Early start

11/17/07 Saturday
This is one of those two in the morning entries. I am much sharper now and after putting wood on the fire am wide awake. Yesterday was pretty much a lost day with almost nothing getting done. I managed to run the sprinklers, watering some of the spots I put Rye seed on, and caulk part of the new window Bob Trimble and Jay put in for us. I still have more to do on it, mostly inside. And that is about it. It is real frustrating for me to have days like that.


But I’m awake and seem to be fairly cognizant now so figured I will take advantage of this moment of clarity and write. There is always so much to do. I downloaded the pictures we took in Lubbock at “Apple Country Orchards” the pick your own apple orchard we are researching. We learned so much there and the time we spent with Cal, the owner, was very encouraging. He started this business in 1981 if I remember right. We got there at 10:30 or so. Cal wasn’t in so we had plenty of time to look around till they served lunch at 11:00.

The gift shop is small and homey. Nice simple atmosphere with lots of items for sale that are somewhat related to apples or at least fit in with the whole theme. From a business standpoint I would call it a bare bones operation in that there are no expensive displays or equipment visible. Just an efficient low cost set up that gets the job done.

The most prominent display is this one that features a wide variety of canned fruits, jellies, and other confections. Everything carried the “Apple Country” label. I asked the lady who was cooking in the readily viewable kitchen if they canned this stuff on location. She said they used to but send it all out though much of it used their recipes. There was a little of everything you might imagine and probably some you couldn’t. All kinds of preserves including “Huckleberry”. I had to get that. Especially being a fan of Mark Twain and reading all the Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn books in my youth. Besides, I have a great interest in growing the unusual berries and plants that can be found in this country. There were all kinds of salsas and not just apple butter (one of my favorites) but pumpkin, peach, apricot, strawberry, and a whole lot of others I don’t recall. Obviously these are not all items grown here so they are purchased and labeled “Apple Country Orchards”. Good marketing.


The lunch they served was fantastic. It was a buffet style lunch offering a chicken spaghetti dish we both loved. The kitchen has pretty old equipment that I am sure was picked up for a low price. The same holds true for the dining area with the drinks offered being tea and water, both poured from a small crock type container. It was a Styrofoam dish and plastic silverware meal but was great. These comments on the age of the equipment are not judgmental but observations of what I saw. Fact is keeping costs down are generally good business practices and with my liquidation company that was exactly what I provided for others. I would buy out companies and business equipment for pennies on the dollar and resell it for an attractive price.

This is where they have weddings. Another feature of Apple Country Orchards

Cal wouldn’t be in till later so we decided to go visit the Llano winery that was on our agenda. That was about a half hour away. After reading their website I had expected a much larger facility. I mean, they put out tens of thousands of bottles of wine every year. The wineries I’ve visited in Ohio are all older with that traditional feel. Llano isn’t more than a generation old I don’t think. The tour was very informative, giving us a great insight on what it takes to be a successful wine maker. They only have three acres of grapes on site though there are many more acres elsewhere. Plus they purchase grapes grown in other vineyards, most in Texas and some in New Mexico. That’s the motivation for us visiting, to investigate the possibility of growing grapes to sell to them and other wineries.

The gazebo is part of the wedding area

To that end they had their expert chemist, who probably has a title denoting his expertise in wine, come out and talk with us. He told us about growing grapes and will email us information on where to order grape stock that is formulated specifically for our soil and water conditions. That was cool to learn. They can actually graft certain types of vines into specific root stock that is designed to withstand the rigors of West Texas growing. It takes two years from when we order it to when it arrives ready to plant. Then another five years or so till the vines produce in a significant quantity to be viable as a cash crop. That falls right in place with the apple orchard and other fruit trees.

I love how they trained these apple trees to make a base for the bench

After the tour there was a wine tasting thing where we could sample many of the different wines. That was interesting and educational. Of course what we liked the best cost the most. I got to try Port wine for the first time ever, at least I think so but with the memory loss could well be wrong. Cherie’s taste and mine are very different regarding what wines we prefer but that is no surprise.





After all this we headed back to Apple Country Orchards. I called Cal’s cell phone to insure he was there. The fact that his employees even gave us that number speaks to the openness of Cal. But I guess that is not unusual out here in West Texas. Still something we are not used to for back in Toledo you guard your phone number carefully and protect your privacy.

Cal looked to be in his sixties but you never know. He could have been eighty for all I know. He is very knowledgeable regarding apples and the orchard business. In fact he spends a lot of time as a paid consultant to apple growers. We are grateful for his sharing some of this knowledge without charge. When I asked about the money involved with this business he was very careful, saying he didn’t want to mislead us. I had to work to pry any figures out of him.



In response to my question about revenue he said it could range anywhere between twenty thousand to two hundred thousand dollars for his place. I think he mentioned a cost of $8000.00 per acre to get started. But he also said this was his worst year because the late freeze this April totally wiped out his crop so he only made $60,000. Now he has a working relationship with other apple orchards so he was able to bring in apples to make up the crop loss. Whether his figures were gross revenue or profit after expenses I am not sure. One of the significant things Cal said was that the café and store ended up being a major source of income. He said this had surprised him. That is an important fact when it comes to our business plans.

