Meeting Brittany, Lucy, dog poor

Mama and I took Rosie to meet Brittany in New Mexico so we could get her puppy and keep it for a few months. It was a pleasant drive to Des Moines, NM. It only took about three hours with a stop for breakfast and a potty break for Mama. We had set things up to meet at a restaurant in Des Moines – turned out to be the only restaurant in the area - so it was not hard for Brittany to find. Mama and I were there about an hour before Brittany got there and we got to visit with the locals some. It was enjoyable.


After we ate lunch and looked over the dress we had brought to show Brittany we went to a local attraction; Capulin Volcano National Monument. It was only about ten minutes from the restaurant and was highly recommended by the waitress there. It was fun to walk down into the crater which towered about three thousand feet above the plains. From there we could begin to see the hills and long cooled lava flows that had influenced the plains after the eruptions had ceased. It was well worth the trip.

In the Sierra Grande restaurant there were prints done by a local artist. All of them were very high quality but two really captured my attention. One that Mama and I liked best was already sold out – they are limit edition prints. The other I will probably buy when we go back over for Andrew’s graduation. It is of an older gentleman reading the King James Bible by the fireside. The title is “Line Camp Comfort.” I was just telling Mama that morning about the never ending task of riding fence in some of the large ranches in the south. Line camps are strategically set so the cowboys will have someplace to retreat to in bad weather. They are typically very primitive, but do provide a roof and a bed.

We split up after visiting the volcano and I think Brittany beat us in our separate journeys home. Mama and I had a long stretch of fifty five miles per hour leaving New Mexico. I guess they think all Texans are speeders that need to be slowed down so they lowered the speed limit on entry to their state. It was about a ten hour day for us.

Her pup, Lucy, is a Chihuahua/Dachshund mix called a Chi-weenie. It is a very active pup but not much bigger than a large rat. It has settled down a good bit since the first few hours free in our home. It has already learned the potty routine of exiting the back door and whimpering or scratching at the door to get back in. Mama leaves food out for it at all times and periodically it will pick up several prices and carry them to some other location to eat them. We are used to that with Rosie.

Mama mentioned that we were going to have to take three dogs with us to Florida. My firm answer was, No we weren’t. I was not doing that to Cori and Nate. She will have to figure out something else; just like I am not going to ask Grandma and Grandpa to keep the pup while Mama is away in New Jersey. Dodger can stay outside on the farm. Rosie can stay with Grandma and Grandpa. We will have to figure out what to do with the pup. Without a fenced yard at the farm it could be very difficult to contain the runt.

I think Grandma and Grandpa are going to get rid of Sasha. She bit Grandpa this weekend as he was putting her up for the evening. That we will not tolerate. I have been ready to get rid of them for some time. I do not know if Samson will stay or not, but I am ready to cut our losses. I am dog and horse poor at the farm and we have the burros to protect stock should the need arise. I will have to sit on the sidelines and wait to see how the situation plays out.

Grandpa got the sprayer working and was putting down either fertilizer or lime as Victoria called Saturday morning.

Another little success.

My hearing, sudden rains, Chase

My hearing test left me with more questions than answers. By the method used in the test I was not as bad off as I had thought. The doctor’s conclusion is that I have grown accustomed to minor hearing difficulties and simply prefer sounds to be louder; suggesting more of a listening problem than a hearing problem. I am not sure the issue is with my listening skills, but I will look into it.

The test showed a dramatic increase in cognitive understanding a s background noises were elevated. Mama sat in the sound booth with me as a voice read sentences in ever an increasing volume of background noises. While I was struggling to hear and repeat the sentences Mama was plugging her ears. I told the doctor if every person spoke with the diction and volume of the recorded sentences I would have no problem hearing and understanding. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

From the medical perspective I am not as bad off as I think I am. That does not change the fact that I have difficulty hearing and it will only get worse as I get older. It can be helped but the cost of hearing aids if far too expensive to merit the expenditure. So to all of those of you who would like me to understand what you are saying to me, stand on my right side and speak up. If the thoughts are more private than that, write them down, we will find a quiet place to talk later.

While we were in the sound proof booth the doctor told me, “It is pouring rain; in case you left your windows down.” I thought maybe he was kidding since it was so hot and dry outside when we had come in and Mama did not stir. Then I realized I was the only one who could hear what he said because I was wearing headphones for the hearing test. As soon as I told Mama she bolted out the door. She got the windows up on the car we were driving, but as we were driving home we both realized she had left them down on the little van.

Now, when Mama rolls a window down she does not just crack it open; she really rolls it down. We had a small discussion about that very thing at the dentist office when we parked. I told her the window only needed to be slightly open to let out the superheated air. She insisted that more was better and I left it alone. When we got to the mini van she began to wish she had not been so generous. It was soaked. Fortunately, she can roll the windows down all the way today and let the 96 degree, 28% humidity air dry it out. As a precaution, I would roll the windows up by early afternoon.

Victoria called while Mama was in the dentist office to tell her that the squash she planted was doing very well. The tomatoes are not faring as well. The potato plants are flowering and have recovered from the onslaught of bugs. Some of the garden is doing well, some is not. We will have to learn what to plant in a garden I this area and how to plant it to maximize its potential. It is certain we will have to fertilize more heavily next year. If we did not have the horses out all the time we could collect their manure from the stalls and use it to enrich the ground. That way, it would help the garden and the dogs would not have to travel so far to find it.

