No rain for us since the great flood and we are dry as the dust coming from the Sahara Desert. Not that dry -- I exaggerate a little -- the ponds are still full and our wells are working! We live through this sort of spell constantly, year in and year out, mud to our belt buckle and then this opposite force sets in. It might be the human factor working in us that makes our living on the land, our dependency on the weather and the lack of control of it cause us to see the worst in every situation.
We have a little breathing room in the work right now. The AI cows have been taken care of, bred to calve in March, no rampant sickness in the herds, and it is hot out in the sun. We try to take care of hard labor early in the day, post hole digging and that sort of labor. Therefore, I sometimes get to sit around the house and read the paper, farming magazines and just soak up the cool air and iced tea.
I sat down in the living room yesterday after lunch and was reading the instruction book that came with the new refrigerator. Seems as though it has filters and they must be changed. Not as easy to take care of as the one my sainted mother started with. A block of ice, empty the drip pan and that was the drill. No filters and I am discovering the proper filters come with the price of seven gold nuggets!
The telephone rang, landline and we like it, so my close relative dried her hands as she came to answer it. The caller must have been giving a long speech as she stood for several minutes listening intently. Then, hand on her hip, the look of don't confront me on her face and she began.
"Hey, you don't want me in your group, I voted for Trump, Robert E. Lee is my hero and my firstborn son is named Bubba!" With that, she gently hung the phone up and returned to the kitchen!
I sat still, admiring her and thankful she was able to think on her feet like a true Southern Belle! I was surprised, tickled and trying to remember word-for-word the entire discourse of the comment! I asked her who she was talking to and all she said was some snowflake had wanted her to protest something. What a lady! Wish I had recorded the scene on my phone and had it for posterity.
After a nice long rest, I finally went to check on the water tank in the rented place and it is a good thing as the thing was running over. It is watered by the county water line and costs enough when it isn't wasted. I had to replace the old valve and, so, it was a three-hour job but at least it was not out in the sun. I knew when I used the old valve, it might not last, but I didn't want to buy a new one. I pay one way or another!
It is my opinion, and everyone has one, this is about as good as it will ever be on this earth. We are all healthy, have food in the kitchen, not one sickly animal on the place, fences are all up and the hay from the first cutting is in the barn. The Lord sure is good to us and we are an ungrateful race of people, fuss about the lack of rain and we know He is gonna take care of us with or without rain! I am able to sleep good, eat well, pray often and visit with friends! What a deal!
Stay home, wash your hands and be kind to your dog!
Bill is the pen name used by the Gravette area author of this weekly column. Opinions expressed are those of the author.