Rain and refreshment

We found a canola field full of poppies on the drive

We seem to be suffering through one of the driest springs since we started farming in Ukraine. Normally it is July before I start writing about the lack of rain. Garry keeps telling me I don't need photos because the fields look so bad. Although a really good rain would really help the crops recover and get growing...  without one soon we could be looking at one of those total crop failure years, with the exception of the irrigated corn field, which would become silage to feed the cows over the winter. He says the first sunflower field they planted looks pretty good, but really shows the need for some water in the lower leaves now. The last field is not bad, it came up better than some of the others because Garry reset the planter to plant deeper- where the moisture still was -to sprout more of the seed.
The wheat is ripening, the fields are looking more yellow than green now; and the barley field will become hay sometime soon too. The corn and sunflower fields are sprayed for weeds, so we have spent a pile of money, and are hoping, wishing and praying for rain, so it's not all for naught.


Yesterday it was raining in the morning when I talked to Garry but he described it as little more than a sprinkle with a couple hours of light rain. What he needs it the gully washer thunderstorm we saw in Berdansk over the weekend when we were at the sea for our English Bible study retreat. We had a lovely time of retreat and getting into God's word with a lot of food and a little sunburn mixed in.

When I arrived in Manitoba last night for my two weeks at home, it was in the middle of a thunderstorm, and it poured for the entire two hours Seth drove me home, with huge puddles in the roads. Wish I could send it your way Garry. Of course I woke up about three hours after getting to sleep after not getting much sleep on the 17 hours in planes plus the overnight train the night before to get to Kiev, so I have borrowed Jonah's computer, which seems to have moved into my living room, to finally update the blog.

I had planned to write one in the couple hours I was in the village before leaving, but we drove to Dnepro about two hours after getting back so Garry could pick up the rest of the car money at the bank. Someone is looking for the used van in Denmark, I think, that Garry wants to buy and he should be driving it by the time I am back in Ukraine. It will be a nine seater, to drive students places.


Meanwhile, Garry Victor and Max were busy with a different harvest yesterday, the first honey harvest of the year. They were working in Victor's new honey room.