Chase and Mama talked for quite a long time last night and she is starting to understand that his feelings for Makayla (I think that is how to spell her name.) could be more than infatuation. It is difficult to tell. It is equally difficult to say anything – for or against. They are both committed to taking the high road of moral accountability in their relationship. They are both willing to obey their parents in the matter. They are both planning for their future together rather than scheming to find ways be together. We will continue to watch carefully, especially as Chase comes back home.

It is a matter of some concern, and much prayer.

Dr. appointments, lawn issues

Mama and I have dental appointments this afternoon. We have rescheduled them several times so I hope we get to follow through with them today. I have to interview four ladies today to see if I can find a backfill for Judy Calhoun, here in the Borger office. Such interviews are not to difficult but I can only pick one. I have prayed for the wisdom to get the right one and get her started soon. We need the help.


I did get my blood work done yesterday as part of the health assessment and the numbers partially proved a point. My total cholesterol was down ten points in just two weeks. My triglycerides were down by seventeen points and my LDL – the “bad” cholesterol – was down by 8 points. None of the numbers were high to begin with but the fact that they could fall that much after fourteen days of proper eating was proof enough that Mama and I need to eat differently than Grandma and Grandpa do.

My blood pressure readings were about the same, not good. My weight and the salt titration levels in my blood contribute to that elevation. I do not want to go back on blood pressure medication so I will again concentrate on diet and see if it will come into proper range again. The stress levels at work do not help any, but I will have to learn to deal with that in better ways.

Later today I have a hearing exam scheduled. I am being evaluated for a study of some new hearing aid technology. I do not know if I will qualify, but I will get an independent evaluation of my hearing problems; something I have been putting off for a long time. The woman who scheduled me asked Mama to come also. During their testing they will use Mama’s voice to test my hearing. I am not sure how it will work, but it will be different from anything I have had done in the past. After all, hearing voices is the issue I need help with.

After I mowed the yard here a week or so ago, the weather turned hot and the growth I was being threatened to be fined for has withered into the dust that is our front yard. It seems pathetic when I look at it now; especially compared to the farm. We could water the yard but it will never be a lawn. I think Mama misses that. We had a pretty good lawn at the Fairfield house. It cost me a fortune in water bills but it was pretty nice, especially for this area.

At least we do not have a neighbor that is as obsessed with the lawn as the neighbor we had in Victoria, TX . With the kids we had normally in the house and the kids that would come from the neighboring houses, we had some pretty big bare spots right next to his very lush and green grass. He would try not to step in our yard as he placed the sprinkler at the very edge of his yard and I had to constantly remind the kids to stay out of his yard when there were no real boundaries that they could see in the front. Things got tense a few times until he realized that we meant him no ill will, we simply did not care about the grass. I told him that I could raise grass or I could raise children, but not both. I stuck with raising children and let the yard suffer. Here, there is no such problem.

I read a marquee at a church in Panhandle this morning. It had some good advice: keep your words sweet, you may have to eat them.

Please be praying with us for a baler. It is the last piece of equipment we need to put up hay at the farm.

High temps, health, Brittany’s dog, insects

The air conditioning was successfully installed on the mobile home yesterday afternoon. It is perfect timing because today the temperature is supposed to get to 95. In Amarillo we are going to be closer to one hundred degrees, at 99 for the predicted high. By the weekend the temperatures are supposed to dip back into the sixties. There is some rain in the forecast but not until the weekend when things cool back down.


I am scheduled to go to another health screening this morning. It is just like the one I did in Decatur about a month ago. I signed up for it because I wanted to see if the numbers would change when I got back to healthier eating – away from Grandma’s cooking. My blood pressure and my cholesterol are the two indicators of particular interest; Grandma’s ubiquitous ingredients of lard and salt play into those numbers.

I was making some asparagus for me and Mama to eat the very last day I was there – I believe it was a Sunday. Grandma did not have any bacon grease so I used some real butter to fry the asparagus in an iron skillet. Grandma suggested I use lard and I told her that lard had no flavor, to which she replied, “I love the flavor that it gives food!” At least it is healthier than vegetable oil or fake butter, but I really do not think it adds flavor. She is probably tasting the greasy salt taste.

Mama and I went soul winning with the church last night and we did not get home until almost 10 pm. It was a great evening but a very short night. I went out with the pastor and we had three really memorable visits. Mama went out in the van with some of the women and teen girls but she gave out after several blocks due to her knee.

We went because this Saturday, when we would normally go, we will be meeting Brittany to get her pup – which has been evicted from her apartment complex. Not really evicted but it is better to let us keep the little pooper until it is over a year old, otherwise there is a $1000 deposit required. This manager does not like puppies – must be something in their childhood. I wonder if the same rules apply to cats or hamsters or fish.

Mama is adjusting to being alone again. There are pros and cons but she really enjoys the activities of the farm. The down time (being kept inside due to rain or extreme temperatures) there is a little difficult for even her to handle; for me it is incredibly wearisome. The necessary activities make all the other times enjoyable. Were it not for the dogs tearing up our garden or the things we have planted around the property, we would be enjoying great success.

The fleas and ticks are now multiplying on every animal we have. Mama and Victoria have bought all sorts of protective devices but I am not convinced of the effectiveness or any of them. We are still discovering both insects on the dogs. The fly spray they have used on the horses seems to be fairly effective but the amount of insects drawn to them is incredible. Every time they poop, several varieties of flies swarm the warm mass and do not leave until it is dry and crusty. I am starting to think we are keeping them only to feed the flies and the dogs. Both seem to think their excrement is a delicacy.

