The Goat Story Continues

It’s been about three and a half weeks now since I looked out my kitchen window to see a goat walking by. As I sat here figuring out the time line, I am actually shocked, for it seems more like several months that I have had her. During the first two weeks I attempted to locate her owner. I placed a sign up by the mail boxes, alerted several business owners in case they overheard something, and placed a notice in the local weekly paper. Then I waited. The goat was never tattooed or tagged in any way, and without such identifying markers there is no way to know who the original owner is unless they come forward.

The first hint I had of this goat’s origins came that first Monday afternoon. As I was driving back home from visiting a neighbor I was flagged down by a passing motorist. The woman in the truck asked me if I had seen a Great Dane. I said “no, but I did find a goat”. That perked her interest and she requested to follow me home. It turns out her dog and my goat was last seen together the previous Friday afternoon. The two friends then took off. My house is one mile from the mail boxes and 1.8 miles to the east of those mail boxes is where this woman lives. Fencing forced the two to follow the roads. I never saw the dog and neither has anyone I know. As far as I know the dog is still missing. But we all know where the goat went.

Soon the paper came out with notices of a lost dog and a found goat. As each day passed with no one calling it seemed more and more likely that I was now the owner of a goat. I started praying about what I should do with this goat. Offers were starting to flow in from people willing to take her off my hands. A retired neighbor who used to own goats said they had a pen I could put the goat in if I decided to keep her. The woman with the lost dog had planned to give the goat to a relative, as the goat had spent several days at her place causing problems before taking off. So I could always give it to her relative. Then a friend put me in touch with a goat rancher who gave me lots of advice on caring for my new pet. He also told me if I decide to get rid of her he would be more than happy to come pick her up. Then finally a county worker putting up Christmas decorations in front of the County Courthouse said she could provide a good home for the goat, even promising me the goat would never go to the stock yards to be butchered.

Faced with all these prospects and the possibility of never finding the owner, I started praying about what to do with this goat. That is when I sensed God telling me the goat is mine. I never heard any words; I just felt I was to keep this goat. Before then I had assumed I would have to find her a place for her to live since she cannot stay in the vegetable garden forever. Goats and vegetable plants do not mix. With this change of heart and thinking, I decided I better start learning about goat care.

During a trip to town (Rocksprings) I stopped by the County Agriculture Extension office, where I was given some information on raising 4-H goats. I came home and started reading the fliers. There is a lot of work that goes into raising an animal for 4-H, most of which I do not need to worry myself about, but it was interesting reading about it.

While I sat in my living room reading the literature my phone rang. It was a woman who lived in Rocksprings (15 miles/24.14km away). She had just gotten back into town from visiting family over the Thanksgiving Holiday, and had read the notice of a lost goat. It turns out her goat had disappeared from her yard several weeks earlier. The family had driven all over town looking for the goat but never saw any sign of her. Since her goat had never made any attempt to get out of the yard before and was always locked up at night, they feared she had been stolen. A lot of what she shared about her goat sounded a lot like the goat I had found, but the distance made both of us wonder. Still, it had to be checked out. Her goat was a female boar-cross. I had found a female boar-cross (probably crossed with a Spanish goat). Her goat was a sancho, so was mine. I had learned just the previous week a sancho is a bottle-fed goat and use to being around humans, more of a pet then livestock. Only the issue of the distance made both of us pause. Unless it was an adolescent joke, why would anyone steal a goat and then drop it off in the middle of nowhere? Clearly, in this case a picture is worth a thousand words and I gave her my email address so a picture could be sent to me.

I would spend an anxious night waiting for a picture of the goat. I thought God had told me this was my goat. Had I been wrong? Everyone had told me I probably would never know where she came from, were they wrong? Did the goat I was now viewing as my goat really belong to this woman in town? If so she had a right to come fetch the goat.

The next morning I stared at the picture of a baby goat being bottled fed. I analyzed the photo and then went looked at my goat. There were a lot of similarities but it was clearly not the same goat. I was relieved I was not going to lose the goat I had now become fond of, but sad for this woman and her family. When I informed her it was not the same goat, I learned she now had to call her grandson with the bad news. I really did feel bad for them and have prayed they find their goat, but most likely it was stolen and would never be seen again.

So now I own a goat, which I have named Lawn Mower, who is living up to her name. In the past three weeks I have learned if sold at the stock yards she could easily fetch $150, but she is not for sale. I also have been informed I need to get another goat so she has company. Since ranchers often want to get rid of sancho’s, I assume it is only a matter of time before God brings me a second goat. Most ranchers breed goats in the fall so they will have their babies in the spring. In all likelihood, Lawn Mower was born last March or April. How she wound up alone in the middle of the country is anyone’s guess. It is possible someone bought her for their children and then decided she was too much work and just dumped her. I will never know.

On December 2, I drove to San Antonio to attend a Christmas party. I returned with a friend who came out to fix some things around the place. While here a hard freeze rolled in and we woke up that Monday to a light dusting of snow on all elevated surfaces. Before Thanksgiving I had hung some tarps on the garden fence to act as a windbreak for Lawn Mower, but she needed some shelter. Without any trees or structures to hide under she had no protection from the elements. So that Monday my friend and I, using more tarps, thick long cedar branches, and some metal roofing that laid around the ranch, we built Lawn Mower a pen. It is only makeshift and can be easily removed come spring. But for now she has a dry place to sleep. This morning when I went outside to do my morning chores I found her asleep in her makeshift pen.

How A Goat Challenged My Faith

Last March after spending $3000 to have an eight foot fence installed, I planted my first real garden. I have grown a few vegetables in pots over the years on apartment balconies, but I now had real space to grow food. So I planted lots of seeds and started watering daily. Due to the Texas heat and extreme drought, most of my vegetable crop never made it. Many seeds never germinated and others just failed to grow. My corn did well the first few months but when it came time to start producing ears, it simply got burned up in the hot sun. When my tomato plants failed to grow, I went to a nursery in Kerrville and purchased baby plants. At first they seemed to be doing well, but one day all the plants disappeared. One plant did have a stump sticking above the dirt, but another plant, roots and all, simply vanished. Later that month I watched in shock as a porcupine squeezed through the holes of the fence. My next winter project will be to wrap chicken wire around the bottom of the fence to keep small critters from getting inside and having lunch.

One of my goals with the garden was to share, which I was able to do. While most folk’s garden failed them this year, mine did not. Maybe the difference was that when I planted my garden I prayed over it, asking God to bless it so I could help those in need. That prayer was answered as I took bags of zucchini and cucumbers into town. I also made multiple loaves of zucchini bread which I shared with friends. I also harvested arugula, mesclun salad greens, and basil. So though it was not a roaring success as I had hoped for, I did have a pretty good crop, better than anyone else I know of out here.

I joked a lot about my best crop, which I did not plant. Since I had to hand water the garden every day, grass and other weeds started growing abundantly. By the time I was able to purchase some good weeding tools, I had 4 to 5 feet tall grass growing in and around the garden plot. Grass and weeds started growing elsewhere too. The task of removing all that grass seemed overwhelming. I did spend a few hours for several days trying to remove some of the grass but it quickly became clear it was going to take weeks to remove it all. I knew there was an easier way, goats.

