My house sitting ended on Monday when I drove to the airport to pick up my friend. The airport is about a 5 minute drive from her house, which makes picking up folks pretty easy. Just sit by the phone and wait for the call. No waiting at the airport. Pretty easy.
There were a few things we needed to do together so I stayed another day. Basically, I am her computer tech and had to teach her and help her with some computer tasks. No big deal. It was nice to spend a day just visiting and getting things done.
I drove back home on Wednesday, stopping in Kerrville to run a few errands. I usually spend the first part of the trip listening to KLOVE, switching between the San Antonio and Fredericksburg stations, but at some point the static is to much for me and I switch to a Kerrville country music station. It is on that station that I heard an ad for Kerr County Produce. This store sells fresh produce at wholesale prices to the public every Wednesday. After inquiring where A St. is, I eventually made my way there and was happy I did. The store had a great selection of produce at fantastic prices. For example, red bell peppers cost $0.69. I bought 3. Everything there was much cheaper than the same items in the local grocery store. I filled up a paper sack for less than $11.
Besides grocery shopping, I also looked at a desk that a friend wanted to sell. It will fit in the office nicely and take care of the many needs that I need in a desk. The desk and the gas for them to bring it out here only cost me $130. She and her husband are scheduled to come out this Saturday, which means I have been very busy cleaning out the space the desk will occupy. Currently there are file cabinets and a computer in the way.
I also picked up the baseboard and transitions to finish the new floor that is occupying the community room and spare bedroom. The actual floor was installed before I left to go house sit. He is scheduled to come out on Monday and it should only take him a couple hours to finish. Then I will finally be able to finish the unpacking. A mini library is planned for the community room.
I also purchased a can of paint. I really hate painting and am hoping a second coat of paint is all that is needed to finish that living room. After that, only a few more tasks to be completed and this house will finally be what I have envisioned all along.
Though this house is my home, it is also a community center. What the builders meant to be a family room, I am turning into a community room. The walls will be lined with bookshelves for the mini-library. Chairs and/or a table will sit in the middle of the room. It is a great spot for small group meetings and other activities. This is a 3 bedroom house. I occupy the master bedroom. One of the spare bedrooms I turned into AOCCCI’s office. The other spare bedroom is available for anyone needing someplace to live. Currently there is no furniture in there, but I plan on getting at least a bed.
As I write this it is almost 7 am. Before I took off to house sit I would have been outside working. I like to spend the cool mornings outside removing rocks from the future garden, gathering up cedar branches to burn when the burn ban is lifted, and many other outside tasks. Only 10 days ago by now the sun would have risen enough for me to see what I am doing. But as I sit here it is still pretty dark outside. I can see the beginnings of the day, but there is not enough light to venture safely outside.
When I lived in the city I rarely paid attention to the sun rising or setting. Now that my daily activities are governed by sun I am noticing just how quickly the days are becoming shorter. It is truly amazing the daily changes in the sun’s rotation. I am pretty far south. I am sure the changes are much more dramatic farther north, especially in Canada.
With each passing minute I am seeing more light outside. By the time I post this, get my shoes on and do everything I need to do before venturing outside, there should be enough light to safely walk in the tall grass. So by for now. May God bless each of our days.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
House Sitting
Monday I drove to San Antonio, where I have been ever since. I am house sitting for a good friend who is at her high school reunion. My duties have been pretty simply, feed the cats (former strays that live outdoors), water some plants, and just watch the house. I brought a lot of work with me, so I have been keeping pretty busy this week.
Tuesday morning I took my friend to the airport and then visited a few stores. Didn't spend much but did get some good ideas of how I can solve a few problems back at the ranch. Spent some time visiting with a friend who live only a few blocks away. I also worked on a computer issue for the friend I am house sitting for. I happen to be her computer tech.
That evening when it was not as hot, I washed my very filthy car. Living on a dirt road means the car is always filthy. Since I already had everything out and was wet, I washed my friend's car too.
Wednesday morning I worked on future newsletters. Then after lunch I went to my former church and put in a few hours working in the library. I have been on the library team at that church for years and it was kind of nice to get out of the house and see some old friends. I put in about 3 hours in the library and got a lot done. The exercise was helpful too.
Thursday spent the entire day working on newsletters. Just assembling one newsletter takes about a day to complete and I am currently working on assembling enough newsletters for the rest of the year. I continued this task on Friday. I have made great progress but still have a lot more to do.
A few months ago I began to notice my lap top occasionally felt hot. Then one day it shut down unexpectedly. These symptoms continued to occur and grew more frequent. The last time I was in San Antonio I stopped by the computer store hoping to get it fixed. Unfortunately there was a back log of computers needing to be repaired. We discussed my symptoms and the decision was made to just order a fan and I could bring the lap top in later. It wound up taking three weeks for the fan to be ordered and delivered (not the store's fault, but the parts company did not respond quickly). The fan arrived on Thursday. Yesterday morning I took my lap top in and it was repaired by the afternoon. Hopefully I will have no more computer problems.
Last night I started reading The Federalist Papers. Fortunately my friend has a good dictionary because I need it. The Federalist Papers is not light reading but it is very enlightening. There is a lot about the history of this nation that most of us just do not know about.
