next was committee meetings, I am on three. I am on the U.S. Wheat/NAWG Joint Biotech Committee, Vice Chair of the Research & Technology Committee which puts me on the Operations & Planning Committee. The future of agriculture and wheat was discussed in all of these and biotech was center stage. Simply put, we need biotech.

After my meetings in D.C. and trying to identify issues, find solutions, and develop policy I flew into the Raleigh-Durham area to meet my friend and Eisenhower Fellow Rob Burns. I hadn't seen him since the opening session for the 2011 EF program in Philadelphia.

Rob  and I spent the day talking about the world's problems, how being an Eisenhower Fellow benefited us, and just life in general. After a day of seeing the area, a couple of meetings, and meeting his family we went to dinner...and then the fun started.

 

A quick background before proceeding. When Rob and I partook in the opening session of the 2011 Eisenhower Fellows, all the 2011 Fellows did a personality profile. A couple of things came out of it: We are energetic, we want to learn, we don't care for big social gatherings unless we really want to be there, and we look at things differently than most people.

So here we are at a five start restaurant for dinner...and that uncomfortable feeling sets in when someone else pushes my chair in for me. The very formal antics by the staff, while good for the elites who want that pampering, was a subject of conversation for us. But that is not why we went there. 

We learned that we could have our meal paired with a wine, but both of us are beer kind of guys. We are not uncouth (well that might be questioned in my circle of friends) but being pretentious is not in our being. Then comes time to order and I missed my first opportunity (will explain later). I ordered the Farm Lettuce Salad to start the meal and the Meyers Beef Two Ways (see the menu and try to guess where this is going).

We grabbed our beers and went outside on the deck to chat and to see the facilities. Impressive to say the least. It's always fun to see how the other people live that are in the upper echelon of the income brackets. So we return and ordered another beer (I had the local  hefeweizen) and I was asked if I wanted a different glass and I said "I can't see dirtying another glass, especially when I would be happy to just drink straight from the bottle." I bit my tongue from saying "I care for the environment and don't want to waste the water" but I wasn't feeling "That" confrontational. Too much time in D.C. with discussions about environmental activism made me hyper sensitive.

Our salads came and it was good, not that I could make one like it at home to feed an army for the price, but in the setting is was good and the price really wasn't out of line. The pears were good, the blue cheese not overpowering, and the bacon vinaigrette was delicious.

Then came our main course...and the fun is about to begin. As the waiter places the dish in front of me he goes into the explanation of what's on my plate (I am feeling like a judge on Chopped, Iron Chef, or Top Chef). When he said "Farm Carrots" my head came up, eyes popped out, and my ears became tuned on every word he said.

When I did that I looked at Rob out of the corner of my eyes and a smile came to his face. He KNEW what was coming next. Not exactly what I was going to say, but where I was going to go. I am still chuckling about our "man" communication without saying words, the "Oceans" movies had that part correct.

If you have guessed, it had to do with "Farm Carrots." I asked the waiter with a straight face, lined with concern, and puppy dog eyes "What is a Farm Carrot?" The waiter obviously had never been asked that question and bumbled around trying to answer it. I don't remember any of the words or descriptions he said but I started to feel sorry for him and told him I was a farmer.

I gave him a pass because I found out what I wanted with that simple question, there is no difference from any other carrot or what was on my plate at all, they were all raised on a farm to get there. I really could have been cynical, and I am sure that you are amazed at my restraint, by not saying something like "were they space raised carrots" or "government raised carrots."

This gave Rob and I something more to talk about over dinner. Rob is not a farmer or even a country boy in the sense most of us would use the term, he grew up in New York and in a more urban area. However, his view of reality is there and he understands why I asked the question I did to the waiter, he has done similar in other settings. We do this for our own satisfaction and to hopefully educate someone by asking them a question that they have no answer for. Most people take the drivel our media continually spouts as truth without thinking for themselves.

After a week of talking about biotech, the challenge agriculture has to feed the world responsibly, and the work of environmental activists I had hit the tipping point of being too serious for too long and had to get it out of my system. What I am really upset about though is missing the Farm Lettuce Salad when I ordered it.

Day 1 & 1/2 in Berlin

Had a good nacht sleep after walking a few miles last night and started the day at 5am. By 5:30 I was out the door to take some pictures and see some sights before the other three McCloy Fellows showed up.

