Brittany, Victoria, inside/outside

Brittany should be on a plane headed home this morning. I have not heard yet, but Mama will be letting me know sometime later this morning. She spent her day yesterday looking at houses and found one that she really liked, in an area she would like to be in, at a price that was in her budget. She talked it over briefly with Andrew and made an offer on the house only to find out that the seller had already accepted an offer on the house. I am not sure of the time lapse between offers but it had to be very short for her realtor not to be aware it. Brittany and Andrew were obviously very disappointed but they know as well that God’s timing is always perfect. I am not sure what the plan is for now, but Brittany talked about renting for a short time once they get to Wichita while they take their time and really hunt down the house they need. It is a five to ten year commitment on their part so it would be best not to rush.

Mama and I went to FBI last night even though Mama was still feeling a little croupy. Victoria stayed home because of a severe headache. On Sunday, she and Erin went to the visitation for the coworker that died suddenly last week. I do not think Victoria would have gone without Erin even though she liked the coworker very much. Victoria is not expressive in that way. Yesterday was the funeral. Walmart called out personnel to backfill the pharmacy so the coworkers that wanted to could attend the funeral. Victoria elected to go. It was a wise decision on her part and hopefully will provide a chance for witness sometime in the future, but it was very hard on her emotionally. I get the impression that this affected her deeply but it is always hard to tell since Victoria is not one to talk openly. She seemed to need last night to recuperate emotionally.

Mama will be off again today because the boys at the school have a special activity away from the school. Bro. Zach did not feel it was appropriate or necessary for the girls to go to the activity so they all get the day off. There are only two girls at the school so it did not make sense for Mama to spend the day at the school for only two students. Plus, they would have been doing school work all day while the boys were out playing. I think it was a good call and Mama needs some time at the house to get a few things caught up. Since we have been traveling through the weekends recently and have had church services through the week last week, we have gotten behind on a lot of little things; laundry, vacuuming and dusting, general upkeep outside, etc. I am not sure how much will actually get done at home today but Mama is not feeling as sickly as Victoria and I did through the bronchitis battles we just had to fight and inside duties are not something she favors. There is plenty to do outside also and like the normal inside needs, there always will be since we live on a farm, but Mama and I have a tendency to like the outside chores rather than the inside ones. Our house will not win any prize for cleanliness, but other than the small magazine and paperwork piles Mama and I tend to accumulate, it is pretty organized. It all eventually works out and everything gets done – enough to get be anyway.

A house can either be lived in or looked at. We live in ours.

Dad’s Memorial, Brittany

Mama, Victoria and I traveled to Chappell Hill and Brenham to attend Dad’s memorial service Saturday. Brittany, Chase and Makaila met us in Chappell Hill Friday evening. The service was relaxed and welcoming.  There were friends from Hong Kong, Kenya and Mexico in attendance. All eight of the children were there, including Tony, who had to fly in from Indiana. Steve traveled down from Wyoming. All the others of us were somewhere in Texas. We took time to get a family photo since it has been many years since we have been together as a sibling group. I will upload one of those photos when I get it. Of the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, fifty-one were in attendance. The rest of the crowd of about ninety were friends and adopted family. It was especially good to see my brothers and sisters singing the hymns from memory. That would have pleased Mom and Dad.

Enrique Cepeda preached. He has been a friend of the family since he was in Gulf Coast Bible College in Houston in 1962. Mama and I have not seen him since Joshua was very young; about three as best we can figure out. That would have been some time in 1986. Even with all those elapsed years, he had no problem recognizing me and Mama. He is still as much fun to be around as he was all those long years ago. Doug Waku and his wife, who run a medical mission in central Kenya, were there. Mom and Dad were instrumental is getting the clinic up and running – and supported financially. He told how heartbroken my Mom was when she told them they would have to stop supporting the clinic because of life changes they were dealing with – especially Dad’s advancing dementia. . Mom died a few weeks after they had that conversation. “She gave all she had until the very end”, he told me later.  It was my first time to meet them but we will be in contact from here on out. A friend was there from the Hong Kong ministry that helps get Bibles to the persecuted church in China. (Name withheld intentionally.) I had heard Mom refer to him as she recounted their time crossing into China. He took time to share some stories with me about those times; especially about getting Mom out of detention when she had been arrested at the border.

When the pastor, leading the memorial service opened for floor for testimonies or remembrances of Dad or Mom, the first person who got up was the owner of a local tire shop in Brenham that Dad used to frequent. Dad would stop by to visit with the owner and his staff because it was one of the places he knew how to get to easily in his declining years. He became a good friend to the man; and a good witness. Pastors of churches Mom and Dad had attended were there with some of their congregation members to remember Dad and to comfort the family. My lifelong friend Randy was there and told a wonderful story about how he met Dad. He broke down in tears as he remembered how that initial encounter had affected him. It was a good time of celebration of a life that had meant so much to so many.

