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.