Cal went out and showed us his trees. He demonstrated how to properly prune them, which I will immediately use on the nine trees we have now. I asked about the difference between dwarf and semi dwarf trees and was surprised to hear that it didn’t have as much to do with the height the trees grow but with the spacing between buds. Dwarfs have closer spacing which I suppose means more fruit per branch. I have lots to learn and perhaps later I can afford to buy the books that can provide that education. I can pick up some on the internet but much of what shows up on Google searches are the books for sale.







We talked of equipment needs. They are pretty basic. He suggested getting what is called an “Orchard tractor” which has a narrower wheelbase to better fit between the rows of trees. I’ll have to research that. Then there was a big pruner attached to his tractor that is important. Other than that he said we need a sprayer. He mentioned spraying hormones twice during the growing season. I wonder if that fits in with organic growing methods. I would prefer organic but mostly prefer having a profitable operation. Of course organic is a selling point and commands higher prices. Again there is lots to learn.








The sunset in Lubbock




We bought about forty bucks worth of stuff there. He has the preserves and canned stuff priced at $5.95 for the most part, which is not cheap but an indication of what things like this can be sold for. All in all we drove 330 miles and the trip cost us $150.00 including gas. We also stopped at Gander Mountain to purchase a dog crate (It was way better and cheaper than Walfart) and I got the small pocket knife I’ve been wanting. It’s one of the few personal niceties we determined to get out of the CRP check. It’s a Buck knife, which is a good quality knife that has good steel that keeps an edge and is made in the USA. I lost the little Case lock blade somewhere and had used it fairly regular so this is something that I needed and will use.

We need to get over to Steve and Janie’s now to do some cleaning. I will work on their garden, removing a Hibiscus that died and cleaning the porch. Cherie will do laundry for them along with house cleaning. We are grateful for the opportunity to earn a few bucks and need it now, especially after the trip to Lubbock. The weather predicted a hard freeze next week. I hope it doesn’t affect the Rye to bad but probably will. It’s a shame that we didn’t get the CRP check till the last day of October because we couldn’t afford to buy the seed or rent the tractor before then. It is hard to farm when the money isn’t available. I look forward to the time that will change and we are slowly getting there, one little step at a time. Next year is unsure right now. First thing is to get the tractor and I am confident things will fall into place for that. But getting irrigation set up and buying seed are the next hurdle.





The puppies decided to pose for this picture. Aren't they getting big? Janie says they are almost as big as they will get




Gotta go. I am doing very well, sharp and running an eight on the bob scale.

a struggle

11/16/07 Friday
Yesterday was a wonderful day. We drove 330 miles total and got a lot done. Unfortunately everything is a struggle today, or at least so far. Yesterday I was sharp but today I am down to a three on the bob scale. Everything is a struggle. Deciding where to place a sprinkler and what setting to use is very hard for me to do. I am typing in slow motion. This sucks. There is much I want to write but it will have to wait till I am doing better. Got one of those killer headache on top of it all. This is all I’ll write for now. Probably need to lay down. It’s the middle of the day damn it. There is so much I need and want to do. Need to wrap the air conditioner in plastic cause cold air just blows in. The covers they make for them cost forty of fifty bucks and we have used up the CRP money so don’t have any to spare. I’ve got some plastic laying around here I can tape up around it. Cherie just called and said Steve and Janie have some things they would like me to do around the house. I’ll have to do it tomorrow cause I can’t even take care of here now. Cherie told me to rest. And bring the puppies in.
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The puppies stole and ate a chocolate bar I had on the dresser while I was writing here. Chocolate is toxic to dogs so will go online and search to see.

It will be close but they should be all right. Don’t know if only one dog ate it or both. We will have to keep an eye on them. As I often do I exploded when I saw the wrapper. They ran to their room.

Sunrise to sunset

I may have lots of problems but being lazy isn’t one of them. From sunrise to after sunset I have been able to keep working. I love to work and am grateful for the times I am able. Those times seem to come more often and last longer than before and I am grateful for them. I think I may have about an acre planted with the rye now. Been keeping the sprinklers going and have the timer set to remind me to turn them off at ten tonight. You can’t count on it to rain out here and it’s important for the rye to get established before a hard freeze. The puppies stayed around me the entire day, helping me I suppose in their mind. Too bad they aren’t huskies so I could have them pull the seed broadcaster.

I finished making the chili this evening. Somehow it turned out really good. It wasn’t too good at first but I played with it, adding some cilantro and bacon along with adjusting some of the spices. It’s a huge pot but I will be proud to hand it out to those we know. I think it will bless them.

We went to the hospital today. Cherie has a bill there that is about nine hundred dollars and they were just about to send it to a collection agency. I told Cherie that you can often negotiate these things so went along to do so. The lady asked about our income and upon hearing my disability check is only $900 said that we qualify for a charitable program they have as we are at indigent level. She told us to go apply for Medicaid knowing we would be denied, then bring the denial letter in, thus qualifying for the program. So we went to the place where you apply for Medicaid. It’s a bit strange to expect and perhaps even want to be denied for something but that’s what happened. This way her medical bills will be covered.

It’s going to be cold tonight, just a little above freezing so I have the woodstove fired up. We’ll be warm and cozy for sure.

Tomorrow we head out to Lubbock. First we plan on visiting the Llano winery. I read on their website about how they are having other farmers grow grapes for them so wanted to check out that possibility. Then we will go to the pick your own apple orchard up there. That’s the important one as it will be one of the models we will pattern our orchard after. Skyler knows the family and said they would be happy to give us some advice. Advice I always like and seek.