Goats will eat anything down to the root and there are thousands of goats in Edwards Co. The problem was how to get a goat. The chances of a goat just wandering into my yard and following me into the garden was so unlikely that though I fantasize about it I did not expect it to ever happen. The nearest sheep (who are pickier eaters) live about a mile away, and goats are over 2 miles away. When the opportunity presented itself I did speak to someone who raises goats and so I knew there was a possibility she might bring over a goat or two, but first my garden needed to close shop for the winter.

So for the past few months I have had goats on my mind, especially when I see all that grass and weeds taking over the garden. I think about goats when I push the grass aside looking for cucumbers that are hiding or arugula needing to be picked. I wonder if I have waited too long to request a goat when I search for the basil among the tall grass.

Well, Friday evening my problem was solved when I looked outside my window and spotted a goat walking by. In shock, I threw my coat and shoes on and went outside to greet my very friendly visitor. At first she kept her distance, but within a few minutes she started following me everywhere I went, which was straight into the garden. My new female friend was very happy as long as I stayed in the garden with her. She was like a little puppy dog, following me everywhere, rubbing her head and horns against me, and eating my weeds.

I immediately called the authorities to report a lost goat. Then I started calling my friends and neighbors. Someone had to be missing a goat but I as I write this I have no idea who owns her. There is always the possibility the owner doesn’t even know she is missing.

It is now early Saturday morning and the sun has not even risen yet. The goat has spent the night in the garden; I am guessing curled up somewhere sleeping. My plans are to leave her there tell either I find the owner, or more likely—find someone with goats who is willing to take her until the owner is found or keep her permanently.

It is not going to take her very long to eat up all my vegetable plants, weeds, grass, etc. Once the garden is cleaned out, which depending on her appetite could be sometime today or tomorrow at the latest, she will be out of food and so she cannot remain in the garden. (I did provide her with a five gallon bucket of water.) Without any other way to secure her, she could wander off onto neighboring property all of which is owned by hunters. For her own safety I need to find better accommodations quickly.

I will share the rest of the story later, after it has happened. Let me just close with this—we should never underestimate God. I hoped for a goat to clean out my garden but I did not really pray about God sending me a goat because it seemed like pie in the sky wishful thinking. A goat just wandering into my yard was too improbable, and yet God provided me with a goat. Not only did God send me a goat, he sent me one that is affectionate and doesn’t want to leave my side, and thus was willing to follow me into the fenced garden. I thought I would have to solve the grass problem myself by seeking someone with goats willing to lend me one, but God had the last laugh.

(Matthew 14:31) “And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’

(Matthew 17:20) “If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Move from here to there. And it shall move. And nothing shall be impossible to you.”

(Mark 9:24b) “Lord, I Help my unbelief.”

Accessing the Internet via Satellite

When I moved out to the country my options for access the internet became very limited. Basically I had one choice—satellite. There are no phone lines to the property (will cost $5000 to have one installed), so DSL and dial-up was not available to me. And of course cable does not exist anywhere in the county. There was a Wild Blue satellite dish on the south side of the house so I looked up the company online (before I had totally moved out here and still had internet access at my former residence). They came out and hooked me up.

Accessing the internet via satellite is very different then DSL or cable. On the surface it is the same, I turn on my computer and the computer communicates with the modem and I magically am logged onto the internet. But a satellite feed is affected by the weather. I have learned over the past 22 months that even fog can prevent that feed from reaching my dish. So if it is raining outside or foggy, I am not surprised if I cannot get online. But it is not just local conditions that affect whether or not I can get online. I have been told my satellite feed comes through Laredo. In 2010 a tropical storm hit Laredo causing a lot of flooding. That entire week my access to the Internet was spotty. Sometimes I was able to get online and sometimes I wasn’t. I just never knew. Eventually Laredo dried out and my access to the internet improved greatly.

Sun spots has an effect on internet access, just like it does for cell phones, ATM machines, gas pumps and everything else dependant on satellite technology.

So when I got kicked off the Internet last Thursday I was baffled but not surprised. First thing I did was turn the Weather Channel on to see what was happening in the state. The radar showed clear skies. So I knew the problem was probably not weather related. I then turned the modem off and shut down my computer. I waited a few minutes and turned everything back on. Still couldn’t get online. I tried it again, keeping everything off for a longer period of time, but it still did not work. So I called the company. As soon as a human being answered the phone, I suddenly was back online.

Since Thursday I have been having more and more problems. Got kicked off Friday and half of Saturday. Sunday and Monday no problems, but since Tuesday I have spent more time off line then online. Yesterday I finally broke down and made an appointment for someone to come out and figure out what is going on. I am baffled as to what problem could be so intermittent.

Fortunately just 15 miles from home is the Claud H. Gilmer Library, which is rated eighth in the nation in its expenditure category. It may be little but it offers a lot. The library is in the town of Rocksprings, pop. 1300 (the county only has about 2000 human residents). One service they provide is Wi-Fi. Which is why I am sitting in the Gilmer Library right now, I have a guaranteed access to the internet here. I may live in a rural area but in today’s modem world I still have access to modern technology, even if it does break down once in awhile.

My Compartment Filter Made Me Sick

This past Sunday on the way to church I started feeling bad. By the time Sunday School was over I felt fine and totally forgot all about not feeling well. Then on Monday, before the sun had even risen, I hopped into my car for the hour long drive to Kerrville. Since it was once again a chilly morning, I turned on the heater. Then just like the morning before, I started feeling bad. I started thinking of what might be going on. For instance, I analyzed what I had eaten for breakfast the past two days. Just about the time I started feeling like I might throw up, it hit me. Maybe the cause was my car heater. I immediately turned off the heater, which produced instance relief from the need to gag. I would drive for the next 45 minutes without any heat. Since it was in the low 40’s F (7c) outside, I was pretty cold when I finally arrived in Kerrville.

After stopping for some hot tea (my favorite hot beverage), I dropped by my auto repair shop. He turned my car on and looked under the hood but found no obvious problems. My fluids all looked good and everything sounded fine. After a brief discussion he asked me if I had ever changed my campartment filter (also called cabin filter), not to be confused with the air filter. I own a 2006 Toyota Rav4, which I purchased in 2009. I had never heard of this filter.

As it was explained to me this cabin (or compartment) filter is just like the AC/heater filter in our homes. It occasionally needs to be changed. All air passing through the car’s ventilation system and coming out the vents into the car, basically the air we are breathing, first passes through this filter. Not all cars have such a filter (the mechanic checked to make sure I did). I am guessing that all or at least most new cars have this filter. I decided to have the filter changed. I was shown my old filter which was covered in a thick coating of dust. My total cost was $60.

I have no idea how long I have been breathing bad air in my car. I do know for the past few months whenever I turned on the AC the air smelled dusty. (Sunday was the first time in a long time I felt the need to turn the heater on.) I had complained to a few backyard mechanics about the dusty smelling air, but I was ignored (probably because none of them knew cars have a compartment filter). Clearly the air in my car has not been good for some time. Since very few folks seem to know about this filter, I have to wonder how many people are out there breathing air full of dust, mold and other allergens, but the air is not bad enough to cause the driver to head straight for their auto repair shop?

