Farm news, purchases, Aaron

I took yesterday off both to recover from the week I had last week and to have the time to participate in farming and finance activities. We had a vet scheduled to come to the farm to cut the calves and Mama and I had scheduled the signing for the purchase of the Flex. We got both done and Mama was also able to attend a birthday party for one of the little girls in the church.


The vet arrived at the farm as scheduled at 9 a.m. He pulled into the calf lot and set up pretty quickly. We helped him maneuver the calves into place and I held as he cut on all but one of the calves. He packed up and pulled out at 9:20 a.m. It was very quick. I will not call it painless – nor will I describe it to you in detail. But for future reference, Grandpa and I now know what to do to steer a young bull. Later that evening we doctored the wounds and gave the recommended antibiotics. To say the least, they were all very sore. Today, they should be more so but it is easier to heal from a clean cut. The vet treated us well on the charges we paid later that day. I am glad we went that route.

After Mama took her shower we left for the dealer in Muenster, TX. Chase and Makaila came along so he could see the Flex. Makaila remarked that it looked better in person than it did in the pictures they had seen. I was very relieved. It did take some tome to get the paperwork done but all in all we were on the road in about forty five minutes. Chase and Makaila followed us back in his car and we tried to go out to lunch but the place we were going to take them was closed on Monday – so that fell through.

They left from Bowie in the early afternoon headed to Taco Bell in Wichita Falls. Makaila was needed to help her sister in the job the two of them have as a business and Chase had classes to go to. He had planned on skipping out but the call came for Makaila early enough in the day for the two of them to change their plans. I assume they made it back safely. I will find out today sometime. Mama and I hope this car lasts longer than the Breeze lasted him.

Mama and I left hours later for Decatur where I picked up a truck so I could have it to take to Elk City on Wednesday and she could go to the salon for the first professional nail painting of the nine year old whose birthday they were celebrating. I do not know what time she got back. I went to bed about 8:30 so I know it was after that.

I did talk with Maggie for a while and she related to me the transport problems Aaron had run through as he went from Mississippi to Virginia. With super storm Sandy barreling up the East Coast one of his flights was delayed then cancelled and as he went to the bathroom at one point early in his travels, his phone fell into a toilet which rendered it useless. I think he borrowed a phone to get in touch with Maggie to keep her from panicking from his lack of response to her texts.

Later on in his excursion, he borrowed a phone from a hostess at a military rest in the airport and was telling Maggie he had not eaten all day – not to complain but in answer to her questions about his welfare. At this point it was quite late. The hostess went out and bought him some dinner to eat as he waited for his last flight.

He did finally arrive at the training facility, minus one of his pieces of luggage – the one containing his uniform. After reporting in and getting to his assigned room, he borrowed enough pieces of the uniform ensemble to be properly attired for class. I do not know if they will actually have class today or if the remnants of the storm will delay that also.

Many people on the North East will not be going to work today; some will not be going home for weeks. It is always surprising and sad when a massive weather event like this happens – no matter where it happens.

Come and gone, off again on again, hotel living

While Mama and I were working with the dealer in Munster for the purchase of the Flex, Grandpa found a F250 King Ranch truck at a used car lot in Bowie. Mama sent him to look it over but by the time he got there and hour later, it had already sold. It was priced right – about $4000 below Blue Book. No wonder it went fast. Mama was willing to pass on the Flex to allow me to get it but that is not how it worked out.


Meanwhile, she and Chase were signing papers at Happy State Bank to transfer the little car loan, registering him as the payer. It will retain the car in our name until it is paid off but allow him to assume the loan. It will be great for his credit and he gets a nearly new car in the deal. He has proposed selling the little ranger truck and paying Victoria a portion of the proceeds to repay her for the loss of her car. Please pray he can sell the truck for at least $2800.

Mama, Chase, Makaila and I will go back to Bowie on Saturday afternoon after he gets off work. We will travel together so he can return to Amarillo with his new car. This saves him having to drive the little truck over and back while someone else drives the little car back. It delays Mama and me a bit, but we can deal with that.

Mama and I are ready to be back in Bowie. Hotel living is not the life we are looking for right now. Don’t get me wrong. It is not burdensome, quite the opposite. It is a relief that the company is footing the bill. Everything is provided for us – including breakfast and dinner. The hotel offers free laundry and our room has a little, well supplied kitchenette. The beds are comfortable. But it is not home.

I think Mama is used to being busier now that she has adapted to the farm and she really misses the morning feedings and taking care of the chickens, the horses, the dogs, etc. Besides all that, it costs me money to be away from home; incidentals, snacks, drinks, extra gas – which the company does not pay for – etc., etc., etc.

We are ready to go home; such as it is.

Travel, trouble?

Yesterday I drove about four hundred miles as I went from office to office here in the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma in order to have a face to face visit with three of my direct reports. It turned into a long day when we added church into the late evening activities. As I was out traveling across Texas, Mama was looking at vehicles in Amarillo. She found some pretty good deals and worked out a couple issues we had discussed concerning the little car, so she had a long day also.


Everything looked like it was going to work out pretty smoothly until I began to look at the five year commitment we were making in order to have a bigger, nicer car. With the uncertainty of the economy and the financial needs on the farm, I am not completely sold on the idea. In reality it only affects our debt load by a little over $200 per month, so it is not terrible unreasonable. At this point I feel committed to completing the paperwork required to start the process; maybe a little trapped by the circumstances.

I regret that the day did not end well. We both decided on what car to purchase and how to take the little car off of our books, but even though Mama was pleased, the dealer was pleased, the credit union was pleased, certainly Grandma will be pleased, I am not sure I am pleased. I am not sure God is pleased.

That is a rough place to spend the night.

Sitting through retirement, Chase and Makaila

Mama and I spent the day in a retirement seminar yesterday. It was a wealth of great information for both me and Mama. She enjoyed what she got to share of it. The seating was not comfortable so she spent about half the time in the actual meeting. The rest of the time she was in the car with the seat laid back or on a couch in the common area of the building where the meeting was held.


It acquainted her with the many decisions we have to make concerning leaving the corporate world and entering into a phase of life without a company paycheck. It is sobering to see just how much money – and thereby planning and saving – it takes to get out of the corporate race. I am not going to be able to rely on ConocoPhillips retirement to supply all of my post-working needs. That is why we have the farm. (I am certainly missing it while we are away from it this week.)

