The silence is deafening.

About one forty-five this morning, Bertha finished her swan song.

Yes, the fat lady has sung!

The big plant went silent. For an additional hour the crew re-packaged some "soldiers" as Frank, the superintendent, calls them. I call them "suspects" or "survivors". These are bales that were inside the system when they had a fire. Some are marked with burn marks, others are unscathed. They are set aside to see if there is fire inside that will eventually find its way to the outside.

If you remember, last year we had a fire load towards the end of the season and the load and the trailer were lost. The crews have stepped up precautions if they think there is any chance of a fire bale.

I gave all of our crews off until Monday morning at eight. Then we will begin making ready for the big exodus, which will take place either Tuesday or Wednesday. or maybe both. It appears we have 11 loads of equipment, product, travel trailers, supply trailer, service trailer, and even one rogue truck that no longer has a driver on it!

Monday we will move the product loads, leaving the loads needing to go "home" at eight. I guess I need to find a place to store them to avoid Pepa having a bad day and complaining about them being around his home or the barn.

Hopefully, not all of it will be sitting still. At least not for long.

I hope to keep three or four of these rigs running until we go South for the harvest. Of course it is going to have to rain down there for them to plant to have a harvest.

I have bittersweet feelings about being done. I am anxious to go home. I look forward to the house and a bath tub with endless hot water! I look forward to being able to sprawl out across the office as we do year end reports.

I am in hopes that we will take our big trailer home, get it unloaded and only have a brief while before we send it to have new paint, carpet, drapes and shades installed. I just need to be sure it is winterized as the "project" currently occupies its slot at the secure yard.

Krl took a phone call the other day from a company wanting to help secure a government grant to help expand the company. They have sent us a lot of stuff for her to look over, but it appears that with the company being owned by a woman, and that woman having Native American hertitage, the possibilities are much better for approval.

We will have to see.

I think Krl and I are going to go to Midland today. I hear a Margarita calling my name! Use to we would load up and meet six or eight of the permanent people at the plant (spouses included) and have a season's end meal and fellowship. This year I don't really feel sociable. Krl is all the company I want right now.

This will mark only the second time WE have eaten in town this season.

One quick note, Drew is celebrating 1 year old today. Happy Birthday Drew! Actually it was yesterday but they are having his party today. I always figure out special way to remember different birthdays. Reid and Drew both are on the 13th, one in August one in December. Holt and his Mother share the 12th of January, while Rian shares August with Reid but celebrates on the 23rd.

Have a good day and week!

FATHER, thank YOU. For seeing us to the end, for the safety of all the workers and drivers. Thank YOU for beginnings and endings. We ask YOUR continued blessings as we make the move home and to new opportunities. To YOU be the glory!