Windmills

Another photo card, this one is a personal favorite. The windmill in the picture still pumps water for cattle. Behind it is an old stone building.

The first settlers to the Nebraska panhandle were very limited as to where the could build their farmsteads. There had to be a dependable easily accessible source of water for the people and the animals. Now you have to remember that in those days they were not able to drill deep wells as we are today. So the preferred homestead was on a creek or by a spring.

The stamped windmill image is done in dark green ink. The stamp is made by B & J's Art Stamps out of Las Cruces, New Mexico. I have been buying their stamps at conventions for a number of years and am a very satisfied customer. Great images and some innovative techniques.

Old Truck Photo Card

Whilst wandering the backroads of the Nebraska Panhandle I came across an old abandoned farmstead that had this old truck rusting in the tall grass.

I can just imagine some farmer hauling his hard red winter wheat crop to market in this old truck. 50 bushel a load and thinking how high tech he was because the horse drawn wagon would only haul about 10 bushel AND the trip took all day.

Now we have semi's that haul 900 bushels. The only thing that hasn't changed is the price we get for our wheat. We are still averaging about what our father's got for wheat in the 1950's with production costs far far more. Remeber, gas was 19 cents a gallon in the 50's. This old truck was probably purchased for a 3 figure price. Times have changed. Today's farmers and ranchers ride the razors edge each year as to weither he will be able to operate again next year. One hail storm, one misjudgement in the market, one mistake with chemicals, one big breakdown ($25,000 tractor overhaul) and he is no longer farming. The bank is selling him out. Unlike the auto industry, farm operations have to cash flow or they never get the loan. AND we have to repay our loans.