It is really difficult to know any more just how much faith to put in the weather reports we have been getting. There were predictions of very heavy rain for the Bowie area. We had some but it is not turning out to be as much as predicted. There were predictions of snow and rain for the Amarillo area. We got nothing. Now the weather forecasters are saying the storm will come in late today into tonight. We’ll get up tomorrow and see.
As far as delaying the planting of our meadows, it was probably a good decision to wait through yesterday. Whether or not we should wait any longer is another question. One forecast is calling for an 80% chance of rain Saturday and Sunday while another is predicting a far less chance. One report is predicting more rain Wednesday through next Saturday. Another is calling for very little chance of rain on those days. I will leave it up to Grandpa. It is really too much information.
Our Great Pyrenees female was operated on yesterday. She has been fixed so we will not have to worry about any unexpected pups being born. The dog is only about six or seven months old, but Mama insisted it was the correct time to do this. We will do the male also as a precaution against him breeding any wandering females. At least our dog population will be under control.
Mama and Victoria are still talking about breeding mini Dachshunds. From my current perspective, there is no pleasant way for me to avoid that. Rosie is showing signs of age and Mama’s little companion may not be here for her much longer. Dodger is definitely not a replacement, neither are the large dogs, so I suppose that breeding stock will be the next canine purchase. As long as we do not have a place of our own to live in while staying in Bowie, it will be problematic. Grandma is opposed to any dog in the house. She tolerates Rosie, but that acclimation has happened over years. Any new dog will have to earn her acceptance – which has proven difficult.
Dodger has been all but barred from the house. He really is more of an outside dog but Victoria likes to have him close. She will keep him in her bedroom to avoid the scolding about how bad he smells, how dirty he is, how Victoria is probably sick because of allergies to him, how he touches Grandma’s leg with his cold nose, how he is always in the way, etc. The pup is pretty much house broken. He has very few accidents any more, but he has learned that all food originates at the stove and all treats are dispensed as we sit at the table, so when the stove is lit, he camps out underfoot – which Grandma also finds annoying.
Victoria tolerates it. Grandpa sits back and watches. There is really not the extreme danger that Grandma superimposes on keeping the dog in the house, namely, the germ infestations and the tripping hazard, but they are both things to consider. It will all work out soon enough.
Becky called yesterday to announce that they were about to complete an additional bathroom in their house. Her father-in-law is there to help Charles put the sheetrock up and set the fixtures. Her choice of colors for the small room are true Becky; yellow, green, some other color with gold hardware. Her idea is that since she lives in a predominately Latino area, the color scheme will add to the resale potential when that time comes. Interesting thought.
Mama tells me Brittany’s wedding plans are coming together. All I know for almost sure is the date – June 22. I think that’s right. I will be in the general area around that time so I should be able to get to the wedding on time even if I have the date wrong. What I remember is that it was moved from Thursday to Friday of that week for reasons I am not sure I was ever told and if I was I do not remember. I have full confidence Mama will get me there on time.
In case you have not noticed, when Mama is on the farm she is somewhat disconnected from her normal thought processes. She is more distracted than usual, more occupied than usual. So, if any of you need to tell her anything particularly important, you should wait until she is back in Amarillo. If you need to tell he something that needs to be relayed to me, it is better if you call me to tell me directly.
Just make sure I write it down.
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Friday, March 9, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Leaving Bowie, green and not green, Grant
I left Bowie yesterday about 2 p.m. I can assure all of you that the trip is much more pleasant to make when Mama is with me. She still has big plans on going to Denton to take Victoria to Chipotle and to return a wheelbarrow we bought at Sam’s that turned out to be a piece of junk. If Mama and I had looked it over better we would never have bought it, but that is another lesson learned and it provides a good excuse for her to go to Denton.
I met Mama at the farm before I left and got to see how they had used the cattle panels Grandpa had bought in West Virginia. Some have been used to fence off the open side of the garden although it will not keep the dogs out. Some have been set up to extend the lot where the donkeys are being kept. It gives them access to some fresh grass. The remaining panel or two have divides the calf lot where Rain was being kept so the lot is now split between Rain and Toi. The older horse seems to enjoy the enclosure. Rain is still very aggressive toward Toi, but after all, Toi started it when she kicked Rain during their first few moments together.
I got into Amarillo too late to go to church but Mama did go to the service in Bowie. I miss our church but I am feeling more a part of the church in Bowie than I did at first. I will have the unpleasant duty of letting our pastor here know that this summer we will be out of town quite a bit. With Chase’s graduation, Brittany’s wedding and the normal time I spend in Decatur we will miss quite a few services and may have to give up our Children’s Church ministry for the summer. I will present the issue and let the pastor make the decision on that.
Mama has had a friend taking care of the plants in our house here while we have been away and they all look very good due to her efforts. We are even seeing some bulbs send their foliage through the rough ground at the house. I was not sure if the ground here would produce any vegetation but it is. It is not desirable for the most part but it is green – of sorts. After leaving the lush grass of the farm it is saddening to look at the yard here.