I am real worn out now and the pain pills are wearing off so the price of hard work is making itself known. No biggy, I’ll sleep well and tomorrow is another day. Good night all. I love these pictures. Great sunrise and a better sunset.

New screen

This mornings sunrise

11/14/07 Wednesday
Hurray!!! I am writing this from My laptop. The new screen arrived yesterday in the mail and I installed it this morning. I was nervous when I turned this computer on, afraid I did something wrong putting it in or that something else would be not working. I had five little screws left over, never a good sign. Getting the old screen out I found where I had taken them out unnecessarily. That was a relief. So far it is working just fine. What a pleasure it is to work being able to see the whole screen. Now all my software is accessible and that will make things easier. Plus all the links and writing I have done regarding the farm are now available.

I just talked to Wayne in Toledo. For those of you who don’t know, Wayne is the veteran with MS I have been helping ever since I met him at a homeless shelter. He is also diabetic. That makes the cold he has right now particularly dangerous so pray for him if you can.

There is much to do today so I need to get moving. Cherie is checking cotton fields this morning and will probably do laundry later. I need to get as much seed down as I can. It’s going to get real windy today and has already started to. Maybe that will help spread the seed better. Hopefully we will get rain Friday. I also need to finish rebuilding the tiller now that the rings and gaskets have come in. I intend to finish writing the vision I have for this place from a business standpoint as it will help others understand our goals and perhaps want to help us achieve them. Gotta get moving so see ya later.

Building blocks of life

We see a fair number of these out here. This is a small house compared to some that have gone by

11/13/07 Tuesday
Today is Adam’s birthday. He’s the youngest of the two boys I raised from the second marriage. I wish I was there.

Not only have I been given life but a life as well. I was raised from the dead so to speak, having been declared at the scene of the accident and revived on the way to the hospital. Oh, things have been tough since I woke from the coma with the mind of a child, but slowly and steadily things have been, or are being put together. It’s like building blocks being carefully placed following a predetermined plan, creating something that is a mystery now but is slowly taking shape and beginning to be discernable. Kind of like an artist’s painting in it’s early stages where your not quite sure what it will be but you know it will be good. Such is my life. It is now “our” life with the restoration of the marriage between Cherie and I. Each step forward seems to have requirements or milestones to be achieved.

Using this rake by hand wasn't cutting it. Too much wear and tear on the hands and too slow. So after making a handle I got the strap off of the weedwhacker and after slinging it over my shoulder hooked it on the handle. With twenty pounds of dirt in the sack I pull it behind me like a mule. works pretty good. Pulling this in the deep tilled up sand is a major workout. Get the heart rate right up there like a stairstepper of something

So we are building a home and farm together. Building a life. Nothing is easy but every hardship teaches lessons and strengthens us. The one most essential thing you need for a farm is a tractor. Now I need to buy and plant seed, install some kind of watering system, and do all kinds of other things but a tractor is still the key.

So as I was out putting garden hoses together to get enough to reach where I needed the cell phone rang. It was a friend from church. I’ll leave his name out cause I suspect he would like it better that way. After asking how it was going he said that he felt led to cover the first six months of payments on that tractor we were looking at. It is a loan that we will pay back but should give us time to start earning some money from it thus enabling us to do so. Unfortunately it looks like we will have to find a cosigner for the loan due to the bankruptcy and low monthly disability income. I am confident this will work out as all things seem to. I suppose you could say I have faith it will. All the other expenses of starting this farm will appear when needed. You watch.





It was dark when he called so I had the flashlight with me. Walking back to the house I spied this guy. It was sitting right on the path I needed to take so, not wanting it to escape I walked around the back of the garage and grabbed the hoe. I like snakes and they are beneficial, keeping mice down for one thing, but I can't have them around the house, especially with the puppies. So it's dead now











There was a telephone pole that had been on the side of the road for a few weeks, evidently it dropped off the power companies truck or something. So I strapped a chain around it and drug it down the road the mile and a half it was to the house. This was when we had the rented tractor and I figured I would use that to drag the pole to where I want it. But that didn't work.










So I needed to get the thing moved. After trying to drag it by hand I figured out I didn't have what it takes so searched for a better way. Finally I spied the two wheel dolly and with some effort managed to get the end of the pole on top of it.












It was bend the knees and keep the back straight, Heave, lift the end up and pull. The pole would move six to twelve inches each time. A tractor sure would be nice right now.


This morning I went to Harbor Freight in Odessa to get some needed tools. Afterwards I stopped at Lowe’s. The sprinkler I was using to water where I planted Rye broke. That was part of why I went to Harbor Freight, to find a replacement. They didn’t have much. At Lowe’s I found what looked like a hell of a deal but decided to check Home Depot and Ace Hardware to see. Yep, Lowe’s had the best deal. It cost nineteen bucks for just a replacement sprinkler head at Ace but at Lowe’s I got two all metal hi volume complete sprinklers for the same price. Score!
This is as far as I got with the pole. Maybe fifty feet but it hurt

I’m falling asleep as I write this so probably should take my afternoon nap. It irks me to have to do this. There is so much to do. I got the chili started that I am making with the venison Janie’s friend gave us. There is so much I’ll probably need to make two batches. One of the two packages is labeled “Elk”. Never had Elk before so that should be interesting.

