Yard work

Several years ago Joey Burns and I  began clearing the fence line. I don't  know how many hours we worked in briars but we managed to clear a small section and keep most of it maintained. Then DOT did some road work and cleared out the entire area we had worked on!!
So last year when they built the school and paved the road, they not only took 1/3 of our front yard, they also cleared a good chunk of the fence line (a long with the fence). When we complained about the fence being moved, they put a new barbed wire fence in, but it's  no longer on the property line.
So we've  once again started tackling the task of clearing the fenceline and repairing what is left of the old fence. Josh and Jake have done an incredible amount of work and I can't  believe how much progress they've  made in just a few days!

 The trees in this pic is where DOT stopped clearing. From immediately in front of the trees to the woods is how much they've accomplished.

 And here you can see where they've  found the original fence line!

 This is the "creek bed" where water runs from the road towards the pond. One of our goals in this project is for the water to flow this way again and not flood the side yard.

And this shot is from the woods looking back toward the trees. I think it shows a better view of how much distance the boys have covered!

Starting out with an oops...

So this morning we were up and early so I could make it to my classes on time. I glanced at the calendar as I head out the door and halfway to class my mind starts telling me that I saw 10 AM  on the calendar and not 9 AM  as I've been thinking all week. So after pulling into a parking spot and call Bobby. He double checks for me, and sure enough I've  arrived an hour early! So I'm  trying to focus on what I  can accomplish during this hour instead of all the things that need doing at home. Happy Saturday!

experiment

Somewhere we've read that drilling holes into stumps and filling the holes with epsom salt will help them naturally deteriorate faster. I have three stumps in the yard and several small ones in a wooded area that we're slowly clearing (trying to get to where we can redo the fence on the property line and reclaim part of the woods near a bbq pit Bobby's dad had built years ago).  So before all the rain come this past Monday morning we went to work. I should have used a larger drill bit, but since we were fighting the clouds it was a "get this down NOW" event.  I didn't take pictures, though I'm hoping within a month we'll be very pleased with the results. Time will tell!

spring-ing

All these people keep complaining about the weather and how we don't have spring on social media, and I want to simply shake them. I understand relishing warmer temps and the sunshine, but my sinuses are now in pain mode and won't get any better for several weeks, the spring cold season is now in full force (think people sneezing on laptops during class and having to leave class because they are coughing so bad), my calendar blossoms with the warmer weather and my energy level doesn't. Don't get me wrong. I love watching seeds sprout and new growth on trees and flowers. I love biddies and watching them grow  (and so far we've not lost one to the hawks, though we did lose our rooster Tuesday morning about 3am and I'm more than a little creeped out that something got it out of the garage), and I enjoy all the events that come with warmer weather.  But I feel as if life is hopping by and I simply can't keep up with it all. In the past I've shrugged the feeling off with "well, do what you can as you can" but lately I've had this small niggling feeling inside that it's simply not enough.

And since we've made the choice to start eating healthier, I'm not purchasing Dr. Pepper so the "fizzies" help clear my throat. I did buy extra apple juice so we can drink it warm and some diet ginger ale to mix with grape juice. I'm trying to focus on what we can do and not what we can't.

Saturday wraps up the last of my training. I'm officially finished with teaching and assisting, and that day is my day for being taught. May 8th is the primary. May 12th we begin rebuilding the roof to the chicken pen and the big hen house. The babies are already going in there some so I don't think it will be too hard to move them all in when it is completed. We'll be in AL the end of May for my nephew's graduation and hopefully my Dad's surgery, then a few days with Bobby's youngest sister. By that point produce should be coming in from the garden and my days will no longer be as flexible as I would like.

So I have two more days of "freedom", though since I need to do laundry and swap out Bobby's spring and winter clothes, it won't be quite as free as I'd like! :)

one wreck photo

We will probably never know what happened that day, other than the fact God miraculously protected. This is the passenger side of the truck. My uncle and Charley's father-in-law took pics of the truck this afternoon. There was only one from inside that they've felt free to share on FB, and judging by that one, I understand why they think the other inside pics are too graphic. I am just SO amazed that he is only going home with bruises, staples in his head, and a blood spot on the brain.

Meanwhile prayers are still going up for other family members and friends who are struggling and hurting in various ways in their lives. Life in this broken world is not always easy.

answers

Monday night was awful. Tuesday was a hallelujah day. Wednesday was awful, then by Wednesday evening things finally started calming down for my cousin. We are rejoicing, even though we know there is still a very long road ahead. This is what his wife posted on FB around 3:30NC time today:

Today’s Update: Great news, we’re going home 🎉!!! He’s still hurting terribly, but we’ve gotten all the answers we need and he is seizure activity free. Memory will come back slowly. There’s a lot of details, but he’s ok. Spots on the brain will heal and so will the rest of him. No driving for a long time. He will gradually be back to normal. Words cannot explain how thankful we are for your prayers. ❤️ Monday, we were at Twin Cities thinking Dad had an aneurism when I found out about Charley’s accident. Both of the closest men in my life are safe and healthy. We are blessed.
From this picture to this picture in 4 1/2 days...

S

sI am still

chick update

The biddies are almost all feathered (meaning no more heat lamp). Hooray! We're letting them out a little more, but still cautious because of the hawks that fly around (though they've yet to catch a squirrel!). They enjoy their free range time, and venturing out around the house more. 

When laying hens face trauma, it's not unusual for them to quit laying for 2-3 days. We knew our injured hen would not lay for quite a while (her butt feathers/fuzz are growing back but her tail is still bare), but we've been disappointed at how long the uninjured hen has gone without laying. Sunday night we got our first egg from her. :) They're still making a horrible mess in the garage, but I'm hoping within 2 weeks we'll have at least the roof on the pen so they can resume going into the house.