We got to visit with Chase and Makaila last night for an hour or so. They came by the hotel to eat dinner with us, and then we went to his apartment to feed his snake and to look through the items we have stored there to see what needs to go back to Bowie with us on Saturday. Mama was especially looking for a razor, since she did not pack one for me; we did not find what she was looking for so we had to go buy a cheap one for me to use this week.

On the way back from Chase’s apartment we stopped at Walgreens at Mama’s request. We found a substitute razor and went to check out. The cashier asked if we had our rewards card and Mama asked if she could look it up for us. She asked for the phone number starting with the area code. Mama got a blank stare and said “I don’t remember the area code, but the phone number is 723-etc” Mama, I said “that is the area code.” “Oh good grief, I was thinking she was asking for the zip code.” I knew right then that I was in trouble.

As we progressed through the process of looking up the account we had to change our address to the current address. Mama could not remember the zip code for that either. We finally made it to the end and Mama told the lady she usually does not have this much trouble looking up her rewards number at CVS, “They usually punch in the phone number and it comes right up.” “That could be,” the cashier replied, “but you are at Walgreens.”

Makaila’s mom had her baby – a boy. The only information I know to be correct is that he is healthy and hairy. I was told that information numerous times. He was born last Wednesday. Since Makaila’s mom is distracted by the little one for the moment Chase has been substituting for her in various tasks related to the business they have that are run on the computer. He has set up an invoice system, created a letterhead and made several bid sheets for the dad. Makaila’s dad has forbid her to break up with him for now.

As we talked at dinner Chase showed us his newest gadget; a Nexus 7 tablet. Chase was anxious to share all the details of display pixels, processor speed, adaptability, etc. I have to admit that it pretty cool but I do not see the purpose in my life – except for Mama to play with. Chase also related his latest sales. Makaila finally piped up and said, “Now you see what I have to listen to all the time.” It made Chase blush. Mama liked that.

I will be on the road most of today. I have to visit my direct reports in the three offices in this area to do year end reviews. Mama and I will go to church with Chase tonight at Central Baptist. It will be her first time back in over a month.

It should be a good day.

Saturday

Saturday was a busy day for all of us. We had invited about a dozen people from the church to come out in the evening to “pick and grin” for Grandma. It took some cleanup and a lot of food preparation to accommodate the hostesses but we were ready when everyone started to show up. One family with young children came to help us feed the calves. It was a first for all of them.

The mommy of the group got waylaid by one of the calves on her way out of the pens where we keep them. The calf got his tongue around her elbow and she got so tickled by the attempt to nurse that all of us got a great laugh out of it. The experience was a little overwhelming for the two year old, but the older girls enjoyed it thoroughly.

The wind had blown in 20 mph gusts throughout the day but in answer to prayers, it dropped to about 5 mph as everyone arrived. We ended up entertaining about fifteen adults and children. Victoria got home about an hour after we started eating but she was in time to get in on most of the music; aside form the time she took the little ones horseback riding. Jazz behaved himself wonderfully.

There were about nine who played instruments off and on. Our pastor shuttled between the fiddle, the mandolin and the guitar. Six or seven others played guitars. One played the banjo and one played the bass violin. They sang for about two hours. It thrilled Grandma. Grandpa enjoyed it too, but it did not seem to move him very much. Everyone that came had a really good time and all of the participants expressed an interest in coming back as often as we would offer.

It was a good use of the front porch on the old farm house. There has not been that much activity on that concrete porch for two decades – according to neighbors. I do not know if there had ever been that much good gospel music ever sung to the ancient oaks in the front yard.

The only regret we have of the evening is that none of the pictures came out as well as I would have liked.

Lonely evening, staying in touch, choirs

Last night was a little weird, with Mama being gone all evening. She and Victoria went out with the ladies of the church. I do not know what time they made it back to the farm but it was long after I had gone to bed; which was about 7:30. I am in the process of testing the ancient farming proverb: Early to bed, early to rise, makes the farmer wealthy and wise. I am not sure if there is any truth to it, but the sleep will do me good.


Grandma told me last night that there was a message from Jake on the house phone. It was his usually inclusive, “Hello Mama Kim, Papa Tim, Victoria, Grandma and Grandpa…” I do not remember if she told me anything that followed. That is where her attention had been drawn. I know it has been a while since we have heard from him. It puts me in remembrance of Emil and Lana. It has been too long since I have talked to them.

I do not know why it is so difficult to stay in touch, especially considering the advent of social media, the internet and cell phones. I value the friendship and need to foster it even over such a long distance, but I get distracted, caught up in things day to day, sometimes hour by hour and pass by the opportunity to reconnect. Shame on me.

I will be getting a new phone soon. It will come with local service which will assign me a new number so I will have to communicate that information out as soon as I get it. I am expecting it to be the last week of the month at the earliest. I am also considering changing the phone at the farm to a local number. Many local people are hesitant to call it since it is a New Jersey number. I have kept it for consistency, but it might be time to start a new number that we can keep for another decade or so.

I was talking retirement with a colleague of mine yesterday. We are the same age but he has been with the company for over thirty years and now he has had enough. We were talking life expectancy; for us about seventy six years. That is only twenty years away. That does not seem like much at this age. He referred to a morbidity calculation given to him by a financial planner where the headings were, “Doug Dies” and “Helen Dies”; he and his wife’s names.

He was struck with the terminal nature of the statement. His life will end and, from his own exposition of his past, he will very likely not make it to that age. He looked at me and quipped, “I need to start working on that other life.” I smiled and answered back, “It is highly recommended. Word is, that life is going to last a lot longer than this one.” We both went back to work, but it reminded me that I need to continue to pray for him; the person who was once my greatest adversary in this company.

It is during this time of year that I miss our church in New Jersey the most. With the holiday season approaching we would be getting ready for the Christmas cantata. I did a lot of years without having a choir to sing in. Since we left Somerset Bible Baptist there have been church choirs that I have participated in, but none the caliber of the choir there. Here at Immanuel Baptist, there is a choir that is fairly good. The music program could use some work but it is fun to be in a choir that is pleasant to sing with.

Don’t get me wrong, the choir at Central Baptist Church was a great group of people doing a work of ministry in music to the local congregation. The music was truly sung from the heart and the music program was developing and well run. I am glad to have had the opportunity to sing with them. It just feels more like home here.

And here, maybe I can help.

