April 16th - Ben Carson Good

We enjoyed getting to hear Dr. Ben Carson's talk yesterday. One interesting point that he made was that we ALL must show more tolerance when listening to others points of view. The examples he gave are people being labeled as "anti-women's rights" because they happen to believe that unborn children should have a chance at life; or being labeled as racists because they oppose issues supported by liberal/progressive blacks; or being labeled a homophobe because they support the traditional definition of marriage. I bought one of his books and look forward to reading it. The examples he gave were of "labels" that conservatives get, if I thought about it I bet the same holds true for "labels" we conservatives use to on liberals/progressives.

Our flowering trees are beautiful again this year.

This morning I cut up some limbs that had fallen over the past few months and cut down a small (9" diameter trunk), dead tree. It made enough wood to stack one row across the back of my truck. Lydia came out and helped me put the wood in the building that houses the boiler. I had cut up some small stuff and when unloading I put it down on the tail gate for her to carry to the shed. Every time she would finish with what I had put on the tail gate I would put down a few more pieces and she would say, "Thank You".

After lunch her and I laid down for a nap. It is kind of funny because it always takes at least a half hour before she calms down enough to go to sleep. I'm laying there pretending to be asleep and she is talked to her doll, talking to herself, etc. Then she will start poking her fingers in my nose or my ears or trying to lift my eye lids, until she finally gets me to tell her to quit. Finally, all of a sudden, she will be sound asleep.

After my "nap" I went back out and dropped a big tree. Well I tried to drop a big tree. it hung up in another tree and it took quite a while before I managed to get it on the ground. During the morning I had done some clearing in the area so that I could get my tractor close to the tree. Between jerking it around with a chain and pushing on it with the bucket I was finally able to get it down. It was pretty tall. A chunk of it is floating in the pond.

I got this much cut up and loaded on the trailer before I, not the chain saw, ran out of gas. The pieces across the front are far to heavy for me to lift. I rolled them into the bucket on the tractor and used it to get them on the trailer.

I still have this much to cut up. I'm guessing, but I think the trunk is still about 18" in diameter at this point.

I'm going to have to quit procrastinating and get the pump off my splitter so that I can take it in for repairs. I need to start splitting this big stuff and get it in wood shed. I'm still far short of what we will need for next winters heating.

Kathy and Lydia came out after Lydia got up. Lydia doesn't like the noise from the chain saw but she sure likes being out to watch what is happening.

I hope you all enjoyed your day as much as I enjoyed mine. Life is good, thank you Lord. May God bless you and yours.