Back and at it

2/26/07 - 2nd Day - After Breakfast. It seems like the last couple of months has been a solid scramble, and we still have a lot to do before Ranchfest in the end of March. We start work on the garden today and continue working on a new pig pen. The 6 pigs are growing large and we will need to separate out two of the males pretty soon. We also will be stretching a couple of acres of electric fence so we can put the pigs on pasture. While we were in San Antonio we had the fellas and the children sow our 6 acre pasture in oats. The weather was nice yesterday and is expected to stay pretty nice (after a hellacious dust/wind storm on Saturday - winds to 60 mph); so we hope to get some work done this week. I also have to finish working on the root cellar upper door, and start working on the shelves in the cellar so we can start moving stuff down there. It is a blessing to know that the cellar is done before the severe weather season starts.

We had a good and relaxing trip to San Antonio. We had great weather and a good time.

The Sabbath was nice and peaceful (except for the dust storm raging around us), and the Lord's Day fellowship was a good one. The sermon was on 1 Thess. 4:11, Gen. 2:15, 3:23 - it was entitled The REAL Great Commission and answers the question of whether Agrarianism is Biblical and commanded by God. I hope to have it posted soon.

In the mean time, I posted last Lord's Day sermon here:

He is Able

May the Lord Bless His people,

Michael

San Antonio or Bust

2/21/07 - 4th Day - After Breakfast. Well, today is our annual San Antonio anniversary trip. As of tomorrow, Danielle and I will have been married 15 years. I think you get a watch or something for that don't you? We're all coming off being very, very sick. It started with little Sarah; then Danielle got it, then me, then Robert and Jennifer and Mihai. Last I heard most of the Ante's have it too. Some kind of stomach flu. It only lasts about 24 hours, but it is pretty brutal. Glad to have it in my past because we have a 3 hour drive to San Antonio today.

If you want a taste of what we will be listening to live in SA, go here and tune in.

We got the root cellar covered up, and other than some cosmetic fixes and the shelves down there, it is finally finished. Amen. It's been a looooong project.

Next.

Michael Bunker

Flying Dirt

2/19/07 - 2nd Day - After Breakfast. At long last! We began covering the root cellar with dirt yesterday. We sealed the roof with tar before the Sabbath, and yesterday we covered the roof with rolled roofing. Then we covered it with 6 mil plastic. Then we covered it with a huge tarp. Then we began covering it with dirt. It will likely take us several days to get enough dirt on it, but we have gotten started. We also got the upper door put on (that part isn't finished yet, but we're under way). So, after almost a year of work, our hand-dug root cellar is nearing completion. I will still have to build all the shelves down there, and begin moving our storage foods and some other supplies down there, but I am excited to announce that... the end is near. Here are a few pics from yesterday:



Here Robert helps by throwing dirt on the roof of the root cellar.



This pic is from standing on the root cellar, looking down at the top door.


Here you can see the root cellar (solar trailer is in the foreground) being covered in dirt. Back where Tracy is walking by you can see the main entrance.

Hope all is well with you all,

Michael Bunker

Goodbye to a Friend

2/18/07 - Lord's Day - After Breakfast. We received word on the morning of the Sabbath from our friend Ron in Lubbock that his wife, our good friend and longtime supporter Sarah Huntley, had died after a massive asthma attack at 4 a.m. that morning. Sarah had been a friend of ours going back to our days teaching and fellowshipping at Awarehouse in Lubbock. When we moved down here in 2005, Ron and Sarah would come by regularly - usually bringing some much needed used building supplies Ron had scrounged up somewhere. Just this month they came by the land with some fencing and some used 1 x 6 boards that will be very useful when I start building a larger water catchment system.

Sarah was always concerned - and sometimes that is not a good thing, but Sarah was concerned most often with the welfare of others. She was always there when we encountered a setback or a tragedy, and I remember so well how Ron and Sarah were ever-present in the emergency room waiting area when we lost our son Thomas (and I almost lost Danielle) back in 2005. On many occasions. back in those days when I was traveling and preaching full time on the road, there would come a time when I was scheduled for a preaching trip and I did not even have the money to buy gas for the vehicle, much less to pay for food or lodging. So many times Sarah would walk up to me and privately squeeze a check or some cash into my hand - generally in an amount that would make the trip possible after all.