Saving vs. spending, the round up, ladies night out

The days seem to be flying by and I do not feel I a getting anything accomplished. I do know from experience that it is easier to spend money than it is to accumulate it. That is one of the frustrations I am feeling right now. I have had to adjust my time table several times for the second pour on the shop and I will have to push it out even further now. I had hoped to have Mama in the apartment by Thanksgiving, then Christmas, now I might be shooting for Valentine’s Day.


I am not overly discouraged because I know the wait will be worth it, but I had hoped to do better financially than I am doing at the moment – for Mama’ sake. Everyone is getting along well but it would feel more like home to have a place of our own even if it is only six hundred square feet.

As I got home yesterday I saw all of the calves out in the area near the calf barn. They were not too scattered about but staying pretty close to familiar territory. I think they knew it was feeding time. Grandpa decided we would wait until the bottles were ready to place them back in their stalls. So as we carried the bottles out we herded them up.

I had to get one out of the equipment shed. He had gotten in and could not get turned around enough to get out. Once I got his started in the right direction he knew right where to go. Victoria held back the stampede while Grandpa and I got each one placed in the correct stall. It only took a few minutes of dusty confusion for our bovine wards, but the whole exercise was enjoyable – since the little ones are so easily managed.

Mama told me she got a haircut yesterday. I am glad she announced it rather than making me guess. I would not have noticed – I never do. I am not sure why I do not see these things but I never have. She has often asked me if I like her hair short or long. I have always replied that it is entirely up to her. I suppose after thirty years of marriage such things would no longer be areas of deep concern, but that is not the case. Grandma got a haircut also and I could not have told you that either – unless I was told.

Now, if she changed her eye color or the shape of her lips, that I would notice because my focus is almost exclusively on her face. Once she got her hair permed into tight curls. I noticed that. Another time she got her hair cut very short. I noticed that, too. But yesterday’s cut was a slight shortening of her hair, even though she described it as “a lot take off”. That, I did not notice; even when I looked carefully. I will have to chalk it up to a “woman thing”. Mama just smiles and kisses me anyway. She’s happy. I’m happy.

Speaking of women things, Mama and Victoria are going with the ladies of the church to Denton this evening. The women are going to Golden Corral for a special event to thank them for their help in the nursery and with the toddlers at church. It is Dutch treat as far as I know, but the time together is what it important. Mama is looking forward to it. Golden Corral has a chocolate fountain on their dessert bar.

Besides since it will be only women there, they can each look at the other and say, “I really shouldn’t be eating this, but it is so good.” (She really shouldn’t but she will anyway.) And since each of them are doing exactly the same thing none of them will feel the least bit guilty about the indulgence.

That is what makes it so much fun.

No go car, one project done, slackers on the farm

Mama and I walked away from the car deal. As Mama worked with our bank in Amarillo, she and the lady there came to the conclusion that we were not getting the deal we should, based on loan value and asking price. After it was all said and done, the numbers were about three thousand dollars off – in their favor - and the dealer was set on what they wanted. It is not really a problem except for the salesman who lost the sale.


As Shelly (our banker) put it, we were “getting taken advantage of.” I have to agree in part. The bank was willing to loan us the money regardless, but it did not appear to be in our best interests to start upside down in the process. In my opinion, all auto loans are upside down. You will almost always owe more than the vehicle can be traded or sold for. I am completely okay with passing on the purchase. Mama is still conniving to find a way to make it happen, so I am not out of the woods completely.

I did get a little worried as I was driving up the road to the house. There were no vehicles in sight. I thought everyone had gotten mad at me for sticking to a “no” answer and taken off for the evening. I was aware that Victoria might have the Lincoln, but still did not see the truck. Turns out everyone was there. I still got my welcome home kisses. Grandpa had the truck down in the calf lot retrieving the trailer he used to haul the metal roofing. He likes to put things back where they belong. What a novel idea.

Grandpa finished the roof of the equipment shed and even went a little beyond what was necessary and dressed it up on the front and sides. It came out looking good; like someone intends to be there for a while and cares how things look. I was impressed. He was tickled with himself and the completed project.

Mama was a little upset with her flock yesterday evening. We got only five eggs. The least we have ever gotten. So to encourage them she gave them more fresh feed, cleaned their water containers and gave them fresh water, cleaned out the nesting box and spent some time talking with them as she let them out to catch some evening bugs. I am beginning to think I am sponsoring a government union disguised as chickens.

The donkeys come up almost every evening as we are feeding the calves. They stand on the other side of the fence from where we have the calves and bray at us trying to make us feel guilty enough to give them some grain and sweet feed. Grandpa and I dumped what the calves had left in their little feed boxes over the fence so they would feel like they got something for their efforts. They did not mind leftovers. We needed to clean out the boxes anyway to keep things fresh for the calves.

Victoria and Mama worked with the horses for a while in the evening. I think they, too, got extra grain and attention even though they have not been ridden or haltered for several days. It really is a treat to own a horse like Jazz. He is a beautiful animal. He is lazy as a black snake, but that only adds to the level of comfort we have with him. He might run if his life depended on it, but since Wes has known him, his life has never been in jeopardy so we do not know if he even can run.

It suits us; we do not have anywhere to get to fast.

Banking and buying, clean up crew, weather, news

I have to admit that when the local bank turned down our offer on the Flex I was a little relieved. What we are asking is to buy the Flex as well as a ’97 Ford F150. That way we would have a second vehicle without taking out a second loan. I do not know if it is a good thing or not but our bank in Amarillo is still looking at the numbers to see what they can do. So the deal is not dead yet. Banks are unwilling to finance the older vehicle. Grandma really hopes it goes through because she loved the seats in the Flex.


Mama was just finished cleaning out the calf stalls when I got home yesterday. Grandpa has relegated that job to her so he can work on other things. It is a smelly job, especially when the calves have the scours (diarrhea) and it has to be done on a fairly routine basis. I have not been available to participate so far, but I am sure my time is coming. It does make a huge difference in the looks and the smell of the calf barn. When we went down to feed yesterday evening, Grandma was very thankful.

Yesterday that other thing that Grandpa had to work on was the equipment shed. When we got through with dinner I went out with him and we put the metal on the roof. I did not take the time to put in every screw but we did get every piece of metal up and lined out – minimally attached. He will finish today getting every screw in place and we will be done. It looks good.

As we were working on the roof panels Victoria came outside and announced that severe storms were on the way; damaging wings and seventy mile per hour winds. As I looked at the sky, as far as I could see, there was nothing to indicate any such event was near, but we took the precaution of securing the edges of the roof. Mama came out to confirm the forecast but I was not convinced.

