Pondering

      Last night as I was laying in bed, I was wondering what compelled me to want to try this whole blog thing anyway. I knew one reason was I love reading my friends blog everyday. She has interesting stories and often an uplifting message.  But truely deep down inside I feel like Laura Ingalls Wilder! A modern day lady of the prairie wanting to journal her life through not pencil and paper, but computer, keyboard, and the web! Do you suppose someday my thoughts could be published as life in Western North Dakota changes once again?
     Just thinking of how life on the prairie has changed just in my 48 years. Growing up on the farm northwest of Bowman we had small equipment with no cabs to protect from the harsh summer sun. Our air condictioning was the west warm breeze. If I were lucky I would get a lovely red and white umbella propped up to protect me. I was in charge of all summer fallowing, raking of the hay, and evening feeding of the cows, pigs, sheep, buffalo, or whatever animals my dad and brother felt we needed to have at the time! I remember one afternoon of raking hay and coming home to find my dad and brother busy at the welder. Of course I must find out what they are building. It was our first cab they built for the old Case swather, complete with air condictioning. Boy now I was jealous, but dad did not allow me on the swather, much to dangerous for a young lady he would tell me. So I still got the best sun burn in the west! I believe the neighbors were a bit jealous also. Soon one of them had their son over checking out the contraption and trying their best to make one also.
     Now the tractors are huge, complete with GPS that will drive itself. Not much for summer fallow around these parts anymore, most everyone has gone to no-till.

 Similar to our old Case swather, before the cab of course!
 
Just like the old IH tractor I drove to rake hay! Awh the good old days!!