Sheep to sale, cows to sale, the life of a farmer

Mama and I had a very busy weekend. I was not feeling well Friday evening and things got worse through the day Saturday. By Saturday night I was coughing to the point of throwing up. I did not get to go to church Sunday, and I missed work yesterday. Today I am only slightly better, but I came to work anyway.

Friday evening, once Victoria got home, we caught the ewes we were taking to the stock sale in Bowie. I took a few minutes Thursday evening and got the racks put back on the truck for the purpose of having things ready for Friday evening. We had little problem getting the big ewes into the truck where they spent the night. It was impressive to me just how filthy they got the bed of the truck in just a few hours. I was the first to arrive at the stock barn in Bowie Saturday morning. I got to spend a few minutes talking with a young man named Cody as we waited for the owners to open the gates. Cody had a very pronounced lisp, but he did not let that stop him from engaging in conversation. It was an enjoyable visit for both of us. Once the sheep jumped out of the back of the truck, I was on my way back home. With a quick stop in Chico for kolaches.

Zoe and Sophia were still in their high chairs eating breakfast when I got to the farm – and they were happy to see the sausage kolaches, even though they had already eaten eggs, bacon and pancakes. We finished a leisurely breakfast and started getting the car packed for Brittany and Andrew to take the girls and head home. It was sad to see them go. Mama and Victoria thoroughly enjoyed the week with the girls. I think the girls enjoyed the week as well. Now, when Brittany calls, the girls ask for Grammy rather than for Papa and Victoria. We might get them again in a couple weeks if Brittany gets to go to Washington State with Andrew for a special training he is taking there. Either that or Brittany and the girls will travel to Chappell Hill with us when we go down for a family reunion on May 11^th. We will see which one of those possibilities work out. I know my sister Martha would love to see the twins. She and my niece Trisha have stayed in constant touch with Brittany since the twins were born.  

I did not get much done Saturday. Thankfully, I had taken a half day vacation Friday. I had gotten a lot done in those extra four hours on the farm, so Saturday did not seem like a total loss. I did take the racks off the truck after Andrew and Brittany headed home. It took a good deal of water to wash out the bed of the truck once I raked out the very soiled hay Mama and I had put there for bedding. I did not have a very strong stream of water to get the ground in manure lifted from the bed but the next couple days of rain should help with that. Once I got a couple odds and ends done that morning, I reclined in my chair and the sudden onset of symptoms kept me there for the remainder of the day and all that night. I did not go to church Sunday or to work on Monday. For me it was a non-productive weekend…but that does not mean nothing got done.

Wayne called Sunday afternoon to let Mama know he had gotten our two crazy cows loaded in his trailer. He offered Mama the option of taking them to our corral or hauling the two of them to the stock sale. Mama wisely elected to have him take them to the sale. We do not need to be dealing with wild cows. So, the sheep are gone and there is starting to be peace in the sheep cote. The cows are gone and we are still at peace with our neighbor. We were not necessarily planning on either of those sales two weeks ago, but that is how it worked out. Honestly, Mama and I can use the money for feed and hay. So, there will no significant loss on our part. We will take a bit of a loss in value for the heifers, but in the long run, I believe it was for the best to let them go at a loss. Same with the ewes. The cost of feed to hold the ewes over to breed and then lamb or the cows to have calves would be far more money than we will lose in selling them right now. The life of a farmer. On the bright side, I will now have money to buy materials to finish the second paddock and the shelter in that paddock.

Mama will wean our bottle babies this week. As much fun as it is to feed them their bottles it is time for them to be weaned. That will ease the work and time involved in our twice daily feeding schedule. Next week, the goats will go to Rick’s to be bred. Hoping for October babies. By that time, we will have replaced our cattle – hopefully with Highland cattle.

Once again, the life of a farmer.

Farm sales, training, the weekend ahead

In preparation for taking the ewes to the stock sale tomorrow, I put the racks on the truck last night. I am glad I took the time initially to build the racks so that they could be reused. We have the stock trailer now and it is very easy to use but for this trip and the limited space in this smaller stock yard, it is better to have the sheep in the bed of the truck. Hopefully, we will not have a hard time catching the three ewes this evening. Once that is done, we will get the two older lambs and put them back in the paddock with the other lambs. That will make things easier each time we go out to feed. In addition to selling the older sheep, we are cutting down to one bottle per day for each of our bottle two babies. That will also help reduce the time it takes to feed in our twice daily routine. Trying sheep on our farm was not a failed experiment. We learned a lot. We had lambs born on the farm. We will make all our money back and then some, but after we sell all the male lambs (we have five total) in the Fall, we will stick with our Myotonic goats. They are so much more fun to raise. So much easier to handle.

Things have gotten very busy at work. Red (my coworker) and I talked last year – and he remembered the conversation – about my suspicions that things were going to get a bit overwhelming through the Spring and Summer of this year. I did not tell anyone else at work about those suspicions, because I could not be sure it would work out as I suspected. It has even been a little worse than I had predicted. Don’t get me wrong. It is a great thing for the company, especially since they have taken the initiative and raised the price charged for the classes we offer. Something long overdue. On the bright side, we have enough qualified people to handle the swelling schedule of classes we will be required to offer. Last year that was not the case. Even if I am able to leave at the end of June, I will have helped get the company through the roughest patch of instructional led training challenge we are facing. I am pleased that my behind-the-scene efforts to meet the current demand has worked out well. I am currently in the process of onboarding four new instructors for a variety of classes. That should all be wrapped up by the time I am able to leave.

I have very little planned for this weekend. I am out of materials and out of money. So, if the rain holds off, I will work on cleaning up around the property. There are piles of scrap and debris that needs to be taken to the dump. It will be good to get it removed from the farm before snakes make their homes in them. Last night I took out a lumber rack I have had for several years and installed it in the shed behind the shop. It was disappointingly small, but it did allow me to organize some of the boards I am salvaging from the pallets I have disassembled. Just getting those thirty, four-foot oak boards out of the shop was surprisingly helpful. I am hanging onto the lumber so that Mama and Kim Cantrell can use them on projects they are talking about making. We will see if that happens. If not, I can use them on multiple projects around the farm.

Our garden is shaping up to be the most productive we have ever had. Rain has been plentiful. Sunshine has been plentiful, and the rabbits have been largely absent – so far. One of the little chores this weekend is to clean up in the garden. Weeding and weed eating. Mama and I have talked about getting me a weed eater that is lighter than the one I have had for years. Every time I use the weed eater we have, I hurt for hours afterward. It is by far the best piece of equipment I have, but it is not the right one for me at this time. For now, it is all I have, so I make it work. But only for thirty minutes or less at a time. That purchase will have to wait along with so many other things we need to upgrade or outright replace.

