Sheep and snow

The sheep have been huddled up in the back lot of the 'hundred farm for the past two months. Since I wake up at unspeakable hours and with nothing to fill my time other than planning things that can't be planned, or waiting 20 minutes for the engine block of the truck to warm up; I take this time to walk down towards the farm and check on the animals, and make sure that all of them have water sources that aren't completely iced over. I've come to enjoy the way that the sheep are terrified of a human in their pen. I realize that that statement sounds a bit sadistic, but for my part the enjoyment comes from the psychology of it.

There is definitely an alpha ewe that all of the herd takes their cue from, including the ram. I'll hop over the fence in the horse lot and just wait. At first they all scatter back into the barn and wait. After ten or so minutes this ewe will pop her head out of the barn to see if I'm still there. She sees that I'm sitting in a snow bank just waiting for them to continue munching on the hay, or over by the water tank paling out some fresh water...either way I don't pose a threat to the flock. She'll come out and eye me up and down, saunter around the hay bale that is still frozen from the first cold snap, and stop three feet from me. At this point I give a call of "sheep", which the flock from the '5o farm understand and recognize, and come up to me expecting corn. I scratch some noses, hold out my hand that has some corn in it and watch the alpha ewe. She still hasn't warmed up to me, and I've been doing this routine since prior to Thanksgiving.

This morning though was different. We had another storm come through and the sheep were all in the barn to start the morning. I hopped the fence and landed on my rear in a snow drift, which wasn't very graceful. I got up cussing the snow, the cold, and the ice, and looked up to see the ram staring me in the eye balls. That was a bit unnerving let me tell you what. I "sh-ed" at him trying to back him up and he just blew steam through his nose. More unnerving. Finally after a couple of minutes I stamped my foot at him and scared him back a couple of feet, enough room to hop on the fence-line if I needed to. He snorted again and went over to the hay bale to munch on the frozen goodies.

I walked over to the barn to check on the rest of the flock and saw all the ewes and the weather in the stall. This is a bit unusual for this flock, and very much out of character. I took a quick head count and made sure they were all there, then walked into the stall. At that point all but one freaked out and made a bee-line for the door which I apparently was in the way of. If you ever get the chance to get run over by nine sheep...don't. They stink, they're heavier than they look, and their little hooves hurt. Also, they like to defecate when they're scared. Not fun. I went over to the one ewe - the alpha- that didn't get up to make sure that everything was ok. She was shaking and snorting with her eyes rolling this way and that. Now, I'm not trained in any vet practices, and while I knew that my boss, and the 'hundred supervisor were both awake, I didn't want to call them at pre-sunrise asking for advice. I figured, by the symptoms - not moving, shaking, wild eyes, dry nose - that something was wrong and I assumed that it was cold related. So I opened up the house, got some blankets - not the pretty ones, blankets that the Dom. Sup. has in the upstairs - and a warm bowl of water. Brought that out to the ewe, went to the crib and got some cracked corn for her to munch on.

I ended up waiting with her for 3 hours before the 'hundred Ag. Sup. came out to do chores in the morning. By that time she had stopped with the wild eyes, and was back up on her feet. But she still didn't want to go out of the barn to the rest of the flock. T came in and asked me what was going on, I summed up the situation as there was too much to explain - nor did I want to relate my embarrassing entrance. He told me I should have called him, as his wife was taking the day off since the girls didn't have school/daycare because of closings. While we were talking that ewe was following us through the sheep lot like a puppy dog. She was never more than two feet from my right leg while T and I were talking.

Moral of the story is: when it is negative degrees, don't go outside if you don't have too. Also, body heat saves lives.

Buck

Why we do

The True Gentleman is the man whose conduct proceeds
from good will and an acute sense of propriety
and whose self-control is equal to all emergencies;
who does not make the poor man conscious of his poverty,
the obscure man of his obscurity,
or any man of his inferiority or deformity;
who is himself humbled if necessity compels him to humble another;
who does not flatter wealth,
cringe before power,
or boast of his own possessions or achievements;
who speaks with frankness but always with sincerity and sympathy;
whose deed follows his word;
who thinks of the rights and feelings of others rather than his own;
and who appears well in any company;
a man with whom honor is sacred and virtue safe.