I looked up the local weather on the internet and could not find anything to indicate what they were all convinced was eminent. They were getting their information off of a screen saver I got on ROKU. It broadcasts the local conditions as well as many other weather related items. I am not sure where that information was coming from but it could not have been more wrong. The weather continued as forecast by the internet; 60 degrees for the low temperature and winds, SSE at 4 miles per hour.

I do have some lingering concerns about the equipment shed. I do not think we have taken adequate precautions to make sure the posts supporting the roof are sunk deep enough in the ground. I am sure they are not. The other day I took the time to drive some metal rods into the ground next to each pole and secured the rods to the poles in the hopes of making them less likely to be pulled from the ground in a strong wind.

I learned my lesson when the cover I put over the log package was ripped up, shredded and thrown across the field. I had taken the time to sink those poles as far as the dry, compacted ground would allow at the time. The same wind tore the roofs off of buildings less exposed than the cover I built, so I did not feel the loss was from a lack of attention to detail in the construction, but it still taught me a lesson and I am still just a tiny bit worried.

Mama has not communicated any information from our children and I am sure some of them have called to relate events in their lives; somehow I am left out of that loop. I do know Becky has three pups. She described the color of one of them as blue. I am not sure what that would look like but I have read naptime books that had blue dogs in them.

I am waiting for a picture to confirm my imagination.

Rain, church, warnings

The rains came in earnest on Saturday evening. It had been threatening rain all day but that was not what stopped Grandpa and I from completing the equipment shed. The wind started picking up in the very early morning and by the time we were through feeding the claves, it was pretty blustery. We will get the roof on this week and call it good, but it was not going to happen on Saturday. We ended up with an inch and one half of rain for the day even though it seemed like a lot more.


Mama and I took the day and went back to a Ford dealer in Munster so she could show me the vehicles she and Grandpa had found on Friday. They stopped at the dealership on their way home from getting the metal roofing in Gainesville and even Grandpa was impressed by the vehicles available on the lot. All were them were low mileage and competitively priced. Grandpa found a diesel pickup and Mama found a Ford Flex.

We were there about an hour test driving cars and trucks. Of course, Mama is very interested in the Flex. I am too, but it is difficult for me to understand the need to upgrade. I know Mama does not like the little car but I think the dislike is exaggerated by Grandma’s complaining about it. The bottom line is that she and Grandpa are going back today to let him test drive the Flex and see what kind of final price we can agree on. For me it is a matter of trading one car payment for another; one that Mama really likes. I only wish it helped in our push to get out of debt.

Church was great for both services. It is good to feel such ease with a body of believers. It has been some time since we have felt that. Even though we were growing and learning and working for the Lord at Central Baptist, there was not a real spirit of friendship, of inclusion. It was more of a falling in line, knowing and doing your assigned duties, keeping in step with the team. Though we enjoyed our time there, it was not family. Both Mama and I are very happy here.

Our pastor was at a conference last week. The theme was Politics, prophesy and preparedness. The preparedness dealt with the frightening times many see close at hand; supported by a horrendous political environment and certain prophetic indicators. It renewed my focus on getting things in order to be better prepared if some of the things I have mentioned before, happen; economic collapse, civil unrest, etc. We are not in stable times and I have heard the warnings from too many sources now to gloss over it.

I talked to Mama and Victoria on the way home about getting started back with our efforts stockpiling food; especially dried goods and staples like sugar, flour, rice and beans. We are going to be cautiously forward-looking, as if preparing for a tornado or hurricane, but we are going to be contentiously preparing.

Vigilance is the key. We do need to heed the warnings. At the very least, it will save us money in the long run. It will be one of those times that if we are wrong, we will be able to eat our mistakes. If we are right, it will be a necessity.

Either way it will be a blessing.

Smorgasbord, riding, construction completions and plans

As we were feeding the calves last night it struck me that the dogs are really enjoying this. Mama was scolding one of the big dogs for eating from a pile of straw and dirt that had been scraped out of the calf stalls when they were cleaned earlier in the day. Sasha was not eating the straw – or the dirt. What I realized is that we are giving the dogs and whatever other creature that eats poop a smorgasbord of poop to choose from; horse poop (I believe that is their favorite), calf poop, chicken poop and whatever the guineas litter around the property. It must be difficult to choose; dog food, people food and left overs. What a life!


Later in the evening Victoria, Mama and I went to halter the horses and work with them for a bit. It took a few minutes to gain their cooperation but all in all, they did pretty well. Victoria rode Jazz bareback – which really blackened the seat of her pants - for about thirty minutes while I led Misty around. It was pretty pleasant. I do not know if the horses enjoyed it – until they were given special grain and hay as a reward for their participation. They also got doctored up with fly spray. Mama has been diligent in that.

While we were in the horse pasture we saw some signs of hogs having been through the area very recently. They had torn up the ground under several of the oaks in that pasture digging out the tiny acorns that had fallen there. Maybe it was not in our best interests to expose that ground by brush hogging it, but we did it for the horses, not the hogs. It gives us a better understanding of where the torn up hog’s head came from that the two big dogs had been eating on for the past several days. (I think Grandpa put it in a box and threw it in the dumpster.)

Today Mama and Grandpa are going to get the metal roofing and the lumber to cover the equipment shed Grandpa and I framed up a couple of weeks ago. We need to have it done before the rains begin in earnest. I will have to make some changes to the way we have anchored the supports in the ground, but we should have it done by Saturday evening. I will not work in the rain this weekend like I did when we framed it out.

Grandpa and Mama completed the hookups for the waterline to the shop and to the calf lot. Now we have everything covered and hydrants installed at the shop and at the calf lot. It is a major improvement in how we are able to handle water for the calves. Grandpa is very contentious about keeping clean, fresh water for the calves.

The little ones only now need to drink water as they begin to eat grain and hay, since most of their liquid needs come through the milk we give them, but we have made sure it is available since the day each of them arrived; having it right there, a few feet away, saves a lot of work. It also makes things start to look thought out and complete.

It is our hope (my hope) to pour another portion of the slab at the shop and get that all roofed in at the end of the month. It is only a matter of money. That will change the looks of the farm completely. We are also planning on using the log package we bought to build a barn, which will be set up with stables. The long range plan is to be able to accommodate four horses. That should begin next spring.

My plan is to tear off the roof and upper story of the farm house and use the materials from that demolition to complete most of the barn loft and roof. If all goes well we should not have to buy too much new lumber for the project. We will save the new lumber for redoing the farm house.