My plans for the rest of today is to meet someone for a business lunch. Then I will probably return to the house and do some reading or other work. Tomorrow (Sunday) I will go to church in the morning, have lunch with a friend from Church, and then return to the house. Monday evening I will pick my friend from the airport.
I knew my friend wanted me to house sit for her but knowing how busy I am she did not want to really ask. God though kept showing me work I could do here and as you have read I have been keeping quite busy. I doubt I will complete everything I brought with me to work on. But that is okay. Least I have taken care of my friend's home and gotten a lot of personal work accomplished too.
Tuesday morning I took my friend to the airport and then visited a few stores. Didn't spend much but did get some good ideas of how I can solve a few problems back at the ranch. Spent some time visiting with a friend who live only a few blocks away. I also worked on a computer issue for the friend I am house sitting for. I happen to be her computer tech.
That evening when it was not as hot, I washed my very filthy car. Living on a dirt road means the car is always filthy. Since I already had everything out and was wet, I washed my friend's car too.
Wednesday morning I worked on future newsletters. Then after lunch I went to my former church and put in a few hours working in the library. I have been on the library team at that church for years and it was kind of nice to get out of the house and see some old friends. I put in about 3 hours in the library and got a lot done. The exercise was helpful too.
Thursday spent the entire day working on newsletters. Just assembling one newsletter takes about a day to complete and I am currently working on assembling enough newsletters for the rest of the year. I continued this task on Friday. I have made great progress but still have a lot more to do.
A few months ago I began to notice my lap top occasionally felt hot. Then one day it shut down unexpectedly. These symptoms continued to occur and grew more frequent. The last time I was in San Antonio I stopped by the computer store hoping to get it fixed. Unfortunately there was a back log of computers needing to be repaired. We discussed my symptoms and the decision was made to just order a fan and I could bring the lap top in later. It wound up taking three weeks for the fan to be ordered and delivered (not the store's fault, but the parts company did not respond quickly). The fan arrived on Thursday. Yesterday morning I took my lap top in and it was repaired by the afternoon. Hopefully I will have no more computer problems.
Last night I started reading The Federalist Papers. Fortunately my friend has a good dictionary because I need it. The Federalist Papers is not light reading but it is very enlightening. There is a lot about the history of this nation that most of us just do not know about.
My plans for the rest of today is to meet someone for a business lunch. Then I will probably return to the house and do some reading or other work. Tomorrow (Sunday) I will go to church in the morning, have lunch with a friend from Church, and then return to the house. Monday evening I will pick my friend from the airport.
I knew my friend wanted me to house sit for her but knowing how busy I am she did not want to really ask. God though kept showing me work I could do here and as you have read I have been keeping quite busy. I doubt I will complete everything I brought with me to work on. But that is okay. Least I have taken care of my friend's home and gotten a lot of personal work accomplished too.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Progress Is Being Made
It is Sunday afternoon as I write this. I had a wonderful time at church this morning. I really enjoy my Sunday School teacher which is saying a lot. Having completed half the required classes for a Master of Divinity degree, I often get bored as I know more than most lay teachers, but this guy does an excellent job. I also like the simple country ways of the preacher. His simple sermons are to the point and perfect for this country community.
In San Antonio I attended a rather large city church. The membership population of the church is a lot larger than the entire population of Edward’s County, the home of AOCCCI. The church I now attend in Rocksprings is your basic country church but it is growing and doing a lot of good things in the community. God is really using it. Another unique feature of this church, which you will never find in a large city church, is that chickens live on the property. Often one can see the rooster and chickens roosting in a tree behind the parsonage. Today I saw a mother hen with half a dozen baby chicks following her. All I can say is they were sooooo cute.
Edwards County is basically a dry county and water is precious here, so all efforts to conserve water must be employed. Before I moved here I attended a rain water catchment seminar where each participant was sent home with a rain barrel. I positioned my rain barrel in a spot where rain water naturally falls off the roof. It has filled up several times since I moved here, but is currently running on empty. I also positioned buckets in spots where rain water naturally falls off the roof. All this water has gone to watering the garden. Not only does this save water but it also saves electricity. The only other source of water on the property is from the well. It takes electricity to run the well pump that pulls the precious water out of the ground. The Edwards Aquifer is large, covering hundreds of miles, but San Antonio (one of the largest cities in the country) also draws its water from the same aquifer, so conservation is a must. Capturing rain water just makes a lot of practical since.
In case you do not know, an AC produces a lot of distilled water, which most is just wasted. I had seen the white plumber’s pipe lying on the ground. I had no idea why it was there. E
arlier this month I spoke to an HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) expert. About a week later I walked by the white pipe. The air conditioner was running and I noticed the ground was all wet where the pipe ended. Then it occurred to me, that pipe was draining the excess water the AC was producing. My eventual goal is to feed that pipe into a rain water barrel but until then I have lifted the pipe so the water can flow into a metal watering pan. My hope is the deer find the water soon and start visiting the house. It is pretty dry outside since it has not rained in awhile and I know the deer are thirsty.
