Busy evenings, working girls

Wednesday evenings are very short for me. By the time I get home and spend a few minutes talking to Mama it is time to get ready for church. I do not mind it. We plan to accommodate the limited time at home, but it does feel a little rushed at times. Living where we do adds an extra hour and a half of travel time to anything we do at church, but it is worth it – so far.

I was looking forward to getting a few little things done this evening but that is not going to happen. Mama and I have been invited to an International Dinner at BBTI. Mama will be baking today in preparation for that event and we will have to leave the house by 5:30 this evening to make it to the dinner. It will be another rushed, late evening.

Tomorrow night is RU. It will be the same baking routine for Mama and about the same timetable for me. Mama and I are getting worn out, but it’s a good kind of worn out. There is some satisfaction in knowing that the things we are tiring ourselves doing have a spiritual significance. “Only one life will soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” I hear my pastor say that quite often.

Last night I was invited to a wedding. One of the young men recently saved through the RU program is getting married to his long term, live-in girlfriend. It will be a very simple affair but I do not want to miss it. What it represents in his life is very important.

One of our more fun struggles is finding enough egg cartons to put eggs in so we can give them away. We are getting an average of eleven eggs per day. I eat about three eggs per week. Mama and Victoria average far higher and Mama uses a dozen or so in her baking every week. That still leaves us about four dozen, on average, ahead of what we can consume. That is a lot of eggs to give away – and Mama insists on putting them in egg cartons. I have included a picture of our working girls.

Mama spent a hour or so getting one of the guineas out of the shop yesterday. She thinks the noise the guineas make reminds Kira of a chew toy – and she loves chew toys, especially when they can be chased. I do not think she did any permanent harm to the bird, but it was in no hurry to expose itself to another round of Kira’s game of tag.

The piglets are warming to Mama and Victoria and all four of them are enjoying the process.

Jury duty, growing things

Mama had a pretty long day yesterday. She was at the Montague Count Courthouse from 11 a.m. until a little after 4 pm. She was among the finalists to be selected to serve on the jury for a narcotics related case. At the final selection process she was let go. She should be good for a couple years now.  All in all, it was not a bad experience for her.

I did not do too much yesterday evening. I ran the weed eater for a while. I am neither as practiced nor as proficient as Grandpa. What areas I practiced on looked like the weeds were cut by a machete. I am going to have to better adjust the shoulder strap on the weed eater and get in a lot of hours of practice before it looks like I know what I am doing. It will also take some time for my back to strengthen to the task.

I checked out our vegetable garden and our little orchard and the rain really did those two areas some good. None of the potatoes have broken the ground yet but it has been pretty cool at night. The blueberry plants are loaded with tiny berries. I am not sure if they will mature but I plan to take the time to protect them from the wind and give them a fighting chance. Getting fruit from them this year would be an unexpected blessing.

The new arrivals seem to be doing very well – both the pigs and the chicks. Mama and Victoria fool with them several times per day with the purpose of making them friendly to all humans. She need not worry; all of her farm animals are pretty friendly. The chickens and dogs run to her every time she breaks the plane of the door expecting her to have some treat for them; they are rarely disappointed.

What Mama is really looking forward to is having the grandkids fool with the animals. I hope we have the dogs acclimated to the piglets by that time because there is a better than average change that the pigs will get loose from the smaller hands and they will be no fun to catch as we try to keep the dogs off of them –should that happen.

I tried to take pictures of the piglets with my phone. The camera built into the phone is excellent for still shots but it does not work as well for snapping pictures of things that will not stay still. I have an image Victoria got with her phone as we were bringing them home. It is okay but only really shows the red spotted one.

I am also a little concerned about saddling someone with the care of all the animals we have at the farm while we are on vacation after Chase’s wedding. If Grandma and Grandpa decide not to come down the farm we have family on standby. I just think it is a lot to ask.

But I suppose that is the life you choose with a farm.

