In transition...  

For my handful of loyal readers, this explanation of what is going on here at Incoming.  Basically, I am dealing with a confluence of several transitions in my life and career(s). These include:

1. Shifting the farm operation to Aaron.  This has proven mildly complicated but we are moving forward with rental ground renewing under his name, experimenting with machinery transfer/rental schemes, and getting a handle on what my contribution needs to be.
2. Forming a joint operation with a neighboring family with a similar family structure. Begun this year, it has exceeded all my expectations and we are rapidly finding ways to exploit more efficiencies and adapt.
3. Preparing for retirement economics.  Our goal is to have minimal income but still be able to backstop Aaron with cash rent adjustments on our own ground to help him to weather difficult times or take advantage of unexpected opportunities. Our effort to transfer assets and income to our sons has been in place for some time, but I'm still trying to get my head around how to adapt to a new leaner economic status. Profligacy turned out to be one of my core skills.
4. Completing the income tax hangover cure as my farm income drops and depreciation becomes a thing of the past. See also "machinery" in #1. One more year should get me past this economic time-bomb. $4 corn doesn't help, BTW.
5. Slight adjustments at US Farm Report - I'll be taking more time off  - as well as fewer speaking engagements (maybe 4-5 per year). Bluntly put, I'm tired of the road, even with clearly generous compensation. FJ has been very kindly flexible, and I'll still be writing for TP and FJ as usual.
6. Get maybe one more major trip/cruise with friends accomplished before any or all of us no longer are capable or interested in traveling. This can happen much sooner than we want or expect, I have learned this year.
7. Free up more time for woodworking, church, supporting friends and family during tough times like illness, and doing more Grandpa stuff. Plus Jan and are both more keenly aware the time we have together in good health may not be as unending as we had always assumed. This year has seen a spate of heartbreaks for couples we care for and we are rethinking our own time allocations. Like most farm couples, we have gotten used to enormous chunks of time together, and we no longer take them for granted.
8. I will be participating in the Good Judgment Project this year.  It will take considerable research time on my part. This will affect Incoming, of course. I will share my results and more info on the blog.
9. Maybe collect and self-publish my columns - humor for sure, but perhaps the commentary as well.

While I sorta saw all this stuff coming, the social and economic context keeps shifting even as we work through the issues. Many of the these developments were unexpected and the future undoubtedly holds more surprises we can't imagine right now.

Here is the deal for you guys. Looking at December 2014 (when I turn 66, hint, hint) as a major milestone, I will try to post at least 1-2 times per week until then. But I love blogging and once I'm home more will target about then to return to 1-2 posts daily. I have yet to decide how to handle the growing paywall problem for bloggers at WaPo, NYT, WSJ, Sullivan, The Browser, etc. I think it is reasonable for me to expect to invest a chunk to have full access, but you guys should be able to follow the links for free.

Bottom line is I will continue to post fitfully for a few months with a return to full-blown blithering around the end of next year. Thanks for reading and your friendship over the years, and I look forward to your inputs and put-downs as I opine on just exactly how the world would be if I were King.