Good news, bad news

11/12/07 Monday
The weather report this morning is both good news and bad news. The hoped for rain tonight and tomorrow probably won’t happen. They think now that we will have rain on Friday. The good part of this is that it gives me more time to get the seed out, which will reduce a lot of the pain this work will cause me. The bad part is any delay getting the Rye to germinate increases the likelihood of a killing freeze wiping out all this work. But that’s all part of farming and why it’s important to get things planted on time. I also have several types of vegetables that should have been put in the ground by now. Lots of work to do preparing the beds for that. I like being busy but need to schedule these tasks so they get done in a timely manner.

So we are getting started nice and early. At some point I would like to go to Harbor Freight in Odessa to see what they have for sprinkler systems. You can get some fantastic deals on stuff there. Mostly tools but there are lots of other things to be found in the store. I need to call Steve Porter and get the name of the company in California that sells the drip feed irrigation tape he uses. That’s another long term investment that will pay for itself. Plants do better with water you know.

Time to get to work now so see ya next time.

Got some stuff done

It was a great day because I got a lot done. That always makes me feel good. They have a guest speaker at church who will be talking about the name it claim it faith healers like Benny Hinn every night till Wednesday. Both Cherie and I have been around that kind of stuff and have soured from that exposure. Cherie intends to attend all the sessions and I would like to as well but planting all this Rye seed will take a lot out of me so I may not be up to it at the end of each day. I’ll play that one by ear.





We came straight home after church so I can get right on the planting thing. The first task was to make a handle for the broadcast spreader so I can pull it behind me. Seeing some branches that looked like they have the right bends I cut down this section of the Mulberry tree. It was dead anyway and I had planned on cutting it eventually for firewood. The new chainsaw chain we bought out of the CRP money to replace the old worn out one made quick work of it. I so wish I had the woodworking equipment to cut usable lumber out of this log. It is a beautiful dense gold colored wood. Hard as a rock though and dulls the chainsaw in a hurry. It’s tough stuff to carve as well. I might try to make a walking stick out of some of it. Meanwhile I made the handle for the spreader.





I pulled one of the fifty pound seed bags out of the truck and it took half a bag to fill the hopper of the spreader. Being a seed spreading virgin I had to experiment and try to figure out what setting to use as well as how fast to walk. It didn’t take long to use up the fifty pounds. Pulling that sucker in the loose sandy soil had me breathing hard pretty quick. This is going to hurt. As much as I dislike them I am thankful for the pain pills. They will enable me to keep going. I ran the second hopper at a slower feed setting so got more ground covered. I suspect we may have to get two hundred more pounds of seed to cover the entire five acres.





At first I raked over the seeds by hand. Steve and Janie had given us a special rake landscapers had left behind that is perfect for this. I think it’s about four feet wide. Raking the seven foot wide swath the seed spreader covered really works out my grip and forearms. And it was a slow ponderous pace so I decided to try something different in the hope of being more efficient. I took the empty seed bag and shoveled about twenty pounds of dirt in it. Putting that on top of the rake I just pulled it along. Works well but is still hard on the hands. I think I’ll fabricate some kind of handle that is geared for pulling in the morning. Just the three hours I put in today has effected my hands to the point typing is a chore. I’ll have to dig my carpel tunnel braces out now. A real hot soak in the tub along with another pain pill helped some but I know I’ll be sore in the morning. No big deal, I live with pain as it is so it’s nothing new. When/if we get a tractor all this will be a snap but till then I will do the best I can with what I have, as always.






There was a fantastic sunset that I was glad to get some pictures of. I usually take a bunch of pictures and then delete the ones that are not as good. It was hard to decide what to delete this time. It will be so nice when the new computer screen I ordered comes in. Then I will be able to post the pictures to my Flicker account. I can’t access it now because the passwords are on my computer and I wasn’t smart enough to write them down.






As always you can click on these pictures to enlarge them. Worth doing I think




Time to hit the hay folks so see ya next time.

Things coming together

11/11/07 Sunday
It is two in the morning right now. I woke up with much on my mind so, unable to turn it off and go back to sleep, I am writing this. Cherie came home bothered about a phone call. There are new pressures or worries that come with my starting to farm for real. Cherie has her share of fears and insecurities when it comes to having relationships with others and they are rising up now, I think because I plan on asking for help. Her back pain has been back for days now but she never called the chiropractor despite my urging. When I asked why not it was because of those fears and insecurities. She thinks her friend doesn’t want to help out with that anymore and has no basis for that fear. I will have her call the friend tomorrow to clear her thinking. Our relationships are not based on what others do for us, a friend is a friend without strings attached. I understand fear and uncertainty as they are foes I personally struggle with so I know how they taint your thinking, how fear makes one imagine what is not there. Communication best fixes that.

Yesterday things went great. We met Steve at his farmer’s market along with his parents. It was a good time of visiting and getting to know them. We talked of farming, what to grow and how to grow it, and lots of other stuff. Early on in the introductory phase Steve exclaimed “You’re the photographer”. That caught us by surprise. They had seen the pictures Jimmy Patterson published in the newspaper and put two and two together. That felt really good, thanks Jimmy.

I told Steve that Matt Harmon had told us about him as well as Skyler Wyght (the rancher we met but I can’t remember how to spell his name). Steve went to school with Matt so that’s how they know each other. As we talked Cherie went off with Steve’s mom over to the garden. They hit it off well, which I was glad to see.