More rain, pig updates, jury duty, internet

We got almost another half inch of rain yesterday evening. It came in short bursts through the evening. It was enough to keep me from getting anything done – not that I would have accomplished much had it not rained. Last night was one of those nights that was not going to produce a high volume of work anyway. Monday evenings are generally not my best evenings.

 I did stop on my way out of Decatur to buy a weed eater. Since Grandpa took all the weed eaters we had on the farm back to West Virginia, Mama and I have to start out new. I suppose that is for the better in the long run but it an expensive process to replace the equipment I lost access to. On the bright side, I am slowly reacquiring better tools than what we lost.

Mama and Victoria are a little more satisfied with the piglets now that they are calming down. There was also some worry about them eating properly but they seem to be on track there also. The lady who sold them to Mama had cautioned against setting out a portion of food but rather hand feeding them to ensure they each got the food they needed. When Mama did feed them yesterday morning they acted like regular pigs pushing and shoving at each other as they gobbled up the food; that made Mama feel better.

Mama has to report for jury duty this morning. She is very apprehensive about it. I have never been selected when I have had to report but there might come a time that that will happen and she is worried that this could be that time for her. We will have no idea until she shows up and finds out what is happening at the courthouse.

Between rain storms a man from an internet provider that we had called showed up at the farm. I had already showered and was dressed for bed but I got appropriately dressed and met him outside. He climbed up on the roof of the old farm house to see if he had line of sight to his tower just south of Bowie. He could see the tower from there but not so much from the roof of the shop.

He will come back this evening to test for signal and if we have a good signal he will set us up for the service. We have been struggling with satellite internet for almost two years; two different companies. The last company we have been with has been a horrible experience. We hope this will be better but only time will tell.

At least this service provides a signal without the data cap. With the satellite provider we would run out of data allowance very quickly. I was never sure how they calculated their data but it never added up to what I could get from the AT&T Hotspot during the same time – and at the same rate of data streaming.

While he was there he mentioned the tower that is just across the road from us. It is also a microwave tower but he did not know who owns the tower. He suggested we call a neighbor that appears to be getting their signal from that tower. Mama tried to reach them but without success. It would be nice if that turned out to be a possibility. So far, the biggest challenge we have had on the farm is to get connected electronically.

It was never set up for that – which, in the long term, may turn out not to be a bad thing.

Storms, shopping and refunds, medical news

While I sat in my office yesterday a thunderstorm roared through. It dropped dime sized hail then moved up to ping pong ball sized hail. I am guessing it put down more than two inches of rain in the half hour is lasted. It was good to see some rain. Meanwhile, back at the farm, Mama was enjoying 85®F with clear skies and light winds. The storms never made if that far west. I am not overly sorry that we missed the storms but we really do need the rain.

As I was heading to work this morning I heard about the storms just north of Decatur – only twenty miles away in Denton. Parts of the city of Denton got over six inches of rain and softball sized hail. I feel sorry for those who endured that damage and even more sorry for the cattle and horses in the field when that began to fall. I am truly thankful we did not get that.

Mama went shopping yesterday. I was aware she was going to get some of the sale items at Bowie Building Center because we had talked about that. I was aware she was going to get five little chicks she had ordered through the feed store. I was not aware of all the extra stuff she was looking for – potting soil, mulch, fertilizer, etc.

It ended up being about twice as expensive as I had anticipated so when I questioned her about it she discovered she had been seriously overcharged at both stores. She made the calls to the stores and when I got home we went to both stores to collect our refunds – over $50 worth of refunds. We turned around and spent it on started feed for the chicks and a small dinner at Golden Chick. I suppose I came out okay since we went home with thirty dollars in her pocket.

Once home I ran electric cords from the farmhouse to the chicken coop so the chicks would have a heat lamp overnight. The temperature was forecast to fall into the forties and those little ones produce no body heat of their own so they must be kept very warm until they get some feathers on them. I only hope they could get enough warmth last night because when I left the apartment this morning the temp was 37®F. I am sure Mama will give me an update on their condition as soon as she gets out there.