This has been a very busy week for me. No house is perfect and shortly after getting the key I discovered one big problem. The previous owner’s dog had used two rooms in the house as his toilet. I shampooed all the carpets in the house but the family room and one of the spare bedrooms was not salvageable. The stench was just unbearable. I purchased new flooring for the rooms months ago but not until this week were they installed.
God has been good in leading me to several excellent handymen. In July a handyman replaced all the electrical sockets in th
e living room (they all had been painted), ceiling fans installed in the two small bedrooms, and a small plumbing job. Another handyman installed some solar shades for me in the living room. The shades allow me to look out onto this beautiful land but block out the harsh sun. After three weeks in Florida, the first handyman returned and on Tuesday he called to see if he could come out and start on the floor. It took three days of hard work but now the pee soaked carpet is gone and family room (future community room) and the small bedroom (which I plan to rent out to someone) have a beautiful new floor. I am so happy. It won’t be long now and this place will start looking like I envisioned it back in January.
In San Antonio I attended a rather large city church. The membership population of the church is a lot larger than the entire population of Edward’s County, the home of AOCCCI. The church I now attend in Rocksprings is your basic country church but it is growing and doing a lot of good things in the community. God is really using it. Another unique feature of this church, which you will never find in a large city church, is that chickens live on the property. Often one can see the rooster and chickens roosting in a tree behind the parsonage. Today I saw a mother hen with half a dozen baby chicks following her. All I can say is they were sooooo cute.
Edwards County is basically a dry county and water is precious here, so all efforts to conserve water must be employed. Before I moved here I attended a rain water catchment seminar where each participant was sent home with a rain barrel. I positioned my rain barrel in a spot where rain water naturally falls off the roof. It has filled up several times since I moved here, but is currently running on empty. I also positioned buckets in spots where rain water naturally falls off the roof. All this water has gone to watering the garden. Not only does this save water but it also saves electricity. The only other source of water on the property is from the well. It takes electricity to run the well pump that pulls the precious water out of the ground. The Edwards Aquifer is large, covering hundreds of miles, but San Antonio (one of the largest cities in the country) also draws its water from the same aquifer, so conservation is a must. Capturing rain water just makes a lot of practical since.
In case you do not know, an AC produces a lot of distilled water, which most is just wasted. I had seen the white plumber’s pipe lying on the ground. I had no idea why it was there. E
arlier this month I spoke to an HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) expert. About a week later I walked by the white pipe. The air conditioner was running and I noticed the ground was all wet where the pipe ended. Then it occurred to me, that pipe was draining the excess water the AC was producing. My eventual goal is to feed that pipe into a rain water barrel but until then I have lifted the pipe so the water can flow into a metal watering pan. My hope is the deer find the water soon and start visiting the house. It is pretty dry outside since it has not rained in awhile and I know the deer are thirsty.This has been a very busy week for me. No house is perfect and shortly after getting the key I discovered one big problem. The previous owner’s dog had used two rooms in the house as his toilet. I shampooed all the carpets in the house but the family room and one of the spare bedrooms was not salvageable. The stench was just unbearable. I purchased new flooring for the rooms months ago but not until this week were they installed.
God has been good in leading me to several excellent handymen. In July a handyman replaced all the electrical sockets in th
e living room (they all had been painted), ceiling fans installed in the two small bedrooms, and a small plumbing job. Another handyman installed some solar shades for me in the living room. The shades allow me to look out onto this beautiful land but block out the harsh sun. After three weeks in Florida, the first handyman returned and on Tuesday he called to see if he could come out and start on the floor. It took three days of hard work but now the pee soaked carpet is gone and family room (future community room) and the small bedroom (which I plan to rent out to someone) have a beautiful new floor. I am so happy. It won’t be long now and this place will start looking like I envisioned it back in January. Monday, August 2, 2010
Company
Another very busy month has come and gone. It is hard for me to believe it is already August. Though it feels like yesterday, actually it was eight months ago that I signed the papers on this land and started the process of moving myself and the ministry here. Time sure does fly by fast these days.
The first part of July I was pretty busy. I have never taken the time to sit down and make a list of all the different projects I am working on, I just know there are a lot. Every day I pick whatever I am in the mood to do that day and start working. Slowly I am making progress but I really could use some help. There is just too much that needs to be done for any one person do accomplish. I am doing my best.
The second half of July I did take a break to play hostess. On July 23 I picked up my mother’s best friend from the airport. Back in the late 1970’s my mom and Christine worked together at the Department of Health Services for the State of California. Both were young attorneys and became lifelong friends. I was in high school at the time. So Christine is like family to me and I have wanted her to come out and see the Ranch for some time. Christine now practices law in Jacksonville, FL and getting away was difficult for her but she managed to squeeze in a few days to come out and see me and this part of Texas for the first time. She loved the rural countryside, this land, seeing me, and everything we did. It was a quick trip but she really did enjoy herself.
There was one surprise that neither of us could have predicted. Saturday after a leisurely morning, we went outside to go for a nice walk on the ranch, only to be greeted by three dogs; a Jack Russell Terrier, a pure white Shepherd mix, and a Bull Mastiff. All three dogs were soooo loving and wanted nothing more than some food, water, petting, and rest. I had just purchased a bag of cat food and so we fed the dogs some cat food and filled a container with water. The dogs ate up the food, drank the water and then laid down for a much needed rest as Christine and I went for our walk. The dogs never left the front yard but got up to greet us every time they saw us. We both fell in love with the dogs.
