Our borrowed bull is going home in just a few days. There are two girls that we were hoping would come in to season and be bred before he left. It was a long shot that they would recover from calving and begin cycling again while he was here. Yesterday, Wilma was in heat and the bull is hanging out with Cornbread this morning as if she is coming in....... By all outward appearances, this young bull has done an outstanding job for us. This means that we can actually wait a bit longer before we have to spend the scarce money on a new bull.
There are 7 gas/oil rigs on our property and one drilled but capped oil well. The mineral rights were leased out long before we bought this place but since we do own the rights, we get a percentage of the revenue they bring in------ providing they are running. In the last two years, only one well has been operational for any length of time. That well was not maintained and pumped very little and barely earned anything. Eventually, they just shut it off. For the last six months, I have prayed almost daily that they would be moved to get them all going again. It is an eyesore with all the pipes pulled and weeds growing up around them. It is difficult to clean up and mow around them and it was just insulting to have to put up with the mess and not get a penny for it!
Just before we left for Yellowstone, a crew showed up and began working on the rigs.....
As of yesterday afternoon, six out of seven rigs were pumping!! Our percentage is incredibly small and we certainly will never get anywhere near rich but it is not so insulting to have these things on the pastures now.
Kansas is world famous for raising wheat and harvest has begun.
This is our wheat field. Our neighbor farms it for us. We split some of the expenses and get a share of it. We have been watching it all winter and wondering how things were going to work out after last year's drought. Our wheat was planted just a bit late but looks marvelous!
Our friends to the south of us have already started combining but ours will need just a few more days to get dry enough. The word is that Kansas is having a bumper crop of wheat. One friend has averaged over 65 bushels to the acre----- HOLY COW! That is about 30 bushels per acre above normal!! These numbers are matching up with other reports from across the region. Be still my heart......
Then there is the garden......
This morning I was able to spend some time in my happy place with out any troubles from my allergies --- thank goodness!
There are lots of tomatoes out there as well as baby green beans. I harvested broccoli, cabbage, beets and a couple of carrots. I pulled up and composted worm riddled broccoli plants and bolting lettuce. Planning to plant more squash to try again.....
I finally just could not bear it any longer and broke down and bought two of the dwarf cherry trees at the feed store..... I could not stand to see them getting hotter and hotter while sitting there in those black 3 gallon pots..... I HAD to rescue them! Seth and I added them to the orchard yesterday. I HAVE to quit with the fruit trees...... we now have three peaches, six or seven apple trees, a plum, a pear. two pecans and now two cherry trees. Add to that the eight blueberry bushes, four grape vines, a fig, elderberries, strawberries and black berries. The boys complain that mowing the yard is an obstacle course.
The gourds, cucumbers, peas, and Lima beans are all up and really growing. Now if we could just get a little rain...... not enough to slow down wheat harvest but just give the garden a bit of a drink.
All my critters are hale, hearty, growing and producing. My children and busy and happy. I have many friends and live in a safe and wonderful place.
I am reflecting on all of this because I am helping a friend who is not so fortunate. She is battleing cancer--again. The chemotherapy is horrendous and she has been very ill. I brought her two milk goats home with me to take care of for her until she is feeling better. It is impossible for her to milk them right now. It is the least that I can do...... She is fiercely independent and it breaks my heart to see her struggle so.
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