All the hens we traded for a couple weeks ago are laying now so we are collecting about a dozen eggs per day – even more than Victoria and Grandpa can eat per week. I think Victoria is going to start selling them to coworkers. It would help offset the cost of feed, but not much more.

It would be out first produce.

Farm injuries, laundry issues, Chase, Maggie

Mama and Victoria arranged for a farrier to come to the farm to trim the hooves of the horses. Rain has never had her hooves trimmed and they were in bad shape when we got her. We were waiting until the foal was born to do the work so the timing seemed right. However, with the move to the mobile home there have been other things to coordinate – like the move of the internet service to the new location; which happened to coincide with the farrier visit.

Grandpa, who believes the horses should not be penned up unless someone is fooling with them, let the horses out while he was making his rounds, not knowing what Mama and Victoria had been setting up for their care. Well, it turned out to be a challenge to get Rain to return to her stall after she had been grazing for a while. In her displeasure she kicked Victoria hitting her on the right elbow. Victoria said it was pretty painful but did not seem to be urgent. We will know more today.

Toi, who was thoroughly confused in the commotion, ran through a fence in her desperation to get away from whatever unpleasant thing seemed to be going on. I am not sure if she injured herself any, but I do know it upset the morning. I think each animal was cared for properly and finally allowed to get back to pasture. Victoria’s double injury will heal but I am not sure she has any more romantic notions about owning a horse.

We have been disappointed by promises of help that never came through, conflicting instructions from those who wanted to appear knowledgeable but did not really want to get involved and memories of horses past that do not seem to transfer to our current herd. Victoria has not really invested herself in the exercise and it is frustrating to see her tepid interest when we did much of this for her; frankly, I am not sure what she is interested in. In her defense, she has been bitten once and kicked once by Rain, so that may have dulled her enthusiasm.

I think, after the move, everyone is so worn out that individual enthusiasm is at an all time low. Maybe getting the air conditioning installed today will lift their spirits.

Mama and I are without a washer and drier so she had to go to the laundromat yesterday. One of the washers she used appears to have been used to launder some pretty soiled clothing, but Mama’s good white blouses seem to have cleaned most of the residue from the grease stained unit. One blouse is completely ruined; the other two may be salvageable. I am never sure why that does not happen in the load of jeans rather than in the load of good clothes.

She was so frustrated she had to go to Wienerschnitzel and buy an ice cream cone to drown her sorrows. Fortunately, the kind woman manning the laundromat took the grease stained items and washed them over in a series of cleaning agents to try to restore them to service. It was a brave effort but sadly short of the mark.

Chase sent us some graduation photos. They are pretty good. It looks like they had a great time taking them. Mama and I were impressed by how much some of the kids in the school there have grown. It is one of those “I knew you when” moments – especially for Mama. I always expect them to grow up, but for some reason it shocks every woman I have ever known.

Maggie called early yesterday. She was on her way to get her husband; nervous, excited, both chiding and laughing at herself.

It would have been fun to watch that reunion.

Demands, Mama’s working tan, lunch buddies, choosing a church

Because of insurance demands I had to go to Bowie to work on the mobile home Saturday. I called the insurance company after I had gotten a call from the finance company Friday afternoon. The finance company was waiting on the policy to be issued so they could finalize the loan. If it was not done by the end of this week we would loose our financing. The insurance company was waiting on pictures showing the steps complete with handrails.

While I had the insurance agent on the phone I asked if the underpinning, or skirting, also had to be complete before they would issue the policy. The answer was yes. So I drove over and spent the next day putting on handrails and underpinning. I took pictures late in the afternoon and we got the prints done at Wal-Mart that night. Mama will deliver them to the insurance company today and hopefully everything will get settled by the end of the week. We will wait and see.

While I worked on the mobile home Mama was brush hogging one of the pastures. She really likes playing farm lady and Victoria got a couple pictures of her. She, Mama, was not happy about the photo shoot and let Victoria know. She was working on her tan and had on a sleeveless shirt which she considers inappropriate for pictures but she did not make me erase them from the card.

Mama and I stopped for lunch in Bowie on our way out of town Sunday at our favorite fast food – Golden Chick. While we were waiting on our food a young couple came in with their three little ones and ordered. They had obviously been to church that morning. An employee asked the father a question and I overheard him answer that they were going to be missionaries to Nepal. So Mama engaged the wife in conversation.

We ended up relocating and eating lunch beside them while we all talked. Their almost two year old little girl really liked the gravy and was dipping everything in it – mostly food pieces but also her hands, the ribbon on her dress, etc. The mom and dad are studying at the language institute in Bowie and we got a lot of information about churches in the area. We are a little disappointed about some of the things going on in the church we have been attending and have wondered about other churches in the area. So the information was both timely and helpful.

He told us about a good church in Bowie as well as one in Decatur so the next time we are in town we will check out the one in Bowie. It confirmed what we had been told by a man filling in Sunday morning for the pastor at Bible Baptist Church. We need to find a good church in the area so we can settle Victoria in. We will also be in the area soon – within a couple years at the most – and Mama and I would like a place where we can serve the Lord also. We miss that when we are there.

Mama and I drove home after church on Sunday afternoon. We rushed to get to church in Amarillo and made it a little bit late for the ending of the conference. I hated to miss it but at least we got there for the close.

Sleep, shopping, Brittany’s dog worries, Maggie and Aaron

I was supposed to go to church last night for the second night of the conference but I laid down on the couch at 5 pm thinking I would nap for an hour. I woke up at 8:25. I just changed and went to bed. Surprisingly I slept to the alarm this morning. I have made some adjustments to my alarm and am getting up later now. The alarm is set for 4:15 a.m.; getting lazy in my old age.


