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.