It's the Bee's Knees!

And The Winner Is.......

2011-01-01T19:38:00.003-06:00

Charlie did the honors tonite, and the winner of the Tommy Nelson Chronological Study Bible is Sue Johnson! Sue and her husband Rick are some of my parents oldest and dearest friends.(They have known my parents longer than I have). I was able to meet this sweet couple in October, when we celebrated my parents 50th wedding aniversary in Annapolis, Maryland. Incidentally, Sue is the co-author of, GrandLoving, a book full of ideas on how (if you are a grandparent) to connect and make memories with grandchildren, especially when distance may impede a close connection.

Congratulations Sue :).......enjoy! (I will have your prize in the mail ASAP, so you will only be a few days behind in reading).

Be Blessed in 2011~ Liz

Passing the Baton / Challenge

2010-12-29T19:24:00.019-06:00

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (Rev 22:21)

(new readers: free offer at the end of this blog post...keep reading!)

Almost one year ago (360 days to be exact), our Pastor, Phil, issued a challenge that I took personally. Well, maybe it wasn't a challenge......maybe it was encouragement, or a recommendation..... definitely it was advice. I don't remember all of the context of the sermon (Sorry Phil, it was a year ago!), but his words spoke to me, and given that it was the beginning of a new year, I decided to add it to my list of New Year's resolutions for 2010. I can't remember any of my other resolutions this year (so I'm pretty sure I didn't keep them :)..... but I did keep one that I will finish today: reading the Bible (cover to cover) in one year. Amen.

Coincidentally, Charlie and I were given The Chronological Study Bible last Christmas, so God was definitely "giving me the nudge" to Do This.

On January 3rd, I started my journey with this FABULOUS Bible. In addition to actually reading the entire Bible, I also got an enormous dose of World History, Christian History and Middle Eastern Archeology and Anthropology. I mean, WOW. Not to say it's been easy all the time. Truly, even with interesting facts and tidbits imbedded thruout this NKJV study Bible, there are tedious sections, so perseverence is key (Even tho lineage is terribly important for the history and birth of Jesus, reading about who begat whom can get to be a little dry........). I am content and joyful with regards to this milestone in my life, and a little sad that I've ended this journey. The good news is that this past year has piqued my interest in a number of Biblical subjects, so I have some investigative work to complete in 2011 and beyond :).

Yesterday, I decided that I wanted to celebrate the completion of my journey by "passing the baton" and by being an encourager for someone who is just waiting for this challenge to cross their path at the right time in their life. So, I have purchased a new Chronological Study Bible (the same one I've just completed), and I would like to give it to someone who has serious intent to rise to the occasion.....to be part of the 10% of Christians who have read the entire Bible. Everyone who leaves a comment on this blog and expresses an interest will be entered in a drawing for this Bible. I don't care where you are in the world....I will mail it to you if you don't live in our area, or deliver it in person if you do :). Make this YOUR New Year's Resolution for 2011. I will be drawing the winner on January 1st and will get your Bible to you ASAP.......I can promise that you won't regret this. With love and blessings~ Liz

PS- Charlie has told me that he is accepting this challenge in January 2011 too.....with our copy :)....I am very proud of him for this as he doesn't find reading as enjoyable as I do.

A Little Donkey Carried Mary.......

2010-12-24T15:44:00.008-06:00

This is the perfect time of year to wear your Christmas Spirit where all can see. We wish you joy, love, and the Peace that passes all understanding this season. Merry Christmas everyone!

Brought to you by Donkey Boy.....

("whew.....I'm going back to the barn....lose the wreath, and grab another cookie. The things they make me do around here....")

Connections

2010-12-14T07:43:00.011-06:00

Recently I have grown deeply grateful for the ability to connect with friends, family, and new acquaintances on the Internet. I have relationships with so many people who live internationally, and without email and skype and somewhat inexpensive phone calls, I doubt we could (or would) remain close. With this ability, I am able to give and receive support as friends and family do in times of need.

This year I've made the attempt to blog more, not because I need to document or express myself, but to give those who care another avenue to explore what is current in our life out here. Earlier this year, I found a neat little widget to add to my blog (it is in the upper left corner). By clicking on the icon, you get a 24hour snapshot of general locations of blog visitors. Surprise!!! There are apparently people I don't even know who have at least a passing interest in my little corner of Texas. (Hi! to all you unknown friends out there :). For the most part, visitors are quiet and never give any comments or feedback, and that's fine....as I said, blogging for me is not a narcissistic release.

However, I'd like to try something rather global. It may fail, but my hope is that it succeeds this Christmas season. Back in August, I made a brief reference to some dear friends who were moving to Honduras to begin a life of humanitarian mission work. Alex and Laura are the most selfless giving couple I personally know. They formerly had great careers in one of the wealthiest areas of the United States and have sold everything and moved to Honduras to assist with orphans in the most remote corner of the country. Did I tell you that Honduras is the 2nd poorest country in the world, and that this area is even poorer than that country's average? They have founded an approved 501c3 non profit called Reach Out Honduras to raise money and awareness for this group of forgotten people. (please click on ROH to learn more). Charlie and I are both directly involved in ROH stateside, and we believe strongly in what Alex and Laura are doing for people who literally have less than nothing. This Christmas season, ROH is attempting to raise money for some very specific projects to help people help themselves (think, gardens, chickens, education etc). Donations of any size are so appreciated to this worthy cause. Please consider making a 100% tax deductible donation to ROH, by going here or here . I think it would be an amazing miracle for ROH to have "their flipflops blessed off" by having donations made by people all over the world. In a primarily selfcentered society, isn't it the perfect time of year to give without the expectation of something in return?

If you happen to have popped in accidentally and are reading my blog for the first time, Welcome! I hope you come back. :). The world really isn't such a very big place with connections.

God bless~ Liz

Gobble!

2010-11-24T21:22:00.004-06:00

From our turkey (George) and the rest of us at Ararat Acres to yours this happy Thursday......Happy Thanksgiving to all!

**note: George is especially happy because he is out in the yard, and not on someone's table today. He is an adoptee here, of course :)

Giving Away

2010-11-19T16:55:00.009-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, we began our fall cleanup of annual plant debris. My dear Dad helped us tremendously by taking down the brown and withered vines of this year's crop of formerly glorious Morning Glories. I asked him to save me a few seeds to pass on to some of my friends who have admired them in summers past. These viney lovelies are grand, beautiful, and bountiful!

Some people even go so far as to call them a weed. A weed, however, is only a misplaced plant.....but I digress~ My Dad, ever the man to complete a task well done, provided me with THOUSANDS of Morning Glory seeds. If you....any of you, out there in cyberland.....would like some seeds from these beauties (or if you are interested in starting your very own pink spotted hawk moth sanctuary), please let me know, and I will mail you some of your very own. Just making the world a prettier place, one seed at a time :).

Oldest Pig on the Block / Ode to Piggy Sue

2010-11-14T15:48:00.014-06:00

I was reading in the Dallas Morning News earlier this week that the "Oldest Pot Bellied Pig"(documented by the Guiness Book of World Records) had passed away at the ripe old age of 21. Turns out, Oscar lived just 1 & 1/2 hours away, in Dallas. Who knew??? In the article, the writer also mentioned that the normal life expectancy of a PBP is 12-15 years. This I did not know, and apparently, Piggy Sue doesn't know either :)....and I'm not going to tell her :).

Piggy Sue has been known as our "Grandma Pig" around here for the last few years. She is roughly 17. Piggy Sue was our first rescue when we moved up to this area 16 years ago. She had been living in an apartment with a well-meaning young guy who had followed the "trendy pet of the year" gang, and had bought her.....and had also bought in to the misconception that pigs make great apartment pets. Uhh, right.

Pigs are brilliant creatures, and can be taught pretty much any trick you could teach a dog (within their physiological capabilities!). I personally can attest to the fact that a pig can and does hold the ability to reason (I've seen it in action). However, while you CAN give a pig an education, you cannot take away their instincts. I will leave it up to your imagination what kind of damage a pig, whose natural instincts include rooting and nesting, could inflict on an apartment or house if left unsupervised. Heck, I guess you could say that about kids too...who am I kidding???

All this to say, we ended up with a sweet yearling piglet whom we renamed Piggy Sue (I honestly don't even remember her original name). And in the last 16 years, we have loved sweet piggy.

She's kept us laughing as she hung out with the other animals that have passed thru Ararat Acres' gates. In her younger years, she outraced Charlie in a footrace. (Charlie will never admit he was beat by a pig...he claims to have been tripped.)Piggy Sue learned to use the doggy door, could sit for a treat, and wore matching bandanas with her doggie peeps.

Piggy Sue can pick up on emotions almost instantly. When she was a younger pig, if a farm guest was afraid of her, she would puff up her hair and grunt menacingly (although harmlessly!), as though she knew she could convince the visitor that their fears were valid. Not! However, if a guest showed zero fear, she would be sweet as pie to them. Honestly, I think she got a kick out of making kids (and adults) think she was one big bad pig..... when she thought she could get away with it.

A few things we have learned about pigs:
Truly, given the option, they DON'T like mud, especially if it's cold wet mud. She would tiptoe out to eat and pee, and then go right back into her room.

Pigs have a large and distinctive vocabulary. Every grunt has a very specific meaning based on tone, pitch, and cadence. In a split second, I can tell you if she is happy, angry, content, hungry, territorial, in pain, or pleased with herself (just to name a few).

I am not a vegetarian, but I don't eat a ton of meat. Living with an intelligent pig has reinforced my belief that all animals deserve to live a dignified life in the surroundings that they were meant to live (ie- in a pasture with fresh food and water. NOT in a feedlot). I've just seen too many irrefutable examples that animals do have feelings, which do include fear and despair.

Piggy Sue has terrible arthritis now, and she sleeps most of her days away. A couple of years ago, we had to move her to a bedded down stall (we always leave the door open). She had decided that no old woman should have to go outside on a rainy cold day to go to the bathroom. (This did not jive with our belief that one can have many animals and still be clean folks.) On a beautiful day, she may come out and sleep in the sun. I think she has three teeth left. Because of this, her daily diet now consists of small food pellets and bananas. She loves her bananas.
I figure, in pig years, sweet Piggy Sue is roughly 96 years old. That's pretty dang old.....even for a sweet loveable pig.

Then and Now

2010-10-22T10:19:00.032-05:00

In June of 1960, my father graduated from the United States Naval Academy. The very same day, he married his high school sweetheart...my mother, at the Naval Academy Chapel. I have been told it was a very quick ceremony, as there was a que of midshipmen and their soon-to-be brides ready to also tie the knot.

(the newly wedded couple, circa June 1960)

Since then, they have lived in California, Wyoming, Iowa, and Texas. They have raised 3 kids, and are loving being grandparents to two sweet granddaughters. They have loved, laughed, cried, and travelled together. They have grown old together. 50 years is not easy all the time.....but the best things in life are usually not.

(The family: 3 generations all together in one place, celebrating the 50th this past weekend at the USNA Chapel)

As Charlie and I pass milestones ourselves (we are at 18), it becomes so clear that only the strongest of hearts can survive as a team. He is the the strength to my weaknesses, and I am likewise his. I know my parents would say the same of each other.

Happy 50th Anniversary to my sweet mom and dad!

1960- 2010

Quoted

2010-10-11T05:50:00.002-05:00

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which as been opened for us.

~ Helen Keller

On A Lighter Note.....

2010-10-04T14:26:00.016-05:00

This summer we've had some interesting interlopers on our porch. Charlie first noticed these amazingly enormous caterpillars that appeared to feast on the morning glory vines that wend their way around our porch railings in the summers. These fellas are huge..almost as big as Charlie's thumb, and certainly larger than mine. They caught our attention and our curiosity antennae perked up, so of course, we went to work trying to identify our porch guests.

After some serious sleuthing (brown caterpillars are extraordinarily difficult to identify), we discovered we were harboring the youthful precursor of the pink spotted hawkmoth. The only way we were able to identify the darlings was by way of their dietary preference: Morning Glories. The Pink Spotted Hawkmoth is an enormous moth that is frequently mistaken for a hummingbird because of its darting vertical and lateral movements.

By an odd twist of luck, a few days later we happened to see one, AND I actually had my camera in my purse and was able to get some decent pictures. Additionally, I accidentally had my camera on video for a few seconds, so I actually got a quick shot of what their flying looks like. Enjoy!