We headed towards home after lunch was over. I think we were the last persons out of the church, but we were catching up with Randy and that always takes a lot of time. Mama and I will be making another trip over in the coming weeks to collect some items Martha wants us to have but after that, it is doubtful we will drop by Chappell Hill very often. That chapter of our life is complete. It is a sad thought on this side but one day there will be a very happy reunion. That is the blessed hope of the Gospel.

Brittany will fly back to England tomorrow. She got a rental car in Denton yesterday and drove to Wichita so she could have all day today to look at houses. We had talked about Mama taking her back and the two of them looking at houses together but Mama started getting sick Saturday evening and by last night she was in bad shape, so it was a good thing Brittany went off on her own. If she does not find a house today that she absolutely loves, she and Andrew will rent for a time while they continue to look. They should be in Wichita by mid-April. God’s timing is perfect in that, but it will still be a challenge to get all the packing and moving done in the next six weeks.

Many changes will be coming this summer.

A few minutes extra, Mama’s travel, loss and regret

In spite of the time constraints last night Mama and I took our time getting the animals fed and watered and set up for the evening. There was still a lot left undone and we will eventually have to catch up with the workload, but last night we got done what was needed and enjoyed a few minutes of a beautiful afternoon. On our free evening this evening, we will need a list to keep on track of what work is left outstanding so we can get the most important things done prior to our being gone this weekend. My biggest concern is that the cow we have in the corral at the barn will be forgotten. For her to go without feed for two feedings would undo much the good we have done over the past week. It would not be fatal, but it would be counterproductive. Other than that, I need to take time to water the plants. It is hard to believe that the temperatures are a high as they are. Today the temperature is predicted to get to 90 degrees. I had to look to make sure it was still February. On the bright side, the goats love the warmer temperatures.

Mama’s travel time will not be over when we get back from Brenham Saturday evening. We still need to help Brittany get home. If there is a flight out of Wichita Tuesday morning, she will have to take Brittany to Wichita to catch it. It is six hours each way with an overnight in Wichita so that Brittany can be at the flight terminal by 6 am. That is the only way she will be guaranteed a seat. But it is a free flight for Brittany and Mama is willing to take the time to make it happen for her. The hard part is that Brittany will not know if there is a flight out on Tuesday until mid-day Saturday. So, we are all on hot standby. If she has to spend an extra week with us Brittany will survive the boredom and isolation somehow. She did find out from Andrew that his orders came through and he will be reporting for duty in Wichita at the end of April. It is the outcome we were all praying for. Like the song that was sung for a special last night at our revival service, “Prater is as big as God is.”

We got home from church a little later than usual because we stopped by the restaurant to show Alex a house and property Mama had found. He and Leslie have already scheduled a time to look at a property they found but he was thankful for us stopping by the show him the new property. Mama and I have no idea how soon they will be able to buy but they are on the move. When they get an idea together they do not waste any time implementing it. For now, they are all fully engaged in the activity and with the way they are able to coordinate their efforts, it will not be long before the deal is done. Then the questions will begin. I have a hunch we will be learning a lot from them.

When we did get home, Victoria told us that one of her coworkers had died suddenly and unexpectedly from complications of the flu. From what Victoria described, she had some health issues but none that would have prepared her or her family for something like this. Victoria was pretty upset by it and today will be a hard day for her and her coworkers as they live out the “life-goes-on” addage. She said they were all crying yesterday evening through the remainder of their shift after they heard the news and Victoria was still visibly upset last night as she told us. Mama asked if she knew if the coworker that died was saved. Victoria’s answer still brings tears to my eyes. “I don’t know” She answered, “And I never told her.” That’s when she truly began to weep. We will see over the next few weeks the impact this had on Victoria, but the immediate impact was profound.

Who have I not told?

New glasses, title issues, Church

Our new glasses came in last Friday but we did not get the message until Monday evening. Mama was excited to pick them up. She has been struggling for some time with the old prescription glasses she has. I think the exam that gave her those glasses was done more than two years ago, and her eyes have changed significantly. I have struggled with my far vision but nothing else seemed to be too different – and the exam we just had bore that out. So, she picked up all the glasses we had ordered and took them home with her when she got off work. I thought I had to go to the office to get mine so they could be fitted but I guess not. If there is an issue I can always stop by and get them to adjust the fit. She is very pleased with the two pair I got for her. I did not realize how badly she needed them.

Mama has been trying to get things sorted out with a trailer we picked up for Coria and Nate before we met them in Temple a couple weeks ago. It appears that in the State of Florida you have to have a title for a trailer to get it registered and we did not have one with the temporary registration paperwork we got when Mama got tags for the trailer. Nate and Cori overnighted the paperwork to us to see if we could get the trailer registered in Texas so they can have permanent plates on it when they travel north in a week or so. So, Mama called me and asked me to meet her at the title place in Decatur to find out what the hurdles were to get the plates. She said she needed me to do the talking so she would not prattle and give too much information, getting herself in trouble. It turned out to be pretty simple. We were done in just a few minutes. We could have titled the trailer but it was not required for the registration so we did not get a title only to find out that Nate thought we should go back and get the title made in order for them to have it when they sell the trailer. However, later yesterday evening, Cori called back and said they had rethought it and would skip getting the title. Mama is overnighting the paperwork and plates to them this morning. From here they should be legal for the road. Mama was happy to get that off her plate – and with a favorable outcome.