Sarah was nice and because she was nice, she was gullible. So many times I was exasperated at how easily she was swayed over to one position or another - just because she liked and trusted the person who talked to her last. She was always hoping for the best in people, and she was fiercely loyal. This is one of the reasons they stuck with us when virtually everyone else in Awarehouse abandoned us - and it was why they continued to fellowship with us in Smyer, even during some of the toughest times we have ever faced.

Sarah was a trooper. She was afflicted with virtually everything. She had massive amounts of allergies, and about every other sickness and disease you could get and still live. She spent most of the last years seeking a doctor who would have the patience and knowhow to treat all of her conditions simultaneously - without upsetting the balance of something else that was going on with her health.

Anyway, we will miss Sarah tremendously - and we pray for Ron that he will be strengthened and encouraged, and that he will be at peace concerning God's will in this.

Some stuff went on here at the ranch this week too, but I don't care to talk about it.

Your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker

Variables

2/14/07 - 4th Day - After Breakfast. Hey y'all. We've had some pretty variable weather here. Warm 70's for a couple days, then a cold front will come through and cool it down. This morning it was 27 degrees. We've been working at adding another pig pen and pig run, as well as working on the upper door of the root cellar. Yesterday we castrated our first bull calf, which was interesting. In addition, we have had company here from Oregon. Mihai's brother, sister-in-law, and their son are visiting. So we've had a pretty full plate here.

Today we have to go buy groceries for the fellas, and we are going to build the upper door for the root cellar so we can begin to seal the whole thing in preparation for covering it with dirt. With the temps here in the 30's and 20's, the root cellar stayed above 50 most of the time. It will be even more stable when it is properly sealed and covered.

Starting next week, if the Lord wills, we will likely begin building a larger catchwater system, hopefully so we can have it finished by the time the rainy season starts.

It seems like time is flying and we have so much to do before spring. Ranchfest is coming soon too.

I hope all is well with you all,

Michael Bunker

Staying at it

2/08/07 - 5th Day - After Breakfast. Yesterday the fellas worked some more on the pig fence, and finished the concrete skirting around the entrance to the root cellar. I worked by myself on Josie's cabin, finishing the rafters and the framing in the gables of the roof. The temperature was supposed to be about 72 but it soared to about 80 degrees by mid afternoon. It was a beautiful day, and we're always glad to get those in the winter, but it was quite hot for awhile. I had to go down to the root cellar at one time to cool off.

Today the fellas will be working with Logan again, getting the concrete footers poured for his house. It is also laundry day here at the ranch, so there will be a ton of other stuff going on. Maybe I will have a few minutes to hide in here and write something? Doubtful, but I am full of hope. I am supposed to go to Brownwood today, which is never an exciting prospect. Although Brownwood is only 20-some thousand people, it has become the "big city" to us, and we try to avoid it if at all possible. But there is a Home Depot in Brownwood, and they do carry some things that are not available in Coleman. Coleman has wrapped wire fencing - a 330 foot role for $138. Tractor Supply in Brownwood has the same roll of fencing for $107. I do not have a plethora of $30 dollarses, so I will be going to Brownwood.

They are now saying mid 50's for the rest of the week and weekend. Not bad... seasonal. I think spring is in the air and on our minds here.

Peace,

Michael Bunker

New Cabin

2/07/07 - 4th Day - After Breakfast. The weather has greatly improved, at least for a little while. The sun has been out and shining over the last four days, and the last two have been in the 70's. We are supposed to have another day today in the 70's before it dips down a bit cooler again.

Several months ago you will remember that we broke ground on Josie's cabin. Last month the men got together and put up the "platform" on which the cabin will be built. Yesterday, four of us got together and began framing up her cabin. Here are the pics.

These first couple are from us putting up the platform about a month ago.:













Ok, from here we will see the framing we did yesterday...



This is the first wall up.



Second wall is up...



At this point I believe all four walls are up and we are going to begin with the roof rafters.



One side of the roof rafters up.



Picture taken this morning from Josie's current camp spot, looking towards her little cabin in the woods. In the foreground you can see her little bridge across the creek. (The pieces of OSB siding on the cabin are temporary for strength and square-ocity)

Ok, so that is what we were doing yesterday.

Hope all is well where you are.

Michael Bunker

A Great Weekend

1/05/07 - 2nd Day - After Breakfast. Two days of sunshine and relative warmth (60's) has really helped dry up the ground, and we look forward to a productive week of work. The fellas will be working today with Logan Ante helping to pour the footers for his new house, so I will be on my own. I have to run into town today to get some measurements on some windows and to pick up some things for us to start working on Josie's cabin tomorrow. We hope to have her cabin pretty well framed up tomorrow, if the Lord wills.