Again

2010-09-27T14:01:00.009-05:00

Sometimes it feels like I just get over grieving for one animal, when we lose another one. I know you must think I live in an animal cemetery given the number of animals we bury. And yes, most of them rest here in their earthen plots. They all have their own stone markers.... it is a peaceful place. I love them all, and I hate hate hate hate hate this part of my life where I have to say goodbye to my sweet friends. But I'll never stop loving and never stop rescuing because of it. Charlie says (and I so agree), the goodness of our helping animals and the joy in our lives because of it so outweighs this pain we feel when we lose one.

Sweet Earl. Earl the Pearl. Uncle Earl. Earl...aka Baby Huey. I believe he is nine this year. My how time flies. Earl was born at Ararat Acres. One of the few furry family members that has that distinction. He was born with a club foot, a structural deformity, that while not immediately life threatening, was a definite future threat to a long life.

See, there is this old saying: No hoof, No horse. Beginning when he was just a foal, we started managing Earl's condition. He wore glue on shoes (because his feet were too small for regular horseshoes) for probably a year. His structural defect lead to bouts of laminitis (for more info on that, click here) which got worse and uglier every year. Summers have been the hardest. Inevitably, he would abscess on a front hoof. We would go thru (every summer) a month of wrapping, soaking, doctoring, changing stall bedding (for he had to become an indoor horse during this time), etc. I can make the best duct tape horse boot on the planet.

Earl has been ever so patient with all of this, although he sorely misses his friends as he spends his days in isolation. This summer has been the worst. His episodes of pain have been so obvious. Clearly, we have been fighting a losing battle with a structural deformity that has finally gotten the best of all of us.

Regarding the Obvious (that was his APHA name). Earl. My mom always thought we had named him after my Great Uncle Earl. I never had the heart to tell her differently. We give all the boys their barn names of country music singers. Earl = Earl Thomas Connelly, Earl Scruggs, Robert Earl Keen, Goodbye Earl (that was actually a Dixie Chicks song, and our Earl was a much nicer person than the one the song referred to).

Sweet Earl. Always quick to befriend a new horse. Even Donkey Boy.

Earl. My problem child who frequently found unique ways to hurt himself. Doesn't every mother have one?

A redhead, our Earl. Being a lightskinned sorrel paint means sunglasses and protection for the sunburn prone areas. I am an expert on prevention of sunburn on horses now because of him.

Earl. Who was so sweet with all the foals we've had. We never had to worry that he would hurt them, despite their youthful antics. Frequently, he would join in their "reindeer" games. A great babysitter, our Uncle Earl, during weaning season.

Young Earl, who managed to almost scalp himself by running into a wood fence when he was less than a month old. He lay with his head in my lap while tears ran down his face. It hurt, I could tell it hurt as we waited for the vet to come sew him up. Proof that horses do cry.

We called him "one of the girls" simply because he was the only guy in the pasture, and he was good friends to all of them. Don't we all know a guy like that :).

He only unseated one of us one time.....( it was Charlie)....and when you step on a live electrical wire, it's only natural to buck, right?

Have you ever been licked across the face by a horse? No? Well, you should have spent some time with Earl. He was loveable like that.

Soft peppermints. Yes, it's wrong to give a horse too many sweets, but he sure does like them on occasion.

Sweet Earl. You were a tall man with a big heart. You are missed by all of us and you are loved.

March 2001 - September 2010

Melons Are Alot Like Life

2010-09-19T14:26:00.008-05:00

(Today's post is brought to you, in its entirety, by Charlie)

It is always better to pick a side, rather than to straddle the fence of life. :)

Ending the Drought

2010-09-15T06:35:00.006-05:00

In the last week we finally received some much needed rain. Hay prices were rising due to lack of local hay production,and potential animal injuries were on the rise from the dry, cracked earth. Our pond was completely dried up. The grasshoppers appeared to be thriving on the lack of moisture. But then the sky opened up and graced us with about 5 inches of rain in the last week.

Another kind of drought. One year, 5 months, and 12 days (not that I've been counting). Charlie has received an offer for a job, building a large apartment complex. He begins October 1st. We are blessed. And we have survived the drought. Praise God!

A Heron In The House and A Donkey On My Doorstep - (part 2)

2010-09-12T15:45:00.021-05:00

After last week's harrowing event, I thought I'd lighten things up with a pictorial update of Donkey Boy. I'm not sure exactly how we've managed around here these last 15 years in the country without the love, companionship, and complete adorableness of Donkey Boy. He has moved in and made himself at home. Although we "put him to bed" in an enclosure at night (for his own safety), for the most part he pretty much has the run of Ararat Acres. He has proven himself to be trustworthy and liked by all the animals....although Murphy and Elvis (aka- "the boys") are by far his favorite running buddies. He has managed to sneak into their pasture at least 3 times, and all 3 times, The Boys appeared to be delighted by his presence. What makes this unusual is that Murphy is still a stallion, and therefore should not be all that friendly towards testosterone toting equines (other males). Such creatures could be considered a threat to his manhood, if you get my drift.

In the above pictures: Donkey Boy and Elvis race each other. Elvis and Murphy watch Donkey Boy (not pictured) hang out with me. Donkey Boy and Elvis in conversation.

Additionally, Donkey Boy has mastered every set of stairs on our wrap around porch. At any given moment during the day, we may hear "tip tap tip tap tip tap" as he wanders around the porch, looking for someone to scratch his ears, face, back, belly, etc..... Heaven forbid that our windows be open and he hears us inside the house. Then, we may get a donkey serenade until we go out and do some obligatory ear scratching.

Donkey Boy checks out one of the cat's lairs.

Donkey Boy and Leo The Wonder Kitty explore to the left........."Come On...I'll show you the right side too". (Doesn't this sound like the next super hero duo to conquer the world: DONKEYBOY AND LEO THE WONDERKITTY....TO INFINITY AND BEYOND! )

Currently (as of this post), the only place still out of bounds is inside our house. Hey, we do have our limits....at least for now. Charlie keeps threatening/asking about putting furniture protectors on DB's hooves so that he won't mar the antique wood floors we have. (And this, from a man who...in his former life.....was somewhat of a city boy!) We are still normal enough people to keep the donkey out of the house :). That's all I have to say about that...for now anyway.

A Heron In The House and A Donkey On My Doorstep

2010-09-09T20:41:00.026-05:00

(Author's Note: The following is a true story. I couldn't make this stuff up....even if I tried. Really.)

This last week has been a flurry of activity, and I have so many entries I'd like to post, but not nearly enough time to recreate what goes on in my life. This one, however needs to be posted....at the very least as a public service announcement and as an apology to my husband for putting up with me.... his very own Ellie Mae Clampett (at least that is what he very recently called me).

The story goes like this: Last Friday was my day off. While heading out to run errands, I saw a blue heron standing by the side of the road on the edge of town. Hmmmmm....this is something blue herons typically don't do. They are usually seen in ponds and waterways, spearing frogs, crawfish, and fish with that long beak of theirs. Surely you've seen them if you live in Texas or other states in the south. They are about 3 feet tall. Long legs. Long neck. Long beak.

As I was headed briefly into the next town over, I made a mental note to come back the same way to see if the bird was still there. An hour later, I returned...and yes, in fact, the bird was still standing there. Well shoot. What's a person to do, but do a U-ie in her truck, grab a towel (kept for such emergencies), and try to catch a big bird who looks like it needs help. Upon close examination, the poor bird had a pretty badly broken right wing. My towel is big, so I was able to cover the bird including its eyes, get in my truck, and drive to our vet with it in my lap and its head tucked under my arm.

Our vet clinic doesn't work on birds, but gave me a phone number for the Living Materials Center , a somewhat local facility that will take in wildlife that needs rehabilitating. They agreed to take my feathery friend if I would bring him/her to them. Having not eaten all day, and needing a better way to transport a large bird in traffic, I called Charlie at home, and he offered to fix me a quick sandwich and then would drive with me down to the LMC with our heron. I got home, ready to quickly eat, put the heron in a kennel, and then head south. I walked into the kitchen with the (very quiet, very still, and very large) bird still wrapped in the towel with his/her eyes covered and beak held with my free hand.

Charlie greeted me and said, "Wow. That's some bird.", as I uncovered his/her head so he(Charlie) could get a better look (1st mistake). Then, (2nd mistake) I released the bird's beak while saying, "Watch out for the beak. It looks like it could do some damage." (3rd mistake..I didn't say this soon enough) The bird lays in my arms for oh, about 5 seconds, and then SQUARRRRK!!!! ....It unfolds its neck, and goes straight for Charlie.....RIGHT UP HIS NOSE!

OK, you can laugh now. WE can laugh now, but at the time...when blood was spurting everywhere, and I wasn't exactly sure which part of his face had been ripped off by a 3foot bird that I had invited into our house....we weren't laughing. I was trying to subdue an angry bird. Charlie was spitting blood out of his nose and mouth, and I was trying (mentally) to figure out how we were going to explain this type of injury to an emergency room that had seen Charlie about a month earlier following another run-in with a sharp object. I mean....there was ALOT of blood. ALOT of blood (and blood doesn't even bother me...but I really don't like seeing it coming out of my honey's face). It was several minutes before everything calmed down, the bleeding had subsided, and Charlie got near enough to me (and the bird) to realize that there was no visible wound, only 2 very very small scratches on the side of his face.....and one slightly swollen nostril. Exactly how many people in the world can claim this as a near fatal injury? Believe me, the obviousness of how easily that bird could have pecked his eye out, pulled part of the frontal lobe of his brain out of his right nostril, or left a serious life long scar on his face has not evaded either one of us. We can laugh about this now, when we could be crying (I had nightmares for two nights. Seriously).

The rest of the story is fairly brief. I ate my sandwich (with a queasy stomach, thinking about what I had allowed to happen. Yes, I knew better than to allow myself....even for one moment... to think that a wild animal could be trusted. I have handled too many animals to have permitted this type of thing to happen). We loaded up the heron into a large kennel (It remained calm and subdued for the remainder of its journey), and took it to the LMC. Unfortunately, the heron's broken wing had happened several days prior and infection had set in, and the bird had to be euthanized. I had suspected that this might be the ultimate fate of the heron from the beginning, but I could not with good conscience, drive by that bird and not stop to help. And yes, I would stop again, in a heartbeat. But.....I would hang on to that beak, no matter what.

Charlie jokingly calls me his Ellie Mae. (He doesn't know that she was one of my idols growing up....and that really...it's a compliment of the highest order!).

I'm nearing my bedtime....so stay tuned for part two!

A Planned Life

2010-08-27T11:04:00.016-05:00

Driving to and fro, from home to work, consumes quite a bit of my week when you think about it. Living in the country definitely has its perks, but losing 2 hours per workday driving is not one of them. I usually listen to talk radio and spend most of my time pondering, musing, and wondering, and (to be truthful) occasionally ranting and complaining to myself and to God. We've had some interesting conversations. I am very much a "type A" personality. I like to plan. I need plans in my life. I like to organize and to be organized. I like to know what is approaching on my horizon. I am not a risk taker. I (think) I do much better in my comfort zone of "knowingness". I believe that this last year + is teaching me some things about myself that I don't think I like too much. I find myself wanting to have a childish fit and throw myself on the ground and pound my head because ......... "it's not fair!" that I have PLANS that just aren't working right now, and I feel mightily selfish for having such thoughts....because really, under our circumstances, we have it pretty darn good.

One of my favorite personal sayings is: life is what gets in the way of what you had planned. (It is waaaay easier to tell someone ELSE this, than to tell yourself, by the way....because it's not "your plans" that have been altered or interrupted).

So, in my hours of driving and watching other drivers and listening to talk radio, I think:

*I'm sure that person didn't "plan" on having that wheelchair rack on the back of their car.

*I'm sure that young wife didn't "plan" on spending the rest of her married life taking care of her soldier husband who now has a traumatic brain injury.

*I'm sure NOBODY "plans" on being unemployed for what seems like an eternity.

*I'm pretty positive the people on the van for the mentally ill didn't "plan" to have chemical imbalances that would disrupt their entire lives.

*I'll bet that the driver of the remnants of the car I just passed didn't wake up and "plan" to have a wreck that morning.

*I would bet everything I own that nobody "plans" on having a severely disabled child that will depend on them for all eternity.

*Cancer. Now, who "plans" that?

The list could go on forever.

Then, I started thinking that maybe my plans are just assumptions. Mathematical equations......... A + B = LIFE, exactly the way we think it should be. That's not planning. That is presumptuousness of having a life near perfection, and that is embarrassing.

Funnily enough, this week I am nearing 70% completion of my year of reading the Bible chronologically. I have a set path on this, so I am not picking and choosing my verses that I read. And this week, true to form, God throws me a bone to go with my ponderings:

Job 2:10 -- Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?