Mama is coming home today. They all went shopping yesterday and spent a bundle on cabinets and fixtures for the mobile home. One of the drawbacks to the home set up is the lack of storage – including very small closets. To remedy that Grandpa and Grandma bought some cabinets to expand their storage. I have no idea what; I just know that gaining storage was the idea behind the purchases.

I would ask Mama to describe them to me but it usually does not work; something gets lost in translation. It is like asking me to describe a pair of shoes to Mama. Our frame of reference is totally different and what I describe is not what she envisions. I will just wait to see the additions when I get back to Bowie.

Rain is predicted for today in both Bowie and Amarillo. Last night we did get some rain here and whenever that happens it is a blessing. I have yet to see any accumulation of water in the playa lakes I pass going between Borger and Amarillo. They have been dry for over a year now and I am curious to see what it would take to refill them. If the five inches we got last week does not start the process, I am thinking it will take a hurricane sized storm to do it; not the best way to accomplish anything.

Brittany wants Mama to take on her little dog to house break it. I think she is having trouble with the apartment complex due to the age of the dog. She tells us they do not permit dogs less than one year of age. That’s a strange rule. I guess they do not like to house break dogs either. I can understand some of their concerns when I think about how careless some people are and what a mess is often left behind in a vacated apartment. Brittany does not fall into that category but they cannot tell that about any particular person – hence the rule. She wants to meet half way to give us the dog but I do not know if Mama and I are up to it this weekend.

Maggie is worried about the very thing she has been pining for for over two months now; Aaron’s return. I do not know what it is like to be separated for that amount of time, then try to blend two separate lives together for a brief interval knowing that the separation is coming again. Maggie has developed a happy life independent of her husband – from necessity. It is not that she does not want him in that life, he is simply not there. Aaron, on the other hand, has had no life other than the boat for the same amount of time. So, does he try to fit into her life where he can or try to develop some life of his own where she can become a part of that?

It is a difficult balancing act for both of them – especially Maggie because she has to be open and receptive to her husband for the time they have together, but she cannot live only for that. Aaron, on the other hand, as the husband and leader in the home, must adapt to the regimen she lives with day to day while applying his direction and leadership to the home. They are still very young and fortunately Maggie has gotten some very good council lately. I am not sure what council Aaron gets from the crew he lives with, but I do not think it would be the same as Maggie is getting. We will see if the principles she has learned lately translate into practice as they are together for whatever time the Coast Guard allows.

Monday is the day. (Subject to change without notice.)

Church conference, completing the move, Becky and Charles

Last night I asked Mama if she would come home today but today is the day they have to go to Denton to make purchases at Sam’s and Costco; no way we can get out of that.


I was in church until after 9 pm last night and it was a struggle to get up this morning. We are having a conference on the Constitution as it relates to the Bible. It was good last night. Tonight the speaker will get into things that are going on in America that few people know about and how many of our liberties have been taken away already.

He spoke about the first time our congress met, that they met for three hours and did nothing but read slowly through Psalms 35 as they prayed and wept for the future of the country they were seeking to establish. They prayed for God’s wisdom, protection and guidance. If we would take three hours today to repeat that exercise today, what a difference it could make. The conference will continue nightly through Sunday. I am sure to be thoroughly worn out be then.

I have given up any idea of making a quick run to Bowie to work there Saturday. I will be too worn out and from what Mama is telling me, Grandpa will need a few days to rest up after the move. He has had to work with two cripples and Mama. The fact that neither of the cripples, Victoria and Grandma, like to move only added to the load he had. But as of last night, the move is complete. Grandma and Victoria will clean in the rental home and Mama and Grandpa will go shopping; Grandpa would rather move again.

Becky and I talked briefly yesterday. I am having a difficult time following the storyline. They are off again-on again with a new twist each time. Last night it was him denying her the use of the car so she could go get to class and later to her clinical training, so she was walking. He, according to her, resents the fact that he had to get a job in order for them to be able to pay the bills, etc, etc, etc. I think the car issue was to keep her from staying with a friend who lives some distance away, but I cannot be sure. Like I said, it is difficult to follow. They need your prayers.

I have told by children repeatedly that, next to salvation, who you marry will have the greatest outcome on the direction of your life. Maybe with Becky I did not pray as hard as I should have but there is no way to know. Every one of my children will have to make those choices as they see fit. I can have very little direct influence on those decisions. With Becky and Charles, we did not even have an indirect influence. It is sad to watch the marriage struggle regardless of how obvious the outcome of that union seemed at the beginning.

I am not sure if it affects my ability to pray for them because I fall into the “I tried to tell you” frame of reference when I consider the hurt they are both doing to each other. I need to back up and see this from God’s perspective. He recognizes the marriage. They are husband and wife and should remain so according to their vows.

I have a coworker who is married to a “raging alcoholic”. The husband was recently hospitalized and gave every appearance of being near death. He lashed out at her for putting him in the hospital, for taking his booze away, for denying his freedom. He abused the nurses and doctors in the same way, yet she begged us to pray for his recovery and his salvation. He is on the mend now and should return home next week. Does she have a reason to not welcome him home? In the world’s eyes, yes; in God’s eyes, no. We are still praying for his salvation.

As I was going through some of the mail that had been placed on the table just inside the front door I came across a door hanger threatening us with a fine if we did not mow our lawn soon. The specific time frame was “in the next several days.” I have no idea who put it there or when, it was not dated but it seemed like an awful waste of time for local law enforcement. As far as I know it was a lawn care company that hung it on our door.

