Prep for cold, no horse sense

Winter is coming today; at least for a day or two. The temperatures are predicted to drop into the low twenties with winds gusting twenty to thirty miles per hour. No matter where you live, that’s chilly. In preparation for that Mama and I put windows on the open (south) side of the chicken coop. A couple years ago my Mom and Dad gave us a couple dozen old windows.

We have used them in various ways on the farm. Putting them on the chicken coop to cover the areas built into it for ventilation is one of the ways they get used year by year. I plan to use as many as I can on the hot house we are planning to build sometime in the future, but that may be another year out – two is the doors open for us to go to Australia.

I also removed the multiple hose bibs from the spigots on the farm. During warmer weather we use them to hook up multiple hoses to one spigot but in freezing weather they get pulled off and all hoses removed so the spigots do not hold any water above ground which would cause them to freeze and bust. That would cause me a good deal of work to replace or repair the rupture. It makes it a little more time consuming for Mama to fill the water troughs but it is an easy preventive exercise.

Mama called me yesterday morning to tell me that Misty was acting differently; like she was really struggling to breathe. She was not moving very much and she was hanging her head down. That is not normal for her. So Mama called Wes. He came out to the farm on his lunch hour to check the horse out. It turns out she has colic.

There are three types of colic a horse can get and the kind she had was from overeating grain. The two more severe types are less common but manifest the same symptoms. While Wes was there Misty went into her jumping and bucking fit and Mama told Wes how much that scared us. Wes laughed and told Mama that that was a horse’s way of showing how happy she was that someone was there to play with her. Boy, are we ignorant!

Wes went on to show Mama how to teach her some manners; how to back her off if she is following too closely, how to get her attention and calm her down when she it too excited; how to tell if she is mad or happy. He may take Misty and run her with some other horses for a while to teach her how to behave around humans and other horses, but I do not know if that was settled yet.

Mama mentioned that we may be traveling next year and she was not sure if Victoria could handle Misty on her own. Wes offered to keep her for us during that time and speculated that when we got back she might be broken to ride.

No telling if that is going to happen or not but it is a better outcome than I had thought possible only a day of two ago.

A busy weekend

I have to admit that it is nice to be back to work today. After the weekend we just came through it is nice to have the break. Mama, Victoria and I are all sore. Mama and I spent the entire day Friday going through the remaining boxes in the farm house. She was looking for her Salad Master cookware and I was looking for the motor for my table saw. (She found the pots and pans. I still have not seen my motor.)

All the while we were looking for specific items we were setting aside things to either put up for sale on Saturday or throw away. Believe it or not we did throw away a lot of items. We piled boxes by the dumpster after we had filled it completely up. Then when the trash truck came to empty the dumpster we filled it twice more as he emptied it for us. It was nice to get all the trash out of the way. We still have a  lot of things to sort through but it looks like a reasonable about of junk at this point.

We finished the day Friday by packing the trailer with the items for sale and moving Victoria’s table into the mobile home. After the trailer was loaded and tied down I backed it into the shop and left it for the night. I was not really worried about rain but we have gotten some very heavy dews lately and I saw no sense in everything getting wet before we unloaded it at Trade Days the following morning.

I am not very good with a trailer. I am getting better the more I do it, but I was still nervous weaving it into the mass of vendors already set up Saturday morning. It was a chore getting unloaded and set up but we did manage without anything getting damaged or staying too long in anyone’s way. Mama and Victoria were set to go by 8 a.m.

They spent the whole day there with the “merchandise” and I went back to the farm to work. I sealed up the tank and lines in the well house and I sealed the bottom edge of the well house. We are supposed to have some breeze days with nights in the high 20’s. I did not want to have any frozen lines if we could avoid it. Tonight I have to work on the chicken coop and the laundry room to keep the majority of the cold winds out of those two areas. The cold is not supposed to last long but I still need to get prepped for winter so it will be a worthwhile effort.