Snow is predicted overnight with up to two inches forecast for the area. The temperature when I got to town yesterday evening was almost eighty degrees. It fell over forty degrees through the night and will continue to fall through the day today to end up in the twenties. The winds are steady at twenty miles per hour. It feels cold. The “feels like” temperature is predicted to be six degrees by tomorrow morning. I am not sure knowing the forecast is a good thing in this case.
I talked a long time with Cori yesterday about Grant who seems to consider spanking a recreational sport. She has on the one hand Mykenzie who will burst into tears at the mere thought of having disappointed her mommy while on the other side is Blake who is still learning the difference between naughty and funny. Grant, the middle child, appears to think rules are made to be broken and any imposition of boundaries is a challenge to his authority. It still amazes me that children at three, four and five years old, a child can think that they should be in charge of their own lives.
How do you successfully discipline, and when that fails, punish such a child? I am reminded of an episode in the Gospels when the disciples could not cast out a particular demon. When the child was set at the feet of Jesus, He was able to rebuke the demon and cast him out – healing the child. Later the disciples asked why they were not able. His answer; Mark 9:29 “And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.”
Do I think my grandson is demon possessed? No, but I do know that there is sin in his little heart and he feels it is more “just” to disobey his mommy that to obey her. Even at his very young age he feels it is his right to do whatever he thinks is best and is willing to endure whatever punishment comes to exercise his will over his parents will. At four years old, he is wrestling with pride; his will vs. anyone else’s – especially his mommy.
Understanding what is in the heart of a child can only come through a prayer life that is agonizing to the point of fasting; burdening the spiritual, limiting the physical, begging God for wisdom. God will not give me the insight for this child that he will give the mommy and daddy, but I can help as I pray for them to have that wisdom and in my deep concern for them and the child, I will fast.
God still answers prayer – especially intercession.
I met Mama at the farm before I left and got to see how they had used the cattle panels Grandpa had bought in West Virginia. Some have been used to fence off the open side of the garden although it will not keep the dogs out. Some have been set up to extend the lot where the donkeys are being kept. It gives them access to some fresh grass. The remaining panel or two have divides the calf lot where Rain was being kept so the lot is now split between Rain and Toi. The older horse seems to enjoy the enclosure. Rain is still very aggressive toward Toi, but after all, Toi started it when she kicked Rain during their first few moments together.
I got into Amarillo too late to go to church but Mama did go to the service in Bowie. I miss our church but I am feeling more a part of the church in Bowie than I did at first. I will have the unpleasant duty of letting our pastor here know that this summer we will be out of town quite a bit. With Chase’s graduation, Brittany’s wedding and the normal time I spend in Decatur we will miss quite a few services and may have to give up our Children’s Church ministry for the summer. I will present the issue and let the pastor make the decision on that.
Mama has had a friend taking care of the plants in our house here while we have been away and they all look very good due to her efforts. We are even seeing some bulbs send their foliage through the rough ground at the house. I was not sure if the ground here would produce any vegetation but it is. It is not desirable for the most part but it is green – of sorts. After leaving the lush grass of the farm it is saddening to look at the yard here.
Snow is predicted overnight with up to two inches forecast for the area. The temperature when I got to town yesterday evening was almost eighty degrees. It fell over forty degrees through the night and will continue to fall through the day today to end up in the twenties. The winds are steady at twenty miles per hour. It feels cold. The “feels like” temperature is predicted to be six degrees by tomorrow morning. I am not sure knowing the forecast is a good thing in this case.
I talked a long time with Cori yesterday about Grant who seems to consider spanking a recreational sport. She has on the one hand Mykenzie who will burst into tears at the mere thought of having disappointed her mommy while on the other side is Blake who is still learning the difference between naughty and funny. Grant, the middle child, appears to think rules are made to be broken and any imposition of boundaries is a challenge to his authority. It still amazes me that children at three, four and five years old, a child can think that they should be in charge of their own lives.
How do you successfully discipline, and when that fails, punish such a child? I am reminded of an episode in the Gospels when the disciples could not cast out a particular demon. When the child was set at the feet of Jesus, He was able to rebuke the demon and cast him out – healing the child. Later the disciples asked why they were not able. His answer; Mark 9:29 “And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.”
Do I think my grandson is demon possessed? No, but I do know that there is sin in his little heart and he feels it is more “just” to disobey his mommy that to obey her. Even at his very young age he feels it is his right to do whatever he thinks is best and is willing to endure whatever punishment comes to exercise his will over his parents will. At four years old, he is wrestling with pride; his will vs. anyone else’s – especially his mommy.
Understanding what is in the heart of a child can only come through a prayer life that is agonizing to the point of fasting; burdening the spiritual, limiting the physical, begging God for wisdom. God will not give me the insight for this child that he will give the mommy and daddy, but I can help as I pray for them to have that wisdom and in my deep concern for them and the child, I will fast.
