Krl and I have been skirting around the issue of "when we will be done out here". After last year we had an unspoken agreement that it was much less painful to "not discuss it".

Krl had told me that she didn't see any need in going home a week from tomorrow because there just wasn't enough time to get prepared for Christmas. I'm not real sure but if Krl told me correctly, Trc borrowed our tree and decorations last year. Not that I am griping, we haven't had it up in four years as our little "Charlie Brown" tree has been carrying the load here at the jobsite. Charlie is small, quick and easy. Give us ten minutes and Charlie can be out from under the travel trailer and perched in place or ten minutes more and Charlie is put away for another year.

This morning I walked into the office and found the one farmer who has still been harvesting was present. He was tagging more modules, and at the end of his transaction he informed us that they were through. YES! A quick survey showed we had either thirty-seven modules or thirty modules to gin. It is very, very possible we can be done by end of the day today. Which means we can go home.

I took my time, got the on site employees started on a project we had abandoned earlier in the year, but finally I made my way to the trailer to inform Krl of this "good news". I figured she would be excited and would jump up and begin putting things away for the ride back to Abilene but she hardly reacted at all. Finally after I had been out and about and returned to the trailer for lunch, she made this announcement, "I think we should stay here until at least Monday. We can finish all the seasonal paperwork, the last payroll, the last lease settlements, present the gin with their final bill and hit the road once and for all".

She continued explaining that the agony was not knowing "when" but now that we know, we should sit back and take our time, go to town, go to eat out, and possibly shop a little.

Obviously she doesn't share Kyle Patrick Henry's concerns. Kyle told everyone he needed to get home to avoid the holiday traffic.

Now I am trying to coordinate scheduling to finish hauling and get everything at least as far east as Roscoe. We might have to hold the wagon train there just to avoid the holiday traffic.

I have not slept for didly since we let the night crew go. I am going to have Frank run the plant just so I can sleep at night.

FATHER, see us home both on this earth and in the hereafter.