We are inching closer to making that happen. Patience.

The end or the beginning, why God blesses us, repositioning, slowing but not stopping

Mission’s conference officially ended last night. Shaking hands with, hugging and then parting from those missionaries we have come to know and love is the sad part of every Missions conference. Now we begin to put into practice those things we learned through the preaching during those five short services. That is the tough part. When there is a task to be done, sometimes just getting started is hard. But once a reasonable start is attempted, things generally come more easily. Once the momentum has set in, especially on a long-term, daily sort of task, the most difficult part comes – to keep going. At the beginning of the year I pledged to learn one of the promises written in the Word of God every week. We are in week number 17 and I have learned twelve. I will get caught up at some point, but you get the idea. Now, we have been alerted to our failure to pray as we ought. It is time to begin to correct that failure. It will be one of those life long changes that will take some discipline to make habitual. Today is a good day to get started.

One thing that was made clear to all who would listen to the preaching was that God does not bless us just so that we can have good things happen in our lives. He blesses us so that, in those blessings, those around us who do not know Him can see the goodness of God in our lives and give Him the glory. If we take that thought and apply it appropriately, every blessing ought to be an opportunity to witness. We are not blessed for our own private and individual edification. We are blessed so that God can be glorified. I do not know about you, but that changes my perspective. I have been careful to give God praise for His blessings when I am with our church family; with fellow Christians. I have not given Him that praise as much when I am with those who do not know Him and how very good He is to me. That is also going to change. I am saved to serve Him. I am blessed for the express purpose of praising Him so that the lost can come to know Him. This could actually be fun.

Speaking of blessings, Mama has thoroughly enjoyed having Zoe and Sophia with her. Victoria was off yesterday and will be off today as well. She too has enjoyed having the girls with us. No mommy. No daddy. (No Papi during the day.) It has been all about Grammy and Tori. Sadly, that will last only a few more days. Brittany and Andrew are scheduled to get to the farm late tomorrow night. They, by the way, are enjoying beautiful weather and beautiful beaches. Mama is almost jealous. Hopefully, they will not get too sunburned as they enjoy all that sun and surf.

Before we left for church last night, we turned the girl’s car seats to the forward-facing position. Actually, we turned one around – Zoe’s. That was to enable Victoria to more easily access the back seat. When we put Sophia in the car and she saw her sister’s car seat orientation, facing the rear was not going to be an option. “Up. Up. Up.” Was all she could think to say – repeatedly - but we got the picture and turned her seat around as well. She was thoroughly excited about the change. All the way to church it was like having Pooh in the back seat. “Cow. Horsey. Cow. Cow. Chicken.” They were thrilled to be seeing out the windows on the vehicle. On the way home, still very excited by the change in seating, they were so loud Grammy had to tell them to be quiet – about every three miles or so. They were asleep almost as soon as they were laid in their beds last night. They had had a busy day. I am assuming they will sleep as late this morning as they did yesterday. That morning they got up at 8:30.

If there has been contact from any of our children or grandchildren, I have not heard about it. Mama’s focus has been singular regarding that relational plane. But I can imagine that Savanna still calls Victoria daily as they count down the days until Victoria is scheduled to visit her in Honduras. Whether or not Walter still wants to “face” Grammy on her phone, I have not been told, but I would not be surprised if that is still happening. And Becky generally calls several times per week. All of that happens without necessarily being relayed to me. I was shown a video of Owen playing with a leaking water hose. That was hilarious.

Our busy week will begin to slow this evening since we do not have to rush off to church, but our days will remain full while we have Zoe and Sophia with us. Oh, the trials of grandparenting.

Life with the twins

It is sometime difficult to get started when writing. There are so many incomplete thoughts. So many unimportant distractions. So little focus. I am amazed that I can go through an entire day and not be able to single out a significant remembrance of that twenty-four period. Of course, we still have the twins with us. We still went to church last night for the mission’s conference. The twins went with us. Victoria even got her shift swapped so she could go to the service and the preceding dinner as well. It was a rush through the chores and the evening routine to get ready to go – especially with having to get the twins ready as well. But we made it. We enjoyed it. We will repeat the process again this evening for the final service of the conference. It has been a great time of recommitting ourselves to missions in both our financial commitment as well as renewing our spiritual focus to support our missionaries in prayer. Substantive, specific prayer.

Zoe and Sophia did well through the dinner and the service last night. Our nursery provides little pagers to call mothers as required to the nursery. The pager Mama was given did not buzz until the service was almost over. So, the twins did very well in the nursery. Although, I am certain they were happy to see Victoria when she answered the summons. Once the service was over they happily marched through the auditorium greeting everyone with their sing-song “Hi! Hi!”. Everyone loved the rather loud greeting. The fact that it was happily repeated to anyone who made eye contact made everyone laugh. Erin Echeveria suggested that if she could record the greeting, she would make it her ring tone. That would be awesome. We need to get Brittany to market that.

The girls must have been pretty worn out because once they talked to their mama, they went right to sleep. I heard a couple early morning cries as I got up to get ready for work, but other than that they seem to have slept well through the night. In spite of the storms that thundered and flashed through the late-night hours. The storms abated before I got up this morning. I am not sure how much rain we have gotten but so far, but we are forecast to get at least one more inch through today and tonight. To say that we are thoroughly soaked is an understatement, but it is a blessing to start our Spring with plenty of rain. The precipitation will end soon, and the heat will start to bake us. For now, we are enjoying the moist respite.

Victoria is off today and tomorrow. That will be a help to Mama and a fun time for the girls. The twins still will have little to do with me because of my facial hair, so we make it a teasing time. I do not overdo it, but I do have fun with their reaction to my approaches. They are very definite. I have to assume that the beard makes me look less like a man to them. They know it is me, but they seem to associate the facial hair with something more animal. At least, that is what I am assuming by their reaction. I promised Mama I would make a decision whether or not to keep the beard by the end of the month. I intend to keep that promise.

For now, it is nice not to have to shave…or constantly be in need of a shave.