God still answers prayer – especially intercession.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Planting, weather, Victoria, edible mistakes
Poor Mama was worn out last night. She and Grandpa had been at the farm planting potatoes from about 8:30 to after 4 p.m. For her that is a very long day. With the winds steady at 20 to 25 miles per hour with gusts up to 40, it was a brutal day to be outside all day. All told, they planted 300 pounds of potatoes along with two rows of peas and one row of corn. The potatoes took up only about one third of the total area Grandpa and I plowed so we will fill the remainder with field corn so we will have our own chicken, hog, horse, donkey, and cattle feed next winter – if all goes well.
I planted a row of peas and a row of half-runner beans in the garden at the house. It will be interesting to see how they come up because my hands do not do well with the motions required to meter out an exact count of seeds in a certain area. My rows will be a little more sporadic than those done by Mama and Grandpa. But if the Lord blesses we should be able to gather from the unevenly spaced plantings also. I got to plant another seedless grape, two more blueberries and a hyacinth last night before working in the garden.
All seeding of the meadows and fields is on hold due to the weather. The forecast is for severe weather over the next several days –starting this evening. We are afraid that there will be too great a chance for washout of the freshly planted seed if we do get the volume of rain predicted. Flooding is expected in the Dallas area and we are expecting up to five inches locally through the weekend. Rain has been forecast for much of next week also. So whatever we get in the ground today will be all that gets done for many days. At the very least, God will have made good on His promise to fill the tanks on the property.
Victoria was in good spirits when we picked her up last night. She even said she was glad to have her job and very glad to be able to go to work after missing so many days. She was hugging Mama last night, not letting her go, and happily remarking on the fact that she loved feeling better. Mama kept saying, “Okay Victoria, let me go.” But it was all in fun – and it is good to see her feeling better.
I will travel back to Amarillo today, leaving Mama here through Saturday. With the weather predictions and the need to be back in my office, it seems like a workable solution. We drove separate vehicles when we came because I was expecting to go to training in Odessa, TX. She is in no hurry to leave but I have work I need to be doing and the best place to get it done is in Borger.
She is holding out to go to Trade Days this Saturday. I am not sure why but I do not relish the thought of sitting around for the next several evenings with nothing to do except watch the rain. That can make for a very long evening. I turned over to Grandpa the $200 I have been saving for pecan trees we are planning to buy at this months Trade Days. Mama was disappointed that I did not give it to her, but I know Grandpa will be in Bowie this weekend even if Mama is not. I also know that Grandpa will only spend the money on pecan trees so I am more certain of my purchasing power with the current arrangement.
I ordered a catalog from a hatchery I had found through reading an ad on Craig’s List. We were all looking through it last night because of the tremendous variety of all types of fowl they offer for sale. What attracted me to this company was the text offered with each fowl offered, listing weight, hardiness, egg size and color, temperament and a brief history of the breed. It was more thorough than anything I have seen yet. I asked Victoria to study up on the various breeds of chickens to see what we could try to raise after we kill off the roosters we now have.
Grandpa as been very disappointed in the hogs we bought. We will find someplace else to buy pigs next time. We should be able to fatten and eat these, but they are not the temperament of animal we would like to have around.
One of the blessings of a farm is that you can eat your mistakes…horses excluded.
I planted a row of peas and a row of half-runner beans in the garden at the house. It will be interesting to see how they come up because my hands do not do well with the motions required to meter out an exact count of seeds in a certain area. My rows will be a little more sporadic than those done by Mama and Grandpa. But if the Lord blesses we should be able to gather from the unevenly spaced plantings also. I got to plant another seedless grape, two more blueberries and a hyacinth last night before working in the garden.
All seeding of the meadows and fields is on hold due to the weather. The forecast is for severe weather over the next several days –starting this evening. We are afraid that there will be too great a chance for washout of the freshly planted seed if we do get the volume of rain predicted. Flooding is expected in the Dallas area and we are expecting up to five inches locally through the weekend. Rain has been forecast for much of next week also. So whatever we get in the ground today will be all that gets done for many days. At the very least, God will have made good on His promise to fill the tanks on the property.
Victoria was in good spirits when we picked her up last night. She even said she was glad to have her job and very glad to be able to go to work after missing so many days. She was hugging Mama last night, not letting her go, and happily remarking on the fact that she loved feeling better. Mama kept saying, “Okay Victoria, let me go.” But it was all in fun – and it is good to see her feeling better.
I will travel back to Amarillo today, leaving Mama here through Saturday. With the weather predictions and the need to be back in my office, it seems like a workable solution. We drove separate vehicles when we came because I was expecting to go to training in Odessa, TX. She is in no hurry to leave but I have work I need to be doing and the best place to get it done is in Borger.