Skyler had told me Steve works on old tractors (and I suppose newer ones as well) and they had three antiques setting out there. They were all restored and looking good so I was surprised when he said that he still gets them out and uses them. I asked if he knew of any that were for sale but he didn’t seem to. That’s just as well I suppose because we couldn’t get one anyway no matter how cheap. Strangely enough it’s easier to get the new one because of the financing. I just can’t cough up a couple grand for an old used one that would probably need work done on it anyway.

We’ve already used most of the CRP check despite being real careful and frugal with it. Tilling the five acres was a must as the rye cover crop should have been planted in September. We are really stretching it this late but had been hoping to get the check early in October instead of November first. Putting down the rye is the best way to beat out the weeds, especially the grass burrs, but you have to beat the freeze. I know there was a farmer who said he would till for us but that was a few months ago and we haven’t heard from him. It could well be too late now and nature doesn’t wait so I had to get it done.

I brought up our difficulty finding Rye seed with Steve and he and his father both chimed up saying they have plenty at the co-op. Not being from here I presumed they meant the Stanton Co-op and said “no, they don’t have any”. Well it was the Midland Co-op they were referring to. I guess Steve and maybe his dad work there. Steve’s dad said that the co-op closed at 12:00 and it was already 11:30 so we excused ourselves and, after getting directions, rushed to get there.

Yep they have Rye. After looking online for days the best price I could find was $128 for two hundred pounds and we need two fifty minimum to seed five acres so I figured that’s what I would have to do. We got two hundred and fifty pounds of Rye seed for $79.00 at the Midland Co-op. What a savings and blessing that was. Once again things seem to be coming together. There is a possibility of rain Monday so I will be spending the next two days seeding, raking it under, and pressing down the soil by hand. We bought seed and fertilizer broadcaster that is designed to pull behind a riding lawnmower at Lowe’s. I’m going to fix up a harness to pull it with behind me. With the freshly tilled soil a riding lawnmower would just get stuck anyway. I’ve got a three foot tall plastic fluid container I picked up from the landfill that I plan on putting an axle in so I can pull it behind me as well and compact the soil. That greatly enhances getting the Rye seed started. So I’m going to be pretty busy and probably pretty sore for the next couple of days. It’s 3:30 now this morning. I would love a cup of coffee but know I need to try and get some sleep so that wouldn’t be good

Dawn of a new day

11/10/07 Saturday

A new day dawning? We hope so and are confident it will happen. I think it wise to talk more about yesterday’s “Bad confession” entry to insure it isn’t wrongly received. The person who brought this up definitely had my best interest in mind. I have been told many times over the six years since I woke from the coma that I was too negative, and there is truth to that. While I accept or at least acknowledge that I was seriously injured I also understand that I have been getting better. Fact is a man reaps what he sows and my poor decisions in the past resulted in these injuries, so I take responsibility for that.




The same tree maybe an hour later.

However, when it comes to our future and the life we are building I am very positive. Our country loves to hear about those who beat the odds, who overcame adversity and triumphed, making lemonade out of lemons so to speak. I intend to be counted in that number. While the future remains shrouded in a fog I have a plan, a course to follow. (Just had to put it that way after this fog rolled in) I will soon be releasing that plan for you to see and hopefully give useful advice on how to achieve these goals.






The view of our house from the back edge of the tilled five acres

Yesterday was a busy and exciting day. We started out getting the truck inspected but that wasn’t the exciting part. While they did the inspection we ran over to the farmers co-op to see if they have rye seed. Things are at a real cross road here at the farm. Having tilled five acres we are under the gun to get a cover crop planted. If we don’t the weeds will come back with a vengeance having freshly turned soil which is full of grass burr seeds as well as other weed seeds. From what I’ve read we are late for planting so that just adds to the urgency. Rye should have been in the ground September and October. We just couldn’t do anything till the CRP check came and it came on the last day of the month. So we will do the best we can with what we have.

The co-op was sold out of rye or didn’t stock it this year. I don’t recall accurately but I know they didn’t have any. The guy at the co-op was easy to talk to and very familiar with what goes on in the area. As others came and went the topics often involved truck driving and the need for drivers. One fella asked if I could drive truck and said they pay $80,000.00 a year for drivers with hazmat certification. That’s a chunk of change for sure. To bad I can’t do that cause just one year would give us what we need to get this farm rolling. When asked the co-op guy said we should try a feed store in Midland for the rye seed. They too did not have any and I think had sold out if they did. Nuts.

We went to Metro, the rental company we rented the tractor and tiller from after that. I wanted to see what else they have available because there will always be things we will need equipment for. Besides I wanted to get my pliers back from Richard, who came out to fix the tractor the second time it broke. Jason and Russell (I think that’s his name) of course knew who I was when I introduced myself. We talked about how the tiller broke three times and come to find out it was pretty hard on it when I would make the sharp turns to go around the mesquite trees. Now I know. I priced their broadcast spreader and the trencher that I will need to put in subsurface irrigation.

I asked about the cost of buying one of their Kubota tractors. Jason gave me a speech about them, telling me that they were not John Deere or Cat’s, which cost much more, they were good reliable machines. I heard a price of twenty thousand for a used one like we had rented and twenty eight for a new one. Ouch!

The path home took us past Ronnie’s tractor business and I decided to stop in and visit. His Mahindra brand of tractors come in a lot cheaper. After paying $450.00 to rent a tractor for a day I am motivated to work on buying one for the farm. You really can’t be a farmer without one. It’s an absolute necessity. Ronnie has a comparable tractor that is priced new at $9900.00. Actually I think it is bigger and stronger. We sat down and discussed what it will take to get one. Right now Mahindra has a no interest financing program where they will stretch the payments out seven years.