The twins, the weather, what’s missing

Brittany, Andrew and the girls got to the farm just before I got home yesterday evening. Unfortunately, I did not have much time to visit. I had only an hour before I needed to leave for church. In that time, I needed to feed the animals, haul feed for the pigs and goats and take a shower. Mama was moving between preparing food for the dinner at church and visiting with the girls. In the end it all worked out, but it was a mad dash for a bit. When we have our mission’s conference, we serve dinner to our missionaries and our speaker prior to the service each evening. It is set up so the entire church can participate. Everyone brings enough food for themselves and some extra. Most of the time there is a lot extra. It gives each family in the church time to visit with the missionary families in a more casual, unhurried setting. We have come to enjoy that as much as the services each evening.

Mama stayed home last night to help Brittany and Andrew get the girls settled in. It was a good move on her part. It took some time just to get the paraphernalia associated with the twins brought into the house and get set in place. Then Andrew had to repack the car in preparation for their early departure this morning. Victoria and I got home from church just as the girls were singing their bedtime song. Zoe will not kiss me because of my beard. Sophia let me kiss goodnight her but only reluctantly. They are still both excited to see me every time I walk into the room. They just do not want me to snuggle them with my facial hair. It makes for some very funny interactions.

Brittany and Andrew were off to the airport at 5 am. They are not going out of the country for this little vacation. They chose a destination in Florida. They should be on the beach by lunchtime. Meanwhile, back at the farm, Mama will have to balance care for the animals with care for the girls. My personal opinion is that the animals will take second place in that order. It is forecast to rain two or more inches over the next two days. That always adds an interesting dynamic to Mama’s daily routine. Not only does it make the feeding routine more problematic, but Mama has to deal with the dogs going in and out of the house for the breaks they need to have through the day – since they are not allowed to come into the house with wet paws. Hopefully, the forecast will be accurate, and the rain will not start until much later today. By that time, Victoria will be home to help.

Last night one of the missionaries that has attended our church for the last year – they have been studying at BBTI – gave their presentation. In the video, the wife of this young couple stated that, in her late teen years, as she got serious about serving the Lord, she promised the Lord that she would serve Him even if it meant staying in the United States. That statement struck me. She had grown up in the Ivory Coast. That was home. To her, America was a foreign land. I am wondering about our grandchildren now growing up in Honduras. Will America be a foreign field to them in the years to come? That would not be a bad thing, just something to consider when they are visiting state-side; away from their home in El Progresso, Honduras. On the flip side, we have a missionary in Mexico who is relatively new to the ministry there who battles homesickness for the US in a very tangible way. It affects their ministry there. The teenage child they took with them to the field is struggling with a sense of displacement that is almost overwhelming to him. It burdens his parents as they serve on the field.

Mama and I have been struggling lately. There seems to be a constant nagging in our hearts to be doing more. We have never been sure how to approach that unsettling feeling. Last night, through the preaching, I believe God revealed to me what we have been neglecting in our walk with him; prayer. Not general prayer, substantive, specific, focused prayer. Prayer that takes hours, not minutes, to accomplish. It is something I used to practice in my life but have drifted away from the work of prayer.

It is time to pick back up the mantle and begin again to really pray.

Home inspection, Mission’s Conference, visitors

Mama and I had a good trip up to Lawton Friday. We left about 9 am and got to Lawton about 10:40. When we got to the first house we bought, there were a couple men working on the floors. They were doing the final cleanup before starting the layout for the tile. Hopefully, that will get done this week. Both bathrooms have been totally ripped out and once the tile is set, they will be remodeled with updated showers and fixtures. Only the kitchen remodel and the building of a pantry remain to be done. We will not be ready to sell by the end of this month; perhaps next month.

Mama and I got our first look inside the second house. It is much cleaner than the first house. Just as we got there, a crew arrived to begin tearing out a wall that divided the garage into two rooms One side with a working garage door. The other side served as an enclosed space that was perhaps an additional living room or office. We have not talked with our realtor to get his ideas for that space once it is opened, but if I were to guess, we will turn that into a large living room. The rest of the house was in very good shape. Clean, painted and ready for upgrades. Depending on how many people our realtor has access to, the second house will be ready about the same time as the first house. That would be fun. Anyway, Mama and I were well pleased with what has been done and what is planned for the next couple weeks. We had a leisurely lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant, made a stop at Hobby Lobby and were home by about 4 pm.

Saturday, I spent most of the day working on the new shelter – after I had rearranged some items in the barn and corral in preparation for our cows being returned. I have the frame of the building almost completed. I have, to this point, used lumber I had available at the farm. Boards repurposed from other projects. Pallets we got for the trouble of hauling them off. I am now at the point that I will need to buy some new lumber to finish laying out the support for the roof. I will also have to purchase metal to put on the sides and roof of the structure. It has turned out well so far. I am pleased. Mama is pleased. Eventually we will use it for separating our goats at weaning or to introduce new goats into the herd as we increase our herd. We are going to stick with goats on this farm. As we drove back from Lawton, we talked about long-term plans for our animals and as a result of that discussion, Mama and I decided to sell our sheep. We are not enjoying them as much as we are the goats. They will go to the sale Saturday. We will keep only one or two for processing – and be done with sheep for now.

Our annual Mission’s Conference started yesterday. A great Sunday School lesson. Two great preaching services. Dr Ken Fielder is preaching during the conference. He is the director of a group that translates the Bible into languages of smaller people groups. We have missionaries visiting for the conference that are going to Venezuela, Sri Lanka, Ivory Coast and Uganda. The couple going to Uganda presented last night. In Uganda right now, half of the total population of that country is under the age of fifteen. What a mission field! Pictures in their presentation were filled with children. This particular couple is quite young but determined to give their lives to evangelize a remote area of the country – hoping to raise a generation that will carry the work forward. What a calling.

Brittany and Andrew are driving over today. They will be leaving Zoe and Sophia with us while they take a mini-vacation to celebrate Brittany’s graduation. She earned a B.A in Business Administration (I think). She is of a growing group of college graduates who took all their required courses online and graduated without a load of debt typically accrued through student loans by those who sit through four years of onsite classes. Four years of heavy indoctrination to earn a degree no more credible than that whish Brittany has earned. A very wise decision. A tough course of action for a wife and mother. So, Mama is going to care for the twins as Brittany and Andrew take a very short break. Mama sees this as her chance to get the attention of the girls sufficiently to get her name firmly ensconced into their vocabulary. That should work until each evening when Victoria and I get home. Then it will be all about Tori and Papi.

This afternoon, several of the missionaries are coming to the farm. One on the wives raised goats for milk and meat. As Mama and I understand it, she had a very successful business making cheese, soap and ice cream from goat milk. She left that to become a missionary’s wife. She is very excited to see our goats and sheep – especially the bottle babies. In preparation for that visit and the twin’s arrival, Mama and Victoria were doing some final vacuuming and dusting after we got home last night. Late last night.

