Job news, calf news, weekend projects

I spoke briefly with my boss yesterday about applying for the job in licensing and he agreed that it would be a good idea. He almost apologized for moving me over to Decatur to take the training position because of the ways things have worked out – the position is being taken away from me due to company restructuring. In his mind it is almost like doing all this under false pretenses and he regrets the way things have worked out. I do not, but there is nothing either of us can do about it.


So, yesterday I applied for one of the open positions in licensing. I am not at all sure how it will work out but I will go as far as the Lord allows in the pursuit of it. I do not think Mama and I want to relocate to Australia at this time but that is an open option at the moment. Shuttling back and forth between continents is not the most appealing idea but it would rack up the frequent flyer miles. Besides I would probably start off my apprenticeship at one of the plants being built in Louisiana which would accommodate trips to nearby Florida – following several months in Houston for indoctrination and training.

I still have to pass the interview and the physical. I am not concerned about the interview. I have been given ample opportunity to develop those skills in my current role. I am not overly anxious about the physical either, although at my age there is always room for concern. The good news is that I will still have a job here for the foreseeable future if the licensing job does not work out.

Grandpa, Grandma, Mama and I sat down for a while last night – a very rare occasion – and discussed the sale of the first lot of steers we will have ready in late February. I was finally able to track down the market information Grandpa was looking for and it seems that our plan for raising and selling the calves will work out pretty well. Now we really need a stock trailer.

Grandpa and Grandma were visited yesterday morning by the man who used to be their landlord here in Bowie. His name is John and he usually travels in the company of a fellow named Charlie. Charlie reminds Grandpa of his brother Charlie who died many years ago. Anyway, John was looking over the operation Grandpa has going with the calves and he was very impressed. He, John, has eight head of Angus heifers he keeps on the farm he has here in Bowie. All eight gave him calves but only three survived. We are sitting at about 90% survival rate (88% actual) versus his 37% survival rate. It was a real encouragement to Grandpa. We have learned some hard lessons, struggled with some disappointments and spent more than we expected, but, all in all, we will come out okay. By any measure, Grandpa has put us way ahead of the curve.

This weekend as I work on the apartment - my back willing – I have to take the time to work on the horse stalls and the cellar. I threw out the idea of converting the cellar (actually, a storm cellar or “Fradie Hole” as my last boss referred to it) into our plant nursery this winter and I get the impression that the idea was well received. We need to get the seeds in pots pretty quickly if we are going to make the spring planting – late February and early March.

It will require a good door, a heater and some grow lights. Sounds like a good weekend project, but the ones that sound easy are the ones that cost me the most money and the most time. But with my back as tender as it is I cannot see the possibility of spending too much time on the scaffolds so I will have to concentrate on ground-level work. There is still plenty to do without getting above ground-level, but it is not the type of work that shows much progress.

The really encouraging part of the plan is that I have all my tools here so I will be well equipped to tackle the projects.