Happy Thanksgiving

Ps 30:12 To the end that [my] glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

A Piece Of Peace

This past Saturday, while out cutting firewood, I came to a point where I had to shut off the noisy chainsaw. I had to move some wood out of my way to get to another part of the tree.

I took off my hard hat and ear muffs and started to move the wood, stacking it in a nice pile for later pick up. As I did so, I took notice of the peace that surrounded me. Without the noise of the saw, it was quite a serene scene.

I was on a section of the land that was above the tree line and, with the autumn leaves gone, I could see through the trees to what lay beyond. It was a wonderful view of the Ozark mountains with a slight foggy haze.

The cow was just under the line of view and I could see her eating, contentedly, the fresh, green grass that I had allotted for her. The two calves were behind me, in their pen. They had come over to inspect the saw dust and small branches left in the wake of my saw.

There was not a sound. Just me, working. The air was so quiet, in fact, that I could hear the calves chewing their cud-crunch, crunch. There was a chicken, or two, in the area. They made just the slightest cluck as they displayed their chickeness, scratching the ground for tasty morsels and bugs.

Then, Lucy, our cow, layed down to chew her lunch. She was the picture of contentment. It is a good thing to see a cow lying down, chewing the cud. It just seems as if all is right in the world.

I spied a flock of little nuthatches, swooping overhead. They lighted in the trees in order to procure a good vantage point to begin their concert. The chickadees will be here soon, bringing with them their cute little songs-chickadee-dee-dee-dee.

The morning clouds gave way to bright sunshine, and spilled its warmth upon the earth. I was able to shed the thick sweatshirt and soak in the rays. I took a seat on Polly, the power wagon, and ingested the day.

Taking a deep breath, I felt good. For just a brief moment in time, all was good. The stresses of the work week were behind me. The noise of the farm was calming. The rest of the day was ahead.

It is nice to have these moments when I can just forget the rest of the world, even for a little while. I could never find such serenity in the city. I don't know how people can do it, live in the city, that is. I will take this small piece of land over a city lot, anytime. It gives you the chance to stop and smell the roses.

A Quote From Thomas Jackson

Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson said, on February 3, 1863 in a letter to his wife from the winter encampment near Fredricksburg, "I am thankful to say that my Sabboths are passed more in meditation than formerly. Time thus spent is genuine enjoyment."

My prayer for all men, mostly myself, is that we would all spend our time that way, in meditation on the Word of God.

Move Over Horse Power

Now this is the way to do some logging! Somewhere in Alaska.

A Pretty Good Day, Until...

... I pulled into the driveway. I looked to my right and there I saw a Dexter steer. Yes, he is our steer, but he was in the wrong paddock. Which instantly sent me into panic mode.

How in the world did he get over there? I asked myself, He must have escaped, but I don't see anything wrong with the fence. What gives?

I was scheduled to go get some hay, which at this time of year, is difficult to do with the short days. I didn't need a fence problem, which I just knew was the case.

I had to leave him where he was, I had to go get that hay. I found out later that he was loose, wandering and someone in my family put him where he was. My thanks to whomever, let me know who you are and I will thank you personally.

I stewed over the situation all the way there and back. Thankfully, he was still where I left him. Upon investigation, there was a short in the fence, which had to be fixed.

But, it doesn't end there. As I was unloading the hay, I heard that dreaded hissss from one of the rear tires on the van. Great! Now I'm gonna have to change a tire!

I still had to feed the animals, milk the cow and lock up the chickens. Plus I was hungry and I was facing the prospect of missing dinner fixing the fence. Do you know what it is like for a man to miss food?

I was able to get the steer back to where he was, but I had to milk in the dark, which I hate, and listen to starving, lowing bovine waiting for food. All worked out, except for the tire. It seems to be a slow leak so I will inflate it in the morning and drive the van to work and get it repaired over lunch. Lord willing, of course.

I thank the Lord for my wonderful daughters for helping me in my time of distress. Their patience with me is immeasurable as I was a tad grumpy. Now, I am pooped. I'm going to bed.

What To Do With Pasture During Excessive Rain

For all you novice grass farmers out ther (like me), there is a great discussion taking place on the subject. This is a great opportunity to listen to the wisdom of fellow MiG and grass farmers and gleen what we can from them. It is an ongoing discussion found at the Homesteading Today forum. The question being discussed involves what to do with pasture during periods of heavy rain. So, use the link and check it out. Thanks for stopping by.

Opening Day

Opening day of deer season, gun portion, was a success. I shot a nice little buck this morning, four point. I got in the woods at sun up, about 6:30 a.m. and I shot him at 7:00 and was out by 7:30 a.m. God is good!