Preparation, practice, pain

I spent the better part of yesterday evening putting together some noodle jugs to hopefully place in the lake tonight. I had rough idea from someone I talked to recently about how to build the jugs but lacked a couple particulars, so I had not started putting anything together. But yesterday at work I had a few minutes to look at a couple videos that filled in the missing information. Pastor and I put out a couple jugs when we were on the lake Monday evening, but they were pretty rudimentary. Effective to be sure, but not what I was looking to use for myself. The ones I assembled were ½ inch PVC, capped at both ends, slipped into a piece of pool noodle. One end has an eye hook attached for building the rig.

Inside the PVC is a piece of rebar about three inches long. When the jug is set out on the water, it is made to float flat on the surface. When a fish takes the bait, the jug is pulled downward, and the rebar weight slides to the bottom of the pipe causing the jug to stand upright in the water. That makes it easier to see if there is a fish on the line. It is not foolproof, but I think is a clever way of using the jugs. I have been told that when the weight hits to eyehook on the service end of the jug, the sound causes the fish to pull against the jug further setting the hook. We will see. I have been accumulating the parts over the past few days so, the cutting and assembly of the eight jugs made took me about an hour.

I have to meet red Shaw this evening to pick up some cattle panels I am buying from him. Ten panels and the posts that are part of the assembly. To get them, we have to disassemble a dog kennel that has stood empty for years and is not wildly overgrown. It should not take long, but I will not hurry the chore. Mama is going with me so she and Joanne can visit while Red and I work. If I do manage to get back before dark, I will determine whether or not to set out the jugs tonight. If it is too late when we get back to the farm, I will put them out early tomorrow morning and retrieve them late that day. My hope is to set them out tonight so they can sit through the night. Like all plans, this too may fall apart along the way, but at some point, I will eventually succeed. At least I am prepared.

When I set aside the work I was doing in the shop, I watered our plants. They were in desperate need of a good drink of water. I took my time giving all the trees, bushes and beds a thorough soaking. That took about an hour because neither Mama nor I had watered in several days. Mama has not watered in the morning like she has done in the past. I have been away from the farm until well after dark for the past few nights, so I have not had the chance to water in the evenings either. Anyway, after all the plants were soaked down, I went into the house to cool off – and dry out.

Once cooled and cleaned, I got out the cello and removed the bridge. I had bought a replacement bridge because the one in the cello seemed wrong somehow. The replacement bridge however required more customization than I was willing to get into last night. So, I ended up putting the old bridge back on – just the way it had come off. It was then that I noticed it was on backwards to the contour of the fingerboard. When I matched the bridge to the fingerboard and got the cello tuned, it was much easier to play. I also got out a beginner’s cello book I had bought and found out that I had been trying to play the instrument with it positioned too low for me. Extending the peg on the bottom of the cello to the correct height allowed me much more freedom to play. I still sound awful, but it is easier to play awfully. After torturing Mama and Victoria for about forty minutes, I switched to the guitar. I sound awful on that as well. And my left hand and forearm were worn out from playing the cello. I lasted less than an hour total.

When I did lay down late last night, I noticed my right ear was hurting internally. It got worse through the night and persisted through the morning. I will have to doctor that tonight as soon as I get home. I have a very busy week next week. I cannot afford to get sick.

Mama’s nails, pregnancies, projects

As I deleted pictures from my phone, I came across a short video from Sunday lunch at the restaurant. Mama always ends up with the girls crowded around her at some point during lunch. Generally, that crowding involves the phone; looking at pictures, figuring out a game, taking silly selfies. Sunday, as Aubrey sat on Mama’s lap, she played with Mama’s nails – especially her thumbnail. Mama had her nails painted, covered, whatever the process was late last week so the acrylic was still smooth and new. Aubrey did what has been done by children her age – especially little girls - throughout my time with Mama. The child will absently rub, tug on, catch and snap with their fingernail, and generally absorb themselves with a nail on her hand. More often than not it is the thumbnail that is tactilely experienced. So it was with Aubrey. It is a cute video.