The dogs’ behavior made it clear these were pets who most likely were dumped on the side of the road, unfortunately a common practice among people who can no longer afford their dogs or just do not want them. The Bull Mastiff had a choke chain on and the other two dogs were wearing very old flea collars. All the dogs were covered in fleas, ticks, and showed signs of injury. The terrier clearly got to close to a prickly pear cactus as we pulled a lot of stickers out of her. Our hearts just went out to these poor dogs. That evening we drove to Rocksprings and purchased dog food and some bones for our visitors. The next morning I left a huge barrel of water for the dogs, the entire bag of dog food (minus what they ate the night before) and gave them the bones. Christine had fallen in love with the terrier and thought a neighbor (who just lost a dog) would love her too and might want to adopt her. So on Saturday Christine purchased the terrier a plane ticket and we took her with us. I dropped both off at the San Antonio airport mid Sunday morning.
I fully expected the other two dogs would still be at the house when I returned on Tuesday but sadly both had taken off, leaving most of the food behind. I have not seen them since. I just pray a dog lover found them and is taking good care of them. Some ranchers will shoot stray dogs because it is impossible to take care of all the dogs people dump out in the country. But these dogs are so loving I know they will make wonderful pets.
I did not return home alone on Tuesday. I brought a good friend, Mary, with me who I have wanted to see the ranch since it was purchased. I stay with her every time I go to San Antonio and share with her everything I am doing. She had a wonderful time seeing the ranch, visiting Rocksprings and going on the tour to the Devil’s Sinkhole (a collapsed cavern), a Texas Natural Area where millions of bats sleep during the day each summer. It is quite a site to see these bats exit the sinkhole at dusk to fly 60 miles south to eat millions of bugs each night.
I took Mary home on Thursday. I then did a few things in San Antonio, including having lunch with another friend on Friday. Saturday morning I picked up an order of Angel Food and that afternoon I drove back to the ranch. It is good to be back home.
The past couple of weeks have been an exhausting but exhilarating time entertaining my friends. I am so glad both were able to come out and see my world and that both had a great time. Now it is time to get back to work.
The first part of July I was pretty busy. I have never taken the time to sit down and make a list of all the different projects I am working on, I just know there are a lot. Every day I pick whatever I am in the mood to do that day and start working. Slowly I am making progress but I really could use some help. There is just too much that needs to be done for any one person do accomplish. I am doing my best.
The second half of July I did take a break to play hostess. On July 23 I picked up my mother’s best friend from the airport. Back in the late 1970’s my mom and Christine worked together at the Department of Health Services for the State of California. Both were young attorneys and became lifelong friends. I was in high school at the time. So Christine is like family to me and I have wanted her to come out and see the Ranch for some time. Christine now practices law in Jacksonville, FL and getting away was difficult for her but she managed to squeeze in a few days to come out and see me and this part of Texas for the first time. She loved the rural countryside, this land, seeing me, and everything we did. It was a quick trip but she really did enjoy herself.
There was one surprise that neither of us could have predicted. Saturday after a leisurely morning, we went outside to go for a nice walk on the ranch, only to be greeted by three dogs; a Jack Russell Terrier, a pure white Shepherd mix, and a Bull Mastiff. All three dogs were soooo loving and wanted nothing more than some food, water, petting, and rest. I had just purchased a bag of cat food and so we fed the dogs some cat food and filled a container with water. The dogs ate up the food, drank the water and then laid down for a much needed rest as Christine and I went for our walk. The dogs never left the front yard but got up to greet us every time they saw us. We both fell in love with the dogs.
The dogs’ behavior made it clear these were pets who most likely were dumped on the side of the road, unfortunately a common practice among people who can no longer afford their dogs or just do not want them. The Bull Mastiff had a choke chain on and the other two dogs were wearing very old flea collars. All the dogs were covered in fleas, ticks, and showed signs of injury. The terrier clearly got to close to a prickly pear cactus as we pulled a lot of stickers out of her. Our hearts just went out to these poor dogs. That evening we drove to Rocksprings and purchased dog food and some bones for our visitors. The next morning I left a huge barrel of water for the dogs, the entire bag of dog food (minus what they ate the night before) and gave them the bones. Christine had fallen in love with the terrier and thought a neighbor (who just lost a dog) would love her too and might want to adopt her. So on Saturday Christine purchased the terrier a plane ticket and we took her with us. I dropped both off at the San Antonio airport mid Sunday morning.
I fully expected the other two dogs would still be at the house when I returned on Tuesday but sadly both had taken off, leaving most of the food behind. I have not seen them since. I just pray a dog lover found them and is taking good care of them. Some ranchers will shoot stray dogs because it is impossible to take care of all the dogs people dump out in the country. But these dogs are so loving I know they will make wonderful pets.
