The Keys to Motivation

Some time ago a person mentioned to me that they were impressed with my ability to put blog posts out on our farm blog on a regular basis.  They followed the compliment up with a question:

What motivates you to get things like that done?

They asked it as if I actually might know the answer to the question and I don't actually recall how I answered it then.  But, I've had time... probably a few years now...to consider the answer more fully.  So, here they are - the keys to motivation!

1. YOU are the key.

There is simply nothing quite like an impending deadline to get a person going.  But, even a deadline is often not enough.  To make it really work, YOU have to set the deadline and YOU have to broadcast to a bunch of people that YOU will be somewhere with the results of whatever it is that YOU said YOU would do.

Like - deliver 50 dozen eggs to a location that's a half hour drive away.  And, the time you need to leave to get there on time is only... oh... fifteen minutes away.

That'll motivate you to get a bunch of eggs washed that you were having trouble making yourself clean earlier in the day!  Works every time.

2. The key is blowing in the wind.

Sometimes you will find that you did not have the foresight to create your own emergency by telling everyone you would be somewhere with cleaned and packaged eggs.  This is where Mother Nature comes in.

I think nearly everyone who works on a diversified, small-scale farm such as ours can relate to the incredible amount of adrenaline, combined with a new-found sense of commitment, that a person can find when a glance at the radar reveals that you only have a half hour to do EVERYTHING before EVERYTHING blows into the next county.

3. The key is to leave it OFF the list this time

It's amazing how well this works.  

Are you having trouble getting that really important, but fairly unattractive, task done that's been on your to-do list for several weeks?  The simple solution is to remove it from the list and put a bunch of other important things on the list that are equally unattractive.

Suddenly, you find you have motivation to do that thing you've been avoiding for so long.

4. The key is to be able to get out of something else that's worse.

It never fails.  Now that you can't do that thing that you really need to do, you actually WANT to do that thing.

Go to the doctor's office and suddenly you LIKE the idea of finishing this year's taxes.  Sit down to do the taxes and it really feels like this would be a great time to scoop out the hen room.  Grab the pitchfork to scoop out the hen room and it makes those phone calls to ten people you don't know for a project you aren't so sure you want to be involved in look really good.

And, if you are an introvert, you realize that it is never a good time to make a batch of phone calls.  So, you go do each of the other things if it can get you out of that one.

5. The key is to have someone or something prevent you from doing it.

It never seems to fail.  You go visit someone or travel somewhere different for the weekend - and suddenly, you are quite willing to do a bunch of those things that you should have done before you left.  Now that it is physically IMPOSSIBLE for you to actually follow through, the task seems to have regained some of its appeal (assuming it had some to begin with).

Just a note to anyone who might want to try to use this technique for motivation - you need to MOVE FAST once you are in position to do that thing because the motivation is going to fade quickly.  Get out there and start scooping that hen room before your brain catches up.  It's much better to have your brain say "Hey! How'd I get roped into doing this?" instead of "Nope!  Uh uh!  You're not fooling me into doing this that easily!"

Well, there you are!  The Genuine Faux Farm's keys to motivation.

I don't know about you, but I suddenly have the desire to go mow the lawn and weed the perennial beds!

One for You, Two for Me - Postal History Sunday

Cold days make good days for postal history at the Genuine Faux Farm.  This is good news for everyone who might like to read a new Postal History Sunday!  Sure enough, here is the latest installment - posted on the Genuine Faux Farm blog and the GFF Postal History blog for all who might have interest.

Before we get started, let's all go dunk our troubles into a tub of water.  Swish them around - get them really wet.  Now, let's go hang them on the clothes line.  It's been cold enough it shouldn't take too long for them to freeze.  Once you get done reading Postal History Sunday, go out and hit them a few times with a shovel or a baseball bat.  By the time you're done with them, they won't look all that formidable anymore.

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This week we are going to take a look at mail that was sent from Switzerland to various German and Austrian destinations during the 1850s and 60s.  To set the stage, you need to know that Germany was not a single entity during this period.  However, most of the German States and Austria operated their postal services under the auspices of the German-Austrian Postal Union (GAPU).

With that in mind, let's take a look at how postage rates were determined based on the postal convention Switzerland had with the GAPU. 

A simple arrangement

Ok.  I admit it.  I am probably misleading you a bit here.  Postal relations between nations is typically anything but simple.  My intent is to actually give you a simple explanation to get us all started and on the same page - so to speak.  Then, we can move forward until we've decided we have had enough of the complexity.  At that point, we can go have lunch - sounds like a plan to me!

This postal treaty was in effect from October 1, 1852 until August 31, 1868, a fairly significant chunk of time during an era with numerous advances in transportation and strong movements to make postage less expensive for letter mail.  The basic idea was that Switzerland would be split into two areas, or rayons, with the first rayon being areas closer to a border with any members of the GAPU.  Similarly, the GAPU, covering more territory, was split into three rayons, with the closest being the first rayon and furthest being the third rayon.

Essentially, the Swiss determined postage at 10 centimes per rayon for a simple letter (a letter that weighed no more than 15 grams).

Here we are, a folded letter mailed from Basel, Switzlerand on Jun 12, 1866 to Augsburg in the Kingdom of Bavaria, which was a member of the German-Austrian Postal Union.  Basel was right on the border with Baden, another member of the GAPU, so it was considered to be in the first rayon of Switzerland.  Augsburg falls into the second rayon of the GAPU.

• 1st rayon in Switzerland = 10 centimes in postage
• 2nd rayon in GAPU = 20 centimes in postage
• total postage = 30 centimes.

And sure enough, there is a 30 centime stamp on this folded letter AND there are two markings that indicate postage was paid.  At bottom left is a pen marking that is a form of the word "franco," the term favored by the Germans to indicate that postage was paid.  At the center top is the P.D. marking that was favored by the French.

Well, that worked out pretty well, didn't it?

The postage is paid and everyone should be happy.  So, that leaves us with the question - what is that big red "6" doing on this cover?  Didn't we just say the postage was fully paid?

Indeed it is, but we need to remember that postal services during this time were concerned that each of them got their fair share of the postage.  The six represents the money the German postal services expected to receive in their currency (kreuzer) to pay for the two rayons worth of ground they had to cover.  Six kreuzer was equivalent to 20 centimes of Swiss currency.