We had a great/quiet Sabbath, and the Lord's Day was quite nice as well. On the Sabbath we rested and I read in a book entitled "The First Frontier" by R.V. Coleman. I highly recommend it to those of you who want to know more about history. I have read more detailed accounts of individual elements of the founding and peopling of America, but for a wide overview of the first colonists, this is probably one of the best. Most interesting is a point that we already knew. Once the colonists allowed Roman Catholics and the colony of Maryland to exist in the new world, the dreams and aspirations, and the promise of a land given to God lovers where they could worship God out from under the thumb of tyranny, was over. Interesting to read that the Catholic colonists stowed three Jesuits on their first ship over, and how they gave lip-service to free worship and tolerance, just long enough for them to get their minions in the halls of power. It was there, in Mary-land, on a hill called "Rome" hill, where the federal government and the worshipers of the Goddess "Libertas" (Persephone) would grow, their tentacles reaching into the whole world for the Pope of Rome. The Christian colonists had been planted in good, but dangerous ground, between the Catholic Spaniard in Florida, and the Catholic Frenchman in Canada. But the Beast did not crush them between these two jaws. He, instead, planted his leaven in the midst of them, in Mary-land - pretending to be one of them, and deceitfully destroying the project from the inside. That is something from which we can learn.

Some mistakes are permanent... at least as long as the world lasts.

On the Sabbath evening, we had a very nice Q&A session with the whole community present. The bulk of our talks focused on the Puritan view of the importance of order and obedience, and how we put things (like family, friends, neighbors) in our hearts (emotions) and therefore we will disobey God rather than offend a friend. This lead to a discussion based on a book that Danielle is reading called "The Puritan Family", about the purpose of things, and how God created everything to be used and treated according to its purpose, and how we put things in our heart, that God has put "under our feet", creating disorder and rebellion. The Puritans used alcohol, tobacco, comfortable beds, etc., but they did so for the glory of God. They loved their families and trained them up, but for the glory of God. They were primarily interested in God's glory and not in these things for their own sake. This is why they were willing to see their rebellious wives pilloried, or their children whipped publicly for disobedience. This is why blasphemy was punished (after the second offense) by the tongue being drilled through with an awl (like a knitting needle), and banishment into the wilderness. They were concerned about God punishing the whole community if they failed to punish rebellion. They kept things in the proper perspective, and did not worship the creation over the Creator.

Slightly different perspective than that of modernist fools who worship their wives and "kids", and who treat their dogs like people.

On the Lord's Day we had a great time singing, then we had our fellowship meal of smoked Turkey, baked beans, mashed potatoes, salad, and cornbread... and some deserts of course.

Y'all have a great day!

Michael Bunker

Agrarians and Weather

2/01/07 - 5th Day - After Breakfast. I believe that Agrarians are closer to God because Agrarians are closer to the creation. God put man in the garden to dress it and keep it (Gen. 2:15), and commanded man to till and work the land (Gen. 2:15, 3:23), so that man would have no excuse for not seeing and knowing God by His glory in the creation (Rom. 1:20). While it is true that God's divine purpose was for man to work the land, till it, have dominion over it, etc. for His glory alone - He also added a bonus for those who would be obedient to these commandments concerning His desire for man. If we are workers of the land, we see Him daily in His divine acts of sovereignty. We see Him in the land, the crop, the weather, the animals He has created for our use, and in His miraculous provision for those who seek Him in this way diligently.

My point today is that Agrarians see God in the weather.

Industrialists and urbanites only rarely see God's hand in the weather.... take New Orleans for an example. Some (few) were able to see the judgment of God in Hurricane Katrina. Most don't see Him at all.

When I lived in the world, and when my mind was colonized by the industrial mindset, I was oblivious to the weather. Sometimes it was a nuisance... when I had to shovel it, or when it got me wet. Sometimes it was a benefit... when there was nice evenings, or when I was at the beach. But usually I didn't really even notice it... or care.

As an Agrarian we are in tune with the weather every day. We watch it, study it, pray about it, deal with it, examine it, ruminate over it, etc. We think about the weather, and God's power over it, every day. Not often enough, we give thanks for it.

Thank you for the rain today. We are happy to receive God's abundance. We give Him praise, honor and glory for it. We see it for what it is.

Michael Bunker