A literary or artistic work can often be referred to as a production. This blog, just a journal actually, is also a production, but in a different sense of the word. Sometimes I make too big a production (something exaggerated or unduly complicated and out of proportion to its importance) out of these posts. I am still trying to simplify, but just can't help myself.
Being small time "farmers" that grow hay, cows, and chicken eggs; production (total output of goods or a commodity) is not a main concern. We do like to provide "at cost" grass fed beef for our family and friends, eggs to the Water Lilies, and hay for the cows, horses and to sell. But sometimes our costs get high because of the cost of production. I don't know how real farmers make ends meet. 
Finally on Monday we had a day of sunshine. According to Illinois State Climatologist, this has been the wettest spring on record for both Peoria and Galesburg, reporting 19.9 and 20.4 inches of rain, respectively. The wettest sight this spring was St. David (near Peoria) with 27.7 inches. It appears that the production of rain should be leveling off now.
Zorro's head can be seen silhouetted on the barn door, and if you look closely you can see both him and Roni looking out. They are always waiting for me to come out and feed in the morning, especially with the skies getting light before 5am. 
The blue skies and puffy white clouds were such a welcomed site. I went to exercise with the ladies in the pool but Britney waited
till later to run. 
The air was crisp so the chickens enjoyed sunning on the deck.
The big "production" this week has been preparing for vacation. Britney and I have been sitting in the sun to tan up before hitting the beach.
I have been wearing my flip flops to break them in for summer, so I don't get blisters (as often happens) walking in them during vacation.
They are not the most farm friendly foot attire, especially because Brother likes to chew on and play with your toes.
Abbey and Brother like to "play" and hang around while we are outside.
Other vacation preperation included sending and receiving several e-mails to communicate travel plans, who's staying the night with us Friday, passenger lists in the three cars, who brings sheets for which beds at the beach house, etc.
I needed to weed the garden again and then mulched the walking areas with wet stall shavings.
Britney and I drove to a park in Bloomington and she ran with a running club and I walked to Growth Group, where Joe latter came and then brought me home.
Tuesday I was up before the sun and watched it rise after 5am. Britney and I went to the Replex at the usual 7:45 morning time.
We were hoping to get our first production (the making of goods
available for use) of hay this week, but once again, the chances of rain
were too high to take a chance and the ground too wet, so it did not get harvested. 
Britney produced a frame for the painting she brought home from Guatemala, and I couldn't help but give her some pointers and lend a hand.
Joe got off work early so we could deliver a load of composted horse manure to the school garden.
This photo was posted on Facebook by social studies teacher, Kevin Suess, who also runs the Garden Club at NCHS. Next we went to the wood pallet place where they grind them to produce woods shavings and we got a load for clean bedding.
Then when we went to Farm and Fleet, Britney took advantage of some quiet time to study flash cards as part of her GRE test preparation.
Shopping cart full of feed bags, water softener salt, and Twizzlers, in preparation to leave on vacation.
After a quick early supper, I went out to ride Amiga and then Roni.
Courtney came to work with Zorro, finishing up just before I got back
from Becks on Amiga.
What a pretty girl
and a silly but
loving horse.
It was a lazy Wednesday morning, not going in to exercise, although Britney did go for a run. I helped her stretch the painted canvas over her frame so she could securely staple it in place.
Then she squeezed it into the outer frame she bought at the thrift store. I had to water all my flowers and garden because it hadn't rained as predicted. This is when the weeds start getting the upper hand, so I worked at knocking them back.
Right after lunch I picked up Marj and her horse Arboleda, and we went to Moraine View to ride. It was too wet in the woods, so we stayed in the meadows and went at an easy walk because of the mud. It was so relaxing and a great chance to catch up with each other. 
An hour of TV and a nap on the couch were necessary once I got home. Then I completed several tasks including some mowing, moving hay, and setting the trap for this cat.As it turns out, this is Brian's cat, so Thursday morning Britney and I dropped her off at Brian's on the way to the Replex. Then Thursday night a Tom Cat showed up howling for his mistress that was now down at Brian's. My two neutered barn cats are upset by all this behavior. I know our farm is sometimes a "Bed and Breakfast", but it is not a "brothel." Ha ha ha.
The problem with lists is that sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be
better to just do it, than to write it down to do later. This doesn't
work though because I can't do everything I think of all at once, and I
quickly forget what it is I was thinking needed to be done. I can't
even cross it off my list to go do it... I need to wait until after it
is done, or I get messed up. Sometimes I'll be doing one thing and see
something else (that wasn't on my list) that needs doing and go do it
and not finish what it was I had started on. Thursday and Friday were
busy days of checking things off my list,interrupted with some breaks such
as... resting at my computer, eating, and napping. There was no time or energy to exercise or walk. My packing was a whole other list that had more things to do like fill shampoo and cream rinse bottles, find some extra sheets, put tea and pills in zip lock bags, etc. And, it had to wait till all my laundry was done.
This morning I did the shopping for the family cook
out for tonight... not to mention Saturday's
breakfast, and I didn't want leftovers. House cleaning and packing followed by food preparation kept me busy all afternoon. Daniel came out early to help with mowing, Joe got off work early to help out too, and Britney quit studying and vacuumed the whole house. It's been a production, but we are prepared for visitors and vacation.
and revitalizing to just sit and
enjoy a good book, I say that is productivity. I hope to be very productive in this manner over vacation. :-)Leviticus 26:4 I will send the seasonal rains. The land will then yield its crops, and the trees will produce their fruit.
Psalm 85:12 Yes, the LORD pours down his blessings. Our land will yield its bountiful crops.
We will get our hay harvested, it just will be overly mature. But there will be more hay to come this summer. I need to leave it in God's hands and not get so worried about it.
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