The sky was clear and a full moon was beautiful as I hit the avenue leading to the Brandenburg Gate. It was nice not have crowds of people there (a marathon is going on this weekend) and the moon was directly over the gate.

After that I followed the map from an app called EveryTrail. It had a pre-programmed map of sights to see and my next stop was the Memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe. It is between the U.S. Embassy and the sight of the Fuhrerbunker. 

I walked into the middle of the memorial and the path I was on was leading down. With the time of day (early morning and little light) it was eiree, like walking into one of the ditches that were used for body disposal.

My next stop was a watchtower left over from the Berlin Wall. It was very humbling to be underneath it. I was trying to imagine what it would have been like to live in East Berlin with towers everywhere looking down at you and guards waiting to shoot people if need be.

From there I walked to a remaining section of the Berlin Wall. I just can't imagine how the people on either side of it felt, knowing that you couldn't move freely about. 

Next stop was Checkpoint Charlie. Need I say more?

That was were I ended my journey following my app map. I headed back to the hotel to grab breakfast and get ready to meet my other Fellows. Also, I needed to repack my things to change rooms so I had internet. What a slave I am to all this technology stuff.

I made it back to the hotel and met up with my first Fellow, Garrick Hall from Utah. His room wasn't ready so we went up to my room and I worked on getting picts off of the camera and ready for posting.

After doing that and me repacking my bags we headed downstairs to get onto the internet. Just as we were getting ready my new room was made available. We headed to that and I was able to post my pictures from yesterday and this morning while he took a nap.

We headed downstairs around 1:45 to meet our host and hopefully or next Fellow. Udo from the DBV (sister organization of American Farm Bureau) met us and him and I had a beir. As we were tossing that back Raquel from Louisiana showed up and joined.

We headed out to take a tour of the area killing time until our official tour. We headed up river and then met our official guide. She took us on a tour of the Jewish area of Berlin (ghetto). We went off the beaten track through openings in buildings for carriages to nice courtyards (and some not so nice but very interesting).

It was very sobering to see buildings that had not been renovated with bullet marks from WWII (67 years) or patched up from bomb damage. The Socialist/Communist system didn't do a good job of trying to build up the economy. It makes me wonder where our country is heading?

During our walk-about we had a good discussion with our guide (who is atheist) about religion. Imagine me being the one to ask the question that is controversial and combative. I really wanted to know because religion was one of the things that I identified during my Eisenhower Fellowship.

In Germany they are taxed at 9% just for belonging to a religion and it is tied to the government because of medical and educational reasons. Another reason for the decline of religion was due to the communist side of Germany (and eastern Europe). If a person belonged to a religion they  or their children could not attend university.

The last reason was family lifestyle. If the parents didn't belong to a religion and brought up their children that way their kids wouldn't be religious. It is amazing how government policy and bias brought that about, especially since it was started under the Nazis.

I don't care what our media or activists say, religion is a major component to the success of the United States. We were founded by people who did not want a governmental religion (Church of England).

Because of this ideal, religious tolerance was a key building block. Each colony had its own religion. From that the people that formed the Constitution realized religious freedom was a key component for a successful nation. Boy were they correct.

We did a little more touring and then parted ways. We covered quite a bit of territory (not as much as I did on my own), but we had a great insight into the history of Germany, yesterday and today!

The time schedule we were on (imagine Germans trying to be punctual) led us catching the train to the station close to our hotel. We arrived there and met the final Fellow, Paul from Arizona.

After we put a few things away in our rooms and freshened up we headed out to do a boat tour on the Spree river. It was only an hour long ride but it showed many of the beautiful building, new and old that I want to know more about and take pictures of .

When we docked at the end of our tour our host suggested a restaurant that we should try. It was started after unification (after the Berlin Wall came down) as a way of making the West German officials feel at home in the new/old capitol.

Our host recommended that we try a local cuisine, currywurst. During my jaunts through Berlin I saw restaurants and small food vendors offering it. It was good but the calf liver our host had looked even better. Next time.

We ended the meal with some awesome schnapps. This made me feel at home because the area I live in is German and I grew up with this. However, that tradition ended with my Great Aunt passing away last year.

All things have to end and we headed to the hotel to give our host gifts and head to bed for a big day tomorrow. I don't know if I will have time to reflect and post tomorrow, but I will definitely get my travels into this blog.

