Bee in my bonnet explained

 

I had something happen in my life that has never happened before and it's been a bee in my bonnet all week long. I've run a thousand races in my life (well, I don't really know how many races, but a lot) and as I finished the Cowtown Half Marathon race in Fort Worth this past weekend, my watch gave me the split times of each mile and then I usually rely on the official race results for my actual finish time. No biggie, I'll check my time later, as I usually do.

It’s all a puzzle piece so you’ll run 
next year to build the puzzle 

Back story is that I changed my race from the Ultra to the Half Marathon this year through the Cowtown protocol. I had a right hip that gave me some trouble for a couple of months (now better) and Lauren (who lives in Fort Worth) picked up my race packet and bib for the half marathon for me, and all was well. I ran the race and later attempted to find myself and my time in the results. Not only did I pay the additional fee to "change races" but all of a sudden, I'm not in the final results whatsoever. I'm not accidentally in the Ultra results, or showing as a DNF accidentally (did not finish) or misplaced somewhere - I'm just not in the results at all. Anywhere. 

I've never had this happen at a single race before ever in my life. You run the race and then are not in the results listing. Those kinds of things just don't happen. At first I did not think too much about it. I emailed the Cowtown race people asking about it and never heard back from them. I got all the "after" emails saying Congrats on your finish! Everything seemed in order except I was nowhere in the results. Odd. 

As the week wore on, this became a bee in my bonnet. I had even recently decided - in my life - to not pay for races as often because running around Gunter, Celina and Sherman is very rewarding in itself - and quiet and relaxing on the country roads. Therefore, why pay to go run elsewhere? So I paid twice for this race and it seems that this snafu has confirmed for me that maybe it's best to run the roads around where I live and not pay to go run elsewhere. Is that what this event and the universe was trying to tell me? After trying not to read too much into this, the bee in my bonnet settled down. Actually, the bee flew away. It was the confirmation I needed for myself that going to races is not something that is a necessity as a runner. Maybe every now and then. But mostly, this helped me realize that I am very satisfied by running my own races out here on country roads, along with my own trail run route around my property. I thank the universe for this confirmation. Sometimes it takes a bee to remind us of what we already know.

And I realized I'm okay with not being in the results. What's the big dealio, Cyndi. 

Speaking of bees

Something David and I have been trying to navigate since we moved to Gunter was how and if we can get an Ag Exemption on our property. We have been told over and over that we cannot due to various reasons. Enter: Ag Daddy. 

Every now and again, one of us calls the Grayson County Appraisal District and asks questions regarding this. Turns out, THIS time, I was placed in contact with Ag Daddy (aka Michael) and he actually calls himself this and it’s on his voicemail with the county- real story. Turns out, he provided me with specific information about placing bees on our property, and factoring in the 1.4 acres of Lauren's along with our 5 acres, we will need 6 hives......cha ching! Yes, we have to "build" our 5 year history of this, but then in 5 years, we are to submit the paperwork and hope for the agricultural exemption to be approved. Ag Daddy had also informed me of a class he was giving at the Grayson Court House that Friday, along with the Texas A&M Ag Extension person about this very topic. David was able to go and came home with lots of valuable information. 

After moving here in 2016, it would be awesome to think we could have started this sooner, and have this already completed. But if you do not have someone in the county on "your side" to manipulate you through this maze, it's a no-go. Now, we are on track and have a solid plan. I'm fine with waiting 5 years because it's better than the option of never. Which was the option we were on previously. 

We were placed in contact with a beekeeper at the local feed store. Beekeeper John came out to our property a couple of times to evaluate several things with David and I such as where we would best place the hives, and who would care for the bees, and talked about education options for all of the above. Beekeeper John can provide everything and manage everything, he can do some of it, or we can do all of it. So much to think about. We now understand why everyone we have known that has ever gotten bees has not been successful at beekeeping. It's complicated despite what anyone will tell you. The bees can get too hot and die. Or too cold. Or not have enough food. Or need their hives moved. Or or or and it goes on and on. There are outliers that are excellent beekeepers, don't get me wrong. Maybe we will be one of those. In any case, we are now evaluating our options and arranging to go to a beekeeping class. This is all part of our "building our history'. And so we shall.

I know, you have a question about this

Yes, your question is, "but what about the land you were going to lease and does that give you an option for ag exemption status because it's connected to your property?"