My ventilation system is now providing me with cleaner air. The big question is do you have a cabin/compartment filter? And if so, does it need to be replaced?

I'm Now A CoCoRaHS Volunteer

I grew up in Sacramento, California and the weather seemed like a pretty consistent event. If it was raining at my house it was guaranteed to be raining all over Sacramento and I assumed it was raining similar amounts. This was the days before satellite assisted weather reporting and so I really knew nothing about weather patterns. I only knew it rained all winter and was sunny all summer. That was the reality for all of us children. When I was in the fifth grade my teacher put up a bulletin board that read “April Showers Bring May Flowers”. One boy voiced what we were all thinking, “how dumb is that, everyone knows it doesn’t rain in April”. Well, it almost never rains in April in Sacramento, but I would learn later in life that for much of the country the weather is not so predictable.

I now live in Texas where it can rain all year or not rain all year. It can be raining on one side of the house and sunny on the other side of the house. I once was with a friend driving by the entrance to the San Antonio Airport. It was coming down so hard we could barely see out the window. It was one nasty storm. I couldn’t wait for that night’s weather report to learn how much rain we got. I just knew it had to be several inches. So when the weather man reported we had received no rain at the airport, not even a trace, I couldn’t believe my ears. The freeway I had been on was less than a mile from the weather collecting data station but not a drop had fallen there. That is Texas for you. It is also the reality for many people across the country.

Recently I learned about CoCoRaHS, which is short for Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network. CoCoRaHS is “volunteers working together to measure precipitation across the nation.” CoCoRaHS is free to join. All one needs is an official rain gauge and the willingness to daily record your rain/snow totals when home.

This morning with the help of the County CoCoRaHS Coordinator and her husband, my official rain gauge was installed. They also took a GPS reading of my location, since the map software CoCoRaHS uses put me in the middle of the highway. Anyone can visit the site and check in to see how much rain has fallen in different areas. For instance I am in Edwards County. My location is TX-ED-22. I am the 22nd person to volunteer in Edwards County, but I am aware of a few more people who will soon be joining the force.

If you want to find out where in your own county volunteers are, you can simply go to the CoCoRaHS web site and click on the map to find your own county. Then see where totals have been reported. And if while there you want to know how much rain has been arriving at AOCCCI, click on “MAP” on the top menu bar, then “Station Number Maps”, then under “Map Location” choose Texas and Edwards county Once the map pops up just look for station TX-ED-22. Once you know where AOCCCI is located on the map, under “Map Type” you can select “precipitations” from the drop down menu. There you will get a map showing the rain totals for all the stations in Edwards County who reported that day. You can also change the date to see what the totals were for any date in the past.

If as you have been reading the thought has crossed your mind that this sounds like fun, then may I suggest that you visit the CoCoRaHS web site and learn more about it. It really does not matter if you live in the country or a large city, the more people recording their precipitation totals, the better. This is more than just a fun hobby. This information is being used by climatologists, hydrologists, emergency managers, engineers, and more. It could even save lives. So if you think this is something you would like to do, then check it out.

And finally, I took some time this afternoon and looked up Sacramento County in California, where I grew up. It rained a few days ago and there were lots of people reporting rain totals. As a child I might have thought everyone was receiving the exact same amount of rain every day, but one look at that map told a different story.

Serving God

I never chose to move out here for myself, but to serve God. This past summer I have been having lots of opportunities to do just that.

One way I have been serving God is by sharing the bounty in my garden. When I planted that garden last spring I dedicated the garden to the Lord and asked him to make it bountiful so I could share with those in need.

This has been a tough summer to try and have a garden. Texas has been in a severe historic drought. It has never been this bad ever. The dry conditions have allowed our temperatures to sky rocket. While much of the country was just beginning to thaw out from winter we were already hitting triple digits here (100f = 38C). Because of these conditions many folks never even bothered to plant a garden. Those that did often had poor results. For instance, I do not know of a single person in this county who managed to grow tomatoes. They all had the same problem—no flowers. I planted tomatoes but in my case the plants got eaten before they got big enough to even think of flowering.

I may not have had any success growing tomatoes, but God did answer my prayer. I have been harvesting zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, arugula, mesclun greens (for salad), and basil all summer. Nothing else I planted grew but I have harvested so much squash and cucumbers that I have shared with quite a few people. Most folks are in shock that my garden has produced anything. I really believe I have had a harvest because my garden was dedicated to God with the purpose of sharing and so God has blessed it.

I just planted a fall garden. I have no idea if anything will grow but if I do get blessed I will be sure to share with others.

Before I owned my own car I use to get occasional rides from friends. Now I am providing that service to one of my neighbors, who I have become good friends with. This elderly couple lives about 3 miles from me. The husband gets all his medical care at the Veterans Administration (VA) clinics and hospital. He usually goes to the clinic in Kerrville, which is an hour east of us. Last month they wanted him to have some special tests that can only be performed at the VA hospital in San Antonio. They do not know San Antonio that well but I do. So I said I would drive them. I have now driven them to the San Antonio VA several times. On one occasion it was for exploratory surgery and all three of us had to stay overnight in a hotel. He has several more scheduled appointments at the San Antonio VA hospital which I will be driving both of them too. Every trip to San Antonio is always a full day affair.

Besides these tests, last month the husband had a mild stroke on a Sunday morning. It affected his ability to speak and understand what others are saying. I was at church when the husband finally was able to ask for me and his wife called. I rushed to their house and managed to talk him into letting me drive them to the VA hospital. He was admitted that evening, upon which his wife and I returned home. We made the 120 mile (193 km) drive back to San Antonio that Monday and again that Wednesday. He was released on Wednesday but he still had a doctor’s appointment that Friday. So I put 1000 miles (1,600 km) on my car just that week.

The husband’s speech is improving daily but he may have kidney cancer. We should find out next week at his next doctor’s appointment in San Antonio. I promised them I would be there for them and I intend to keep my word.

I am also keeping busy these days trying to learn Dreamweaver, which is web design software. I have viewed some tutorials during the past few months and have learned a lot but still need to learn a lot more. Designing web sites is a very tedious and time consuming activity. It is not easy at all, especially when using new software. I have just begun the process so I do not expect to have the new site finished for some time now. Most likely I will still be working on it next year.

Mohair

As I sit here at my computer it is the beginning of a new day. I will admit this day is beginning a little earlier then I like it too. I have been up since 3:30am. A nap will be required later today. The sun has yet to rise and I have already read my Bible (Jeremiah chapter 50), eaten breakfast, made a few posts of facebook, and done a little research on the word xerophytes (A plant adapted to living in a dry arid habitat). Once the sun comes up I will be out the door to feed the cats and do some morning chores before it gets too hot. When I have decided I have done enough for one day, I will then take my shower, have a morning snack and probably then lay down for awhile.

