Thomas Allen's Blog, page 3

Time

Time can be a puzzle. Some days, time goes by so fast the day is over in a blink, other days it drags in never-ending monotony. I’m not sure why, but I think it may have something to do with my moods, or interests, or accomplishments for the day. And the effect of time can also be puzzling. I’ve always thought it interesting that some things like grown trees—oaks, olives, or redwoods—are not visibly affected by time, yet our human bodies constantly change as years go by. And time can change our perspective. How many of us who were idealistic in our youth, and skeptical at middle age, have become tolerant and mellow in our older years. And how many of our emotions are affected by time. Things that initially made us frightfully nervous or emotional, later couldn’t raise our blood pressure one point. I suppose all these things can be explained psychologically, but I prefer to attribute them to time.

Feral Hogs

There is a growing problem with feral hogs in Texas, and for several years, a neighboring rancher has been telling me we have feral hogs in our area, no more than two miles away. I was hoping our wet weather creek which is dry eight months of the year would not be a temptation. But it finally happened. I was looking out the window at the pond during an early breakfast when I saw what seemed, at a glance, to be a small herd of little puppies huddled together. No sooner than that crossed my mind, I realized they were little pigs—fourteen! Cute from a distance, up close not so much. Since that fateful day, we’ve set up a hog trap which has to be baited with corn every three days—another ranch chore. So far, we have caught 19 pigs of different sizes and colors. Fortunately, we have a large Hawaiian family in our community who is always ready to come get them and add them to their pig farm. They must have a lot of luaus.

Christmas Holidays

It seems like Christmas holidays bring two viewpoints to us. The first filled with happy memories of good times, hopes, and a wonderful feeling of expectation. The second filled with a hectic shopping season, sadness of lost dreams and the reality of life as it is. However, each year when the air is filled with the sound of Christmas carols, bells ringing to help the needy, happy greetings by fellow citizens, and bright light displays on neighborhood streets—the first viewpoint still takes precedent over the second.

Bartley

We have a new rooster named Bartley. He is a beautiful black Australorp whose feathers are tinged with iridescent green. Although he is young and about the size of our full-grown chickens, in a few more months he will be over twice their size and proud of it. He has already begun to take on an air of superiority as roosters do. However, we never realized when we started raising chickens just how valuable roosters are to the flock. They don’t just prance around and crow a wake-up call in the morning. A good rooster is very protective of his hens, always aware of possible dangers. If the hens are scattered about too widely, he crows them back closer to watch over them. If a hawk is flying close to the chicken yard, he will crow loudly to gather all the hens under bushes or a tree until the danger is over. And if a predator ever gets too close, the rooster will be the first to confront him and defend the chickens. Long live Bartley!

Things Change

We have a friend who recently lost her husband. Although some marriages work with two people sharing only essential things as they go through life, this particular marriage was a partnership marriage. They did everything together, shared everything together, loved life together. So, death left a tremendous void in the life of the remaining partner. I couldn’t help but wonder how she would deal with the emptiness in her life. But I’ve observed that it is being filled with her faith. It seems that people of faith have an inner strength to cope with major life changes. They have a long-range outlook that declares, "things always change, but my Creator never changes. His promises have been proven historically and personally throughout my life." Those people who draw strength from their Creator are an inspiration to all of us. They give us hope during times of change in our own lives.

Sweet Little Thing

We have new neighbors. Escapees from the city, who wants to experience all aspects of country life. So soon after they moved in, they acquired a dog, 3 rabbits, 5 turkeys, 7 chickens, 8 guineas, four goats, a horse, two hogs, and Strawberry, a 3-week-old hand fed piglet named by the granddaughter. So far only the chickens, goats, and dog have gotten temporarily misplaced. But last week, I spent a good part of two days trying to catch Strawberry who kept showing up in my yard. Do you have any idea how fast and how long a sweet little 4 lb. squealing piglet can run? I didn’t. Thankfully, they are putting up new fencing.

Leaving Your Signature

A close friend of mine had an uncanny ability of being aware of the wants and needs of others. It seemed like an effortless talent. She never asked questions or probed, but she was an incredible listener. How many times do friends love to talk about their lives, but seem vaguely interested in ours. It is so refreshing when someone truly listens. She did more than that. She remembered what she heard, and sometimes out of the blue she would suggest something—a product I needed, or a solution to a problem that had been mentioned in a conversation months ago. And gifts……she always picked the perfect thing—something you had no idea she knew you wanted. She’s gone now, but a reoccurring theme at her memorial celebration was her care and concern for others. You might say, as others would, she left her signature on my life.

Neighbors

One of the most important things to have when you live on a ranch is neighbors. City neighbors and country neighbors are frequently different. City neighbors may occasionally give a nod of the head, but country neighbors become a part of your life. When you live in the country and your ranch adjoins other ranch property, neighbors more often than not live by the Golden Rule. The shared interest in outdoor things—land, livestock, weather, predators, etc.—seems to bring an instant bond. There are always chores that are more easily done by two people. Ranchers are quick to lend a hand whether it is an hour’s work with a shovel, or several hours repairing a tractor. Then there are other things to be shared—garden produce, eggs, pecans, fresh fruit. And lastly, sharing stories of unexpected happenings—sometimes funny, embarrassing, or even scary. An appreciation of the ever-changing things of nature is a unifying force which allows us to forget self and think of others. I’m grateful for my country neighbors!

Renewal

Springtime on the ranch is a time of renewal. Land dulled and grayed (except for the evergreen cedar trees) suddenly bursts, seemingly overnight, into an intense lime green. Soon after, spots of color appear. The usual wild flowers pop up and hold their blooms high—bluebonnets, orange Indian paintbrush, pink evening primrose, and a mixture of yellow flowers. Each year as we walk the terrain, there are also some unexpected treasures—wildflowers that make their appearance periodically, but never give advance notice. And the sounds of the season are renewed again. The silent crisp air of lingering winter suddenly changes into a symphony of bird songs—happy excitement because winter is over. It’s the season for spotting birds’ nests with tiny blue eggs, baby cotton tails, spotted fawns, tiny green frogs. Springtime on the ranch is forever a time of discovery and wonder. How I wish children raised in the city could experience all the marvels of nature the Creator has provided.

Joy

I’ve read that happiness depends totally on “happenings”. It is illusive and therefore, something we can’t control. But joy, in contrast, is something that comes from within. It is not controlled by “happenings”, but by belief, commitment, hope, perseverance—qualities found in a person’s character. This week I’m going to the celebration of a couple who have been married 50 years. They were not a made-for-each-other couple. They did not have a fairy-tale romance, or a fabulous wedding. Their lives have been lived quietly with the usual ups and downs—not extraordinary in any sense. Except. They have had a determined love that weathered the hard times and rejoiced in the good times, and they have produced children and grandchildren who will carry their values through life. Their joy has been in their journey of 50 years.