Coaching Session, escapees, farm chicks

Because we are one vehicle short, Mama had to drop me off at the office yesterday. That made it an early morning for her, but she told me that she got all the kids ready, all the animals fed and all the prep for lunches at school done in record time. They even made it to school on time. Something that is hit or miss for Mama on a regular day. I was stuck at work for lunch, but it was not too bad. It made me realize how much I enjoy the break away from work each day. Today, Mama will be at home with the kids. The school is doing their annual testing and our Pastor’s wife always administers those tests. With her there at the school, Mama is not normally needed. She laments the loss of hours but is excited about a couple days off to spend with the kids. She was holding Savanna last night and whispered to me, “this one may be too big to do this with the next time we get to spend this much time with her.” True, that. Maggie, Brittany and Chase all sent pictures of their respective little ones decked out for Easter. All those pictures ended up on devises I do not normally access, so I do not have them to share, but like the grandchildren that are with us, they are all growing up so quickly it is a little overwhelming. Mama and I are praying that this business will allow us the opportunity to travel enough to see our grandchildren more often.

Along that line of thought, Mama and I met with our coach last night. When we called in to the meeting, Mama and I were working on a list of properties that will be auctioned off the middle of next month. Since we were already looking at a couple properties of interest, our coach went right along with the course of action needed to do the full research on one of those properties. As it turned out, Mama and I had been investigating a very good one. Our coach was excited by that. As we walked though her approach to determining the value of the property, Mama and I learned a couple new techniques for getting that value. I am more comfortable with the approach Frank taught us, but it is always good to see a different methodology – in case we need it to share with to someone we are training in the business. Different people solve a problem in different ways so is always good to capture those ideas as we go. Mama and I are thinking about going to the auction next month. It may be too high a bar to set for us right now, but we are strongly considering it.

Tonight, I will have to spend some time setting up a different connection from the birthing center to the kennel. The one I threw together – that I thought would last a week or two – is not containing the puppies as they exit the building. They are able to get themselves up high enough to tumble over the sides of the connecting walkway. They are big pups and they are getting more ambulatory every day. To contain them I will need to build something larger and more substantial.

But they are not the only escapees. Certain of our chickens are still getting out. Tonight, Mama and I will scour the property to find out if those that are always out are out because they do not go back into the coop to roost, or because they have a found an escape route out of the coop. As with the pups, it is not a big deal but I would like to have things done right so we can reliably contain the chickens and the pups when we need to.

As I was coming back from the garden through the little shed we have built onto the well house, I heard the unmistakable sound of chicks peeping. When I investigated further, I found the hen that has been sitting on the eleven eggs under the shed, did indeed have chicks under her wings. I called Mama and the grandkids over. When everyone was ready, I lifted up the hen and we found five newly hatched chicks. Not being sure how to feed and water them if we left them there, we gathered them up and put them under a heat lamp in a tote in the garage along with the other forty we have there. Whether we did the right thing or not will be evident in a day or two. Meanwhile, we will keep check for new arrivals.

Coria and Nate are safely in Honduras. Keep them in your prayers.