Because of the Mission’s conference, we will be eating dinner at church each evening Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Always a fun time. Always a busy time.

Storms, home inspection, long weekend

Through the day yesterday, there was a lot of talk about storms heading our direction. As the day progressed, the weather event was delayed. What was forecast to take place through the afternoon, did not begin to hit us until late in the evening. As we left church it was easy to see the gathering storm. It was huge and looked potentially severe. Most of our severe weather comes out of the west. This was no exception. On our way home, less than two miles from the house, Mama and I were driving through some significant hail. Mama was fussing for me to hurry up and I was slowing down. When she asked why I slowed the vehicle I explained that not only were the roads covered with water, but I was hitting some sizable hail. It just seemed that hitting those falling ice cubes at fifty miles per hour was fast enough. I did not want to give them any additional energy to shatter our windshield. She reluctantly agreed.

When we made it home, we squeezed Victoria’s car into the garage with the Sequoia. It was a very tight fit but folding in the mirrors on both vehicles and parking so close that I could barely get out, made it possible. The hail continued for about an hour. Sometimes accompanied by heavy rain. Sometimes the hail was the only thing falling. When I went out to close up the chickens, I picked up a couple pieces to show Mama. Most of the hail was marble sized. About a third of the hail was the size of ping pong balls. In all the storms we have been through, that is the biggest hails we have had to deal with. It would be fine with me if that was the last time we had to worry about any hail, but that will not be the case. This morning Mama will see if our garden was hurt. Hopefully, it made it. I will look this evening to see how badly it hurt our fruit trees. On the bright side, the storm brought us about one and one half inches of rain. Last weekend we got two and one half inches. That is a blessing.

Because tomorrow is a holiday, Mama and I are going to head to Lawton to look inside our second house. That will be a first look for us. As we buy these properties, Mama and I need to accumulate the expertise to see the investment potential without seeing the inside of the property. That takes a lot intuition and we will not always be correct in our assumptions. But with much prayer and a patient approach, we should do well. Since our first house is right across the street from our second purchase, we will also be able to check on the progress of that remodel. We are at the point in our financial outlay, that we really need to sell one of the two properties soon. Realizing we are only weeks away from that happening is encouraging, but it only takes away a little bit of the anxiousness. When our first house sells, our lives will change, and we are ready for that change. All in God’s time.

Having a long weekend will be nice. Mama has a lot of things she wants to get done. Some of which she has actually told me about.  Being able to stretch those farm chores, visits and shopping sprees across two days instead of condensing them into one, will help with the pace demanded of the itinerary. No, I did not say that wrong. A normal weekend for us is one day off to get things done and one day off to go to church. Having the second day to get things done is a real delight. Catching and giving shots to the sheep, cleaning the chicken coop, working on the new shelter, cleaning the house in preparation for guests, visiting Seth and Gabriella to see their baby, taking Grandma and Grandpa to doctor’s appointments, shopping at Sam’s and/or Costco, mowing the yards, hooking the brush hog to the tractor, hauling gravel and dirt to fill in holes the dogs have dug, and several other dozen little chores should keep us busy.

Along with bus calling Saturday morning and Men’s Prayer Group that night, we will have plenty to do…and the extra day to do it.

Mama, work, animals

Mama started feeling badly yesterday. We do not know if it is a relapse of the flu or something entirely different. She scheduled a visit to our local doctor and an appointment with an ENT specialist tomorrow. With the ear issues I am having I need to see an ENT also, but I am waiting until we are self-pay to do so. Mama is convinced that something is wrong with her ears in addition to the congestion she has in her head and chest. We will see. She has not really felt good since retuning from Wilmington, but there are so many here suffering from allergies. What is causing the discomfort is anyone’s guess. We do have a good number of allergens being circulated by the recurring storm systems passing through our area right now. When the rain clears the air it helps, but those benefits are short-lived.

I have not typically suffered from allergies, so I am not sure this is a common event – based on the time of year – or if this is unusual. Regardless, Mama is feeling badly enough that she is reaching out for medical assistance. She was telling me last night that she is going to request a chest x-ray. I am not sure how that will go over with our primary care physician, but it would not be a total waste of time or money to have the x-ray done. At the very least, we need to determine if what she is suffering from is infectious. If that proves to be true, we will react in a slightly different manner than if it turns out to be just allergies.

I am not pleased with the change in momentum at work to shift the burden of all instructor let training to me. When the time comes for me to announce my departure, there will be a good deal of consternation caused by the shift in the training to be carried exclusively by any one person. My greater concern is that it eliminates any employee development. The fact that I have insider information as to my longevity with my current employer, is problematic, but the shift in focus away from employee development is going to hurt the company in the short run. It will be devastating in the long run. The fact that I cannot more positively affect the outcome bothers me, but my plans to move into a fulltime business in real estate, though not set as to a particular date, are progressing. It will be a matter of weeks not months before I announce that change to my employer. I have done my very best to help, without costing me my job by announcing my intentions unnecessarily early. I am sure the company will survive, even thrive perhaps. But the outcomes could have been vastly different. Much less anxious. Much more fluid. Oh, well.

Mama and I are held off until the 5^th of May to take our nanny goats to Ricks. That is not an issue. It happens when it happens. We are praying for a much better outcome this year versus last year when we got only one kid. On the bright side, I should have the second shelter completed by then. If I can get the paddock fence finished, we will have a permanent home ready for them on their return. While they are gone the pigs will be taken to market and I will be able to redo the area we use for pigs. Concerning the pigs, I will be relieved to have them gone. They are a smelly pair and about the nastiest pigs I have ever had to deal with. But they have stayed in their very wet, very nasty, very slimy enclosure throughout their time with us. Right not there is not a single dry place for them in the enclosure, but that is their own doing and I have nothing else to offer for their care. Fortunately, it will not affect the quality of the meat they will provide. They are scheduled for processing on June 5^th.

Mama and I have been picking spinach out of the garden every couple days for the past couple weeks. Just enough to fix for a day or two. It is delicious. And you can’t beat the freshness.