Who got the 6 kreuzer?

Just because the German states were part of a postal union, it certainly did not follow that they wouldn't bicker a bit over who actually GOT that six kreuzer.

The simple answer was usually this - whoever handled the letter first got the money.

It just happens that this letter traveled through Wurttemberg first, according this railroad marking that is found on the back of the folded letter.  It reads "K. Wurtt. Fahrend Postamt" or "Kingdom of Wurttemberg mobile post office"

Perhaps it would help a little to have a look at a map of the area and we might all have an easier time with what follows.

Switzerland is bordered on the north by Baden and the east by Austria.  Wurttemberg shares the border with Switzerland on Lake Constanz (Constance) and Bavaria also gets a tiny little slice of that border on the lake as well.

Basel is located on the western corner of the border with Baden.

Ok - got all of that?  No?  Well, here's the good news, you can come back to this map as often as you like!  What a relief! 

Let's give it another go.

Let's send something to Wurttemberg!

Let's look at an envelope that was sent from Basel, Switzerland in October of 1861 to Fellbach, a small town near Kannstadt in Wurttemberg.

The postage is figured in exactly the same manner as the last item.  One rayon for Switzerland and two for the GAPU.  Total postage due was 30 rappen (or centimes) - 10 for Switzerland and 20 for the GAPU.

I suppose it might seem a little concerning that there is no "franco" and no "P.D." to be found.  There isn't even a "6" here to show the 6 kreuzers due to the GAPU.  But, the postage stamps have been struck with the Basel markings so they can't be reused.   

When we look on the other side of the envelope, we DO see the red "6," which helps us feel better that this item did go through the mail properly.  We just have to remember that different clerks at different locations at different times in history may have done things in different ways.

Despite all of the differences, there is one similarity.  There are one of those Wurttemberg "Fahrend Postamt" markings at the bottom left.  Apparently, this letter traveled on Swiss railways until it got to Lake Constanz, where it crossed the lake to Wurttemberg.  

Wurttemberg gets the six kreuzer yet again!

Can we make it three for three?

Here's an envelope that was mailed from Neunkirch, Switzerland in November of 1865 to Stuttgart, Wurttemberg.  Neunkirch, like most of Switzerland, was in the first rayon.  And, Stuttgart is just to the west of Kannstadt and Fellbach - so it is also the 2nd rayon of the GAPU.  Once again, the postage was 30 centimes.

There is a "franco" in black ink shown above.  But, the red "6" takes the form of "wf 6," which stands for "weiterfranco 6."  You could translate that loosely as "forward payment," which is as good as any description for this process.  Switzerland collects 30 centimes of postage and is required to pass forward payment of six kreuzers to the first member of the GAPU that handles this letter.

And, since the weiterfranco marking is different, that is a clue that maybe - just maybe - some OTHER German State got to this letter first!

Without forcing us all to look at each of the postal markings on the back of the envelope, let me just tell you that one of these reads: "Schweiz uber Baden."  A second marking in blue ink reads "Bahnpost Basel - Constanz."  Both of these confirm that the letter was carried on the Baden railways and the mailbag had been opened for processing on one of their mailcars.

So, Baden is the winner of the prize this time around.  Which begs the question - how did this happen?

Game of trains

On the map below are the possible routes letters could have taken from Basel on their way to Wurttemberg or Bavaria.  The blue route uses the Baden railway lines and the red would be entirely Swiss railways.  If you look closely, you will see that the Baden line actually runs through a bit of Switzerland up by Schaffhausen.

The numbers on the map correspond to the following cities:

1. Basel, Switzerland (our first two letters started here)
   
2. Schaffhausen, Switzerland  (our third letter started here)
3. Constanz, Baden
4. Romanshorn, Switzerland
5. Friedrichshaufen, Wurttemberg

Prior to 1863, the Baden line that ran from Basel to Constanz stopped at Waldshut, which means any letter from Basel would continue on its journey via Swiss railways by turning south at that point (note the blue line that goes south and joins with the route in red).  But, even then, it is likely Baden opened the mailbags to put their mark on letters and collect their 6 kreuzer just by virtue of handling that mail first!

Once the letter got to Lake Constanz (also known as the Bodensee), mail would be carried across the lake to Friedrichshaufen and, at that point, it would be placed on a mail train controlled by Wurttemberg.

Making the Swiss work hard for one rayon

The basic idea of rayons was to charge more postage for letters that had to travel longer distances.  The idea of splitting the postage between the Swiss and the GAPU was similar - to try to compensate each postal system for the extent of services rendered.  If you had to travel more distance with the letter, you should get more of the compensation. 

But, there was a sneaky thing about the rayons in Switzerland.  It turns out that MOST of the country was close enough to some member of the GAPU that it was in the first rayon.  It did not matter if Basel was next to Baden and a good distance from Austria - it was still in the first rayon!

Here is a letter from Basel to Fulpmes (or Vulpmes) near Innsbruck in Austria.  Fulpmes was in the third GAPU rayon, but Basel was in the first rayon for Switzerland.  The total postage due was 40 centimes, but the sender actually overpaid this item by 10 centimes.

Maybe they felt bad about the extra work Switzerland had to do for this one?  Or maybe the Swiss postal clerk decided Basel should be in the second rayon just this once.  It doesn't matter, because the official line on this was 3 rayons for the GAPU and one for Switzerland.  With either interpretation, 9 kreuzer (equivalent to 30 centimes) had to be passed on to Austria (hence the big red "9" on the front).

The route of this letter is shown above and there are corresponding postmarks on the back of the folded letter that match up with these locations.  It's good when the markings confirm the route so clearly!

Thurn and Taxis sneaks in an exception

Just when we all thought we were getting the hang of this, we learn that those crazy folks with the Thurn and Taxis postal services had a special agreement with Switzerland to throw a wrench into the works.

Here is an envelope that was mailed in 1865 from Geneve, Switzerland to Frankfort, in Hessian territory.  Frankfort's mail was handled by Thurn & Taxis - but to get there the letter would have to travel through either Baden or Wurttemberg.  So, you might expect one of them to get some credit for the postage collected.