John Wayland

2010

I meant to post this earlier...well, prior to New Year's but things turned out that I'm a touch late. Story of my communication life I suppose. I don't get behind those Resolution things because they're evil and no one sets realistic goals for them. When you do you get ridiculed for not having high enough standards. So, in rebellion I'm going to take a different approach to the Resolution thing.

My 2010 hopes and wishes.
1. That my family makes it to 2011 safe and sound.
2. I find a job that I not only enjoy, but I can survive off of.
3. I stop being so critical of not only myself, but others. (That's a big one)
4. I want to save enough to pay off old debts.
5. I want to put enough away to continue with my backpacking purchases.
6. I want to take more me time when I can.
7. I hope that all my friends and I can get together more often.
8. I hope that I don't get in trouble with the law.
9. I wish that I didn't feel so bad about planning on leaving the farms.
10. I hope that Death takes a pass on me and those I'm close to. (Take a vacation dude)
11. I hope that I quit the vices in my life.
12. I hope that I become a better communicator.
13. I hope that my faith and reliance in the Lord helps me through the dark times that I know will happen.
14. I hope I make the right decision when I don't know what to do.
15. I hope that I get to see the old man umpire a ball game that isn't in IL or IN.
16. I wish I didn't have to travel as much as I'm going to have to this year.
17. I hope that influence my team in a positive manner when we're under pressure.
18. I wish I had a mule.
19. I hope that my friends out here understand when the time comes.
20. I hope that all of the animals stay alive.
21. I hope that Sarah Palin doesn't win the GOP front runner.
22. I hope that the Blue Haus doesn't fall down while I'm in it.
23. I hope that I'm making the right decision cause guidance has not been plentiful.
24. I hope that I can dedicate more time to Church.
25. I hope that I make it to March 20.

I suppose that I could keep going, but I think 25 is enough for now. I've got big hopes for 2010.
Don't let me down.

Buck

Waiting Game

The waiting game is much like the silent game. Whoever lasts the longest wins, but the rewards are unknown to the players. Right now I'm waiting for a rental to start at 2 this afternoon. From then on I scurry around like a person scurrying around. Then at 8 this evening I start tending bar for said rental. 'S gonna be a long day. I've started the game at 8:30 this morning. Just waiting. Not good for a guy that fidgets.

Buck

Running ain't a plan?

I suppose that no news is bad news.

Kelli has not returned any of my phone calls about the Park and Rec job which means that I don't think I got it. One would hope however, that a potential employer would return phone calls. Oh well, I'm not bitter mostly because as I said before; I wasn't very qualified for the job.

There has been a whole lot of rumbling from the back home area about this next holiday, which I have kind of come to accept and expect. I'd like to go into more detail about my thought process on that, but I in no way shape or form want to seem as though I'm slighting any of my family. So, if you want the dark and twisty thought process I'll fill you in later.

I've been wrestling with some thought processes as of late.
1. Volleyball is kicking my butt. We need a team building day and the girls being in school is blocking that. I need to talk to Curt and Kelly about running a practice for me next Tuesday so that I might be able to spend more time with my family. Curt being a counselor at the high school is great with team building activities. Kelly is a great liberos coach which would help the girls not wreck their knees by not diving, and teach some great fundamentals about passing that I can't express or teach, I just do after years of having it smacked into my head and body.

2. Employment. This is the kicker. I am definitely out here until the end of the season. At that time the Drug Store supervisor would open up which is something that I would very much want. And having the previous supervisors blessing I could have. Pay increase and year round employment. Benefits are getting cut across the board though which sucks, but since I don't go to the doctor anyway...it wouldn't be terrible.

3. Sarah. 360 miles is a long way away. Her teaching, and me stuck out here until at least April puts a big slap on the whole seeing each other thing.

