Knowin` what you know now..

[Packard27]

Okay, I'll play.

I think I would have tried to bribe that Navy Corpsman back in Pensacola in 1980 after my initial flight physical revealed I had 20/25 vision in my left eye. Yes, having less than 20/20 in either eye is a genuine show stopper with Naval Flight Surgeons.

Awww nuts! One lousy eye exam and the lifetime dreams of one day becoming a US Naval aviator and a Marine fighter pilot...dashed in a single morning. D*mn! Otherwise, I would not change a single thing. Even my greatest crashes and burns in life seemed to have turned into hidden blessings.

So, if you have your health, your bills are getting paid, and your kids and spouse still love you, then life is pretty darn good...all other things considered. Why look back to the past with anything other than fond nostalgia? 

[Kay/NC]

A crystal ball would sure help. Given the uncertainties of raising pigs for the Chinese, I had been urging Mike to utilize our grass better, by buying into beef cattle. A year or so later, with cows higher than a kite, he is all-in on that idea now.

A startup in a down economy isn't fun, but we feel this is a hedge against what could go wrong with our present main line of revenue. The savings had sat and earned zilch for far too long. One calf will pay more than we will spend on animals and upgrades to infrastructure.

Whether or not this will work out well will take a while to be seen of course. Just sitting inert, worrying about " what if?" Is the worst thing in the world for us.

[k-289]

Banker that got me through the 80's once told me to be positive regardless along with being a realist --- also he said that one cold January night he asked his Grandpa in Minnesota that he wished spring was here and Grandpa said to make spring get here faster go to the bank in January and take out a " 90 day note " - spring will be here real fast --- 

[BA Deere]

That is very true, also a 20 year mortgage never seems to end.

[BA Deere]

During the 80`s a young guy that was born on "3rd base"  and married a girl that was also well off got in trouble financially.  Now I will never forget the once cocky, guy being pretty humble as he lamented "I should`ve never bought that combine, I should`ve never bought that combine".   He did go broke and ended up divorced and the combine was a 1480 International as I recall.

I have a relative that was never in financial trouble, but went through a divorce he said his only two regrets was that he ever married "that `B-word` and that damned International Cyclops planter!".  After the divorce settlement he was at his Florida home in the winter, bought a lottery ticket and won $10 million.   So...there you go   🙂

[tree fmr]

Took a local girl on the base for Mongolian BBQ dinner. Sold by the ounce, deal is if you guess the price within 5 cents its free. I lucked out with front row parking and my dish was free, hers $15. Told her must be my lucky night and put $20 in the slot machine, walked away with $40 in my pocket. Dinner for two and get paid 5 bucks, really was my lucky night. Excuse me, have to drive her home this morning. 🙂

[Red Steele]

I wish I would have taken the $4.95 and $12.25 for new crop corn and soybeans, and also emptied out my 2013 corn. Outside of that, I guess I have no regrets. And I can still hope for better prices in the next couple of years since I do have storage, interest rates are next to nothing, and I do have some benjamins to spend for a while.

I do sympathize with those that borrowed money banking on $5 plus corn, etc, but that is the school of hard knocks. If everything was on a trajectory that went straight up, capitalism would not work and we would just have a few  oligarths owning it all.

[ECIN]

Knowin what I know now ..... ?   I would have never farmed with my dad . Thats about it

[sw363535]

Oh my,

Ecin,  that is the most I have ever read in the shortest amount of words..  🙂

I been in both spots,  not too good at either one.

[BA Deere]

....and so far no improvements and I`m still bullheaded and hangin` in there. Boy $4.95 corn?  a blast from the past   🙂