Yesterday a friend and I made the hour drive to Kerrville. We each came with long lists of places we wanted to visit and items we needed to purchase. I always make these trips with grocery lists from other neighbors. When you live so far from the stores, you plan accordingly. We petered out before we got everything done that was on our to-do lists, but we had a productive day and bought a lot of what we needed. The main reason we wanted to go yesterday (Wednesday) is because that is the only day the Kerr County Produce is open to the public. They sell vegetables at wholesale prices. We always stock up. After putting our vegetables into the ice chest, we walked over to two different thrift stores where we both found items we needed. I found a great basket for carrying vegetables from the vegetable garden to the house for only $1.25.

Kerrville is an hour drive east, but Rocksprings is exactly 15 miles NW. This is a very rural area and ranching is the main industry around here. I often see cattle, sheep, and goats grazing no matter what direction I drive. Unfortunately due to the extreme drought all are suffering. Many folks have been forced to sell off their livestock due as feed is very expensive to buy and there is no grass for the animals to graze on. Rocksprings is considered the Mohair capital of the world. Mohair comes from Angora goats and due to the rocky conditions here, this area is great for raising goats. Until the 1980’s Edwards County had more Angora goats than anywhere else in the world. After the Mohair became less profitable, many ranchers diversified and so today there are many breeds of goats in the area, along with the sheep, cows, and other animals. But wool from Angora goats and sheep is still big business here.

A few weeks ago I was with a friend and we wondered into the Priour-Varga Wool & Mohair Inc. I had my camera with me and after asking for permission, I took the enclosed shots.

Life continues here on the ranch.

Today I paid to have some oak trees surrounding the cabin trimmed and leaves swept off the cabin roof. Water had leaked through the cabin roof and hopefully now the wind will blow the leaves away, preventing the leaves from acting like a sponge that allows water to seep through the seams of the metal roof. I will have to wait for another rain storm to see if this fixes the problem.

This morning I drove into Rocksprings and spent a few hours volunteering in the Library. For over a year now I have been scanning all the children’s books looking for those which need to be updated for the reading tests given to the school children. Rocksprings is so small that the school library is also the public library. For such a small library a lot goes on there and it has won awards.

After I left the library I went by the church to pick up my reusable water bottle which I left in the sanctuary last Sunday. When I arrived I spotted four turkeys outside the side door. The secretary told me there use to be huge flocks of them outside. This Texas drought is really hurting everyone, especially the wildlife.

After a quick visit with the church secretary, I drove over to the Rocksprings Visitor Center which is also home to the Devils’ Sinkhole where millions of bats take up residency each year, except for this year. They are blaming the drought for the lack of bats. Volunteers take folks out to the Sinkhole to watch the bats exit the sinkhole at night. They also take people during the day for hiking and birding tours. A good friend of mine is one of the volunteers and I spotted her car so I knew she was working there today. I had brought some lunch with me so I ate it there and socialized with her. It was an enjoyable afternoon.

Last week I finally got around to loading Dreamweaver onto my computer. Dreamweaver is web design software. I really need to create a new web site but finding the time to do so has been a challenge. First step is learning how to use the software. Every night this week I have been searching the internet for tutorials on how to use Dreamweaver. So far I have not found anything that is useful. The librarian gave me an idea of where to look (youtube) so maybe this evening I will find something that is actually helpful, something very basic.

I have been working on a raised bed for strawberries and last week I finally finished it and planted the strawberries. Hopefully next year I will have lots of yummy strawberries to eat and share.

Overall the garden has not been very productive. This drought and intense heat is really taking a toll. I am not the only one having problems. None of the neighbors have had any success growing tomatoes. The plants are a good size but no flowers. The only success I have had is growing summer squash, which is doing well. I have picked enough yellow squash and zucchini to share with several folks. I am hoping a fall garden does better.

The intense heat (over 100F or 39c daily since early May) and severe drought, not only is affecting the garden but the wildlife is suffering too. The deer really look anorexic. There is just nothing out here for them to eat. A lot of hunters and ranchers buy corn and hay for the deer and other critters, but with rising prices many are can no longer afford to do so. These animals must eat so they go after anything they can find. I planted a couple rhubarb plants but someone ate the baby shoots. The plants died after that. I also purchased and planted a yucca plant (for fun) and again the baby shoots got eaten. It is pretty hard to kill a yucca plant so when I saw new green shoots sprouting up I placed a cage over the plant to protect it. I am guessing cotton tail rabbits (which I have seen hopping around) ate the yucca and rhubarb plants. They probably are guilty of eating some of the other vegetable plants I planted in the garden. My next outdoor project is to make the garden rabbit proof. An 8 foot fence around the garden already makes it deer proof.

A friendly reminder, I am not out here just for myself. This ranch was purchased so others in need of a place to live due to Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and/or other medical issues have a place to live while seeking God’s healing. The spare bedroom in the house is now furnished and available.

Far View Lodge Corn Relish

I have been busy but until this afternoon I had not realized so much time had passed since my last post. I apologize for my negligence.

The past couple of months I have spent a lot of time working outside, but mostly in the early morning. I had barely turned the calendar to May when summer hit and hit hard, reaching temps in the 100’s on a daily basis. You might have heard that Texas is in a terrible drought, which is part of the reason this year has been so hot. Without moisture in the ground there is nothing to keep the temperature down. Last summer, which followed a very wet spring, I do not remember the thermometer ever hitting 100. This summer we are all praying for rain and relief from the heat.

Finding ways to conserve water is a must. The well here is pretty deep so hopefully it will never go dry but there are ranchers out here whose wells have dried up and so they must pay to have water hauled to their property for their livestock. Conserving water is a neighborly thing to do.

All air conditioners produce condensation and must be drained away from the unit. My AC drains into a 9 gallon galvanized tub. I use a lot of that water to water the 2 baby olive trees, but I always try to leave some for the wild life who are suffering from this drought too. Food and water is very scarce right now and I have seen critters at night coming for a drink of water. Even the bees hang around that tub drinking.

Other ways I try to conserve is by only running the washer when I have a full load. I leave buckets where dew dripping off the roof can fall into them. I also have invested money into rain barrels and gutters so when it does rain that water can be saved to water the garden when it doesn’t rain. I also am saving most of the dish water. I purchased a dish pan to wash dishes in and then dump the used water into a five gallon bucket, which I carry to some plant(s) to water. Occasionally the water is just too dirty or oily to be thrown on a plant but that is rare. It is amazing how much water is used just washing dishes. Today alone I dumped about 5 gallons on a native bush I want to save. Without the dish water I could not justify watering this bush. I have a future goal of replumbing the house so water going down the drain, also known as grey water, goes straight to water trees, instead of to the septic system.

About three weeks ago my foot came in contact with a chair and though I never got it x-rayed, the evidence pointed to a hairline fracture. It must have been a small fracture because I have healed very quickly, which is a big praise. At first I had a tough time watering my garden. I could put some weight on my foot but this land is very rocky and every step that was not flat footed hurt a lot. I had no choice but to use a cane or something to keep me from falling, such as a hoe. One of my neighbors came to my rescue and on several occasions came over and thoroughly watered everything for me. I am most appreciative.

