We finished harvesting our beans. This year we tried a new variety and were very satisfied. Our overall yield was 45 bushels per acre. This is a very good yield for New York.

We have purchased back some belted Galloway's that we sold a few years ago to a local Mennonite farmer. He called a few days ago and said that he and his family were undertaking a mission to Guatemala and he was selling his farm and cattle. I bought back cows that I had sold as calves who now had calves of their own. A good customer of mine who has bought belties previously bought the three original mother cows. They are related to some of the cattle he had already purchased from me. We all wish the Mennonite farmer and his family best wishes for success in Guatemala.

I am going to be busy the next week or so delivering cattle. Before I left, I sold our herd bull Remote Control and a purebred cow calf to a gentleman from Massachusetts. So I have to get my new/old belties and deliver the mother cows as well and then go to Massachusetts.

I also have to go to Northern New York to pick up some trees I ordered. I want to plant them along Begley Boulevard between the road and the fence. I'd like to recreate the old time lane way look with maples. I also got two horse chestnut trees for Mary. She had them in her yard as a child.

We had a full blood bull calf born on Jim's 19th birthday. We number our calves in birth sequence and this one was number 19. I saw an omen there and gave Jim the calf for his birthday. He named it Cyclone for the Iowa State Cyclones.

Mary and I have just returned from Florida. While I was away our last calf of 2010 was born, a bull. We had originally planned that Mary and her mother would drive to Florida and I would fly down and meet them. They had a little car trouble in West Virginia. The easiest solution was for me to drive Mary's car to West Virginia then drive Mary's mother's car to Florida while she and her mother drove in Mary's car. We had an uneventful trip. Mary's mother enjoyed both Mexican and Bar-B-Que along the way.

We had dinner in Florida with my sons Brian and Mike and their wives and three sons. It was very pleasant. It reminds you how fortunate grandparents are who have their grandchildren nearby.

The next day, we continued on for lunch with my college roommate and his wife. They normally live next to us during the summer but couldn't make it north this summer due to his health. I was glad to see he is in go0d spirits and still has his Irish sense of humor.

Since we were in the neighborhood, so to speak, and had Mary's car, we decided to go home via Nashville so we could see Eileen. She took us to a wonderful restaurant and we had a pleasant evening. We all met for breakfast the next morning, then Mary and I headed for home. We made it a leisurely drive and made it back late Friday afternoon.

Saturday afternoon, we went to a Baby Shower for a friend. The idea was to get both men and women to go. It was a first for me.The theme was country redneck so I got out my black Stetson hat and Carhartt vest and Mary her farm equipment dealer cap. We had a fun afternoon visiting with friends.

Earlier in the afternoon, I watched two of my heifers sold via liveauction.tv in Minnesota. I had originally taken them to a friend's farm there last fall with two others. We selected two to go on to Denver and these two stayed in Minnesota. He had a large scale auction and included my cattle. I am happy with the price. It is sort of amazing to sit at home next to the lake watching some of your cattle sold on the Internet. We have certainly come a long way in technology.

As I write this, I have just finished chores. The pigs seemed to have grown a lot in my absence and the goats continue to sit on top of the round bale feeder surrounded by munching cows providing amusement for the remaining few summer residents.

The weather forecast is for snow showers. Some contrast to the 90's in Florida just a few days ago,. In a last minute update just before I post this, it is now sleeting.