Getting moving, eggs production, weekend plans

Yesterday evening started off kind of blah. Neither I nor Mama wanted to do any real work – although there is always plenty to be done. But she did want to go to a sundry store in Bridgeport to look for a couple items for the coop. So we made the trip and it was only after we got home that she realized she did not look for the one item the initiated the trip. I am not totally innocent because when we got there I could not remember why we had come.

The trip stirred us up enough that I got changed and went out to work on the stack of lumber that still sits on the flatbed gooseneck trailer. I decided to give a few minutes to seeing if I could get the switch installed on the tractor since I was out – and since we are expecting a lot of rain over the next several days. The installation turned out to be quite easy. I had the tractor running in about twenty minutes. That was a blessing.

When I started on the lumber I was pleasantly surprised at the ease with which all the nails and screws were coming out. I did not get very far into the load because of the late start but it was very encouraging to get something done. I will have a large stack of boards when the trailer is unloaded but it will take a while since all of those boards have to be cleaned of the nails and screws. This is the type of project where Grandpa’s help is invaluable just by virtue of the hours he can dedicate to it.

Terry Cobb cautioned Mama to avoid even walking on the backfilled areas for several weeks. I think that is wise because the ground is soft, saturated and unsettled. So we are avoiding those areas even though overall the dug up portion of the back and side yards is a very large area in total. For the moment it is not hard to stay away; the entire area is a slimy mess from all the recent rains on the exposed dirt.

I do not have any official numbers but it seems to me that we are slowly catching up to the reduced rainfall of the past four years. It is difficult to tell where we are right now but I am guessing the tanks on the farm in Bowie are filling back up. I would be a blessing to Danny to see them stay full. I have not been out that way in months.

Mama has continued to let her chickens out on the evenings that we are home. In total they are not out for more than a couple of hours but they enjoy it enough that they are laying a dozen or more eggs daily. The couple that operates one of the Chinese restaurant in Decatur really like that because they buy the eggs from Mama every chance they get. They have told Mama that at first they got only enough to feed them to the baby but now they have enough that the whole family gets to enjoy them. They do not like the store bought eggs; nor do I.

Mama and Victoria are babysitting tomorrow. Erin Echavarria will be dropping off the kids in the morning and leaving them through most of the day. Mama also has worked out a time with Wes to go see Misty. Wes is training her so it will be interesting to see how that is going. She, Victoria and all the kids will be going on that outing.

I will be at the house working all day because I want to get the microwave installed in the kitchen.