Winter Activities

It's March already all of a sudden. Winter activities have been varied: some travel, occasional socializing, some crafty things, and lots of reading.

Sarah and I traveled to Phoenix for Thanksgiving, Montana for Christmas, then rushed back soon after for Sarah's family's Christmas in southeast Iowa.

The next trip was over Valentine's weekend to Kansas City, to cross off a city on our list. We met up with a buddy of mine from MSU, Drew Walters, who is from Missouri and who moved back not long after I moved to Iowa. We went to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, toured the Boulevard Brewery, had a lovely Valentine's dinner, and went out in the Power and Light district. It was a nice departure from the usual routine.

I haven't traveled much for work besides a two-day trip to a Milwaukee suburb to check out a potential vendor. It wasn't a particularly notable trip. I'd love to go to Florida with the baler or mower groups for winter prototype testing, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards much anymore.

We are planning a trip to New York in late March to visit Noah, Jean, and Lydia, and tour the city with David and Amy Kelly from Ireland. They have been planning this trip for some time now, and it seems like a good "half way" point to get together. I have been to NYC a number of times, but have done very few of the touristy things there and this will be a good opportunity. I will report back with stories.

Sarah and I have a good social circle here in Pella, largely of my coworkers and their families. Many are like-minded in their enjoyment of having dinner, playing games, finding interesting things to do in Des Moines, sitting by bonfires in my yard, and having pints at Pella's meager selection of bars. The times aren't always wild but the company is always good.

One thing (of many) I've enjoyed about living in this big house is the working space in the basement. I've gotten good use out of the bench and vise for various leather projects. I have lots of room out of the way to cut things out of big hides, stretch them out, and twist them up; unlike my old place, I don't need to pack everything up to get it out of the way every time I reach a stopping point. Having storage and room for tools is yet another joy. I made a braided rawhide scarf slide for my dad for Christmas, my first rawhide (as opposed to tanned leather) item. I finished an eight-foot stockwhip just before Christmas and a complicated six-footer in January. My dad now has the former, and I plan to sell the latter. These were my seventh and eighth whips. I recently sold one of my early ones with an antler-base handle to a coworker. I plan to get in a few more projects before things warm up and I can't stand to be inside anymore.

I've gotten more reading done this winter than I have in past years. These have included works by Bill Bryson, Mackie Hedges, Bill Dorrance, Jim Gaffigan, Matthew Crawford, and the Bozeman Police Department. Again, I am trying to cram in all I can before I'm drawn outdoors.

New Digs and Mississilwaukee

It's been a busy couple of weeks and this post is much-overdue.

I moved into an old farm house at the end of September. It belongs to James Williams, a fellow dealer's son who moved back to North Carolina to take over the dealership. His house hasn't sold in the last year or two and I was looking for something different, so renting it from him works out for both of us. It's only six miles north of Pella and is definitely out of town, is on 3/4 acre, has a couple sheds and a garage, and a nice workspace downstairs. I've been enjoying it so far; I just need a couple more couches and I'll be pretty well settled. I've even got two kittens to watch for mice. They proved themselves on day one.

I hadn't done any traveling for work since my Montana trip in June until I took a day trip to Emmetsburg in northwest Iowa two weeks ago. I went to look at a couple rakes before cornstalk baling season started, and I went with a new baler engineer Steven Talsma, who looked at four balers. It was a 17-hour, 615-mile day, but was productive. I went to work the next day (Friday) and was told to pack my bags and be ready to leave for Mississippi on Sunday to be in the field on Monday. Ryan Walker, another new baler engineer Alex Knee, and I folded ourselves into an extended-cab service truck for the 880-mile drive to Meridian, Mississippi.

Many parts of the south make hay from Bahia grass, which is slick and short; it's basically lawn clippings this time of year. Certain balers have issues with it late in the season, so we were sent to look for solutions. I went to represent Enhancement as this is a perennial issue, Alex went to help with the Go-Pro camera and to learn some things, and Walker went because he is just so handy and has a lot of experience.

We mostly ate fast food, but went to a highly regarded steak house one night. The "best seafood in town" happened to be at a gas station. Regional Manager Bryan Setzer and the dealer Van Davis swore by it. Walker and I were game to try it, but Des Moines-grown Alex was visibly terrified and only had hush puppies. I had an overstuffed fried shrimp po-boy, ate it happily, and survived the day. 

It was one of many instances in which Alex was given grief: he had a rather tough week. Aside from the learning curve he was experiencing, he also couldn't quite make a 12-foot gate with a 7-foot wide truck, scratched it a bit, and blew a tire. We had an older spare, which we discovered didn't fit because new hubs on Ford trucks are metric. We had planned on leaving that evening, but had to stay an extra day to wait for tires. We worked on a customer's baler in the meantime, and while taking off a sprocket Alex managed to hit himself in the face with a gear puller. His other mishaps included breaking the pull cord out of the gas-powered air compressor twice and breaking a (crappy) drill in half. He had a lot of explaining to do on Monday when we got back. 