Unfortunately for Baden and Wurttemberg, Thurn and Taxis' agreement with Switzerland allowed them to have their mail sent in a closed mail bag* through the other German States.  That meant the mail to Frankfort was NOT processed by any other German State and THEY (Thurn & Taxis) would receive the share of the postage due to the GAPU this time around (9 kreuzer = 30 centimes).  

Well, I suppose if you had been providing mail services in Europe for centuries, you might know a few tricks to make sure you got paid for your efforts.

The other interesting feature of this piece of letter mail is that it actually shows an item that originated in the second rayon of Switzerland.  Geneve was about as far as you could get in Switzerland from any of the GAPU's borders.  And Frankfort was in the third rayon for the GAPU.  As a result, this letter cost 50 centimes to send, the most a single weight letter (known as a simple letter) could cost.

Bonus Material

At one point in this blog, I might have mentioned that the postage in Switzerland was 30 rappen, instead of 30 centimes (see the 2nd cover in this post).  Switzerland actually has four official languages: French, German, Italian and Romansh.  The German speaking members of the population would refer to rappen, the Romansh to rap, the Italian speaking to centesimo and the French speakers to centimes.  As we move through the 1860s, the official use of centime for the international description becomes widely accepted.

Switzerland first had a unified currency based on the franc in 1798, which was then split into 100 centimes/rappen/rap/centesimo.  It was at this time that the French, under Napoleon, created the Helvetic Republic - which lasted only five years.  Even after the various cantons resumed control, most continued using forms of the franc and its decimal currency structure.  This made it easier for them to adopt this currency when the Swiss Confederation was formed in the late 1840s.

*Bonus Material Part II

Today is a two for the price of one day at the Genuine Faux Farm!  

With our last cover, we mentioned the idea of a "closed mail bag" and I thought it might be useful to tell you a little more about that.

Some postal services negotiated the right to send mailbags through an area controlled by a different postal service so that the mail in transit would not be processed by this intermediary country or postal agent.  This is often referred to as "closed mail."  Letters carried with a closed mail agreement will not have markings from any of the intermediaries for that reason.

Typically, the intermediary service would receive some compensation based on bulk weight or some other consideration.

And now you know at least a little bit about that particular topic!

Have a great remainder of your weekend and a wonderful week to come!

Evolution of Dreams

It was May of 2007, and the Genuine Faux Farm was in the early stages of the insanity of what it has become in the years since.  And, if I were to transport myself back to the dreams we had for this place then - and compared them to what they look like now - I wonder what I would see?

One of our dreams then was to build connections with community.  We held what we called "Tom Sawyer Days" in hopes that people might come and spend a few hours to help us do a few projects where many hands would make a big difference.  We were much more intent on hosting as many as three "festivals" or "gatherings" at the farm where food and conversation could be had.

Over time, the Tom Sawyer Days lost their appeal, as did some of the initial excitement for people to come out and do things on the farm.  And, I do mean that from both sides of the equation.  Hosting events did take its toll on us AND it seemed people became less interested in the concept of a Tom Sawyer Day.  That isn't to say that we don't still periodically host groups to help us with a task or two - and we always appreciate it.  But, what I do mean to say is that our perspective as to how we intended to maintain connections to community has evolved.

We also had many dreams about how we would manage this portion of our farm over time.  The photo was taken from the road looking towards the old machine shed/hog building that is now known as the Poultry Pavilion.

At the point the photo was taken, we were still hoping to maintain the beautiful perennial flower gardens just beyond the rows of early crops.  The granary was going to be properly painted and we had numerous other hopes and dreams.

If I were to go out and take a similar picture in May of 2022, you would still recognize the place, but it would be very different.  Eden, our smaller high tunnel, would be a significant part of the picture.  A row of bushes would be in the foreground, approaching five to six feet in height now.  The perennial bed is now more of a wildflower or wild area now and the granary is still only half painted, but it does have a new roof. 

Interestingly enough.  The dreams for this place are still rooted in some of the same desires we had then.  It's the specifics that may differ.  And, maybe we've moved away from concerns form aesthetics to a focus on utility - both for farming and for working with nature.

I think I'll make it a goal to take a picture of this area on the farm this May.  It would be interesting to see where we've been and get a glimpse of where we might be going.

Land stewardship: Where will your name be?

Have you ever wondered how some of my ideas on the farm blog translate into something that becomes a piece for the Pesticide Action Network's Ground Truth blog?  Here is the perfect example for those of you who have interest.  

The following is based off of this post from earlier in the week and it was titled, "Do you really want to put your name on that?"  The original received some positive feedback, which is always nice.  But, the more I thought about it, the more I felt this could be refined so it would work for a broader audience that, perhaps, knew a good deal less about us and our farm.

On top of that, the process of writing and re-writing - complete with others reading and giving editing suggestions - can turn ok writing into pretty good writing.  Take a look and see what you think:

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We were driving through what has become an increasingly sparse Iowa landscape on our way from one place to another when we noticed a sign with the farm name proudly displayed — "XYZ Farms."  It was placed prominently at the intersection of two roads.  And we saw a similar sign for XYZ Farms at yet another intersection, staking their claim to more fields.

We looked at the barren landscape, soil devoid of all cover with the exception of a dusting of snow and corn stalk stubble and we asked ourselves, "Do they really want to put their name next to that?"

Making our mark with a sign

We were given this nice sign (shown at the top of this blog) with our farm name on it.  It is not terribly large and it doesn't call too much attention to itself.  In some ways, it is a lot like the farmers in that regard.  It states what needs to be said and is not afraid to do so.  But, there really isn't that much need to make such a big deal about it.

The Genuine Faux Farm is the farm currently under our care.  Yes, it is SINGULAR — just ONE farm.  You see, we never did understand someone's need to own and control multiple farms.  Maybe someone else might like to farm too?  And, yes, our name is pronounced "fox" not "foe," even though it is a great play on words when you use the French word "faux," which means "fake" or "false."

The sign itself resided by the back door of the farmhouse for many years.  This door was the main entry and if anyone came to visit or make a delivery, they might see the sign.  A sign that acknowledged our contract to be stewards of this farm.

The sign is a mark of approval

This brings me back to the XYZ Farms, their signs, and my reasons for wondering why their farm name was proudly displayed there.  

My eyes showed me slightly rolling hills of farmland filled with....nothing.  But, what bothered me the most was the complete lack of respect and care that I could read just by the periodic observances of this land I have made over the years.

