Farming . . . Trapping . . . Wildlife

Farming is in full swing right now.  We have finally gotten our pivots all working and now we are running water to irrigate as much of our place as we can at once.  It has been so dry this spring that there is not much grass anywhere.  We have some pasture that is sub irrigated by some small springs and so the cows are all doing fine but everything is still dry.  We are grateful for the water to irrigate with.  Hopefully by the end of the week we will have our last bit of irrigation water on.  I have taken on the job with my son of trapping gophers.  Our irrigation district has a $1 bounty on them so we have been trapping.  Decided that it is good we are not making our living off the trapping but we are getting quite a few.  As with most other things on this place the gopher population has not been a priority.  Trapping gives lot of walking - talking - and thinking time.  So we have lots of fun hiking around together.  Today we saw a deer doe and wondered if she had a baby hid out.  Sure enough this evening we saw her in the same spot.  We waited very quietly and saw a tiny fawn come following her.  It was only as tall as her knee and all spotted.  So very cute.  My son was entranced.  We just had some baby barn owls grow up enough to get out of their nest this last week.  It was thrilling to watch them grow and sit and watch us over the sides of their nest as we went by on the road.  Now they have grown up enough to leave it.  The chucker, quail, ducks, pheasants, red tailed hawks and golden eagles are all nesting right now too and we have all these on our place.  It is fun to listen to them all talking to each other and get ready to raise their young. 

House Warming . . . Open House

We are having our first official guests this coming week.  Like extra people staying at our house.  I am pretty excited.  I finally got our bed set up off the floor and a queen bed set up in our guest room.  And I have scheduled our Open House.  I am kind of excited about that.  It should be a fun afternoon.  A thank you to friends who helped up along the way.  New friends we have made.  I have talked about doing an open house since we started this whole project and so to actually have it on the calendar sounds like fun.  It will be interesting to see who all shows up. 

Peace

Since building our house one of my favorite places is my deck.  Many people have commented that this deck is the best part of my house.  There is cover and sunshine.  A beautiful view.  Some new flower baskets.  Solid footing.  Comfortable chairs.  A radio.  Birds singing.  This deck was a major project in early December.  Lots of fun time spent building it.  Good visits will be had on it.  Books enjoyed here.  Targets shot off the back.  Peaceful is a good description of this space.  I truly am loving my house.  There is a peace that resides here.  Not just on the deck, but on this place.  I don't and haven't always felt it, but it is here.  I can choose to walk in it or not.  I can accept it or run.  But it is there.  Always there.  There is quiet and calm.  Peace.  That is a lot like life.  There is always peace waiting for us.  Sometimes we are not there.  Sometimes we are not even aware there is a place of peace.  And other times we are sitting smack dab in the middle and don't realize it.  And then sometimes we choose to run from the PEACE to something that seems it may bring peace - but it doesn't.  Sometimes someone or something happens to my peace.  The things I have so carefully lined up that will bring peace get thrown into the fan to fall where they may and I am left to wonder what happened.  Some big storm comes in and it seems there is no peace.  But there is.  I know the Prince of Peace.  The God of Second Chances.  The one who always believes in me.  Who extends grace when I royally mess up.  Who helps me up.  Gives me some clean clothes to put on and then helps me walk through whatever is currently hitting the fan in my life.  Sometimes it is pretty messy.   But a friend and I were talking about Bible characters today and it was a fun and interesting discussion.  One of my favorite is the Apostle Peter.  Probably because I can relate to him.  I think that Jesus chose Peter as one of his disciples simply to give the rest of us following HOPE.  Because Peter was constantly opening his mouth to insert his other foot.  And Jesus still loved him.  Moses had an anger management problem.  And yet, he glowed from being in the presence of God.  King David had a Grandmother who had been a prostitute.  He killed one of his good friends after stealing his wife and yet was called a man after Gods own heart.  I think that God put these people and their stories in the Bible and has preserved that book over centuries to show us hope.  To show us that his hope conquers and brings peace. 

Mothers Day

Mom's Day was a  fun, different, tearful, laughter filled, Nerf-gun war, BBQ, kittens and calves, Good friends, New friends, wonderful day.  I enjoyed it.  Very relaxing.  Peaceful.  Life still feels raw at times.  There are so many reminders of Life. The two other women at our BBQ have recently had huge losses in their lives as well and we all are at various stages of that process on the road of what just hit my life?  Discovering one of the reasons God gives us friends is to help us along those rough spots in life.  So Glad!  I love the fact that I can call my Mom.  That we can visit and chat about life, and all the interesting things she is doing and we are doing.  That life does go on.  Sometimes I am ready for it to pause for a bit.  Maybe my brain could catch up!  :)  We continue moving forward though.  Time does heal.  But that doesn't mean it fills in the chasm.  It just builds a bridge over it.  I think.  My bridge is still under construction.  But the process is interesting.  The construction is different.  Sometimes it hurts.  Sometimes it brings joy and a smile.  A laugh. A tear.  All these are parts and pieces of the bridge.  Today was a fun day.  Spent with friends.  Laughing and crying together. Thank God for the days in life set aside to remember the Special People and special lives who have touched and impacted ours.  Happy Mothers Day!

Wrapping , , ,

Spring provides such a wonderful present each year.  We have beautiful flowers, green grass, baby colts, full creeks, wildflowers, Thundershowers, baby calves, nesting birds, and the list goes on.  It is like knowing that life does go on.  After every winter comes a spring.  Wrapped in the winter cold, snow, and dark is the promise that spring will come.  After the dark night there is always the morning.  After the thunderstorm there is a rainbow.  Every storm has to run out of rain.  It seem like there has been a lot of storms - on various levels - in my life over the last season.  So much of winter.  There has been some wonderful rainbows along the way.  Friendships made. Life lived.  Surprises.  Tears. Hugs. Good talks. Long walks. Prayers. Peace.  Love. Life. These are the wrapping that go on the spring of life too.  The bright spots in the winter and in the storms are to keep the hope alive.  Because every storm has to eventually run out of rain.  Then the rainbow gets to shine.  I love rainbows because they remind me of Gods promise.  There is always a plan of redemption.  I was reading Max Lucado the other day and he wrote . . ."before the sound of the crunch from the apple in the garden had faded away Jesus was on his way to the cross".  The plan of redemption was there and put into play.  In the same way God made the seasons of life and the seasons of the years to remind us and to keep reminding me to keep going.  The rain eventually will end.  I know there have been times I could just sit in a puddle and stay.  And then the sun would break through and I could dance in the rain.  But had to keep on going.  Spring is here. While some things remain in the storms of life other sections of life are breaking out and enjoying the sun.  Now we can enjoy those rainbow wrapped days.  I am sure there will continue to be storms.  But for now I can enjoy the sunshine.