I will always be a planner, organizer, and forward thinker and I don't think I need to change that. But, I need to remember that while I am wired to work this way, I am still not "The One" whose plans ultimately control or dictate how, where, or why my life turns out the way it does at the end of the day. Knowing that....I need to be more accepting of where the current takes me and what the wind and rain brings.

Hey, Nice Asp!

2010-08-16T18:01:00.008-05:00

I've been waiting for the end of this little story to emerge from its cocoon, and received word today that it is over. Our toxic little asp is dead. What!?? You may ask? "What?", as in... What is an asp?...... or "What?" as in.....Should we mourn another loss at Ararat Acres? I am here for you....to educate the general public about this bizarre creature in the insect world.

Lest you think we live in a scary world out here in the country (believe me, I think those of YOU living in the city are living in a scary world of a different variety.....but I digress!), an asp is just one of those things out here that you learn about and then watch out for. Nobody's ever died from one (that I know of), but countless people have ended up in the emergency room because of one.

Setting the Stage: So here I was, minding my own business, picking the evil bagworms off of a bush, when what should I see, but just about the cutest little caterpillar you could imagine. Why, it was so cute you'd just want to pick it up and cuddle it. The common sense side of my brain said, "something that cute can only mean trouble". So, with my gloved hand, I picked up the little bundle of cuteness, put it in a jar, and set about trying to identify it on the internet. It took awhile, but when I finally stumbled upon the right website (you really must go to that website to learn everything you ever wanted to know about these guys), I was VERY thankful I had not stroked its cute little furry body like I really wanted to (I am very texture oriented, and I really really wanted to!). See, one little brush with this little guy/gal, and you could end up in the emergency room. (Go here and here to see more pictures and information.)

I called my caterpillar expert friend, Michelle, and told her what I'd found. She raises caterpillars as a hobby of sorts (I think she might try to housebreak them too), and then she turns the butterflies loose when they emerge from their cocoons. It really is quite interesting, and she knows an awful lot. She was so interested that she raced 40 miles over here to "rescue" it. Only she would say, "Hey, nice asp!" , and really mean it. She put little asp in a caterpillar incubator, and within the week, it had finished its lifetime as a caterpillar, woven its cocoon, and was ready to think about being a moth (because, technically....it will grow up to be a moth, not a butterfly). There is very little information known about the latter part of the life cycle of an asp, so this was a biology experiment. I understand that the moths are really quite beautiful, except for the part about laying eggs and procreating more little asps.

Almost a month later, Michelle emailed me: the little asp had emerged as a cute moth, and then had promptly died, she feared, of neglect. She said it was so small that she didn't notice it for a couple of days, and by then, it had died. None of us are so sad about this ending, however. While it was a good biology lesson, we weren't sure what we were going to do with an asp moth. I'm sure even Noah had his limits on the ark.

Musing

2010-08-13T06:22:00.004-05:00

Does it mean anything if you find "the bluebird of happiness" dead inside your woodburning stove? (aside from the fact of HOW did it even get in there?)

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (aka, A Week In My Life)

2010-08-10T16:43:00.016-05:00

Sometimes I look back, and the beginning of the week seems like a month ago.....so much crammed into only 7 days, especially when you realize that,........why yes, I do work full time in addition to all the "extras" in my life.

Exhibit A:

The apple tree, laden with apples = picking said apples and then making 4 batches of apple butter and canning the goods (that was an after hours weeklong activity). The fourth batch was actually pear butter with a hint of apple and all are Dee-lish! Canning too, appears to be a success. I am testing the waters and hope to do more of this in the fall.

Charlie managed to nail his toe with the nailgun = a trip to the emergency room (note: picture below is not for the squeamish!). This slowed us down a bit this past week.

Driving our friends, The Waits, to the airport in the wee hours of the morning so that they could make their life transition to Honduras. Happy and sad all rolled into one ball of emotions that early morn. Oh so proud to be able to call this sweet family our dear friends. We cannot wait to see them again.

A trip to the lovely dump with my beloved. Note: the first picture is what the North Texas Municipal Water District wants you to think the dump looks/smells like. The second picture is a better rendition of what we saw as we unloaded a trailer load of debris. I have a rant (regarding what we saw), but I'll save it for another day....I'm thinking a letter to the county might be in order. Anyway....please notice that I WILL follow my hubby pretty much anywhere, even to the dump. I made note that I was THE ONLY female at the dump proper. (Can I see a show of hands, ladies, if you've been to the dump at least once). Being a true farmgirl, I have now been there at least 4 times.

I won't even mention getting a new pasture access ready for our "boys", Donkey Boy getting the big sniparoo (ie- gelded), or Charlie and I doing an incredibly thorough job of getting this house clean. My man is a great vacuum-er even with a hole in his toe :).

How in the world anyone could be bored with their lives is beyond me.

Dog Days

2010-08-04T06:45:00.004-05:00

It's definitely the dog days of summer......too hot (105 is hot!) to do much of anything in the afternoon except sit on the porch and yawn.....

...and nap. Especially if you are a dog. There are definitely days I wish I was a dog, sleeping on the porch. I mean really, how hard can that be?

Strange Thing

2010-07-31T21:00:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I found Hope on aisle 9 at Target. You just never know when and where Hope will show up. It was instant sunshine.... lovely, hope.

Everyone needs one......

2010-07-28T21:47:00.013-05:00

When you have a really rotten day at work, and you know you want to frown..... everyone needs one (we'll talk about how good Donkey Boy is at giving donkey hugs sometime soon):

When your life feels stinky, and you feel worthless as a pinky (toe)......everyone needs one (or a handful):

When you think no one cares......everyone needs one:

When you need a smile, you should come visit us at Ararat Acres. It's hard to be down for too long when you have animals that can make you smile no matter what. And that's a fact.

Cutest Donkey on the Block

2010-07-13T21:34:00.010-05:00

Eight days ago we adopted again. How do you say no to such a cute face?

Especially when it's attached to such a personable little donkey attitude. All 29 inches of him. Welcome Diego! We were going to change his name to "Don- key ote", but Diego is the name he came with, and it just fits him. We call him Donkey Boy most of the time. Neither one of us can imagine Ararat Acres without him........ Good thing, because there is a good chance we'll both be in our 80's when he dies. Anyone (younger than us) interested in inheriting a miniature donkey someday? Stay tuned for updates on the newest (and darn cute) kiddo in the pasture.

Two Nights (not for the faint of heart)

2010-07-12T21:24:00.048-05:00

Sunday night. Bad news: Foster is bitten on the muzzle by a copperhead. Good news: If you are a dog and are going to be bitten by a poisonous snake, get bitten by a copperhead. It's painful and swollen, but rarely life threatening. Thank God.

Monday night. Bad news. A snake invaded the chicken coop.....again. Good news: Three golf balls, Leo the Wonder Kitty (aka "the snake avenger" on behalf of his buddy Foster), and a husband who doesn't mind killing snakes later, said snake is dead. Ding dong..... No, it is not the same snake, but it felt good, just the same. A little victory in defense of our kids.

Later: Yes, it's clear, we do live under the rainbow.......snakes and all (This was tonight too, and too beautiful not to share). Nobody can say we lead boring lives out here in the country.........

We trust OUR "Weathermen". Do you?

2010-07-11T16:52:00.021-05:00

This has been a crazy crazy weather year so far in North Texas. First, Winter swore she would never pack her bags and leave.

When she did, Spring sprung quickly, briefly, and then poof....we had hard core Summer. Summer started dry, with the heavy threat of a drought: an event that makes anyone who has to grow or buy hay (in copious amounts) cringe. Now, we've got the oddity of heavy scattered showers (in July!!!!) for the last two weeks.

I'm hoping it's enough to take the edge off the aforementioned drought. I bring all this up to give well deserved kudos to a couple of our farm "weathermen", who are right about rainstorms oh.....pretty much 100% of the time (can your weatherman make that boast?).

I was given some Rain Lilies about 3 years ago. A "little old lady" gave them to me from her homestead. She said, "You watch. They will only bloom when it's going to rain." These plants are dead on right, even when the tv weatherman is wrong. I have since learned that this plant might actually be called a Crinum. Or maybe it's in the Crinum family. The common term Rain Lily suits them tho. The only time the plant makes this fast growing shoot (no kidding. It grows about 18 inches in 24hrs, and then pops out blooms very quickly after that.) is right before a rain. Amazing. If they say it's going to rain, it IS going to rain.

Our other weathermen are a couple of our dogs....but especially Kelly. Sweet Kelly is our "formerly feral fido" who is about as sweet as you can get. Kelly was truly a wild dog who ran with the coyotes in our area before he decided that life on the farm might suit him after all. I will post about Kelly and his "Muttley Makeover" someday (it is a story that is worth telling). All this to say, Kelly mostly prefers to be an outside dog. Oh, you can ask him to come in, but he will probably politely decline the offer. Unless there is a storm coming. In the event of a storm, Kelly is most happy laying on the floor (or in his bed) in our bedroom. He will ask to come in, and he will trot down the hall, and he will settle in for the long haul. Sweet Kelly B is a fine specimen of a weatherdog. When the storm is over (even if in the middle of the night), Kelly will go to the door and ask to be let out where he can resume his position as night watch dog.

Living in the country away from the constant thrum of city life, I can see and hear and smell things I may otherwise miss. I love how often looking to nature for answers works. God so often gives us clues to help us solve the questions.....if you only know how to look.

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME........

2010-07-04T21:00:00.018-05:00

...... Hopefully, that is!

Yes, you could say we're going batty here at Ararat Acres (in more ways than I care to count sometimes). When it comes right down to it, bats are an all around good idea for environmentally safe flying insect control. Did you know that a single bat, on average, will eat roughly 1,500 mosquitoes per hour? For more interesting bat facts, click here .

***This Public Service Announcement was brought to you by my personal "Bob the Builder" sweet husband, Charlie.....who has built dog domiciles, horse homes, bee buildings, kitty condos, chicken coops, a turkey townhouse, and now bat bungalows (not to mention a pretty nifty place for yours truly to live as well :). ****

If anyone is interested in their very own batville, Charlie is open for business!

Tuesday Treasure

2010-06-23T21:03:00.010-05:00

Yesterday. Yesterday was a beautifully sweet day of accomplishment, letting go, and giving someone else a chance to bond with a horse who has been with us since before birth. Katie is such a special horse. Beautiful, brainy, athletic, and gentle kindness all rolled into one package. It is a combination rarely found (in my humble opinion) in a horse. More special still, I was able to spend 4 years watching her personality blossom....knowing that she would make the perfect horse for just the right person. A horseperson is blessed to have a "once in a lifetime horse". Not every horseperson gets the opportunity. It is the horse you truly partner with, with whom you compare all others. For me personally, it's Lola (I'll post about her someday). But for four years, I knew I was getting Katie ready for HER "once in a lifetime person". Yesterday, she went to her forever home, and while I am sad, and I'm going to miss her (even tho she's just down the road), I am delighted....thrilled....and oh so happy that she is going to enrich someone's life as much as Terry (her new mom) will enrich hers.

I love these two girls and am so happy they will be a new team. It doesn't get much better than that in my book.

BITTEN

2010-06-15T14:06:00.017-05:00

It's that time of year, and it comes with the territory if you live in the country: Chiggers. I've got 'em....and it won't be for the last time this summer either, I'm sure. I've still not figured out why God felt they were an important part of His world. Maybe he was holding on to them to use as plague material? So, with permission from an incredible cowboy poet by the name of Jerry Schleicher, I bring you.......

The Chigger Blues

I ain't a'feered of snakes ner spiders, and ticks don't make me twitch.

I kin roll around nekked in a poison ivy patch and never even itch.

I ain't skeered much of lions or tigers, or other carnivores much bigger.

The only creature that gives me the chills ..... is the cold hearted chigger.

They ain't no bigger than a dot. Most folks have never seen one.

You don't even know they bit ya', till they've already et' and gone.

And drilled your skin with a bitin' end that's part needle and part digger.

Pound fer pound, the baddest bug around..... has got to be the chigger.

They crawl inside your pants and socks, and creep into your underdrawers.

And commence to have a feast, while yer doin' yer gardenin' chores.

It seems their spit dissolves yer hide, which they then consume with vigor.

Fer an arachnid version of the vampire...... I nominate the chigger.

I still got scars up 'n down my carcass that I reckon I'll bear for years.

From clawin' at the welts they've left, from my toes up past my rear.

The itch they leave behind lasts much longer than you'd figger.

If you want to drive a man insane...... jist feed him to a chigger.

I've tried that nail polish myth, and doused myself with lotion.