I saved it so Mama could see it.

Smiles, bugs

I saw a marquee at a church in Panhandle, TX this morning that caught my attention. It read “A smile is a curve that helps set things straight.” I feel way behind and a little on empty this morning so seeing that made me smile; not sure what it set straight, but it did make me smile.


Mama updated me on the progress at the farm. The big move is slated for today. There is still no air conditioning at the mobile home but the nights have been in the fifties and the days in the mid seventies so there is not the urgency there will be in a few weeks. It has been very pleasant.

Mama dumped several pounds of insecticides on the garden to give our vegetable plants a fighting chance. Nothing has grown in the area for several years and the bugs are really enjoying our humble offerings to their starving species. Some of the potato plants are denuded and the attack has begun in earnest on the grape vines I planted. They do not seem to like the berry bush leaves and so far have left alone the fruit trees – other than taking little bites out of each baby peach. We really need some guineas to patrol the garden.

I have entertained the idea of collecting the bugs from the plants and feeding them to the chickens but I am afraid the flock will get foundered on the diet. Also, Grandpa tells that it makes the eggs very dark, giving them a distinct flavor. Mama seems unwilling to test the theory, besides it is a lot of work to collect bugs and caterpillars from plants – neither of our backs are up to it right now: guineas would do better.

I am toying with the idea of going back down on Friday evening so Grandpa and I can complete the water line run to the calf lot on Saturday, but I have not made up my mind. At this point I am pretty worn out and not sure if a trip like that would add too or relieve the stress. If not, Mama plans on coming home on Friday. She assures me the move will be complete by then.

Grandma and Grandpa will be living on the farm fulltime. I think it is a dream come true for both of them.

Maybe it will be mine and Mama’s time soon.

Completed tasks, misplaced hopes, our turn

Mama called me about noon yesterday to tell me they were almost done with the septic system. She said the electric hookups were made before she even got out there and that the young man who made the connections was a great help to Grandpa. Grandma was already hard at getting the cleaning started. There are some fixtures that need to be replaced and one toilet needs some new parts but other than that they are good to go. It is kind of sad for me because I worked so hard to get everything set in motion, but was not there to see it to completion. Oh, well. Now for the move.


Grandpa planted three types of seed in the big meadow as well as in a two acre plot by the shop. They are starting to see the sprouts pop through. Some will not be up for another several days but the shorter germination seeds are starting to show some green in the prepared field. It is exciting to see. By the time I get to return in May or June it should look like a real meadow rather than open dirt.

Earlier Grandpa had lined up a job to put lime on the pasture of a local rancher who has also helped us with the horses. That fell through and it kind of took the wind out of Grandpa’s sails, but I was a little relieved. He keeps focusing on “big money” people and as a general rule I do not care to deal with them. They have a sense of expectation that is difficult to satisfy and a community influence that is often more harmful than it is beneficial; that’s just my opinion.

In this particular instance, his wife is a odious woman and I was not looking forward to have to deal with her in any way. There are other people we can hook up with in business that will be far more pleasant and, in the long run, far more profitable. Again, that is just my opinion. I am praying for Grandpa and Victoria to get enough spraying jobs to make a good living, but I am also praying for the right contacts so we get a broad client base.

Being gone for two weeks allowed the weeds in our yard to get up pretty tall. In the front yard there are very few patches of anything similar to grass. In the back yard things are a little better. I got the front mowed after I got home yesterday evening. I will do the back tonight. The growth there is actually enough to choke the mower as I run through it. Amarillo is not an area known for green pastures and lush lawns. I suppose that is another reason the farm is so appealing to us right now.

There was a draw to that place even before we saw anything green on it. Now as the rains have come, the garden is growing, the filly is born, the fields are planted, the tanks are overflowing with water, etc; there is really a powerful draw to be there. But as Edna said to Mr. Incredible, “Yet, here we are.” I feel like I am living two places, two lives; very close to serving two masters, but not quite. Even if my office was there I would still have my separate, private life on the farm, but the distance makes it seem impossibly disconnected, like going to a favorite vacation spot, knowing that you will have to return home at some point.

I know Mama’s heart is there and I would like to get her there. The fact that Grandma rubs in every little thing that happens there knowing Mama would love to be a part of it only adds to my angst. She does not mean anything mean by it, it is just the way she is.

I have done my best.

God has blessed those efforts wonderfully.

Our turn will come.

Getting older, pest issues, good preaching

Joshua turned 29 years old over the weekend. It is a little humbling to have a child that age. I am reminded of Pastor Miller talking about preacher’s conference. For years he was among the young preacher’s grouping in that conference; not any more. Now even Pastor Fisher feels like he is shifting to the more “seasoned” group of preachers. Well, Mama and I are shifting to the more seasoned group of parents. One day, if the Lord tarries, we will have grandchildren that age.


Of course, as Mama was mentioning it to Grandma, she had to remark that she has a child turning fifty years old this year. I have no idea what to do for Mama’s fiftieth birthday. She says it’s not important, but it should be. By that time our finances may have recovered somewhat. Time will tell.

Mama stayed behind in Bowie and will be there most of the week. She is worried about Grandma and Grandpa taking on too much in the move. Victoria is still nursing a badly sprained thumb so she is limited in her ability to help. I think it was a good decision on Mama’s part. I regret not being able to stay, but that is the way things worked out.

We should have the electric hooked up today. The water is already connected. The septic work is supposed to begin today. Everything was held off from last week, but there seems to be a reasonable expectation to get the work done today and tomorrow, so the move can commence today. Grandma and Grandpa do not have a lot of things to relocate. Victoria does not either.