Like every Saturday, I got up early, fed myself and then as soon as the sun had risen I was out the door to feed my cats. Once that job was done, it was off to the garden where I dumped the kitchen waste onto the compost pile. I then watered everything. There is a faucet by the gate door, with a splitter on it. When I turn on the faucet, half the water goes to a soaker hose which waters the main raised garden bed. The other half of the water goes into a hose which I take around the garden to water individual pots and the corn field (about 8 feet by 8 feet). With this set up it does not take that long to water the entire garden.

After I was done watering, I grabbed the necessary tools and cut down 3 small cedar trees and located a rock of the right shape to use as a border I am building in one corner of the garden for a raised strawberry garden bed. Hopefully by next weekend that garden bed will be completed, including transplanting the strawberry plants. Hopefully next year I will have my first strawberry harvest.

This afternoon I have been busy in the kitchen. First I made corn relish. I first came across corn relish while on a two week camping trip with my mother during a summer break from college. We traveled through the Four Corners area visiting many Federal Parks. At Mesa Verde National Park we ate many of our meals at the Far View Lodge where corn relish was always on the table. I really loved the relish and upon returning home my mother encouraged me to write the chef and see if he would give me the recipe. I was thrilled when I received a reply but taken aback when I read the recipe-which fed 100 people. Obviously I was going to have to do some math and see if I could reduce the quantities to something more reasonable. Here is what I came up with:

Far View Lodge Corn Relish

3 cans of corn (about 5 cups)
½ cup diced green onion
½ cup diced green bell pepper
½ cup diced red bell peppers
1/3 cup white vinegar
¼ cup sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ½ teaspoons celery salt
¾ teaspoons dry mustard

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate. Allow ingredients to marinate a few hours for best flavors.

I also made zucchini bread which I baked in the solar oven. The solar oven produces really moist baked goods. I love it. Baking does take longer than it would in a conventional oven, but it is sure nice baking foods without heating up the house. The only problem I have had is it can get very windy here and wind can tip the oven over. So I can only use it on days when the wind is 7mph or less.

I am now enjoying the fruits of today’s labor.

A Day of Shopping

When you live out in the country every trip to town is planned. It is a 15 mile drive to the nearest town, Rocksprings. Rocksprings has a few stores I can shop at, but for real shopping one must drive an hour to Kerrville. Yesterday as the sun was just coming up I picked up a neighbor (and her dog Lucky) and we made the trip to Kerrville. By going together we saved money on gas and had each other to keep company.

First stop, we dropped Lucky off at the groomers to have all her fur cut off. It is starting to feel like summer here and the poor dog has been hot.

Texas prefers one’s car be inspected in the county where it is registered, but often in these rural counties there is no one licensed to do car inspections, which is the case for me. The TV in the small waiting room at the shop was tuned to a Turkey Hunting show. As soon as the male customer’s car was done and he left, we grabbed the remote and changed it to something more to our liking—the Food Network. After my car was finished we found two carnations on the dash board.

Next we headed out to the dirt store. Okay, that is not the name of the place, but that is what I wanted to buy. This land produces rocks, not good gardening soil. To grow a good vegetable garden one basically has to buy gardening soil. After looking around at a few sources, I decided on the place I wanted to purchase it and yesterday wrote a check. This morning a dump truck arrived with that precious soil. I have already started hauling some of it to the raised garden bed. A lot more needs to be hauled over before I can start planting my first vegetable garden. I am praying for a bountiful crop to share with others.

After a few more stops, including getting groceries, we picked up Lucky, who was thrilled to see us, and headed home. The entire trip took over seven hours to complete. But that is life when one lives so far from the city.

Life Goes On

The past few weeks have been very busy. Thursday, April 7 I had to go to San Antonio to attend a fund raiser banquet. Fortunately I was able to get an appointment for April 8 to address my dental pain. It turned out I had developed an infection on the tooth I had a root canal on. After reviewing the situation, the dentist decided I needed a two-part procedure because the infection was so bad. Part 1 was to remove the root canal and insert medicine in the tooth. I will return on April 26 to have a new root canal done on that tooth. I returned home that Saturday, April 9.

On April 12 there was a Health Fair in Rocksprings, which I promised to drive a neighbor too. She is having a tough time and wrecked her car. She was able to sign up for food stamps and I got information on some of the services offered in the County. I also took the time to sign up for Air Evac Insurance, something I just had not gotten around to doing. One benefit of signing up at the Health Fair is I got a free cap.

The nearest small hospital is a good hour drive away. Often when there is a medical emergency out here, the decision is made to fly by helicopter the patient to a San Antonio hospital. Medical Insurance pays very little of the actual cost of that air ambulance, leaving the patient with a very expensive bill. That is where Air Evac Insurance comes in. For only $50 a year per person, I am totally covered should I ever have a need to be flown to San Antonio in a medical emergency. I also learned they provide site insurance. In the future people will be living here for different amounts of time and trying to insure each individual will be tedious. The representative explained that with the site plan they determine the average number of folks who live at the site and bill for that number of folks. He shared he had just set up a site plan for a county jail. When the time comes I was assured it will be easy to switch my individual insurance to the site plan.

Last month I hired a handyman crew to do a few things around the property. The first task was to build a fence around the garden. The fence was mostly finished a couple weeks ago and has been protecting the garden from hunger critters ever since. The second task was to install a gutter on the cabin and feed the rain water into a cistern sitting only feet away. The final task was to run a pipe and install a spigot for running water to the garden. The final two tasks were completed this past week. I am really enjoying not having to carry buckets of water from the back of the house (the location of the only other outdoor spigot) to the garden anymore.

Olive Trees in Texas

One of the goals I have always had for this land is to grow food. So it was with interest that a year ago I read an article in the San Antonio Express News about the growing Texas Olive industry. Apparently Texas is a great place to grow olive trees, something I had never considered. The following weekend a friend and I attended Olive Ole' International Olive Festival of Texas. We had a great time learning all about rowing olives and eating great food.

A year has passed and after learning a different friend was concerned about her one year old olive trees, I visited the web site of Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard and discovered Olive Ole' was just around the corner. Friday I picked her up and off to San Antonio we went. We stayed overnight at a friend's house, which was a blessing. This year Olive Ole' was held at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens. We spent Saturday tasting olives and all kinds of yummy foods. We left stuffed. We attended a lecture on growing and cultivating olive trees, presented by the founder of Sandy Oaks Olive Orchards. We later were able to talk to her personally. My friend learned what was most likely going on with her olive trees and not to worry. her trees are still alive and will make a full recovery. I learned that even where I only have four inches of soil covering sheets of rocks, I can still plant olive trees. We both were given advice on which trees to purchase for our climate and needs. We each purchased two olive trees.

The garden is coming along.