Seth and his girlfriend came over last night just before we were going to leave for church. They were out driving around and wanted to stop over to visit with Brittany. She is in Amarillo with Chase and Makaila so they were a bit disappointed by that. When Mama told Seth that we were on our way to church he was shocked. It was Tuesday after all. I think he and Norman have not been to church for over a year. For Grandma and Grandpa, it has been a couple years. Anyway, Mama invited them to come tomorrow but he and Gabriella have made plans to go to a concert in Dallas tomorrow. When Mama asked about what kind of concert it was he glossed over the question. Tomorrow is his birthday. The evening and the concert are his birthday present to himself. It is always sad to see someone drift away from the Lord. Years ago, when Victoria was moving to Bowie to live with Grandma and Grandpa – before Mama and I got transferred – I thought Grandpa’s conviction and faith would be a help to Victoria. Little did I know where he would be spiritually today.

Tonight is our last service of revival. The services have been great. The preaching has been outstanding. I have not been able to lead the singing because I am still wrestling with bronchitis but I have enjoyed being there. God has definitely blessed each service. Two were saved the first night and baptized the second night. One more raised their hand for salvation last night. God is still at work and we have not seen the final results. I know God is working in the hearts of many of our church members. I know that because He is still working in me.

Tomorrow we have a full evening as we try to catch up to our limited evening time over the past few days and get ready for travel. Thankfully it is only an overnight trip.

Chores, still busy

I was off yesterday for President’s Day. I have never had that as a holiday before but I took it and enjoyed the time off. I got to do a few little things but nothing major. All the little things were the kind of chores that take time to get done but when you have finished the chores no one will be able to tell you have done them. I had to repair a door latch on the east side of the coop so Mama will notice that the next time we have to shut that door – usually against blowing rain. I took the old fence out of the garden’s north side. The fence I put up for the goats is now the perimeter fence on that side of the garden. I got a little more done on the posts for the raised bed I am building for Mama but even after the rain we had over the weekend, the ground was still very hardpacked. The power auger would not work for me in the rock and clay so I had to use the old-fashioned posthole digger and a rock bar to get the holes punched in. I need to get the holes fairly deep because of the weight they will be supporting so it may take me a couple more tries at digging a while then filling the holes with water to soften the clay so I can dig some more. Fortunately, there is no urgency. I planted a row of potatoes Saturday evening so they would be in the ground before the weekend rains. But it was only half of the potatoes we bought to plant in the garden so another row will have to be made later this week – or next week.

I also managed (with God’s help) to get 75 separated from the rest of the herd so we can fatten her a bit before she goes to the sale barn. It adds to our daily feeding chores but we had to do something to get her and her calf separated in order for her to fill out. We thought we had weaned her calf by separating them for three months but as soon as the calf and cow were reunited, the calf began nursing again. Since 75 is bred about six months now, it was getting to be too much for her and she was looking pretty pitiful. You can tell she is not a favorite of Mama’s since she still has no name. We just refer to her by the number on her ear tag. Selling her will give us the money to buy feed through the next six or seven months. It will be a good trade. That will leave is with three bred cows and two calves – until we sell 75’s calk later this year. Mama does not like her either.

I took an hour in the morning while things dried out a bit to listen to the last hour of our FBI video for this week. Since church activities preempted our class yesterday evening we took the DVD home after class last week and managed to get through the first two hours one evening but we lacked the last hour. Mama and Victoria will use my notes to update their books. The study guides are fill-in-the-blank and since our tests are taken directly from the study guides they need to be complete by the time we get ready to study for the final. I always enjoy the lectures so it was not an inconvenience.

With revival services each night through Wednesday we will not have time in the evenings to do anything outside other than the required work to feed and care for the animals until Thursday evening and then we will have to pack for our overnight in Brenham for Dad’s Memorial. Brittany, Chase and Makaila will meet us there on Friday night. Brittany went to Amarillo with Chase and Makaila for the week so she could do some shopping. It will definitely be easier to get to the shops there and Chase and Makaila are less boring company that Mama and me.

Our life does not suit everyone, but it suits us.

Farm life, making it count

Yesterday evening was the first time Mama and I had had to work outside in quite a few days and we used every minute of daylight and a few minutes after dark. Mama had bought feed on Monday afternoon and last night I was able to get some of it put into containers for storage and use. I do not like to leave it is the garage for too long because it will eventually draw mice and rats. We have a number of barrels set up – mostly at the coop – to store the bags of feed so it is easier to get to during the morning feeding times; when Mama needs to be efficient due to time constraints. For the cattle feed we have an old freezer laid on its back in the barn and it is able to hold ten to twelve sacks of feed. That helps. We also took time last night to clean the coops. I am not sure how long it has been but they were in desperate need of cleaning. While we worked on that we let the chickens out of the coop yard into the open space around the coop. They acted like they were on a mission to raid a candy store. I guess they really enjoy getting out to new areas to scratch and peck. It was only an hour or so before dark, but they made the most of the freedom. Before dark they were all back in their places on the roost. I believe this was the first time we have ever let them out en masse. It was a successful experiment overall. They will be less hesitant next time we open the gates.

