The harvest for 2025 is complete by and large. Some areas have had one of their best growing seasons ever and of course some areas not so much. But there are still tasks associated with land husbandry and stewardship to complete. From high speed disking to break up the straw and land crust to working in sprayer and harvest tracks to ensure the land is smooth and a proper seed bed is prepared for spring seeding. Some folk’s ae seeding winter wheat and some are seeding a cover crop to discourage weeds. The maintenance of the land is of foremost consideration as there lies next year’s income.
As odd as this may seem other unpleasant tasks are also underway. Calculating harvest fuel costs and how much fuel has been stolen from the machinery. It is not always practical to bring all the machinery back to the security of the farm yard every evening. As a result that equipment which sits in the field is often robbed of fuel, tools, and may suffer deliberate malicious damage. Not to mention counting the multitude of farm vehicles to ensure they are all present and accounted for. A wide variety of support trucks are required for harvest and field work and a disturbing number of them are stolen from the field or sometimes right out of the farm yard.
It’s a discouraging and infuriating situation, in this rich country of plenty, that there are those who are so useless as to prey on everyday folks who are trying to make a living. Just another insurance claim the authorities say, likely never see the vehicle or tools or fuel again or find those responsible. But your insurance costs go up accordingly. Makes you ask the question if the authorities are not going to be actively investigating and arresting the criminal then why are we paying for the “authorities”?
It used to be late fall was a time when bugs and mice tried to get inside shops and homes to avoid the coming cold weather. Nowadays it seems there is a plentitude of criminals who follow the vermin by breaking into deserted farm buildings to avoid the cold. Of course they utterly destroy the premises. And if they are caught they are happy to go to a nice warm jail getting three meals a day, a warm bed, gym privilege, cable TV and cigarette allowance. Even illegal drugs if they know the right prisoners. That’s certainly not punishment, that’s four star vacation time for them.
I don’t know what to say about things like that, I really don’t. It seems I would be a horrible person if I even think to myself what should really happen to these vermin. But I can assure you the repercussions to them for their actions would be a great deterrent to others who might consider similar. If I was to spend any time pondering the topic of course.
A Sheriff by the name of Joe Arpaio down in Maricopa County, Arizona had a very interesting approach by keeping his prisoners in tents and making them work 7am to 2pm 6 days a week for their meals. No four star accommodations there, no reward for being a criminal there like there is here. It seems people now a days don’t want to punish convicts, instead reward them! I don’t know how in the world that came about, but it certainly sure isn’t right!
My first book of the Vietnam Trilogy will be free on November 15th and 16th, 2025. Not a long read but it will lead you into the other two books of the series. I reminder of those who gave their lives to protect our North American freedom and way of life. And please do not forget Remembrance Day.
When you are not following the news regarding 3I/ATLAS and the strangeness of what it is doing, you might fill in some recreational reading with some Sci-Fi books from the above link.
On a much lighter note you might read my adventures of acquiring, moving and finishing my “Man Cave”. At the very least it will provide ideas and mistakes to avoid when building your own.
Anyway the dogs are explaining to me how they need to roll in the snow and how enthusiastic they are to run about snuffing to see what they can find. So I will accommodate them and enjoy their high energy efforts while I ponder this business of 3I/ATLAS. A very curious situation at so many levels to be sure.
Best
Martin E. Silenus