I think it must be time for some serious rain prayers. I know many people are spending time in prayer for that much needed resource, but this part of the county is really hurting. My daily walks with Glen are depressing. There are so many trees down and more to come. The grass is barely pushing through the soil and feed is still very expensive. This will be the third year for year round feeding for many ranchers. It’s hard to get a return on investment with those kinds of expenditures.

George and Donna Hill are raising their two orphans Baby and Beau. It is an entertaining process that I have been invited to watch. So far I have been unable to go watch, but I hope I can go see soon. Not that I anticipate nursing orphans; I have a one year old baby dog to keep me busy. I just hope I have the patience to train him up properly. My children were well behaved, surely I can make this high drive, hard-headed puppy learn good manners. Eventually he does have to get older and slow down some, maybe?

I’ve been watching the trailers for some of the new programs and I can’t say they appeal to me. Everything is sex and violence. Our society is getting cruder and more sensual then ever.

The One Act Play headed out for Stamford bright and early Monday morning. They are going to a clinic to be critiqued on their production. This is their first outing and I’m sure Mrs. Hall and Mrs. Butler are anxious to see how they perform. We should have some stock show participants back in school this week, but they’ll be gone again shortly for the Houston Show. My daughter Tracy will check on them when they get there. She is one of the many yearly volunteers that help to make the show so successful every year. It looks as if our tennis team will not compete this year. We have our first meet Thursday and we haven’t been on the practice court yet. I love tennis, but we just have too many spring activities.

After hours of volunteer work and donated money the baseball/softball field was dealt a horrible blow. I’m not sure what someone was thinking, but some foolish person went in and destroyed all the weeks of work by doing donuts on the field. The police will be searching for the person or persons responsible for the damage. I know we don’t have much for our kids to do here on the weekends, but damaging property is not an approved activity. I guess you can say it is part of our new society that just doesn’t think too hard about how their actions will affect others. I feel very sad that some young person was thoughtless enough to do this. A reward has been offered for any information about this act of vandalism.

I’m bringing my class out to do a report on drought conditions. They will be recording downed trees, vegetation and possible future tree losses. We will look at erosion and habitats. It is always better to do hands on work so that the students can see and feel all those science terms. I think we will have time to gather some grapevines and make some wreaths for Mother’s Day. We expect to enjoy our afternoon out. Parents who wish to attend are welcome to do so.

Donna is celebrating a birthday, as are Vera Ralston and Ginger’s friend Kim. Naturally all of them are young and vibrant, and the years are not encroaching on their good looks. Louise Hyman is recovering well from her broken foot. Her children are taking good care of her as she heals. Bev Cohn’s new great-granddaughter yet to be named is in ICU. We pray she will be home shortly so that g-granny can go visit. I’m told George Rogers is responding well to treatment, and his tumors are shrinking.

I watched a program about Vietnam Veterans this afternoon. I can better understand the agony these men endured and continue to dream about even though the war is long over. I had a friend who came back totally messed up, but unable to explain his nightmares. My own cousin drifted for years trying to find his way back to sanity. He is doing better now, but the journey was rough. I attribute the agony to fighting wars where the rules of engagement are not clear nor is the enemy identifiable. Our soldiers fighting the terrorists are facing the same dilemma. They cannot count on a clear enemy. At any time a supposed ally can turn and become a killer. That makes for soldiers with problems like PTSD. We need strong leadership that will do better by our soldiers.

Please pray for our country, our finances, our legislators and our President. Please protect our precious soldiers and their families. Have a great week everyone.