But nuthin' seem to keep 'em off. There ain't no magic potion.

And steppin' out into my own back yard only seems to trigger

A fresh attack by my worst nightmare..... the man - eatin' chigger.

Most folks love the summer season, and fer most it's all good news.

Of flower gardens, fresh mowed lawns, and backyard bar-be-cues.

But if you invite me to yer outdoor games, I'll respectfully refuse.

Cause you don't want to hear me wailin', as I sing The Chigger Blues.

Here at Ararat Acres, We're Singin' the Chigger Blues too....... Heavy Sigh.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF FIFTY

2010-06-13T16:42:00.026-05:00

I can count on one hand the number of New Years resolutions I have thoroughly captured and completed in my life. As of today, I am 50% thru with this year's personal challenge.......reading the Bible in just one year. Being the analytical, scientific, detail oriented person that I am, I've always found portions of the Bible to be fragmented and confusing. Friends of mine, I am reading the very best Bible to battle these stumbling blocks.....The Chronological Study Bible. It is formatted (read: re-organized) to read totally chronologically, and It Is Amazing! It is also chock full of archaeological, anthropological, and historically verified facts, tidbits, and trivia....to enable a full understanding of the writings in the Bible. I have gained ever so much knowledge on my quest, and have also come to some interesting (to me) conclusions and ponderings that are mine alone. Here, I give you a (very) brief and random sampling of some points of interest...if you are interested that is :) :

*The Assyrians had a god of their own who's name was Sin. Sin brought personal destruction. Hmmm....I think we all have a little Assyrian in us still.

*Regarding the 40 year walk in the desert.....Of the thousands who left Egypt, only 3 original hikers actually made it the full 40 years: Moses, Caleb, and Joshua (of course there was another generation created along the way, but I digress)

*Moses died at Mt. Nebo, which is also known as Mt. Pisgah, which means Most High Place. There is also a Mt. Pisgah in North Carolina in the Adirondacks. I'd like to visit there someday.

*I especially like Psalm 37 and 90. I've tried, but I don't find myself, in general, to be a Psalms girl. I am terribly fond of Proverbs. I connect with them. (Do you find that odd?)

*God separated the waters more than once to get his people to where they needed to be. He did it once at the Red Sea. He did it again at the Jordan so that the Israelis could get to Jericho. (check out Joshua 4 if you are curious).

*There is archaeological evidence that there was an earthquake of some sort involved when all that marching went on around the walls of Jericho. Also, the city was most likely suffering from a plague of some sort at the same time......which is (probably) why the Israelites were instructed to burn everything except for metals once the city was conquered. God knew what he was doing....as always. (that would be the circumstances surrounding Joshua 6)

*A Philistine: ~noun~ a person who is uninterested in intellectual pursuits. I think this is akin to calling someone a redneck these days, but a good word/definition to keep in your pocket for possible future use.

*One of the first mentioning of Jerusalem is in Joshua 18. Only back then, it was called Jebus....the city of the tribe of Benjamin.

*Guess what. The Mesopotamians also had a god named Sin. He was their moon god. Many temples were constructed and devoted to Sin. (Hmmm.....we have buildings nowadays that are devoted to Sin too?.......)

*There are a TON of references to 40years in the Bible. No, everything didn't happen wham bam accurately like that. 40 years denotes a period of time that signifies a generation has passed. (That certainly cleaned this particular issue up for ME anyway).

*Random facts: there are a surprising number of references to Bees and Horses in the Bible. I like that. Look it up.

*Samson was a Nazarite. A Nazarite was not an ethnic group of people, but rather one who makes a vow. Samson was the only Nazarite mentioned by name in the Old Testament. Do you know the story about Samson and Delilah? It's really not a very pretty story. Really, when you include all the facts, it's not that appropriate for little kid's Sunday school. Oh, and when Samson tears the temple down, he dies at the end too. I guess I never realized that part until I read the whole story.

*I really like Ecclesiastes. It makes sense. It's alot like Proverbs.

*There is a location in the Bible called Shiloh. Shiloh means "the peaceful one" or "tranquility". There is a location in Mississippi called Shiloh that had one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War.....the Battle at Shiloh . I sure wish the Union and Confederates had known that their location was named after a place of peace.

*David only knocked Goliath out with the stone. He then killed him with Goliath's own sword.

*The Israelites were oppressed for so long partly because they were not allowed to own or make metal objects or to learn to smelt metal for fear that they would make weapons. They had to trade or plunder to get anything made from metal. It was hundreds of years before this was no longer an issue.

*The giants in the Bible had 6 fingers and 6 toes. Somehow, this led me down the research path about Hemingway's cats.....don't ask. My mind moves in odd ways sometimes.

*The mighty men of the Old Testament were certainly not totally virtuous and good kind souls all the time. Heck, some of the stuff I've read (including parts about David, Solomon, etc) really would make for rated R movie material. The wars, sex, blood baths, incest, extra-marital affairs, etc is really shocking at times. I mean, wow. YET!!!!!!....... God has used all of these obviously imperfect men to achieve totally great things. There is hope for us all.

*Saul killed himself in battle because he didn't want to be killed by a Philistine (in the same battle).

*The Mesopotamians also had a god named Erra. He was "the god of mayem and pestilence". This is where our word "error" most likely comes from.

*There was a trio of singers who sang many of the psalms: Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun. (Kind of like Philips, Craig, and Dean !)

*There are 150 Psalms in the Bible. The Dead Sea Scrolls suggest that David actually wrote more than 4000, but only a small sample was included in the Bible.

*Just because you are a good guy doesn't mean you are guaranteed to have good kids. This is a common theme throughout the OT. Check out David and his evil son Absalom. He was definitely a bad apple.

*The book of Samuel is the work of a historian, while Chronicles is more likely the work of religion based priestly historian. Basically, if you want the blood and guts version of David, read Samuel. Chronicles puts the same events in a more pure light, and doesn't include a lot of the "unpleasant stuff". Thought: is this why we are usually directed to read in Chronicles moreso than in Samuel (at least that has been my experience)?

*Regarding the government of the times. Census' were taken for only 3 reasons:
1.to draft citizens into forced labor.
2.to draft citizens into military service
3.taxation
(I was reading this section while we were being hounded by the 2010 Census Bureau.....coincidence? I think not.)

*While Solomon is known for building THE Temple, he really didn't do all that much. See, his dad (David) actually put everything together.....got all the materials together, had blueprints made, had EXACT measurements, hired all the best workers......EVERYTHING. Solomon only snapped his fingers and set the construction in motion. David should get more credit for the temple. Don't get me wrong. Solomon was a good guy in the Bible. He was like Donald Trump's son...he had everything handed to him on a gold platter. The best thing about Solomon was that when God asked him what he wanted, he had the presence of mind to ask for wisdom and knowledge instead of more money and more power. I like that.

*Solomon's temple was roughly 1/5th the size of Noah's ark, but of the same height. (I did the math out of curiosity)

*Solomon again. I find it interesting that the Song of Solomon is included in the Bible. The man had 700 wives and 300+ concubines. Exactly which one was he writing about?

*Joash was the youngest king in the line of David. He became king at 7 years old.

*King Azariah became a leper. (he was also in the Davidic line)

*Don't know why, but I connect better with Isaiah than with David. Isaiah....I just like the guy.

*Read during the middle of the BP gulf oil spill/catastrophe:
Isaiah 24:5- The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants.
He sure got that right.

*While there is no direct reference, it is believed that Isaiah was killed by king Manasseh. He was put in a log and then sawed in half. O.U.C.H.

*The book of Deuteronomy was written around 1400BC. It was lost for awhile, and was rediscovered around 640BC by a priest during Josiah's reign. Imagine that. An archaeological discovery back then. There was a bit of excitement about this as it was documented in the Bible at least twice that I've read. Can you imagine? Modern day archeologists get excited about things they find related to life hundreds of years ago too.

*Zephaniah (yes, he has his own book) kind of scares me.

And here I stop. I just entered 583BC, so this will be continued. This is but mere morsels of the meat and potatoes I've been eating. Oh, and know this. I've had my personal battle of wills. There are days that I just can't do it.....but I'm reading anyway. There are days that I am not enjoying what I'm reading......but I'm reading anyway. There are days that I don't feel like being involved in scripture (because I'm angry, mad, upset, or just having a really bad day).....but I'm reading anyway. It has been on some of those days that I've found verses oh so relevent to current issues in my life. I am nothing, if not tenacious. :). Did you know that fewer than 10% of Christians have ever read the Bible cover to cover. That in itself is a call to be challenged.

Stay tuned for more trivia and musings. I've got another 600 years to cover!

IT'S ALL RELATIVE

2010-06-11T08:04:00.016-05:00

A funny thing happened as we continued our quest for finding creative ways to save money. It began at the beginning of May, when things started heating up here in Texas. We decided to wait until the high temperatures became unbearable before flipping the air conditioning switch. It became a little bit of a game....who would be the first to crack? The days warmed. Our house, with its open air design, lots of windows with screens, fans, and high ceilings has become a team player in this event. We've had some pretty warm days on the farm by "civilized Texans" standards, but nothing close to being unbearable.

Paralleling this mini journey of ours, our friends The Waits , are planning for a much larger trip. In a little over a month, they will be closing the Texas chapter of their lives, and starting a new one as they move to a remote little corner of Honduras to care for the orphans of Puerto Lempira. Included among the gazillion modern amenities they will not have access to?.........air conditioning is one of them. Their daily temperatures pretty much mirror our current ones except for the humidity......which averages a balmy 70-90% on any given day. Suddenly, not using air conditioning became my constant reminder of what our sweet selfless friends are doing for others....what they are giving up to give of themselves. I have not told many people (until now!) that we're operating without AC around here because, by civilized standards here in the southern USA, only the poorest of the poor do without AC in the summer. We are nowhere near the poorhouse (thanks to our Dave Ramsey lifestyle) despite our financial setbacks this past year. Yet, I am sure if I told people, they would think we were either close to destitution or that we were nuts.......neither of which is a picture I want people to paint of us. (Ahhhh, the ego has elbowed her way into the musings of "she who doesn't care how other people categorize her").

Since we've gone AC-less, we've gotten two (house) electric bills, both of which have been the smallest ones we've ever had in the history of Ararat Acres. The first one was a shocker at under 125$. The second one, we got yesterday.....under 95$. Normally, with the AC running in our high ceiling-ed house, our house electric bills run 3/400$ per month. Apparently, we have inadvertently stumbled across the proverbial cash cow by allowing ourselves to be a little uncomfortable at times.

Another parallel story enters the picture. As I am sitting at my desk (in the 'its really not that bad' warm night) paying the electric bill.......happily, I might add....since its such a small one......it occurs to me that the amount of money we are saving each month by NOT turning the AC on is nearly the same amount it costs to sponsor a child in need for a whole year. So, for the price of being ultra comfortable cool for one month, some little kiddo could instead have food on the table, clothes on her back, and an education to boot.....for a child who probably has never felt a minute of a blast of cold air in her whole life. I am humbled beyond belief, and grateful for the grace of knowing that at least we have the option of having air conditioning......or not.

How many people are out there that think they have nothing to spare for people who are truly in need? I'm amazed by what I've found serendipitously, and even more amazed by what I can see when I open my eyes.

FIFTY

2010-06-06T09:18:00.007-05:00

Last night, Charlie and I attended a celebration party for a sweet couple we have known for the last 15 years. It was their 50th wedding aniversary, and it was such a dear party. There were probably only about 75-100 people in attendance, and the party included a short vow renewal ceremony. Their middle son officiated, and recounted the last 50 years. Paul and Margaret eloped....... they had no money and no car. They entered adulthood and have grown old together. They have survived, thrived, cried, and laughed together. Rightly so, the bad memories were included and remembered with the good last night. Life isn't always a bowl of cherries or a bed of roses, especially when you include all 50 years......18,250 days....together.

I sat there thinking about how few couples make it to 50. Not many. Staticians say that number is less than 5%. In just a few days, my mom and dad will also be celebrating their 50th. We will be joining them later this year at the chapel at the Navel Academy to witness another vow renewal celebration. This is another couple with a similar life story.....one that I know even more personally. Mom and Dad got married the day my Dad graduated from the Naval Academy. Mom did not attend his graduation, as she was getting ready to be married. It was a quick wedding, as there was a line of young midshipmen waiting to marry their fiance's that day. There was little money for an elaborate affair. This marriage has been through its ups and downs as well. It would be naive to think anything otherwise.

