A Reasonable Compromise. Really??

On Sunday, January 31, Catholic Bishops across these United States spoke and/or sent letters to the churches in their dioceses decrying policies of the Obama administration. Specifically mandates within the Health Care Reform Act requiring all employers, including faith-based institutions like schools and colleges to provide employees with health care insurance that covers the cost of contraception, including the “morning-after pill" and sterilization. The Catholic Church teaches it is intrinsically wrong to use any form of contraception to prevent pregnancy.


According to USA TODAY, Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh in a letter to his diocese, denounced what he said is Obama's message to Catholics:

'To hell with your religious beliefs; To hell with your religious liberty; To hell with your freedom of conscience.'

The following Thursday, Jay Carney, Whitehouse spokesman, was trying to put an end to the negative reactions to the president’s policy. He stated flatly, “the decision has been made.” End of discussion?

Nope. The Administration has offered a "compromise". As I understand it, under the compromise, religious organizations would not have to provide birth control and "reproductive services" to their employees directly. However, the insurance companies providing the health care for the religious entities would have to provide those goods and services to the individual employees at no charge.

What!?? If there is no such thing as a free lunch (and there is not) then there is no such thing as free birth control or "reproductive services"! Thus far it remains doubtful the Bishops will accept the proposed "compromise".

This is not about birth control or freedom of choice! This is about the free exercise of religion! Our government has no right under the Constitution of these United States to tell a Bible-based religious organization to violate the tenants of their faith. (Yes, there it is; my Judeo-Christian bias is showing.)

Some will quote surveys showing that Catholic women use birth control about as often as the general population. Given the number of two-children Catholic families I know, that claim does not surprise me. But that is a personal choice of the women involved.  My religious tradition frowns on the use of tobacco and alcohol.  However, I occassionally choose to enjoy one or the other.

To my non-Catholic friends; let me remind you of what German pastor and theologian, Martin Niemoller said in 1946 regarding the Nazis, by whom he was arrested in 1937:

"First they came for the Communists, and
I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Communist.


Then they came for the Trade-Unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Trade-Unionist.


Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.


Then they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak out for me."

Has your Pastor mentioned the infringement of the government on religious freedom? I have not heard anything about it from my Pastor and I really would like to hear him speak up. In the meantime, I will continue to speak out!  Will you? 
 
I am asking you to re-post this on your Facebook or personnal blog if you agree.
 
Thank you.

Another Update on my Barn Repair Efforts

Well, I guess it's been about a month now since I started repairing my wind damaged barn.  So let me report on my progress.

This past week I turned my attention to constructing the covered pens at the back of the barn.  They are about 4.5 feet tall at the front and 3.5 feet tall at the back.  These will serve as covered storage for firewood, housing for small livestock, or farrowing pigs.  As I was planning this, I thought I would use 1 x 4's for the roof purlins.  But when I got to the lumber yard, I found that 2 x 4's were less expensive! A pleasant suprise.  The purlins are untreated lumber.  I thought this was best so that the screws used to hold the roof metal (and the roof metal itself) would not be subjected to the preservative chemicals in the treated lumber,

The treated boards that comprise the back wall were all recycled from a residential deck that a friend of ours removed in the course of his work as a building contractor.  I obtained a quantity of this lumber in exchange for several dozen eggs from our hens.   I love trading!  What is now the open end will be closed with a board/hog panel fence as will the balance of what was the back half of the barn.

Our son came out to "the farm" to help me Tuesday of this past week to install the back wall.  While he measured and cut the boards, I attached them with 2.5 inch screws.  His youngest daughter (4 years old) "helped" with the scrap lumber.  It was a very pleasant afternoon, unseasonably warm, and spending it with them made it very special for me.

Yesterday and last night we received the first significant rain if the year.  Today is seasonably cool, cloudy, breezy and muddy.  So, I am indoors with rhe grand-daughters as their mama and grandma both had to work today.  It is good to spend a day reviewing the work of the past weeks and anticipating the coming days.  In my anticipation, I am quick to always include "the Lord willing".  My Grandpa used to say, "Man proposes and God disposes."  So it is.