She is holding out to go to Trade Days this Saturday. I am not sure why but I do not relish the thought of sitting around for the next several evenings with nothing to do except watch the rain. That can make for a very long evening. I turned over to Grandpa the $200 I have been saving for pecan trees we are planning to buy at this months Trade Days. Mama was disappointed that I did not give it to her, but I know Grandpa will be in Bowie this weekend even if Mama is not. I also know that Grandpa will only spend the money on pecan trees so I am more certain of my purchasing power with the current arrangement.
I ordered a catalog from a hatchery I had found through reading an ad on Craig’s List. We were all looking through it last night because of the tremendous variety of all types of fowl they offer for sale. What attracted me to this company was the text offered with each fowl offered, listing weight, hardiness, egg size and color, temperament and a brief history of the breed. It was more thorough than anything I have seen yet. I asked Victoria to study up on the various breeds of chickens to see what we could try to raise after we kill off the roosters we now have.
Grandpa as been very disappointed in the hogs we bought. We will find someplace else to buy pigs next time. We should be able to fatten and eat these, but they are not the temperament of animal we would like to have around.
One of the blessings of a farm is that you can eat your mistakes…horses excluded.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Plowing and planting, riding bareback, news on Norman, only the best
I took off yesterday as soon as I got a good look at the forecast. I was not planning on it but the opportunity was presenting itself to be the best of all the remaining days we have left this week – and for me and Mama, this month. It turned out to be a really good decision. I was there to help Grandpa get the plows set up for the tractor we have and outfit them with some new parts he bought it West Virginia. I was able to do a portion of the plowing and later was able to help get the disks he brought back put into use.
Grandpa re-plowed the garden by the house ~ ¼ acre, then plowed about two acres by the shop to be seeded for hay this year, then he and I plowed about two more acres for a potato and corn patch. Mama, Grandma and Victoria cut potatoes and we planted fifty pounds of Red Pontiacs in a couple very long rows in the garden at the house. I planted onions and garlic an another row and today, after the larger potato patch is planted and hilled, they will plant corn in a couple rows in the house garden and another 2/3 of an acre in corn in the large potato patch.
If all goes according to predictions we will get up to five inches of rain in the next couple of days so Grandpa was planning on being up early this morning to plow the meadow (about 12 acres) and hopefully get the seed in the ground by tonight. I think it is doable, but there will not be any slack time. We can all rest after it starts to rain. Unfortunately, I will not get the cover on the log kit because we are being pressed by the weather, but that too will eventually get done.
As Mama and I were picking up Victoria’s prescription last night at Wal-Mart, we looked in the garden section and picked up a couple more blueberries, a seedless Concord grape and a hyacinth plant. They will also be put in the ground today. If everything continues to grow as it is now we will be overloaded with produce this summer. It will be an enormous amount of work to get it all picked and prepared or sold – which ever is best. What a great problem!
Victoria and I saw the doctor yesterday. I felt there was something missing from the first visit so I wanted to be there when he saw her this time. She has had a fever and cough for several days now and I know the doctor was not expecting that. It turns out that Mama and Victoria missed part of the instructions when they last saw him. They were supposed to get an over-the-counter antihistamine of some sort to relieve the symptoms of the sinus pressure and congestion. That part they missed.
This time we got an antibiotic and the sinus congestion relief. I did not hear her cough too much last night so she should be on the mend very soon. I think she has to go to work tonight but she should be up to it by this evening. She was out on the farm for a couple hours yesterday but we did not allow her to stay too long. During the time she was there we did get a chance to get her up on Toi so Mama could walk her around while she rode bareback. She was ecstatic! She kept saying that the horse’s legs were trembling under her weight, but I think it was her imagination. With a twenty year old steed, it is hard to tell. Later that afternoon the horse took off at a gallop and kicked up her heels around the pasture near the shop. It is good to see both horse and rider feeling better.
Norman had a preliminary hearing on his divorce from June and things seem to have gone well for him. It is very difficult to say until things are finalized, but the hope of reconciliation is pretty much dead and it will be a relief for Norman to get on with his life regardless of any financial cost that may be accessed to him. Right now it looks like both of them will just walk away after twenty plus years, but we will know the final verdict on the 14th of this month. Grandma recounted a great deal more detail than this but most of it is not particularly relevant.
We have a skinny, tall pear tree that is putting out at least seventy flowers. If it survives any late frost we will have to pluck some of the flowers to limit it to one fruit per branch. At this early stage in its fruit bearing life it would be broken to the point of irreversible wounding to allow it to bear all it is attempting. So it is with us. We make glorious plans and God lovingly plucks them away until we are able to accomplish what remains without being wounded and overwhelmed. If we do not become discouraged, if we remain faithful, we will soon be strong enough to accomplish so much more than we even began to attempt at the first.
When you feel the Lord is plucking away your dreams, be thankful for the fruit he allows to remain. He allows only the very best to mature and ripen.
