StillwatersIowa

Bella has become part of the scenery in our neighborhood. Because of her poor condition BJ put her out in the pond pasture near the McKim intersection. For weeks there were phone calls telling BJ that his buffalo was loose. Since Bella is often laying down with her legs out it was often assumed that she had died. Then someone would say, "No, I saw her tail wiggle". 😊 You see, Buffaloes by nature are not nice. They pick on the weak. That's what happened to Bella when she was in the feedlot. A buffalo only cares about himself. But the secret is Bella is actually the winner in this story. While these other self-centered critters will soon be ready for the packing house in Pierce, Colorado, Bella will continue to smell the flowers in the pond pasture. Risks often need to be taken on one's own in order to win. Some time ago I asked the soil office if there was a possibility for cost share on a pond. They mentioned they would rather I put in a wetland area where our best c...

 There is a song many of you know written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend in 2001 called "In Christ Alone". The last verse is my favorite. "No guilt in life. No fear in death. This is the power of Christ in me. From life's first cry till final breath. Jesus commands my destiny." Written twenty years ago, this song reminds us today we are not to live in fear. Not of our economy. Not of a pandemic. Not of our government. And we must be willing to make a stand for what we value and believe. Family is a value we believe in around here. Below Jan is feeding a whole herd of grandkids. We built our home in 2015. However Jan had been planning long before that. On top of her list was designing the front entry door that would be without steps and used every day. She wanted our home to be welcoming and comfortable for friends . Farming and agriculture is more than planting and harvesting crops and caring for livestock these days. It's a way of life in what some f...

It was about 4pm on Friday afternoon when I saw this old painted up cargo truck coming down our gravel road. I had heard the kids talk about taco trucks. However I had no idea they were such a phenomenon.  Taco trucks originally started reaching out and catering to the unlikely such as miners, farm laborers, and working class folks. They not only served Mexican food, they shared conversation as folks would come and wait for their meal. Taco trucks around our country were designed for folks to experience the history of hospitality of our southern neighbors. This truck rolled in our driveway and parked next to the cabin. A Mexican couple started setting up. They were not experiencing the current help shortage as their children came in another vehicle and helped for the evening. The Mexican folks I've been around value family.   The venue for the evening was a wedding rehearsal supper. Both the bride and groom families encouraged Jan and I to join them for supper. The weddin...