The kitchen in the mobile home needs some cabinet work and everything needs a thorough cleaning but other than that it should be an easy move. The little house will be used for storage of our excess stuff for the present. Since I will be the one doing the work related to its remodeling and I have few days available to do that work, it will catch our overflow until I am ready to tear into it.

We have tried three places in Bowie for storage and have always reverted back to the little house. It is definitely cheaper. It is not cleaner. My concern is that the pests we fight because of being on the farm will only hurt what we store in the little house with its established population of insects and rodents. If Mama and I do finally move before we get the house finished, the storage needs will increase dramatically and I am not sure I want my things sitting on those floors. I am surprised Grandma and Mama are okay with the idea.

Speaking of pests, we are really battling the bugs that are doing their best to destroy our garden. So far the potato bugs and several types of caterpillars have infested the young growth and wrecked havoc. Mama and I bought some dust to put on the plants to kill the bugs but we held off since there were predictions of severe storms on Saturday and Sunday. Hopefully today and tomorrow Mama and Grandpa can apply the powder and begin to do battle against the multi-legged enemy. At this point we are greatly outnumbered.

It was good to be back in Central Baptist Church last night. I have missed the preaching. I got to see a young man who has recently been saved in our church, but he and his family are moving to Georgia to be closer to his ailing parents. He was there before the service to say one last goodbye. His son was a real delight in our Children’s Church. Brother York and Brother Fries preached and both of them did a great job.

It is hard to find good preaching these days. It is good to have access to some.

Injuries, health updates, sad moves

I left work a little early yesterday to get to the farm and help with the electrical line run; it turned out to be a good decision. Mama, Victoria, Grandpa and I got the wire laid out and slid the conduit over the wire from the pole to the home. Putting on the elbows at either end proved difficult. At the pole end I tore my scalp open on a box we already had installed. Like all scalp wounds I bled like mad for about five minutes. To date I have not shed much blood on the farm so I was overdue.


All of us finally decided that we could get the wound closed with what we had available in a first aid kit I had been given as a safety award. It worked for the most part but it took several hours for it to really stop bleeding. Every time I would bend over or pull hard on the wires to get them into final placement, it would pop open and blood would be running into my eyes, but we did finally get done. Mama had some meds with her and I took some to dull the headache. All in all, it turned out pretty good. Now if the electric company comes today we will have all out end hooked up. We could have power to the mobile this evening. That would be a real blessing.

I had predicted that if we allowed the big dogs to sleep under the mobile home they would tear out the fabric and insulation that seals the underside. Last night as I was leaving I saw where this is already beginning to happen. There is a large section of torn fabric and chewed insulation right under the front door. I will have to put the dogs up again and make the repairs. Those repairs are not any fun to make, both for the difficulty of the task and the exasperation of the reason for the repair. At least I have Grandma on my side now.

I participated in a medical survey yesterday and I was not thrilled about the results – especially my weight and my cholesterol. I know I have to lose weight but it is proving difficult to do while eating Grandma’s cooking which I think is also responsible for the elevated cholesterol levels; too much salt and lard. My cholesterol is typically about 125. Yesterday’s measurement was 207. Bear in mind that the recommended level is < 200. So I am still within sight of the recommended ranges, but far and away higher than typical for me.

Oh well, I am going back to Amarillo Sunday afternoon and will not be able to come back until some time in July – at least the way things look now. That should give me time to get back to normal; providing I do not eat too insanely while we are at Brittany’s wedding. It would probably be better for me if I just ate what Blake ate during those ten days. I’ll have to work that out with Cori. I would hesitate to volunteer to eat only what Mykenzie does, but it would be a sure weight loss diet for me.

Maggie is doing very well with her diet and exercise. I hope Aaron is able to recognize her when he gets back in a couple weeks. He did ask her to try on her wedding dress to see if it would fit now – it did not fit at their wedding – but she as avoided doing so. I am not sure why. She has told me how much weight she has lost and I am not able to use the old grade school tease “turn around, I think I found it.” She really does look good. It has been a hard-won battle for her.

Mama is still planning on staying several more days after I leave. Right now the plan is for her to come home on Friday or Saturday of next week, but much of that will depend on how the move to the farm goes. If we get lights, water (We should have that complete by Saturday.) and septic this week, I should be able to help; if not all the final moving will have to be done next week. Fortunately the weather is predicted to be good for such an activity.

Grandma is still a little sad about leaving the place they are renting because it is a really good place. I almost wish Mama and I could take it over, but that would depend on the company moving me here to work. That does not seem to be in the plans yet, so we will have to vacate the nice home and move onto the farm. It will keep Grandma closer to the action since she is unable to get around well.

If I could shoot two dogs it would be a nearly perfect plan.

Dog problems, horse news, home updates

Praise the Lord! Grandpa got all the seed in the ground last night. We are ready for the rains that are predicted to hit us over the next several days. What a relief!


Remember how I have been fussing about the dogs chewing up my plants? Yesterday evening as Grandpa was rolling the little meadow near the house he stopped and walked around the tractor to pick something up. It was a little yard sign Grandma had put out. The dogs had chewed it up pretty good and carried it into the fresh dirt. She was furious! She wanted us to beat the dogs, shoot them, and pen them up – anything to make them suffer. Mama refused because after the fact, with three suspects to pick from, there is little beneficial effect that any punishment would have.