Bees

Everyone needs water. For the most part though, I don’t think about how my non-human neighbors get fluids, especially the non-mammal ones. It just doesn’t usually cross my mind. My part of Texas has been experiencing severe drought conditions since last summer. The situation is pretty bad. Many of us out here are leaving food and water for the deer and anyone else who wants to partake. Last summer I got the idea of placing a galvanized metal tub under the drain pipe for the AC. The tub had been left here by the previous owners. All summer long the tub collected that cold AC condensation and I often had to remove some of the water because the tub was over flowing. I always used the water to water my little garden. When I stopped needing to run the AC the tub quickly dried up and since the animals were still thirsty, I started filling the tub with well water. A few weeks ago I began to notice bees swarming around my tub of water. On days the tub was filled to the brim I see more bees. I often find bees floating in the water, obviously from drowning. Yesterday I finally grabbed my camera and started shooting. I have never really thought about how bees get their fluid intake, but I now know.

Using Sun Power

Yesterday I shared that I purchased a Sun Oven. Yesterday I used it for the first time and have been enjoying muffins ever since. This morning I cut up a bunch of vegetables, placed 3 chicken breasts on top, then spread black pepper, thyme, and some olive oil on the chicken. A dark thin pan such as granite ware is best for solar cooking, but the only granite ware pan I have would not fit in the Sun Oven. So I got out a Pyrex bowl with a lid. I put everything in the dish and placed it in the Sun Oven. Throughout the day I checked on my dinner, repositioning the oven to face the sun as the sun moved across the sky.

I am now eating a complete meal prepared totally by the power of the sun. I have a plate of chicken and vegetables baked by the sun. I am drinking a glass of ice tea, brewed by the power of the sun (sun tea). With energy costs rising daily, it is nice knowing that I used totally free sun power to prepare my meal.

I mentioned yesterday that one of the jobs I had hired a crew to do was install a clothes line. Well it is now up. As I write this blog the washer is busy cleaning my clothes. Instead of throwing the clothes into the dryer, I am going to let the sun and wind dry my clothes for me.

It’s Been A Busy Week On The Ranch

This has been a very busy week at The Ranch.

SATURDAY I went to my very first auction. Basically the entire town of Telegraph, including the road sign which read “Telegraph Pop. 2” went up for sale. There was a lot of excitement because this is a historical landmark and there were lots of antiques for the taking. Arriving in Telegraph was like stepping back in time. On the road sat a small store with an attach house in the rear of the store, just like yesteryear. The lone building sat on one acre of land. At noon the property was auctioned off as is. I was happy to hear the man who ended up with the property plans on reopening the store; that is after he does a complete renovation. I am sure everything, including the electrical and plumbing, needs to be updated.

I went to this auction with the hope of leaving with some bedroom furniture for the spare bedroom. I would have been content with just a metal frame and a small kid’s dresser. I never expected to walk away with a complete bedroom of gorgeous furniture. If I had purchased all three pieces at a used furniture store, I would have easily spent over $2000. But including the auctioneer’s fee and taxes, the entire thing only cost me $124. All I have to do is a little cleaning and that spare bedroom will be ready for someone (or a couple) to live in.

MONDAY my friend Ruth came over and helped me clean out the spare bedroom so there would be room for the new furniture. I had been using that room for storage. We had it completely cleaned out in an hour and then moved outside and started cleaning out the cabin. The previous owners left a lot of stuff, some of it useful but a lot was just trash. We made a lot of progress but still have a lot more to do.

TUESDAY a different friend, Jeannie, came over. We spent the morning running errands in Rocksprings and volunteering at the Library. Then in the afternoon we went out to the garden and started laying rocks for the sides of the raised garden bed I spent all summer digging.

WEDNESDAY bright and early a work crew showed up. I hired them to build a deer fence around the garden area, install a gutter on the cabin and convert a cistern sitting next to the cabin into a rain barrel, install a clothes line, replace the door handle on the cabin (which no longer locks) and install a kitty door in that cabin door. A very tall fence is mandatory if I want to grow any food out here. Deer can jump pretty high. But deer are not the only critters out here who would love to feast on my hard work. Last summer right as my zucchini plant was about to start growing little zucchini’s, someone ate the entire plant. I do not want that happening again. So before I even plant my garden the fence has to be installed.

It was many years ago that I first was introduced to solar cooking. Ever since then I have wanted a solar oven and Tuesday my brand new Sun Oven arrived. The Sun Oven is the Royals Royce of solar cookers. So it is possible to buy a cheaper model, or even to build your own solar oven. Plenty of plans are available on the Internet. Last year at the Renewable Energy Fair in Fredericksburg, TX I saw the Sun Oven and decided that was the oven I wanted to buy.

Solar cookers are becoming popular all over the world, especially in sunny regions. Though it really does not take much sun to be able to cook a complete meal with a solar oven. One can bake, steam, or boil one’s food. The computer CD that came with my Sun Oven said it is impossible to burn your food when cooking with the sun. Bread comes out moister then when baked in an oven. It can also be used like a slow cooker. Put a chicken in the Sun Oven in the morning and return home to find dinner all done. If one wants the food done faster than every 30 minutes the oven will need to be turned so it faces the sun. Since today was the first time I ever cooked using the sun, I decided to just bake some muffins. It took awhile because I am still learning, but they tasted great.

I took the muffins out of the oven about the time the last three workmen were getting ready to leave. They had never heard of a solar cooker and were fascinated. I cut one of the muffins into four pieces and we all shared. They all left wanting their own solar cooker.

Tomorrow I plan on roasting some chicken and vegetables.

I was told that tomorrow my clothes line will be ready for use. The cement should be dry by morning. I have heard the dryer is one the biggest electricity user’s in a house and so it will be nice letting the sun and wind do the drying instead. The Sun Oven will also help save on the fuel bill. Instead of heating up the house by turning the oven on and then the AC on to cool it back down, I can just throw food into the Sun Oven and let the sun do all the cooking. Every little bit helps.

(p.s. There is a mattress; I just need to wipe down the box springs before placing the mattress on.)

Preparing For Spring

Winter in much of the country is pretty simple-cold. In South Texas winter is more of an adventure. Every year winter takes it sweet time arriving. One never knows if it will be cold enough to wear a Christmas sweater before the big day. But usually by late December or early January it finally starts feeling like winter and we here in South Texas are forced to look for our winter coat.

We do have freezes here. Typically we can count each time it drops below freezing on our fingers, with plenty of fingers left over. That is the way January started out. But this year was not typical. In the beginning of February it dropped down into the teens for four days in a row. If records were kept around here I am sure they would have been smashed. Ranchers all over are still repairing the damage from that major freeze. After that freeze it warmed up considerably for a few days, only to drop once again below freezing, but least it was not as cold.

The second half of February, in South Texas style, warmed up into the 70’s. Suddenly the sweaters were put away and the short sleeve shirts were put on. We could have another freeze any day now but right now it is easy to think spring has arrived. Every year a local San Antonio weather man is asked if it is time to plant tomatoes yet, but it is still too early. Even though I have already worn shorts on several occasions, a freeze is likely to happen even as late as April.

It may be too early to plant a garden but it is not too early to prepare. In February I purchased a mini greenhouse to start some seedlings indoors. Many of the seeds have now sprouted and are enjoying the morning sun shining through the community room windows.

Last week I dug a few holes in hopes of finding a place suitable for planting a fruit producing tree. This is such rocky soil that there is no guarantee a tree will make it, but a friend has had some success with her trees. Her success gives me hope because my dream is to have enough fruit and nut trees on the land to supply everyone eventually living here.