I thankfully had an easier go than he did. This was also probably the one time I'll ever get to say that we raked and baled on ground owned by Lockheed Martin, the airplane manufacturer. I enjoyed being out in the field and on the road, seeing two new states, Arkansas and Mississippi, bringing my count up to about 32 states I've spent appreciable time in. I also realized on the way back I'd somehow hogged all the city driving, going through St Louis twice, Memphis twice, Jackson, and Tupelo; Walker has been on the road for Vermeer for more than twenty years and is no slouch behind the wheel, but I think he'll get over it.

The Enhancement Group is now back up to two members, so I am no longer a one-man show. Madison Delaney started at Vermeer in January as a manufacturing engineer, and is a good fit in his new position. I never heard the story why Jacob Limke's spot was filled after only one month instead of nine, but I am grateful to have someone to work with because there is much to do and Enhancement is very busy.

Sarah and I have been together for two years as of last weekend! I honestly can't quite believe it. She almost pulled off a road trip without letting me know where we were going, but I drew it out of her and spoiled the surprise. We went to Milwaukee, which may sound odd to skeptics. She had been there a couple times but I had never been there and had no idea what to expect. There was some surprise involved because the city was not what I expected. It seemed to have a lot happening. Some intersections are a little weird compared to other cities I've been in, but I think I can forgive them.

We got there late last Friday, and went straight downtown to listen to a session, which was just great. We saw the Public Market, a Pabst Brewery tour, a Pabst Mansion tour, and the Lakefront. We had a nice seafood dinner at a bistro, at loose ends for the evening. We had seen several theaters downtown, and found that one nearby featured Brian Regan, a favorite comedian of mine, that night, so we impulsively bought tickets. He is genuinely hilarious, original, and not obscene, which is a rarity. It was a full day well spent.

We went to mass at the Basilica of St Josephat, which was very beautiful and even had a choir. Yet another Milwaukee surprise. We wandered our way back to Pella, the kittens skittering across the gravel to see us, finishing our 763-mile trip. I've driven 3290 miles on all my October roadtrips, so I'm ready to stay at home for a little while.

Two sister visits in the same week!

My family doesn't come to the Midwest often, but last week both Alicia and Courtney were, so I took the opportunities to see them. Alicia was in Minneapolis the weekend before last for a wedding, so Sarah and I diverted our plans to camp elsewhere that weekend to see her instead, and meet her new boyfriend Jeff. We were literally loaded up and driving out of town when she called. The 4.5 hour drive was worth it, and we had a good time exploring downtown Minneapolis, particularly The Butcher and The Boar German restaurant. I like impromptu adventures.

Court was in Des Moines for work for the first time since I've lived in Iowa. She was familiar with the area after she and Aaron lived in Oskaloosa, a town just south of Pella, their first married summer. Work also used to take her to Des Moines fairly often. Sarah and I met her for dinner after she flew in last Tuesday. She came down to Pella after work on Thursday, and we had a very nice Sarah-cooked dinner, drove around town, took pie to some friends who were out putting up hay on a very nice evening, and got the tour of my new place. I believe she approved.

I hope the time before Thanksgiving flies by so I can see them again soon!

My time as Enhancement Man turned out to be short-lived: another engineer was hired this week and will be joining me in Enhancement in early October. He's been in the manufacturing engineering department since the beginning of the year so I know him a little already. I think he'll fit in just fine.

I Am Enhancement Man

One topic I should have mentioned in the last post was that I am now a one-man team in Vermeer's Forage Product Enhancement Engineering group, which typically has two. Mr Jacob Limke was moved back to the baler group after two years in enhancement. I will be fending for myself at least until May when a new-hire will be brought on and trained by me, which may not be convenient if the season ramps up like it should that time of year. I counted today, and enhancement covers at least thirty models, including eight that were covered by a dedicated alliance engineer until a year ago. Despite the daunting work load, I have been assured that I will not be expected to do the work of two. Other groups may help with some of my responsibilities if things get too busy.

It's easier in a way because I know exactly what's going on with all of enhancement's issues. This is only the second week since the change, but it's manageable.

Portland, National Dealer Meetings, and the Eagles

I've had a very exciting ten days or so. I flew to Portland, Oregon on the 28th to join in on Scott Ervin's wedding festivities. Sarah was not able to come with me because she was in Vegas on a bachelorette party adventure. Scott is a good friend from the Bozeman days, and we were joined by a strong group of MSU alumni, many of whom I hadn't seen in a couple years. It still amazes me how much I can catch up with these old friends and it feels like it's been a few days since we've seen each other, not years. Congratulations Scott and Cheryl, and thank you for the honor of standing with you on your big day!

I had a blast seeing some of Portland, a one-of-a-kind city. My cousin Emily Torstveit and her husband Sven even met up with me for a couple hours. Our trip to a Korean-Hawaiian food truck just about made the trip worth it by itself. There are lots of reasons I need to go back to Portland, so hopefully it isn't long before I can get back.