It is only a plan, but all the residents at 548 Van Bebber Road are excited about it.

Dogs in the news, experiencing technical issues

Dodger has become a constant companion when we are feeding the calves. At first the dog and the calves did not get along very well but in the process of the past two weeks they have adopted each other. I do not know if the calves get anything out of the friendship but Dodger makes out like a king. After feeding, each of the calves have a milk slime on their nose and mouth. Dodger is kind enough to clean that off for them. Everybody is happy!


Grandpa was telling me more about the encounter between the big dogs and the coyote. He was down at the calf barn tinkering with something and the big dogs were gnawing on the head of a wild hog the two of them had found during the night. All was peaceful until a coyote ran by the pair, heading at breakneck speed toward the meadow. The big dogs were instantly in hot pursuit. Had it not been for the barbed wire fence – which the coyote slipped through pretty easily – the big dogs would have caught and killed the trespasser. Grandpa was very impressed.

Grandpa said that Sasha made it through the fence by slipping under the bottom strand but it slowed her down just enough that she was not able to catch up to the fleeing coyote. Sam tried to charge through the fence and was up ended in the process. Grandpa said Sam did a complete forward flip with a full rotation before he landed hard on the grass in the meadow. After that, he was not a threat to the varmint that perpetrated the fancy fence dive. (There were no animals hurt in the recounting of this episode of farm living.)

Grandpa could hear the growling from across the open lot separating the horse pasture from the calf lot. Sasha, as he tells it, was within striking distance when the coyote ducked the fence. He is sure they would have killed it had they caught it. That’s why we keep them around. Besides they are a special charge to Grandma. She has them, Mama has the chickens and the horses (whose care she shares with Victoria), Grandpa has the calves and the donkeys and I have the guineas. Fortunately the guineas are extremely low maintenance. All of us share Dodger and Rosie even though they belong to Victoria and Mama respectively.

Mama and Grandma were watching episodes of the Dick Van Dyke Show last night as I was getting ready for bed. We are able through ROKU to watch Netflix on the TV we have in the mobile home and lately Grandma has been making constant use if it. The signal to the internet connection we have comes via satellite so when there is heavy cloud cover or some other atmospheric interference, the transmission delay is extended.

What amazed me was to watch the two females that are the least technically inclined – in the whole USA – complain about how slowly the new episode was loading onto the TV. Neither of them had any idea of what it takes to get the signal there or what could be hindering it, but they were both frustrated having to watch the little spinning circle that tells you the program is loading; albeit slowly. It only took about two minutes for them to abandon that and move on to something else.

What is a real pain is when stormy weather hits and the phone – which is supplied through Vonage via the internet connection – goes out temporarily. It is like the end of time has come. “No one can call us even if they wanted to. What if I really needed to call for help? It’s dead. There’s no signal at all! This is so exasperating!!” We spend a few terrifying moments completely separated from the rest of humanity; cut off from humankind.

Then when the phone comes back on, it is like a mad rush to pick someone to call just to verify that the world has not spun out of control. I believe some of you have gotten those calls. “The phones were down for a while and we just wanted to make sure you had not tired to call us.”

I am a simple man, so I find the pseudo-panic pretty funny.

Guardians, egg count, feeding issues

Mama told me yesterday that Grandpa was thrilled by something he had seen on his morning walk. He was down by the big pond looking at the new growth of fresh grass uncovered by the brush hogging Mama had recently done, when he saw the big dogs chasing down a coyote. They chased it across the road onto the neighboring property, charged through the fence and kept going. That is a good thing.


The bad news is that they chase the deer away also, and for the most part that is not a bad thing since deer are accomplished destroyers of landscaping, gardens and desirable vegetation. I will not fault them that lapse –except during hunting season. Then, for that week or so, I will have to put them up when I go afield with the intent of hunting and possibly killing a big buck. In that instance I would strongly prefer a stationary target.

The rain held off and the sun eventually broke through the clouds yesterday allowing Grandpa to put up the hay he had cut the day before. There were only seven bales retrieved in the process, but it is fine hay none the less. It will work well for the intended application – feeding to the young calves as they begin to eat hay and grain.

Mama was back up to ten eggs yesterday. Chickens are interesting birds. When we allowed the two groups to mix, the egg count went down the next day – to six. I guess the other four layers were either too traumatized to lay or they were too busy traumatizing the new hens to take time to lay. Either way, pressing social events kept back the harvest. As soon as we separated them again, the count returned to the normal ten eggs per day. I have yet to understand the psychology involved in keeping the hens laying eggs, but the solutions seem straight forward enough. The crux of the matter; Mama is enjoying her little flock.

I got home yesterday just in time to help with the last of the feeding. We are having some little problems with the nipples we attach to the rather large bottles. They are all relatively new but there are certain ones that collapse quickly and depending on the calf you are feeding, can cause a problem.

We have one in particular that cannot get enough flow through any of the nipples we have. In his frustration he will very forcefully butt the bottle – and depending on how you are holding it while attempting to feed him, it can hurt when he gets really frustrated. Grandpa tried to switch him over to a bucket last night but I do not think it was a success. I think he will try again this morning and when he does succeed, it will save us a lot of jarring during feeding.

Butting is natural for the young calves and all of the little bulls do it. In some cases it is a gentle nudge. In other cases it is rather rough, but it is instinctual. If you have ever watched a calf nurse from its mother, you will see it butt the utter as it nurses. The difference is that in nature, if the butting gets too aggressive, the mother will kick the calf and not let it nurse any further. It soon gets the picture. We do not have that advantage – although I would like to figure out a way to practice such instruction.

If you rub the head of any of the calves you can feel the little nubs that are the growth plates for the horns they will eventually have. Right now they are tucked under soft folds of hide to protect the mamas from damage during the nursing months.

It is always amazing to see the cleverness of creation.

Wes, chicken abuse, last of the hay, Joshua

When Wes gave us Jazz he left his saddle with us so we could ride Jazz and Flashy – the second horse he was boarding with us. Soon after that Flashy got injured and Wes had to take her to the vet. After he got her doctored up, he put her close to him so he could keep an eye on her. We have ridden Jazz a couple of times but all the while Wes’s saddle was still with us. I looked at it last weekend and thought it was about time to get it back to him, but was not sure where to take it.