Unfortunately, no. And turns out, there's many answers of 'no' as of late in regards to the leasing of the 22 acres of land next door. Remember when the land owners (who I call Janet and Fred) said it would be $159.00 a year? Well, turns out after closely reviewing the "standard" land lease contract they sent us to sign, turns out they also expected us to pay for a 1 million dollar umbrella policy on their land with their names designated as the receiver of the money. After more research on our part, the cost and liability that comes with it all was far more reaching than David and I were willing to take on. So, we discontinued the idea of leasing their land. Had we known this from the start of the conversations, we would have not agreed to it all. Maybe this is indeed something people do, but the condition of their fences and taking on all liability for anything that happens there is not worth the risk. It all sounded easy with the idea of "paying 159.99 a year and placing a couple of cows there and even maintaining the fencing to a degree". But it got much more complicated than that. 

Then another hard no came our way when we asked about buying part of their land. Then apparently they've given a hard no to the man who did have his 3 cows on their land because all of a sudden those cows are gone from their land. Then, we get an email from Janet and Fred saying they will talk to their realtor and are thinking about selling their land after all - with no mention of selling it to us. The saga continues.....

So now what about Fern and Blossom

For now,
looks like you guys are staying right here 🥰

My face. Buddy and his ball 🤷‍♀️

I love how Buddy is wondering why I’m not throwing his ball for the 100,642 time that day. Or the fact that Sugar has on her Christmas sweater. Or me in my winter toboggan. Or the oddity of me brushing my cow while holding a small dog in a Christmas sweater. This is what life looks like out here.

I digress, Fern and Blossom were to be our mini cows on the 22 acres next door. Firstly, we find out at delivery of the said-mini cows that instead they are classic size herefords. Then, the decision came to not sign the lease at the last minute. So now what…..

Fern has bonded hard with David and I. Blossom is a neutral observer. 

Fern follows us everywhere and is a pocket cow.

Blossom is a normal cow.

Now we need to really get serious about feeding them on our own. So, we drove to Oklahoma during this hay drought, so we could get some horse-and-cow-quality hay. 

I had no idea that a round bale 
weighed so much 

In Boswell, OK, we met a very nice man who gave us a very nice deal on a very nice round bale of hay. Back home jiggity jig. 

Now, how to get this 1,000 lb
doozy off the trailer 

Hay is expensive right now, hence the idea of leasing the land next door for food seemed wonderful. 

But for now, Fern and Blossom are here with us on our property. They are doing great and enjoying the life of luxury. 

We haven't thought much about rehoming them because they bonded so quickly. And also buying the round bale is food not only for the cows but also for the horses, sheep (although we have to watch and monitor how much the horses eat). 

We are in a state of precarity at this moment regarding the cows, the bees, and the sheep who will lamb soon. We all know there will be more to this story. It's that I just don't know what it is yet because it hasn't happened. Which sums up the story of my life. 

We know there's more babies - and more moving coming though

Yeah, you're right! 

Olive Elizabeth 😍

It's a miracle how a human
can actually make
another human

Besides the March arrival of lambs, Olive Elizabeth is scheduled to come in early July! The Cannon family is scheduled to move in with the Graves Family in late May. There's all kinds of baby gates going up in The Little House on the Prairie. There's new rules being conditioned to the little dogs inside the house (talking to you, Sugar, Maybe, Buddy and Sophie) about where they can and can't go to keep the new little and tiny humans safe. There's a new list of 10 Farm Rules that are being absorbed by every big human involved. 

The Graves home has shape-shifted. There's no mythology or fantasy games going on with this shift shaping though -  it's all real. Rooms that were not rooms are now rooms. Rooms there were rooms are now empty waiting to be new rooms. David and I started early on this project because 1) I requested that, and 2) it helps me adjust to the new surroundings before other people will be adjusting to the new surroundings, and 3) if I'm comfortable in my new shift-shaped home, then others will likely be as well. 

I find it important that if I am to assist others in their life, I should be as stable as possible in my own life (that's a funny thought even thinking that I've ever been stable in my own life but one can try). Hence, David and I are trying to find what works best so that everyone can be happy and comfortable. Esp when there's a baby and toddler involved - that is extremely stressful for any new family.  

He’s going to be a wonderful big brother!

So as Purple continues to grow in Mama's belly (Brooks' version) his Mama and Papa have picked out the name Olive for her (Brooks, you can still call her Purple) and we are all anticipating what the next season of life will look like. Brooks will move houses, start a new school, have a little sister, and learn new parameters of living at the farm. Lauren and Ryan will have their own challenges of new jobs, new family structures, and new in-law dynamics. Then add in building a new home eventually. It all makes David and I's life seem easy. 

Now add in.....