Before it got too dark, I took the time to check all the fruit tree we have on the farm. They are all getting ready for spring. Most have very little buds ready and several have leaves opening on the tips of the branches. Even the little plum trees I got from Daniel Wycoff are getting ready to leaf out. The move does not seem to have bothered them too much. I do know that the ground we have them in will be much better that the black clay we dug them out of. Peaches, pears, plums, nectarines, apricots, figs, and blueberries are all ready to bud out. The blackberries and black raspberries are coming along well also. Even the grapefruit tree I have in a large pot is blooming out. I hope to actually have a grapefruit or two on that tree this year. The asparagus are sending out shoots already. Life is coming back to the farm. Now Mama and I need to get busy on the garden; at least getting the potatoes out. Fortunately, I will have Monday off so I can begin a couple projects, or continue a couple projects, whichever way you look at it. Honestly, I need to finish a project before I take on another one.

I told Mama the other day that I have this nagging feeling that I am missing something but the feeling usually stems from the pressure I feel at having so many things undone. Either there is a lack of money or there is a lack of time – at the moment both lacks are in play. This persistent cough, the trouble I am having just breathing, add to the frustration. It seems our schedule just keeps filling up. This weekend we have bus calling Saturday morning and a Saturday evening banquet to go to at the church. Then we have revival services through Wednesday evening. Additionally, we have had to travel lately – a lot. First to Temple for that weekend visit, then to Wichita to get Brittany. Next weekend we have to travel to Chappell Hill for Dad’s memorial service, followed by a trip back to Wichita Sunday afternoon to drop Brittany off for her flight home. I would not change any of it because those contacts take care of the important things in life, but they do eat up a lot of time.

CT Studd said many years ago, in a poem, “Only one life, twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” The same is true about relationships. Having a finished well house, goat barn, shop building, etc. will not be what I am remembered by. It is not what I want to be remembered by. So, projects will wait until there is free time to complete them and Mama and I will concentrate on building and keeping lasting relationships with those who need our attention.

We have only one life to give and I want to use it where it will count the most.

Brittany and Mama, happy animals

Brittany and Mama made it back safely – and in time for church last night. They walked in just as the service was about to start, but they made it. I am sure more details will emerge but they had a productive time looking at properties in and around Wichita. The realtor that answered Brittany’s call turned out to be a delightful, Christian woman who made an immediate connection with both Mama and Brittany. She will be a very valuable resource in the months to come as Brittany and Andrew finalize the date of the move and get more focused on a house purchase. If the plans work out as Brittany has told us they will be in the Wichita area for about five years. It is a relatively easy drive for me and Mama, straight up I-35 about five hours driving time. About the same time and miles as a trip to Amarillo. I am certain we will learn the way by heart over the coming years. Maggie and Aaron, by contrast, will be about twenty hours east of us. Almost due east, about 1300 miles. Not necessarily a difficult trip by car but not a leisurely one either. That too, is a trip I am sure Mama and I will make on occasion. They will be easier to reach than in Juneau and flights should be a lot cheaper and easier to coordinate than getting to Juneau. I see a lot of travel in our future.

Brittany is going to work with Mama this morning. She has schoolwork to get done and wants to practice piano as well. (It will be interesting to see if she has a difficult time adjusting to US time since she is normally six hours ahead of us.) We will meet up for lunch – as Mama and I normally do and enjoy the pace of this weekend as things start to get very busy. It will be a busy time for all of us next week. We have revival meetings starting Sunday that will run through Wednesday night. We will have Thursday evening off and head to Chappell Hill on Friday to be there for Dad’s memorial service on Saturday. After the service Saturday morning, we will head back home, go to church on Sunday morning and head back to Wichita that afternoon to get Brittany to the airfield so she can hopefully, get on a flight home Monday morning. Mama wants me to take the time off to make the drive with her. I have not asked about the time off, but I have a week to pray about it and get it arranged if needed. I am not enamored with the idea of her making the drive by herself again, but I am not thrilled about taking the extra time off either; especially with limited vacation for the year which could hinder us having the time off for the birth of the twins. I am sure we would like to be there for that event.

The animals will be happy to have Mama back. When she is gone even for a night they are well aware of it. Neither Victoria nor I feed or tend to them the way Mama does. Don’t get me wrong. They survive in our care but they do not necessarily get all the extra attention, or the special feed items Mama loves give them. She will crumble bread for the chickens, feed leftovers to the pigs and make sure all the goats have fresh hay every day. The cows get alfalfa and cubes every other day. All the animals will call to Mama every morning when they are alerted to her presence. Sometimes it is how she opens a gate into the coop yard, but usually it is because she starts talking to the menagerie as soon as she enters the back yard from the sun room. When they hear her voice, all of them start making noise, clucking, bleating, grunting and bawling. The cows being the loudest of the criers, with the pigs coming in a strong second.