Charlie and I also claim June as our wedding month. In less than a week, we will be celebrating our 18th wedding aniversary. We are still pups in married life compared to Mom and Dad, and Paul and Margaret. Yet by most American standards, we are already beyond the "normal" length of a marriage (7.2years). I'm sure Charlie would agree that we've definitely had our share of ups and downs. Some of our downs have been real doosies too..... However, we are not "fairweather friends" and, as the proverbial saying goes...."that which doesn't kill you will only make you stronger"...... it also applies to our marriage. It is strong, but I don't believe it is the glory days....the happy days that has kept us together. I think that it is the memory of the rough seas and the stormy days that has been the Gorilla Glue that cements us. Looking back, it's rather nice to say, "Well, if we made it thru that, we can make it thru ANYTHING", and even nicer to say it and mean it. It's easy to love and laugh together when life is air conditioned and fluffy. It's easy to love someone when money is freely there to vacation when and where you want, when health problems are not an issue and when real life does appear to mirror a dream existence. Don't get me wrong. We've had (and will have) great days...glorious days....magical days....fluffy days. I believe that it is the other (bad) days that makes the good ones so precious, appreciated, and not taken for granted. Do I want the rough stuff that appears occasionally in our lives? Absolutely not. But we are all going to get some of it sooner or later, and its alot easier to hang on to the hand of your best friend....your life long partner when the going gets tough than to go it alone or with someone with whom little history is shared.

I am looking forward to being part of the "less than 5%" 50 club with my love, my best friend. It is not for the faint of heart, yet we look forward to the ground we have yet to cover together.

Answers

2010-05-13T06:24:00.009-05:00

Radar

1999? - 2010

It is with great sadness that I tell you about Radar, sweet Radar. After a particularly awful Monday night, we took Radar to the vet for chest x-rays. Pictures of his chest revealed so much "stuff" that we had no other humane option but to have him euthanized. The last four months have been filled with unlinkable symptoms that have left us scratching our heads in confusion. Nothing seemed to connect. This sweet dog didn't even exhibit lung issues until 6 days ago, yet this was the telling sign. For the sake of putting questions to rest, we all agreed that an autopsy was necessary. What David (our vet) found was a 64lb body that was riddled with cancer....specifically his lungs, spleen, and extensive tissue within his abdomen. I can only assume that he must have had neuro and osteo involvement as well, given the extent of the cancer and his symptoms. How he managed to have good days (including swimming in the pond 6 days ago) is beyond all of our comprehension. What a trooper, ambassador, therapist and tender sweet friend we have lost. As he was the official greeter to all at Ararat Acres, I can be pretty sure that he has assumed that position at the pearly gates.

He was "The Love Radar". He loved all, and he was loved by all.

Why we Do The Things We Do

2010-05-11T08:33:00.006-05:00

As I type, Radar is laboring away, grabbing breaths. We have an appointment at the vet this afternoon for x-rays. I am not looking forward to what we will most likely find. My greatest concern is that we do not cause him to live the remainder of his life with extraordinary pain and discomfort. Maybe God needs another good dog up there sometime soon? If so, I am willing to share.....hard as that may be.

God means for us to enjoy all that he has entrusted to us. But stewardship isn't always fun and games, nor is it for the faint of heart or spirit. We should feel obligated and grateful to have the opportunity to be good stewards of what has been given to us, whether that be children, inanimate possessions, land, or animals. Several old testament books in the Bible, including Leviticus and Deuteronomy, are not horribly interesting in that there are no great stories about David and Goliath, Samson and Delilah, or Solomon's great temple. However, there are tremendous amounts of information regarding how we should act in all aspects of our lives. Not surprisingly, God often includes treatment of the animals and land that we have been entrusted. We know now (thousands of years later) His reasons for including crop rotations, preserving the balance of animal populations, and the proper handling of body fluids into his "manual of life".....although I'm sure back in 1500BC, the Israelites were scratching their heads trying to figure out exactly why God thought such things were important.

Here is part of a brief article from a Christian magazine, Creation Care :
God is concerned about more than plants and dirt. He is also an avid animal lover. When the Israelites were enjoying an all-inclusive wilderness vacation, God oddly asks Moses to preserve the balance in animal populations, to be a "game warden of sorts". Job and Deuteronomy reveal a respect and admiration for animals we often overlook. Psalm 50:10-11 reminds us to whom the animals belong: "For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the bird of the air, and all that moves in the field is mine."
God says, "I have created and care for the animals. They are good."
Proverbs 12:10 puts it in simple terms: "A righteous man cares for the needs of his animals." Solomon says that a person of character and righteousness- someone who reflects God's heart- should also be compassionate towards animals.
This is actually an excerpt from the book, Green like God, by Jonathan Merritt. It is newly available on Amazon, and hopefully, I will be able to find a copy and read it someday.....the reviews on Amazon are all "thumb's up".

We can't save them all here at Ararat Acres, but we can make a difference in the lives for whom we have been entrusted to care.

LOOSE ENDS

2010-04-30T12:59:00.014-05:00

I do not see many of you on a daily, weekly, monthly, or even yearly basis. This blog, emails, or perhaps an occasional phone call are all you know of my daily life. It's not much, I know. You get what I'm able to put on "paper", but certainly you miss the nuances of living as "Liz and Charlie" on a farm full of animals who have definitive personalities and feelings. You don't see the day to day "living" that goes on here. Only a snapshot. I sometimes wish my camera was rolling 24/7 so you could really understand "us". To be sure, there is a lot of living, dying, birth and new growth going on at Ararat Acres. I mean this physically, metaphorically, and emotionally.

I give you a snapshot of events. But as Paul Harvey would say, "What about the rest of the stories?".

2009- Pain and Provision - We continue to ride the wave of uncertainty in 2010. Charlie is still unemployed and the construction industry is still stagnant in the Dallas area (regardless of what the government reports on an improved economy) . My job, on many days, is vampire-like in its ability to suck the life out of me, although I am extraordinarily aware of, and thankful to have a job. Let's just say it's a love/hate relationship right now. I am praying for improvements. Charlie is (as I type this) in New Mexico, taking a certification course that will enable him to be a mediator/arbiter for construction disputes. I believe he will be of good service to both sides in disputes as an open-minded, fair, knowledgeable, and Christian mediator. He definitely has the personality to do a good job. We are hoping that this will provide additional avenues for possible employment here in this area. I worry that, should this employment drought last much longer, my sweet husband will feel compelled to find work outside the area. Although we've done it before, the prospect is less than appealing (on many levels) to this working inside, outside, AND around the home, farm girl. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to work thru this time in our lives.

Radar Report 2010- Radar continues to amaze and baffle us (and our vet). We've nicknamed him "The Comeback Kid". He has had a handful of serious health events since February, and each time he has rebounded. He has been tested for just about every disease and ailment known to dog-dom, and all are negative. To date, we have narrowed the possible cause for his mysterious malady, and we believe he is suffering from a neuritis that is secondary to a meningitis like infection. We do not know 100% for sure that this diagnosis is accurate, but it is, at least, making sense. He is on a tapered regimen of steroids, and is feeling well enough to swim in the pond and roll in horse poop. That means he feels pretty good (today) in a dog's world.

If you are reading this, and you think to yourself "why would you spend so much time, energy, and money...which you are not loaded with at this minute", you clearly do not know myself or Charlie well. This was (insensitively, I might add) directed at us a few nights ago on a phone call from someone whom I'm sure doesn't read this blog. I was literally speechless. Yes, we know that animals are not people. Yes, although we love our animals, we do know that a human's life is even more important. Yes, our funds are tight right now. Yes, I am realistic on how far we could go in treating the ailment of an animal (read: no organ transplant or chemo for cancer, etc). And yes, regardless of your beliefs.....we believe that God wants us to care for, and be responsible for the animals we have been charged with.

Proverbs 12:10- A righteous man cares for the needs of his animals.

I also believe there is something to the fact that while God found it necessary to end most of human life on earth with the flood, he clearly felt that the species of the earth were worth saving for a new generation of humans.

Almost all of our animals are in our care at Ararat Acres because someone else did not feel it was their responsibility to care for them. They were the dumped, the discarded, and the unwanted. We will not let them down.

What I've learned as a former Biblio-maniac 2010
So, Easter came and went. I did not go out and splurge on books galore the day after Easter. No friends....... I have learned moderation, and I can actually walk into a store, peruse the book section, and NOT buy a book (or even drool). It has been 4 weeks since Easter, and I have only bought one, (on sale) book for myself. I have since bought several books as gifts, but the gifts needed buying anyway, and I am a big giver of books, as I think EVERYONE should love to read :). Just thought ya'll would like to know that while this is one habit that doesn't deserve to be kicked, it did need a little help, and I am woman enough to own up to my weaknesses :).

I think this post is long enough, so I'll stop now. However, if you ever want to know "The Rest of the Story" on a future post, please feel free to shoot me an email, and I will be happy to oblige.

Springtime Smiles at Ararat Acres

2010-04-18T20:52:00.011-05:00

I love
Frogs on Dogs,

Cats who can read,

Nosy horses,

Sweetness,

Flowers (too many pictures to post),

and
a good looking Farmhand (who also happen to be married to said blogger).

I love my place of peace, my piece of place. Surrounded by these special things created by God. It is where I belong, and where I long to be when I'm not.

Terrorist Attack at Ararat Acres!

2010-03-30T15:27:00.023-05:00

I wish it weren't true. It is. We have a terrorist on site. He has infiltrated the ranks at Ararat Acres. And now damage, destruction, and mayhem abounds. If he weren't so darn cute, I think I'd beat him (just kidding PETA!).
Leo the Wonder Kitty has struck again. TWICE I have planted my spring garden in little peat pots.

The second time, I thought I learned my lesson, and I planted them WITH PROTECTION. Charlie and I both thought my little pots would be safe from a wanton kitty cat. I should have known better. He was showing way too much interest to my initial planting process.

This morning, I went out to check on my pots, and I was met with this: (and yes, there are supposed to be dirt, seeds, and seed markers in the aforementioned pots).

I think I need to plant some catnip for a hyperactive cat.... maybe a little herbal "medicinal weed" for my sweet little (appearing to be contrite) kitty? Contrite my foot, I think he's planning his next terrorist event. Look out world!

Confessions of a Bibliophile

2010-03-06T16:14:00.013-06:00

I love books. I.LOVE.BOOKS. This past week I found myself lusting for books (and I was only at SAMS). My heart was beating a bit faster, and I was definitely salivating. Did I say that I love books? Perhaps this stems from growing up without a TV. If so, do I thank my parents, or should I, in some odd way, feel a little cursed?

I actually didn't even realize that I had this problem, until I participated in our most recent women's Bible study at church. On the first day, we were encouraged to give up something that we love. I can't give up Charlie. I won't give up my animals (also family members). Ooooooooooooo.....don't ask me to do this. I put my pinkie toe in the water. I hear a voice. "Just do it". I close my eyes and dive in. No buying of books thru Easter. There, I said it.

The following week, others share about what they have decided to give up. I keep my mouth shut because:

A) they will probably laugh,

B) they would probably not understand how hard of a proposition this is.... and,

C) what if I can't keep this commitment? (and I pride myself on keeping commitments).

Aside from animals, books are my Achille's heel. They are to me what shoes and purses are to some other women. It is darn hard for me to walk past a bookstore without going in. Once I'm inside, I am mere putty. So many choices. Time stops, and the books are calling my name.

I love the heft of a book; the smell, even of a musty old one; the feel of the pages. History. Fiction. Non-fiction. Educational.Big books. Little books. I don't understand how anyone could forgo the "experience" of a book for The Kindle (a sacrilege to a true bibliophile). The characters in books (both fiction and nonfiction) become friends, and I am often sad to see a book end. I probably should have been a librarian instead of a pharmacist :). I am in awe of truly gifted writers and their abilities to make the words come alive on a page.

Last week, I broke down and told Charlie what I had committed to do. He laughed at me, because he DOES know how much I love books. He has frequently said he can trust me in any store (because I am Miss Frugal), except in a bookstore. I suppose there are worse addictions.

This has been an eye opening event for me. I knew I loved books, but I honestly thought I "had 'IT' under control". When I was in SAMS, it had been a month since I'd bought a book, and I think DT's had set in. I picked up about a dozen books on display. I ran my hands across the covers. I thought about all the friends hiding between the pages. I even read the back flaps. I was so close. I almost put one book in my cart. But then, I heard that voice: "You promised". I put the book back on the shelf, backed away, and wiped the drool from my face, with the realization that I do have a little problem exercising control when it comes to buying books. Maybe after Easter, I thought, bidding farewell to my future little friends.