Steve, new business, new shelter

I got a call from a family friend Sunday night. It was too late to return the call by the time I saw the missed it, so I called him back yesterday evening. I had texted him earlier in the day to let him know I did get the call and would be catching up to him late in the day Monday. When I did give him a ring, he was out on a tractor somewhere. I had to hold while he got whatever he was working on paused. Steve had passed over the Guadalupe River earlier in the week and it brought to his mind all the fun we had on our excursions canoeing down the river. The nostalgia encouraged him reach out so he could get caught up on all our kids – the playmates he lost when we moved to New Jersey. The rundown took about thirty minutes, but it was a pleasure to reaffirm the friendship. Steve, now in his mid-seventies, still does consulting work for a drilling outfit and never sits still when he is at home. He has stayed connected with us since we moved into his neighborhood in the late 90s. In all those years we have witnessed to him and he has remained gracious to our witness, but resistant to the Gospel. We will see him at Joshua’s wedding in a couple months. We will share the Gospel one more time. It would a pure delight to share Heaven with him.

Yesterday morning, Mama and Kim Cantrell worked at the church for a couple hours. They were decorating Mama’s Sunday School room. One of the Sunday School rooms is decorated to resemble a farm and all the children get to be the animals on the farm. Mama’s will be a garden where all the children will be flowers in the garden. They did not finish yesterday, but each of them have high hopes for the project. Right now, Mama does not have anyone in her class but when those in the farm class are promoted, they will enter the garden. She has been talking about doing this for some time now. Seeing it finally become a working project has her quite excited. Having help makes it even more fun for her.

While the two of them worked, they developed a business model of sorts. I am still trying to piece together the marketable items this partnership will offer but they seem committed to the idea. Both are anxious to generate some income. Right now, Mama has only her egg money to spend as she sees fit. Kimberlyn does not even have that. We will see what they come up with, but Mama can be quite creative and Kimberlyn is gifted artistically. There are plenty of ideas out there in the internet world. They do not have to come up with something new, they just have to produce something marketable.

I spent a large portion of the day with two of our company partners that will be taking over one of the classes I teach. I am encouraged by their ideas and insights. The wealth of experience they bring to the class will take us to a new level of instruction. They will probably teach the class next month. If we split the class into two groups – as we did this month – each of then will get to present the class on the same day. That should prove interesting. It is a relief to me to have them involved in making this particular class into something more relevant than it is in its current form. It will serve this company well as the industry struggles to make the changes required to meet constantly shifting regulations. And it will help new recruits to the industry to grasp more clearly what is required of them in the role we present in the class.

Once the evening chores were done yesterday evening and I ate a bit of soup, I spent an hour assembling pallets into a shelter in the second paddock. I had laid out the pallets last week, but it rained too much Saturday to assemble them. What I did get done last night made a good start on the building. I hope to complete the assembly by the end of the week. The pallets, once assembled, will require an exterior of either metal or wood. That will be the only expense of assembling this shelter. It is a bit unclear when I will be able to get that done so it will be added to my growing list of almost finished projects. I do believe it will get priority because Mama is desperate to get the larger lambs separated from the ewes. Right now, I have no good place on our farm to offer her to get that done. If she follows through on her plans, we will simply put the lambs in the coop area.

That should make our normal feedings more interesting.

Rain, home show, wild cows, birthdays, burglary

Saturday was one of those unusual Soring days in that it rained all day. That does not happen in these parts often. Normally we get thunderstorms that dump rain on us and quickly move on. Saturday, it did not happen that way. There were actually very few breaks in the rain. Some of the stronger downpours brought us small hail, but most of the day there was a steady cold rain. The winds also went unabated throughout the day making the temperature seem much colder than it actually was. The ambient temperature was right at 50°. With the thirty mile an hour winds, it felt very much like freezing. It laid most of our newly planted vegetables over to the south. Hopefully those will perk up today as the temperatures rise over the very soaked garden. No complaints. We needed the rain.

The weather being what it was, Mama and I went to the local home show. It was put on by the Rotary Club. It was a small event featuring local businesses. Mama and I did not know what to expect, but it was a fun way to spend a couple hours and it introduced us to a lot of small business entrepreneurs. Mostly the displays were set up by banks and insurance companies, but there were jewelry displays, home repair companies, Tupperware displays, plumbing companies, etc. we signed up for a couple giveaways, but we did not win anything. Mama discovered a new nail applique that she was thrilled about, and she got her rings cleaned. We probably should have bought that kit. But I did not feel like we had the money to spend on it. We did not leave emptyhanded. We got pens, letter openers, calendars, rain gauges, pencil sharpeners, fly swatters, etc. And we visited with some of our church friends who had displays set up. One for jewelry (Mama bought one item) and one for Laser Tag (which we will use in the future). The rest of the day was spent cleaning the house and staying dry.

Our neighbor called just after we got home from church yesterday afternoon. He has tried twice to load our two cows so that they could be brought home but has been unsuccessful both times. He remarked that the two of them upset his herd every time he tries to corral them. He was clearly upset even though he masked it as he related how the cows, which were within four feet of the trailer, jumped over a five-foot barrier to escape. He was impressed – after a fashion – that they had managed that particular feat. They had each gotten hung up on the top of the barrier but eventually kicked and squirmed enough to fall to the other side and scurry away. He told me that they were headed my direction and that I should go out and see if I could coax them onto our property. I went out immediately but did not catch sight either of them. At this point I am not sure what I can do to help, but I would like to maintain a good relationship with my neighbor. The fact that the two are both that wild now is not encouraging for me and Mama. If they have now realized that they can clear a five-foot corral, I will have a hard time keeping them on the property and an even harder time getting them loaded in our stock trailer when the time comes to do so. I’s sure there is an answer, but I do not know it right now.

Joshua’s birthday was yesterday. Alicia’s birthday is today. Felix’s birthday (Alicia’s son) was on the 2^nd. So, we had some long birthday conversations with Joshua. All that new birthday information is being added to my Google calendar. That is the only way Mama and I will be able to keep up through the coming years. We are still looking forward to Joshua and Alicia’s wedding in July.

Grandma called Mama on our way home from church last night to update her on the progress of Gabriella’s delivery. At that time Gabriella was almost fully dilated and contractions were getting stronger. They wanted to stay but Grandma was hurting pretty badly. They were also on their way home we she called. Grandma called in crying and upset less than an hour later. When they got home, they found the door kicked in and the house ransacked. Everything of value had been taken; tools, guns and all of Grandma’s medications. Grandma was devastated. As would be expected. The police were on their way to their house as she was talking to Mama. By that time, it was 10:30 pm and I had to get to bed.

I am sure more details will come out today, but it made for a sad end to an otherwise great weekend.

