How things look today...

Don't think I'd mentioned that we bought the water tank last week. 1000 gals worth. We will be using it for both the farm and for an opportunity that we have to rent it during this severe drought in Raleigh. In a way we have been blessed from this drought because it caused an opportunity for us that will actually help us on the farm!

Prayer. I'm ashamed that I do not pray like I should when it always gives me a way to be used by God and learn more about him. The 3 days of prayer we committed to have been amazing. Doors that had been closed for months suddenly opened. We got some rain last week but no one expected the burn ban to be lifted. It was (effective Sat., March 1st). If the Lord wills it according to the weather and other factors the final removal of the left-over burnt piles will be removed next weekend at half the rate we expected to pay (isn't HE good?!!), the following week we will lay off the rows and begin digging holes and the next week (third week of March) we will go to Texas to get 2/3 of our trees. The other 1/3 will be bought locally (varieties that are not available from Mr. Berdoll). This is just inside the planting window and with the addition of the water tank to our family we should be able to go forward. I know you think we are building a roller coaster ride but that's the ride called "farming". Weather, wind, rain, equipment breakdowns, supplier problems, money, labor, time, weather, money, well.... each and every one causes another twist and turn on the ride. I've always liked roller coasters myself. Good thing, I guess!

Update

Rained twice so far this week - about 1/10th on Sun night and about 4/10ths Tues night/Wed morning. More rain projected later this week - Praise the Lord! The drought continues but if we can get some more rain more consistently it might break the trend. Burn Ban is still on (since 2/13). No news from relatives about possibility of leasing land to plant trees on so tonight we decided to pray for 3 days about planting in the next few weeks. If the burn ban continues and we do not get an enthusiastic agreement to lease the land we will stop trying to make it happen this year and resign ourselves to the fact that no trees will be planted until next winter. It is very discouraging, especially to D and along with continued layoffs and demotions at his work, so please pray that we will persevere and also that we will have wisdom both in decisions and their timing.

Burn Baby Burn!

Saturday we began burning stumps. As of today we have had lots and lots and lots... well, you get the idea.... of smoke. The stumps don't seem to have been reduced in size much and several of the neighbors are somewhat irritated. The weather has been very warm for January and tomorrow is supposed to set a new record high but what we really need right now is WIND. It would help fuel the fires so that they would burn rather than smolder and it would keep the smoke moving rather than just hanging around. I hope that tomorrow might be a "rather blustery day" to help the process along but alas, I lost my power over the weather when.... OK, I have absolutely no control over any part of the weather but wouldn't it be fun if you could turn the wind or rain or sun off and on like a switch? Until I invent that contraption, I'll just sit and watch the smoke roll by and pray that the stumps will burn completely (and soon).

YIPPEEE!!! Great way to start a new year!!

D got the news this evening on the radio on the way home that the BURN BAN IS LIFTED!! We had several good rains over the holidays and thankfully the Governor has finally lifted the ban. I will go try to get a permit tomorrow morning and we will begin burning (if there's no wind) this weekend. We are hoping that our neighbor Mr. Simpson can help us keep the piles in order for the next week or so. I'll post again as soon as something is definitive. If we can get the piles burnt in the next two weeks, then two weeks for prepping the land and two for liming will put us about late Feb. to plant, Lord willing. Just barely enough time if all goes well between now and then.

Burn ban status

Well, Monday morning I eagerly called our local "general store" to see how quickly I could purchase a burn permit. Nope. Gov. Easley didn't lift the ban even though we had rain (and in fairly substantial amounts in many places across the state). The locals recommended I call the Governor's Office directly to voice my concern. I called. They gave me a pat answer about lake levels being too low to fight any significant fires (there's not even a reservoir in my county but I didn't argue). So here we wait. Still. This morning we had a slight shower across much of this region (about an eighth to quarter of an inch) and there is a chance for more brief showers for the next 2-3 days. It's enough to keep me from hanging laundry but unfortunately not enough to make the one change we need. (Insert big sigh here). Maybe by next week......

Rain, beautiful, wonderful rain!!!

Today we have had rain. Not a "spit" as my Pop used to say, not a sprinkle, but real, genuine rain. For the first time since.... well, I don't even know when it's rained like this last! Months and months for sure. So we are praying hard that since this rain is slow and steady (and statewide!!) that Gov. Easley will lift the burn ban Monday morning. It has been a long, long drought and I am sure that it will take a long, long time to recover but there is temporary relief tonight anyway. Praise the Creator who has a purpose for all things, even droughts.

Rocks and roots

I know this will sound weird to most people but we have been having a grand ole time picking up rocks and roots to clear the land. We still can't burn the stumps and it is looking very possible that it may be next winter before we are able to put trees in the ground since we can't finish clearing it unless we can burn. If the ban isn't lifted in the next 2-3 weeks, it will probably be impossible to go forward until 2009. In the meantime, there is still lots to be done. Lots of rocks, lots of roots :) ! D marked off the acres in sections and we work on part of a section each chance we get. We pull the 4-wheeler into the area, load up the wagon with roots, put rocks in buckets on the wagon, and when needed we rake the roots and stumps off into the burn piles and dump the rocks at the side of the garden shed to be used for building things with later (lots of plans as always!). We really like working together with our hands and the children enjoy it (since we don't do it every hour of every day). Our prayer is that years from now they will look at and remember all the hours spent talking and laughing as we did something useful with land that was in an almost useless state. If the land can't be cleared (burned)in time, we will just plant a cover crop between the piles to hold in the soil in case we ever do get rain again. The rabbits and deer will love us, I'm sure!