The Echevarria children were still with Mama when I got home last night, but Erin was on her way to the house. She had an unexpectedly long visit with the obstetrician. Almost two hours. All that time was spent with the doctor. This is not a high-risk pregnancy but there are always lingering concerns with Erin and Sam because of the autistic child they have. The new little boy on the way is going to be monitored very closely to ensure a healthy pregnancy, a safe delivery and a healthy baby born to the family. Some of the maintenance meds Erin is typically on have been suspended through the pregnancy so the doctor is monitoring those conditions as well. Erin will be under a lot of stress with the pregnancy, her normal life as a wife and a mother of three, the cantata we are working on at church, the holidays through the end of the year, etc. Not unlike Makayla and Brittany as their pregnancies progress. All three babies are due in the same timeframe – early February. Mama and I are praying earnestly to be fulltime in our real estate business by the time our newest grandbabies arrive.

Feeding the animals and getting ready for church was the order of business last night as mama packed up the kids to go home with their mom. It was not a typical church night for us. Mama had a couple stops to make in town before church, so she was determined to leave early enough to take her time with those stops. One involved delivering more eggs to our Chinese family. It seems, Leslie took all the fresh eggs with him when he headed back to Florida yesterday. That drop off happened pretty quickly. It was the second stop that took a bit of time.

Since Grandma had fallen Monday afternoon, Grandpa went to Walmart and bought her a leg brace. Neither of them paid enough attention to the fact that the brace had latex in it. Grandma is allergic to latex, but she wore it anyway (even after they discovered it) because, she told Mama, “It felt so good.” At least until it didn’t. She ended up with a severe breakout of hives – head to foot, armpits, bends of the knee and elbows, etc. While Grandpa took Grandma to the Urgent Care, we went to a sporting goods store to look for a brace that was latex free. That took some time, but we had plenty to spare. There turned out to be too many choices for us to settle on one. Mama will communicate the styles and prices and work all that out today. If the brace helps, we certainly want to provide it for Grandma. But we also want to limit trips to the store to return and/or exchange braces as Grandma settles on the one that suits her best.

This evening, I will have time to do some work around the farm and in the shop. I am nearly finished with assembling the second hive. Fortunately, I am months ahead on that project. We will not get bees for those hives until April of next year. We have not even decided where to place the hives on the farm. I am also working on making some catfish jugs for use in the lake beside us. I had a rough idea what to do but refined the idea looking at videos on YouTube. Most of what I need I have available at the farm, left over from other completed projects. I may get to test the jugs this weekend. It all depends on how quickly I get back from Red’s tomorrow night. We are buying some cattle panels from him and the dog kennel they made up has to be disassembled as we go. Mama has me preparing wood for her and Kimberlyn in their craft making business. I have sufficient light in the shop to do that type of work.

Darkness is settling on us earlier and earlier in the evening as fall begins. It is nice to have the shop to work in as the nights get longer. Fortunately, I have several projects that can be completed in the shop. I am starting to enjoy having the shop. Adapting to and taking on new projects that can be stretched out over the weeks ahead as darkness comes sooner in the evenings.

I enjoy this life with Mama.

Grandpa’s report, watercraft, busyness

Mama spent the day with Grandpa yesterday. He had an appointment in Denton with a cardiologist. This one was a follow-up visit. He got more good news. Grandpa really likes this doctor. On the last visit the doctor diagnosed Grandpa’s continued internal bleeding. The bleeding was coming from a ruptured hiatal hernia. They got pictures to prove it. We were concerned it might be originating in the colon, so the diagnosis was good news. Grandpa’s heart is in good shape, his blood pressure is under control and his regimen of blood thinners seems to be working to keep him free of blood clots. He does not have to see the doctor again for three months. Grandma did not go yesterday. She had a bad fall inside the house the day before yesterday and was still hurting too badly to walk much at all.

After the pastor and I had a successful excursion onto the quarry lake, I remembered that as Mama and I moved onto the farm we inherited a couple inflatable boats. They are not big. Five foot by four foot. Once I found out the brand I looked them up and found them for sale at Walmart. So, they are not anything great either. But out of curiosity, I got them out of the canvas bag they have been stored in for five years and inflated them. That was a bit of a challenge because we were not able to find the little blower we use to inflate the air beds. I had to improvise, but finally got both of them inflated. They seem to be in good shape. I will know by Thursday evening when I check them to see if they have bled off any pressure. I may try one of them out Friday evening after I get back from disassembling cattle panels I am buying from Red.  Maybe Saturday morning early – before bus calling. I do not think they will be a long-term solution, but it is worth a trial use. At least, they are easy to transport to and from the lake. I will just have to find a place to launch them that is relatively free of rocks. The place I will launch the canoe has some very large, very rough stones we would have to avoid.