Recovery, packed evenings

After four days of teaching eight-hour classes I get one day to recover in the office. The paperwork and records generated by the classes will take me most of the day to compile, but at least my voice can rest. All four classes were very good classes. Three of the four were in rooms that were small enough that I did not have to project my voice too loudly. One of the four was in a rather large classroom. That was the class on Wednesday. That evening at church, I had someone else lead the singing. My voice was nearly gone, and I had one more class to teach on Thursday. It all worked out. The room I had on Thursday was a smaller room and I moved everyone closer to me so that I could speak in a comfortable volume and all of the participants would hear clearly. Two of the attendees had hearing aids in both ears., so I was pleased that my voice held out well enough to accommodate them. Mama’s and my biggest concern was that I not get sick with the flu she brought back from North Carolina. Our prayers for me to make it through this week, through these class, through talking for eight hours every day, was answered. I am grateful for that answered prayer. I am even more grateful that I do not have to teach a class today.

The class I taught yesterday is my favorite class. I only get to teach it once per quarter – and I enjoy it each time I get to present it. With the classes I teach, each one is slightly different. The material is the same from one to the next, but the focus of each class is unique to the needs or interests of the participants in that class. It is interesting to me to see how the focus of the class shifts each time I present any one of the classes, but especially the one I presented yesterday. Whether or not that is my last hurrah (teaching all four classes in one week) remains to be seen. The next scheduled time to present the class I presented yesterday is July. When that class comes up, if I am still working here, I will be auditing someone else teaching the class. I told Mama, if this was the last time I was to teach the class, it will be a great memory of the class to take with me as I move into our real estate business.

Because of the teaching regimen this week I have not been too energetic in the evenings. I have worked to get things done, but I have not really tackled anything overly difficult. One evening I laid pallets out in the shape of the building I will build with them in our second paddock. I watered the plants every evening. Mind numb types of tasks. Last night Mama and I planted some nursery grown vegetable plants in our garden; which is doing very well because of cool nights and warn, sunny afternoons. Another task that required little effort either mental or physical. Another one of those tasks that is gratifying to have accomplished. Fruit trees and berry bushes have flourished in the current weather conditions as well. And my grapevine is showing signs of producing ten to twelve clusters of grapes this year. Of course, all that could be thwarted by the intense heat of our typical summers if it comes as quickly as it did last year. Time will tell, but for now we are enjoying watching things grow.

Mama and I will be going to a garden show this weekend at the same facility where I spent all week teaching classes. It will be interesting to see the venue used in that way.

Mama home safe, growing things, defenses

When going to pick someone up at the airport, it is mostly a guess as to where to park. The signage can tell you the general area of the arrival gate. That can give an approximate location of the baggage claim, but if you do not know the airport really well, where to park in the garage is still more of a guess than a plan. However, yesterday, when I got to the airport to pick up Mama - returning from her time with Maggie, Aaron and the kids – it worked out pretty well. I knew I was near the door that said I was near the gate, but I had no idea how far from that door the baggage claim area would be. I had parked only a short walk from where I would meet Mama; saving her from too much walking to get her very heavy luggage to the car. She is still not feeling well, but a few days of rest should help her recover. Time will tell.

She has only been gone for about eleven days but in that time the trees put out leaves, the garden plants tripled in size and the bottle babies grew noticeably. When she left, the grass was starting to turn green. Now it is quite high in many places on the farm. I mowed Tuesday evening. Trimmed with the weed eater on Thursday evening. By Monday, the grass in our yard will need to be mowed again. Such is the blessing and the curse of Spring. That is, unless the heat comes on us as quickly as it did last year. Today, the temperature is forecast to be 85°. Maybe a little higher tomorrow. The high was 54° only a few days ago. Normal Texas weather. If the rains continue, we will be alright. If not, things will go dormant by early June. So, we enjoy the growth while we can. Mama enjoys mowing so it costs very little time or extra work for me when she manages the grass in our yard. We are not, however, going to plant anything else in the garden since we are two to three weeks behind the optimal time to have done so.

Over the winter I lost most of the fruit trees in the garden. The apple tree, two plum trees and the dwarf peach all died. I have since pulled them up to make room for other trees. I think I may be responsible for the fatalities because I did not water the trees aggressively through the winter months – and we got very little rain. For them a drought is a drought regardless of the ambient temperature. The only trees that survived are the nectarine and the two large pear trees. Maybe I will do better next year. The backyard trees, a peach and an apricot did well and are now loaded with blooms and tiny fruit. Whether or not the fruit will hold on and ripen remains to be seen. Blueberries, blackberries and grapes are also doing very well so far.

Mama and I will have a busy weekend. She is going to get feed today which we will use immediately to fill feed barrels and restock our store of feed kept in the shop. Tomorrow we will go to Trade Days followed by taking Mama to look at the house we are investigating in Bowie. She has only seen the photos I sent her. That is not the same as seeing the house in person – where it sits on the lot, what is around it, how close it is to other structures or the corner of the street, what kind of shape the driveway and sidewalks are in, etc. She will get to do her own evaluation tomorrow. From that point we will either continue to investigate the property of drop it. It is exciting either way.

While in Bowie, I will need to swing by the farm Norman is vacating to collect some pipe I need to reposition a fence I am moving so that Sam and Sasha can get to the back of the property once we complete the fence for the new goat paddock. Right now, they are able to squeeze between the pipe rails of the fence and run through the open gate at the back of the paddock. That will change very soon, and Sam is getting too old to go the very long way around. I still need them to be able to defend that area of our farm because of the pigs and the chickens and I am thinking that if it became too difficult to access the area quickly whenever the need arises, they would give up on that portion of their duties. Maybe I can prevent that from happening.

Once back at the farm, we will try one more time to get the sheep into the barn so we can give them their shots. Right now, we only lack three, but I will take a slightly different approach than we used last time to corral them in a spectacularly unsuccessfully attempt when one of them almost knocked Mama down escaping out temporary enclosure.

I intend to be ready this time.

Sneaky Labs, Mama, business

Our director was telling us yesterday about a weekend cookout he had at a friend’s house. He and the friend together split the bill on one hundred dollars’ worth of bone-in ribeye steaks – bought fresh at a local meat market. The grill was fired up and the steaks were put on to sear while the two of them went back into the house to prepare the barbeque sauce to be applied during the final stages of the grilling process. Since the friend owned two Yellow Labrador Retrievers, they were very careful to close the lid on the grill before they went inside. A very fancy grill from what we were told. When the two of them returned to the grill to flip the steaks, they lifted the lid to find the grill empty. Completely empty. The only conclusion they could come to was that somehow the dogs had been able to raise the lid, eat the steaks (bone and all) off the very hot grill, and retire to their normal resting spots in the few minutes they were inside the house. They ended up eating hot dogs while the dogs got the best meal of their lives.