Update on Barn Repair

Thought I would check in and give you an update on the progress made toward fixing my tumbled down barn.  Overall, I am pretty pleased with what I have been able to accomplish so far.  The initial demolition has been completed and much of the debris collected, sorted and hauled off or saved for future use.  Hopefully some of the framing lumber can be re-used in the restored structure.

The picture above was taken from about the same place as some of the early pix.  It shows that the barn is only half as long as originally built.  Part of what was incorporated in the barn previously will become open pens for livestock.

This photo shows a closeup of the supporting wall under the westside of the loft.  This will also be one side of the loading chute which is to come.

The new lumber is all treated.  I made the decision to use it based on two facts: The cost of an 8-foot treated 2X4 is within pennies of an untreated one; carpenter bees have done a lot of damage to the untreated lumber I used originally in the thirty years that this barn has been in existance.  The carpenter bee bores a 3/8" hole into the underside of a board or beam.  It then bores a tunnel along the grain of the board in which to lay its eggs and food for the hatched larvae.  This can significantly weaken the framing member.

When I built the barn I used 8d and 16d ring-shank nails.  In this new construction I am using Phillips head 3-inch screws made for treated lumber.  I prefer screws in most kinds of construction now because they are easier to install with a cordless drill-driver, My old elbow doesn't much like swinging a hammer.  The holding power of the screws is far superior to that of even ring-shank nails.  Another big plus is that they can be removed without tearing up the boards when I need to change something.

I have also used some "old school" tools on this project.  When I needed to join a 4X4 and a 2x8, I got out my antique 1/2" auger.  It was originally made for use with a hand brace but was modified to fit my drill-driver.  When I needed to "adjust" the fit of some framing members, I got my antique framing chisel and what is as close to a "Boss" as I have. The large wooden mallets used by carpenters were often referred to as "Bosses". 

These  old tools, and really the whole process of repairing this barn, has caused me to recall and reflect upon the memory of an old gentleman from my boyhood: "Grandpa" Thurlow.  I knew him when I was about 4 years-old.  At that tim he was an old man and worked as the care taker of a cemetary.  I learned later that he had been a builder and repairer of barns.  He will, hopefully, be the subject of another blog post to come.

Fixing my Tumbled-down Barn



This is one of the saddest sights in rural America to my way of thinking: tumbled-down barns, once vital and productive, abandoned and in disrepair. It is a fact of life that a barn neglected long enough reaches the point where rehab is out of the question. Repair is simply too dangerous, not to mention too expensive. Such barns either collapse under their own weight or are knocked down and burned to make way for something else. This sad fact drove me to get to work on my barn.


On May 7, 2009 a small tornado went through our neighborhood.  Thankfully, it did only minor damage to our house.  It did blow a large red oak tree onto the back end of our barn.  The damages were covered by insurance so we had the house repaired.  We did not however have the barn repaired, choosing to use that part of the proceeds to pay toward our mortgage. 

The tree cutters removed the large oak tree in pieces and laid them out around the barn and in the adjoining pen. They also removed a two-trunk locust tree which turned out to be a windfall (no pun intended). From the trunks of the locust tree I cut four hefty 8-foot fence posts.

After the tree cutters did their work, I turned our four growing hogs into the pen behind and along side the barn. They did their job admirably; rooting up and devouring the vegetation that had grown up amongst the stumps, chunks, and rocks. On Monday of this week I began the process of demolishing the portion of the barn that needs to be removed in order to rebuild the barn.

Now, before you judge me harshly for taking so long to address my tumbled-down barn, let me hasten to note that I am prone to think long on a project before actually getting into it. I have to take the project through a process that is part cogitation and part gestation before cutting the first board, digging the first hole or, for that matter, writing the first word. Perhaps I should also add in my defense that I did use a strong rope and my truck to pull down part of the crushed structure several months ago. The resulting CRASH and cloud of dust left me more than a little leery about proceeding without some serious thought.