I post all of this with humor, but unfortunately, it rings true to anything that grips us somewhere in our lives....whether that be the internet, our cell phones, food, etc......or books. I have discovered that even a "healthy thing" like being a book lover, can become unhealthy when you feel compelled to own every book that catches your fancy.

So, for now, I look forward to Easter, for many reasons. But in the meantime, does it count if someone loans me a book? :)

He Cares For The Sparrows... And Wagging Tails Too.

2010-02-23T17:30:00.010-06:00

This is a tale with a happy ending. Radar is one of our foundlings. He is a Highway 121 dog. A dump. Your fairly common typical lab mix. He initially was a rescue back in 2000, and we almost found a home for him several times. Each time, the placement home fell thru, and we grew a bit more attached to his lovable, doting, intensely loyal, intelligent, unwavering steadfast personality. He is typical, but he is not. We almost lost him on Febuary 7th.
Charlie called me at work on Friday. Radar was not feeling well. His symptoms: not eating, lethargic, and trembling. I advised him to drop whatever he was doing, and to take him to the vet immediately. I am not an alarmist, but I do know my animals, and I know when something is very wrong, even over the phone. Radar is stoic. He rarely shows discomfort, is never short on energy, and he NEVER turns away food. Trembling would mean either intense pain or some sort of muscle spasms.
Our vet, David, was very concerned. He admitted him, and started him on fluids, antibiotics, pain medication, an anti-emetic, and began the methodical process of eliminating what it was NOT, in an attempt to try to determine what exactly "it" was. Over the next 2 days, Radar was xrayed, sonogrammed, and tested for just about every possible malady known to dog-dom. Nothing matched his symptoms, and things were getting worse. Additionally, for some reason, he was producing no urine, indicating that his kidneys were ceasing to function properly. Our poor boy's cells were literally drowning in their excess fluid, and his electrolytes were starting to swing wildly. David told us all of this on a late Saturday evening phone call. David knows us well, and he knows how much we love our animal family. He also knows we are stable, logical, and educated in the ways of the animal health. Because of this, he is always honest and forthright,even when the news is not positive. This call was not a good one. He indicated that if there was not improvement by Sunday, we would be needing to think about ending Radar's trauma. We ended the call with the understanding that he would be in touch with us if any changes should occur, good or bad. Charlie and I were in shock. Literally, not 48hrs prior, Radar had been his normal happy self. We both spent a very restless night thinking about our sweet dog, and praying that he would make it thru the night.
Sunday morning, we had not heard yet from David, so we headed to church. It was my day to work in the nursery for the early service, but truthfully, I really wanted to be up at the vet clinic sitting with Radar. I didn't much feel like being where I was at that moment. One of my friends came by the nursery and very innocently asked how everything was going. I'm sure she meant on "the nursery level", and didn't expect the copious tears that came with my explanation of Radar's dire predicament. Cynda, my nursery partner and dear friend, immediately came to my side and said, "We are going to pray for Radar, right now." And she did. Aloud. .....I cannot remember the exact prayer, but it was beautiful, and it was heartfelt, and I knew that she was not just praying for me, but was also lifting Radar up for a healing of the heavenly variety. It was a prayer that calmed my heart.

It is sometimes lonely to be the "to the core of my being" animal lover that I am, because I know not everyone shares my closeness with the beasts of the world, and I don't expect people to really understand my feelings of grief when an animal is in danger or pain. I know and understand that people and animals are on a different plane of existence, but that doesn't mean that animals do not have feelings and true needs that deserve to be met. Basic needs such as food, shelter, water, and yes, love. Proverbs 12:10 says, "A wise man cares for the needs of his animals." Biblically, I believe that we are going to have to answer to God some day for all that we have been given stewardship. This includes how we treat creatures that belong to us, and also those that we see being treated inhumanely......but do nothing about. If the word of God states (more than once) that He cares for the sparrows, why would he not care for the dogs, cats, chickens, cows, horses, etc? Anyway, I digress...sorry about that! :). Back to my story............

Well, we wrapped up the morning in the nursery, and I headed out to go to the second service with Charlie. My cell phone rang. It was David. He said, "Well, I'm not quite sure what happened, but Radar is suddenly acting like he feels better. I did not expect him to make it thru the night last night, and when I came back this morning, he didn't look any better. However, he just peed. ALOT. I re-ran the tests, and already his BUN and creatinine levels are decreasing. I think he's going to make it." You can bet I hopped in the truck and headed up to the clinic to see our recovering boy. I missed church, but I think God understood.

As I write this, 3 weeks after the event, Radar is fine. We ran more precautionary tests on him, but everything came back normal. 2 days after he nearly died, he was completely back to his old self. David has no explanations as to what went wrong or why. I'm ok with that. He also has no explanation as to why Radar recovered so rapidly. I do. Prayer......it works. Even for a dog.

Happy Birthday Grandma: a Memoir

2010-01-26T17:34:00.013-06:00

Today, January 28th, would have been my Grandma's 92nd birthday. She died in 1998, and I think I still miss her as much now as I did shortly after she died. Grandma was my Dad's mom. She grew up in a sod house, got married at 17, and had my father when she was 18. Her husband left her when she was probably 21, with 2 young children to care for. She remarried a few years later, and had 3 more boys......5 in all. A Wyoming girl. She was generous, amazingly frugal, and practical. She was able to make a tasty meal for 7 with a few potatoes and a little ham (see her soup recipe below). She loved animals. She gave me this love, along with my blonde hair, and dry hands in the winter. Grandma was kind to strangers and to others that society might have otherwise discarded. I spent most of my young summers in her little house on the prairie (literally!), chasing horses and wild bunnies. I learned from her that you can get a good meal from KMart's blue plate special (or used to, anyway), that a good bargain was a victory, and that you can make do with less than what you thought you could. Grandma never had a dishwasher, and when her grown boys tried to buy her one, she declined, saying, "This is the only time I have alone to think".I understand, and it is a rare dishwashing experience that I don't think about her when I handwash dishes, pots, and pans. I miss her calling me "Lizbeth" or "Honey girl". She believed in me no matter what, and I would call her weekly when I was in college and beyond to give her my life's updates. I still do send her updates....just not by phone :). So, happy birthday, Grandma! I sure do miss you. With love, Lizbeth

Grandma Scott's Tater Soup

6-8 medium sized cubed red potatoes
4-6 sticks of celery
1 diced medium onion
1 cup of diced ham
1/2 cup butter
1 can of corn (either cream style or whole kernel is fine)
salt and pepper to taste
1 can of evaporated milk to add at the very end.

cook onion and celery in butter until cooked. Add ham about half way thru. Add rest of ingredients to pot (except for evaporated milk). Add just enough water to "fill in the gaps" of the ingredients, but not covering the ingredients. Simmer until potatoes are soft and done. Add evaporated milk, and serve with oyster crackers (If you can still find them!). Enjoy!

How Cold Is It?

2010-01-10T09:12:00.012-06:00

We are 3 days into our Siberian Express cold snap, and things are cooooold around here! How cold is it? I think our low has been 9 degrees during this Texas weather oddity.

Cold enough that 40 degrees sounds balmy.

Cold enough to freeze some pipes under our pier and beam house. (Prayers for no damage would be greatly appreciated!)

Cold enough to have to break ice on all the water troughs at least twice a day.
Cold enough that the cats take turns sitting in front of the heater in their "warm rooms". (In this picture, it's Eli's turn...)

Cold enough that you could walk across the pond. (I was just a few feet out in this picture...I'm not brave enough to walk all the way across!)

Cold enough that our pond looks like it belongs in Nova Scotia, and there is some amazing ice art out there.

Cold enough that you get TWO blogs from me in 10 days. (Now that's cold....it means I'm spending too much time indoors on my days off!)

Leo in Action...Take 1

2010-01-03T16:20:00.005-06:00

It is about 34 degrees outside today, but if there are chores to do on a farm, they must get done no matter the weather. The animals are lively and rambunctious. The dogs and Leo the Wonder Kitty have been following us around as we tackle "the list".

Leo takes it upon himself to become the lead scout, in search of......what, you may ask?
Maybe the next best thing to tuna fish?
Slowly, his focus turns to me. I see intent. I see resolve. I (very briefly) see his invisible cape.

"NO!" I shout. I duck.....just in time. Sorry, I was too busy ducking to catch the fleeting shot of his cape flying in the wind. But Leo the Wonder Kitty hit his mark.....

The next best thing to tuna? A big dog with his winter blanket on. Otherwise known as Leo's bareback pad. (the better to hang on with claws don'tcha know). Gotta love this kitty of mine, and his (much bigger) buddies.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2009-12-25T11:44:00.002-06:00

From all of us at Ararat Acres- two, three, and four legged........fuzzy, furry, and feathery.....We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

We wish you peace, happiness and joy. Remember the real reason for this season. Jesus Christ.

Blessings to All with love from,

Charlie and Liz;Cajun, Bear, Radar, Kelly, Foster & Miel (the dogs); Indy, Karma, Leo the Wonder Kitty, Victoria, Pounce, Eli, Leroy, Ellie Mae, Molly, and Thyme (the kitties); Lola, Waco, Cheyenne, Katie, Earl, Maggie, Murphy, and Elvis (the horses); Piggy Sue (self explanatory!); Basil the Bunny and all of his chicken friends & George the Turkey and his friends, the Guineas.

Pain and Provision........a look at 2009

2009-12-08T10:49:00.028-06:00

I have spent many thoughtful moments this last month reflecting on 2009, and my what a tumultuous year this has been at Ararat Acres. We have had several bouts of "not so good" events, lots of stress, moments of unsureness and insecurities, financially panicky moments.....not a stellar year for the faint of heart. But after all the rubble is cleared, and the superficiality life is so wont to adorn us with is stripped away....I have to say that while this has not been an enjoyable year, it has been life altering and soul strengthening. Let me explain.

On February 4th, we lost our youngest horse, Dooley, in a freak accident. I was devastated and heartbroken.
God knows better than I as to why Dooley's life ended, but I believe He knew I wasn't going to have the time and energy to train this young guy any time soon. That, and He needed another sweet horse in heaven.

As we entered 2009, the US economy was well into its decline. Charlie was wrapping up the end of the enormous apartment project that he had been building, and we knew that his employer did not have any new local projects in the pipelines. On April 2nd, he was laid off.
I am so thankful to have parents who taught me to work hard, save money like a squirrel, and keep debt to a minimum, and that I have been able to share this wisdom and knowledge with Charlie throughout our married life. This background and foundation readied us with the skills and budgeting we needed for the coming months.

At the end of April 2009, Charlie was eating lunch at a local cafe when someone came rushing in to let the patrons know that a truck was on fire outside. It was Charlie's truck, and the battery had caught fire (yes, while parked and not running). His truck was totaled by the insurance company. It was an older truck, but a good one. We doubted we would be able to afford to replace it with a similar truck because of our recent cut in household income.
Yet, we were blessed by the insurance company. With the money we received, we were able to purchase a nearly identical truck truck with almost 100K less miles on it. We even had some money left over, AND our insurance premium did not rise. Praise God!

In May, I lost my most precious, beloved cat, Oliver. He was 17 years old, and he shared my pillow every night. He had developed the cat's version of irritable bowel syndrome and was literally wasting away before our eyes. Multiple trips to the vet, medications, tests...nothing altered the path his life was on, and we had to make the painful decision to put him to sleep. Oliver was perhaps the best, most devoted cat I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, and losing him left a gaping, lonely void in my heart....not to mention a pillow that was now much too big for one head to sleep on. Our dear vet came out (as they always do for us), and I was able to say goodbye in peaceful surroundings.
Sweet Oliver. He gave me the final gift of laying on my lap and purring, right up until the moment that his little heart quit beating. That memory is bittersweet, but cherished. He was at peace, and I am ever so thankful for having had his life in mine.

Throughout the spring and early summer, Charlie looked for employment in the construction industry, but was unsuccessful. Construction in Dallas remains stagnant at best, even now...in December.
I am thankful that I have a husband who is a "Go Getter". Who doesn't wallow in self-pity. Who has hands that can create and build. Who is game to try almost anything. I am also thankful for our dear friends who needed (at just the right time, I might add) a large greenhouse built.....giving our household budget a little boost, and allowing Charlie's hands to remain busy and productive.