 I also worked in the barn making a place for Misty to have cover during the coming winter but I am not sure we will keep that spot open for her. She has been throwing some pretty fierce tantrums lately and Mama is getting more and more scared of her. I am not sure what I did to provoke the response but I she kicked me and bruised my hand as I was carrying tools over to fix the gate between her pasture and the calf lot. I was not a happy camper.

I have not called Wes – our horse whisperer – but I need to. I cannot afford to have an animal we cannot control on our farm; least of all a horse.

Mama talked with the man who can sell us bottle calves and he I supposed to call us soon. I have four stalls set up for little ones but we are still waiting to hear back from him. We only want the four. I have convinced Mama to go smaller with a longer term goal in mind. No more racing to riches by high volumes and high costs. We are looking for steady, manageable progress.

As far as the apartment goes, there is no urgency to get into it right now since Grandma and Grandpa are in West Virginia for the winter. I may get to finish it up completely before we do move in.

Time will tell.

Interrupted sleep, pride, off tomorrow

I was wakened this morning by the little Dachshund that Mama and Victoria recently “re-homed”. She is not happy with her confinement through the night. The cage is large enough that we can get the Great Pyrenees dogs in it but it is still not to her liking. So, at 3 a.m. I got up and put her outside foe the remainder of the morning. I felt a little badly since there was frost on the ground but I managed to go right back to sleep.

 When I got up at my normal time I let her back into the house but I put her back in the cage. I was hoping that a couple hours outside in the cold would help her to appreciate any warm place in the house; not even close. As soon as I closed the cage door and began to walk away she started barking again. In response to that, I put her back outside. I will get fussed at later, but Mama and Victoria will get a couple hours of undisturbed sleep – I hope.

Pastor preached last night about pride and what it can do to you spiritually and physically. He touched on several things, one of which really resonated with Mama. I have slept since then but I do remember his mention of the type of pride that masquerades as humility; when a person will refuse to do something on the grounds that they are not worthy when in fact they really do not want to do it, or are too proud to do it in the first place.

When someone will nurse a grudge about a perceived wrong rather than getting together with the offending party to see what can be done to straighten out the issue. When we go about our daily lives doing things “our way” regardless of the right or wrong of it, inadvertently wounding others – who, we think to ourselves, should grow up and get over it. When we cut somebody off on the highway so they will be the ones stuck behind the semi through the construction area.

Whenever we feel we deserve better than we have, it is because of pride. When we feel we need nothing of this world and give away everything to prove it, it is too often because of pride – especially if we have to rely on others to provide for us the things we so humbly gave away. I think of people I know who cannot hold a job because they know more than the boss, or they deserve to be treated better, etc. That too comes from a prideful heart.

I tend to be a humble person, but all of us have our moments wrestling with pride. There is little we can do to make others recognize it in themselves. We can only deal with pride as the Hole Spirit brings it up to us, personally. It was a good lesson.

I am taking tomorrow off (Boy, do I need it) so I can work on getting things ready for Mama and Victoria and their Trade Day’s sale on Saturday. I also need the time to work on the little truck.

Hopefully I will not break it worse than it is at the moment.

Play Practice, job openings, Trade days

Last night Mama and I had our first play practice where we were supposed to have all our lines memorized. All in all, everyone did well. At least the majority of us knew the majority of the lines we had and knew when we were supposed to say them. Mama did really well; well enough that she is encouraged to keep practicing. The play is set for December 15^th.

It was more fun than Mama thought it would be.

I put my name in the hat once again for the Licensing job and as it usually happens there are multiple other opportunities available in the same time frame. My boss forwarded a message that was sent out to the managers at his level soliciting applicants for four open positions in Houston. All are within a single group which will comprise the steering team for corporate training at ConocoPhillips. He feels I would be a strong contender for at least two of the four positions.

The only drawback is that all the positions are in Houston. I have to admit that if I was looking for the move I would rather move to Houston than to Midland but I explained to my boss that I am not really looking to move to Houston, or anywhere else. The draw of these positions is that they are all several grade levels above my current salary grade.