And so it was this past Monday morning found me standing out in front of the barn, crow bar in hand much like Saint George sat on his horse, lance in hand, before the dragon. It was a very cold morning and I sort of felt like I was wearing armour wearing insulated overalls and a hood. But I warmed up quite nicely as I worked and by the end of the day, I had made very good progress.

At end of day one.

Tuesday was the last day of Christmas vacation for the oldest granddaughter-in-residence so, in her mama’s absence, it was my job to watch over her. That worked out very well in that I was absolutely too sore to go out and do battle with the barn two days in a row. My hands were the biggest proble I had worn good work gloves so they weren’t cut or nicked. I hadn’t picked up any splinters. But oh, the joints were sore! Just trying to make a fist hurt.

It made be think of something I’d read. In his book You Can Farm, Joel Salatin makes the point that age is an important consideration as one contemplates any agricultural endeavor. Well, duh! Sure it is! It is an important consideration as one contemplates any number of endeavors, but the fact is I’m never going to be any younger than I am right now so I’d better stay after it!

I was back “after it” this morning and made a lot of progress. The first thing I did was move all the used building materials stored in the barn out and into my trailer. There wasn’t a lot of stuff, but I didn’t want it underfoot. Then I proceeded to haul out all the barn parts that I had taken down earlier and placed them in the trailer as well. I continued to do that as the day progressed in order to keep from stepping on a nail. Stepping on a nail protruding from one of those boards could ruin an otherwise golden day.

When I quit working on the barn today, most of the back half of the barn was stripped of siding, stringers, rafters, and roofing.  Now it is dark out, supper has been eaten and the chicken house shut up. And I can feel the stiffness setting in. As the Lord would have it, tomorrow I am scheduled to watch one of our other granddaughters which will provide me a perfect opportunity to rest a day before returning to work on the barn.


At end of day two.





Stay tuned for further progress reports

Planting in December

December is not a time for planting here in the Ozarks, or so I thought.  That paradigm was changed this weekend.

I spent a big part of the last two days helping my freinds, Jerry and Terry at Sonlight Farm planting blackberries; lots of blackberries; 900 blackberry plants.  The ground is cold and damp.  We have had several frosty nights lately including Friday night.  It rained mid-week.  So when we started planting about 10:30 Saturday morning the frost had just melted off the more shaded areas of the farm and the soil ranged from a bit too damp to gumbo-like.

The area for the berry plantation had been tilled repeatedly this fall.  As the rows were layed out Jerry tilled them again.  This at least broke up the frost in the soil and stirred it good.  The plants were planted three feet apart in rows ten feet apart. 

We (Jerry, Terry, a young man named Robby, and I) planted more than 400 on Saturday. Jerry, Robby and I finished the rest after dinner today.  The last plant was in the ground when there was just enough light left to complete the work.  The three of us shared a deep sense of accomplishment!

Jerry purchased the blackberry plants from Arkansas Berry & Plant Farm .  The plants were very nice with canes ten to twelve inches long and healthy roots.  They don't ship them until after frost in their location which is why they arrived here in December.  It is important that the plants be dormant before shipping. The picture above is of the growing fields of black berries at Arkansas Berry & Plant Farm.

None of us who worked at it would tell you the conditions were pleasant. The ground was cold and wet with an air temperature in the high 40's at best.  Three of the four of us are 60 or older.  But I believe each of us would tell you that the work was worthwhile and uplifting in that we were planting something in hopes of gaining and enjoying a harvest later. 



The discomfort of having our gloved hands (and our knees) in the cold mud was somewhat mitigated by the thoughts of enjoying warm blackberry cobler in the future.  The total experience was enhanced by the fellowship with others who all share a love of God and an appreciation for his creation and provision.

What will our efforts yield in reality?  Will blackberry plants that have been "mudded in" grow and flourish?
Well, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen", so I would say that what we engaged in this weekend involves a certain amount of faith.  Faith that the plants we put in the ground were truly blackberry plants and of high quality and vigor; faith that the soil in which they were planted contains the nutrients they require; faith that sufficient moisture will be available throughout the winter and the coming seasons to support them; and faith that God will bless our efforts.  Yes, planting in any season is an act of faith.