Spattered,scattered, and smeared throughout this year, has been my "new" work life. In my "old" work life, I worked roughly 30hrs per week at my real job, and moonlighted at my "other" real job in retail pharmacy and then managed day to day chores and activities around here on the farm on my days off......which in itself is really a full time (but most gratifying and joy filled!) job.
Life has changed for me. Coincidentally(?), about the time that Charlie lost his job, my job went from normal, to busy, to mandatory overtime crazy busy, to **I must be a lunatic to still work here**busy. The hours were nuts, and I must say, so was I. Working 60-65 hrs per week at a job that demands 100% perfection taxes the soul. Being away from home as much as I am now steals the time I need to refill my "joy cup" when working outdoors with the animals. I am rarely a "cryer", yet I find myself tearing up at things I normally find only minimally stressful or emotional. It is December now, and although things aren't perfect at work, they are do-able and they are (mostly) bearable and I have survived. For I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me.

At the beginning of "The Impending Financial Crisis at Ararat Acres", I prayed that Charlie would quickly find another job, and that God would show me better ways to watch and manage money, above and beyond what we already did. We also made a commitment that, in faith, we would continue to tithe at the level we had when we were a two income household. Charlie and I were blessed at the onset of this life season by being prepared financially, having only our mortgage (which is reasonably priced), our monthly living expenses, and taxes. Having as many mouths to feed and care for as we do, this can get costly very quickly. We have nipped and tucked. We have liposuctioned our lives wherever financially necessary. We have adjusted and we have learned to do without. I even have a few more "emergency" measures up my sleeve that can be taken if absolutely necessary. This year hasn't been easy for either of us, financially, emotionally, or physically. And I will admit that I have had moments of bitterness and frustration. Weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth when things didn't happen as I had imagined. I do think God would rather hear us ranting and raving to Him, than not talking to him at all! And, what I was reminded is this:
God doesn't always answer prayers in the way we think they should be answered.

Although Charlie is working side jobs to bring in some money, we are still virtually a one income family.
So, how in Heaven's Name have we been able to pay every single bill, all taxes due, mortgage payments, and feed bills, not just on time, but ahead of time this year?
How is it that we've even had "excess" money....enough to bless a few other people who needed it more badly than we did at that moment?
How is it that we've been able to continue to tithe at our prior level of commitment?
All of this without touching our savings.
Believe me. The money hasn't fallen magically from the sky. We've worked to keep our heads above water this year. Way hard. Harder than the average bear. But He gave us the way and the skills to do this via paths that did not exist before we needed them.
The Lord Provides, although it may not be the way you or I want it done. I will be leaving 2009 and embracing 2010 knowing that as long as I trust and believe in Him, He will sweat out the details on my behalf. I know these things for sure.
Who knows. Maybe in 2010 my life lesson will be on better capturing that elusive creature, Joy.

RUMPELSTILTSKIN came a visitin' Ararat Acres........

2009-11-10T10:24:00.005-06:00

.....only he got it backwards! He turned our gold into straw. OK, not straw- really it's quality horse hay. Oh well, the horses will be happy munching away this winter.....even if our pockets are significantly lighter. One more thing is now completed on my Fall "to do" list.

Some of the 30 Bales delivered

Prince Charming

2009-10-11T18:52:00.008-05:00

I have felt horribly neglectful of my poor blog, and of my blog reading friends. This fall has been hectic and rough (to say the least!), but all that can wait. I needed a little silliness in my life, and it came hopping by this afternoon, so here I share.

PICTURE #1.....THE FROG AND THE PRINCE

PICTURE #2........WHY AM I KISSING THE FROG?.........

........I ALREADY HAVE MY SWEET PRINCE......

BUT HEY, IT MADE FOR A GOOD PICTURE, AND FOR A FROG, HE WAS PRETTY DARN CUTE (but definitely not cuter than my sweet hubby!)

PS.......IS THIS NOT THE BIGGEST FROG YOU'VE EVER SEEN IN TEXAS? HE WAS DEFINITELY CALAVARAS COUNTY FROG JUMPING CONTEST MATERIAL (thank you Mark Twain).
SWEET FROGGIE WAS GENTLY RELEASED NEXT TO OUR FULL POND WHERE HOPEFULLY HE FINDS HIS PRINCESS. DON'T WORRY SIR FROGALOT, SHE'S OUT THERE SOMEWHERE......AND I'M TAKEN!

INTRODUCING.......Leo the Wonder Kitty

2009-08-11T18:01:00.009-05:00

Hello all you fans of God's creatures! This is a long overdue introduction to one of the most precious, most loved kitties to have come thru Ararat Acres' gate. So, with great fanfare, I bring you, Leo the Wonder Kitty (surely you are hearing a drum roll about now).

He may not look like much. To many of you, he may even appear mild mannered, which he undoubtably is. During these moments, he is simply, Leo- your everyday "average joe" of a cat. However, average he is not. See, when no one is looking, he dons his magical cape and becomes:
Leo......The Super Above Average, Rather Extraordinary, Melt Your Heart,Wonder Kitty. Leo started out as a greasy spot on the road, or so some heartless person who tossed him in the road had hoped. He arrived at our church in the care of another church member who had found him. About 3 1/2 weeks old, a spinal cord injury and a horrid respiratory infection. He could not breathe well and could not use his front paws. I did not hold much hope that he would live. We took him home and then took him to the vet, where he stayed for about 10 days- receiving antibiotics and steroids in an attempt to decrease the swelling in his spinal cord. He came home to us with limited use of his front paws, and still on antibiotics. It was unclear if he would walk normally as his paws were "flippy floppy"....sometimes obeying his commands, but often not. Initially we called him Ernie, but it became apparent to us that he had a heart of a lion, so we changed his name to Leo. Despite his rough start, he was unstoppable and totally loveable. He purred, and purred and purred, and he slowly mended. At first we thought he might have a little bit of a mental disability because the trauma injury, but he doesn't. He's just happy to be alive, and high on life. Leo is friends with everyone....cats, dogs, horses (he likes to ride them), turkeys...it doesn't matter. So if you are visiting Ararat Acres, and see a streak of orange come running towards you...... If you see a flash of a cape (that is mostly invisible to those who don't believe)......get ready to open your arms and receive a huge hug from a great big, loveable, ALIVE cat who just celebrated his first birthday. He teaches me about joy almost every day, and makes me laugh almost as often, this guy......who almost became that greasy spot in the road. Stay tuned. Leo the Wonder Kitty has arrived and will be making semi regular appearances here. He's got some stories to tell, and some joy to share.

Contest with Prize! --correctly name this melon

2009-07-23T08:47:00.006-05:00

In the beginning, I wasn't sure we were going to have a successful garden this year. The late freeze, the abnormally cool weather combined with the frequent rains made starting a garden a true challenge this year. We start our garden from heirloom seeds every year. Heirloom seeds are different than the seeds you would normally find at your local Wally World or Home Depot. These are seeds that are harvested because of their original genetic attributes. Unlike hybridized seeds, they don't always produce the abundant crop you might wish for (although we've always had excess production thanks to our pollinators, the bees) . Heirlooms are usually known for their hardiness, taste, and uniqueness. Additionally, I recently read an article in Mother Earth News noting an additional characteristic of heirloom varieties. Apparently, while scientists have been working hard to produce hybridized crops that are high producers with the ability to fight off certain diseases (which can be easily done economically and organically if needed by the way), they are breeding OUT the nutrional value of our fruits, vegetables, and grains. Oh happy day. In some cases, the nutritional value of the newer varieties have been depleted by 50-70%. AND, some of these seeds have nasty little chemicals in and on them (genetically imbedded) that cause harm to our friendly little pollinators (and probably we humans as well).

So, without further adieu, I present to you, the mystery melon. Apparently, we had a hitchhiker seed added to our cantaloupe seed packet we had ordered. Charlie and I have already figured out what this melon is, and have harvested one of them (Actually two.....one was picked prematurely, thinking it was a watermelon perhaps). In addition to the picture, I will give you a few clues. The first person to guess what kind of melon this is will win a genuine organic Ararat Acres cantaloupe (quite tasty I might add). Unfortunately, this contest is only valid for local participants....I doubt the cantaloupe will ship well :).

In addition to the pictures, here are your clues:
1. It is an heirloom variety
2. The ready to pick fruit frequently weighs 8-10lbs
3. When ready, the fruit will turn from dark green to a deep yellow, with a light orange meat.
4. If you cannot tell in the picture, the not ready fruit is lightly fuzzy, with deep grooves and bumps.
5. The seeds date <1800's.

Good Luck! I'm looking forward to deliver a cantaloupe to someone soon.

A Catharsis

2009-06-28T18:09:00.005-05:00

Thank you Webster: Catharsis: -noun; the purging of the emotions or relieving of emotional tensions, esp. through certain kinds of art or music. to cleanse.

Sometimes, you just have to do something to get a rush of immediate gratification. Some people shop. I do windows (thank you Dad....it's genetic!). First they are dirty, then they are clean. How simple. And even better.... you SEE the dirt, and then you don't. I wish life and cleaning up messes in life were equally simple. However, windows (as in life) are still prone to left over streaking and specks of dirt no matter how much you scrub, and that is a bit frustrating. The good news is this: at least the view isn't so fuzzy anymore. (I'm afraid these pictures didn't do the grime justice...speaking literally and figuratively of course.)

simple pleasures

2009-06-25T12:13:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago after a storm, Charlie found this little bird's nest in our yard. (I am choosing to believe that the babies had already grown and flown away when their home was blown from the tree.) It is such a sweet and perfect little thing. What is even more special is that the nest involves many of my animals. Every time I brush a dog, comb a cat, or groom a horse, I put their fur in the yard or treeline, for the birds to use. Looking closely, I can see bits of Bear (our Great Pyrenees) hair, as well as tail hairs from at least 3 different horses (probably Katie, Maggie, and Lola judging from the colors). The Mama bird did an incredible job of creating a recycled soft home for her chickadees. I always find a bird's nest architecture so amazing. Durable, woven, soft, circular, beautiful. How do they do that using only a beak? I doubt we humans could do such a job using only our mouths!

Ode to Mother's Day.......Farm style

2009-05-05T09:41:00.000-05:00

I am not a mother to children. God did not have that in His plans for me, and I am at peace with His choice. However,I am a mother and caregiver to many many many of His creations, most of whom were rescued from their former unloved and uncared for lives. If only people would stop and watch.....I mean really watch..... animals around them, they would learn so much and perhaps even grow to love and appreciate what they see. But this blog entry isn't about that. It is a look at Mother's Day.....Farm style!

Every mom has a different style of mothering. This holds true regardless if the mom is a person or an animal. There is the overprotective mom, the adoptive mom who doesn't differentiate between blood and choice, the nurturing mom, the laid back mom, the mom who is still in mothering mode even tho her kids are grown.....well, the list could go on and on.

I will start with ZaZa, our little white silky banty hen. She sat on her eggs last year and successfully hatched 2 chicks. Truthfully, they weren't even her eggs, they belonged to a couple of much larger hens, but she didn't care, and she loved those eggs and loved her subsequent chicks. It didn't take long for them to grow up, and become twice as large as their mama. Even after the chicks developed feathers and could fly up to the roosts at night, ZaZa would choose the nesting box instead, and carefully attempt to cover her teenagers with her wings. Finally, one of them left on her own, and decided that roosting was a less crowded sleeping option. Fast forward a year......Would you believe that ZaZa still sleeps in a nesting box with her one chick (who is now huge!) almost every night. Both mom and baby are in denial that the inevitable "growing up" has happened I think.

Oprah, our fluffy, talkative black Americauna hen, got broody earlier this year, and we decided to let her sit on a clutch of eggs. 4 of them hatched. There just isn't anything much cuter than a baby, any baby, don't you think? We put them in their heated "nursery" with mom, and she proceeded to teach them about life.....what to eat, how to eat it, danger signals, how to drink water, etc. Yes, a baby chick will eventually learn most of this on its own, but Oprah was shooting for the Mother Hen of the Year Award. When I would give her favorite treats of strawberries, she would hold them in her beak and simultaneously call to her chicks, and then hold the strawberry while they pecked at it. Only when the chicks were done would she eat the leftovers (sound familiar, moms?). We watched as she led her little chickadees through the first 6 weeks of life, and when we finally returned them all to our chicken coop, she continued to teach them more life lessons, returning to the nesting box each night to tuck in the babies under her wings. Then.....one night.....it happened. Oprah must have decided that she had had enough of motherhood, so she flew the coop (so to speak), and spent the night with her girlfriends on the roost. I was in the yard and heard a terrible ruckus coming from the coop and went over to investigate. All four chicks were sitting in the nesting box looking at mom and peeping up a storm. They were furious for being left alone, and were giving mom an awful tongue lashing.
Oprah was ignoring them, and had already started to go to sleep. It was so comical, but I also felt sorry for the babies. Oprah had done her job, and it was time to really grow up.

