The Brute and the Beauty

It must have been some kind of ruckus...

And I slept straight thru it!  Who or Whatever trashed the feed room last night sure was riled up!

This is the sight that greeted me this morning when I got out to feed...

 

Feed room door cracked wide, Pitchfork wedged tight, and Hay bales tossed like toys.  Not even Emma-cat was sure about going in!  I have to admit I wasn't too sure myself . . . so, I grabbed the pitchfork from under the door and crept in over the hay.

 

Breath held, fork at the ready, I cautiously looked around.

 

Nothing moved.

 

I thought that was a good sign.  (ok, honest truth, knees wobbled with relief.)  I have no idea what I would have done if there had been a badger or a bear in there!  Because, in hind sight, it must have been something big to heave the hay bales up in front of the door.  Each bale weighs about 40-45 lbs.  Not an easy feat...unless you're a badger or a bear.

 

But something sure had a field day with the feed bin...

 

 

 

As a matter of fact, those look suspiciously like grubby, little raccoon paw prints all over the bin!  Ah-ha!  I do believe that Katie's friendly little coon came back for a visit.  And got mighty ticked off that the food was all locked up for the night!

 

And were the goats any help?

 

 

Hello?!  Not a peep from any of you?

You're just gonna let that masked raider mess with your feed and hay?

 

 

Kinda Mom.... He was scary and throwing hay bales around and all....

 

The Brute!  Happy Goat Herder to the rescue:

 

 

First we clean up the feed room and then...

 

 

 

One Live Animal Trap coming right up!

 

Of course, you never know how well that's going to work.  We've had mishaps in the past.  Ok, then, if you must know, I am not the best trapper in the west... But before I could even sneeze this time, thank you very much, Mr P came strutting over to check it out...

 

 

Seriously?  Like we don't feed you enough?

 

 

Seriously!

 

There is no telling what will greet me in the morning.  Is that the truth or what?

 

And just when I was grumbling about all the extra work, and just who has the time for setting up traps, and trying to find a bandage for my pinched finger (not the best trap setter-upper either), I walked past the big Photinia bush at the corner of the shed and stopped dead in my tracks:

 

 

 

He was as big as my hand.

Wings spread out to catch the warmth of sunshine.

  

My breath stilled into soundless wonder.

 

What Beauty so early this March spring, 

To arrive on the heels of the Brute's temper tantrum in the feed room.

 

My grumbling evaporated in the unexpected awe of the moment,

my heart slowing to the beat of his wings in symmetry,

gently gifting me with His artless Grace.

 

And that is the truth.  We each will meet the Brute and the Beauty as we go about our days.  Sometimes the Brute will make our lives difficult, miserable, and filled with fear.   It is his nature.  But never forget, Beauty is there just waiting.  Waiting for the moment we turn to see.  To be awed by the gift.  To still our hearts before His.  To be filled with a peace that routs fear.

 

No matter how the Brute has sought to ruin us, there will always be eternal power in the Beauty that ever seeks us out, offering His Love gift to each one of us.

 

Leaning into Beauty, Always,

                                                Jane 

Fire on the Farm!

Yesterday was Mom's 72nd Birthday...

And we had a beautiful "celebration," but the rather incendiary turn of events at the farm precluded my lovely blog post last night!

So, today you get two for the price of one.  First, the Fire (most important...we're all OK, whewww!)...

Yesterday afternoon, as I was driving home from Dad's and our commemorative Birthday festivities (more on that later), I noticed smoke in the distance, and it sure looked suspiciously close to our place. But, I reasoned, what are the chances?

None of the neighbors had called, no fire engine sirens were blaring. Probably just a controlled burn...

Except, the closer I got to home, the closer it looked to be our place... I turned down the lane, still no fire engines, but tons more smoke... drove thru our gate, heart pounding, and saw smoke billowing across the driveway....

The woods were on fire. Holy Smokes! And there was lots of smoke. The fire was low and smoldering thru all the leaf tinder and spreading fast...

9-1-1 !!!!!!!! What's your emergency? FIRE!!!! FIRE!!!! FIRE!!!!! (I may have sounded just a little hysterical....maybe....)

And then I called Leroy and Travis (they were at Trav's working on a truck), and yelled FIRE! (a wee bit less hysterical...maybe...)

Good news. Leroy and Travis made it home fast. And so did the Fire Department. 2 hours and thousands of GALLONS of water later, the fire was out and we were breathing much easier.

And the really great news? Moments after the Fire Department left, the skies opened up and the RAIN came down in a Big, Drenching, Swoosh of a Soaker. What a Gift, after weeks without a drop of rain. God's Perfect Timing...

Cause of the fire? No idea. The Firefighters couldn't pinpoint a cause. Perhaps a spark from the Transmission Lines overhead,

 or an ember from a big grass fire way south of us (not likely, but maybe), in other words, we may never know. Kind of scary to think we're that susceptible to random fires...

And the neighbors?  No one else was home at the time the fire broke out - doubly scary... If I had lingered at Dad's or done some shopping (it happens), and been even a half hour later, the fire would have swept into the ravine and been nigh impossible for the Fire-fighters to reach.  Shudder....

God's Providential Hand...Grace in Action...

Which is exactly how Mom's Commemorative Birthday came about.  A providential timing orchestrated by unseen hands for a family that was dreading another first.  A Birthday without Mom. 

Several weeks ago, Dad received an invitation from the Cemetary/Columbarium were Mom is inurned.  They were hosting a service about Organ Donation presented by UT Southwest and also having an "indoor" picnic for all the families with loved ones buried there.

The Date?  Saturday, July 21st.  Mom's 72nd Birthday.

A difficult day, made so much easier by the love, laughter and community of others facing similar journeys.  The service was touching.  Several donor recipients shared their stories and one family shared the heartbreak of losing their son only to have his life continue on in the lives of so many others thru organ donation.

Then after the service, we participated in a group Butterfly Release.  Simply the sweetest, most uplifting part of our day.  Even Dad was captivated...

As the butterflies circled around us, dipping and swaying, lighting upon our shoulders and hands, we read in unison the verse from  Numbers 6:24-26:

"The Lord bless you
and keep you;

The Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;

The Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace."

Mom would have been utterly charmed.  Dad and I agreed that we couldn't have planned it better if we had tried...

Happy Birthday Mom!

You are loved always and forever....

P.S.  The Goats, Donkey, Dogs, Cats, and Peacocks survived the Farm Fire with nary a singed feather, nor sooty hoof.  Tonight we are humbled completely by God's Merciful, Abundant, Soul-Soaking Grace...