The only ground cover these fields have known over the past ten years is corn, and the soil is turned over every year in the fall after the corn is harvested.  The small number of grass waterways have gotten less wide or have disappeared.  Tillage has now encroached into the ditches by the road.  I noticed that the top of the ditch has been turned over, exposing bare soil that is now washing down into the ditch itself.  When I looked carefully, I could see where they steered their equipment around the telephone poles at the top of the ditch — making it clear that they were aware of exactly what they were doing.

And still, the sign stands at the corner of this field — proclaiming that XYZ Farms is apparently proud of their ability to promote soil erosion.

Now — before you get too upset at me — I understand that not everyone sees things the way I do.  If you look at this through a different lens, you might see reason for pride.  The fields are "neat and clean" and the rows are nice and straight.  You'll never see a weed amongst the corn rows.  Things are done with the utmost efficiency from the perspective of labor and equipment except, perhaps, the weaving around the telephone poles.  And, I am sure their production numbers are just fine.

First impressions may be deceiving 

To be perfectly honest, we considered taking our own little farm sign down because we were not all that proud of the way our farm house looked.  A nearby window needed repair, the back door was showing its age and the back steps made not-so-secret suggestions that they would like to collapse under our weight.  To make matters worse, the old gray siding was rotting away — making our back entry the least photogenic part of our farm.

I would not be surprised if some wondered exactly why we would want to associate our name with that part of our farm — given its condition at the time.  If you didn’t bother to observe the rest of our farm, you would be tempted to conclude that we didn’t care and that we were likely incompetent caretakers — stewards that should step aside for better options.

But, those who could read the health of a farm could see evidence that the farmers did care and that they were addressing issues as best they could.  Eventually, the time and resources aligned so we could address that back entry.  Now, even the cosmetic appearance of our farmhouse seems to indicate that we take stewardship of the Genuine Faux Farm seriously.

Looking beyond initial appearances

The corn rows at XYZ Farms are straight and nothing (and I mean nothing) will change the prescribed North-South or East-West orientation that is selected by the XYZ Farms.  That means rows go straight up and down some of the rolling hills, instead of running parallel to the contours of the land.  With the bare ground, you can see the quality of the soil change, getting poorer towards the top of the hill.  And, this soil will continue to degrade because their cultivation practices will promote even more erosion.

From the roadway, you can see for miles.  And that's not because the road is so much higher than the surrounding land.  It's because XYZ Farms has an aversion to trees, bushes and even tall grasses.  Every square inch must be available for corn, and no other growing thing is welcome there.

We would probably be accurate if we made the guess that they rely on synthetic fertilizers and a whole host of pesticides to grow the corn.  The soil that remains would have difficulty producing the yields I am sure XYZ Farms expects without reliance on these chemicals.

Even if I don’t know everything about how these fields are treated, I can still read the land.  I can still see that it is being "flogged to within an inch of its life."  And XYZ Farms wants you to know that they are proud of being responsible for that?  I suppose, if you believe that humans need to completely dominate the land and you believe the natural world must be bound to serve us — then maybe this is beautiful to you.  And maybe that's why you want your name next to it.

But, this attitude is bleeding the life from our soils and from our Land Between Two Rivers.  A state where the people still like to boast about the quality of the soil and claim the Mighty Oak as their state tree and Eastern Goldfinch as the state bird.  But, this landscape makes it clear to me that neither is truly welcome here.

Iowans like to say we love the land.  But what I am seeing is not love.  This is abuse.  And Iowans don't stand for that sort of thing — do we?

Adventures in the Cold!

 *cue Indiana Jones music*

Wait a minute.  Why does this music have castanets in it?  I don't remember those.  Oh.. that was your teeth chattering?  Umm, never mind the music then.

When is wind strong enough to make a snowstorm a blizzard?
We recently had a snowfall that did not, officially, qualify as a blizzard.  Or, perhaps it did, but this one was nice enough to hit us over the night hours and we simply did our best to sleep through it.

The National Weather Service defines a blizzard as a storm with large amounts of snow or blowing snow, winds greater than 35 mph (56 kph), and visibility of less than ¼ mile (0.4 km) for at least three hours.  Now, if you don't have an anemometer ...

HOLD UP!  COOL WORD ALERT!!

Anemometer.  A five syllabobble word that just might challenge you if you say it five times fast.  It's worth this short interruption, I think.

BACK TO THE SCHEDULED ..um... whatever this is. 

As I was saying, if you don't have a tool to measure the wind speed (an anemometer), whether it is attached to a weather station or not, you have to use other methods to determine whether the critical 35 mph speed is reached.

Here are some suggestions:

1.   snowflakes HURT when they hit your face
2.   you lean into the wind slightly and it doesn't let you fall down
3.   you consider picking up and carrying a farm cat because you fear it might blow away
4.   you actually start coughing because a snowflake (or three) was rammed down your throat
5.   your mailbox is packed full of snow rather than bills and junk mail (this may not be so bad).
6.   windows on EVERY side of the house have snow caked on them
7.   you're driving down the road with the wind and a snowflake passes you.
8.   you throw a snowball into the wind and you hit yourself. (If only it were warm enough to make a snowball.)

Is this January different from other Januarys?

People are getting a little tired of the weather, but I don't believe things are terribly different this year than they have been most of the years we have lived on the farm.  So, I thought I'd do some looking at past weather and see how this January compares so far.

This January, Waterloo's lowest official temp has been -18 F (we've been down to -20 at the farm).  But, you might still recall that we got REALLY cold in January a few years ago (2019).  In fact, that month started off much warmer than usual and it ended with a great deal of shivering.

If three years ago is too far back, we just have to look at this past February.  Every day from February 6 to February 20 featured a low temperature below zero and seven of those days had a HIGH temp below 5 degrees Fahrenheit.  That's the thing about the cold.  If you take care of yourself, you can handle a few REALLY cold days and nights.  But, the longer it persists, the harder it is to get through.

This year so far, we haven't had a long slog of low temps.  In fact, January has been a HUGE roller coaster.  A few days of above average temps followed by a few below average temps.  From a farm perspective, we prefer this because it gives the poultry and outdoor critters opportunities to recover from the deep freeze nights a bit.  It also provides the farmers with nicer days to address problems - rather than being stuck with a problem that requires attention and no chance you can do so with temps above zero.

