For Everything A Season

  There is a story in the Bible written by King Solomon about an overview of life as he reflects back. The story is called "The Teacher" (Ecclesiastes). He talks how life can be meaningless. He says there is nothing new here on earth that hasn't happened already. And then as a teacher he starts giving advice and talks about there is a season (time) for everything. 

Tomorrow is the first of March. That date for many of us is the "season" when we owe our landlords cash rent. Cash rent is money paid for the responsibility and privilege of farming ground for the coming crop year. However wintertime is also the season when there is time to share harvest data, to talk about possible improvements, and to thank them for the confidence they have in us to farm their land. 

Winter is also the season (for me anyhow) to slow down some, so one doesn't get caught up in a year-around rat-race. A favorite excuse we often hear is, "I don't have time". We need to change that statement to, "It isn't a priority for me" and see if it still fits.

This past Monday after some last minute jobs and the grandkids had left Grandma, Jan and I headed out for a week together, driving for a stayover in Wichita, Kansas the first night.

Last year on our outing we stopped in Wickenburg, AZ at a gunsmithing shop and brought home a custom built rifle. Our clan asked if we would stop there again this year. However they have been closed down. I asked Gary, a landlord, to find out what happened. Gary told me his chiropractor in Wickenburg told him it was shut down by politicians. Hopefully NOT a sign of things to come.

As we went through Dalhart, Texas we hunted up where Karl's and many other of our neighbors and friend's baby pigs come from who custom feed for this company. This site, on the Texas-New Mexico border, ships out 12000 newly weaned pigs every day. This is also the town where 100% of the DDG byproducts produced at Cargill/Eddyville goes by rail to feed the companies fat cattle.

As we headed for our stay in Deming, New Mexico we saw an almost constant stream of rail cars hauling boxes coming out of and going into Mexico. Some trains were close to 3 miles long with engines also in the center of the trainline.

We arrived in Tucson, AZ on Wednesday afternoon. It was good to see and visit with landlords and friends, Marvin and Jean, where we stayed overnight. Marvin and Jean retired from farming and a CPA and stockbroker career 14 years ago and dedicated their lives to volunteering until Marvin's health started to fail. Another amazing fact is the woodworking ability Marvin picked up during his lifetime, making dozens of projects out of quater-sawn oak and walnut lumber. Jean's kitchen cupboards below were totally and completely built by Marvin. One of the last projects Marvin was able to finish was a gun cabinet for me. I cherish it.

There is a thrift store in Oro Valley, a suburb of Tucson. It is called the Golden Goose and it is unbelievably busy and successful, totally run by volunteers.

This weeklong trip has become an annual event for Jan and I and one of our favorite places to visit is the farming country in the valley around Yuma, AZ. This area has very rich soil along the Colorado River. Farmers add water, fertilizer, and technology with many farm tractors here getting some 2500 hours a year because of year around use. Yuma County is responsible for 90% of all leafy vegetables grown in the United States November through March. The area has close to 30 cooling plants with powerful refrigeration that cool quickly. The town is full of van and refer semis. Vegetables that are harvested in the morning can be to the Phoenix Valley by afternoon and on the East Coast in three to four days.

Our visit to Yuma would not be complete without "catching up" with a couple of friends of ours as well as many of you. Tom and Erin were pastors at Pella II CRC for three years as an interim pastor. Tom has sold his Harley and now enjoys their off-road Can-Am 1000 on the trails in the desert and mountains around Yuma where they have a home. Thanks for the visit and the friendship Tom and Erin.

Our trip would not be complete without a visit to Algodones, Old Mexico. We enjoy purchasing gifts, purses, billfolds, food seasonings, pure vanilla, and medications. Also no one polishes boots as well as these young men.

While in Mexico we ran into Israel who has been a friend for a number of years. We asked him where we could find a good cup of coffee to share. Israel took us through a couple of alleys to a small open air restaurant. The restaurant operator could not imagine I liked my coffee black. He also as a curtesy brought us chips and several kinds of salsa and cheese. 

As we have shared in previous years we usually always see the US/Mexico fence. However this year construction has stopped and we saw no border patrol working. I won't get into politics this morning. For everything a season I guess.

Back home the guys are busy. One of the things they are working on is getting the planters ready. Definitely the season for that, with planting time just 5 or 6 weeks away depending on spring. I'd like to wrap up with some things "The Teacher" talked about in Bible times that are still "in season" today. "Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don't have". Eccl. 6:9. "The more words you speak, the less they mean". Eccl. 6:11. I was just reminded of too many words yesterday. "Control your temper (offended spirit) because anger (hatred) labels you a fool". Eccl. 7:9 "Be careful not pay attention to every word others say, or you may hear folks talking bad about you. And you know that you yourself have talked bad about others". Eccl. 7:21. I usually need to give myself a day before I react to this one. And then by that time I can move on living unoffended. Thanks for the visit and make the most of your "now season".