Rain blessing.

What a wonderful winter rain. In Abilene it rained all night Tuesday, very slow, very steady. When I returned Wednesday evening it was still raining.

At the farm, it had not rained as much as in Abilene, but by afternoon it was a very steady rain. When I left the farm, where I had mouldboarded Tuesday evening was standing water.

Yesterday morning there was eight tenths in the rain gauge and I feel it rained that much plus some again by end of day.

My man from Brownfield came yesterday. He delivered nozzles and nozzle bodies for the sprayer and he looked at and took pictures of the big 40 shank sunflower plow I am wanting to trade him. We established some parameters that I would like to meet.

The plow I would like to purchase for the farm is Wilrich DCIII disc cultivator, 30' 9" in width. It is a combination disc, field cultivator, harrow with packers. If it is anything close to what I anticipate it to be, it will be very good. This plow is built by the same people that build the Wishek offset plows. Very heavy duty.

I had been battling with which plow I wanted, the one above or a 28' model. My mind was made up for me when Doug arrived and told me he had sold the twenty-eight footer to someone in Michigan.

One thing the internet has done is open lots of markets up.

A development I didn't like is that there is now a six month wait for manufacture if the plow is not in dealer stock. The one I want is in stock, at the dealer I am dealing with.

While this is not as large a span as the harrow of Brent's we have used in the past, it will plow and clean. The harrow does a good job of smoothing and leveling but is not effective on weeds. I think this plow will be a better all around tool.

On my way to the attorney's office yesterday, I received a phone call from the local land man on the oil leases. He told me to mark through the dollar amount and increase it fifty dollars. Crazy.

Hag had a meeting with an acquaintance that has come in with another oil company and this man raised it another fifty and a two percent increase on the royalty.

They say that they have known for years that there are large oil deposits in this black shale formation but they didn't have the technology until recently to harvest it. They say there could be 500 million barrels of oil per section, of which only 12% is recoverable. They also think it will be common to have wells producing 1200 barrels per day.

Good golly!

When I was visiting with my man from the high plains he told me there is a rush on in his area for the Gray Wolfe formation with leases going for as much as 800 and acre and 25% royalty.

There may be a lot of really sad people that jumped in early, although it has been very attractive from the get go.

I am thrilled for our area. First windmills and now oil exploration. I am afraid that land prices are going to go through the roof and agriculture will become a by-product.

I am very glad for my Mom. For whatever reasons, Pepa kept half of all oil and mineral rights when they sold land to us kids. So even my land and Freddy's that was foreclosed on, could be a revenue producer for Memama.

You never know, hope springs eternal! Makes me wonder if I could have just held on to my land.

Oh well. I'm not in control, and the MASTER CONTROLLER knows what he is doing.

Have a day!

FATHER, thank YOU. We wait as you unfold YOUR plans for us. Glorify YOUR name!