Prost and Gott Nacht!

ANOTHER LIFE ADVENTURE

I have been truly blessed! When I look at my life and all potential possibilities that could have been I count my blessings every single day!

Today I am headed on another journey that the final destination is unknown. What I mean by that is I don't know what opportunities await after this adventure.

This spring I applied for a McCloy Agriculture Fellowship http://www.acgusa.org/about2.php?pagename=Fellowships&subpagename=For+Other+Mid-Level+Professionals&toppagename=Agriculture&mlinkid=30 and was successful enough to be one of four people going to Germany. This is similar to my Eisenhower Fellowship except I don't choose the destination or program.

What makes this blessed are a few things. First and foremost is my family. Without them and their support and help this would not be possible. Second is my hired man Dean King being there to pick up the slack. Finally my parents for giving me structure and confidence to try things that others said I couldn't do.

While I will be in Germany for three weeks my life's journey doesn't end there. I hope that the knowledge that I gain from this wonderful experience can help me and others in the future, especially Dillon and Logan.

God has given each of us the tools to accomplish amazing things but fear of one kind or another (failure, ridicule, peer pressure, etc.) keeps most people from going beyond points where most people quit.

When I look at myself I am truly blessed. I was adopted and God found a special place and parents for me. At times I wonder what my life would have been had things gone differently.

My life's journey has been driven by trying to live life to the fullest. When my body started to give out my competitive nature turned to learning. I want to learn new things so I can pass that knowledge on to future generations.

This is what life is about, the journey for knowledge and I don't want to miss the train!

A PROUD FATHER AFTER HARVEST

Harvest is one of those times that are demanding, causing one to lose sleep. On the other hand it is also one of the most rewarding times. This is when a years worth of work and worry come to fruition. To me it was more than a years growing time I am talking about.

Having worked every harvest since 1977, I would have to say that this has been by far the most fun. While driving a truck for the first time in a field and having that responsibility was good nothing beats this year.

Most harvest memories revolve around what I was able to accomplish or certain highlights. This year was different because of being a parent...and a proud one at that.

The way my two boys stepped up this year and met the obligations and responsibilities head on will always be at the top of the list (unless it might be grandchildren in the future). 

Dillon ended up getting strep twice this summer and Logan stepped up to fill his spot with mowing, weedeating, and helping dad with jobs in the shop. Dillon was well enough to finish swathing a late first cutting alfalfa while I went to a meeting.

While I view these things as something most kids their age should be doing, not necessarily swathing, but helping out around the house without backtalk or complaining, their growth was more.

Dillon ran combine by himself for the first time and Logan was in charge of the bill of ladings and dumping the wagons. Both jobs were challenges I set out for them and they met them head on. 

I vividly remember some of my firsts on the farm and how nervous I was. I didn't quite see fear in their eyes but there were drops of sweat on their foreheads.

So why was this my most fun and memorable harvest? As a father you want to see your children grow and progress, not only in school but with life skills. I new they were nervous of making a big mistake but after the jitters went away their faces lit up every day.

Farming is a unique profession where a family can do most work together. Now I am not saying that everyone will be talking with each other at the end of the day (hasn't happened yet) but there is a bond between "teammates" that is created that makes the family bond stronger.

Looking back at this year we are fortunate to keep this tradition going of teaching our young farmers and ranchers responsibility and fun. If it were in the hands of the Department of Labor and the Obama appointees this year could not have happened.

While there are many years ahead for Dillon and Logan to grow, learn, and make mistakes I am certain that this year will be one of their most memorable because there is nothing like meeting a challenge head on and looking back with satisfaction at the end of a day with a job well done.

I guess that is why this is my most memorable is I feel that looking back on being a parent and how Dillon and Logan have grown makes me look at them with satisfaction. 

Oh, I had better mention the glue that keeps all of us together, Rhonda. If it wasn't for her being a great mother, wife, and farmer this year could not take place. Her understanding (and cooking) keeps everyone going.

And me, I hope that I am a good father and manager. My job as both is to set people up to be successful. I hope to give them the tools to (physical or mental) to perform and challenge them enough to grow.

This harvest I believe that we all grew in different ways. Me, trusting young adults with their jobs, Rhonda probably trusting that I knew what I was doing, and the boys, smiles after harvest for becoming young men. What father could be prouder?

