It's a heat wave!!!

This morning's sunrise

2/14/11 Monday
It’s a heat wave!!! With the warm weather we discover the damage sub freezing temperatures have caused. I’ll make a run to the well in a few minutes to check for problems there. It did freeze and there was no apparent damage when I thawed it out but this warm weather may expose what was hidden before. I went to turn on the irrigation to the wind break trees and discovered one of the pipes out there has broken. Must make a run to the store and purchase what I need to make the repair. Hate to make a forty mile run for a twenty cent part so will check the Stanton hardware store first. If I must pay three times the cost it’s still worth not spending the time and gas to drive forty miles for it.

With the warm weather comes the need to prepare for spring planting. Gophers have invaded the rear garden plot, as evidenced by gopher mounds and the trenches our dogs dug in their quest to capture them. Lots of damage done there. I’ll work on getting poison down into their tunnels, but it’s hard to do when the ground hasn’t seen rain for four months. That hampers my ability to probe for their tunnels with the steel rod I use. Just another year in the ever going war against the gophers.

It’s going to be a real tight year when it comes to farming. With the VA seizing all our federal funds, including income tax refunds, the money normally available to buy seed and supplies with is no longer there. We’ve tried to get this remedied but our file has been placed in the VA’s “Pending” rack, and we were told by the Texas VA rep that once there it can remain undealt with for years, lost in space so to speak. And all of this trouble because some bureaucrat didn’t fill out the correct form six years ago.

I’ve made some progress on the bathroom. Got the mirror installed the other day, along with the new light fixture. Had to buy 4 mirrors to get one that wasn’t broken. Actually went through six of them, opening each one at the cash register after taking three home and finding them damaged. Getting the mirror and light up sure helped Cherie brighten up. This whole bathroom fiasco sure caused a lot of heartache and maybe a little depression for her. I’ve been praying for help and help is coming. Got a call from our church family from the Baptist church in Midland. They’ve been keeping up with us through the blog and facebook and decided to pitch in and help. That is what true Christianity is about, when you see someone in need reach out and help.


Carman Kitty has been sick. Don’t know what was wrong and we can’t really afford the vet, still paying for when Midnight was poisoned and died, but Carman seems to be coming out of it. He’s old, about 90 in people years, so we understand that he’s delicate. This cold weather didn’t do him any good either. Cherie has mentally prepared herself for the inevitable result of old age with her companion of 14 or so years, but she doesn’t need that extra stress at this time of turmoil in our lives. Her workplace has gone through lots of changes, with former employees who ended up being persistent liars and backstabbers, and had to be either fired or took other jobs without any notice. I would love to help the company out, having an extensive background in starting up and running companies, in addition to being a paid consultant to help others start and run theirs. Offered my services but the offers were not responded to.

The Kairos prison ministry is preparing for another event in April. We are looking to recruit anyone who would like to become involved so this Saturday we are offering a free lunch for anyone who wishes to come by and check us out. If you would like to see what the Kairos ministry is about, you are welcome to come to the First Baptist of Midland facility in the back of the church this Saturday. Let me go online real quick and check the time. Ok, it starts at 9:00 AM in room 101 on the North end of the building. First Baptist as on the corner of Louisiana and Garfield.

That’s it for now. Plenty to do so enough writing.