Egg production has increased! David's biscuits are a hot-seller at the egg fridge. All the farm animals are doing really well and enjoying the milder weather. I'm settled in at my place of employment and the insurance has all shaken out well. I'm back on my cancer treatments every other Tuesday. David has a week long fishing trip to Canada coming up in June. I'm on vacation every day that I am home on the farm. I'll soon have grandbabies around 24/7. Sophie is potty-trained finally. The green grass is growing. The pond is full and the ducks are happy. And we are going to host a wedding! 

Rocio and I in Honduras

Turns out Nick (family friend who went on a mission trip with us to Honduras) is now engaged to a nurse that he met there (Rocio). Nick just graduated from medical school and is heading into residency. We are looking to celebrate this marriage on the farm around May 20! How exciting! Hope they like chickens walking around everywhere. 

Timmmmbbbbber

And as you well know, there is never stability for long.

The storm’s gift to us

The storm Thursday night took down an electrical pole that teeters between our property and the property to the west of us. No need to worry, Fern was first on the scene.

At 5 am Friday morning looking like police and swat teams were at the end of our gravel drive, Oncor crews showed up to place a new pole in the ground - in the dark. As usual (because this is not the first pole to go down on our property) Oncor is exceptional about tearing up your property with their heavy equipment esp after a rain storm that makes the ground weak and vulnerable. 

I am not okay with any of this nonsense. And I can assure you that the crew has not one worry about it. 

So when the 'pole crew' told me the 'rewire crew' would be back to place the wires and reconnect it all, I waited for them to come.....to tell them that they will not be bringing any more of their equipment (heavy or not) on our property and destroy ours to get their things fixed. Yes, we had no electricity and had had none for over 15 hours thus far. But I was not going to sacrifice what's mine for what's theirs. Oncor has not been known to fix what they destroy - and I know that. David and I work really hard to keep our gravel drive and our pasture land nice and the likes of Oncor can destroy it in a matter of minutes and hours. 

So when Oncor arrived, they lined the street out front with all their big trucks and equipment and went old school, shimming-ing up the pole(s) to fix it all. Several poles actually. And chain sawing the old pole down, foot by foot. We offered them access to the land next door (as we know their gate code and they do not live there, only their cows do)  but somehow they only wanted our land because we have a gravel road and easy, smooth access. The answer is still no. They noted that their equipment might get stuck in the next-door pasture all while I'm thinking about the last time they brought 3 huge cherry picker trucks in our pasture to place a new pole, and they got stuck, having to try and tow each of their heavy-a$$ trucks out with the other. And left us with a huge mess to fix and clean up. I think I have a blog about that experience, too. I didn't want to relive it. 

They did end up getting it all fixed - and electricity was born once again for us. They left without a word. And without messing up more than what they had done at 5 am. Next time, I'll know even better. 

Fern wasn't going to let David try and do ground repairs. She's very insistent on love instead. But the Oncor folks in the background were working away at several poles - to get things squared away. With their trucks out front. 

Sugar, Sugar, awww Honey Honey

I referenced in the last post that Sugar had 6 teeth extracted this past week. Sure enough, she did. Let's hit replay on how that all went down: 

David takes Sugar (and Maybe) to the Vet for a routine teeth cleaning appt Monday morning. 

He picks Sugar and Maybe up in the afternoon, and brings them home with antibiotics and pain meds. 

I come home from work and David gives me the update about Sugar (6 extractions) and Maybe (1 extraction) and to give the pain meds and antibiotics as prescribed on the packaging.

I then ask mom-questions like: What? Why? What happened? Why 6 teeth? What was the problem? And other questions that I considered might be pertinent to the situation. 

David answered with dad-answers like: That's all they told me......I don't know why......you can call and ask them....

The End

Maybe Baby

I’m thrilled to say that Maybe is feeling much better, back to her usual self, and we are sooooo happy about that! 

It’s been awhile

As we move into March, I want to wish my mom and dad a very happy anniversary! I've never really been sure how many years they were married because when they married - my mom was pregnant which was taboo at the time - and in that day and time, they never wanted anyone to know (esp us girls) so they made up a different year (I think it was one year off) that they would tell people who inquired about their years of marriage. Then eventually, word got out, and truth be told of how many years it really was and in the blurry lines of it all, I can't ever remember. Is it 60 years? 61 years? 62 years? Regardless, I know it's around there somewhere and the controversy of it all has vanished. People get married pregnant, or already with babies, or many variations of that - and it matters not to me nor does the world bat an eye about it nor should the world bat an eye at it. But 60 years ago, I guess people did. I don't remember. I was just a baby. Happy 60-something anniversary y'all!!! 

Happy March, Happy SpringTime, Happy Everything,

Cyndi

Who looked like this while writing this….

Sitting in the last tidbit of shade
on the front porch swing, wearing
my Glen Hindman glasses 👓