People And Places

The first of March is a key date in the farming community. It's farm payments. It's when cash rent is due for the coming year. It's the time farmers pay income tax. When I was a kid it was moving day. Every farm had a home on it and share crop farmers often moved their families from farm to farm as different or better opportunities came up.

Below Jerry came for lunch as we did our March 1 transactions. It's great farming for folks that are not just fair landlords but friends. When I'm in good health. When my relationships with others is positive. Life is good and I look forward to what's ahead. However if I'm under the weather. Or if I'm crossways with someone. I can feel overwhelmed and life can be a load. Have you had similar experiences?  

Last Sunday morning after church Jan and I drove to San Luis and the Colorado River Valley to check out the farming community in southern Arizona. No farming is done on Sunday even during the busy vegetable harvest.

Oops. Look what we ran into. Our road stopped at the border wall everyone is talking about. We talked to a local resident, Russ, whose job is to drive the wall and ditch canals. He said the wall was needed and effective. There is just over 600 miles of the 1954 mile border that has a wall.

Of course I had to stop and check it out. You know. What it was made of. How tall. What was used for the foundation. How it went up in sections. It wasn't long until a helicopter came to check me out.

On Monday morning we went to Los Algodones, Mexico using the proper and legal channels to go in and visit. Since medications can be bought in Mexico without prescriptions and a fraction of the cost Jan usually buys antibiotics and other medicine grandkids might need. One year while coming back out of the country a border guard asked Jan what was in her bag? She told him drugs. The guard said, "you mean medications, right ma'am?" 

I usually get my boots polished just to visit with the fellow and hear him talk about his family. This was Woody (I'm not sure about the sign and Johnny). Woody was 22. He had a wife and two children. I am always surprised that most Mexican folks I visit with have intact families.

During our visit with Tom and Erin last week Tom told me about his friend Israel in Mexico and how he was a Christian brother. So Jan and I hunted him up.

Israel and his helpers painted us this sign. We borrowed the caption from Tom who also had Israel paint him a sign. "Casa Abba" means "Father's House".

Monday afternoon we drove to Oro Valley just north of Tucson. It was finally warming up after southern Arizona previously had temps in the 30s with snow as you can see were still in the mountains.

We stayed with and had a great time with our landlords and friends Marvin and Jean. They had previously volunteered down here for years with Wycliffe Bible translators. This is the view from their southern home window.

On Tuesday afternoon we took our time driving north through the desert. Since we were driving through Apache Junction we stopped and visited Neil and Betty. Neil is having heart surgery Tuesday morning. Let's keep him in our prayers.

Aunt Ruth is a widow and lives in assisted living in Phoenix. She was married to my Mom's brother Pete. She is the one who gave us Grandma's player piano that we have in the cabin and picked up from her house in 2010.

We stayed in Surprise, Az. a couple of days. Jan and I were able to get our exercise by walking to this quilt store from our motel.

We attended a Rangers/Cubs spring training game. It was a beautiful warm afternoon as we watched while sitting on the grass. Since our tickets had "buy one, get one free" we stopped at Culvers on our way home for ice cream.

Back home Matt and Kurt were able to get the grain cart splash boards put on that Matt had made for us.

Yesterday Mark and Stacy's family got a new addition. A bucket/bottle calf for Elijah for 4-H.

Yesterday Ezra helped me with shop projects including helping clean up a tractor and honey wagon.

We visited earlier about when life seems good and when it's a load in regards to our relationships with others. The same is true about our relationship with our Lord. When we try to handle life on our own. When winter seems permanent and spring isn't even on the radar yet. When we worry about things that are beyond our control. We feel under the weather. However when we remember God is the authority. He is in charge. Of the weather. Of our country. Of our personal lives. Then we can enjoy each day we are given. Knowing no matter what happens, with jobs, with people, with places, things will turn out for our good. It's promised in His word, the Bible. Have a relationship with God. Enjoy relationships with others. And have a good week.