Grandpa re-plowed the garden by the house ~ ¼ acre, then plowed about two acres by the shop to be seeded for hay this year, then he and I plowed about two more acres for a potato and corn patch. Mama, Grandma and Victoria cut potatoes and we planted fifty pounds of Red Pontiacs in a couple very long rows in the garden at the house. I planted onions and garlic an another row and today, after the larger potato patch is planted and hilled, they will plant corn in a couple rows in the house garden and another 2/3 of an acre in corn in the large potato patch.
If all goes according to predictions we will get up to five inches of rain in the next couple of days so Grandpa was planning on being up early this morning to plow the meadow (about 12 acres) and hopefully get the seed in the ground by tonight. I think it is doable, but there will not be any slack time. We can all rest after it starts to rain. Unfortunately, I will not get the cover on the log kit because we are being pressed by the weather, but that too will eventually get done.
As Mama and I were picking up Victoria’s prescription last night at Wal-Mart, we looked in the garden section and picked up a couple more blueberries, a seedless Concord grape and a hyacinth plant. They will also be put in the ground today. If everything continues to grow as it is now we will be overloaded with produce this summer. It will be an enormous amount of work to get it all picked and prepared or sold – which ever is best. What a great problem!
Victoria and I saw the doctor yesterday. I felt there was something missing from the first visit so I wanted to be there when he saw her this time. She has had a fever and cough for several days now and I know the doctor was not expecting that. It turns out that Mama and Victoria missed part of the instructions when they last saw him. They were supposed to get an over-the-counter antihistamine of some sort to relieve the symptoms of the sinus pressure and congestion. That part they missed.
This time we got an antibiotic and the sinus congestion relief. I did not hear her cough too much last night so she should be on the mend very soon. I think she has to go to work tonight but she should be up to it by this evening. She was out on the farm for a couple hours yesterday but we did not allow her to stay too long. During the time she was there we did get a chance to get her up on Toi so Mama could walk her around while she rode bareback. She was ecstatic! She kept saying that the horse’s legs were trembling under her weight, but I think it was her imagination. With a twenty year old steed, it is hard to tell. Later that afternoon the horse took off at a gallop and kicked up her heels around the pasture near the shop. It is good to see both horse and rider feeling better.
Norman had a preliminary hearing on his divorce from June and things seem to have gone well for him. It is very difficult to say until things are finalized, but the hope of reconciliation is pretty much dead and it will be a relief for Norman to get on with his life regardless of any financial cost that may be accessed to him. Right now it looks like both of them will just walk away after twenty plus years, but we will know the final verdict on the 14th of this month. Grandma recounted a great deal more detail than this but most of it is not particularly relevant.
We have a skinny, tall pear tree that is putting out at least seventy flowers. If it survives any late frost we will have to pluck some of the flowers to limit it to one fruit per branch. At this early stage in its fruit bearing life it would be broken to the point of irreversible wounding to allow it to bear all it is attempting. So it is with us. We make glorious plans and God lovingly plucks them away until we are able to accomplish what remains without being wounded and overwhelmed. If we do not become discouraged, if we remain faithful, we will soon be strong enough to accomplish so much more than we even began to attempt at the first.
When you feel the Lord is plucking away your dreams, be thankful for the fruit he allows to remain. He allows only the very best to mature and ripen.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Grandpa, more planting, Joshua, Victoria
Grandpa made it in to Bowie late on Saturday night. It was almost midnight when he pulled in but Mama and Grandma were up to greet him. I woke up but did not get up. Rather, I got up early Sunday morning and looked out the window to see the trailer and how it was loaded. He spent most of the day unloading the trailer at the farm and I was able to help him after church. We got done in time to go to church that evening – and I even got about thirty minutes nap before we had to get ready for church.
Mama and I had spent most of the day on the farm. It was the very fist time I had been able to spend a full Saturday in Bowie. Every other time we are there on Saturday we have to break in the early afternoon and head home. I finished putting in the posts I had bought for the cover I want to put over the log package and later that evening Mama and I planted strawberries and a grape vine we had bought. This evening I hope to plant the remainder of the strawberries we bought.
All of the plants we bought recently have been on the discounted rack so I do not really know how viable they are, but it is worth the time and effort to experiment. In the event that any of them bear fruit we will be glad we did. The fun part is that the ground is so easy to work it takes only a few moments to plant anything. The soil pH seems perfectly suited to the types of plants we are putting in it. All of the berries, vines and trees are doing very well and Grandpa told me there are elderberries coming up by the shop.
I thought about taking today off but elected to come to work since the day will be a down day at the farm as Grandpa makes repairs and sets up equipment for plowing and planting. It is supposed to rain in the middle of the week, but we will take that as it comes. I want to make sure the days I do take off are the days when he really needs help – days we plow all day long or days when we plant and have a lot of team required tasks. Any time I am there to help is appreciated, but I want to make sure the time is maximized.