Record Jan lows in Waterloo, IA

So for everyone who is beginning to think the recent cold is truly exceptional, the conclusion here is that we are all suffering from short memories.  This is both good and bad.  Clearly, this can be considered good because we'll soon forget the discomfort this weather brings us.  Maybe it's not so good because we'll soon forget the things we should do to prepare for weather like this.

(Mis-)Adventures on the Farm

When temperatures take a dive and strong winds join them, it seems like everything conspires against you.  The reality is that "everything" is probably wanting to be warmer too, so you shouldn't blame things for not wanting to work.  And, let's be honest here, it's never convenient or relaxing when things break or fail to work.  It just seems so much worse when it's cold enough to freeze your eyes shut.

What?  You've never frozen an eye shut?

Ok, here's what you do.  Go outside and walk into the wind.  If you are like me, you will tear up a little bit.  Now, close your eyes to help deal with the problem of wind blowing on your eyeballs.  Try to open your eyes after that.  Yep, I hope you know how to get back to the house from wherever you were at.

It hasn't quite been that bad this year.  But, I did have one eye that resisted being open enough that I had to take off a glove and help pull an eyelid up Wednesday morning.

Perhaps the thing that bothers both of us the most is how long it takes to get ready to go outside.  And, then, of course, the process of unwrapping oneself once you get back in can be tiresome as well.  When we are well bundled we can handle the cold fine.  But, trying to bend over to get eggs out of nest boxes is a bit of a trial when you have 200 layers of clothing on.  Simply put, things can't get done the same way they get done during the rest of the year.

There you are - some Adventures in the Cold!  Have a great remainder of your day - especially while the temps are above zero!

You Shouldn't Have!

We do our best to be good companions and provide for our feline friends.  We provide them with food, water and shelter.  We do our best to provide the best possible accommodations with respect to "litter box facilities."  We are responsible with regular visits to see the vet - even though the cats may not agree that this is a good thing.  We even give them periodic treats and a toy mouse to carry around once in a while.

But, sometimes the best gift is the unintentional gift.  The paper sack left on the floor or the mostly opened cardboard box are considered among the most precious of offerings.  But...

The unzipped computer bag outstrips them all!

Unintentional gifts work well with spouses too.  The full glass of milk left on the table for thirty seconds while you take a few dishes to the sink is the perfect present for the partner who wants to remind her husband that he is just lucky to be in the same household.  And, the brief hesitation prior to trotting into the bathroom is a fine gift to the devious husband who decides that this is the moment to CUT IN LINE just because he can take some delight in moving a bit quicker at that moment.

Please note - that last is not recommended if the person being cut in front of has anything at all heavy nearby to toss in your general direction.

Do you really want your name on that?

We were driving through the increasingly sparse Iowa landscape recently on our way from one place to another when we noted a "sign" with the farm name proudly displayed - "XYZ Farms" - yes, the name has been changed for all of the reasons.  It was placed prominently at the intersection of two roads.  And we saw a similar sign for some other fields at another intersection for the same "farms."

My verbal comment as we went by the second sign was "do they really want to put their name next to that?"

The Genuine Faux Farm is our farm.  Yes, it is SINGULAR - just ONE farm.  You see, we never did understand someone's need to own multiple farms.  Maybe someone else might like to farm too?  And yes, our name is pronounced "fox" not "foe," even though it is a great play on words when you use the French word "faux" = "fake" or "false."

We were gifted this nice sign with our farm name on it.  It is not terribly large and it doesn't call too much attention to itself.  In some ways, it is a lot like the farmers in that regard.  It states what needs to be said and is not afraid to do so.  But, there really isn't that much need to make such a big deal about it.

The sign itself resided by the back door of the farmhouse for many years.  The back door was the accessible entry and if anyone came to visit or make a delivery, they might see the sign.  To be perfectly honest our back entry has not been the most photogenic part of our farm until recently, when we finally got some help to fix it all up.  It was ugly enough to make me wonder sometimes if we really wanted people to see our name next to the wobbly cement steps and old grey siding that was falling apart.

Oddly enough, now that the area looks better, the sign has yet to return.  Maybe we should fix that!

This brings me back to the XYZ Farms and their signs and my reasons for wondering why their farm name was proudly displayed there.  

No.  There wasn't a ramshackle building, leaning precariously to one side or another, surrounded by the rusted shells of twenty old vehicles and dozens of discarded farming implements buried in Giant Ragweed stalks.

Instead, there were slightly rolling hills of farmland filled with.... nothing.  

That, in itself, is not unique for farmland in Iowa.  What bothered me was the complete lack of respect and care for the land that I could read just by the periodic observances I have made over time.

The only ground cover these fields have known over the past ten years is corn and the soil is turned over every year in the Fall after the corn is harvested.  Over the years, the small number of grass waterways have gotten less wide and tillage has now encroached on the ditches by the road.  Over the past couple of years, I have noted that the crown at the top of the ditch is rolled over, and the heavy rains will sometimes wash some of that soil down into the ditch.  If you look, you can see where they have to actually steer their equipment around the telephone poles at the top of the ditch - making it clear that they must be aware of exactly where they are working the soil.

The corn rows are straight and nothing (and I mean nothing) will change the prescribed North-South or East-West orientation that is selected by the XYZ Farms.  That means rows go straight up and down some of the gentle hills on this farmland, instead of running parallel to the contour.  With the bare ground, you can see the quality of the top soil change as you go to the top of the hill.  And, it will continue to degrade as this planting practice will promote even more erosion.

From the roadway, you can see for miles.  And that's not because the road is so much higher than the surrounding land.  It's because XYZ Farms has an aversion to trees, bushes and even tall grasses.

We would probably be accurate if we made the guess that they rely on synthetic fertilizers and a whole host of pesticides to grow the corn.  We have, in fact, gone by at times when we have witnessed spraying and anhydrous ammonia applications at many places - but my memory does not include one that directly links to one of XYZ Farms fields.

Even without that knowledge, I can still read the land.  I can still see that it is being "flogged to within an inch of its life."  And XYZ Farms wants you to know that they are proud of being responsible for that?