Everything they have chewed up so far can be replaced; it is just irritating to have to redo purchases and plantings so that they can express their boredom. I do not want to arrange all landscaping and yard ornaments to escape their attention. I would rather train them to leave such purposely placed items alone, but without us being there all the time we will have to settle for trying to keep things out of their reach.

As I was feeding the pigs yesterday Dodger, Victoria’s little mutt, went into the building with me. Grandpa has built a little work area at the entry where we can store their feed. It is separated from the area they occupy by a three foot wall. The pigs have always reared up onto this wall to see what we are doing. They know the routine. Obviously, so does Dodger. As they reared up yesterday he was jumping up biting at their feet. There is little chance he can do any harm but I booted him out – literally.

All three of these dogs are reacting to the heat. It has not been too bad so far with the highest temperatures in the low nineties. I am a little worried as we progress toward summer how they are going to cope. Last summer the temperatures were over 110 degrees at times and were routinely over 100 degrees. I think the longest stretch over 100 was twenty five days in a row. Fortunately we have lots of water in tanks and ponds they can get in to cool off – providing the water is not too hot for them to enjoy.

Mama and Victoria are making progress with the filly. She will not quickly come to anyone yet, but she will stand still long enough for us to pet her head and face. We are not able yet to comb her or get her to stand as we reach for her rump or low on her sides, but she is learning to accept our attention. She is starting to fill out and either we are just used to seeing her long legs or she is growing into them; whichever, she is looking more proportional.

The company that is doing our septic is coming today to set the tanks. I told Mama I hope that means that they are also going to hook up the lines to the mobile home. We have the water line in place and the parts for the electric line are purchased. The ditch is dug for the electrical run and the meter base is supposed to be set on Friday so we can make the final hookups for that. We are planning on tackling that today. Mama and Grandma will be thrilled to have power to the home.

I have all the parts to do the water but I have held off since there was no place for the drained water to go. If the tanks are set and the house connected to them, we should be good to go by Friday evening. Mama is planning on staying the night in the home that night. I have no idea were she plans on us sleeping but it will be interesting to hear the night sounds of the farm.

Hopefully those sounds will become familiar and comfortable over many years.

Work worries, seeding, good fences, animal news

With the split of ConocoPhillips at the end of this month there have been some unusual challenges presented to me, not the least of which is the shuffling of personnel. I will lose one of the ladies who has been the backbone of my group as she takes on new assignments in another group in a few days. The loss has caused me a good deal of concern. I know things will work out eventually, but in the short run things could get a little chaotic.


I talked briefly with Becky yesterday and she said things are better for her but I remain unconvinced. I had always assumed hers would be a rocky path in life but it is difficult to watch it play out. There is little I can do but pray. Thankfully, that is more often than not, the best input we can have in any individual’s life since God is fully aware of the need and eminently capable of meeting that need.

My time here is running out. I will have to return to Amarillo on Saturday or Sunday. Mama will not be coming back until several days later so she can help with the final move into the mobile home. I am not sure how much good she can do since she is having problems with her left knee. She is walking with more difficulty than Grandma in spite of how well she says she tolerates pain. Although I do not necessarily care for the office here I do enjoy going to the farm every evening – obviously, so does Mama. Last night was no exception.

Even though it rained Monday night, the ground Grandpa had prepared with the disc soaked up the rain and compacted in a beneficial way. As I arrived yesterday evening, he was using the drag to level the ground in the final step before sowing seed. Hopefully the seed will go on the ground today and be compacted in by the cultipacker. It will then be a matter of waiting for the seed to germinate – fourteen days in most cases.

The man that owns the pasture to the south of us has offered to go halves on repairing the fence between us. His concern is that the young bulls he is raising will push down the fence to get to the grass we will be growing in the meadow. I am inclined to believe him so next month we will get the materials and manpower together to repair that fence. There is nothing we can do to keep the deer, turkey and other miscellaneous animals out, but they will cause far less damage to the young grass as we nurse it to full growth. Grandpa and I see it as our cash crop. For that reason more than any other it needs to be protected during the first few months of its establishing root in our meadow. The old adage is that “good fences make good neighbors”. His concern shows he wants to be a good neighbor. We need to protect those relationships.

As we watch the Jerusalem donkeys we have eating the grass in our pasture we are having a hard time deciding if they are just getting fat or if they are pregnant. They are not tame enough to let us inspect them closely, but as the weeks pass by it looks more and more like the two younger ones are going to have babies. That would be fine with us; we are just not sure what the offspring would be. Our hope is that it would be a full blood Jerusalem donkey, but it could be a mule depending on the sire. Time will tell.

The big dogs destroyed another of my grape vines Monday night. I suppose it as an acceptable loss for the work we are expecting them to do for us in guarding our farm, but it is a frustrating trade from my perspective. At least they are not chewing down the fruit trees.

Halted preparations, slow moving, more antiques?

When I got to the farm yesterday afternoon Grandpa was disking the meadow for the second time in hopes of putting seed in the ground today. Last night I work up to the sound of thunder and its accompanying downpours. Obviously, I have not been to the farm today but if the water on the ground at the rental home is any indication of how much could be in the fields there, we are on hold yet again.


After years of drought conditions in the state it is nice to see the rains come but at this point we are well above the normal rainfall for the area. It would be nothing but an unquestioned blessing was it not for the fact that we are trying to get some seed in the ground. As it stands, it is still a blessing, just an inconvenience in the timing. We know God is still working things out for our good; it is just a little difficult to see at the moment.