One of the items Grandpa bought was a sprayer; at least, it will become a sprayer. The 250 gallon tank is mounted on wheels and has some attached structure from which to hang the boom arms to deliver liquid fertilizer to our fields. There are some parts missing which Grandpa will outfit according to some plans we found on the Amsoil website. He is quite excited because I had suggested some time ago that he and Victoria start a business of spraying AgGrand fertilizer on fields in the area. We are now getting the idea put together and may have it actually in practice in a month or so. Spraying fields is big business which goes on all year long; with and repeat business they could be very busy.
Joshua made it safely to Victoria, TX. He loaded all of his stuff in a mid sized U-Haul truck and headed south on Saturday – I think. He will be living temporarily with his karate instructor but already has an interview at Sam’s either today or tomorrow. I wanted to call Pastor Parrish yesterday to tell him Joshua is in town, but I got too caught up in the unloading efforts at the farm. I will try to rectify that oversight today.
Victoria is still sick. She still has a fever and a bad cough. She missed work and church this weekend - spending the majority of her time in bed. I have asked Mama to take her back to the doctor this morning so she can be reevaluated.
Obviously she needs a little more help.
Mama and I had spent most of the day on the farm. It was the very fist time I had been able to spend a full Saturday in Bowie. Every other time we are there on Saturday we have to break in the early afternoon and head home. I finished putting in the posts I had bought for the cover I want to put over the log package and later that evening Mama and I planted strawberries and a grape vine we had bought. This evening I hope to plant the remainder of the strawberries we bought.
All of the plants we bought recently have been on the discounted rack so I do not really know how viable they are, but it is worth the time and effort to experiment. In the event that any of them bear fruit we will be glad we did. The fun part is that the ground is so easy to work it takes only a few moments to plant anything. The soil pH seems perfectly suited to the types of plants we are putting in it. All of the berries, vines and trees are doing very well and Grandpa told me there are elderberries coming up by the shop.
I thought about taking today off but elected to come to work since the day will be a down day at the farm as Grandpa makes repairs and sets up equipment for plowing and planting. It is supposed to rain in the middle of the week, but we will take that as it comes. I want to make sure the days I do take off are the days when he really needs help – days we plow all day long or days when we plant and have a lot of team required tasks. Any time I am there to help is appreciated, but I want to make sure the time is maximized.
One of the items Grandpa bought was a sprayer; at least, it will become a sprayer. The 250 gallon tank is mounted on wheels and has some attached structure from which to hang the boom arms to deliver liquid fertilizer to our fields. There are some parts missing which Grandpa will outfit according to some plans we found on the Amsoil website. He is quite excited because I had suggested some time ago that he and Victoria start a business of spraying AgGrand fertilizer on fields in the area. We are now getting the idea put together and may have it actually in practice in a month or so. Spraying fields is big business which goes on all year long; with and repeat business they could be very busy.
Joshua made it safely to Victoria, TX. He loaded all of his stuff in a mid sized U-Haul truck and headed south on Saturday – I think. He will be living temporarily with his karate instructor but already has an interview at Sam’s either today or tomorrow. I wanted to call Pastor Parrish yesterday to tell him Joshua is in town, but I got too caught up in the unloading efforts at the farm. I will try to rectify that oversight today.
Victoria is still sick. She still has a fever and a bad cough. She missed work and church this weekend - spending the majority of her time in bed. I have asked Mama to take her back to the doctor this morning so she can be reevaluated.
Obviously she needs a little more help.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Pray for Grandpa, good ground, unwanted assignments
Speculation is that Grandpa will be leaving West Virginia this morning. Be in prayer for him as he travels especially since the area he will be traveling through is forecast to have some very severe weather. I heard reports this morning of tornado warnings and watches for Tennessee and Virginia. Even in the early a.m. storms are developing that could spawn the “super cells” that commonly breed tornados.
Mama and I were on the property late yesterday evening and it was wonderful. The temperature was about 80 degrees and the winds were moderate ~ 20 mph. She had dinner for the two of us – braunschweiger sandwiches and tortilla chips. It may not sound like much but it was a very pleasant dinner after we got situated so the pups would not be licking at our food. It is hard to call them pups since, at six months, they are the size of the largest dogs we have ever owned.
Mama fed and watered while I was working on lining out some posts to build a cover for the logs that we are planning to build into our home. I do not know if we will be able to do it this year but I need to get the logs covered in a way that is more wind resistant. For the moment we are using tarps – now pretty well shredded – and tin roofing panels being help in place by discarded tires. Neither of the combined methods will suffice long term and since it is a considerable investment, I would like to do a better job of protecting it.
We did manage to get the holes laid out but I did not have the keys to the shop where the posthole diggers were stored so I used a regular shovel to begin the work which I hope to complete this evening. The ground on the farm is wonderful – easy to dig loamy soil with a fair amount of clay. It is more than I could have hoped for. I told Grandpa as we were planting trees several weeks ago, my mother would have done about anything for ground like this instead of the black clay she has wrestled with over the years.
