The truck, packed with kernels after harvesting a portion of yet another cornfield, slowly makes its way down the dirt road, bouncing along, kicking up a little Illinois summer dust. The driver is slowly headed for Hughes Farms and a rendezvous with a silo.
The 1,000-acre farm is fairly quiet on this Tuesday morning. On the far side of the barn, four or five chickens follow each other, hunting for food and pecking at the ground when they find something enticing. The basset hound is content to lie in the sun at the edge of the barn, oblivious to the world, caring only about the late summer sun providing a little warmth for his morning nap.
Like most retrievers, Bo wants to be near people, yearning for attention and holding out hope that someone may throw a tennis ball for him to chase. Or better yet, if he nudges up close enough, it is a pretty good bet he can get someone to scratch behind his ears.
When the truck arrives, Matt Hughes, the farmer, is already there, waiting to lend two very strong arms. He guides the truck in, hooks up all the connections and monitors the transfer of the kernels to the silo.
When the last of them has traveled up the pipe and into their temporary home, Hughes flicks a switch off, and the quiet returns to the isolated farm.
MATT HUGHES THE FIGHTER The anticipation for the former UFC welterweight champion is enormous. The crowd is buzzing, anxious to get a glimpse of their champion. When the lights go down, the crescendo rocks the soldout arena.
Matt Hughes, the fighter, emerges from the tunnel, just as his familiar country song blasts through the arena.
60 MPH THROUGH THE FIELDS Driving along a dirt road, surrounded by a sea of cornfields reaching some eight feet into the Hillsboro sky, at close to 60 mph is understandable once you understand how critical time is for a farmer. The kernels are at their optimum once they have reached the proper moisture content. Time lost is money lost.
Farmers have a reputation for working hard. Spend one day with them, and you'll clearly see why.
At the same time, some guys simply like a thrill.
"No one ever accused me of driving too slowly," says Hughes, as the passenger in the back gasps when her head again hits the truck's roof.
MOMENTS BEFORE BATTLE Matt Hughes, the former UFC welterweight champion, arrives at the Octagon. He turns and hugs his cornermen, including his twin brother, Mark, and, with the crowd noise deafening, makes his way into his "office."
He chats briefly with his corner, turns, looks toward the second deck and points-a nonverbal hello to friends from his hometown and "I love you" to Audra, his wife.