Now - before you get too upset at me.  I understand that not everyone sees things the way I do.  If you look at this through other eyes, you might see reason for pride.  The fields are "neat and clean" and the rows are nice and straight.  You'll never see a weed amongst the corn rows.  Things are done with the utmost efficiency from the perspective of labor and equipment... except, perhaps, the weaving around the telephone poles. 

If you believe humans need to completely control the land and you believe the natural world must be bound to serve us - then maybe this is beautiful to you.  And maybe that's why you want your name next to it.

But, this attitude is bleeding the life from our soils and from our land.  Something Iowans say they love.  This is not love.  This is abuse.  And Iowans don't stand for that sort of thing - do they?

The Absurdity? of Writing Every Day

There are things that we do every day because we have to.

There are things that we do every day because we need to.

There are things that we do every day because we... just do them.

There are things we TRY to do every day because we should do them.

But, are there really things that we do every day because we want to... every day?

The moon rises regularly in the East - even though it doesn't appear over the horizon at the same time every day.  In fact, the moon has been known to hide itself from our view, even though we know it is there.  I, on the other hand, do not look at the moon every day it is visible.  But, I still take delight in viewing it each time I am able to do so.  I also make a regular, if not daily, effort to put myself in the position that I COULD view the moon if I so desired.

Would I still like viewing the moon as much if I made myself take a look at it every day it deigned to show itself?  Would it be absurd to make it goal to look to the heavens daily, in the hopes that the moon would show its lovely face?  Or would the simple fact that I was now trying to put value on the ability to "check something off the list" take away the pleasure I get when I do see it?

This is the fine line that we all walk with all of the things we choose to make into habits in our lives.

I suppose you can argue that some habits are necessary and this discussion does not apply.  But, what about things like... playing a board game with your best friend every day?  Walking outside every day? 

Or maybe, writing a blog every day of the year?

There are plenty of good reasons to put goals like these in front of ourselves - and there are just as many to take a shot at actually reaching them.  By writing regular blogs, I exercise my writing and communication skills - both things I actually need to hone for my professional occupation.  The act of writing also helps me order my thoughts and reflect on everything around me.  For me, writing is a bit like going out to view the moon as it finally appears over the tree line that lies a half-mile to our East.  There are definite positives - including a very real opportunity to communicate frequently with many people I care about.

But, it is important that I never let the act of consistency become more important than the benefits I get from consistent actions.

Certainly, there are times I do not want to write a blog.  And, it is ok for me to use the excuse that I want to be consistent in my participation for motivation.  But, when the day comes that another blog entry is simply a checkmark on the to-do list - that will be a day that there will be no writing.  And it will stay that way until I see once more how lovely the moon is - and I find myself wanting to write about it.

Dominoes - Postal History Sunday

Welcome once again to Postal History Sunday, published weekly on the Genuine Faux Farm blog and the GFF Postal History blog.  All are welcome here, whether you are merely curious about things that might be related to postal history or if you, yourself, are a postal historian.

Leave your shoes on for this one as you might want to get up and move about at the end.

Without further ado and todo, I present you with a series of dominoes.

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What is it with Bingen?

When you are learning about a new geographical area or a new topic within the huge realm of postal history, one small observation can lead to a series of learning dominoes falling as discovery follows discovery.  One such example is how Bingen, Germany, quite suddenly had more prominence in my understanding of the 1860s mail that was handled by the princely house of Thurn and Taxis.

The folded letter shown above was mailed in 1866 from a location south of Frankfurt A Main - an area that relied on the mail services provided by Thurn and Taxis at this time.  The letter shows postage stamps indicating the payment of 24 kreuzers to provide all that was needed for this letter to Luden & van Geuns in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.  

The letter was a double weight letter and of the 24 kreuzers in postage, the equivalent of 8 kreuzers was passed to the Dutch postal service to cover their portion of the expenses.  The postage breakdown is shown by the inked "16/8" just to the left of the town name "Amsterdam."

There is an Amsterdam receiving marking on the back AND this postmark:

Bingen?  Why is the German town of Bingen putting a postmark on this letter?  I am guessing it is a railway postmark because many German rail markings like to take note of the time of day - that's what the 7-8 N is.  But, why Bingen?

During this period of time, the most common location for mail to be taken out of mailbags and processed with new postmarks would be some sort of border between postal services.  This means we should look for Bingen on on the borders of Hessian territory, likely on a train route that would make sense if one were going to Holland!

If you look at this section of an 1861 map depicting the active rail lines in the area, you can find Bingen where a couple of rail lines meet, just west of Mainz.  If you look more closely, you can find different colors that depict areas that were Prussia (west), Bavaria (south), Hessian territory (east) and the Duchy of Nassau (north).  Clearly, this was clearly a border town.

It was at this point that the Prussian mail system must have taken control of this letter for its journey north from Bingen.

One Bingen deserves another

This is where one discovery lends aid with another piece of postal history.  Here is an 1865 folded letter that started in Offenbach (just east of Frankfurt) and was addressed to Madrid, Spain.  The postage was fully paid to leave Hessian territory and travel through other German states, as well as France, before getting to the recipient in Spain.

 

Once again, the blue markings split out the postage.  Seven kreuzer are kept by the German postal services, while the equivalent of 14 kreuzers are passed to France for service through that country.  I assume the additional blue marking shows how much is passed to Spain for their portion, but I have not yet confirmed how much that might be.

This railroad marking was found on the back of the second cover.  It is a bit blurry and when I first saw it, I was having trouble figuring out what it said.

The inner circle says "Bahnpost 2" which is a reference to a mail train (bahnpost = rail mail).  Since Offenbach is near Frankfurt, I was able to eventually decipher the outer circle starting with "Frankfurt A. M."   But, what followed?  I was not sure.

Until I saw the Bingen mark on the first cover!  Then I put two and two together.  This one reads "Frankfurt A.M. - Bingen Bahnpost 2."  

Once again, this makes sense, because once this letter got to Bingen, it could take the train to the southwest and France.  The letter would eventually go through Paris and Bordeaux and cross the border of France and Spain at Irun.

Bingen here too?

Flush with victory, I thought maybe I could use this new knowledge yet again with another cover that was mailed from this same area in Hessian territory.