NOT ME!

I know it has been awhile, but life does get in the way. I have been to D.C. three times, London, Holland, Philadelphia and places in between. Somewhere in there I was able to poke seeds in the ground. The weather has been too wet and there are jobs that need to be done on the farm that should have been finished by now. BUT IT’S NOT MY FAULT!

How many times do we hear and see this during a day that we are not to be blamed? If only my parents were better or if the coach would just put me in or corporations are keeping me down are common themes on Facebook, the media, and in communities. It is the fault of the previous administration!

There is a pattern I believe that develops…the more people complain that someone else is at fault the less successful people are. Being a farmer I am able to see a group of people that might complain about the weather or the government, but at the end of the day they are still successful and get their jobs done. No one is there to take up the slack to bail them out.

Another pattern has developed that rewards bad behavior. Charlie Sheen comes to mind. Drugs, prostitutes, and other bad behavior are now being rewarded with money from an influx of commercial spots. Society also seems to reward those with bad behavior while people that stay steady and keep their nose to the grindstone are looked down upon.

We all have to make choices in life, one way or the other… and not doing something is a choice. I can either stay home and watch TV, work on the farm, or spend time with my family at sporting events. Whichever I choose something else has to lose out. I either get work done or I don’t. No one else is going to do it for me.

I am not looking for sympathy, as a matter of fact I believe it is overrated in most cases. Most of the time sympathy is given by enablers. “Oh you poor thing, it’s not your fault it is the fault of (Fill in the blank).” The choices we make every day effects our future outcomes and there are people out there that are a bad influence.

Food stamps also come to mind. While I do believe in helping others we ultimately have to help ourselves. Being dependent on the government, parents, or a sugar daddy is no way to live. They are enablers of bad behavior as well.

Food stamp expenditures have double since the last Farm Bill and the media is having a field day putting blame on everyone except those that want to be dependent. Go one step further and look at where our government’s largest expenditures are outside of military…dependency payments (Social Security, Medicare, Food Stamps, etc.)

The solution lies within each of us. Instead of placing blame for a failure or an outcome that is not wanted the problem needs to be defined and a solution (or solutions) needs to be made. Attitude and outlook on life is everything and if a person has a goal in mind they can be successful.

If life was easy and without hurdles how fun would it be? We wouldn’t be overjoyed by our successes that keep us going. These little steps to success in reaching out goal are an important part for an individual and for those that look to us as a role model.

The world’s greatest basketball player said it best: “Some people want it to happen, some wish it to happen, others make it happen.” ~ Michael Jordan. His six championships didn’t come easy and they came towards the end of his career. He didn’t blame anyone but worked harder to achieve his goal.

It is ultimately ours to take or give away. To be or not to be, to do or not to do. Society needs to quit blaming everyone else and do some self analysis. Which reminds me, the equipment didn’t get fixed today but it’s not my fault. It is yours! If I didn’t think you wanted me to write this I would have had my jobs done.

LEAVING HOLLAND BEHIND

I am writing this from the Amsterdam, Netherlands airport. Bags were packed early this morning, breakfast eaten not long after. When we were finished it was time to load luggage onto the bus. It took awhile with 70+ people traveling.

Even though this is the last day in Holland meetings were not finished. We traveled to Koeppert Cress Monster. My initial thought was it might be a cousin to the Loch Ness Monster. However, "Monster" means sample.

This business is a greenhouse that sells high end plants for cooking. They grow them right there and have a kitchen that is also set up as a studio. Top chefs come there to learn how to use these plants and how special they can be for culinary masterpieces.

Our time there started with a speaker talking about marketing agriculture products to the public. His presentation was pure gold for a farmer to utilize if they want to market their crops directly.

After that it was time for lunch. I skipped out on the question portion to take pictures of a meal that you would pay a fortune for in a restaurant. Each item was centered around a plant that was grown in the greenhouse. 

The meal was started off by being handed a test tube of a lemon grass drink. Even though it looked nasty it was very refreshing and delicious. Then we had a free for all...wine included.

During lunch a person showed up that looked kind of suspect. However he was very interesting to talk to and his profession was a plant explorer. He travels around the world searching for plants that are rare and for ones that have unique characteristics for cooking.

