Visitors traveling home, farm plans

Chase and Makaila came over yesterday. In case you missed it on an earlier blog they are officially engaged. I am sure Chase made a good choice in Makaila; we will have to wait to see how the spiritual aspect of their relationship plays out. That was Mama’s and my major concern but they are doing things properly as far as church attendance and courting. Their trip was more to see Cori and the kids than to see me and Mama. I do not think Cori and Nate had ever met Makaila. They picked a dreary day to make the trip but it gave all of them time to visit.

The rain finally came last night. I did not get to look at the rain gauge this morning but I do know it rained hard for several hours. We really needed it. So far the tarps I put in place are holding up against the winds but it will not last for long. I have not checked to see how much rain is still getting into the building. I will do that tonight when I get home.

When I do get home tonight it will be only me and Mama on the farm. Victoria will be at work. Cori, Nate and the kids are heading out early this morning and Chase and Makaila will head out in the early afternoon. Mama was putting on a brave face last night but it will be very difficult for her today. It has been a very good visit for us and I think it was the respite Cori needed. Again, time will tell.

Mama and I had a Florida beach vacation planned during the first couple weeks of May. That was before Cori and the kids came to visit us. We were going to stay with Cori and Nate during that time. I told Mama that I am not planning on taking that time now. I am waiting on Licensing to contact me and I am pretty sure it will happen in that time frame. Additionally, there is a major computer upgrade going on that week in Decatur that I am helping to direct. We may still do something, but I will have to squeeze the time out and nurse our finances to the point of recovery from this visit.

I need to go to Amarillo sometime in the next couple weeks but with Grandma and Grandpa gone I will put that on hold for the moment. Mama will have all the morning feeding and chores on her own for the next couple weeks. I would like to be there to help in the evening cycle of chores until Grandpa gets back. I think the plan is for them to be back at the farm the last week of this month.

I have no idea how their visit is going but I have gotten reports on a piece of property they looked over for me. It passed inspection with flying colors. There is a second piece of property that we could work for a couple years if we decide not to buy land. The owner has talked to Norman and would like him to use the property just for the sake of cleaning it up. Sadly, that arrangement never lasts because once the property is clean and in serviceable condition the owner generally finds reason to take it back.

We might get two or three cuttings of hay off of the ground but I doubt it would be more than that. We all have to decide if that would be enough to justify the labor it would require of Norman and Seth to get the property to the point that the hay we get would compensate for their work. I have not seen any pictures of that property but I am told it is suitable for our purposes.

If we are going to succeed here I need someplace else to get my hay from. West Virginia is a decent place to do that. I am not sure the expense of transport from there to here is justifiable. That is the question we are praying over right now. It would be a huge benefit for the family to have a working farm there, but at what cost?

No easy answers.