Whoever said the farm life is a quiet life did not have Mama to stir thing up.

The last pup, FBI, Brittany

As I got home yesterday evening Mama told me there was a family on the way to get the last pup. We have been praying about that sale for several weeks now and I was relieved to see the pup go to a good home. It is far more than enough to have the bigger dogs in and out of the house – especially when they shed as badly as they do or when the weather is inclement – but when puppies are added to the mix it is difficult for me to deal with. Mama and Victoria love having the little ones but the chewing, the poop everywhere and the fact that they are constantly underfoot make it all problematic for me. Victoria makes some good income from the sale of the pups but for a once-a-year income, it seems like a lot of work and trouble to me  but at least the dogs are producing something. We missed Kobe’s heat this cycle. She seems to have finished up while we were in Temple with the grandkids. I was not horrible devastated by the pronouncement, but I am sure Mama and Victoria will keep an eye out for the next cycle so they can have her pups also. Oh, joy.

We are in week five of FBI. This coming set of final exams may be the hardest set of tests we have had to take so far. We are studying the books of Judges, Ruth and Samuel 1 & 2, the Epistles and the Psalms. Lots of Scripture to cover in just a few weeks. Lots of potential verses to match and memorize. We just finished the Book of James. The lectures concerning the book were some of the best preaching I have heard on the book. I will never read it the same or have the usual thoughts concerning the verses that are so often quoted from that little book. Galatians is up next in that series.

Mama will be heading to Wichita, KS after she gets off work today. Brittany managed to get on a flight this morning and will be arriving sometime in the early afternoon. Fortunately, she and Andrew have friends at the base so she can get a ride to the hotel where she and Mama will be staying. Tomorrow, possible tonight as well, they will look at a couple of houses Brittany is interested in before they head back here. They will be moving to the area in a few months and Brittany has already been house shopping. I told Mama last night that this will be one of the last times she will be able to travel easily with the twins; she had better enjoy it. I am not sure how much of a hardship it is to fly in the hold of a big cargo plane but the amenities are not overwhelming. She has to carry a heavy coat to cover up with because of the cold, a pillow to rest on if she can actually manage to rest and she has to pack very compactly so she can make the best use of the limited space offered to her. But, it is free and she is willing to do it. And since the twins are still safely tucked inside her womb, she can make the trip with relative ease. At least for now. As the boys grow, it will be more difficult for her. But such is as it should be.

Tomorrow I will be in class all day. It is the last time I will be a participant. Starting next month, I will be teaching the class. In preparation for that, I have been reviewing and updating the instructor’s manual I will be teaching from. I am a little anxious about teaching the class and will probably be so until I get the first one under my belt. By the time summer rolls around it should be little more than a normal assignment. The class is offered here once per month and at various company sites throughout the year – so there will be some travel involved at some point. But, this is the reason they moved me out of Client relation – this and possibly teaching OSHA classes, Master Trainer Class, etc.

It could be fun.

Visiting, traveling

Despite my cough, which persisted through the weekend, we had a great time with Cori, Nate and the kids. They were in a Missions Conference Wednesday through Sunday at a church in Temple, TX. We were only a few minutes from my sister Sarah but we did not get to see her because they were out of town visiting Josef who is in college in Lubbock. Cori and her crew got to spend a few hours visiting on Tuesday evening after they arrived in Temple, but Sarah and Fabian left for Lubbock before we got there. We did very much enjoy the conference. Once we were there the church included us along with the missionary families as thought we were participating in the conference as well. We met up with the group after church Wednesday evening after church at McAlister’s – where they had gone for supper after the service and continued to caravan about with them through the weekend. We had lunch with them Thursday afternoon and went to the service that evening. We went with them to Chipotle after the service and the pastor insisted on paying for our meal as well; then again on Saturday when we stopped at Rudy’s for barbeque on our way to Magnolia Farms in Waco. Mama and I were starting to feel badly but the pastor insisted saying he would visit us some time and we could take him out to dinner.

Two other young missionary couples were there as well. One couple is going to Japan and the other is headed to Malaysia. Both were delightful people. It is one of the blessings of deputation for Cori and Nate and the kids. They are already getting to know people with similar callings also out on deputation seeking a permanent work in some other field and anxious to get there and get started. It is very easy to catch a sense of their burden; to ache with them for the people they already know overseas who have friends and family they are burdened for. There was some great preaching, encouraging fellowship, time with the grandkids and time with Cori and Nate. They are headed back towards Pace this morning and will be in the south for a couple more weeks, waiting for their house to sell so they can buy a camper to haul with them as they travel north in March. They will not be back in this area until late in the fall. It was a tearful, difficult goodbye for Mama and Victoria as we headed home Sunday afternoon. It was a very good visit with them – and they are going to thoroughly enjoy the little trailer we hauled over to them. It will allow them to travel much more comfortably.

