Sunday (The Final Test)

This morning I arrived 30 minutes earlier at the “driving range” (folks like my husband would be picking up their golf clubs).  I wanted a little extra practice on the Figure 8 because, quite honestly, that move was not my strong suit.  In fact, I just plain stunk at it!  I was afraid to turn my head as far as was needed, and I was afraid to make the turn without putting down my foot.

Wouldn’t you know I could execute a Figure 8 when no one was watching me!  When I was practicing on my own, I could make the turns without putting  a foot down.  I tried to convince myself that I could do it just as well when our driving test was under way, and I almost had myself talked into it when my name was called to be the first driver on the test.  It really unnerved me to think that 11 other students and three instructors were watching my every move.

Concern must have shown on my face as plainly as the beacon from a lighthouse on a dark night because one of the instructors signaled me over before I executed the drill.  “You can mess up the Figure 8 and still pass the driving test,” he said.

I’m sure he thought he was offering words of encouragement and, thus, reducing my stress.  He was right!  I came to cherish those words as I felt my foot touch the ground in the middle of the first turn.  I was so disgusted with myself because I CAN execute that turn flawlessly; I just couldn’t do it when it mattered most.  Yes, I had stage fright in a big way.

Thankfully, I passed the rest of the driving test with flying colors.  I was among the top of the class for stopping quickly, but that won’t surprise anyone who has ridden in a car with me!  The written test was our last criterion in order earn our certificate of completion.  I don’t mean to brag, but I really am proud of this fact: I didn’t miss a single answer on the written test.  It helped that practice exams were found in the back of our handbook, as well as online at www.msf-usa.org.

The Rider Education Course, developed by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) and offered through North Iowa Area Community College and most community colleges across the state, was a great experience!  I really encourage anyone who’s interested in obtaining a motorcycle license to first take this course.

Next time: the “official” picture of me on my ride.

Saturday

The desire to experience a big taste of freedom and a small dose of rebellion made me eager to get out of the classroom and onto a Kawasaki Eliminator, which was provided as part of our course fee. It’s a good thing that I’m not superstitious or else the model name would have really freaked me out. Instead, I said a quick prayer for wisdom and safety. Then I gripped the right brake and hopped into the saddle.

“Power walking” took on new meaning that morning as the instructors had us get acquainted with our bikes and learn to balance by straddling our bikes and literally pushing them from one side of the range to the other. It was a great way to work out one’s thighs. Yes, I used muscles that I didn’t even know I had! To top it off, there were gale-force winds that day so we had to push even harder.

I was especially glad to have a full-face helmet keeping the wind out of my ears, plus the head covering helped me stay warmer all over. (It was 38 degree Fahrenheit at 8 a.m. that morning.) I was dressed in layers including a long-sleeve thermal shirt, a fleece and my ski jacket. If only I would have thought to put on long johns to keep my legs warm! Leather gloves helped protect my hands from the chill and protected my skin in the one instance that I forgot to leave both feet on the ground. Leather boots protected my ankles and gave me traction while straddling my bike and later peddling my feet as I gained balance.

While we began by taking “baby steps,” it wasn’t long before we started our engines and learned to put up our feet.

That’s become a favorite metaphor, used by Dan Frieberg and his team of precision ag experts at Premier Crop Systems, to explain to growers that you’ll need to provide more plant food if you’re going to increase plant populations.

Matching plant food, including variable rate populations will be a foundation for future agronomic decision-making. Frieberg says this summer marks the beginning of planning for 2010 variable rate planting recommendations. Management zones will be created, and variable rate nutrient recommendations will be generated to match each zone. Variable rates will be adjusted during the winter to match the specific hybrids selected for each field. Integration is key to creating the yield and economic synergy that each farmer desires. For more information see www.premiercrop.com.

John Latham joined the ranks of Patrick Swayze, Kevin Bacon and Larry King when he recently served as Honorary Duckmaster at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis.

Hundreds of hotel guests gathered to see John direct the 5 p.m. march, which took the ducks from the distinguished Italian marble fountain in the hotel’s lobby to its rooftop where they spend their off-duty hours in the Royal Duck Palace.

The famous Peabody Duck March has been a hotel tradition since 1940, when Bellman Edward Pembroke, a former circus animal trainer, offered to help with delivering the ducks to the fountain each day. Mr. Pembroke taught them the now-famous Peabody Duck March and became the Peabody Duckmaster. He served in that capacity for 50 years until his retirement in 1991.

Ducky Facts:
• The Peabody Ducks are five North American mallards: one drake and four hens.
• Duck is not served anywhere at The Peabody, quite possibly making Chez Philippe the only French restaurant in the world that does not serve duck.
• The Peabody Ducks do not have individual names as the hotel recognizes that its resident waterfowl are wild animals, not pets.
• The Peabody Marching Ducks have appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Sesame Street, when Bert and Ernie celebrated Rubber Ducky Day, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and in People magazine and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. In addition, they were once a question on Jeopardy.
• Each team of ducks lives in the hotel for only three months before being retired from their Peabody duties and returned to the farm where they were raised.

Source: http://www.peabodymemphis.com/peabody_ducks

Here’s a video of how the duck march works. Poultry never had it so good.

This article on the formation of Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds and our mission of remaining independent was published yesterday in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier.

The second sentence of the story makes the case for our entire business: “…representatives with the small north-central Iowa seed company say they’re armed with unbiased information to help make customers money.” Feel free to forward this link to anyone who might benefit from knowing the independence story.

A local power company — Alliant Energy — has begun construction of Whispering Willow Wind Farm in Franklin County. The first wind mill components started rolling in last week and the county’s first wind turbine will soon be constructed. These things are huge! Much bigger than they appear from far away.

According to wind energy experts, a completed wind turbine costs upwards of $2 million. It takes, on average, about 14 semi trailers carrying towers, blades and mechanical housing units to install one turbine. Right now, wind-generated power accounts for 1% of all energy generated in the U.S. by public and private utilities. That 1%, however, constitutes displacement of 29 million tons of coal and 90 million barrels of oil a year. The federal goal is to generate 20% of our power through wind by 2030. Iowa has surpassed California now as the second largest producer of wind energy, behind Texas.