He was a virtual encyclopedia of plants. It was amazing at his memory of the scientific name of plants, where seeds can be obtained, and who the contact for a certain plant was. Interestingly enough he has been to Moscow, Idaho.

Then we listened to the owner of Koeppert Cress, Rob Baan. He owns a movie studio and is also a farmer. He talked to us about his business and were given different plants to sample. One tasted like oysters. That was very interesting.

Rob then took us on a tour through his green house operation that is state of the art. What he has been able to do is find the light spectrum to make them grow the best and then they are shipped all over the world.

After that we headed directly to Amsterdam and the airport. Checked my luggage in without any overweight fees and got through customs fine. I finally was able to find power to charge my laptop to take pictures off the camera card .

Had a Big Mac, fries, and a coke and went through security. The plane ride was good and I was able to catch a cat nap to take the edge off. 

Made it through customs at London Heathrow (it is huge) and onto the bus. I am finishing the blog at a Holiday Inn with my same roommate. I gained an hour so there is only an 8 hour difference. It is now 1:30am and the alarm is set for 5:30...going to be a long day tomorrow.

New World Travels to the Old World

I know that it has been awhile since last writing. I have traveled to Chicago, Boise (3 times) and Washington, D.C. along with getting things done. Oh, Christmas and New Years was in there as well.

Right now I am on another adventure in my Fellowship life. I and the other 2011 Eisenhower Ag Fellow (Rhett Proctor) were invited to attend the Nuffield Scholars Contemporary Scholars Conference in Holland and the UK.

I left home Friday morning from Lewiston (5:30am flight) via Salt Lake, Detroit, and then Amsterdam, Netherlands (Holland). I arrived at 6am (9 pm home) and sailed through customs. I was also lucky enough to have my suitcase be one of the first 10 onto the carousel.

Schipol airport is home to the largest Burger King in the world. I also knew I was in Holland when I saw a large bronze sculpture of a clog. From he airport I took the train to Rotterdam and a cab to the hotel. I checked in, unpacked some, Skyped home, and tried to sleep. It felt good to get horizontal for a little. I was just getting to sleep when my roomate from Tasmania walked in.

We chatted for awhile and got to know each other a little. We both changed to get ready for our tour of Holland with the other Scholars from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, France, and Holland. We hopped on the bus and headed to the aiport to pick up the ones that were coming in at noon.

After picking them up we toured through Holland and stopped at a little fishing/tourist village for some pickled herring. I was able to take some good picts and see a shop where you stick your feet into a tank and have fish "kiss" them.

From there we went to a 150 head dairy. It also produces energy with large windmills and biofuel from dairy waste. A housed generator produced the energy for the dairy. They also had a settling pond and extracted the water from the solids, which were dropped into a pile for future use as compost.

That night we had a dinner with all sitting at tables. It was informal, but a good chance to get to know each other. I left there around 9:30 (been up 33 hours with just a 1/2 hour of nap in that time) and went to bed.

With our schedule I don't know when I can write again and have to cut this short to head for lunch and today's functions. Take care and keep it in the fence rows!

Merry Christmas From The Blair's 2011

At Christ the Redeemer
in Rio de Janeiro

At a church in Rio

First off, we hope that this finds you and your family doing well. If you are like us we can’t believe that another year is gone and passed. If you paid any attention to the news it seemed like the world was going to implode with unrest in the Middle East due to bread prices, regime change in North Korea, economic instability in Europe, Japan’s tsunami, and our own troubles in the U.S. Just think, the Mayan calendar calls for complete destruction in 2012. With that in mind you had better of enjoyed 2011 ;)




Dillon & Logan in the shop
with Dixie Dog

 

My name is Wally Weather Station and I will be your host this year. I am in position to give you a great account of what happens on the farm. Not only with weather, but with everything else. I live on a pole in the center of the farm, giving me a bird’s eye view of everything that happens. Since weather played a big role in 2011 I was asked to do this.



And what a year 2011 turned out to be. You could say that it was the year of different weather. We had snow into May, rain that prevented us from planting crops this spring, tropical weather in Brazil, and freezing cold when we arrived home. May set a record for rainfall, causing haying and harvest to be late. Even Bandit was tired of the weather. Without any spring crops harvest was done in eight (8) days, but we have more winter wheat planted than we have ever had on the farm. And it is looking really good.

