Things just can't move fast enough to suit us out here!

It is worse than watching paint dry.

We are on top of 152,000 bales this morning. My quick figures indicate 28,000+ bales to go. The computer says 29 days, 18 hours, and 18 minutes until we are through. Still no one has told the computer we are getting off Saturday and Sunday. It's projections and estimates are so screwed.

I shipped the first red cotton stripper to Hawley yesterday. I must say it was a tremendous relief to see it leave. However, it had only made it twenty or thirty miles before the driver got to the TA truck stop and waited for his oversize permits. As of last night he was still parked and waiting.

The stripper I shipped is the only one of the four that is not running. I like to do the hard part first, after that it is all down hill. We were able to use the other red stripper to tow the one not running onto the trailer.

I called K.O. and told him I hoped he was as proud of it when it got there as I was of it when I shipped it! Ha!! I warned him that someone would have to be on the machine when they towed it off the trailer to brake it to keep from running over the tow vehicle. He asked if the brakes worked. "I don't know", I replied. He told me he didn't want on the stripper if he had no brakes! Finally I told him to tow it off on an uphill grade.

Lately I have been waking very early and lying in bed listening and watching. I have decided it does not matter what my sleep comfort number is because the pups rule the bed. I am sure they know their sleep number!

Yesterday morning I woke, extremely sore. I felt like a pretzel. As I became aware of what was going on I found Maple was on one side, Foo Do was on the other and they were both pressing or pressuring me into an abnormal "S" shape! I gradually moved to a more comfortable position and was lying there soaking it all in when I began to hear Barco's rooster crowing. I heard it once, then again. I watched as Foo Do had heard it too. She sat up in the bed and each time the rooster crowed, she would turn and tilt her head, trying to decided what in the world was going on.

Stuff like that sure confuses a city slicker hound!

This morning I had made my rounds and decided to go to an area that usually has a strong telephone signal, just north of the plant. I was sitting there with my window down making my calls when I became aware of some other sounds of nature. Lambs were baa-ing in the background!

I am sure Foo Do will have to have some counseling when we get home.

I began to wonder what sort of internal alarm clock the rooster had to crow. It was still dark out when he began alerting the general populous of the approaching day. Did Barco turn a light on? Was someone or something stirring about? I don't know, but every morning since, my day has begun with a hearty cockle doodle doo!

That may be one of natures mysteries!

Have a day!

Oh FATHER, I am struggling so. Lift me, strengthen me.