I did not return home alone on Tuesday. I brought a good friend, Mary, with me who I have wanted to see the ranch since it was purchased. I stay with her every time I go to San Antonio and share with her everything I am doing. She had a wonderful time seeing the ranch, visiting Rocksprings and going on the tour to the Devil’s Sinkhole (a collapsed cavern), a Texas Natural Area where millions of bats sleep during the day each summer. It is quite a site to see these bats exit the sinkhole at dusk to fly 60 miles south to eat millions of bugs each night.
I took Mary home on Thursday. I then did a few things in San Antonio, including having lunch with another friend on Friday. Saturday morning I picked up an order of Angel Food and that afternoon I drove back to the ranch. It is good to be back home.
The past couple of weeks have been an exhausting but exhilarating time entertaining my friends. I am so glad both were able to come out and see my world and that both had a great time. Now it is time to get back to work.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Service, Work, Donations, and Blessed Rain
It has been a little over a week since my last trip to San Antonio. I made the trip to attend a friend’s memorial service on June 21. Sue was 85 years old and had been sick for the last year of her life. Her daughter informed us all that this was a party and it certainly was as we sang many of Sue’s favorite hymns. It really was a joyous time as we all knew Sue is now happy, healthy, and full of life in heaven with Jesus.
I took advantage to my time in San Antonio to visit my Women’s Neighborhood Prayer group friends and attend the monthly prayer meeting. Since moving I have only been able to attend two of those meetings and it is always a joy to see those women and to pray for our country with them. Whenever I am in San Antonio the last week of the month, if it is possible I make an effort to attend that prayer meeting. The US (including local governments, families, schools, etc.) is in serious trouble and we need to pray.
Last December Norm Grimmett (church deacon) and I had visited two home-bound seniors, taking them the Lord’s Supper. Both Kay and Helen were really grateful and we enjoyed the visit too. The Care Team may think our purpose is to minister to and bless our home-bound church members, but the truth is we get just as much blessing from reaching out to them as they get from us. Well, in May I received a post card informing me the deacons wanted to provide the Communion to the home-bound again. So I contacted Norm and told him if it could be arranged I would like to accompany him to provide the Lord’s Supper to Kay and Helen again. Both women were upset with me moving out to the country and I knew they would be thrilled to see me again. After a few phone calls were made, that Wednesday Norm and I carpooled to Helen’s home (a 30 minute drive) and visited with her before all sharing in the Lord’s Supper together. After that we drove to the Assisted Living Facility Kay had moved to after falling last February. Once again Norm and I had a nice visit and then the three of us shared the Lord’s Supper together. Both women were grateful we had made the trip to bring them this sacred sacrament.
It was time for lunch when we left Kay’s room. So Kay went off to lunch at the facility and Norm and I went to a local restaurant. Afterward I returned to Kay. Kay is still in the process of cleaning out her house to be sold. She wanted to donate a bunch of tools to AOCCCI. So I picked her up and drove her to her house. While she looked for some things in her home she wanted to take back to the facility, I selected tools out of the shed I thought would be useful here at the ranch. I came home with several metal rakes, a bunch of shovels, a hoe, pick ax, and a few other items. Afterward I took Kay and several bags of stuff back to her room at the facility. She was very grateful the tools were going to good use and I am thankful for the donations.
Thursday I made the long drive back to the ranch, where I have been for the past week. It seems no matter how much I get done here there is still more to do. Friday and Saturday I had to address the water well pump quitting on me. Same problem both days—it doesn’t take much for the pressure switch electrical connection to be disrupted. Causes include rust, ants, other insects…. A neighbor helped me on Friday but Saturday I had to drive to town and purchase new parts and emery boards which cleaned off the pressure switch allowing the electrical connection to occur.
Sunday evening Rocksprings Baptist had an old fashioned Baptismal service at the river, where more than half a dozen folks were baptized. Afterward we had a church picnic. It was a lot of fun.
Monday I painted the living room. Looks a lot better than before but is in need of a second coat of paint.
Tuesday the wind that had plagued the area all month was finally still, allowing me to burn a bunch of paper (bills and other private documents), an old tattered flag, and lots of cedar branches. I managed to get it all burned even though rain threatened all morning. I also hauled a bunch of rocks to the house. Wednesday I hauled even more rocks. Plans are to build a rock wall skirt around the house.
Thursday morning I drove to Rocksprings where I spent an hour volunteering in the library and ran a few errands. I then returned home.
Though Hurricane Alex hit Mexico Wednesday evening, Texas also has been touched by this storm. Of course the gulf cities received most of the rain, but I have seen rain off and on all day yesterday and today (Friday). Since Edwards County was in danger of going into stage 1 water restrictions if we did not get rain this week, this rain is a blessing.
In anticipation of the rain I placed 5 gallon buckets and a garbage can in strategic places to catch water as it poured off the roof. Around noon today during a lull in the rain I went out to check. Since Thursday morning the rain gauge measured about 3.5 inches of rain and every container is filled to the brim with water. The rain barrel is now half full.
