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will keep your you and yours in our thoughts and prayers

just a note to let you all know I'm not the moderator anymore. I need to be available here and don't feel that I can do a good job as moderator. I'll stop in some, maybe take it on again later.

Keep the forum going - these stories need to be out for people who don't know farming.

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.

Kathleen, we understand. You'll continue to be on our minds, and in our prayers.

Yesterday we got about 1/3 of an inch of rain. It was a nice soaker. We could use a lot more but are very thankful for what we got. The fields look better already. It's just amazing. The temperature was too high for the mountains to get more snow, but the irrigation ditch has more water feeding our irrigation pond this morning.

I salvaged more drip tape, plastic mainline and fittings for my garden. I hope it is all I need for this year. It's taking a lot more than I thought it would to dripline the whole garden. I don't know what the expected life of drip tape is, but this spent last year under black plastic. I reused what little I had from last year, which was exposed, so I guess that should eventually tell me something. The weather has made some wild swings this year which are affecting planting dates and a whole lot more. Recently the only commercial orchard in our area lost most of their fruit crop at blossom time due to a hard frost after the trees woke up with an unseasonably warm spell in March. Here is a link to their website. www.eaglecreekorchard.com

Kathleen, we understand. Come back to us when you can.

A couple of stray facts learned at the Bluebell Creamery in nearby Bellville TX. It takes the milk of 60,000 cows to produce their ice cream daily. They produce 55 flavors and can make 12 at a time. Their motto is "We eat what we can and sell the rest." Good stuff! So keep those dairy cows happy.

Yum. Ice cream. With caramel sauce. Or fresh strawberries. Or fresh raspberries. Or hot fudge. You get the idea.

With caramel sauce please.

Well, I would take caramel, hot fudge, and toasted pecans. A little marshmallow would be tasty too, with the hot fudge and nuts.

I could be easily talked into the hot fudge, toasted pecans along with the caramel. I think the marshmallow would be too sweet.

I agree, skip the marshmallow.

Can any of you get Blue Bell ice cream where you live?

No Blue Bell here, Porkpal.

No Blue Bell here, but we can get Blue Bunny. Not all that great, IMHO.

Too bad! Blue Bell is the best ice cream I've ever had!

Alas, without our leader we seem to be getting quite trivial and off topic.

In an attempt toward more sober posting: yesterday I treated the huisache in the east pasture. I treat each nasty little weed/tree with a basal spray of Remedy and diesel. A very small amount will eventually kill even a good sized tree, but it is time consuming as you have to walk around spraying each one. (It is a big mistake to mow/shred huisache as it just encourages it to send up dozens of new shoots from the root system.) As they say, "A nice walk ruined."

Off to the feed store. (The nursery across the road from it just happens to be having a 40% off rose sale today...)

The SU and I have a milking job Monday night thru Tues. night. At least this one is only 3 miles down the pike, so won't be bad. Have milked for him a bunch of times. Also have to milk for him June 8-10th. Have several jobs through the summer; a week the end of June for the same guy we're milking for next Mon-tues. First 3 days of August for another guy that is going to State Fair when his kids are in the dairy show. Then the 10th I leave for the 2 week job in New York. We'll have enough money saved up to go to Africa again. LOL At least it will keep me out of trouble.

A little extra cash is always welcome.

Yeah, and the NY job IS cash. Cold, hard, cash. LOLOL

I've been lurking some - no longer moderator, but still interested. Personally, I think the ice cream was pretty much on topic. I LOVE peppermint ice cream - Perry's, a small ice cream manufacturer in Dunkirk, NY, is the best I've ever had, but they only make it at Christmas time. I good without toppings, a bit of a purist, but like the locally handmade Addie's Ice Cream with peppermint patties in it (hmm, a theme appears).

On a more businesslike note, Stan is mowing hay as I type. Not a normal occupation on Sunday morning, but he's feeling the frenzy and there is rain possibly headed our way Tuesday.

As a family, we are doing remarkably well. The kids are back in school and are getting some counseling, Melissa is going back to work on a limited basis Tuesday. There's a big hole in everyone's life, but we talk about Adam and tell stories and it keeps him with us.

I have spent the morning repairing the water pipe that supplies the north paddocks and possibly the barn. I don't really understand the plumbing scheme on that side of the property. Such fun working in the bottom of a muddy hole! I have not dared to turn the water back on yet...

Kathleen, I'm glad your family is coping so well. You may not be our moderator, but you are still an inspiration.

As long as you can all talk about Adam, he will still be with you. Memories are good.

Cloudy and rainy-looking here. Yuck. Off to make a strawberry-rhubarb pie to take to friends' place today for lunch.

Mmm! Love strawberry rhubarb pie!