No Water, Stove Burnin', Favorite Band

After a four month break from burning wood, this week we fired the old outdoor wood stove back up. A warm house and hot showers for the whole family. We probably don’t have enough wood piled up to get us all the way through the winter, but we’re going into winter with the biggest pile we’ve had in a few years. 

When Amy and the kids got back from the farmers market Saturday afternoon, they helped get a group of cows into the barn to sort out the bigger ones to make the ride to the processor. I took cows and pigs to the processor on Monday. The time it takes to get hogs loaded on the trailer can be unpredictable, so we went ahead and got them loaded up Sunday evening.

Before pulling out early Monday morning, Amy got a message from some of the cabin renters that there was no water at the cabin. Turns out there was no water at either cabin. Or the barn. All the water on the farm is on the same system. One of the water troughs was leaking, and we had to cut off the whole system to get it fixed. Thankfully Ronnie and some of the Circle B boys came to the rescue while I was on the road to the processor. I’m sure they had plenty on their to-do list for the day, but they put their stuff on hold and went out of their way to make sure we had water, even if it meant getting it fixed in the rain. Thankful for good neighbors and running water. And the rain. 

Wednesday was our last chicken processing day of the year. We killed and packaged almost 200 chickens for a farm across the mountain in Marion. Stephanie and Bella Jane came over to help me, Amy, and the kids. It turned out to be a bigger day than we thought. These were a different breed of chickens than ours, and they did not want to let go of their feathers, making a long day into a really long day. We got it done though. And now we’re all ready for a break from killing chickens. We still have 8 shelters of meat chickens we’re moving in the fields, but they’ll be harvested at another farm next week.

This week I listened to a couple short stories by Leo Tolstoy, but most of my listening while farming and on the road was to The Steel Woods’ new album. Over and over again. The Steel Woods is my favorite band, and their new album “On Your Time” did not disappoint. I love their sound and what they sing about. Here’s a taste of some lyrics to a few of their new songs. These lines are as brilliant and truthful as anything I could quote from a book. Even better in song than on paper. Give The Steel Woods a listen. 

“Devil In This Holler”

I find my pride at the end of the day
My kids and my bride are why I live this way
Hand in hand at the table, thank God for one more night
If I wake up in the morning, I’ll be ready for the fight

There’s a devil in this holler, there’s evil in these hills
I’m just trying to make a dollar, cause I got to pay my bills
There might be gold on this mountain, but there’s fire on the ground
There’s a devil in this holler, but he ain’t gonna pull me down

“On Your Time”

The scars on your boots, show you where you’ve been
And help you remember, don’t go there again
There’s more than one road, but no easy way
You won’t always know the right words to say

But don’t make it too hard whenever you can
And don’t be ashamed when you don’t understand
If you don’t take it from me, you’ll be just fine
It’s just one of those lessons you’ll learn on your time. 

“Famine Fortune”

My crops are low, my cattle’s skinny
My kids can work, but they ain’t grown
I raised them up in the land of plenty
Now they eat til it’s all gone
…
Is this how it’s suppose to be?
Times are tough but we are too
If you try to cross my family,
I’ll put you on your belly too

“Broken Down Dam”

Concrete and steel to the core
Built to withstand and retain
The pressure this world has in store
I’m a broken down dam in the rain
…
You may feel the warmth of the sun on my face
But you can’t know the weight on my back
Oh beware of the fair weather, buddy
You just better be somewhere else when it cracks

“If Not For The Rain”

The days’ll get longer, and we’ll just get stronger
For what we’ve been through in the end
It’s part of the race, no matter the place
The sun’s gonna shine again

If not for the rain, I wouldn’t notice the blue skies
If not for the sunshine, I wouldn’t care for the shade
If not for the valley and all this pain
Yea I wouldn’t know a good day, if not for the rain

Have a good week.

Will