I learned on our first fishing trip how ill-prepared I am for fishing from a boat. But it will not take much to get ready. Fortunately, pastor was ready. I do not have a net, a bait bucket, a good stringer or a fish basket, any jug lines ready to go, etc. Once I manage to accumulate a few items I will feel better equipped, but I may launch off with what I have and accumulate other items as I get more proficient. Mama and I do not have the money to spare at the moment for me to buy unnecessary things. Most items I can get for less than $10 each, but even that adds up quickly. Oh, well. It is pleasant distraction in a troubled time.

Mama and I, along with numerous others are praying for our relator in Lawton. I have routinely emailed and called over the past few weeks. Either no response or very limited responses. That is frustrating and very disappointing. Eventually, it will all work out, but it is taking its toll on our finances. Fortunately, we have separated our business from our living expenses, so we are muddling through, but this schedule is certainly falling far short of our once high expectations. Far short of promises made to us. There is so little we can do to affect the situation in a positive way, but God is able. We are certainly learning patience. And we are kept busy at the farm with life in general as we head into the Fall and Winter. Raising chickens, selling eggs. Raising baby goats. Due early to mid-October. Hopefully, raising a couple baby claves. We are on the list to purchase them when they come through the stock sale. A very long list of Winter cleanup projects. Plenty to do that does not require money.

I am also kept busy at work. Monday I am going to the State Fair with Mama. More fun than being at work. Following that, next week is our bi-annual conference. I will be teaching Tuesday. That class time is followed by a reception, a dinner and a concert. I will be at the Texas Motor Speedway from 7 am to 9 pm - or later. Wednesday follows the same schedule; although I will not have a class to teach. Thursday is a little shorter workday with events ending by about 5 pm. By Friday it will all be over. We will breathe a sigh of relief. We will all be exhausted. The following week I have three classes to teach but by the middle of October, things will slow down significantly at work.

That is not necessarily a good thing, but it will all work out.

Fishing, practicing

When our pastor was at the house Saturday evening for dinner, he and I set up a date to try out the lake by our farm. It was going to be either Monday or Tuesday evening. He called yesterday afternoon to confirm for last night. As I was out helping Mama feed, he pulled into the driveway. He brought a ten-foot aluminum V-bottom boat for us to launch on the lake. We spent a few minutes casting a net for bait in the little tank in the barn lot but met with limited success. We did end up catching four small perch to use on a couple juglines. Since our time would be limited and we would not be able to leave the juglines overnight, we settled for what we had.

It was no problem to get the boat out of the trailer and launched in the lake. We were able to park the truck and trailer at a spot familiar to me where we have accessed the lake several times when we have fished from the bank. We loaded poles, a cooler, life jackets and a couple juglines into the boat before we pushed away. I was anxious to see if I could handle crawling into and around in a small craft like the one we were using. I did okay but it was a struggle. Being stiff in the back greatly limits certain activities. Having an unstable surface to move on adds to the difficulty. Getting in was the biggest challenge because I had to be bent over as I lifted my feet over the sides and the seats moving to the back of the craft. But I made it – slowly. Pastor then got in and pushed us off. It was a great test to see if I could use the canoe on the lake. It is less stable than the boat we were in, but I am going to try it soon. Launching from where we set off will allow me good access to the canoe. I should be able to push out into the lake easily and return to the same spot to get out of the lake. We will see.