It is possible to live a modern day life without a well or access to city water. In the Texas Hill Country a family is doing just that. All their water comes from catching rain water. Water wells around here tend to have low pressure and can supply just so much water. So it makes since to think about the future and install more rain water barrels. There is already a cistern on the property that can hold a lot more water then my little rain barrel. Hopefully it can be converted into a rain water storage container. It sits next to the cabin so it should be easy to convert. It is also nearby an area perfect for gardening.
Finally, I want to share I have twice now spotted a rabbit running under the cabin when I walk by. Clearly the critter has a home there. The question is: is this rabbit a he or a she with a nest full of babies?
And lastly, for those in the United States…Happy 4th of July!
I took advantage to my time in San Antonio to visit my Women’s Neighborhood Prayer group friends and attend the monthly prayer meeting. Since moving I have only been able to attend two of those meetings and it is always a joy to see those women and to pray for our country with them. Whenever I am in San Antonio the last week of the month, if it is possible I make an effort to attend that prayer meeting. The US (including local governments, families, schools, etc.) is in serious trouble and we need to pray.
Last December Norm Grimmett (church deacon) and I had visited two home-bound seniors, taking them the Lord’s Supper. Both Kay and Helen were really grateful and we enjoyed the visit too. The Care Team may think our purpose is to minister to and bless our home-bound church members, but the truth is we get just as much blessing from reaching out to them as they get from us. Well, in May I received a post card informing me the deacons wanted to provide the Communion to the home-bound again. So I contacted Norm and told him if it could be arranged I would like to accompany him to provide the Lord’s Supper to Kay and Helen again. Both women were upset with me moving out to the country and I knew they would be thrilled to see me again. After a few phone calls were made, that Wednesday Norm and I carpooled to Helen’s home (a 30 minute drive) and visited with her before all sharing in the Lord’s Supper together. After that we drove to the Assisted Living Facility Kay had moved to after falling last February. Once again Norm and I had a nice visit and then the three of us shared the Lord’s Supper together. Both women were grateful we had made the trip to bring them this sacred sacrament.
It was time for lunch when we left Kay’s room. So Kay went off to lunch at the facility and Norm and I went to a local restaurant. Afterward I returned to Kay. Kay is still in the process of cleaning out her house to be sold. She wanted to donate a bunch of tools to AOCCCI. So I picked her up and drove her to her house. While she looked for some things in her home she wanted to take back to the facility, I selected tools out of the shed I thought would be useful here at the ranch. I came home with several metal rakes, a bunch of shovels, a hoe, pick ax, and a few other items. Afterward I took Kay and several bags of stuff back to her room at the facility. She was very grateful the tools were going to good use and I am thankful for the donations.
Thursday I made the long drive back to the ranch, where I have been for the past week. It seems no matter how much I get done here there is still more to do. Friday and Saturday I had to address the water well pump quitting on me. Same problem both days—it doesn’t take much for the pressure switch electrical connection to be disrupted. Causes include rust, ants, other insects…. A neighbor helped me on Friday but Saturday I had to drive to town and purchase new parts and emery boards which cleaned off the pressure switch allowing the electrical connection to occur.
Sunday evening Rocksprings Baptist had an old fashioned Baptismal service at the river, where more than half a dozen folks were baptized. Afterward we had a church picnic. It was a lot of fun.
Monday I painted the living room. Looks a lot better than before but is in need of a second coat of paint.
Tuesday the wind that had plagued the area all month was finally still, allowing me to burn a bunch of paper (bills and other private documents), an old tattered flag, and lots of cedar branches. I managed to get it all burned even though rain threatened all morning. I also hauled a bunch of rocks to the house. Wednesday I hauled even more rocks. Plans are to build a rock wall skirt around the house.
Thursday morning I drove to Rocksprings where I spent an hour volunteering in the library and ran a few errands. I then returned home.
Though Hurricane Alex hit Mexico Wednesday evening, Texas also has been touched by this storm. Of course the gulf cities received most of the rain, but I have seen rain off and on all day yesterday and today (Friday). Since Edwards County was in danger of going into stage 1 water restrictions if we did not get rain this week, this rain is a blessing.
In anticipation of the rain I placed 5 gallon buckets and a garbage can in strategic places to catch water as it poured off the roof. Around noon today during a lull in the rain I went out to check. Since Thursday morning the rain gauge measured about 3.5 inches of rain and every container is filled to the brim with water. The rain barrel is now half full.
It is possible to live a modern day life without a well or access to city water. In the Texas Hill Country a family is doing just that. All their water comes from catching rain water. Water wells around here tend to have low pressure and can supply just so much water. So it makes since to think about the future and install more rain water barrels. There is already a cistern on the property that can hold a lot more water then my little rain barrel. Hopefully it can be converted into a rain water storage container. It sits next to the cabin so it should be easy to convert. It is also nearby an area perfect for gardening.
Finally, I want to share I have twice now spotted a rabbit running under the cabin when I walk by. Clearly the critter has a home there. The question is: is this rabbit a he or a she with a nest full of babies?
