It’s hard not to talk about the weather but it has been fantastic.

Many people grumble about the rain but Mary and I have been in California on a sightseeing and farm visits trip and the grumbles there are very different! Much of the arable area they have had less than 5 inches of rain in 3 years. Water for irrigation is rationed and much of the countryside is dessert. However, the trip was fantastic. In searing heat we visited Alcatraz (San Francisco), a 100,000 head beef unit where 910 cattle are sent to the meat plant daily and feed comes in weekly by the train load.

Another farm was milking 4,000 cows 3 times a day. We watched cotton picking done by 3 huge John Deere pickers harvesting 4 rows at a time. We visited Los Angeles, San Diego and finally Las Vegas-the city that never sleeps. From there we flew, by helicopter to the Grand Canyon for a champagne breakfast 1 mile down. It is impossible to describe or capture by camera.

But it was good to be back to this green and pleasant land, rain or not. Back on the farm the cows and calves were indoors for the winter and the tups had been having an active time. All the stock does look well this year, a reflection on a good summer. Now the winter work is upon us again-the big wheel goes round and round.