On The Road

Now blogging from the road! We are in my sister's house in Tennessee. The rain is pouring and we are not on the road since 3am this morning like I had planned.

That's OK. We enjoyed catching up with cousin and sister and brother-in-law until late into the night. Not only is it wonderful to see my sister and her family, it certainly feels nice to be in a warm house. So warm! And Thomas didn't have to split any wood and we didn't have to deal with carrying in loads of wood to enjoy this warmth.

The last few days on the farm were especially brisk. Morning temps were in the low teens. Brrr. The pond began to freeze around the perimeter. When I woke up yesterday morning the moon was a thin crescent, hanging above the south ridge. She was facing west and hanging upright. According to Grandpa, that would indicate rain if I remember right. When the crescent moon is lying horizontal like a bowl the rain won't fall.

One of the things on my get ready to go to Texas list was look at the calendar. I wanted to remind myself what was the exact date Duncan the Piedmontese bull came to visit the farm. March 21. Wanted to make sure we weren't expecting babies before Christmas. According to the Cattle Today website's gestation table, we could expect a calf on December 29th. The website suggested that younger cows could deliver up to 10 days earlier and older cows could deliver 10 days later. I wonder what Coco and Priscilla think about that? At any rate, I seems like Philip will probably not have to worry about cattle midwifery until we get home. If asked, he would probably say "I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' no babies!"

Speaking about Philip, it was a sad thing having to leave him alone, waving in the driveway. During the Passover Seder this is a point in which the family members are instructed to dip their finger into the glass of wine to remove drops of wine. As we do that, we remember that we cannot enjoy the full measure of our cup of joy as long as we remember those who are suffering or who have suffered. I was thinking of how much more we would enjoy the trip if Philip were joining us. The children and I considered how their dad would have to get up early to go to work, have to tend the chores, build his own fire in a very cold house, make his own meals and buy feed for the animals. We tried to make things a little bit easier for him, but we understand that he is giving us a great gift by taking care of things on the farm and going to work everyday. We are grateful.

I have a feeling a few friends will be popping over to check on him and make sure he is well-fed. Perhaps he will enjoy the peace and quiet? We are already missing Philip, but I have a feeling that Christmas will be especially sweet!

Breakfast is almost ready. We will hit the road in a short bit. So happy to head back to the motherland!