This past Wednesday my friend and I drove to Kerrville and visited a few gardening stores. I came home with a 6 inch (15 cm) Bay Laurel tree and a fig tree, among other plants. In case you do not know, Bay Laurel is what we buy when we purchase dry bay leaves in the grocery store. My little tree may be small today but it will be very easy to transplant (only need to dig a small hole) and once it is big will provide shade in the garden and bay leaves for cooking. I intend to plant it in the garden so the deer don’t eat it.

Speaking of deer, they are a problem. So are a lot of other critters roaming the land looking for something yummy to eat. And what could be yummier then a nice green vegetable garden. That is why I have hired someone to install a fence around my garden. This is not a cheap project. The fence must be pretty tall so the deer cannot jump over it. Also, out here one cannot just dig a hole for the fence posts. Instead the rock must be crushed so there is a place to put the fence post. That is why I am not doing it myself.

I am also paying the same crew to install a rain gutter on the cabin and turn a cistern into a rain barrel. Right now that cistern is just sitting there collecting dust and when it rains I can only catch a few 5 gallon (18 liters) buckets worth of water. Once the project is complete and it rains (we are currently in a bad drought), I will be able to hook up a hose and water my garden in luxury, compared to hauling the water to the garden.

So it may not be spring yet, even if it feels like it has arrived. And it may be too early to plant a garden outside, but that is not stopping me from getting ready.

Of course, a fence and plants are all necessary for a successful garden, but so is a place to grow the plants. I spent last summer digging an 8 feet (2.44 meters) by 12 feet (3.66 meters) garden bed down to solid rock. I removed tons of rocks and some dirt. I put the dirt back but since I only dug down about 5 inches, I must build up. Over the winter I have been adding food scraps and dead grass for composting, but I will have to purchase some garden soil. Since only raised garden beds will work out here, I must build the sides of my garden beds. The most logical choice out here is stone. So off and on, when it has been warm enough outside, I have been going out to my little garden and laying my stone wall for the raised garden bed, which is not an easy task.

How To Build A Stone Wall.

1. Search the pile of stones for a stone that will fit nicely next to the stone you plan to lay it by.
2. Remove cat from stone wall.
3. Position stone on wall so it fits as best as possible.
4. Rub cat under chin.
5. Repeat step 1.
6. Once again remove cat from stone wall.
7. Repeat step 3.
8. Remove cat from pant leg.
9. Repeat step 1.

I think you get the idea. I love these kitties but they sure make it hard to get much done outside. I now must schedule some time for petting kitties into my busy schedule.

Until next time, God Bless You

God's Protecting Hand

South Texas thawed out just in time for another arctic blast to hit us. Many folks around here spent the weekend repairing broken pipes from the last freeze. I have visited a number of public bathrooms with signs saying the sink still has no water. Sunday I heard from a number of people who were born and raised in the area who could not remember a time where it had been below freezing for so long. That last storm really was a history making storm.

Sunday after church I drove to San Antonio, visited with a few people, and spent the night. Monday morning I got an oil change, did my shopping (and shopping for two other friends), and then drove home. Before arriving home though I had to make my first delivery to a neighbor. Once home I unloaded the car and checked on the cats, who were fine thanks to my neighbor who had checked on them that morning.

Tuesday morning I drove to Rocksprings to make the second delivery and did a little work in the library. I also stopped at the grocery store for a neighbor and picked up a few items. Out here we have to help each other, it is just part of being neighborly. After I was done there I headed for home, first dropping off the groceries.

Normally I would not attempt going to Rocksprings and Kerrville in the same day but the weather forecasters had been telling us freezing rain was coming, and I wanted to beat the bad weather. So I got my things, picked up a friend who lives a few miles to the west, and we headed for an afternoon of shopping.

The reason I felt such a need to go to Kerrville yesterday was to visit a business in town that sells Derksen Portable Buildings. The people I purchased this land from had started to build a house but instead purchased this mobile home. This past year I have been staring at the foundation that was left trying to decide what to do with it. I still have not made a final decision but one thought is to just buy a portable building, put it on the foundation, and then turn it into a small efficiency apartment. Because of the space it would not be fully functional, but it is just a short walk to the house for cooking and other needs. Like I said, I have not made my final decision, but I do know I need to do something before that foundation rots away.

It is now Wednesday morning. Yesterday it reached about 70F (21c) with gusty winds. This morning it was 13F (-11c) when I woke up. The cats are once again locked in the kitty condo, though they do not appear happy with my decision. It is lightly snowing outside.

I know there are a lot of folks praying for me and I am extremely grateful. God is listening. He is taking care of me. One bad thing about the location of The Ranch is when I drive to Kerrville in the morning the sun is in my eyes. When I drive home in the evening the sun is in my eyes. It is especially bad this time of the year. There is one stretch of Hwy 41 where the sun basically blinds a person. That was the case Monday evening as I was driving home. I just could not see where the road was except for knowing I was in a turn. God took care of me though. Just in time I caught a glimpse of where the road was and was able to adjust the steering wheel so I remained on the road and avoided hitting the road sign I had been heading for.

God would once again have to protect me as I and my friend drove home from Kerrville last night. This time we were on Hwy 27, a hilly curvy road with lots of trees, brush, and deer. There were 4 cars behind me as we drove towards the tiny town of Mountain Home, when out of the brush came 2 deer running at full speed. As the buck ran right in front of my car I managed to hit the brakes and somehow avoid hitting him; miracle number one. The doe came right behind the buck but she chose to run behind my car instead. I am still amazed that the truck, which had been driving to close to me, somehow managed to avoid crashing into me and the doe; miracle number two. There were several more cars behind the truck, who also managed to stop in time; miracle number three. In the opposite direction came another car that also had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the two deer; miracle number four. In addition to all the cars, on the opposite side of the road was a bicyclist who narrowly escaped getting run over by the deer who headed straight for him; miracle number five.

As soon as we escaped the deer I looked in my rear view mirror and could not believe my eyes. A car, which turned out to be a contract mail car, was driving on the shoulder and speeding past all us cars. If there had been even one more deer running out of the bushes, that car would have crashed into the deer, and then probably crashed into us. That driver could have easily caused a multi-car accident with fatalities (remember the pour guy riding his bike). As soon as he passed me he moved back into the driving lane and quickly increased his speed and was out of sight. I am guessing he speeded up to at least 70 mph, maybe faster. The speed limit there (before we arrived in town) was 60 mph.

How all of us managed to not hit the deer or another car is truly a miracle. God protected all of us.

The Big Chill

The last of January I put on a short sleeve t-shirt. The highs were in the 70’s and it was a beautiful sunny day, perfect to go out and spend a few hours doing outside chores. I love days like that.