We are seeing buds on all of the fruit trees, grape vines, berry bushes and various other plants we have put in the ground. Last night I looked at the native blackberry plants and they are opening to the coming spring also. I have several stands of elder berry around the farm that I will check on next month, but I am excited to have them. Victoria could really use some elder berry syrup right now. She will be in to see the doctor today at 10 a.m., by the way.
Even though I may go back to Amarillo in the middle of next week, Mama is insisting on staying so she can go to trade days next Saturday. I do not have to hurry back, but there is no urgency in my being here either and it is a slight interruption in the work I can do to have to sit in borrowed quarters. But my boss sees no particular downside to my being here. I will see today what I can schedule for next week to see if the extra time here would be justifiable – even if marginally.
In a meeting with my boss yesterday I was given two pretty big assignments as well as three monthly reports to fill. The monthly reports are on the budget for the entire asset and the responsibility to track the vehicle use within the asset. In our staff meeting yesterday, my boss announced that all personally assigned trucks not being used according to policy will be taken away and be set up as “pool” vehicles. That means about fifteen people lose their company vehicles immediately and as I track the usage, perhaps fifteen to twenty more will have their trucks taken away.
It is great to be assigned such important tasks.
Not!
Mama and I were on the property late yesterday evening and it was wonderful. The temperature was about 80 degrees and the winds were moderate ~ 20 mph. She had dinner for the two of us – braunschweiger sandwiches and tortilla chips. It may not sound like much but it was a very pleasant dinner after we got situated so the pups would not be licking at our food. It is hard to call them pups since, at six months, they are the size of the largest dogs we have ever owned.
Mama fed and watered while I was working on lining out some posts to build a cover for the logs that we are planning to build into our home. I do not know if we will be able to do it this year but I need to get the logs covered in a way that is more wind resistant. For the moment we are using tarps – now pretty well shredded – and tin roofing panels being help in place by discarded tires. Neither of the combined methods will suffice long term and since it is a considerable investment, I would like to do a better job of protecting it.
We did manage to get the holes laid out but I did not have the keys to the shop where the posthole diggers were stored so I used a regular shovel to begin the work which I hope to complete this evening. The ground on the farm is wonderful – easy to dig loamy soil with a fair amount of clay. It is more than I could have hoped for. I told Grandpa as we were planting trees several weeks ago, my mother would have done about anything for ground like this instead of the black clay she has wrestled with over the years.
We are seeing buds on all of the fruit trees, grape vines, berry bushes and various other plants we have put in the ground. Last night I looked at the native blackberry plants and they are opening to the coming spring also. I have several stands of elder berry around the farm that I will check on next month, but I am excited to have them. Victoria could really use some elder berry syrup right now. She will be in to see the doctor today at 10 a.m., by the way.
Even though I may go back to Amarillo in the middle of next week, Mama is insisting on staying so she can go to trade days next Saturday. I do not have to hurry back, but there is no urgency in my being here either and it is a slight interruption in the work I can do to have to sit in borrowed quarters. But my boss sees no particular downside to my being here. I will see today what I can schedule for next week to see if the extra time here would be justifiable – even if marginally.
In a meeting with my boss yesterday I was given two pretty big assignments as well as three monthly reports to fill. The monthly reports are on the budget for the entire asset and the responsibility to track the vehicle use within the asset. In our staff meeting yesterday, my boss announced that all personally assigned trucks not being used according to policy will be taken away and be set up as “pool” vehicles. That means about fifteen people lose their company vehicles immediately and as I track the usage, perhaps fifteen to twenty more will have their trucks taken away.
It is great to be assigned such important tasks.
Not!
Thursday, March 1, 2012
March weather, our purchasing agent, Victoria
I do not know about where you are but March here is coming in like a lamb; I think. It will be over eighty degrees here today which is officially “unseasonably warm”. The winds will be calm with relatively high humidity. That seems like a lamb to me. It will be interesting to see if it goes out like a lion.
By the weekend it will be in the fifties and sixties and rain will be in the forecast by mid next week. Things will be back to normal – at least as normal as it gets. It is better to have Grandpa’s attitude toward weather; get up and look out the window. Do this several times per day and you will always be up to date, maybe not prepared for a sudden shift in atmospheric conditions, but then again, who really is anyway?
With all the technology we have available to track and forecast severe weather conditions there was still tragedy in Missouri and Illinois this week. I am not blaming anyone. It is a sobering fact that we are not now nor will we even be in charge of the atmosphere. That is why I am glad to have a storm cellar at the farm. We may never have to use it for anything other than a cellar but it is available to us in the event of such severe conditions.