An exasperating day on the farm.

Well, in the interest of full disclosure, I have to say this has been an exasperating day on the farm.  When I went out to do chores this morning I found our boar Uncle back in the pasture with the bred gilts and the sow with the new litter.  I had seperated him to the next paddock yesterday and the day before that. 

The first time he got back into the pasture by pushing through at the botttom of the gate.  I double chained it thinking that would stop him.  It did; at the gate.  Instead he went over the 36" field fence last night.  Today I strung a hot wire (electric fence) above the field fence.  In the process I saw that one of the piglets was lying dead out of the nest.  The nest was pretty well beatendown so I have a hunch the boar was harrassing the sow and the piglet was collateral damage.

I had to go buy more straw today.  When I returned and was hauling straw out for the sow to augment her nest, I found another piglet mired in the mud and dead.  Then there were four.  Did I mention it has rained off and on throughout the day?  We really do need the rain so it is a blessing.

I slogged around in the mud trying to move the remaining piglets into the hog shelter.  The mama would have none of it, and valuing the wholeness of my limbs, I did not challenge her.  Perhaps if I had someone here to help, we might have been able to accomplish it.

Now it's dark out and the rain is pelting down.  I am trying to encourage myself with the thought that the sow might some how move her brood on her own.  Or she may have used the straw and rebuilt her nest to keep her young relatively dry.  Thankfully, it is not cold out.

"The Lord gives and the Lord taketh away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord."

Births and birthdays

The resident granddaughters love the movie Charlotte’s Web. Consequently, I have more than a passing awareness of the story. Those who know that about me were not surprised when I named our Hampshire boar after one of the characters in the story. I named him “Uncle”.


Perhaps you recall Uncle the large, apparently not-too-bright, boar hog that won the contest for best pig. This left Wilbur’s life in the balance until he was awarded a special medal essentially for being famous. Yep, he was famous for being famous.  Sounds like some of the people whose names appear so often in the headlines.  Anyway, I didn’t name my big boar after Wilbur because, in my opinion, Wilbur was a sniveling little sissy.
You can take one look at my boar “Uncle” and know that he is no sissy!

I bought Uncle in the middle of July this year. The weather was hot! Not great for moving hogs and not great for breeding hogs. By the first of August, I could confirm that Uncle was taking his job seriously. Whether his job was being taken seriously by the gilt hogs remained to be seen.

Time passed and the gilts continued to come into heat one by one. And then they didn’t.

Now understand all of this procreation activity was taking place out in the pasture without supervision. That left me in the position of having to carefully observe the females and try to gauge the stage of their gestation. It has been twenty-five years or more since last I raised hogs so I have been floundering. My confidence in my own judgment and Uncle’s effectiveness has ebbed and flowed.

Well this morning the wondering and guessing ended for our first gilt. About 9:00 I found her and her litter in a nest she had scraped out out in the pasture. She chose to ignore the hog shelter I built and placed in the field for her use. I went back to the barn and got a bale of straw to augment the nest she had made. When I got back to her, she was up eating the afterbirth. Though I didn’t get real close, I could see that she had five piglets alive and four or five more that were not. 

When I went back out in the afternoon she had taken the straw and created a big billowy nest for her young.  While I watched she was still working it around to get it to her liking.  Two or three piglets wondered out of the nest and back.  After a bit she laid down and the five little ones locked on.

She is a first-time mother. This is the first time I have farrowed pigs in the pasture. But this is the direction I want to pursue. My goal is to have hogs that can reproduce and raise young without confinement buildings. If I was a commercial hog farmer, 50% mortality at birth would be catastrophic. On this farm it’s just a sadness. My father-in-law used to say in such cases, “As long as it doesn’t come closer to the house than the barn, it will be okay.”

By the way, today resident granddaughter number one turns six years old!