Well, last night he came by to get it about the time we were going out to feed the calves. He joined in the feeding but left pretty quickly after he had given one of the calves a bottle – saddle in hand. It is always good to see him since he can be difficult to catch. He has a fulltime job as well as fifteen horses – which is an additional fulltime job. He is always a very enjoyable person to be around.

Mama and I separated the chicken into non-pecking groups again last night. I am not sure how long we will leave them separated but it could be a while. I am tempted to let the rooster in with the second group so he takes ownership of them also, but I have not run that by Mama. The hens do not need him with them to keep laying, but it would be good to use him to keep the eggs fertile in case one of them decides to get broody and sit on a batch of eggs.

What started the need to segregate again was the damage being done to one of the young Buff Orpington hens. I do not know if they would actually kill one of their own, but she was missing quite a few feathers which suggested a thorough abuse by the other hens. Besides, we need to ensure they all get a chance to eat and rest. With the pecking going on, we could not be sure that was happening and these hens are too pretty to watch them get abused; especially to the point of dying. You can see them trying to keep out of harm's way.

Grandpa cut the last of the hay from the meadows so we could bale it to have for the calves. The coastal seed we planted has taken root in most areas of the meadows. With winter close at hand, we wanted to get the last good growth in the barn. It will help the grass and the ground get ready for winter and it will keep us from having to deal with too much twisted growth – from long grass resting on the ground through the winter – when we cut in the spring. We will bale it tonight.

The deer have found the alfalfa we have growing in patches through out the upper and lower meadows. There were some pretty impressive tracks in the upper meadow over the weekend. I have never seen the big bucks Grandpa has watched cross our property, but I have seen their tracks in the soft ground near the big tank. I hope to get to see them this hunting season – at least one of them.

Joshua called me yesterday to check on Mama. I guess he missed the memo on Mama switching cell phone carriers which disabled the number he had. We talked for a few minutes and I gave him the home number, but I do not know if he called to check in there. He is talking about coming up sometime near Christmas. We will see how that works out. He still has not gotten his license but he assured me the paperwork is in place to do so.

Joshua did tell me that Sunday was an exceptional day at church.

Move calves, more chickens, more cold

I took off early on Friday to go with Mama and Grandpa to get a couple more calves. I had not met the dairy farmers who had been selling us the calves so it was a good opportunity to get out and see the operations they had. Both farms, owned by two brothers, are in the Windthorst area so it is about forty minutes drive from our farm.


Like most dairy farms in this area the farms were nothing fancy. They are both big operations. I am not sure how many cows they milk but it is quite a herd in both cases. Both farms have large growing herds of replacement heifers and quite a calving operation – which is the backbone of the operation; no calves, no milk. Without the replacement herd, the dairy operation ceases. It is a very forward looking operation.

From the first farm we got two calves. One was four days old, the other was only born the day before, making him two days old, but he is huge. He looks like he is several weeks old. He picked up the name, Big Boy. The second calf from that farm was a typical calf but he has a bawl that sounds like a full grown bull. It is neat to hear him above all the rest of our herd when they know we are there to feed them.

From the second farm we got a little fellow. He was born two weeks premature so he is just now, at two weeks old, putting on some weight and filling out. He got the name, Tiny II. The “two” came about because Norman and Grandpa had a Tiny in years past. He should do fine. Grandpa is very attentive and very proactive. We had to give two of the new calves a shop to help them get over some mild sickness, but they are eating well and starting to get stronger. It was worth the trip.

Mama and I went to Trade Days Saturday morning. We were not planning on spending any money but we blew through $50 anyway. We found one seller who had some very large Buff Orpington hens for a great price, so we got two. We did go to look for some dog collars so we can put the calves out into the open lot yet keep them on a leash. We got four of the collars.

We also found a guy selling small galvanized buckets – they are great for feed for the small calves – and we picked up three of them.

Right now we are getting ten eggs per day routinely. We have gotten an even dozen before and that is Mama’s goal. The chickens are her own little part of the production yields of the farm. She did have the hens separated into the older group and the newer group, but as she tended to them on Saturday evening, the two groups got mixed and the pecking started in earnest.

Mama was temped to break it up and separate the groups again but a lady we bought some of the hens from suggested that we put them all together and walk away. (She told Mama to close her eyes). The pecking order is part of the nature of chickens and there is no way to get them to stop until each little hen knows her place. Our rooster thinks our little chicken coop is Nirvana; he now has thirteen hens to take care of.

It turned much colder this weekend. It never got above fifty degrees on Saturday. Last night there was a frost warning issued for our area. There was frost on the windshield of the little car this morning when I left for work. It will definitely hinder the growth of the grass from this point on if the fields got a significant frost, but the next couple days are supposed to be in the low eighties, with nights warming back into the sixties.

Fall is here; no complaints from me.

Impressive effort, church, presumptuous sin, Victoria

I do not know if he will be hurting physically from overexertion, but Grandpa has dug the waterline for the apartment and shop, laid the line, made up all the connections and mostly backfilled the entire line – by himself. It was a big job. About 150 feet of ditch needed to be dug and I was intending to help get it done, but with revival services every night this week, I did not get the opportunity to do so. I was thoroughly impressed with his efforts.


Grandma went to church with us last night and I think she enjoyed it. She was the last one to take her seat at the start of service and she was the last one out of the building at the end of the service. Victoria absorbed all of her sidebar comments throughout the sermon. Thank you, Victoria. Other than a constant driving lesson on the way to church, it was not totally unpleasant having her along. Mama has constantly reminded me and I know it to be true, that Grandma has a good heart. It is not her heart that I have a problem with.

On Wednesday night, she and Grandpa went to church in Bowie for the first time in months. I have not asked Grandpa if he enjoyed it or not. It is the first time the new pastor of the church would have seen the two of them. I am curious if it will come up in conversation this weekend as we work together. We have been praying for some time for Grandpa to find a church home. We will continue to pray.

Last night, the last night of the revival, the evangelist preached on presumptuous sin; an assassin of revival. This particular disobedience results largely from a lack of fear of or lack of respect for God. It is when we choose to do what we know is wrong (read that sin) but do it anyway thinking that God will somehow understand our justification for doing what we know to be wrong; what we know offends Him; what we know is sin…Guilty as charged.

He used episodes in the life of Saul as examples of presumptuous sin; when Saul offered sacrifices because he was tired of waiting on Samuel, when he failed in God’s directive toward the Amalekites (he was killed by an Amalekite who would not have been alive has he obeyed God), and when he called up the witch at Endor. All were direct violations of a known statute or a direct order form God but Saul justified it by looking at the circumstances and the situation rather than doing what was right – albeit, uncomfortable.

