Rain, rain, go to Ukraine

Well, its fall in Ukraine and the guys need rain so they can plant the winter wheat. Every year, they work up the ground where the sunflowers were planted to plant winter wheat on for next year, but wait until there's moisture to plant so it will germinate well and grow. Of course,  they want it to grow a bit (but not too much) before winter arrives. This can happen anytime from September through the end of October, even early November,   as early winter is usually cool and drizzling. 

However,  the corn still needs to be combined, so hopefully  the rain doesn't come with a big  windstorm.  I'm sure its dry enough,  but they haven't been able to sell the sunflowers,  and both sides of the storage shed are full of the sunflower seeds they combined back in August. Garry was sure that it would be done while he was gone.

Garry will be back in Ukraine next week Monday,  we booked his ticket this week. I am sure he has bought more parts than will fit into his suitcase already. This week he hopes to help the guys make more corn silage,  but its not looking good at the moment.  Sunday afternoon and evening it was pouring rain, again.

His vacation plan to come help the guys make corn silage has not gone as planned. This past week he got to drive truck two days. Thursday it dried out enough to chop before more rain came.

Photo by 2 year old
 Andromeda 

Friday he helped Micah install a new door on his house, because it was too wet to work in the field. We had lunch there with Matt,  Kari and missionaries with AIM (they went to Nepal with them last year).

Saturday our youngest son was on a tractor helping pull the trucks that got stuck in the mud all day. They went until 10:30 Saturday night and then covered the pile with plastic because they knew the rain was coming. At least it hasn't frosted here yet, although I have seen some fields that have driving out to Morden. 

Sunday morning found most of the family in church in Piney, for our son Matthew and family's farewell service and potluck with pig roast.  They will be moving at the end of the week and next Sunday Matt will be preaching at his new church.

  It's hard to believe that the two little granddaughters we left behind nine years ago are taller than me now, but we have photos.  At least their two younger sisters,  and all their cousins will be little for a while longer.

She's only eleven! 

This week Garry's going to World Dairy Expo in Madison Wisconsin, so he'll get to do one thing he planned when he booked his trip home  (Garry and I debate where home is, for me home is here in Manitoba,  for him, he says in Nikolaipolia).

Today he's helping Josh and Matt with herd check in the barn in the morning (some of the younger guys headed to Madison this morning) before we go to meet with Doug and Marcie Rempel, who will be organizing the mission trip next spring from Steinbach.

Wednesday evening we met with the prayer group at Emmanuel EFree, and Garry could not resist heading into choir practice with Doug and Marcie afterwards.  He's booked his ticket back on December 3rd, so he can practice with them and sing in the Christmas Eve services again this year.