 At this point in my life, money is not my primary focus. It is however, an important driver in decisions of this nature. Having said that, if the Licensing job falls through and one of the afore mentioned jobs remains open, I would have to strongly consider it. My overriding preference it to take Mama to Australia for six months to a year, then return to the farm and complete what we started. Only God knows what is ahead and we do trust Him to keep us on the right path and in the center of His will.

Mama and Victoria are gearing up for Saturday. I am taking Friday off to help the two of them get ready. I have no high expectations of making money but I have added several items to the mix because I too have too many duplicated, unused items that have traveled in boxes across the eastern and central United States too many times.

Mama is hoping to buy two pot belly piglets at the sale this weekend. She has to have two because she does not want the pig to grow up lonely, or worse, to suffer some sort of identity crisis – thinking it is a dog or something else. I am not sure if that will happen this weekend but it is in her plans. It really depends on the seller showing up and having the color of piglet she is looking for.

We have been given a very good place in the open market so we will at least get a high volume of visitors; hopefully, buyers also.

Our Saturday surprise

Yesterday evening when I got home I was hurrying around a little because I wanted to get some work done outside the shop on the south wall I just put up – replacing a tarp with an actual wall. In getting it sealed against the wind I did not get it sealed against the rain very well. At the time I was not sure what to do to get it weatherproofed without it looking cobbled up.

Since then I was able to pick up some left over metal pieces from the roofing that was installed on the house next to our church. One of those pieces was exactly what I needed. Let’s just pray it is enough. I also set attached a piece of metal siding that was long enough to cover the top of the wall where there had been a little rain getting in when it blew in from the south. We will get a good test today if the rain that is predicted actually makes it to us.

Last Saturday I had intended to get Mama to help me put the insulation Grandpa and I had removed from the well tank back on the line and the tank. When we got to the well house there were several piles of poop inside. I remarked to Mama that something must have found refuge during the recent heavy rains. That something was still in the well house under the insulation we had cast off of the tank.

When I lifted it up there was a skunk sleeping under it. I jumped back out of the well house in case it was startled enough to spray me but it was groggy – as if I wakened it from a very deep sleep. So I went to the house and got my pistol. When I got back it was still in the well house in a very good position for me to dispatch it without damaging any of the parts of the well or waterline. It only took one shot.

Last night I went to the well house to get it out before it started to decay. Needless to say it had anointed the well house and the fragrance was pretty overpowering, but I got it on a shovel and moved it away from anywhere that would interfere with us working in the well house or nearby pasture.

Misty came over to see what was going on. She is a very curious little filly and will not leave a person alone if she is in the same paddock with them. True to form she was very curious about the shovel and its contents.

I was dragging it behind me to keep out of the smell – which seemed to wash over me no matter how I tried to carry it with the dead skunk resting on it. Misty got very close as I was dragging along and the skunk slipped off of the shovel. It stopped. Misty was not that quick and she rammed her nose into the skunk.
She jumped like a goat when she came into contact with the smelly carrion. She carried on for several minutes trying to get the scent out of her nostrils. She snorted over and over. She rubbed her nose on the ground several times. I think she finally got rid of the most noxious of the odor because she calmed down and resumed following me to where I deposited the smelly burden.

I can only hope that the rain and warm days ahead break down the carcass without too much more of that wonderful perfume gracing us.

A busy weekend

Friday ended a very long and fast paced week for me. I felt like I had finally gotten everything done when I completed my mid-year review with my boss. It went very well. I was pleased to hear him moving in the direction of hiring one of the contract helpers I have been trying to get on with the company since I started. I am also hopeful of getting an additional person to manage all of our electronic data sites. It is another big job I cannot manage within my current group.

My boss did suggest a particular job he thought I should look over. I had heard the job was open but I did not look into the qualifications because it would require a move to Houston. At this time I am not enamored with the idea of a move anywhere – although Houston would be the lesser of many other unpleasant choices.