The story is a little more humorous since Bella, Cori and Nate’s Black Lab, is with us right now. Bella’s current mistress, Gracie Echeveria, is on an outing with her family. We do not mind having Bella. She is a generally obedient dog. The only one we have had recently that I can take out with me to work on the farm. She does not feel the need to run off and spend hours chasing phantoms in the woods. But, when she eats, she eats. Rather, she inhales whatever is put in front of her. While Kira and Kobe are crunching their food at what I would consider a normal pace, Bella is attacking her food with such rapid biting and swallowing that I am always amazed that she does not choke. We rarely hear the food being chewed. It is taken into the mouth and swallowed…as quickly as possible. So, it is not difficult to imagine two such eaters emptying the grill in a matter of minutes. How they opened the lid to get to the contents without showing any signs of getting burned, remains a mystery. I am of the opinion that a Labs teeth are for playing tug-of-war or fetch, but not necessarily for eating.

Lord willing, Mama will be home this afternoon. Her flight is scheduled to arrive at 1:30pm. She is coming home with whatever sickness the grandkids had while she was there. One of the types of flu I suppose. I am going to try to stay clear of the illness because I have three classes to teach next week. Hopefully I can make that schedule but at the same time I will not avoid Mama. She and I are too affectionate with each other to avoid each other. Whether or not I can stay well is an entirely separate issue. A secondary concern to our normal interactions.

On our business front, things are starting to move a little faster. A new roof will be put on our second house in Lawton this week while the tile will be laid in our first house. Walls we talked about removing weeks ago in the first house are now gone and the old tile is being taken up to make way for the new. Glenn told me when I was at the last auction in Lawton that the tile had been delivered but he was waiting on the wall removal to get started on that project. Mama and I are excited to see the remodel moving forward after so many weeks delay. Hopefully, our plans to sell the first house in May will work out. April would be better timing for us, but May will work. Truthfully, whenever it works out will be fine. I am just anxious to make the switch to our new business as our fulltime business. Patience.

While both of the homes in Lawton are being remodeled, Mama and I will research and possibly buy the house in Bowie while looking for houses in Arkansas. There are fourteen or fifteen more county sales that we want to attend in Arkansas. I had to miss the first one we were interested in, but that is not a big issue. There are so many more. The one county sale we definitely want to make it to is Garland County. Hot Springs in is that county. Since we are familiar with that area, we are particularly interested in investing there. That auction happens in the summer, so the list has not been published yet, but based on the current progress of our remodels and potential sales, I intend to be free to attend that auction. When the time comes, Mama and I are planning on spending a couple days in the area visiting Becky and Bridgette while doing research on homes and properties available.

In any case, we are plowing ahead, stretching our money as far as it will go, while working my way out of my current job. It is a delicate balance.

Montague County auction

I drove to the Montague County Courthouse yesterday morning to observe the Sheriff sale that was scheduled for 10 am. I left work in plenty of time because I was not sure where the auction was to take place. The notice said it would be done on the steps on the east side of the courthouse so when I got there, I headed the direction. When I got inside – because there was no one outside – I found a group of about twelve people waiting. It would have been easy to tell that they were there for the auction just from what Mama and I are used to seeing when we go to Lawton, but most of the people there also had the posted notice in their hands. I was twenty minutes early. I stood and waited while the group swelled to about twenty. Most of us standing in the hallway. There were two benches, but they were both filled when I got there. When the Sheriff and the attending lawyer came in everyone perked up; especially as the lawyer read off the properties on the notice that had been redeemed and would not be for sale. With about five minutes to go, a gentleman about my age walked in and asked the lawyer if she had extra copies of the notice. He had left his at the office. I stepped across the hallway and offered to share mine with him. He was delighted and introduced himself. He is a realtor in the Bowie area and was interested in one of the properties that had been taken off the list. But he stayed through the auction.

Mama and I were interested in one particular house. There was not much owed on the property, so I was curious to see how high it might be bid up. To my surprise, when that property came up, no one placed a bid. That and the fact that the opening bid was almost one thousand dollars less than the listed opening bid got me excited. The property now moves to another list from which Mama and I can purchase it. I asked the lawyer to make sure and she told me that since no one was interested at the auction, it had officially been “struck off”. I was free to walk into the assessor’s office (which we were standing in front of) and make an offer - which did not have to meet the minimum bid amount. That got me even more excited. After I talked briefly with the realtor I had just met, I went out to the truck to call Mama.

I shared with Mama what had happened and what I had found out and she got even more excited than I did. When she gets back tomorrow, I will have her do the background work required for us to buy with confidence and we will probably move toward that purchase. Since I had the time and I was already near Bowie, I decided to drive by the house again and get more pictures. It was at that point that I made a very interesting discovery. The house that Mama and I originally thought was the property being offered for sale was not the actual property. We had been looking at 802 when the address for sale was 803. That is how people doing this business get into trouble. Armed with that information, I began to study the right property – and liked it even better than the one we had mistakenly identified. That is not normally the case, however, Mama and I are ready to do our homework and our leg work to make the purchase if all the numbers add up and all the obstacles prove manageable. It would be our first rental property. That’s exciting! Mama and I would be required to hold the property for two years before we could sell it – should we choose to do so. But we are free to rent the property during that holding period. For right now, that seems doable.

Back to the realtor I met. He was interested in a five-acre property that was listed for less than two thousand dollars. It had been redeemed and was no longer being offered for sale. He told me he had planned on buying the land, holding it for six months and the selling it at market value for acreage – about $1,500 per acre. A nice profit for the trouble of holding it for six months.

One very young couple at the auction bought a house in Nocona for $6,100. They were so excited they were about to bust. Even if I had wanted the property, I would not have bid against them. I did not get the chance to ask what their interest was, whether for a home for themselves, an investment property, a redemption for someone they knew, but I know they would have happily let me know had I gotten the chance to ask. Only one person bid against them but dropped out quickly once they saw who was bidding. That was a fun dynamic to watch.

Mama comes home tomorrow. Happy day for me.

Being flexible, work issues, grandchildren

It is amazing how quickly plans can change. I got a text from our realtor in Lawton yesterday morning. He was signing papers on the second house we have bought there. In the text he mentioned that he was going to get a quote on replacing the roof and the windows on that house as his first step in the remodel. With that information in hand I called Mama and we discussed my upcoming trip to Fort Smith, AR to attend the auction there. Together we decided to hold off on going to that auction to ensure we did not overextend ourselves. We can comfortably handle the repairs on the two houses we have in different stages of remodel, but to take on more right now may not be prudent. Besides, investing in houses that are a minimum of five hours away might not be our best option while I am still working fulltime. So, I cancelled my vacation for that day. We will use that time off somewhere else.