I have to ask myself if using a credit card to make purchases is such an instance when I have made a pledge to God to get out of debt. I will pay the borrowed money off. It will expedite the building project. Mama and I are ready to get the apartment done and have some place of our own. I could justify it. I could make it right. But I have made a promise, a commitment to God. I had better be prepared to keep it – regardless of the inconvenience.

Mama and Victoria thought the visit to the specialist was worth the time. They both really liked the doctor, an allergy, ENT specialist. She recommended a couple medications for Victoria in order to ease the immediate symptoms distressing all of us – mostly her cough – and has recommended follow up with a battery of allergy tests to identify the cause. That should produce some interesting results. I am nearly as anxious as Victoria to hear the outcome.

We are expecting colder weather this weekend. A front is supposed to move into the area tonight lowering the temperatures into the forties at night with the high on Saturday and Sunday only in the fifties. There is a slight chance of rain – and we will take all we can get – on Saturday. That will make working outside pretty comfortable; absent the rain. It is just too bad we are out of money. It might be time to go fishing.

Grandpa could use the rest.

Church, farm animals

Victoria was well enough to go to church with us last night. She has been cooped up in the mobile home since last Sunday so she was really ready to get out. In celebration we went to a Chinese restaurant in Decatur for dinner before church. It was good but food but I do not eat enough any more to justify a buffet of any kind. I almost ordered soup instead of the buffet but the price difference was insignificant. We enjoyed the meal – especially Victoria. She was doing her little dance that she does when she is enjoying what she eats.


We also enjoyed the revival service. The guest preacher referred back to a revival that took place in 1949 in the Hebrides islands – off the coast of Scotland. It is a wonderful story of how prayer affected the entire community. It did not spill out into a national or international revival but distinct traces of the prayer groups that continued for months after the initial moving of God are still active in the isle to this day. Prayer really does change things; especially me. It was nice to have a geographic frame of reference when he was referring to the Isle’s of Staffa, Argyll and Skye. I looked to see the particular island where the revival took place. I think it was on the isle of Lewis. I will have to look again more closely some time.

Mama tells me that the little calves were let out to play yesterday afternoon. Each of them jumped and skipped in the larger area as if they knew instinctively what to do. Then they each returned to their own little stall where they have been fed for the past week. No guidance was needed. They each knew where to go. So far we are enjoying the little ones and we are about 20% done with the bottle feeding of this first group. They already want more that one bottle of milk. I am just not sure how much they need.

I asked Mama yesterday or the day before if she or anyone had checked on the horses. No one had since Monday afternoon so there was a mad rush to check their water and to give them each a little bit of grain. Mama said Jazz is a mess. He has been enjoying the soft, wet ground a little too much and the flies that we have in this area have been taking advantage of their access to him by laying their eggs all over his coat and main.

Some if the dirt and egg clusters she was able to brush off before dousing him with the fly spray we have been using on the calves. It was long overdue and Jazz enjoyed the attention, the extra food and the respite from the flies. If this weekend’s weather cooperates, I will saddle him and ride a while; just so he remembers why he is there.

The big dogs are slowly showing signs of cooperating with the farm program. They are mostly getting along with the guineas. They are completely unsure of what to do with the calves, but they do not cause us any big concerns there. They have made peace with the horses. There is no truce available with the donkeys so they avoid them.

They are enjoying the cooler nights. They stand guard throughout the night and we often hear them barking to warn off some perceived threat. I have never seen anything that would cause them to bark – a coyote, a raccoon, a possum, another dog – but I suppose that is why we have them. Their sense of impending danger or intrusion onto their turf is far more keen than mine. I do see them go on the defense every time the coyotes sound close.

Anyway, the two of them must have had some long nights lately – as you can tell from the picture of Sam’s sleeping pose.

Playgrounds, Victoria, building hindrances, Chase

Grandpa and Mama have big plans to rearrange the calf lot to be able to allow the calves to get into a bigger portion of the lot That will enable them to run around a little; a playground, so to speak. It is a great idea since the enclosures we are now using are pretty small. All of the calves will benefit from the romping room. The problem is that we have to let them out individually. If they are put together at this young age they will start sucking on each other’s ears, noses, etc.; whatever they can get hold of.

Right now, after we feed them they suck on a board, the wire of the enclosure, the feed box where we put a small amount of feed; anything they can get their lips and tongue on. It is pretty amazing to see. It is the same as a suckling baby needing a pacifier. All of them are doing well right now and we do not want to jeopardize that in any way.

Victoria is doing better also. Not well enough that we will not keep the doctor’s appointment tomorrow, but better. She is finally able to eat without it either coming back out or charging straight through. I am anxious to see if we can find someone who can help us identify the cause so we can get her back on track. If she is willing to endure the diagnostic process, we should be able to put together a plan for recovery and maintenance.

I was telling Mama last night that I have to watch my attitude at work lest I fall into the temptation of seeing the negative more than the positive. There is a pervasive attitude of negative in this office. It is not overwhelming but it could be if allowed. I have never been a negative person; barring the times I get to feeling sorry for myself. People here are overloaded. One of my peers is very concerned about his job; extremely unhappy, feeling like he is never going to catch up and expecting to be penalized for it during this year’s review. I know help is on the way, but it will be year end before any real help is incorporated into our group. Until them we will have to do the best we can; get as much done as we can. This too shall pass.

On the farm front, not all is positive either. Our building projects are going slowly as well. When the needs are for $1500 to $2500 for each piece of the project, it can get a little overwhelming. I am clearly not going to meet my deadlines for this year if the sole source of the money is from my salary, but borrowing the money is not the most prudent approach to getting this done either.

Our goal is to pay as we go and I know we can do it with the cash the Lord is supplying, but the duration of the project will be much longer than I had hoped. The blessing will be that it will be paid for on completion. Mama suggested that we use credit cards to pay for the materials and the idea initially appealed to me, but on further consideration, I am not inclined to do that. It is unwise t borrow money at 25% interest; essentially, that is what happens when a credit card is used. For now, we are planning to take the long road of cash as you go.

It is not all bad. We have a place to sleep. Our things are stored securely. We are seeing progress every day on the apartment and shop. Our giving program is going strong and we are putting little portions of money into various savings accounts. We are not hurting – except from my own sense of failure at not meeting expectations.