And lastly, for those in the United States…Happy 4th of July!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Busy in June
It is hard to believe June is half over. Once again time seems to be flying. On June 6, right after church, I headed to San Antonio. I had several doctor appointments to attend. Monday was for an annual appt. Tuesday was a checkup with the heart surgeon. Then on Wednesday I saw my primary care physician. I have wanted to get a tetanus booster for some time now, but learned I had to have a doctor appt. if I wanted insurance to pay. Insurance companies can be so dumb. They won’t pay for a $60 vaccine without a doctor diagnosis of an abrasion, but no problem paying for a hospital stay and months of therapy due to lock jaw. Sadly, people do contact lock jaw every year. 1 and out 5 who get the virus, which is found in soil, will die. The rest will have lifelong medical issues resulting from the virus. A tetanus shot prevents all this. They say we should get a booster every 10 years but you can become at risk sooner than that. With all the work I am doing out here, I am getting scratched and poked, resulting in mild bleeding frequently. Getting the shot is worth the peace of mind.
I came home Thursday, June 10. Always nice to get home but it can be a long drive. I had to make a number of stops in Kerrville. One of those stops is always at the grocery store for food.
Saturday Pastor Albert and his wife Karen Green hauled my mattress in their truck from the mattress store in San Antonio and delivered it to my back door. I can now sleep in my new bed in the master bedroom. I had been sleeping in my old bed in the office. The master has a ceiling fan, the office does not. Though while in San Antonio I bought ceiling fans for the office and spare bedroom. It is hot in those rooms and a ceiling fan is necessary to save on cooling costs. I am very thankful to Pastor Albert and his wife for bringing me my mattress. The person who originally promised to help me get it here has been unable to do so due to his elderly father’s declining health and multiple hospital stays.
I have been busy working ever since I got home. Outside I have gardening to do, rocks to haul, and much more. Today I filled a 5 gallon bucket half full with caliche and carried it about half a mile to a pot hole in the road. Still needs more but I need a wagon to haul anymore. I am collecting rocks to build a rock wall skirt around the mobile home. Need to get the north wall done as soon as possible. The back door is on the north wall and those stairs to the door are dangerous. They were never built properly. Once the skirt is built on the north wall, a deck and new stairs will be built there.
I have been busy working inside too. There is always bookkeeping to do, computer work to finish, emails to read, and much more. I spent last night cleaning the two bathrooms.
Last fall I started feeling an urgency to go looking for land. That is when I hopped in my car and took off for the Texas Hill Country. I had planned on visiting a number of realtors and assumed it would take awhile to find the land God wanted me to purchase. Instead the very first realtor led me to this property. I am once again feeling that urgency. There is so much to do here, so little money, very few volunteers, and an urgency to get it done. Places need to be built for people to live in. The other day stone buildings occurred to me. There are a number of old stone houses in Rocksprings. There are plenty of rocks on this land with which to use to build with. God just needs to supply people who know how to construct a stone building. I am sure He will.
This Saturday I will be returning to San Antonio. A dear friend (Sue McClellan) passed away a few weeks ago at the age 85 and her service will be held on Monday. She had been sick for awhile and now is healthy, well, and mentally alert in Heaven. Her sister, Polly Wiggins, worked with me in the church library for years. I had a wonderful visit with Polly last week. She is moving to a retirement community in the Phoenix area next weekend and will be near her daughter. Polly will be 90 years old on July 4th. I probably will never see her again on this side of eternity. So it was good to spend a little time with her.
Please keep Sue’s loved ones in prayer as this is a difficult time for them. And pray for workers and donations to come to this ranch. People are contacting me and it is just a matter of time before folks start showing up.
I came home Thursday, June 10. Always nice to get home but it can be a long drive. I had to make a number of stops in Kerrville. One of those stops is always at the grocery store for food.
Saturday Pastor Albert and his wife Karen Green hauled my mattress in their truck from the mattress store in San Antonio and delivered it to my back door. I can now sleep in my new bed in the master bedroom. I had been sleeping in my old bed in the office. The master has a ceiling fan, the office does not. Though while in San Antonio I bought ceiling fans for the office and spare bedroom. It is hot in those rooms and a ceiling fan is necessary to save on cooling costs. I am very thankful to Pastor Albert and his wife for bringing me my mattress. The person who originally promised to help me get it here has been unable to do so due to his elderly father’s declining health and multiple hospital stays.
I have been busy working ever since I got home. Outside I have gardening to do, rocks to haul, and much more. Today I filled a 5 gallon bucket half full with caliche and carried it about half a mile to a pot hole in the road. Still needs more but I need a wagon to haul anymore. I am collecting rocks to build a rock wall skirt around the mobile home. Need to get the north wall done as soon as possible. The back door is on the north wall and those stairs to the door are dangerous. They were never built properly. Once the skirt is built on the north wall, a deck and new stairs will be built there.
I have been busy working inside too. There is always bookkeeping to do, computer work to finish, emails to read, and much more. I spent last night cleaning the two bathrooms.
Last fall I started feeling an urgency to go looking for land. That is when I hopped in my car and took off for the Texas Hill Country. I had planned on visiting a number of realtors and assumed it would take awhile to find the land God wanted me to purchase. Instead the very first realtor led me to this property. I am once again feeling that urgency. There is so much to do here, so little money, very few volunteers, and an urgency to get it done. Places need to be built for people to live in. The other day stone buildings occurred to me. There are a number of old stone houses in Rocksprings. There are plenty of rocks on this land with which to use to build with. God just needs to supply people who know how to construct a stone building. I am sure He will.