On the home front, Brittany is headed over to the States tomorrow. The memorial for my dad is next weekend but she had the opportunity to come a bit early. Mama will be headed to Wichita, KS to pick her up tomorrow evening. As I understand it, they will stay in Wichita and look at a couple houses in preparation for her and Andrew’s anticipated move which we are praying will happen in April. That would put her here well before the twins are due in August. There are still no orders to match that prayer but the Lord is stirring the hearts of the commanders to move in that direction. Mama is torn between the thought of having Brittany stateside for the births or having to travel to England for the births to then help Brittany and the babies get here. Somewhere in all the unsettled issues will be God’s answer. We stand ready.

Maggie and Aaron will also be moving south in May this year. Aaron has a new duty station in Wilmington, NC. That will put them so much closer.

Rats, packing, working lists

Mama called me yesterday evening to tell me she had forgotten to tell me that the live trap had another rat ready for termination. This was in the afternoon as I was heading home to get a few things done so I could get the space set up in the garage to set the feed she was on her way to buy in Muenster. We had spent lunch together at the church and had talked briefly later in the afternoon but since I was on the way home she remembered the rat. What was curious to me was that she was excited about the fact that this is the fourth large rat we have caught in the trap. I do not know how many more may be lurking about the farm but I have the feeling that four is not going to affect the overall population dramatically. In fact, as I was finishing getting a bale of hay set out for the cows, Mama arrived with the feed. As we were putting the cattle portion of the feed in the proper storage places in the barn a very large rat ran out from under a pallet we have the feed barrels sitting on. Mama did not see him. Just as well. I may have to employ the other live trap there to see if we have any success. I will eliminate as many as possible as long as I can do so without harming any of our domestic stock.

I stayed home from church last night. I am still fighting a mean cough so I just sat still through the evening and allowed the cough to settle after all the activity of the late afternoon; setting out hay, arranging pallets, clearing space for feed to be stored and moving plants into spaces where they would not freeze last night. Yes, it got below freezing last night. It was good that I had the time to rest because that is all I will get for the remainder of the week. We are headed to Temple this evening after Victoria gets off work, and after we take the Sequoia to Bowie for Roger to replace the rotors, and after we get the trash to the dump, put away some feed, sweep the floors before Grandma comes over to tend to the dogs, etc.

I am glad Mama worked out the opportunity for us to get the Sequoia fixed but she has a habit of crowding our schedule the way she loads a drawer – until it is impossible to get one more item in it. I was telling her the other day as she came home and wanted me to start on the list of items she had thought of that she has to realize that all those items have to be added to the list of items I am currently working on. While she is working off one list, I have to work off of two lists – both of which are only getting longer as Spring approaches. I am not one to sit around reading the paper – if people actually do that anymore – until she finds something for me to do. Generally, I have to be called away from what I am doing to take on what is now urgent to her. But, we always manage to get things done – especially the items on her list.

Anyway, when Mama got back from church I was ready to go to bed but she had packing on her mind so I stirred up what energy I had remaining and started setting aside clothing for her to put in a small suitcase. I picked out a suit because we are going to stay over through Sunday morning so we can go to church with Cori, Nate and the kids before we head back home. By the time I had gotten that done, I was done. Mama was only getting started. I have no idea what time she came to bed.

I was asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.

A stellar day, a dining experience, the flu, meeting Nate and Cori (and the grandkids)

Saturday was a stellar day for me and Mama. I had an ambitious list – which did not all get accomplished – and Mama added a few things to the day that took us to Denton and back. That was not in my plans but the day worked out in so many little things where God showed up. The timing was perfect. For instance, we went to the eye doctor’s office on our way to Denton so we could pick out frames for our new glasses. We did not have time after our appointment in Friday because we were done very late and did not want to keep the staff any longer. The doctor was not supposed to be in the office but he had just showed up to play a trick on the two girls working there. Since he was there he measured our frame selections for the prescriptions to be applied to the glasses. They are now on order. His showing up unexpectedly saved us having to make another appointment to get the measurements done. The outcomes on all we set to do were better than we would have hoped for and we either got the task accomplished or we got things arranged so we could get it done later. And on top of all that, we were on time to meet Alex, Yilin and Cheyenne. Only when we showed up at the house they were not there. The grandmother could not tell us where they were since she speaks no English so we pulled to the side of the street and Mama texted Alex. Just about the time she was finishing the text they rounded the corner, pulled into the drive and hopped from their vehicle into ours – and off we went.