Dillon turned 15 in February and has his learners permit so watch the roads next year. Logan turned 13 while in Brazil (will talk about that later) and had the best present of his life. Rhonda and Robert celebrated 17 years of marriage, meeting each other in Sao Paulo, Brazil on their anniversary. This is the first year they have been able to spend that day together without anything going on for several years. However, I won’t tell you their age because they will unplug me.

Sports and school take up the most time. Dillon is a sophomore and Logan is in 7^th and both carry straight A’s. Both boys played basketball. Dillon spent time on JV, but played some varsity earning his letter. Logan played on an AAU team from the Craigmont area and his class was moved up to play Jr. High basketball. The 7^th Jr. High almost went undefeated, losing in overtime on the last game. They both played 3-on-3 at Locust Blossom and Logan had his cousins as teammates. They attended a basketball minicamp with a former coach at LCSC and Dillon played summer league. Dillon also went to NBC Camp and won the “Grit” award.

Dillon & Logan
with coach Walker

Dillon played on the Kendrick Golf team and they made it to State. Logan played baseball, was a pitcher and played different positions. Logan and some of his friends played in a baseball tournament in Potlatch…for Genesee. It was tough for Robert to see him in those colors, but he said a Genesee uniform never looked better. Both played football this fall and Dillon received his letter in that. Now basketball is in full swing again.

Chris (Robert’s brother) started working full time on the farm taking place of Dean King who had worked for 7 years. Dean had been diagnosed with cancer and beat it. Dean is doing well and was able to drive truck at harvest and helped with fall fertilizer. Chris started at the right time helping to clean up the 23 trees that blew down or were topped out during a windstorm last November. We also had lots of fence to fix due to that.

In June the America’s Heartland film crew was at the farm. They were interested in what was being done with Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) and precision agriculture. It was an interesting experience that everyone partook in. You can watch the video from our website www.threecanyonfarms.com or this link http://vids.kvie.org/video/2169504176.

Brazilian Whitetails

The biggest news was Robert being named an Eisenhower Fellow. In April Robert traveled to headquarters in Philadelphia to meet the other U.S. and International Fellows. General Colin Powell is the Chairman and there are just over 2,000 Fellows worldwide with 18 being Ag Fellows. In May Gong Weibin, a Fellow from China, visited the farm starting what they hope will be many visits from people around the world. To learn about the Eisenhower Fellowship you can go to http://www.efworld.org/ .

Robert’s Fellowship took him to Argentina, Uruguay (where he spoke in front of 1,000+ farmers), and Brazil where he learned about their agriculture, precision farming, remote sensing, and UAVs. He met with Eisenhower Fellows in the respective countries creating a closer bond between the countries. He spent a total of 6 weeks down there totaling 51 meetings.

Rhonda & I with Flavio
Nogueira & family

Rhonda joined him on November 5^th in Sao Paulo and as mentioned, they were able to celebrate their anniversary together. They traveled north of Sao Paulo to different towns for meetings along with stops in Brasilia and Belo Horizonte. In Belo they spent time with Robert’s friend and 2011 Brazilian Fellow Flavio and his family. They had a weekend together seeing some sites and celebrated Robert’s birthday and their last day having dinner with Flavio’s family and other Fellows.

Then the fun really began, Dillon and Logan arrived in Rio de Janeiro on November 19^th. They traveled alone and met up with mom and dad at the airport. During the week in Rio they toured the sites like Sugar Loaf and Christ the Redeemer along with playing on the beach. Everyone became sunburned at some point and there was not enough aloe in Brazil to sooth the pain.

Dillon & Logan with the
Girls from Brazil

The highlight of their time in Rio was traveling to Petropolis (north of Rio). Petropolis is the home to the summer palace of the last monarch of Portugal and Brazil. There is also a strong German community there because farmers were needed to harvest their cash crop, coffee. It is something of a retreat and there had been a casino there built in Bavarian style architecture that is tourist site…and that is where the real fun began.

While going through the old casino a group of students were on a fieldtrip there. We walked down a hallway and a group of girls followed and went past. Robert saw them huddle up, look back, and giggle. He motioned to the group and Dillon and Logan to get together for a picture. That picture started about a ½ hour of picture taking with many girls.