The water was beautifully clear and quickly deep. We were not very far from the bank and were in about fifteen feet of water when we baited and left the first jug. Shortly thereafter we let out the second of the two juglines we had bait for. Then we fished. I let out a couple lines to trail us but we retrieved them after a short while so we could cast more freely. On one of my first casts I caught a large bass. Close to three pounds. Pastor was impressed that the lake had that size fish in it. He caught one of similar size, but it spit out the lure before we could net it and bring it in the boat. As we fished a storm was moving in and the wind began to be an issue. We were on the far side of the lake in only a few minutes – having to row back to our launch site against the wind. That took some effort, but it was still fun. The lake is only about six or e seven acres, so it is not huge. It is very deep, which allows for a great fish population in a small area.

Since we did not know if the storm would hit us or not, we beached the boat and began to fish from the bank. Pastor caught two bass. Only one was keeper. I caught two as well. Both of them were thrown back. We fished for about three hours with only the two large bass to show for it. Neither of the juglines gave us any fish. They needed to be left out overnight to be productive. I will try and do that this weekend or next. Pastor filleted the fish for us and headed home just at dark. It was a good time. Now we know that the lake is full of fish – especially good-sized bass. That means there will be crappie and catfish as well. I will definitely have to develop the habit of fishing it often. I am sure pastor will want to try again as the weather cools, but we will have to start earlier – or fish through the night. It was good to be on the water. Especially such clear water. That in sight of our house. In fact, the lake property shares a fence with our farm. It is a wonderful gift given us by the Lord. As for the storm. It passed us by completely, but some areas around us got quite a bit of rain.

Tonight, I hope to take the time to get my cello out. I have not had time to practice any of my instruments over the past few days. I want to get to the point that opportunities to play the instruments are times of relaxation. Right now, they are times of frustration. Especially the guitar. I struggle with developing the finger memory to rapidly hit the cords. I cannot honestly say I have even one cord position memorized. Certainly not mastered. On the cello, I am a little less frustrated, but far from the point of playing an offertory at church. My goal is to play a Christmas tune for an offertory this year, but I am progressing so slowly, I am not confident I will be able to do even that. Fortunately, Mama does not mind my squeaks and buzzes as I struggle to learn both the guitar and the cello.

Hopefully, she will be as accommodating as I try the harmonica.

Work birthday, guests

Friday the “kids” at work had a small birthday party for me. They hung a banner behind my desk and circulated a birthday card. The card had a gift card for Lowe’s inside it. One of the ladies baked a Choco flan cake. There was enough left that Mama and Victoria got to try it. Throughout the day there were birthday wishes sent from employees throughout the company. This is a good company. I do not always agree with the approach they take to training, but they are good people. My only frustration is the inability to help our personal business progress because of having to work full-time in this job. Oh, well. It could definitely be worse.

Mama made me molasses cookies instead of a cake. I think we enjoyed those more than any birthday cake she could have made. Brittany sent me some spices I will use for grilling and the twins sang happy birthday to me. That was precious. Meanwhile, Cori and Nate had a joint birthday celebration at the children’s home in Honduras. Cori said that the kids treated her special all day long on the day of her birthday. Breakfast in bed. Cooking and cleaning. Special pampering. A sweet day-long celebration. Nate did not get the same attention, but that is just how things work out for the dad’s in our lives. Becky and Bridgette celebrated birthdays last week as well. Bridgette had a visit from Minnie Mouse on her birthday. Special delivery by the Volunteer Fire Department. Sadly, I do not have pictures of any of those gatherings. Mama’s birthday is next Sunday. Chase’s as well.

Saturday was spent in large part getting ready for guests that evening. Victoria was sick through the weekend and Mama was hurting in her knees, so we struggled through as best we could. I spent the morning cleaning up on the outside of the house -weeding flowerbeds and the graveled area where the grill sits. Weed eating a little bit. I was hurting as well, so I was limited in what I could do. But we pulled it together before our guest arrived. I grilled chicken leg quarters, chicken breasts, hamburgers (a mixture of ground beef and ground turkey), sausages and pineapple. I cooked the leg quarters in a pressure cooker for about ten minutes before putting them on the grill. That way they do not get so dried out as they are cooked through. Mama made a grape salad, a cranberry-pineapple Jello salad, fresh bread, mashed potatoes, roasted, seasoned sweet potatoes and green beans. We have found a new favorite green bean. They are Italian Green Beans. Broad, flat bean pods. Very good. Mama fixed them with a little bacon and onion. We had plenty of food. A good bit of leftovers. Some of which, Trace took with him to eat as he travels to an out-of-state jobsite this week.