I went through my requisite biometric screening yesterday. ConocoPhillips requires us to participate in the annual screening if we are using the High Deductible insurance plan. My numbers were better than last year – especially blood pressure and girth. They measure the “waist” at the belly button so many of the guys were pretty upset by the numbers they recorded. One particular individual who boasts about wearing jeans with a thirty four inch waist had a measured waist of 59 ½ inches. He was one of the more vocal complainers.

My biggest point of contention is that the medical industry now recommends that your “bad” cholesterol be below 130. I remember only a few years ago when the number was 180. I have a suspicion the number is more a pharmaceutical driven initiative that a true medical directive; especially since I have been reading reports of low cholesterol numbers are causing a rise in testosterone levels in the mid-forties crowd which leads to more risky behavior and a high incidence of reckless deaths.

I think for now, I will avoid the cholesterol lowering meds but I’ll continue to watch.

Fast evenings, far too dry, technology

Wednesdays always seem to be a blur by comparison to the other evenings of the week. There is not much time at home before we have to rush off to church. I do not help the situation either. Since I have been leading the singing I like to get there early enough to make sure we have musicians and make sure the songs we have chosen for the night are ready to be played.

Last night we had to make a change only a moment before the service began. I generally have a backup plan but it is nice to have the few extra minutes to get things together. Everything turned out alright – even though I rushed Mama a little. Well, maybe more than a little since she walked out of the house without her make up bag. That rarely happens.

So far we have not gotten a drop of rain from the fierce storms that have passed over us. We have gotten a lot of wind which is not beneficial for any of our plants – domestic cultivated ones and native ones. Everything is dangerously dry. So far no April showers to give us May flowers, but that can all change in an instant.

The only good note is that we have lots of long hoses hooked up to the spigots supplied with water from a very good well. Only a little bit of water makes a tremendous difference to the thirsty plants. Though the plants look withered and droopy past redemption only a little water will perk them up in a matter of hours.

At this point I am a little hesitant to plant too much more - but only a little hesitant. If we do not plant the seeds we cannot reap the harvest – in spite of what it may take to keep the seeds growing properly. As I sit typing this page I can hear the thunder rolling. Too bad none of the noise will produce the rain we desperately need.

Last night Lee Davis preached. His theme was that we have allowed technology to become our idol, our god. He read several passages that said the children of Israel worshiped the things that they had “made with their own hands.” He used an iPhone as an example. It was not difficult to make the connection. He said we often pray (in practice) to our technology idols, “I want you. I want to know you better. I want you to teach me all things.” It is a poignant argument.

Speaking of technology; I had to spell the word poignant several ways before I got it close enough that spell check could bale me out.

So it is not all bad. It is only the prominence we give it in our lives that forces our focus away from God for our daily needs – especially spiritual and emotional ones.

Doctor visit, work, Mama’s garden, storms

Victoria and Mama went to Denton yesterday to see an ENT that someone at the church had recommended. Mama was impressed by the doctor. He diagnosed the drainage from Victoria’s ear and the knots around it as a skin condition – or rather a severe skin irritation. It is easily treatable and we should see some quick improvement once Victoria begins to use the creams he has recommended for her. They were both happy it was not a waste of time.

I had a very productive day at work yesterday. With a new employee to take over some of the little things we have not had time or focus to do I am starting to see some order come out of the tasks we have her taking on. That in turn allows me to go back to the things I have neglected over the past few months. My boss can already see the difference.

I had to get his feedback on several little personnel issues yesterday morning just about as soon as he arrived at the office. We took about twenty minutes to work through the three and come to consensus. As I was leaving I thanked him for the time and he replied that that was more stimulating than a cup of coffee, adding, “We should do this every morning.” I looked at him and answered, “I certainly hope not.” But I thought it was an interesting take on the discussion.