This 1861 letter started in Mainz and was sent to a town by the Hague in Holland.  The postage rate was different in 1861 than it was for the 1866 letter we showed earlier, so 16 kreuzer were required to pay a single rate of postage.  It was split so that the German states got 9 kreuzer and the Dutch received 7 kruezer, which was the same as 2 Dutch cents.  You can see that the postal clerks provide all of that information at the bottom left.

Well, I guess there was to be no Bingen this time around!  Instead I found this railway marking that reads "Deutz - Oberhausen," with the date in between (Sept 26).  This is a section of railway that is a good bit north of Bingen, but still in Prussian territory.  In fact, it is possible that the previous letter traveled the exact same section of railway that this one did - just five years later.

The difference is when the Prussian postal service emptied the mailbag and placed their mark on the letter to show that they, too, had handled this piece of mail.  It didn't happen at Bingen, but it did about 80 miles north.  Was this simply a different route - or were there other reasons?

Here's where we can begin to get a real idea about the rapid change in travel that was being brought about in German during this time period.  The train station in Bingen was not opened until 1859 - which was the point that the line north was first opened as well.  In 1861, this was all still quite new.  This cover may simply be an artifact that shows how the postal service was still adjusting to a new mail service route via train.

Bingerbrück

It turns out that a person might also find evidence of this prominent junction in the early German rail lines if you see postmarks or references to Bingerbrück as well as Bingen.  Bingen lies on the east side of the Nahe River (left side on the photo below) and Bingerbrück on the west side (right side). 

 The picture above comes from an online sales lot on a popular auction site, and the date is purported to be circa 1860.  You can see the rail bridge in the foreground over the Nahe.  The photo itself must have been taken from the high ground on the other side of the Rhine River.

The print above can be found in Meyer's Universum, which was published circa 1850.  So, this would show Bingen in the 1840s at the latest.  You can see the hills from which the photograph was likely taken in the background and you might also notice that the rail bridge is not present.

After Napoleon's defeat in 1814, the Congress of Vienna, set boundaries that made Mingen a key border town between the Prussian Rhineland and the Grand Duchy of Hesse.  Just by looking at the photos a person can see how this might be a key river crossing with some of the surrounding land looking a little less comfortable for travel (and laying rail tracks).   

The railways established in the late 1850s continued to hold prominence into the 1900s with this section of railway becoming a prime bombing target in World War II.  

Bonus Material - The Mouse Tower

Photo from wikimedia commons, viewed 1/22/22

There is an island near Bingen where an old tower still stands - and it bears the name Mäuseturm - which is translated as "the Mouse Tower."  According to the current city of Bingen, this name may actually be a alteration of the name based on a High German word that made reference to this being a watchtower.

In the present day, this tower may be more well known for its connection to a legend that features the Archbishop of Mentz who treated the peasantry cruelly, murdering many of the poor to prevent them from eating too much of the food that was in short supply.  Archbishop Hatto fled to this tower to escape an army of mice, who pursued him there - he was then devoured by the mice as God's judgement for his wicked ways.

This poem by Richard Southey provides one version of that legend - for the whole poem, take the link.  Here is a portion of that work:

Then, when he saw it could hold no more,
Bishop Hatto he made fast the door;
And whilst for mercy on Christ they call,	20
He set fire to the barn, and burnt them all.
“I’ faith, ’t is an excellent bonfire!” quoth he;
“And the country is greatly obliged to me
For ridding it, in these times forlorn,
Of rats that only consume the corn.”

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I suppose that this may not have been the nicest way for me to end a Postal History Sunday - so perhaps it will help if I tell you that none of the sources I found have indicated that there has ever been any historical proof that such an event occurred.  So, take solace that this is - in fact - merely a myth.  And, if you ever go to Germany, you can go visit the Mouse Tower.  Just to see the place where it all DIDN'T happen.

However, now you understand why I told you to keep those shoes on.  Get up.  Take a short walk.   And clear your mind for the remainder of a fine weekend - and a great week to come!

Looking for Yellow Cars

I like to take pictures of nature and I like the challenge of trying to find a way to frame a picture so whatever I am observing looks its very best with the arbitrary borders a photo places on it.  I recognize that I am an amateur amateur photographer (I rely far too much on the automatic settings to make any other claim).

On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoy the work of Kip Ladage, which you can also enjoy by visiting Kip's Picture A Day.  However, since I work with words a bit more, I also like to hear what Kip has to say in Kip's Comments, which are often driven by some of the subject material in his photos.

On January 19, Kip noted that a friend of his had posted a meme that has gone around in social media a few times that starts with:

Easy to spot a yellow car when you are always thinking of a yellow car.

Kid addended this with:

Easy to see nature's beauty even when the extremes challenge your senses.  You can hide from it or you can embrace it.  You have a choice.

His photo was taken in a ditch by the road out by Sweets Marsh.  Ditches are pretty much overlooked by all of us   Ditches are often mistreated and pretty ugly.  Ditches are the last place you might look to take a photograph of nature.

And Kip's picture is beautiful.

The original meme is trying to make the point that if we are always thinking about something, we will always find it.  So, if we make bad choices about what we dwell on, it can lead to, potentially, bad things.  Kip took it the other way.  If we're looking for good things - like the beauty of nature - we can find them - even if it's just a ditch.

Well, Kip.  The amateur, amateur finds beauty in odd places too.  The picture above is ALSO a ditch, right next to a road.  Move the borders of the picture a bit and the focus on the beautiful things can be lost.

While it is important to me that I be aware of the whole picture and the whole truth - I, too, like to amplify and embrace the beauty of this world when I see it.  And, if it takes selecting the boundaries and moving them around so you see that beauty too?  I can do that.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Tread Lightly

 

Cats and humans do not exactly speak the same languages and they certainly come with different perspectives when it comes to the world around us.  What I have learned over time, with the help of my various feline friends, is that when you are not absolutely certain how your words or actions will be interpreted - you tread lightly.

It's actually common sense.  Reserve the heavy-handed response or the emotionally charged display or the loud and expansive declaration for those rare moments when they are really needed.  Otherwise, take a more conservative approach.  After all, if you start with your volume at 11, there isn't anywhere else to go.

After yesterday's post made me reflect on our prior feline companions, I realized that we were taught how to better communicate - both with cats and people - by Eowyn and Strider.  I am positive this has not prevented me from making more mistakes with our feline friends since that time - but I'd like to think I have gotten more innovative with the errors of my ways.  At least that's one way to put it.