Pastor and Joyce Horton came over. Kenny and Kimberlyn Cantrell came. James and Olivia Downs, missionaries to Ethiopia, with their two children, James and Abigail traveled over with the pastor. Alisa also came with the Hortons, bringing Gracie as an extra guest. Trace was in town for the weekend, so we invited him over as well. With me and Mama included, we had eleven for dinner. We talked for about an hour as Mama and I finished preparing everything. We ate and then we talked for a couple hours after dinner. It was a fun, relaxing evening. I showed pastor my shop – such as it is. Mama showed Mrs. Downs and all the children around the farm. Mrs. Downs, who is deathly afraid of spiders, walked through a spider web and freaked out. Mama and the kids laughed so hard they were still laughing a half hour later as they came inside. Mama had to change her undergarments she laughed so hard. Mrs. Downs laughed at herself once she got over the fright. The kids made sure to bring it up Sunday morning as we visited before church. It was a fun evening. Everyone loves coming to Mama’s house.

We had wonderful services Sunday morning. A light lunch and a long nap that afternoon. Great services that evening. It was good weekend.

Pick up at Grandma’s, our mowers, Midas

Mama and I hurried through dinner and feeding the animals so we could drive to Grandma’s to pick up some furniture items they needed moved. We did not make it out of the house before Grandma called to ask where we were. Why we were not there yet? I had only been home for about 45 minutes. But, that aside, we made good time in getting there. At last from our point of view.

One of the items we retrieved was a huge four-poster bed. Far too large to be used in any bedroom we have. Far too large to be used in the small second bedroom they have. Mama and Kimberlyn may make a bench out of it. Another item was a dresser that had been converted into a sink. Norman had taken it out of a remodel project he was working on and Mama expressed an interest in it. Along with those two items, there was an old dry sink taken from the house in Bowie some years ago. Somehow it had ended up with Grandma and Grandpa. That too was brought home. I may repurpose it for a sink in the hall bathroom at our house instead of the one Norman brought. We also brought home an office chair that Mama will use in the sunroom along with the table I built for her a couple weeks ago. All the items are in various stages of disrepair. So, whatever is decided for repurposing them, there is some work required for each of those projects.

While we were at Grandma and Grandpa’s, Grandpa showed us the push mower he has been working on for us. It is almost ready to return to us. I have had it sitting behind the shop after having run it only for a few minutes when it was originally brought to us. It ran so roughly that I shut it off and left it sit until one evening when Grandpa brought his mower over to mow our grass. I rolled it out so he could take a look at it to see if it was worth fixing. It seemed it was worth fixing and we will get it back very soon. There are a wealth of places we can use the smaller mower around the farm. Since it is also a bagger, it will help us control the grass burrs when we mow areas infested with those burrs. I can always use the extra steps.

Also, as we left Grandma and Grandpa’s, we went to see our mechanic to check on Mama’s Bad Boy mover. Roger is in the process of ordering parts to put it back together. We do not need a short block. Only a minor repair is required. Praise the Lord! The cause of the malfunction seems to be a rat’s nest built beside the cooling fins on the engine. That nest, hidden from our view, blocked air to the cooling fins causing the engine to run hot. That in turn work out the rings causing the engine to burn oil. When the rings are replaced and the engine reassembled, we should be set for many more years of use. Mama was very pleased. Me, too.

We were home a little before dark. I consulted with Mama and we decided to give Champ, our wether, his second shot of antibiotics. While doing so, I noticed a smear of blood on Scamp’s side. We started to investigate. Knowing the way goats interact, it had to be from the face or head of one of the other two. It was from Midas. He had two deep gouges on his head just behind the nubs where his horns had been removed. There was a third scrape a little further back on his head. The best I could guess is that he got caught in the fence and fought to get his head back out. The 4”x4” openings in the field fencing are just big enough for him to get his head through. He will outgrow that soon enough, but he tore himself up a bit discovering it is easier to get through than it is to get back out. Mama and I doctored him the best we could to try to prevent an infection. Mama will monitor it closely for the next week or so. In the meantime, Midas will not win any king-of-hill butting contests for a couple weeks.

