While out and about today doing chores I literally saw two of my worlds collide. Rodney went to the oilfield today and asked me if I would go to the wheat fields and check the cattle and make sure the water tanks are full and functioning properly.
We are in the middle of a work transition that will affect our lives dramatically. So many things are going to be different. As of the January 2011, Rodney is employed by DRC Oilfield Services as a foreman. We signed a contract with the auctioneer yesterday for our farm sale happening next month. Rodney has spent a good bit of time working at gathering up all his farm stuff- feeders, bunks, implements, tractors, mowers, etc. and rowing it up here at the house for the sale. We live on ten acres here in town, so we will have the sale here at the house & barn instead of in the country on our land that we're selling. He hired a high school boy to shine up his iron and clean out the cabs. I told Rod that it looks like a wax commercial from the late 80s where they go into the junkyard and polish up different old cars and make them shine like new. The auctioneer was very impressed when he came out to shoot pictures of our stuff for advertising. That was exciting. After the sale and at the conclusion of harvest, he will officially go full time with DRC.
But today when I was out and about, it was very depressing. We need rain desperately. The wheat is burning more and more with each passing hot, windy day. Sure, from the road it looks beautiful, but when you walk out in it or get above it, it's turning blue. The dark spots are stressing due to lack of moisture. This will be our last harvest and we'd really rather go out with a bang instead of a bust. We don't have another year to "make it up". Oh, Lord Jesus, please send rain... and do it quickly.
At my first stop, I found some cattle who were munching on our hay pile. We used to have it fenced off, but they mangled the fence so we just picked up the fence and let them have it. They looked pretty guilty... they even fled when I pulled in. Busted.
We are in the middle of a work transition that will affect our lives dramatically. So many things are going to be different. As of the January 2011, Rodney is employed by DRC Oilfield Services as a foreman. We signed a contract with the auctioneer yesterday for our farm sale happening next month. Rodney has spent a good bit of time working at gathering up all his farm stuff- feeders, bunks, implements, tractors, mowers, etc. and rowing it up here at the house for the sale. We live on ten acres here in town, so we will have the sale here at the house & barn instead of in the country on our land that we're selling. He hired a high school boy to shine up his iron and clean out the cabs. I told Rod that it looks like a wax commercial from the late 80s where they go into the junkyard and polish up different old cars and make them shine like new. The auctioneer was very impressed when he came out to shoot pictures of our stuff for advertising. That was exciting. After the sale and at the conclusion of harvest, he will officially go full time with DRC.
But today when I was out and about, it was very depressing. We need rain desperately. The wheat is burning more and more with each passing hot, windy day. Sure, from the road it looks beautiful, but when you walk out in it or get above it, it's turning blue. The dark spots are stressing due to lack of moisture. This will be our last harvest and we'd really rather go out with a bang instead of a bust. We don't have another year to "make it up". Oh, Lord Jesus, please send rain... and do it quickly.
At my first stop, I found some cattle who were munching on our hay pile. We used to have it fenced off, but they mangled the fence so we just picked up the fence and let them have it. They looked pretty guilty... they even fled when I pulled in. Busted.
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| The dark line in the middle of the picture is where the burning starts. This is east of Custer City. |
At my second stop, I said hello to a couple old friends, Roanie and Bay Boy... the horses were grazing with the herd and I stopped for a chat. I did all the talking.
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This is east of Thomas on a neighbor. The dark running through the middle like a river is burning wheat. |
Checking on my last herd is where the collision was... north of town, less than a mile from where all the wild fires were burning this week, and it's changing daily. Formerly a one-horse road that was barely passable even in the jeep wrangler (and not passable all the way through), now it has 2 oil rigs on it and a third going up as I write this. The roads are new and wide and extremely rough from all the heavy traffic. Oh, the traffic! There are men and pickups everywhere. Trailer houses and pipe stacked all around. Semis coming and going. Workers constructing and destructing. It's virtually a little community out there... and our curious cattle are taking it all in. Even the 11 waywards visiting the neighbors came up to the gate wanting to come home and see what all the commotion is about. While out there doing my job today, I was thinking that this is literally my two worlds colliding. As we're stepping out of the farming and into the oilfield, the oilfield is covering up our "space" for lack of a better word. It's ironic that it's here in our "backyard" yet, Rodney drove his crew to Billings today... nothing short of a 2 hour drive to work in the oilfield. I think I'll stick with the wheat field, and when that's gone, I guess I'll have to find another way to help my husband. I'm sure he has a few ideas.
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| Equipment rowed up on us as they build a new rig pad just over the hill. Another rig on the neighbor peeking over the tree. |
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The first rig on us. You can't see all the trailers, pickup and workers at the base of it. It's hidden behind the hill. Side Note: we don't own the land where the rigs are... we rent it. I only wish it was lining our pockets. Oh the ministry that money could fund! |
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I've been praying for rain for several weeks now. I didn't know about the blue lines in the wheat, but I've just been seeing yellow spots and sad-looking cows standing in barren pastures.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to know about jobs right now, frustrating because we need the industry, but oil rigs are ugly. Driving to school every day, I've seen them go up and then down after a few months. At least they don't leave a lot of junk when they clear out...such a fine science.
My son in law lost his job when Imation moved to Japan. He has a degree and experience as an engineer and has applied to several oil-related companies. Life is indeed precarious. I'll be praying for your family too. Love you.