Lots has been going on, lots has not been going on, Depending on that precise moment in time.

The plant seems to have a mind of its own. It had a very good week then a so so week and Monday, it decided it needed a day off. Actually it was late Sunday when it first had a problem. The press was having a problem and Frank the "Super" had his laptop connected trying to figure out why it was doing what it was doing. Finally upon a physical, visual inspection, they realized that the hole in the bottom of the press pit was filled with hydraulic oil. The press pit is probably thirty-five feet deep and then under one side of the press is another hole some fifteen or sixteen feet deep. It is home to the big hydraulic cylinder which extends itself to compress the bales of cotton when they are tied with the wire ties. This cylinder has a large hydraulic line (actually a pipe about five inches in diameter) that pressures the cylinder ram up and down in a matter of seconds. Immediately they stopped the hydraulic pumps and started sump pumps, pumping the oil from the pit within a pit in order to see where the leak was. Finally the oil was vacated and gin employees descended into the small opening to inspect and locate the problem. For me this would be very claustrophobic. It is close, it is dark, it is hot (they had fans blowing fresh air into the hole). Finally they determined a welded joint on an elbow was cracked, they began removing flange bolts and brought in a chain hoist and lifted the damaged pipe to ground level where a welder who had been summoned would make the repairs. We were down about sixteen hours from start to start up and lost about eight hundred gallons of oil. Just as they were starting back up with the plant, Krl and I were leaving headed to the bank and to Midland to begin buying Thanksgiving groceries. Before we were even to Midland, Herbert my lead day forklift operator called telling me we were down again. Another hydraulic leak on the other end of the very same elbow. Thankfully they were watching and discovered the leak quickly and did not lose a lot of oil. They brought the pipe back to ground level and the welder was summoned again. By the time the plant fired up again, it had been twenty-three hours. That's close enough in my books to call it a day!

Krl and I are so excited. Rian called and asked if I was serious about him cooking the turkeys and hams for the two crew's meal on Thursday. I told him I knew he was busy cooking items that had been ordered, that it was just wishful thinking. He told me this was probably the only year he would ever be able to help out. Erica is on travel restriction until the baby comes, and Rian said they had no Thanksgiving plans. In other words he was volunteering. Thank YOU JESUS. He told me he would come down either late Wednesday or early Thursday and bring his pit to cook the meats. I told him the weather forecast was not good and if it was more convenient, cook the items in Lubbock and bring the prepared items down here. As our plan came together, things began to work. Rian would get the turkeys and other supplies he needs to cook, in Lubbock, the hams and other supplies would come from Sysco Foods and Rian's account representative.

Now Krl and I are trying to figure out how to cook Thanksgiving mid-stream. So today we'll begin boiling eggs, cooking cornbread, sauteing onions, cooking celery and other pertinent parts of the meal. One of the things I am most thankful for is that with Rian cooking the turkeys and hams, it means one less cleaning of the roaster broasters! Normally we are making plans for multiple uses of the portable roaster broasters. Ie., get the turkeys cooked early where we can clean the roasters to cook dressing in a couple and begin heating other side items. The girls in the office have offered to take brown and serve rolls and cooks them, let them cool and then put them back in their plastic bags. We have thirty-six dozen of them to do!

I have got to get started on my billings. I have not entered seed loads since Saturday and I am thirty-three loads behind for bales. I'll catch up. I am toying with the idea of hiring an additional employee. That would give me three people on the ground for each shift, with two forklift operators on a shift. That gives me a comfort level where if someone becomes sick or has an emergency, we could shift around and cover it. Also, after the first of the year the employees usually rotate out and go home for a few days. Some of the guys live a sixteen hour bus ride from the Texas-Mexico border so it really isn't worth it for just a day or two. I can understand. Of course this could become a mute point because Delfino became an American citizen this summer and has yet to get his pass port. I actually figured he would have dual citizenship but I can't say for sure.

Thanksgiving isn't here and already the workers are talking about time off for Christmas. Usually we get two days, there are rumblings of possibly three this year. We can dream can't we.

Pat called me this morning. She has just returned from her trip to Huntsville. She was helping Steph and J.R. move into a town home. Robyn also made the drive there from Sinton and spent some time with them. It sounded like they had a good time!

Hag had a birthday Sunday, we left him a message on their machine. Pat said he is stripping cotton had had fallen off the stripper while she was gone. They took him to the ER, but never got him close than the parking lot.

That is a quick look at our world. Hope yours is painted to suit you!

Have a day!

FATHER, thank YOU for answered prayers!