FIRE! and some other scary stuff.

10/31/06 - 3rd Day - Reformation Day. After Breakfast. Things have been pretty interesting around here. Yesterday Danielle and I had to go to Brownwood for some supplies and I realized that it was the first time I had been to "Stuff" Mart in a long, long time. I like not going to Stuff Mart, and I have decided to do everything to NOT have to go very often. We also went to Tractor Supply to pick up a tool for working on the west fenceline (we have to replace the NW corner), and then the fellas and I went to Coleman to pick up some hardware and some concrete for the corners. On the way home from Coleman, we stopped and filled up all of our water containers, since David was still working on setting up the well pump system. Later yesterday evening, just as dusk was coming on, Josie sent Tracy over to ask me for a gun. It seems that there was a skunk hanging around her camper. Josie and her daughter had arrived on the evening of the Sabbath, and they were working on their land down by the creek when the ol' skunk kept showing up. I looked around for my .22 and didn't see it right off, so I picked up Danielle's Mini-14 "ranch rifle" and Danielle and I walked over to Josie's land. We looked around for the skunk and didn't find him, and I had previously trained Josie with the Mini, so I gave it to her and Danielle and I headed back home for supper. Midway through supper we heard two shots, and I said, "that doesn't sound good... it took her two shots!", and we all kept eating. A minute or so later we heard a very loud whistle and we all looked at eachother saying, "what in the world?". A few seconds later we heard Josie's daughter running up yelling, "There is a FIRE on our land!".

We all went into emergency mode. I told the fellas to grab all the water containers (Praise God, we had JUST returned home from filling them up) and the shovels and throw them in the truck. David was sprinting down from his land (he had heard 3 year old Sarah yelling, "It's a fire! It's a fire!") and he joined us as the "Ranch Volunteer Fire Brigade" headed out to the fire. The fire was in a heavily wooded area of the land, where much of the grass had died during the drought. New green grass was starting to pop up, but the old, dead grass was everywhere. As we showed up on the scene, Josie and the girls showed up too - hauling water containers by hand through the cactus and brush, and we went to work on the fire. The Lord blessed us in that there was only a very slight breeze, and the fire was not spreading fast. A few small trees had burst into flame, and the grass was actually burning pretty slowly (because of the recent rains). We put the fire out in about 10 minutes or so. We took the time to make sure the fire was out, pouring water on all the hot spots, and I sent the fellas back every hour or so until bedtime to check and make sure it was really out.

About 7 years ago some friends and I were shooting AR-15's (the AR and the Mini-14 shoot the same .223 round) in an empty pasture when all of a sudden a fire started on the ground near our target. We burned up SEVERAL acres before we were able to put the fire out. THAT was a big fire! The .223 round is a very small round and it moves exceedingly fast. The bullet comes out of the barrel very hot, and it is known to "spark" when it hits the ground. This is what happened with Josie's first shot at the skunk (she missed both shots by the way). The dry grass ignited from a spark sent up by the bullet hitting the ground, and the fire kicked up as they were walking away. We were blessed that Josie and her daughter actually noticed the fire, and that they responded quickly by getting help. Only a small patch of ground maybe 20 feet in diameter and a few small brush trees and cactus were burned.

Everything is well.

Mihai-ism

So do you ever wonder what it is like to be me, working with young fellas from this new generation? God has sent me Mihai, and conversing with Mihai is often like solving a Rubik's Cube with your feet while gargling diesel fuel. (***wow! I just realized that I can do my trademark "Dennis Miller" style rants with the benefit of hyperlinking to my allusions!***)

Here is an actual conversation that took place yesterday:

(I was mentioning the type of fence I think we ought to put around the new cemetary on the land, with a 16 foot gate so we can get equipment through if we need to dig a grave)

Mihai: That temporary fencing you bought is nice too.

(silence... Mihai takes a drink of beer)

Mihai: Beer is good.

Michael: "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." - Benjamin Franklin.

Mihai: Digging graves?

Michael: What? What the...? What are you talking about?

Mihai: Oh, sorry. My mind went back to the grave thing.

Ok, so here is another example that actually happened as I was writing this. I'm writing in the cabin and Mihai comes in...

Mihai: I need the keys for the thing because we can't find the other.

Michael: What? That makes no sense.

Mihai: We can't find the other keys. To the truck. We want to listen to Earl Pitts on the radio.

Here is a common Mihaiism:

Mihai: Do you want us to put some cay in the horral?

Michael: What? Do you mean "HAY in the CORRAL"?

Mihai: Did I say "horral"? No I didn't. Did I?

I was going to post some pics, but I can't get the stupid pictures to upload. So maybe tomorrow.

Peace,

Michael