Last report I got on our purchasing agent abroad, is that Grandpa is building side boards on the trailer to contain and cover the hay he has purchased. He had better hurry. We are about out of the great deal Grandma got on hay the other day. She bought a bale for $9 then got a busted bale for free as well as being allowed to gather some of the hay that was littering the trailer in which it is stored. A young boy from the store helped her load it all into the trunk of the Lincoln. She was proud of the purchase even though that same money would have bought three full bales in West Virginia.
My training next week was cancelled but we plan to remain in Bowie through next week as planned. It will be no hardship on me and Mama was really planning on it since Grandpa will need the extra help as soon as he gets back. I may try to squeeze a day of vacation into the tight work schedule I currently have, but I will have to work that out with my boss.
It will be like Christmas in March to help unload and look through all the things Grandpa is bringing back. Most of the items are for the farm but Grandma is more excited about the apples he is bringing back from their favorite orchard in West Virginia; being able to maintain the familiar is always comforting. Since Mama introduced her to the mini pie maker I bought, Grandma is doubly excited about the possibilities. She told me last night that she could make two chicken pot pies and two apple pies at the same time and have dinner and dessert ready for Grandpa in less than twenty minutes. The unspoken translation to that is that I now have to purchase another mini pie maker so Mama and I will have one.
Where I have set myself up to work in the Decatur office is not a quiet spot but I am convinced there is not a better spot for me. It is not a quiet office no matter where I would choose to work, but at least where I am is more private than many areas I could choose. The major drawback is that, of the four cubicles in this wing, three are occupied with women who chatter all day long.
Almost thirty years for marriage and the privilege of raising five daughters – four of whom were quite chatty – has equipped me with the ability to get work done in spite of the noise. At least there is no one looking over my shoulder. In that way it is somewhat private.
I have asked Mama to take Victoria to the doctor today to help her get rid of the bronchitis she has been wrestling for several weeks. The weather conditions here – constantly vacillating between cold and hot and always windy – have wrecked her immune system. Add to that her “tough it out” attitude and you have the breeding ground for rampant viral multiplication. I asked Mama to suggest that Victoria be given a shot of antibiotics to speed the healing process.
We will deal with the side effects herbally, but right now she really needs some help.
By the weekend it will be in the fifties and sixties and rain will be in the forecast by mid next week. Things will be back to normal – at least as normal as it gets. It is better to have Grandpa’s attitude toward weather; get up and look out the window. Do this several times per day and you will always be up to date, maybe not prepared for a sudden shift in atmospheric conditions, but then again, who really is anyway?
With all the technology we have available to track and forecast severe weather conditions there was still tragedy in Missouri and Illinois this week. I am not blaming anyone. It is a sobering fact that we are not now nor will we even be in charge of the atmosphere. That is why I am glad to have a storm cellar at the farm. We may never have to use it for anything other than a cellar but it is available to us in the event of such severe conditions.
Last report I got on our purchasing agent abroad, is that Grandpa is building side boards on the trailer to contain and cover the hay he has purchased. He had better hurry. We are about out of the great deal Grandma got on hay the other day. She bought a bale for $9 then got a busted bale for free as well as being allowed to gather some of the hay that was littering the trailer in which it is stored. A young boy from the store helped her load it all into the trunk of the Lincoln. She was proud of the purchase even though that same money would have bought three full bales in West Virginia.
My training next week was cancelled but we plan to remain in Bowie through next week as planned. It will be no hardship on me and Mama was really planning on it since Grandpa will need the extra help as soon as he gets back. I may try to squeeze a day of vacation into the tight work schedule I currently have, but I will have to work that out with my boss.
It will be like Christmas in March to help unload and look through all the things Grandpa is bringing back. Most of the items are for the farm but Grandma is more excited about the apples he is bringing back from their favorite orchard in West Virginia; being able to maintain the familiar is always comforting. Since Mama introduced her to the mini pie maker I bought, Grandma is doubly excited about the possibilities. She told me last night that she could make two chicken pot pies and two apple pies at the same time and have dinner and dessert ready for Grandpa in less than twenty minutes. The unspoken translation to that is that I now have to purchase another mini pie maker so Mama and I will have one.
Where I have set myself up to work in the Decatur office is not a quiet spot but I am convinced there is not a better spot for me. It is not a quiet office no matter where I would choose to work, but at least where I am is more private than many areas I could choose. The major drawback is that, of the four cubicles in this wing, three are occupied with women who chatter all day long.
Almost thirty years for marriage and the privilege of raising five daughters – four of whom were quite chatty – has equipped me with the ability to get work done in spite of the noise. At least there is no one looking over my shoulder. In that way it is somewhat private.
I have asked Mama to take Victoria to the doctor today to help her get rid of the bronchitis she has been wrestling for several weeks. The weather conditions here – constantly vacillating between cold and hot and always windy – have wrecked her immune system. Add to that her “tough it out” attitude and you have the breeding ground for rampant viral multiplication. I asked Mama to suggest that Victoria be given a shot of antibiotics to speed the healing process.
We will deal with the side effects herbally, but right now she really needs some help.
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