I did manage to get the full cover over the log kit yesterday so less rain got on it than normally would have. I did most of the work on Sunday afternoon but I ran out of roofing nails. The supply I needed was locked up in the shop on the farm and the keys always reside with Grandpa. It was unlocked yesterday so I put up the last small pieces of tin roofing I had already cut to size. I hope it lasts until we get to assemble the logs into our home: sometimes that dream looks very far away.

Grandma is in full swing with the move to the farm. We will not be able to complete the move until all the utilities are hooked up but she is packing and carting to the mobile home things that will need to go with her but are not necessary for living in either space – books, pictures, knick knacks, etc. At least some of her stuff will already be in place when the move is fully underway.

She was most excited about a large picture we found in the farm house. It is a fall scene of a creek in a wooded hollow. It is a copy of a picture she had on her farm when the house was all but destroyed in a flood – sometime when Mama was in High School. She lost that picture in the flood. Now she has it back. It is not necessarily a great picture. It is pleasant enough, but for her it is a little miracle. Who am I to argue?

The electric company is supposed to meet us at the farm tomorrow afternoon to access our needs for service. Grandpa and I were going to tie into the meter already in service to the farm house but it is not sized properly for the wire we purchased for the mobile home, besides, it would have not been up to code. So we are expecting a new meter base to be installed – hopefully on the existing pole. I hope they do not set another pole. Anywhere they choose to put it will be inconvenient for us.

Our neighbor came over yesterday evening to check in with us and in the lengthy conversation with Grandma offered us some old metal chairs she had behind one of her buildings, so we drove over to get them. They were the old bent metal lawn chairs that take up more space to store than they are worth, but, once again, Grandma was ecstatic to get them – and for free. After loading the six of them into the truck bed I understood how great an invention folding chairs must have seemed to owners of the heavy, bulky outdoor furniture. There is already talk of having them sandblasted and repainted but I do not know how far that will go.

There is also a glider in the set that will need some repair and Grandma somehow busted her finger trying to carry it from the truck to the sitting area we are getting ready for summer. All in all, it could be a fun project to restore the antiques. They would look good on the porch of the farm house once we have it ready for such things.

Maggie and I talked yesterday and she told me she was helping Grand get ready for church on Easter Sunday morning. After he had on his coat and tie he told Maggie “you know who I look like? I look like Papi.”

Quite a complement.

Updates

It has been over a week since I sat down to update all of you and there has been quite a lot of activity during that time so I will attempt to hit the highlights.


Last Friday and Saturday I spent over fourteen hours on the tractor trying to get the meadow prepared for seed. It was almost at the point of being ready when we had a two inch rain that soaked everything to the point of stopping us in our tracks. Now as we are nearly ready once again, there is a prediction of rain for every day this week as well as another soaker predicted for next Sunday.

The mobile home came in on Saturday and though we had some troubled with the delivery it was positioned as suited Mama and Grandma. Grandpa and I had to take down some fence so the driver could make the turn onto our property but other than that it went without too much trouble. At the very last minute we decided to position it next to the farm house and that too turned out to be a good decision even thought it cost me quite a bit more to run the utilities. Since we dumped 20 tons of gravel to make a driveway it seemed a good idea to use that to the best advantage on the mobile home.

I have since built front and back steps and we have begun to outfit it for habitation. The septic system should be in this week or early next week and we should have water and power by Wednesday or Thursday. Grandpa has been working on the sprayer to put lime and fertilizer on the meadow as soon as the seed is in so I was not able to get the utilities completed during my week off. It required 500 feet of water line and 150 feet of electrical line to get to the mobile home. That’s a lot of digging.

The poor guys who set up the mobile home had to work in the pouring rain all day Monday. We were all soaked through, but they were especially wet. As they got finished and pulled out the rain quit and blue sky began to break through. About an hour later it was clear and sunny. I wanted to let them come on Thursday but for some reason, Mama had her back up about it getting done and it was not worth a fight.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we dug utility lines and planted in the garden. I bought the lumber to build a roof over the log home kit since it will be sitting for at least this year and maybe next year also. I did not get to put it together until yesterday afternoon but I should have it complete today – depending on the rain.

Mama and I put up fence to keep the dogs out of the garden. For some reason the big dogs love to play in the freshly tilled soil and the fact that there are plants placed purposely in that soil is not a concern for them at all. In spite of our best efforts they still find a way to tear up our work. I have lost three grapevines so far to their careless romping and chewing.

I spent almost all afternoon Saturday putting up a divider in the calf lot since we are keeping the horses in there – or at least we are trying. Rain does not like Toi and fights to keep her out of the half we set up for her. I told Mama I feel like I am spending most of my time fooling with horses and dogs so she and Victoria can have their pets. I would rather be fooling with cattle; at least we can eat them or sell them at a profit.

Saturday Grandpa was ready to move the sprayer out of the shop so he could attach the boom arms. He spent most of his time keeping the horse out of his way. For some reason she was extremely curious about the equipment. I cannot remember how many times he chased her away, but I know he was very frustrated by it.

I fixed some holes in the roofs of our outbuildings. The one that needed the most work was the pig building. I thought I was doing all the good until I got off the roof and looked up from inside to see all the holes I had missed. It will have to wait a couple days while the black patch dries before I go up to try again.

On Saturday we traded all our roosters for laying hens. The trade cost us three to one, but we did not have time to kill and dress the roosters during my time off so it seemed like a reasonable way to handle the flock. I did not look forward to feeding the birds for another month until I come back in May, but we would have done that if we had not made the trade.

Pray for Becky. It seems she may have chosen very poorly in her husband. She needs some Godly council and a safe place to live while the Lord helps her through the battle she is facing.