Chase seems to be doing well. It is difficult to tell from this far away. I know he is doing well in school and is beating all expectations in sales in his job at Sears. I pray he is doing well in his walk with the Lord.

That is ultimately all that matters.

Short days, dinner, medical forms, revival

Yesterday was one of those days that hurried by. When I discovered I did not have my laptop with me I had to find one to borrow and one borrowed is never set up the same way as the one normally used. So I had to reconfigure the borrowed laptop to meet my short term needs without making it difficult for someone else to borrow it in the future. That took some time – between meetings.


Since I was out of the office part of the day on Thursday and all of the day Friday, I had some catch up items to take care of; at least those I could address without the programs I have access to on my laptop. That took more time – between more meetings. All in all it was a very fast day; marginally productive. Hopefully my laptop will get here today.

I did get home in time to help feed the calves before eating a little dinner. Dinners are not the same while we are living with Grandma and Grandpa. There is not the same care or interest or time together I am used to when Mama takes care of such things and Grandma has taken to watching back to back episodes of television shows available on Netflix – which we have set up on the TV we have in the mobile home. Within the last week she has watched 78 episodes of Burn Notice. It has not been good dinnertime fare, but it is a small matter.

We had one calf that was a little piqued on Sunday but Grandpa went out and got some medicine to doctor it with and by that night the calf was doing much better. The next morning he was at full strength. I wish I could recover that quickly. Maybe I need to go on a milk replacer diet. All four of the calves are eating well and growing fast. If we are able to get several more we will really see the growth by comparison. So far we have the four and it is enough.

Grandpa spent the better part of the day working on the shop; setting forms for the next pour and digging the waterline. We may have the time and materials to dig the waterline and the septic line this weekend. That would get us a long way toward getting the bathroom ready both in the shop and the apartment. I am still weighing the pros and cons of doing the slab versus doing the roof. I cannot do both at the same time but I will have to make a decision soon.

We have Victoria scheduled to visit a specialist on Thursday. The office specializes in allergy related illnesses. She has been suffering long enough. It is time for us to get the cause nailed down so we can equip her to be well in the future. I know she is scared the allergies will keep her from enjoying the farm so she has not wanted to be diagnosed. But her constant cough is keeping her from enjoying anything, so it is time to get some control and diagnosis is the first step to healing.

It was interesting to see Victoria struggle with answering the questionnaire I picked up at the doctor’s office. She and Mama have the hardest time with such documents. I suppose to them it is a combination of a final exam and an interrogation forum. They struggle to answer questions that are designed to guide the doctor in asking deeper questions when the visit is under way. It is not an appraisal of your honesty or a test of your medical knowledge. It is just a tool, but it is still difficult for the two of them.

Mama and I enjoyed revival services last night. The preacher used the story of the prodigal son as a starting point but preached a very different message dealing with how quickly we forget and how that forgetfulness keeps us from serving God. We forget what it cost God to redeem us. We forget that our loved ones will spend eternity in hell if they die without Christ. We forget how real that pain and torment are and that there is no mercy, no comfort, no end.

It is a sad reminder of how very little I am doing for the Lord

Moving, misplaced items, pets, shopping

Mama and I made it back to Bowie safely. We even beat the rain in most places. It only took us the requisite four and one half hours to make the trip but for some reason it seemed longer. We were both worn out from the long days and late evenings of packing on the days before. Even with all the work on the part of the packers and ourselves, Mama had to load the last of the last items into the little car by herself in order to clear out the house and meet me in Borger. We had already used up Wednesday evening packing the car and getting items we were keeping but not able to transport to Chase’s apartment to be taken home on some future round trip, but there was still more in the house than the little car could provide space for; another episode of too much stuff.


When she arrived in Borger to get me, the car was breathing room only. Every available nook had been taken and I still had to get my computer bag and lunch box in for the trip. The computer bag fit into one little vacant spot behind Mama’s seat and the lunch box was put at her feet. We have started talking about getting a little van, but not soon. It was only when I got to my office in Decatur this morning that I realized I had left my computer in the office in Borger. Had it been in the case Thursday afternoon when I was shoving the case into the car, it might not have fit, but that only caused me a little frustration early in the day today.

We did not get back to the farm in time for the evening feeding Thursday but we were up early Friday to get in on that morning’s feeding. It is a real treat to bottle feed the little calves; slobbery, but fun. They will all be pets before the six weeks are over. They enjoy any and all attention after feeding. You can stand there and pet them, scratch them and get them to jumping around playfully as you spend time with them. As they get bigger it could be a challenge to contain them but for the moment they are content with their confines. I will have pictures tomorrow or Wednesday – when my computer arrives.

It is a shame we will have to “dead” them – as Grant refers to the process of getting the animal to the table- but such is the way of life. He asked his mother the other day why we had to “dead the pigs?” I think he enjoyed the pork chops and sausage from the pigs, but the process of conversion seems a little barbaric to him right now. Unfortunately, we cannot have our pigs and eat them too.

The dairy farmer called on Friday to tell us to get ready for more, but as of this morning we had not gotten instructions to pick up any more calves. Grandpa and I spent the day Friday building an addition onto one of our buildings to provide parking for the baler and sprayer. That will open up the building we have used as a shop to put up our hay. We are going to need it.

It rained all day Friday, all day Saturday and most of the day Sunday. All in all I think we got a little over two inches of rain. It was a terrific blessing. On Saturday Grandpa and I worked under cover in the calf barn making more stalls in preparation for more stock. It was a harder rain that morning than we had worked in on Friday. We did not get to finish the baler cover because of a late start but Grandpa was pretty excited about the progress we made as we worked on it together. We should be able to finish it this weekend.

By the time Mama and I left to go shopping on Saturday afternoon, Grandpa and I had four more stalls ready with plans to make another six to eight if needed. Fourteen calves would be a good bit more work, but a much bigger profit.

Mama and I went to what is left of the outlet malls in Gainesville, TX Saturday afternoon. We had a great lunch at Applebee’s and spent about three hours shopping. I got a new suit. I told a few people at church it was my new birthday suit; one’s I thought could handle the joke. Mama got a new purse and some shirt things – they are not really shirts but they cover the same area. We had a great time.

We have revival at church this week. It will continue through Wednesday night so it will be a long week for all of us. I do not think Mama will get to sleep in at all with the early morning feedings. I say early but they are usually done by 7:30 a.m. So it is not like they are up at the same time I am every morning. And it is not a hardship to bottle feed.

Hopefully the fun will last a few more weeks.