Alex wanted to take us to a Korean BBQ that had opened in Carrolton. Mama was really excited about it. Victoria was invited to go also but she was feeling too badly to make it. The drive to the restaurant was not bad. It was a little over twenty minutes out of Denton. It was easy to find. The entire complex of stores was devoted to some type of eatery. There was a rotating sushi bar, an Indian restaurant that made the oddest oblong tortilla-like flatbread in an equally odd oven you could see from the window, a Thai bakery, some other type of bakery, and several others that did not register as firmly as we hurried to the Korean restaurant. We had about a half-hour wait to be seated but the wait was worth it. Once we had a vague idea of how things worked we ordered and they lit the little grill in the center of the table. We were allowed to order up to 35 items. Can you imagine? The gentleman who seated us told us we could order as much or as little as we liked but there was a charge for leftovers and there was a two-hour time limit to occupy the table. Again, can you imagine?  It was a great experience for everyone but Yilin. For some reason. she decided she would not enjoy it and nothing Mama tried would convince her otherwise. When we have some extra money, we will definitely go back.

As we walked a short distance to the Chinese market in the complex I started to chill. For the hour or more we were in the store I could not get warm. It just got worse from there. By midnight I was fevered and feeling like I was going to die. That lasted until yesterday about mid-day. I believe, at this point, I am more sore from the time I spent just lying down than from the effects of the flu. But Victoria and I are better thanks to a remedy suggested by Kimberlyn Cantrell. One drop of frankincense and one drop of eucalyptus in a teaspoon of honey. That has been more help than anything else we tried. So, our coughs are finally clearing up and although I still have flare ups of fever, I am better. So far, Mama has not had to deal with any of this. She had her bout with the flu several weeks ago, and it put her in bed for the entire week.

With us traveling to Temple this weekend, it was somewhat imperative that we get better – both to make the trip and to keep from spreading germs to Cori, Nate and the kids when we meet them there. We are hauling a small enclosed trailer to them so they can carry more of their personal items with them as they head north for meetings. It is a very nice trailer. Both Nate and Cori should be pleased with the purchase. This may be the last time we get to spend with them until very late in the summer so we hope to enjoy it.

 

Rats, Zack’s house, time management

We had another rat in the well house yesterday. This time Victoria found it. It was another big one and it was caught in the livetrap. I wish there was a different way to dispose of them but all I know to do is use my .22 to dispatch them. In parts of Africa, rats are roasted and eaten. In fact, they are put on little spits and sold like we would sell hotdogs. I don’t foresee that happening at my farm. This one was far more active than the last one and had taken the trap – which is not small – and moved it several feet away from the door. I am guessing it was pretty active the morning Victoria found it because Mama said she heard her scream when she realized what it was that was caught. I think she was more surprised to realize it was still alive. The fact that it was trapped was not a big comfort to her. The kids in school got to hear Mama scream yesterday because when she opened the microwave, there was a bug inside. I was in the bathroom down the hall and I clearly heard her. A couple of the boys were still holding their hands over their hearts when I got back to the kitchen. We were able to revive the two students that were on the kitchen floor…not. I am imagining Victoria’s scream to be along those same lines. So, getting the rat taken care of was the first order of business when I got home. Otherwise, the poor goats would starve to death because the feed we give them is kept in the well house. It is in a rat-proof container but it has to be kept in the well house because if we put it in the goat barn the squirrels would eventually chew through the lid. Besides, it is probably good for us to go into the well house every day.

At lunch yesterday, I agreed to meet Zack at his house to look at the floor joists and sill he had exposed. He did not contact me until a little after 5 pm but there was still enough ambient light that we did not have to do everything by flashlight. I was surprised to find most of the timbers in really good shape. There were a few places that will need to be reinforced but those will be accessible from the opening he has created with his current demo. As far as leveling the floors, that will be a challenge. It will require him digging out enough depth below the joists to set the small hydraulic jacks he has bought specifically for that. It will also require two persons to get the job done in order for Zack to not have to move back and forth so much. I explained to him that you have to be aggressive enough to get the wall and roof raised – which is how the floor comes to level, but not so aggressive that you disrupt the structure. “How will I know how much to raise it when I start actually jacking it up?” He asked. My answer. “The house will tell you?” It is hard to explain but the house will creak and pop when the levelers are put to it. You want to do enough to get it where you need but you want to keep the structure intact. A little here. A little there and so on down the wall and back until you have what you need or all you can safely get. With this house, it will tolerate a good bit of force so I am not overly worried about the process and I told him so. The only way to find out is to start raising the floor and see what happens.

Mama and I have a full weekend ahead of us. I am not sure we will get everything on the list done, but it will be worth a try. None of the projects are large but all of them take time. Squeezing all of them into one afternoon is challenging but I am learning to break projects up into small pieces so I can move forward on several at a time. Now, if I could get the time in the evenings to work a couple hours on any one of them, I could really get ahead.

Soon – maybe.

Puppies, Zack’s house, weekend work

We had to leave church as quickly as possible last night so Mama and Victoria could be at the house when a group was arriving to pick up one of the puppies. The lady heading the excursion from somewhere in Dallas has a pup from the last litter. She calls him, Boone. He must be a pretty impressive dog because her friends have bought two of Kira’s pups based on the temperament of Boone. I hope the family that came last night loves this pup, Angel, as much as this woman loves Boone. At least they will have her to guide them I training the pup. An additional outcome of the meeting last night was that Victoria agreed to let Kobe be bred by Boone. That would put the pups back up to ¾ Akita. Based on the personality and temperament of the two dogs, they would probably be very good pups. That breeding may take place this month since Kobe is starting her cycle now and should be in standing heat in a week. It will require some travel to get the dogs together but I know Mama is excited about it. I am ambivalent since we now have the place for the birthing and rearing to take place – outside of the house. I do know that this is some good income for Victoria – short-term anyway.