Ronnie has taken a liking to me over the two years he has known us. We visited him way back before we moved here when he just had a few old used and what are called “grey market” tractors. We have watched his rapid growth into a full fledged factory tractor dealer. I have stopped in several times and just sat down to talk about farming. He has an extensive background with farming and gave me lots of good advice, which I am incorporating into our plans. So as Cherie and I discussed getting a tractor Ronnie gave us some greatly reduce prices. We can get the tractor, which has a nice front end loader on it, a tiller, a shredder, (that’s a big brush hog mower for you city folks) and a sixteen foot trailer that can haul them for around $14,500.00. The payment on that would be only $203.00.

We could almost make that payment on my nine hundred dollar a month disability check but it would be incredibly tight. However I am sure I can earn enough with the tractor on mowing and tilling jobs in the spring to more than make those payments. Then the possibility of earning enough to pay for the entire loan with crops raised on this land is good and I think it could definitely happen in two years. We grew forty watermelons, about seventy honeydews, and a couple hundred spaghetti squash just on this small plot. Earning enough to cover $2400.00 a year in payments I think is very doable. Unfortunately with the bankruptcy we had to file because of the nearly quarter million dollar hospital bill I had and the limited disability income it is doubtful we could get approved for the loan. Just another hurdle to overcome.

I think that for the first time we will specifically ask for help from our friends. We did ask Janie for a few bucks to make ends meet once but for the most part the incredible blessings we have received from others they did on their own when learning of a need. What blessings they have been. We have heat, hot water, a kitchen with new cabinets and working oven and stove, a new bed (helps Cherie’s bad back), and other wonderful gifts (just had a new window installed) that are an expression of love and compassion from the Christian community and the friends we have made. But this tractor with it’s attachments will enable us to build a farm and provide the ability for us to earn a living and stand on our own two feet.

Cherie is almost ready to go so I will end this long winded post. We are heading out to one of the farmer’s markets. There are three now we know about and they are all avenues for us to sell our produce next year. That plus the old school bus we plan, with Wally’s help, to pull out to the road and turn into a roadside vegetable stand. So gotta go.

bad confession?

11/8/07 Thursday
I just noticed that I had yesterday’s entry down as being Tuesday instead of Wednesday. After looking on the calendar I see that today is Thursday. A few days ago (exactly when I don’t remember) I was at someone’s house (who exactly I can’t remember) and was chided when I said something about having brain damage. “You need to quit confessing that” was what she said, or something like that. I remember because I thought on it long and that helps cement in memories.

What brings this up today is the fact that I am in the midst of a slowdown. I was talking with Cherie and suddenly knew it was coming because of the unfortunately familiar precursors that often herald one. “I’m slowing down” I told her and conversation got hard with me forgetting what I was saying as I said it.

So it’s a bad confession to say this? I am familiar with the concepts of positive thinking and the confession doctrine that you find in some Christian circles and agree with them for the most part…but… But I can’t deny reality. I so want to go to the store and buy the drill and extension cord I need but don’t go out by myself when I am like this. I don’t like it, it frustrates me, but like it or not I can’t deny it for it rises up and makes itself known. I have diminished ability because of the damage done to this brain. They show up on the MRI’s as big dead spots in several places of my brain. But at the same time I have been steadily improving over the years. The doctors say I will never return to my former level of cognizance but I continue to improve as this brain steadily rewires itself.

So the tractor broke again. I got the last of the tilling done and was just starting to move dirt around with the front end loader when a clevis pin broke or came out. I give. There is plenty more I wanted to do but I’m tired. I called Metro up and told them it was broke so they could pick it up now. I know I could have kept it longer but this is the third day and didn’t want to abuse or take advantage of the situation. I’m just not comfortable doing that despite paying four hundred bucks to rent it. Part of that is I don’t want them thinking bad of me, I want to maintain a good reputation.

So I am tired as I usually am with a slow down. There is lots I want to do but it will have to wait.

Gonna be busy

11/7/07 Tuesday
It’s going to be a busy good day. Yesterday we went to see Patrick Duffy, our attorney. He is quite a personable guy, a real pleasure and comfortable to talk to. I was happy to give him the final payment and made sure to let him know how grateful we were he gave us so much time to do so. We discussed the best way to open the business bank account for the farm and then got into the issue of getting my name correct on the estate and particularly getting the oil lease transferred to my name. Patrick called McGillivray, the attorney who handled my grandmother’s estate. He couldn’t find my file so the two of them joked about that a bit. Then they got down to business with Patrick explaining how to fix the name problem. I find it disconcerting that Mr. McGillivray didn’t seem to know how to do this. Hopefully this estate will get settled after two years. Virginia seems to be the hold up.


So I rented the tractor with a tiller so I can start preparing this five acres for next years planting season. When I called and priced rental Metro had the lowest price at $155.00 for the tractor with an additional $75.00 for the tiller attachment. Cool, I thought. $230.00 for the whole shebang. I didn’t know if there was a delivery charge but didn’t think it would be more than $75.00. After all the tractor with bush hog Wally had rented for us ran about $300.00. What a shock I had to be handed a bill for $457.00. It costs $155.00 to rent the tractor and $150.00 to have it delivered. If I had known that I would have rented a trailer or borrowed one. What a hit that is. I called Metro to express my dismay. I told him that he should have been forthcoming about that while at the same time admitting I should have asked about it. He dropped fifty bucks off the bill which we are grateful for, but it is still a chunk out of the CRP money.