4. Sarah + employment = change in locale. I'm not the type of person that has to have something one way or it's the highway (don't tell my team that. They think I'm a grouchy old guy.) So I'm not going to make Sarah move out here to find a Lutheran school to teach at. I am however willing to move to be closer to her. And closer to my family. Let's face it, none of us are getting younger, and if I can be within a few hours of them, and her...I'd be a happy camper. How I would achieve this is; I'm thinking about going back to school. The school I'm thinking of is COD. That would mean closer to home, which is something that I would love to be as most of my meaningful relationships are back that way, or are going back that way. Cost of living is actually a bit easier out there. I would need to find a job (of which I have some ideas, one I know doesn't pay well.) and a place to live as I wouldn't want to impose on family.

I suppose I should elaborate on the whole COD thing. The degree I'm looking at isn't anything fancy, it is only an Associates of Science that being in Fire Science. Prospectively going into being a firefighter. Pretty good job security, plus...one of the courses is all about starting fires. I love fire. Perfect fit right? Why didn't I think of this before putting money into a higher degree? - The answer is because I thought I wanted to teach until I got around kids. -

I have some savings set aside from the work year unfortunately I was planning on a steady paycheck during the off season which so far has not happened. Budgets have been re-drawn, frivolous spending got all the way exed out which means, Paul's sitting at his computer drinking a tall-boy of Sam Addams instead of going out with his friends that just got out of work. Acctually, that budget line did not get completely exed because I put the money that would have gone to myself (not much) went to Christmas. Water's free, so I got a lot of it for you folks. ;-) Yes, I did get comped for coaching, and I will get another paycheck from them in February which will ease things a bit. But by and large, this is not the best time for a young graduate to be unemployed.

I suppose I should take a lesson from the Life of Brian and look on the bright side of life, but the only thing bright right now is the reflection of the parking light off of the snow. Oh, and Christmas.

Buck

Snow. Stupid stupid snow.
That is all.

buck

King of the Road

Sorry about the radio silence emminating from Iowa. 'Twas a crazy crazy couple of weeks. I finally had a mini-break down today after getting out of work. I picked up my buddy Cory, grabbed the shotguns and went out to some public land about 20 minutes away. We didn't even see a bird but it was very relaxing to walk the field, shotugn over the shoulder, and just shoot the breeze with somebody. (Almost a double pun)

What has been keeping my life so busy? Moving livestock at the farm, working nights with coaching, and rentals at the farm, then waking up and working all day counting corn.

But there is a glimmer of hope. One ray of light that pierces through the dark clouds that is multiple employments. That hope is a new job. That hope is having my team all figured out. (FINALLY! Only took two coaches and a director five days.)

So, I've applied for a job that I don't 100% feel qualified for, and I'm very nervous about it. It fits me to a T, even if it is a step back from my degree. Working outside, actually working with your hands, accomplishing something everyday, and working for a Park District. How awesome is that? True, it isn't my dream job, and it wouldn't be a wayside job like the Farms is. This would be putting in 5-10 years with this job. Maybe retire out of this job. But, there are some perks besides those already mentioned, I would still be in the relative same area as the Farms and my friends out here. Full medical coverage, half dental and optical (if insurance doesn't change too much, it's only 2,740 pages), regular weekends, salaried with more money than I could shake a stick at - not really, but it beats $8.75/hour - and, I would really enjoy it.

Now, I don't want to get my hopes up just to have them dashed, so I haven't told anybody "important" at the Farms yet, nor will I untill I know for certain that I have the job. That whole burning bridges thing.

In answer to that question that always pops up, yes. I did look for jobs back in Illinois. My reasoning for not applying to those jobs is very straightforward. 1. I'm not an R/N. 2. I've made commitments out here, and investments out here I want to see those pay off for me. 3. I'm not travelling 660 miles round trip to find out that I didn't get the job.

I'm grumpy, and I'm tired, but I feel better about things. Looking forward to travelling next week. I get to see my family!