Yesterday at lunch, Zack and I talked a bit about the remodel on the house. He is taking up flooring where needed to replace bad joists and level the floors. He has hit a snag in one area and wanted me to come by to look at what he had uncovered so I could tell him exactly what he was looking at. He was not sure what was supporting what in that corner and did not want to disturb the structure until he was sure he knew what to do with it. I will be meeting him this evening to see if I can help him figure it out. I have wanted to see the house and the progress he has made so far, so this will be a chance to see what he has accomplished in the short time he has owned the property as well as an opportunity to hear his vision for the project as well. He has really thrown himself into the work. Being younger has its definite advantages, but seeing this as his future home is the driving force behind urgency. It is good to see our past project being taken over by someone with the energy and finances – mostly the energy – to get it done.

While I am there, I also needed to look around to see if I could gather some of the old flooring and wall material to use on the raised beds I am building for Mama. The one inch yellow pine will last for many years even in semi-wet service as the support for the base of the raised beds. I have an idea how I want to build them now and hope to get started on the project Saturday. We have enough money set aside for the materials, it is only a matter of setting aside the time. If I can get enough of the old yellow pine to use as supports it will save us at least that amount of material cost – if I can find pieces long enough to use. The challenge then is to fill the beds with soil. That is something I have not figures out yet.

Also included in the weekend plans is loading up our wild cow and her calf so we can get them to the sale barn. The actual sale is not until Monday but we can drop off the cow and calf Saturday and they will be cared for until they are sold. It makes it convenient for us since we do not want to do the drop off on Sunday and neither of us can be free on Monday. It will be glad to be rid of her even though she is not ne that gives us the most problems in normal circumstances. That comes from our “pet” cows since they think they deserve special privileges and are willing to destroy the fences to get the smallest scrap of feed.  Our wild one is, however, very difficult to manage when we need to move the herd from one area to another or doctor them in the Spring and Fall.

It will help me manage the feed better to have two less to feed.

Chicken changes, walking, taxes

After listening to several YouTube videos yesterday I go the strong impression that the major factor contributing to our decreased egg production has to do with the roosts we have provided for the hens. I talked it over with Mama during lunch yesterday and we decided to do something about it. So, I stopped by Lowe’s on my way home and bought some shelf brackets that were wide enough to give me about twelve inches of space away from the wall. I took apart the roost I had built and used those pieces to make the roost a single rail on each of two walls. I also put a small roost outside for the chickens that do not like to go into the coop to roost. All I was able to get done was one side of the coop but I have all the brackets I need to do the other side on Thursday. I went out to check last night well after dark and all the chickens were stretched out on the rail attached to the wall where the original roost had been. Not one was on the rail on the other wall. They are creatures of habit. Fortunately, the one eight-foot roost was ample space for all of them. It may not work out the same on the other side where there are more chickens. It will be interesting to see if that helps make them happy enough that they start laying again, but if not, it will make cleanup even easier for me and Mama.

After eating a bowl of soup Mama had made for a Ladies’ Meeting at church, I worked on the music schedule for next week’s services and then went out to walk for a while. By starting at the front walk and going to the end of our road – as it joins the major county road – I can walk one mile in a round trip. I typically do one mile and call it good but for some reason last night I felt like I should keep going. On my first trip, I shot a skunk that was foraging at the very edge of our property and on the second trip I shot an armadillo. I could hear hogs in the bushes but they did not show themselves and the coyotes I could hear in the distance got very quiet when the first shot was fired. They started up again about an hour after I had gotten back to the house. It is interesting to hear Sam and Sasha howling at them when the pitch of their yapping is too high.

Early into the second trip, I saw Victoria turn onto our road so I stepped off the road and shined my flashlight at my feet so she could see me as she approached. It did not seem to matter because she flew right by me on her way home. That did not surprise me because it would not normally be a good idea to stop to talk to someone walking a dark road – especially when a lady is alone in the car. But, what I found out later was that she did not even see me. She was busy texting a friend as she flew past me. I told her it was a good thing I had stepped off the road. Texting while driving is still one of the things that really scares me about the culture we live in today.

As I waited on Mama to get home I started to lay out the paperwork and receipts for income taxes for last year. Even with the abundance of items I have collected there are still a few things I need in order to complete the spreadsheet I create each year for our tax accountant. My plan is to have all this done in two weeks so Mama and I can take it all to him. We are still using an accountant in Amarillo and at this juncture it does not make sense to try to find someone else; especially with the severance pay given to me by ConocoPhillips and pulling money out of our 401k. I may look for someone closer next year, but not this year.

Besides, it is a good reason to visit Chase and Makaila.