I will still attend the auction in Montague, TX this morning. That auction should not take long. There are only a few properties listed on the notice. Driving there and back will take the bulk of the three hours away from the office. I have been accumulating time by arriving at the office an hour early each morning. Tomorrow and Thursday I will maintain that schedule so I can take off at noon to go get Mama. Friday, I will work a normal day. At least I will keep my normal schedule whether or not I get any work done remains to be seen.

Work has been a little different these past two weeks. I cannot explain the difference but there is something brewing in the background – probably good for the company but only time will tell. We are struggling a bit as we have taken on about fifteen new individuals in the past six months. I am only a little bothered because I have been trying to get some others coworkers qualified to teach the classes I normally teach, but once I set those individuals up for the class (so they can be audited and then certified) they suddenly have a change in schedule and are unable to make the class. When that happens, it pushes out their certification to instruct that class for another month. Next week I am teaching classes on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Possibly Friday. Those would have been great opportunities for my fellow employees to get their certification, but that is not going to happen. Sad. April is a another bust in that area. We move to May, which I expect will follow the same pattern of delay I have dealt with since February. If I am able to do our business fulltime in June, my company will be scrambling to find instructors through the remainder of the year. To their credit, they do not know that is coming and I have not yet felt the liberty to announce it because Mama and I have not sold a house yet. Still, I will have given every opportunity to certify instructors to backfill me when I am able to leave. Until then, I will keep trying and hope I am not giving the impression of wanting to get out of work.

As Mama’s time with Maggie, Aaron and the kids winds down it appears that everyone in that household is feeling better. Walter had become Mama’s little buddy and Cathryn has warmed up to Mama as much as she will allow herself to do. For Mama, it has been a good visit. Maggie and Aaron have been extremely generous toward Mama, making it a relaxed, comfortable time with the grandchildren. People ask me if I regret not being there. That is a difficult question to answer because right now, at Cathryn and Walter’s age, the important attachments are to Mama, not me. I am, at this age an extension of Mama (Grammy) to the younger grandchildren. My involvement will come to play later in their lives. Right now, the most important connections to me and Mama are, of necessity, made through Mama. The caveat to that are Brittany’s two, who seem to be more responsive to me than to Mama. I think that is largely due to the grandparenting moniker I have chosen, Papi. Sophia and Zoe love saying my name. But even the conversations with Brittany take place largely through Mama. I get everything secondhand – when I do get the updates. And that is okay. I like to watch from the corner. Listen to the conversations. To learn how to pray for my children and grandchildren. On average I process things more slowly than most people, so I have to spend a lot of time putting the pieces together as I get the information and insights.

So far, that has worked out pretty well; especially for Mama.

Business week, the flu, help

This week will be focused on our business. I am still working full-time and have to occupy those hours engaged in tasks for my employer, but this week I get to tiptoe into our business in some very direct ways. Tomorrow I will attend an auction in Montague, TX. Less than an hour away – just past Bowie where Grandma and Grandpa live. I have not registered for the auction so I will not be able to buy any of the properties for sale, but I want to get a feel for how the auctions are conducted. In the very near future, Mama and I are going to start picking up some homes in Texas so this will give us an introduction to the process. Maybe I can meet one of the lawyers involved in the sale and l get more information about other nearby auctions. It is helpful to be able to recognize someone in these settings. A familiar face is normally a welcome sight. Also, today our realtor will be closing on our second property in Lawton. Work will begin on that property as work continues on our first property. Hopefully, since they are across the street from each other we can get the remodel moving forward on both in rapid succession.

I have taken a day of vacation Wednesday. I will drive to Fort Smith, AR, the county seat of Crawford County. It will be our first Arkansas auction. From the list I have compiled, there are several homes I would be interested in acquiring, but I don’t know if Mama and I would really be interested until I look at them. I am planning on leaving the farm early enough to look at most of the properties that seem promising before I go to the courthouse to register for the auction. I am not sure how scattered out the properties are, but I will drive by as many as possible. The ones I see are the only ones I will be bidding on – provided they are good prospects for purchase. So far everything is an “if” and a “maybe”. Wednesday’s road trip will give me and Mama a lot of information and insight into these auctions so we can decide whether or not we want to take on those investment opportunities or stay closer to home. It will be a long day. Nine to ten hours of drive time with the auction in the middle of the day. Chances are that this will be a survey trip. Mama and I do not want to be “house poor” too early on in developing this business. And there are many more auctions to look into in Arkansas.

Thursday is the day I am looking most forward to. I get to pick Mama up at the airport. I am accumulating extra time Monday, Tuesday and Thursday to make up for the time off I will need to meet her mid-afternoon flight. Maggie is recovering well – in spite of some lingering nerve pain. However, Kathryn is in the throws of the flu. We have gone very high tech on the flu lately. Now there are differing categories of the flu. Type A and Type B. Each have characteristic symptoms related to the diagnosis. Neither can be treated. But now you can brag about how long it took to recover from either one of the types, or from both if you are the lucky person who gets the combination of the symptoms that we just used to call the flu.

Somehow it seems to make people feel better, more informed to say, “She had the Type A flu,” or “He had Type B flu.” And we all know how horrible it must have been when we hear, “She had both Type A and Type B flu, poor dear.” Still, the treatment for the flu remains the same; plenty of warm liquids and plenty of rest.  The fact that the illness has somehow acquired bragging rights is a little troubling to me. Now when we hear that someone has the flu we can respond with “Was it Type A or Type B?” and if the poor soul sharing their concern for the ill person happens to say, “Well, I don’t know.” We can somberly inform them of the different symptoms and help them nail down a diagnosis. Not that it matters all that much since it is the flu, but we feel better for having issued an informed opinion. Don’t get me wrong. Getting the flu is not laughing matter, especially for those in the throws of the viral infestation, but I find it awkwardly humorous that we have consoled ourselves as though we have actually helped a person by “diagnosing” their particular strain for the virus.

For the past week Victoria and I have been muddling through with the care of all our farm animals. Occasionally, Grandma and Grandpa have been called in to help. Today is one of those days. I left the house at 5:30 and Victoria will leave at 6 am. On these days we call Grandma and Grandpa to do the morning feeding. It happens a little late, but it saves Victoria and I from having to do things in the dark. The only concern is for the bottle babies. On the good side, they will be hungry when the bottles are fed to them.

All our critters will be happy when Mama gets home.