You can’t do anything about the weather, but it’s difficult to wait for decent harvest conditions, while watching the crop deteriorate. It’s a feeling of helplessness. There’s so much work to be done and so little you can do when the weather doesn’t cooperate. If you’re like me, you check the weather forecast umpteen times a day and gaze at the puddles to see if they’re shrinking or expanding. It’s tough to maintain a positive attitude, but it’s important not to take your frustrations out on family members. These are stressful times, but young kids don’t deserve to have that stress rub off on them. Unfortunately, within your local community, it’s tough to get away from the problems. The lousy harvest weather and diminishing crop outlook are the main topics of conversation no matter where you go and who you talk to. There is some comfort in knowing that everyone is, pardon the pun, in roughly the same boat, but the guys on coffee row tend to play the game of one-upmanship with increasingly negative stories. That isn’t necessarily healthy. While this is cliché advice, hang in there, keep your chin up and remember that this too will pass. I’m Kevin Hursh.