Dillon & Logan going
bananas in Brazil

Since it was Logan’s birthday (the driver told the girls this as well), it is customary for girls to give the birthday boy a kiss and they lined up to do it. Dillon was watching and said “I wish it was my birthday” prompting the driver to tell the group of girls this and they started kissing him as well. Needless to say Dillon and Logan both want to return to Brazil.

Now it is time to finish up and get back to work tracking weather. It is cold, but there is no snow. We hope that you had a great year and wish you a Merry Christmas and an Awesome New Year! Take care and God Bless! Adios, Feliz Navidad y Feliz Ano Nuevo! (Spanish)  Feliz Natal e Feliz Ano Novo! (Portuguese)

SINCERELY,

Three Weeks Down

We watched the tower do
different things for about
an hour. It was spectacular.

My oh my, time is fllying by like a comet in overdrive. It still feels like I just arrived a couple of days ago. I am now in Sao Paulo...and my wife Rhonda is with me. It is nice to have someone to talk to and to recap my experiences.

We both arrived in Sao Paulo on Satuday, November 5th which happened to be our 17th anniversary. She arrived before I did, but because of baggage claim and getting through customs she didn't have to wait that long. What a sight for sore eyes she was.

We were both tired. Her because she hadn't been sleeping much while getting ready to travel, the last night home and then over a day of travel. Me because I couldn't really sleep and was worried about catching my flight from Montevideo to Sao Paulo (I had to leave the hotel by 3am).

We made it to the airport, through security, and to the hotel. Then we met my program officer Luciano and his wife and daughter. We went over the schedule and then went for lunch to a restaurant built around a 100 year old fig tree (the restaurant is called Figueira). It was awesome.

The time was 8:11, but I
took it because it
represents the year! Go
The EF Class of 2011!

They had a buffet style lunch that they only serve on Saturday (at lunch time) based upon the food the slaves ate. It would be similar to the start of American BBQ and the types of meat. We went through and had a little of everything including pigs ear, pig tounge, sausages, and other meats. There were also great vegetable dishes and beef. Lots of meat.

We also tried the local drink made from sugar cane alcohol and limes. They also brought another type of drink to the table with 4 shot glasses. There were two types of alcohol (same base) but one was straight and the other had honey. They were delicious.

We finished lunch after 3 hours, went back to the hotel and grabbed my cell phone for Brazil. We had to put a new sim card in, buy credits, and set it up. Now I have contact within the Brazil. We went to our room, took some pictures and went to bed around 8 or 9 pm. We were exhausted.

Today we didn't do much except work out, eat breakfast and pack our luggage for easy use. We combined clothes into certain cases for easier access. I organized pictures, cleaned powerpoints off my thumb drive to make room, and sized pictures from previous adventures for use later this week.

We are getting ready to head out of the room for some sight seeing and dinner. We are just begining our travels in Brazil and hope to keep things up to date better. Ciao for now!

Time Flies on Fellowship

I can't believe that two weeks have past already. It seems like yesterday that I left my family early in the morning and dogs with looks that would make even the toughest of men break down.

This is definitely an experience of a lifetime. Although the schedule has been demanding with travel, tight time frames between meetings, little chance for communication home (except at places with WiFi), and buses being canceled I would not have missed this for the world.

I know that I have skipped a bunch of time since the last posting, but managing data, laundry, pictures, farming, and travel leave me little time for this. I am also writing a column a week (deadline Wednesday/Thursday) so those things are taking priority.

Camera batteries (two), two computers, keyboard, and a Gopro video camera takes time and juggling to keep charged. The priority is the ipad and camera batteries. When I download pictures to the windows computer I put excess onto a 500 GB hard drive.

Anyway, the information that I have learned has been very useful, I just hope that it does not get wasted by not being able to share it with people. The way they manage their farms in Argentina is at a higher level than in the U.S.

The youth that is involved in agriculture at all levels is something we in the U.S. should envy. The average age of a farmer is 55-59 in the US, but my guess is around 35-40 in Argentina. This youth brings a love for technology and a hunger for being successful in agriculture. I am jealous of their country for this.

The Pampas is a top notch production area in the world and the logistics for export are better than the US. However, their could be improved by building an extra lane of road each way. When traveling in the country I thought that it sucked because the side roads were dirt, but after learning there are no rocks on the Pampas and hauling rock for gravel roads is cost prohibitive.

