Back burns, many agencies helping out, more evacuations and the moves daily..... Pigs and Goats.

Yesterday they back burned around our town to keep it from burning.  Today the fire continues to burn in our little town, thankfully not actually in the town because of all the wonderful fire fighter, towns and communities from all over the state that are sending us fire fighters.  We have support personnel and law enforcement people as well here from many communites.  150ish homes have been evacuated or on evacuation notice.  The fire grows and the fire fighters try with the planes, helicopters and men to attack it and fight it back.  Some have stayed in their homes, in the voluntary evacuation areas, some have stayed in their homes in the mandatory evacuation areas, which is so scary.  Every night there is a town update meeting and we are given the latest statuses on the fires that burn.  I am so thankful and pray that it does not on come my side of the river.  I said that on face book, and some one commented basically  I was failing to pray for it to be out and not just worried about myself.  I do know that that could be the interpretation of my prays, but not the case I do pray for all involved and would not wish ill on any in the path of the fire.  I pray for all the fire fighters first, the peoples in its path, the animals, the homes and the properties.  I know God has a reason for our fire and we have no understanding of why it came or what is the good of it but that will come in God's time.  Pray for all in the fires.  I also pray for all the peoples experiencing fires all across our nation..... I also pray for the people on short fuses that are fighting over perceived offenses over differences of opinions about this fire.  I have seen several friendships hurt or lost by the misinterpretation of a word said, so please try and consider the other persons opinion and actions as their own business and not judge them because you know not their heart and why they made the choices they did any more than they know your heart or why you made your choice.....

I got all of my peaches frozen yesterday, I had canned the first two boxes, but I froze the second two.  I got 29 1lb plus bags of frozen peaches.  I will be able to make many a thing from them, usually I make up pie filling but this time I just made the frozen peaches so I can have more options at the time of use.  Poppie got my tall cupboard up in my pantry.  Now I can paint, well he does have to trim it out but I can almost paint and then grout and the pantry will be done, well after he finishes the shelf on the other side.  I guess I can paint when.... but it is coming along gloriously.

 

Poppie and Yogie took Swiss Miss Chops to the butcher yesterday.  Yogie was there when the butcher shot her, she is not sure she is ready to shoot pigs, so she will stay with goats for now.  She is a farm girl to her soul.  The butcher said she was a very long pig, very lean which is good for the bacon she will produce, her butcher weight (not body weight) will be 400 to 500 pounds.  She is older so the chops and such will be a little tough so I am having all those cuts, limited, cubed.  The rest will be canning meat, sausage, roasts, hams and BACON.  She was a blessing in our lives she was well loved and her meat is a blessing to our family.  It was funny, or I suppose more ironic, a lady that has been wanting to buy some goats called in the afternoon.  She has a Berkshire/Chester white sow, about 8 months old, she wanted to trade for goats.  It was the Lord's blessing that she called at just this time.  I made the deal,  traded Lucy Lou, Mokie's Dolly and gave them Danielle (the older Queen goat that Herbalist gave me they will be a good home for her as she has never quite fit in my herd) and the deal was made.  Her name was D but Poppie has dubbed her Momma D as that is what she will be, and probably just Momma to him.  She is all white, you can see the Chester white in her.  I am excited to have her, her mom was a red Berkshire and she should breed well with Charcoal my black Berkshire boar.  Our never ending cycle of life, guided most assuredly by God's hand....

I guess live goes on and there are things that a fire can not stop.  I know my friends are some of them not even in their homes but we here have to go on about the task of living, until it is at our door if ever, and we can no longer go on about our normal.  I do pray for one and all, knowing that not my will but the Lord's will be done, amen.... tomorrow.