This Saturday I will be returning to San Antonio. A dear friend (Sue McClellan) passed away a few weeks ago at the age 85 and her service will be held on Monday. She had been sick for awhile and now is healthy, well, and mentally alert in Heaven. Her sister, Polly Wiggins, worked with me in the church library for years. I had a wonderful visit with Polly last week. She is moving to a retirement community in the Phoenix area next weekend and will be near her daughter. Polly will be 90 years old on July 4th. I probably will never see her again on this side of eternity. So it was good to spend a little time with her.
Please keep Sue’s loved ones in prayer as this is a difficult time for them. And pray for workers and donations to come to this ranch. People are contacting me and it is just a matter of time before folks start showing up.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Mission Opportunities
Living out in the country has both its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are obvious; the quiet, beauty, nature all around.
Disadvantages also exist. If I crave something but do not have it in the house, tough. There is a small store in Rocksprings, a Super S. But the nearest decent size grocery store and Wal-Mart is an hour away in Kerrville. Believe me; I keep paper attached to the fridge so I can keep a running list of what I need at the store. It would be a real drag to drive to Kerrville and forget something at the grocery store. On the bright side, I no longer succumb to fattening cravings.
It can be very inconvenient living so far from civilization. It is hard to get large purchases delivered and when the company will deliver, they charge a lot. A few months ago I purchased a mattress. A friend had said he would help me bring it home since the company refuses to deliver so far away. Unfortunately things came up and he has been unable to do so. I have found someone else with a truck who can pick it up for me and I am anxiously waiting.
No matter how inconvenient it is living out here or how lonely I may get at times, it is worth it because I am here doing God’s will. For over a decade I have been making decisions based on God calling me to help people who are sick like I use to be, who need help, and who still need to discover God still heals.
I will admit though that at times this project seems overwhelming. There is so much to do. No single person can get it all done, let alone have all the needed skills. I have been doing what I can do and praying for volunteers to help with the rest. The need is great and urgent. Just last week I received a letter from a woman in need. She is very ill and had a long list of medical problems, so many she can no longer take care of herself. She also mentioned a couple with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) who also are in need. Then last Friday I received a call from a man who also has MCS. He is not sure what he is going to do but does not want to spend another winter in Montana.
If you have a desire to spend a few days out in the country spending some time doing missions, let me know. I have plenty of room (1,700 sq ft house) for people to stay. I have two airbeds, a twin bed in the office, and soon a double bed in the master.
Volunteer Opportunities:
Install a laminate floor in the community room;
Build a small deck (8ft by 19ft) and stairs off the back door;
Build raised vegetable gardening beds (rock walls);
Convert a cistern into a rain barrel for catching and storing rain water for watering the garden;
Minor house repairs;
Sawing/trimming dead Mountain Cedar trees to be used in building projects, burning off the left twigs;
Cleaning out a cabin/shed;
Painting;
Plus more…
ao_communities@yahoo.com
Disadvantages also exist. If I crave something but do not have it in the house, tough. There is a small store in Rocksprings, a Super S. But the nearest decent size grocery store and Wal-Mart is an hour away in Kerrville. Believe me; I keep paper attached to the fridge so I can keep a running list of what I need at the store. It would be a real drag to drive to Kerrville and forget something at the grocery store. On the bright side, I no longer succumb to fattening cravings.
It can be very inconvenient living so far from civilization. It is hard to get large purchases delivered and when the company will deliver, they charge a lot. A few months ago I purchased a mattress. A friend had said he would help me bring it home since the company refuses to deliver so far away. Unfortunately things came up and he has been unable to do so. I have found someone else with a truck who can pick it up for me and I am anxiously waiting.
No matter how inconvenient it is living out here or how lonely I may get at times, it is worth it because I am here doing God’s will. For over a decade I have been making decisions based on God calling me to help people who are sick like I use to be, who need help, and who still need to discover God still heals.
I will admit though that at times this project seems overwhelming. There is so much to do. No single person can get it all done, let alone have all the needed skills. I have been doing what I can do and praying for volunteers to help with the rest. The need is great and urgent. Just last week I received a letter from a woman in need. She is very ill and had a long list of medical problems, so many she can no longer take care of herself. She also mentioned a couple with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) who also are in need. Then last Friday I received a call from a man who also has MCS. He is not sure what he is going to do but does not want to spend another winter in Montana.
If you have a desire to spend a few days out in the country spending some time doing missions, let me know. I have plenty of room (1,700 sq ft house) for people to stay. I have two airbeds, a twin bed in the office, and soon a double bed in the master.
Volunteer Opportunities:
Install a laminate floor in the community room;
Build a small deck (8ft by 19ft) and stairs off the back door;
Build raised vegetable gardening beds (rock walls);
Convert a cistern into a rain barrel for catching and storing rain water for watering the garden;
Minor house repairs;
Sawing/trimming dead Mountain Cedar trees to be used in building projects, burning off the left twigs;
Cleaning out a cabin/shed;
Painting;
Plus more…
ao_communities@yahoo.com
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