On the very rare occasion that I might raise my voice towards one of them, it tends to get results.  And, I rarely feel good about it afterwards.  That's simply confirmation that maybe that approach is best left to extreme circumstances.

Yet, we make mistakes like this all of the time in our day to day communications - and I don't think we even recognize it.  It is one thing if we are face to face, maskless, and with people we know well.  Members of the group are familiar with each other and ALL of the communication clues are present and accounted for.  We can get away with short-cuts and we can be a bit more ridiculous, a bit more emotional, a bit more clever, and maybe even a bit more truthful in those situations.

But, take away some of the clues and you have problems.

Case in point?  I was having a conversation with a couple of people with whom I was acquainted.  We had a hobby in common that put us together.  Otherwise, we only had the basics as to what each person did and what each individual was like.  We were face to face, but wearing masks.

I tried to make a clever and slightly sarcastic remark as it seemed to be fitting with their mood and conversation.

They both became silent and stared at me.

Then I realized something.  They did not know me all that well and they could not read my eyes.  They could not see my smile and the tone was muffled.  I, of course, made sure to explain what I was saying and the tension left rapidly - thank goodness.

I had broken the rule of treading lightly when there are hindrances towards understanding between members of a conversation.

We break this rule constantly with electronic communication modes - both when we type/speak or when we read/listen.  It is bad enough when we type our words and then fail to re-consider them before posting (or speaking).  It is worse if, as the listener or reader, we don't take a moment to consider the intent behind the words.

There are ways to tread lightly and still stand firm when one must do so without losing the power of what you are saying.  There are ways to tread lightly when you confront another person so that you do not turn it into a public shaming event - giving them space to go about the learning they might need and removing the motivation to dig in their heels and close their ears and eyes.  There are ways to tread lightly and gently probe for more clarity, while being friendly, approachable and kind.

Another case in point - this time online, but still within the same hobby.  I shared an item and someone bluntly posted that they thought it (a piece of postal history) was a fake.  Others jumped to my defense before I even knew there was a response - some of their comments were interpreted by the person who felt the item was fake as being a bit aggressive.  What should I do now?

I tread lightly.  I openly admitted that there could be questions about the item even though I felt it was genuine - and I asked what this person had seen.  They responded.  I recognized their observations as valid concerns and then I discussed each of them and why I didn't think they were a problem - and allowed them to counter if they wanted.  The key was to give this person's observations and concerns value and voice while making it clear the question was still open (that I was not in agreement yet - and might never be).

In the end, we both agreed the item was fine.  In the end, we had more respect for each other - or at least I think we did.  It was still all online and there are still limits to what I can conclude.

So much of the time, treading lightly is a better way to promote learning and mutual understanding - because treading lightly doesn't mean you have to agree about everything.  Treading lightly doesn't mean we have to be someone other than ourselves.  All it means is that we're trying to adjust for the non verbal and other clues we are missing and we're admitting to ourselves that we could be missing something very important.

And, by the way, you should also SIT LIGHTLY in case there is a cat wrapped up in the blanket on the chair.

Boxes

 

This throwback post comes from January 13, 2010 - twelve years ago.  It was just two days prior that we had taken our 19-year old feline friend, Eowyn (the tortie at upper left), to the vet for the final time in her long and illustrious life.  She and her brother cat, Stryder, had been with Tammy and I for most of our married life.  They are both shown on the "Mighty Perch," an ugly wood contraption that we built, with our friend, Phil - using a very limited set of tools and an even more limited idea as to what we were doing.

Believe it or not, that darned perch traveled with us from home to home - just as our two companions did.  Fitchburg to Burke to Duluth to Mankato to Lake Crystal to Decorah and Chokio... and finally Tripoli.  They endured much - as did that perch.

It wasn't until a couple of years ago that we finally dismantled the "Almighty Perch" having never introduced it to the current Farmhouse Supervisors, Bree and HobNob.  

I was looking for a January throwback post that I wanted to share and came across this one and felt it was worth another viewing - not necessarily to grieve, yet again - but to celebrate the joys of companionship.

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I'm in the car, driving home and there is a box in the back seat.
The four flaps are interwoven in the traditional way.
But, I know interweaving the flaps isn't necessary.
I know what is in the box - and it makes me think of other boxes.

Nineteen years ago, I was driving a different car and I was driving home.
There was a box in the car.
The four flaps were interwoven in the traditional way.
And, I knew what was in the box - so I knew the reason for this precaution.

There were two kittens in that box.
One black and white, the other tortie.
It had been difficult putting them in the box.
When one was put in, the other would try to leap out.
It reminded me a little of those silly "bop'em gopher" games.
Every time you pushed one little feline head down
The other would pop up.

Boxes became the equivalent of fun time.
This was especially true for the tortie.
Make scratching noises on the inside.
She would jump in.
Make scratching noises on the outside.
She would bat at the source of the sound.

Boxes became the base of operations.
Play sessions with the nerf ball
would always start with the tortie in a box.
Until she couldn't stand it and would dart out,
and do her best to chase the ball,
as it was rolled from human to human.

Boxes became the place to lick perceived wounds.
While she was named Eowyn,
We nicknamed her "Bat" (or acrobat)
Due to her amazing leaps as she played with us.
She would get wound up
Until she landed on a human or otherwise lost control.
Soon after, she would be back in the box.
For a cat's time out.

Boxes were a way to pretend
that everything on the inside was mysterious
and everything on the outside was spooky.
We would tip the box over the cat,
and she would creep around.
Paws occasionally darting out to defend
against an unseen adversary.

As time went by, boxes became a place of safety.
Any time life became too much
she would go to a box and sit in
or on
until things settled to her liking.

Boxes were the booster seat
to sit closer to the level of her humans at the dinner table.
Boxes were the perfect place to nap,
Especially with her head propped on a corner like a pillow.
Boxes were the place to be in winter,
when the box was placed next to a radiator for heat.
And boxes were sometimes the place to do things,
that the humans didn't really want her to do.

But now, the box serves a different purpose.
I know what is in this box.
It is one nineteen year old, tortie cat.
It was difficult putting her in the box.
And it will be difficult taking her out again.
For one last time.