So I spent all day tilling. Drove that tractor until 9:30 last night when I finally took a bathroom break. Climbing off the tractor let me know I probably should call it a night. I was so full of dust and dirt from the extremely dry soil that Cherie took a broom to me and made me disrobe and take a bath without touching anything. It was pretty bad. Despite spending all that time steadily working it looks like I only got about half of it done and the tractor is almost out of gas. I’ll be hitting it as soon as I eat some breakfast this morning as they will come to pick up the tractor at 1:00 and for the price I want to make sure I get my money’s worth. Unfortunately I will be billed for any time beyond eight hours. I so look forward to owning my own tractor.




So today Bob Trimble (? I think that’s his name) and Jay will come and install the window. They should be here this morning. Bob runs the Christmas in April ministry but is doing this on his own time and expense. Learning the cost of the window I asked him if we can buy the remaining number of window we need. He said we can discuss that when he comes to install. I am thinking of paying for them out of the CRP money but it is going fast. But still it would be a wise long term use of the money.

Well I’ve got lots to do so see ya later
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The quail are back. Been seeing them alot more

It’s after 5:00 now. The tractor has broken down twice. Last night I noticed that the tiller was rubbing on one of the tires so when I looked at it in the light of day I saw a bolt or clevis pin had fallen out of one of the support braces. I called Metro and he sent one of his guys out to fix it. I think it was Jason I talked to but maybe it was a Russell. Whoever it was he extended my time to make up for the tractor not working.

As soon as it got fixed I went back to tilling. Got most of it done but something else gave way so the blades stopped turning. I called Metro and let them know. “You guys are going to love me” I started that conversation with. I get nervous at times like this, afraid I’ll say something that will be taken wrong or that the other party will think I’m an ass.

I don’t know. I’m pretty tired right now and a bit slow on top of it. Bob Trimble and Jay got here this morning and put the window in. It’s a big improvement and Cherie couldn’t stop smiling and saying “Oh! It’s so nice” and stuff. I helped where I could but mostly stayed out of their way.

It’s 8:00. The tractor got repaired so I should be able to finish tilling tomorrow. Even more tired so will write tomorrow. It was another great sunset.

Here's today's sunset

11/5/07 Monday
I went to the bank today to try and work out what we need to do to open up a business account for the farm. After explaining I needed to talk to someone who was up to date on this stuff I was asked to have a seat to wait. There was a Monday paper on the table so I picked it up to see if Jimmy Paterson had used any of my pictures again. Jen or someone from the Sunday school class had emailed us last week and let us know they saw a picture of mine in last Monday’s paper. I knew Jimmy was going to use a picture or two but was amazed when, on opening the paper, I saw the entire page filled with five of my photographs. Wow. Caught me by surprise.





I love to record the beauty I see all around me. Sunsets and sunrises happen so fast and then are forever gone so to be able to stop time and keep it is a wonderful thing. There are many times when I am busy doing things or having a slow down that I will walk out and see the vestiges of a great sunset I missed. I always regret not capturing these moments. It’s not just sunrises and sunsets, I see so much that I want to record, so much that I feel would make striking images. I suppose having a fancy camera would be cool but I’d have to go to school and learn how to use it. This basic Kodak does pretty good. But a better camera ostensibly means better pictures and I enjoy learning.




So here are tonight’s sunset. We went into Midland today to pick up a late birthday present for my sister and one for my youngest son, Adam. I just got Robin (my sister) a Barnes and Noble gift card and Adam one from Walmart. Not terribly original but I really don’t know what they would like. My sister is a stranger in the sense that we have had almost no contact in thirty or more years. Adam has grown much in the seven years since my coma. I think he is twenty four or five but really don’t know. That’s all part of the memory loss. I was able to ask his and Bruce’s (my oldest) birthdays during the few moments we met after I woke up. They are written in the calendar along with my sister’s to help me remember. I still forgot Robin’s birthday until noticing it on the calendar a month after.

The CRP check is just now enabling me to get something. I saw a calendar at Barnes and Noble that would be perfect for Bruce. He is a Sheriff’s deputy, done two tours in Iraq, and a federal firearms dealer so he loves his guns. When I got him involved in historical reenactments he developed this healthy interest. He has guns for most time periods from the flintlocks of the revolutionary war to Vietnam. So this calendar has historical weapon comparisons. That’s what he’s getting for Christmas.

Anyway, we had done some shopping and as we drove home I looked in the mirror and could tell it would be a great sunset so drove a little fast with the hope of getting home in time to grab the calendar and catch it. What ya think?

I was pretty sharp earlier today. Cherie said I was running an eight or nine on the bob scale and had a hard time keeping up with me. I’ve slowed down a lot now, about a four. That’s just the way it is. Up and down like a yo yo. Got one of those headaches and am tired so goodnight.

What a start

It seems that overnight this blog was targeted as a link point for porn sites. They were posting their links in the comment section. I spent almost an hour deleting the comments. As a result I now must moderate comments and you have to go through the inconvenience of doing that figure out the numbers and letters thing in order to post a comment. Sorry for the inconvenience folks but that's the way it is in our world now. Would love to have a Zapper that would fry these peoples computers.

