Growing things, birthdays, work

I got to see the pigs and the chicks last night for a few minutes before we went to FBI. I am always amazed at how very fast they grow. The pigs have put on fifteen pounds or so; at least the bigger ones have. The smaller one has more than doubled in size since we got her and is better able to compete with the larger ones. I am not sure we will be able to wait until April to take them to market. They may weight over 500 pounds by that time.

It is always fun to watch the chicks grow into mature chickens; to watch their bodies produce feathers as they grow. It’s amazing. Right now they are still pretty cute. They are only just getting their wing feathers but they still look downy over most of their bodies. They have tripled in size which is good because the nights are getting cooler and we need them ready for the cold within a few more weeks.

I took a few minutes to water the trees in the garden and the berry plants yesterday evening. The rest will have to wait until this evening. With the nights cooling off and the dew settling over the plants through the dark hours the plants look les stressed than they have over the past several weeks, but they will still require a lot of attention until the rains return – if they do. The days are still hot but the temperature barely makes it to the high nineties before rapidly cooling for the night.

Mama takes animate things and cares for them while I tend to focus my efforts on the inanimate. It has always worked well for us. She enjoys the character and animation of living things – dogs, pigs, chickens, cows and hopefully soon, sheep and goats. You can easily determine their needs and meet them through a daily routine. I take the seasonal view and look after the trees, bushes and vines. Their changes are subtle and slow but incredibly beautiful; long term commitments with fruitful rewards, seasonal pleasures, lasting year after year.

Mama rushed around yesterday to get packages and cards out for birthdays. This is our birthday month. Catherine used to start us off on the 16^th or 17^th (I am never sure) but now that honor goes to Bridgette on the 11^th. Cori follows on the 18^th. My birthday falls on the 20^th. Rebekah’s on the 21^st. Nate’s birthday is on the 22^nd. Mama and Chase finish out the month with birthdays on the 29^th. It is still a fun month even though we are scattered abroad.

When I lose access to this calendar I am not sure what I am going to do to keep up with the birthdays. I am not going to commit them to memory. That is relegated to Mama and her memory. Somehow we will muddle through but it is one of the conveniences I have grown accustomed to while working for ConocoPhillips over the last thirteen years; one of the many.

I am told that we will continue working through the middle of October but I am not placing too much confidence in that. I have also been told that the layoffs will start in Houston at our main office there and the HR team responsible will work their way outward from there. That is one team I do not want to be a part of. I can only hope I will not have to make the announcements to anyone in my group before I get released.

Again, that is not something I can count on.