Prepping for Taxtime

On these long cold days, atleast something can be done in the house for the good of the farm.  Being stuck inside as the thermometer plummets below zero can bring on a case of cabin fever quicker than ice covers the stock  tank when the tank heater malfunctions.

Hauling out the receipts, checkbook registers and pillow for my computer chair, I embark upon the journey of prepping our books for our tax appointment for the end of January.  It's not a whole lot of fun, tallying all of your expenses and income (meager at times!), but it gives purpose to those hours spent indoors relishing every last piece of wood that you put on the woodpile, keeping the house nice and toasty.  Seeing the numbers begin to compile down the spreadsheets gives credence to the feeling you've had in your gut since you dropped the last load of corn in the gravity box to haul to the grain elevator.  Good year.  Bad year.

Good or bad, nothing compares to seeing golden grain flowing into the hopper at the elevator, knowing that you did your best to bring the best yield from your acreage that you possibly could.  For several years, Farmer Rick only raised corn to feed the cows here on the home place.  But after honing his skills and slowly adding a better line of planting, tillage and harvesting equipment to the lineup, we've been able to have a couple of semiloads of corn after filling the cribs with corn to sell.  We are very thankful to God for giving us this extra income.  What a help it has been in times of low milk prices to have a few thousand extra bushel of corn on hand to drop on a bill or two!

In reference to our previous entry on our blog, we have had no more major surprises in the barn as far as losing cattle.  We have the meat in the freezer from the young cow that we lost, and have moved a few heifers around to balance out the stocking rate in the pen that housed the heifer we lost.  It still hurts to lose an animal.  Any animal.  But chores still need to be done, animals fed, pipes thawn out and tractors started that just don't want to turn over in below zero weather.  You learn.  Try to take the best care of your animals and property that you possibly can and take what is dealt to you.  Your dependence upon God and his provision deepens, and you look forward to those warm sunny days that are coming ever closer, choosing your seed corn varieties, purchasing fertilizer needs, and anticipating yet another year of challenge and growth.