When I got home I got started on the flower garden again. By the late evening I was able to take the tractor and add the dirt required to fill the little garden up to the retaining strips I had just put in place. It came out looking pretty good. Mama was impressed and is gung ho to plant her flowers, bulbs and dwarf holly bush. It should come out looking pretty nice when we are done.

I also put the cage we have used for raising chicks into the chicken coop. On Saturday we cut out the wire that had been used to separate the coop into two areas. I am not sure what the purpose was but we needed it down to enable me to get the cage into the far side of the coop since that’s where Mama wanted to raise her little ones.

She is set up for now and expects to get the new chicks tomorrow. At least, that is when the feed store is expecting the shipment to come it. At some later point I will have to replace the wire to separate the coop again so we do not have the bigger chickens pecking at the little ones before they have time to grow to a reasonable size – and defend themselves. Mama is very particular about that.

We are supposed to get some severe storms today. I am not as worried about tornados where we live as I am about the straight line winds the storms can generate. A year ago we had two shed roofs completely torn off by those winds. I spent several evenings after that getting the tin out of the trees on our property and replacing those roofs.

At the time we had pigs in the pig building and were concerned they would get overheated by the lack of a roof. The storm took off tin and rafters in a matter of seconds. Then, when the roof hit the ground the impact shattered the boards and the wind sent the tin aloft. Some of it was mangled beyond use. That is what I worry about happening with these spring storms. The really discouraging part of these storms is that they generally have very little moisture associated with them.

We will see what comes and make the necessary repairs- if needed - once it is past.

Mama and Victoria went shopping with friends yesterday and had a pretty good time. They were a little disappointed by the prices of what they found in the discount boot stores but they enjoyed the morning out. Later they went to Denton to go to Sam’s. Their ulterior motive was to wait for a cancellation at the office of the ENT Victoria is scheduled to see today. That did not happen so they are headed back to Denton this morning so Victoria can make her appointment before she has to be at work in Bowie. It would have been nice to get her in yesterday.

The two of them got home a little after I did. I was changed and ready to repair the fence on the south end of the meadow. That is where the longhorn cattle have been gaining access to our meadow. We all went together to make the repairs. Mama drove the tractor because I needed tee posts, a sledge hammer and wire to make the repairs and it is a pretty good distance to carry things like that.

When we got there we discovered that our neighbors had already stretched the fence to tighten it so all we needed to do was to add three tee posts to make sure it was better supported. It will be nice to have that length of fence replaced. When that is done it should be good for the rest of my lifetime. The fence that is now in place is probably more than thirty years old and has seen numerous repairs over that time. It is a good thing we do not have cattle that challenge the fences.

When we got back to the barn we took an hour to muck the stalls. It had only been about three weeks since we last cleaned them so it was not too big a chore. It really helps to have the tractor bucket to take the loads from the barn to the area where we dump the manure. If we had to do it by wheelbarrow, it would be a major chore. Mama has the fun part of driving the load to the dumping spot. That is the really smelly part – and she lets us know it.

While Mama was cooking dinner Victoria and I worked on getting some boards up on the flower garden at the apartment. I was a little off on one length but we will make it work. At the very least it will keep Sam and Kira from digging up everything we plant in that space. I still have more to do but it is quickly taking shape. After dinner I did a little more work on the fence in the flower garden but was putting my tools away by 7 pm.

I went to look over the vegetable garden and saw that the plants we have there really needed water so I charged the hose and went to work. The dirt in the garden is dusty and dry when it is freshly tilled but once it packs it is hard as concrete. It is not the best soil for a garden but it is what we have inherited. It will take several years of concerted effort to add enough nutrients and moisture retaining compost to make it truly fertile. Regardless, it will always take a lot of water to make things grow properly.

While I was tending to the plants in the garden Mama and Victoria decided to plant a row of corn. It was too pleasant an evening to let it go to waste. I helped with that and then I planted some seeds for bird house gourds near the area I set up as a windbreak in the garden. I hope the trailing vines will shade the plants we put inside the enclosure from the wind and sun.

We will know this season if my garden enclosure experiment was a success or not.