Wind erosion is the main concern ecologically. Because the early use of the land was mainly for beef production, many trees had been planted to stop the wind, but to mainly give cows shelter. Otherwise trees are not native to the Pampas. I wonder what the environmentalists would say if they were to be cut down.

I had a great learning experience with all of my meetings. This one-on-one learning from biotechnology to precision theory and practical use to politics makes me (as a friend and EF Alumni said) the only person in the world with that knowledge base. It is pretty humbling when you think about it like that.

I was fortunate to arrive a week before their Presidential Election and to see all of the propaganda and campaign material makes the US look cheap by comparison. The incumbent won and I had an opportunity to sit in on an explanation of the the results by a famous Argentine political analyst (name in other suitcase that is still checked in with the hotel). I could not have planned things better if I had tried. It would be like Bill O'Reilly or someone of that level giving the presentation to a small group of people. What an opportunity.

Finally I traveled to two Estancias (farms) for my last weekend in Argentina. I was picked up by a car and driven 6 hours basically west of BsAs to Rufino. I was picked up around 8pm by the Chief Production Officer (Julio) and we headed off to the farm. I was put into my own casa and dinner was served to the two of us along with the agronomy team (Jorge-Head, Gustavo and Arturo). After some small talk we went to bed for a 7am start.

I woke up without an alarm (John Denver said it best - "Thank God I'm A Country Boy) at 5:30 and a good thing too, my battery died. Julio and I had breakfast together after meeting with the crew in their quarters. Then out to the field with Julio and the crew of three.

Our first stop was a corn field being fertilized with UN32 by a Rogator. I hopped on board and road two passes with Julio standing on the steps. The fertilizer was being placed according to a prescription map and it was fun to watch it increase, decrease, or stop according to the zones or areas already treated.

Next we head to a field that was being seeded to sorghum by an Argentine no-till drill and an Agco tractor. We hopped on board and at the end of the pass I took over. I set the drill to seed, reved the tractor, and engaged the auto steer. Finally I have driven a tractor in both hemispheres. At the end of my pass I make the turn and head back and make the next turn and hop off for the next adventure.

A field of last years corn was being seeded to soybeans with an air seeder, JD 9220, and fertilizer. They were just finishing filling up the fertilizer and we hopped on. No auto steer on this one yet but I drove it back seeding my first soybeans and straight and true. AWESOME!!!

We head back to the farm and I hop on a motorcycle and a worker hops on another one and we take a ride around the farm before lunch. We stop at the feed lot holding over 3,000 head of beef of different weights. We drive around some more and grab lunch.

After lunch I give a presentation of what I am doing on my farm and how the UAV is being used and then we head to another Estancia that is rented by Caldenes. This Estancia is also owned by the 3rd EF in Argentina who happens to be my Program Officer's father.

We tour the corn, with the Julio and Jorge, head back to the farm for tea, and I walk around taking pictures before it rains or the light leaves. After siesta and showering time, I meet Conrado Etcebarne again. We talk for almost two hours and then dinner and bed. What a day of learning and experiencing.

The next day I sleep in a little and finally head outside at 7am to find a quite spot to process images and catch up on my journal. I finish and am served breakfast around 9am.

I grab my camera because the grounds keeper Carlos is getting the wood ready for Argentine BBQ. Lamb is on the menu and I get some great pictures. I head back to my room, grab my windows computer, and show Carlos and his wife the pictures of him and the farm from the day before and they were pleased.

We ate around 2pm (as is customary) and I bring my bags down to the car to catch my bus. We head to Rufino and learn at the bus station that my 4:30 bus is canceled and the next one is at 11:30pm. We grab that ticket and head back to the farm.

I rest a little, have dinner at 9pm, and the car arrives to take me to the station. I was saddened parting my new friends on my last evening in Argentina and I was definitely not looking forward to the bus ride at that time.

It worked out fine because I spent more time with my friends and did catch about 5 hours sleep on the bus. Not bad, but I was definitely tired. Arrive BsAs at 6am, hotel at 6:15, and my room just a little after. I had to take a shower to get the travel off of me. Ate breakfast and the took a dip in the jacuzzi tub...very relaxing after the travel debacle.

I will sum things up better after I get home, but the experience is something that I will never forget. I have fallen in love with Argentina and it's people. The knowledge that I gained can never be replaced and I hope I am better for it and can live up to the expectations of the EF goals and motto. Until next time keep it between the fence rows!