Around 1:00am on February 1 I was woken up by gusting howling winds, hard rain, thunder and lightning. The storm the weathermen had been promising us had arrived earlier than expected. Unable to sleep I got up to hand wash a few dishes. I have a weather station monitor near the kitchen window and every time I looked at it the temperature had dropped. Around 2:00am I decided it was dropping to fast and decided to bundle up and go lock the cats in there kitty condo (formally a makeshift cabin the previous owners lived in). The cats greeted me with lots of meows (not normal for them to meow so much) and were thrilled when I filled their dishes full of food. I left, closing the door behind me. Now the cold air would have a harder time chilling the kitty condo off.

I was able to fall back to sleep around 3:00am, only to wake up to bitter temperatures. For the next three days it would remain below 20F. Records are not kept out here but if they were kept I am sure a few records would be broken, or some close to being broken. I know San Antonio broke a few records this week. I stayed inside as much as possible, but I have 10 month old kittens to take care of so several times a day I would go check on them. One result of such cold temperatures is their water kept freezing up. So every few hours I would bundle up and walk out to the cabin with room temperature (or often a bit warmer) bowl of water to replace the now frozen water out in the cabin. I also would get up in the middle of the night to exchange warm water for frozen water, so my cats always had water to drink.

One danger of freezing temperatures is frozen pipes and frozen well pumps. Out here our pipes cannot be buried, only covered with caliche. Monday I did walk the length of my pipes to make sure there were no exposed areas. I also have a heat lamp aimed at my well pump.
When I woke up Tuesday morning and realized just how cold it was outside I quickly started turning on faucets to let them drip. Unfortunately the pipes to the small bathroom had already frozen up. I still had water to my bathroom and the kitchen, which I am very grateful for. I have several neighbors who have not been so fortunate. Wednesday morning I learned of several nearby friends whose water had stopped flowing. Since then I have heard of others. I have taken water to my neighbor and a little food.

Another consequence of rain followed by freezing temps—the backdoor lock is frozen. I can turn the deadbolt lock on the inside but I cannot put the key into the key hole. Obviously some water got into the key hole and froze up.

One nice thing about living in South Texas is this kind of weather is very rare and when it does hit—lasts only a few days. It is suppose to start warming up and tomorrow I and the rest of the folks out here should get above freezing.

Before it does warm up though the one event that many children in South Texas never see happened—it snowed last night. I saw on the news this morning that San Antonio basically shut down, partly because they got freezing rain last night before the snow arrived. I went outside around 3:00am to exchange the cats water bowls only to discover it was snowing. We didn’t get a lot of snow, but even a dusting out here is a big deal.

As I write this it is mid-morning and the temperature outside has reached 26, the highest it has been since Tuesday before the sun came up. After days of clouds the sun has come out. We are all now counting the hours tell we can put the thermal underwear back in storage. I am sure the ranchers out here are even more anxious for warmer weather then I am. I personally know folks who must spend hours outside daily feeding livestock. My heart goes out to them as I find it tough just running outside to give my cats’ thawed water. Though it has been a tough week for the ranchers, I have to think about those ranchers in the northern climates. Many of them deal with weather much worse then what I have been living through, not just once in awhile but every winter for months at a time.

So today as you sit down to eat, remember the rancher who went out in freezing temperatures to feed that cow or chickens or…. Some of those ranchers and farmers braved temperatures well below zero with wind chill factors of minus (pick a number). Without them you and I would not have food on our table today. So we need to thank God for them and pray for them daily. They have a very tough job.

The Picture to the right--left side is the kitty condo.

The open door is a small shed.

What Happened to January?

As I sit here the sun began rising in the eastern sky less than an hour ago. I have been awake for several hours and face a to-do list so long I doubt I will be able to cross off even one item. That is just the way life is out here. If I do manage to complete a task, there are many more waiting to be done. Maybe that is why a month has passed since I last posted, though it feels like only a week ago.

Today began like most mornings. I usually wake up around 5am. Sometimes earlier and then after breakfast I fall back to sleep, but 5 is typical. Since I still live alone I turn the heater off at night. If it is expected to be a chilly night I turn a space heater on in my bedroom and shut the door. Last night was not cold, so no space heater. Upon waking (and after a short struggle) I haul myself out from under my warm covers and go turn the heater on. As soon as possible I am back under those covers.

Once it is warm enough I once again haul myself out of bed to make breakfast. I rarely eat much first thing in the morning, but my body needs something. One of my favorite breakfasts is a breakfast sandwich. I make my own. I like to buy those mini bagels, which I toast. I have a microwave poacher for my egg. I make my own breakfast sausage and just reheat one patty. Put them all together and I have a breakfast sandwich. One sandwich with a cup of tea or orange juice and I have just the right amount of food. Depending on how warm it is in the house, I usually eat at my computer, where I check email, or back to the warmer bedroom to enjoy breakfast.

Since it is winter outside and therefore cold, I usually return to bed after breakfast. I like to snuggle under the covers as I read my Bible. Today I read the first three chapters of Amos.

According to the U.S. Naval Observatory, the sunrise for Rocksprings occurred at 7:33am. Shortly before that I did what I do every day. I put on my shoes and coat and opened my front door. Tiger is usually on the porch to greet me and often her sister, Little Bit, is nearby. They know it is feeding time. Today they ran ahead of me into the cabin where I feed them and have their bed. They jump on the counter eagerly waiting for me to dump some dry cat food in their bowls. Sometimes I give them a quick pet, but today I just hurried into the warm house. I will go outside later today and spend some time petting both kitties and in return they will lick my hands and fingers. (Little Bit-red collar/Tiger-blue collar)

That is how I spend most mornings. In the summer I am out the door as soon as it is light enough to do gardening and other tasks before it gets too hot. But in winter it is hard to motivate myself to get out of bed and do anything. I much prefer to lie in bed under those warm covers, reading a book and praying, and occasionally falling back to sleep.

Even though I am anxious for spring to arrive, it seems like winter is passing by way to fast. There is so much I need to do inside this house and I had planned to get it all done during the winter months. I still need to get that office organized, bookkeeping completed, other rooms organized, etc. From the way this house looks it doesn’t look like I have done a thing.

I have been busy. Right before Christmas I accompanied a friend to San Antonio. She had to take her husband to the airport and really did not want to drive around that city alone. Since I know the city I did most of the city driving. It was a there and back trip, making only a couple stops for shopping.

On January 12 I returned to San Antonio with a different friend. This neighbor is elderly and I had promised to take her to the Sams Club in San Antonio. I buy a lot of stuff for her at Sams Club and this was a chance for her to see what the store had for sale so on future trips she could just hand me some money and a grocery list. It was a very fruitful, but exhausting trip.

I have had to make several trips to Kerrville. Both times I took a third neighbor with me. Over a year ago J lost her house in a fire and then a few weeks later a tire blew and she rolled her truck, breaking her back, but fortunately not suffering any spinal injury. Because of his job, her husband is gone all week, leaving her all alone and isolated on her very rural land. She always welcomes any excuse to get out and go anywhere. Both trips she was very thankful that I had invited her and I was thankful for the company.

This past week it has been warm enough to go outside for an hour or two so I have enjoyed doing some outdoor chores. On those very cold days I often find myself sitting in my rocking chair under a throw reading and trying to stay warm. I have gotten a lot read this past month. The rest of the time I work on the computer of find some other task that needs doing.