So in deference to my boss I did go look. What I found is that the Licensing job has come open again. I do know that the Licensing job would not require a move on my part. I also know, because I asked last month, that they will not be hiring until after the first of the year. I will have to pass on the one recommended job and wait for the one I really want; even if I do not get the Licensing job.

By the time I got home on Friday evening I was ready to sit for a while. I actually did sit still for a half hour or so but then I got up and got going. There was too much to get done to sit very long.

I think this weekend Mama and Victoria worked harder than any weekend in the past. It started Friday evening with me moving boxes and furniture from the farmhouse to the shop. I am looking for the motor to my table saw – so far no luck. Victoria and I got several prices of furniture into the shop and apartment and as short as the distance really is it seemed to be quite far by the time the third piece was moved.

Victoria cleared a place in her room for a bookshelf and proceeded to fill it up by the end of the day; and there are still five or more boxes of books to look through. There is still one bookcase we have not found a home for but I am sure we will come up with something.

Things are being set aside for the coming weekend. Mama has rented a space at Trade Days so she and Victoria can set up all the things we have that we either do not need or do not want to keep. What we have set aside so far will fill the trailer I will have to load to transport the items for sale. Mama is looking forward to it; me, not so much.

I am happy to get rid of the things she is willing to part with. I just am not looking forward to the time and energy required to get things staged for people to shop through. We are both praying that the rain holds off for Saturday. That is the only day we will be there. I am hoping it will be enough.

Saturday night I asked Victoria if she was sore. I was extremely sore from all the lifting and carrying. She said she felt really good. It was a letdown for me; one of those “I really am getting older moments.” On the way home from church Sunday afternoon Victoria said she had spoken too soon and she was very sore.

That made my day.

A worthwhile trip, weekend plans

It was good to get home last night. I got to the farm a little after 7 pm having driven from Perryton, TX – about an hour north of Borger. I drove a little over 780 miles on this trip but all the visits I made and all the reviews I had with my staff were very productive. I have my own review today as well as the remaining two members of my staff to review, and then I will be done for the year; at least with that task.

I was able to go to the church in Dumas that Mama and I had gone to several months ago. At least a couple of the people there remembered me from the last time and everyone that did remember me asked about Mama. It is good to have a second church to go to when we are on the road. They too are gearing up for the coming holiday season.

They are doing something they call a Turkey Trot 100. The church buys one hundred turkeys to be given out to families in the community. It is up to the church members to suggest the families who will receive those turkeys. The focus is as much on encouraging a family as it is on meeting a physical need so any family, whether they are in need or not, can get a turkey from the church. I thought it was a great idea.

I asked Mama and Victoria what they had done in the apartment while I was gone. Both of them were a little slow to answer; not a good sign. Mama blamed her lack of activity on the books Victoria had found for her to read – so her evenings were too full to get anything done. Victoria took offence but did not offer her own excuse on her lack of effort. It was another very clear reminder of just why this is going so slowly.

This weekend I will concentrate on getting some winterization things done at the farm. There is a sizable list of items but through this weekend and next week I think I can get most of them done. I too, will not give much time to the apartment this week but even when I do not give it my full attention, I will still clean up the floors and get the cabinets finally set.

I was very disappointed last week when I tried to put the doors on the cabinet we bought for the sink. The cabinet and sink are from IKEA and the hinges to mount the doors require a specific type of screw. I could not find those screws; hence, I could not mount the doors. I did not exhaust myself looking because in the midst of so many little projects it is impossible to tell just where they had been placed while waiting on the drain lines for the sink to be done.

Lee Davis, the plumber who goes to church with us, was able to get the drain line done in about fifteen minutes. I had worked on it about three hours one evening before I gave up. He produced one part that I did not have in the basket of parts I had been using to accomplish the same task. All the leftover parts will be added to the accumulation of parts I have already accumulated; for future plumbing jobs.

On a farm, you can never tell when you might need them.