I posted an entry back in February about our loss of Dooley, an almost 2 year old gelding. In it, I mentioned his mom, Waco. Waco is perhaps the most attentive horse mom I have known. Each foal she has given birth to has had the ultimate "mom" experience. Waco is always aware of where her babies are, she talks to them constantly, and clearly just revels in being a mom. She is such "a mom" that she will try to adopt other foals in the pasture. I have witnessed her standing, making every attempt to get a foal that wasn't hers to nurse (this is not common in the horse world). Waco mourned Dooley's death, and would look for him, calling for him frequently. This went on for about 2 weeks. It was oddly comforting to know that I was not mourning alone, and we shared our tears. I was describing Waco's version of mothering to my own mother a couple of years ago, and finished my description by saying ".....so Mom, if you were a horse, I'd have to say you'd be Waco" . After a brief silence, my mom replied, "I think that is one of the nicest things you've ever said about me". Not all people would see the compliment in my statement, but my mom did. She knows how much I love and respect "my kids" and understands the animal lingo and analogies that frequently enter into conversation. My mom is most definitely a "Waco", with a little "ZaZa" thrown in the mix.

Finally, on Mother's Day on the farm, who could forget The Queen? The saying, "if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy" most definitely holds true in bee hives. The queen does set the mood of her hive. If she is moody or irritable, you will definitely have an emotionally unstable hive. Likewise, if you have a gentle queen, you will have a calm hive. Beyond emotions, the queen also sets the style and layout of the comb (messy or organized?). She must be a strong leader for the sake of her family. If she is not, the worker bees will eventually lose their strong work ethic and the hive will become weaker because of it. I think the queen has set a high standard for all moms everywhere.

So, kudos to all you moms out there, and Happy Mother's Day from me and all of "my moms" at Ararat Acres. We hope you have a wonderful day!

Springtime B(ee)logging

2009-03-24T19:17:00.000-05:00

My sweet little bees are out and about this lovely spring afternoon. They are so busy....almost urgent in their actions. And actually, things in the hive probably do require a bit of urgency. Winter is over, and the queen is actively moving from cell to cell, laying eggs. Eggs, of course, translate to more mouths to feed at home. With winter stores depleted, the girls have alot of responsiblities upon their wee little shoulders......gathering pollen, nectar, and water.....tending to the babies (larvae), and making honey just to name a few. They are happy to be free from the confines of their winter lair.

If you are a gardener, I've got to make my plea now: please please please refrain from using pesticides containing Imidacloprid. This is a "newer" pesticide that is highly suspect in contributing to (if not directly causing) Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Bayer is just one of many companies that makes pesticides with this ingredient. Personally, I am an organic gardener, and have found that guineas do a better job than any pesticide, but everyone has their preferences. So, what is CCD? There has been a mysterious disappearance of entire colonies of bees over the last several years. This is a devastating event for any beekeeper. Beyond that, it is a devastating for anyone who eats.........for 3 out of every 5 bites of food you put in your mouth, you can thank a bee. Without bees, the world cannot produce enough food for all of the mouths that need to be fed. Colonies of bees affected by CCD simply disappear over a very short period of time. They appear to simply wander off and leave the hive, honey, larvae and all. The pesticide seems to have an Alzheimer's like effect on these highly functioning insects. Wow. To me, this is a "canary in the coalmine" sign for us. Really, if the pesticide does this to bees, what is it doing to humans longterm?

Not every flower attracts bees. Most people don't know that. The Divine Creation part of all of this is that the fruit and vegetable flowers that "need" bees for pollination in order to produce fruits and vegetables just so happen to be the ones that bees are attracted to. How cool is that??? So, what plants need bees for optimal production? Plants common to this area include: okra, beans, watermelon, cantaloupe and other melons, cucumbers, squash, zuchini, any fruit tree, grapes, any berry plant, and many herbs and spices. If you plant these things, your efforts will be appreciated by "the girls" and then justly rewarded at harvesttime. The caveat to this is that you've got to HAVE bees in your neighborhood for this to happen. The more pesticides that are used = fewer bees = less food (which means increased food prices). Please get the word out to all of your friends who are gardeners (both ornamental and fruit/vegetable).

Allow those little worker girl bees to bless your socks off, and have a great growing season~

Old Sweatshirts are like old friends.......

2009-02-27T08:06:00.000-06:00

I have a couple of “most favorite” sweatshirts that really would qualify for the rag bag. I think one of them is 23 years old, vintage sophomore year at Texas A&M. My other is younger…..only about 20 years old, circa pharmacy school at UT. They are still warm, still comfortable, full of many year’s use….a few holes, definitely worn in places…..and still gracing my wardrobe regularly, despite the fact that I have a shelf full of newer sweats.

Being somewhat of an introvert, I think I’ve always been better at having quality versus quantity friendships. Now that I am in my 40’s, and can speak in decades, I find sweet comfort in my less than a handful of close old friends. Richard, who was my surrogate brother, 3+ decades. Michele, my very best friend growing up, who moved away when we were 12 and 13, yet we still stay in touch….3+ decades. Dana, my college roommate, 2+ decades. I talk to each of them at least a couple of times a year, and we always pick up like time has never passed by. I am fortunate to see Dana (who lives in Dallas) and Richard (who now lives in Mckinney) occasionally. It is a rich thing to have a friend in your life whom has intimate knowledge of you as a kid, teenager, and young adult….those troublesome formative years. We have knowledge of each other that no one else has (not even family), and we love each other in spite of that, or perhaps because of it. We know each other’s scars (physically and emotionally), and our early triumphs. For it is all of these things that has made us who we have become. I talk to them and I know this. I may only have less than a handful of old friends, but I am so richly blessed. Because, despite their knowledge of “all” of me, they love me back. No money can buy, no time can repeat this type of “ground up” friendship.

As I’ve gotten older, I have acquired a larger group of dear friends…. especially in the last 10 years, and I hope when I am in my 60’s they are still in my life…..just like my favorite old sweatshirts

It's not the debut you're looking for, but it's me.

2009-02-10T22:40:00.000-06:00

After several weeks of wondering what a new blogger (such as myself) should write about, I decided to just wait until the words are inside me waiting to tumble out…..and thus would begin my first blog ever. Would it be a short biography? Perhaps something witty? Something about my bees? I never thought it would be a vignette about the death of one of my beloved animals. But, that is what is heavy on my heart and mind, and needs to be written.

February 2nd, Monday morning 6am: I am out feeding everyone before work. 6 dogs, 11 cats, 1 geriatric pot belly pig, a bunny, chickens, guineas, and a turkey (all rescues), and our 9 horses. It is still dark outside. The horses know that it’s breakfast time, and they are waiting at the barn. Only as I am feeding, I realize that Dooley, our youngest horse @ 1 ½ yrs, is missing. Mild panic always sets in when a horse doesn’t show up for a meal. They are punctual as a rule (unless a mare is in heat and pining for a fellow across the fence….then hormones just might overrule their stomach). Dooley has never not shown up with the herd, and so my panic escalates a bit. I head to the house, grab my cellphone and a flashlight, and wake Charlie up (who has been suffering thru an explosive stomach virus since the night before). I jump in my truck and start driving thru the pasture looking for the little guy. He’s not exactly little. Really, he’s mostly grown. I get to the front pasture, and find him, laying down by the round bale. I got out of the truck and started walking towards him, calling to him. He raised his head as if he had been in a sound sleep, and then struggled to get up. As I approached, I could tell something was horribly wrong. I couldn’t tell if it was neurological or musculoskeletal, but clearly he was in pain. He tucked his head into my chest and shook. Then I saw his right front leg. I have seen my share of leg injuries and hoof injuries but I had not seen this before. There seemed to be no stability in the leg, and so although he had it straight, it wasn’t touching the ground. I called our vet, Susan, and she headed our way, straight from her house. Poor Dooley was in so much pain, and wanted nothing more than to just bury his head in my arms as I stood beside him. Susan arrived in about 30 minutes, and after a preliminary examination and a shot of bute for the pain, she verbalized what I was thinking. His leg or shoulder was most likely broken, but she wanted xrays to make sure. Susan headed back to the clinic to get the portable xray machine, and we (Charlie was now with me) were given the job of getting Dooley to the lower turnout shed where there was an electrical outlet. In the hour she was gone, we were able to move him about 30 feet. A horse is not built to hop on one front leg, and adding tremendous pain to the equation did not help matters. The second vet visit did not reveal anything on xrays regarding his lower leg. The suspect bone, the humerus, lays across the outer part of the shoulder blade on a horse. Because it is such dense tissue there, a portable xray machine cannot take definitive pictures, so we had two options: load him in a trailer and take him to a equine specialist about an hour away, or give him a day of stall rest, and pray for the best. At this point, we knew that the xray results would not solve anything, other than letting us know immediately that euthanasia was the only answer to Dooley’s suffering. I was horridly worried about loading and trailering him, as he has never been hauled anywhere before. I felt like the trauma of forcing him to load, making him stand 3 legged in a swaying trailer, being away from his family, the pain factor etc, was all just too much to ask of Dooley…..just for an immediate diagnosis would not be fair to him. So, we very very slowly made the trek up the pasture to our barn, a few hops at a time, then resting. I got him in the stall right around lunchtime. He and I were exhausted (and Charlie had long gone back to bed to nurse his stomach virus).
The rest of Monday was spent waiting and watching and praying.

February 3rd: my birthday, but not a good day. Another day spent watching and waiting and praying. Dooley’s pain seems to have abated a bit with medication, making me want to believe that perhaps he just had a really bad bruise on his shoulder and needs stall rest. However, now he had swelling in his shoulder, and he dragged the toe of his damaged leg when he hopped (a sign of nerve damage). He nickers to his family, and eats and drinks. I have a teeny tiny bit of hope, and I am clinging to it. Waco, his mom, keeps leaving the herd and coming to stand by his stall door for hours at a time. He is comforted by her presence. It is so touching. She is forever the mama, even when her babies are mostly grown. I go in the stall many times during the day, and brush him down and talk to him. It is during one of these times in the late afternoon, that I am gently pressing on his shoulder, and I feel/hear the bone on bone sound (technically called crepitus) when slight pressure is applied. Dooley swings his head around and bumps me. “Enough of that.” He says. I am in tears, because I know what I feel is the break. I can’t call the vet. Not on my birthday.

Wednesday February 4th: As much as I don’t want to go to work this morning, I’ve got to go. I missed work Monday and luckily was scheduled off Tuesday. Although my co-workers at work are the best, I feel guilty missing another day. I have put off calling the vet. If I don’t talk to her, then I can live in limbo land …..and live with my ounce of hope that I’m wrong. I get to work and try to keep myself pulled together emotionally. Charlie is at home still recovering from the stomach flu, so I know Dooley will be checked on regularly. I plan on calling the vet in the afternoon, but she beats me to it by calling me about 10am. She is coming out about 5pm tonight, and I am not looking forward to seeing her. I ask my boss if I can leave early, and he kindly allows me to make the drive home a couple hours earlier than normal. Susan comes, and absolutely confirms what I thought I had felt. There is no doubt. He is a broken vessel that cannot be fixed. "All of the kings horses and all of the kings men"……I think briefly about Barbaro, the famous racehorse that was euthanized last year for a broken leg. They were able to use “all the kings men” and all “the kings money” too (which was probably over more than I make in a couple of years), and it still did no good in the end. I am always in awe at how such a large animal can have such relatively delicate legs (and shoulders), but I digress.

So. It is agreed. Susan goes to her truck to put things together, and we get Dooley out of the stall. By this time, all of the horses have come up and are watching things closely. What? How do they know how important this time is to say goodbye? He “hops” thru his herd, and they all nose him and call to him. We take him to a smaller adjoining pasture, as that is about as far as he can go. The horses are all standing in a row, 20 feet away. Watching. Calling to him. I don’t know which is sadder….watching them say goodbye to him, or me having to say goodbye to him. The ending is completely painless for Dooley, but my heart is broken. The horses are mourning. They stand by the fence for hours after he is gone. Waiting for him. I would challenge anyone who thinks that animals don’t have feelings of sadness to witness something like this, and not be moved to think differently.

Horses are mentioned in the Bible over 150 times. However, if you add all the equine (donkeys etc) references together it surpasses even the mentioning of sheep (the #1 animal in the Bible, obviously). I am enjoying the thought of Dooley joining the ranks of the white horses in heaven (he was a bay tobiano, whose body was mostly snowy white….when he was clean). They have a big job to do, those white horses in heaven…..

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.” (Rev 19:11)

I hope they enjoy him up there. He’s going to make some angel a great horse.