Dalight savings time

11/4/07 Sunday
Daylight savings time is here. Now the puppies want to get us up at 5:00 instead of 6:00. Didn’t bother me as I was up anyway and had been quietly using this laptop in bed while Cherie slept. Now that the check is here I am excited about being able to start something with the five acres we pulled out of CRP.

I can rent a tractor with a tiller for $230.00 a day. First thing would be to pull the mesquite out of the ground, then till it. But I must be prepared to do something right after it’s tilled. I’ve been thinking about planting a Rye/Hairy Vetch mix as a cover crop. This is to compete with the weeds, particularly the grass burr, and then would be tilled under in the spring to prepare the soil for vegetable crops. But as I read up on stuff I find all kinds of different things to do and…well it’s a bit confusing so will take a while for me to sort through. Lots of factors to consider. One of the first things to do is finally get the soil tested now that we have some spare cash. I got the sample packs from the extension agent early in the year so we’ll get them loaded and sent of to Texas A&M (the university that does the tests). That will help me make a better decision. It’s also time to get the water tested as well. The CRP money isn’t going to last long but I’m going to focus much of it on our long term goals of getting this farm going. That is where our financial future lies. Little by little we can build this future. Just a few little steps at a time as resources are available.

Cherie is fixing French toast and then we are fixin (in Texas they say it this way. I just added “fixin” to the computer dictionary so it won’t keep telling me I spelled the word wrong) to go to church. After that I don’t think there is anything scheduled but there is always plenty to do here.
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Had a real bad spell at church. Conversations were hard to follow and much of the Sunday school lesson was lost on me, just lots of words that didn’t register. Wally asked me about how the lawnmower he gave us worked. I searched for a memory to answer him but couldn’t recollect anything so had to say “I don’t know”. I still don’t. Cherie thinks I’ve used it. Perhaps I wrote it in this journal. Another lady told us how she has been reading lots of the blog and how it touched her. I wish I had been doing better and hope I was able to put up some semblance of conversation. But if she’s been reading this journal she understands. I was in bad enough shape to have Cherie drive home. Am doing better now but these things drain me so am laying down and will probably take a nap. There are hundreds of wasps outside, buzzing everywhere looking for a winter home I suppose. Kind of disconcerting.

Check came

11/3/07 Saturday
The check came. Now we must carefully consider what we will do with it. We will finally be able to pay off our bill with the attorney we were forced to get when they tried to railroad me into selling the property. He helped us a lot so I am happy to be able to pay him.

We went to open a bank account for Westbrook Farms but ran into a snag. It the bank said that we couldn’t both be listed under a DBA, only one of us despite the fact that the official State of Texas form we signed and filed at the courthouse has spaces for several individual, partnerships, and businesses. I’ll have to figure this out.

I haven’t been feeling to hot since I ate some apple sauce this afternoon. I think it might have been bad. We bought some trash cans with lids on them to keep the puppies out of the trash at Walfart. Looked at their dog crates because we want to get a second one for the puppies as they are two big for both to fit in the one we have. Forty bucks seems a little steep so we will look around to see what we can find.

That’s it for now. I’ll write more when I feel better.

November already

11/2/07 Friday
Well it’s November. Hard to believe it’s already here. Cherie spent most of yesterday at Steve and Janie’s where she cleaned house and mostly puppy sat. OOOOH, puppy sitting…what a tough job. Actually it did wear her out but it was a pleasure at the same time. I went to Don’s and mowed his lawn. Used the string (I’m not sure what to call it) part of the weed whacker the Sunday school class bought us for the first time. Up till now I’ve only used the heavier brush cutter. When I get the funds I want to buy the straight shaft version as the one that came with it has a curve making it shorter. With my six foot two inch frame it requires me to bend over a bit, hard on the back. Still it works well and did a fine job, just designed for shorter people I suppose.



This is the first full day I’ll be able to here. I’ve been doing cotton surveys with Cherie all week and have been worn out by the time I get home so haven’t gotten much done. I did manage to build this sifting screen for my compost. Saw one at the composting seminar we went to in Midland and will be an improvement over what I did before, I think. We have lots of the cotton picked for the survey that I will try to compost. Always experimenting and learning. I think I will rn the mower Wally gave us over the areas I already mowed. It has a grass catcher so I want to see if it will suck up any of the millions of grass burr stickers left on the ground from that. Right now I can’t walk without getting an inch thick layer of stickers on the bottom of my boots, and the poor puppies are constantly getting stuck.

I look forward to getting the tiller finished for then I’ll be able to churn up some soil and plant the Rye that should beat out these weeds. Another thing on the CRP check shopping list, set of rings for the tiller and three hundred pounds of Rye and Hairy Vetch seed. That’s enough to do the five acres we plan on gardening. First we’ve got to get that tilled and that will require a tractor. Can’t do it with the hand tiller. Janie said the farmer who offered to till our place would be getting in touch with us this week but odds are, with the cotton harvests happening, he’s pretty busy right now. If need be we will hire it out and pay for it out of the CRP check. That still hasn’t come in yet. Maybe I can rent a tractor and tiller and do the job myself. I also need to pull up the mesquite trees (They are bushes in size) that are growing on the five acre plot. A tractor will help with that. Otherwise I’ll try to use the pick up truck. Hope it won’t tear the bumper off. Getting a tractor is at the top of my list. It will pay for itself pretty quick I think.