Victoria and Mama are going to meet me for lunch today. Victoria finally has a day off. I am going to pay for them to take me out for my birthday lunch. That’s how it works out for Daddy. Other than lunch and a bit of grocery shopping for tomorrow’s dinner, they will relax between bursts of house cleaning. My participation in the cleaning will be limited since the front porch and the sunroom are still in good shape – cleaning wise – from our work last week.I, personally, like the improvements to those areas and will work to maintain them as long as I can…whether we have guests coming or not.

Regardless, I love sharing our farm and life with others.

Still waiting, change of plans, looking ahead

This month marks a year since we purchased the house on Dover Avenue in Lawton. We are still waiting for our realtor to complete the remodels on that house. On the bright side, we will not have to pay any short-term capital gains on the proceeds from the sale of that property when we do have the chance to sell it. The whole project has been a lesson in patience. It will serve us very well going forward. I am not entirely sure how it will serve us well, but I have served the Lord long enough to know that any lesson of this magnitude is meant as a lesson for a lifetime. It has affected all the decisions Mama and I have made over the last twelve months. Fortunately, we have made prudent decisions as we wait on the sale of this and out second house in Lawton. The financial lessons alone have been of great value. The emotional lessons learned are still to be determined. The spiritual lessons will spill over into all areas of our lives as we continue to grow. But, honestly, we are ready for the training session to be over. Soon, maybe.

I had suggested to Mama that I would drive up to Lawton tomorrow evening after work, but she reminded me that that is my birthday and she did not want me to spend the evening chasing down our elusive realtor. Saturday is out of the question. We are busy both morning and evening. Next week has some open slots. The week after, October begins. Time certainly waits on no man. Mama and I are completely convinced that the Lord is on control of this situation. We are still working prayerfully on lining up our expectations with His. I believe we are getting there. Only time will tell. In the long run it will all work out. After all, we will have a house to sell at the very least. That a huge.

 Victoria and Mama were toying with the idea of going to Brittany’s this weekend, but they backed out. Victoria has been working for fourteen straight days with only Sunday off. She is worn out. She really needs to stay home and rest. Mama was excited about getting to see the twins, but she overlooked the fact that she invited several people over for dinner Saturday evening. Six to be exact. It would have been possible to reschedule, but she thought better of it. So, they will stay home this weekend. We will get up to Britany’s at a later date. Perhaps a date when I am free to travel as well.

Mama has lost only two chicks out of the batches she recently started raising. That count does not include the four of five lost to snakes. The recent losses were from natural death. Cause unknown. That is not uncommon, but it always a sad note for Mama. Me as well. Neither of us likes to see anything die. But I am confident that those losses are not a result of neglect. Everything gets babied by Mama. From chickens, to goats, to dogs, to cows, to pigs. Yes, even to me. When all these chicks are finally grown enough to occupy the coop, we will have a rather large population of chickens. Hopefully, a large population producing a large number of eggs. I reported yesterday that we have 34 mature chickens. I was wrong. We have only 30. We get less than half that many eggs daily. I do not know if that is good or bad. I have nothing to compare it to. We just take what we get. Mostly we find all the eggs that have been laid, but not always. Case in point, those being set on in the goat barn. I have always been curious how the chickens know where to lay to fill the nest under a broody chicken, but somehow, they do. Watching that work itself out under the watchful eye of God is always fascinating.

For our fruit trees, berry bushes and grape vines, we are entering the maintenance mode of Fall and Winter survival. The fig tree has yet to ripen the figs on it, but all the other fruit producers are getting ready to go dormant. We will get on a schedule of watering them sufficiently through the months ahead until Spring of next year. When the grape vine goes to sleep for the Winter, I will move it to the bed beside the garage. I believe it will do much better there. I will have to provide a trellis for it in order to keep it from blocking the sidewalk, but I would like to see it produce next year. I am still pulling blackberry shoots out of that bed almost a year after I removed the original plant from the bed. Amazing! Along with replanting the grape vine, I will relocate the asparagus from the garden to that bed. Planting those transplants next to the asparagus already in that bed. It will be convenient to have them all together.

It’s the little things that keep us busy.