We'd texted before I went to sleep - he said it was going to be a late night. I didn't know he meant that late, though.
A little worried, I called him. I was very relieved when he answered, saying, "What are you doing up so early?"
"Oh, just making sure you're still alive!" I said.
This is what happened - the straw was finally raked, dry, and baled. With the forecast of 100% chance of rain today, Kris didn't want the bales to get rained on. They had to be taken out of the field and put into barns. As a result, he and one of our team members (he didn't mind, he promised!) stayed up putting bales up all night! By the time they were done, it was time for Kris to start feeding the cows.
Hours later, Kris got home and sat down to do payroll. The boys were buzzing around him - so interested in the 'Dad staying up all night' story.
"Have you ever stayed up all night before, Dad?" Ty asked.
"Not ... the entire night," he said. "I've definitely only had an hour of sleep or two, but not the whole night."
We looked outside. The sun was shining brightly. We hoped the forecast was right.
Just as he went to take a nap, the rain started, and it rained steadily for a few hours.
Later Kris said, "It's just Murphy's Law. Or the Law of Farming. If we didn't get the bales in, it would have rained early. Just like - we got the irrigation system fixed yesterday, so now it's raining. If that hadn't gotten fixed, it never would have!"
(No wonder forecasters have such trouble figuring out what's going to happen. They have to take every farmers' day into consideration when making their predictions.)
I once said I'd never have a business that depended on the weather. Turns out it affects every single decision that goes on around here ... even when people sleep. ...Sweet dreams!
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