Vermeer Forage held its National Dealer Meetings this past week. They are held every three years, so I hadn't been involved with one yet. My role was to drive trams of dealers to various events on Thursday afternoon and evening, and to drive a shuttle to the airport on Friday. Seeing the dealer reactions to multiple new product unveilings was very exciting. My dad was not able to attend due to being busy with second cutting and calving. All of the field demos went flawlessly, and the entire program went unbelievably smoothly as far as I could tell.

I had the opportunity to attend an Eagles concert last night in Des Moines with Sarah, her parents, and two sets of aunts and uncles. I'm pretty sure we were the youngest people there. To be perfectly honest, I went in knowing who the Eagles were, and knowing Hotel California, but not much beyond that. I got the feeling right away that the show was aimed at the demographic who had grown up with the band. Things picked up speed, however, and so did my interest. I was surprised how many of the songs I knew. Their musical talent is undeniable, with multiple harmonies and most band members playing multiple instruments well. It was quite an experience.

My biggest news at the moment is that I will be in the process of moving to an old farmhouse north of town soon. My roommate got married a month ago and moved to Des Moines. I was ready to move on from my current apartment in town some time ago, but it seemed best to wait until after Tyler was out and it was closer to the end of our lease. My friend, fellow engineer, and fellow dealer's son James Williams is leaving for North Carolina at the end of September, so his place was available. It's six miles straight north of Vermeer so the commute is easy. It's on 3/4 of an acre with a garage, a workshop, a 30x40 shed, and a party shed called "the Pavilion". It has a corn/wood pellet furnace which most people are confounded by, but I'm quite comfortable with. I am very excited to have a place with a little more room for projects and to have people over.

Colorado and Montana in Summer

I've gotten behind in my journaling. It's been a month since my trip to Colorado Springs for Jake Duede's wedding, and I'm just now writing it up. Sarah and I had a nice drive across Nebraska to partake in the festivities and enjoyed the Air Force wedding over 4th of July weekend. Alicia and my parents were also there, so it was a good get together all around. Congrats Kate and Jake!

It was a big week in Winston last week, with my mom's birthday, my sisters coming home for their 10th and 20th reunions, the Townsend rodeo, and the family celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Cox Ranch this month. My Aunt Janet, Uncle Allen, and Janet's sister Nancy were also vacationing in Montana, so it was a busy week. All this, along with the usual ranch busy-ness of summer meant there was lots to do in just a few days. I apologize to many for not being able to visit quite as much as I like, my usual regret after a trip home. There will be a next time, I promise!

Quick Trip to Dillon

Two Tuesdays ago, Travis Koster and I started one of two driving days to Dillon to work on a mower conditioner. This was the first work trip I had gotten to take to Montana. As usual, we had to drive to take parts and tools. I've been getting familiar with the I-80, 29, I-90 route after several trips down in the last couple years. Travis had never been to Montana, a trip to Yellowstone as a kid notwithstanding. This is the prime time to be there in my opinion, and we both thoroughly enjoyed the drive.

We made the executive decision to stay in Bozeman on Wednesday night. Shepherd's Garage in Dillon wouldn't be open til 8 or so anyway, so there was plenty of time in the morning to get there. I told Travis my choices for food would be self-serving, but that I wouldn't disappoint. Mackenzie River with Chris and Jim, Jim's dad Roger, and my Grandma was great and as reliable as ever. I also relished stops at my old favorite bars.

This mower campaign was an update of mower conditioners that were launched last year. There was only one MC in Montana. The updates were substantial, but Travis had done several of them elsewhere and we got the job done in a day and a half. Finishing up at noon on Friday opened up the weekend nicely, and we made our way to Winston. I hadn't been home in seven months, and it was good to see my parents and the ranch.

Travis comes from western Iowa and has been around cattle, hogs, hay, and corn his entire life. Montana ranching is a bit different from that environment, and I tried to give him a taste of this whenever we weren't doing other Vermeer-related activities for my dad. Irrigating is mostly unnecessary east of the Missouri so our pivots, wheellines, handlines, and ditches were foreign to him. The scale of the pastures was also beyond what's seen in Iowa.

We stopped by Dave and Barb Clark's on Sunday on our way out. Travis is admittedly not a horseman, and I suspected he had gotten bored when the conversation drifted toward stockwhips, riding, and saddles. I later learned he had never heard such a conversation, and what stuck with him was that it could have happened an era ago with no difference. I'd secretly hoped he'd get that sort of experience. We rolled back to Iowa from there, stopping at King Ropes in Sheridan. I could have spent a full day wandering through all that tack.

Only a few days after getting back to Pella, Sarah and I backtracked to Mitchell, South Dakota for a wedding of a Vermeer engineer who grew up near there and recently moved back to work at Vermeer's Freeman facility. It was a great day, and great trip, and we were glad to be there. Our return to Pella topped 3600 miles for me in twelve days. Just five more weddings to go this summer...