Changes of plans

Mama and I have been feeding out a pregnant heifer for several weeks now and the extra effort is paying off. The original idea was to take her to the sale barn this weekend but we had to amend that plan. I got a market report from Wichita Livestock Market yesterday and neither Mama nor I liked what we saw. It jibed with what we had been told by the owner of the Decatur Livestock Market, who goes to church with us, and that was that a bred heifer is not is demand so the prices are very depressed. However, the price for calves is still good – less for heifers than for steers, but still fair. We would make about 75 to 80% of the price of the bred heifer off one calf. So, with that in mind we got all the cattle into the corral at the barn last night and slowly separated out the calves from the cows. It took Mama and I both about an hour to do but we eventually got it done. Thank God, we only have four cows and two calves to deal with. Tonight, Lord willing, we will load them into the stock trailer and deliver them to the sale barn tomorrow morning.

Hopefully, it will be easier to load the calves than it would have been to load our wild cow. She produces good calves and is an excellent milk producer – last year she nursed two calves because Daisy’s calf nursed her also – but she is wild as a buck. It is difficult to work her compared to the others and sometimes it is a bit frightening. We will sell her later this year with a calf by her side and see how much we can get out of her then. We are not building a herd at this point so selling the young heifers will be a good way to make the money to buy feed through the summer. By November we will be down to two head of cows and I am thinking about getting them artificially inseminated rather than put them over with the bull. We will see how much cost is involved. Putting them with the bull next door lets the ground rest for a few months but it is an imposition on the neighbor. I will have Mama feel out that situation while we check on the artificial insemination path.

I got a few minutes to work in the garden and got two more supports up for the raised bed. I have one more to finish digging and getting set in concrete before I can begin assembling the bed. We are expecting storms Saturday so I am not sure if I will be able to work on the project that afternoon or not. If not, I have several other projects that are in covered areas that need tending to. Either way, I am hoping to spend some time working this Saturday afternoon – after I take the calves to market and go bus calling and before men’s prayer time that night. It will be a Spring Forward night but I do not think that will help gain me any time.

Mama is planning on shopping all day Saturday. She is talking about starting at Trade Days in Bowie – taking Mr. Plumley along because he thoroughly enjoys that – and continuing in Denton with Victoria. I know she is talking about going back to Denton Tuesday for some reason so I am never sure if I have her plans outlined correctly. With the storms we are predicted to have through the weekend, she may balk on driving anywhere Saturday.

Sunday, we are planning a dinner at the church for the two missionary families who are here working to update the back portion of the church. It has not been touched since 1976 and it looks like it. It is not awful, but it is very dated. This team specializes in doing such work specifically for churches. Their requested weekly fee was so low that we are probably going to pay three or four times the rate – and still not be anywhere close to rate for skilled labor. The changes they have been able to make since Tuesday are pretty amazing.

There is talk of Becky coming over next weekend. Mixed emotions due the life she has chosen but it will be good to see our granddaughter. I don’t think we have seen Bridgette since we were there for the birth. It will be good to see Becky too. We are thankful for the continued contact.