My excitement level has gone up a few notches ever since I read we are going back to school. I’m not sure how I will handle the disappointment if we decide to back track and go virtual again. As little as we are, there is no need to stay home. I have plenty of room to social distance. Apparently out here in the country, we are not afraid to go to school and teach. The air in Austin must be bad if all those young teachers fear for their safety. We make them tough out here, and we are ready to teach our kids.
Staying at home brings out different attitudes and habits. I have no doubt many more hours have been spent on games and TV programs. I feel confident that some of my students have read books over the last few months. I feel equally confident that some of them have read nothing. That will pose a challenge once we start back, but we will conquer these issues and get back on track.
I have watched hours of animal shows on Discovery, Nat Geo, Animal Planet, etc. I wandered down the mental alley of comparing people to animals. Throughout history we have used terms like, he’s a snake, what a rat, old goat, slow as a turtle and many more. Having spent hours trying to keep my chickens in the yard eating grasshoppers, I have decided that if anyone compares me to a chicken, I am going to be angry. The term, dumb cluck, has new meaning for me. It is small wonder that these birds are prey to just about anything that eats. I moved the coup one day to force them to eat the grasshoppers in the front yard. Rather than go to the coup, they nested on a rock ledge, out in the open because it was close to where their pen had been. I had to move the pen back to get them in for the night. Henny Penny is a little slower than the others. She is totally lacking in sense. Yesterday she tried to get into the hen house through the side screen. She bounced off several times before I scared her around to the front door. I’m just saying, be careful if you are going to call me a dumb cluck; I may react negatively. I don’t run like a deer anymore either, and I’m not a spring chicken. I do have a shepherd called Jesus. If you know sheep, that’s not real positive either. Just smile and keep going on your crazy life path.
I know it isn’t quite the same, but I was thinking about our nursing home people. The thought came because I was passing a cage with the dogs locked inside. I couldn’t imagine living under those conditions. That led me to think that is what is happening to our old folks. They are shut up in their rooms and cannot have visitors. My heart just hurts for them. They have good folks to look after them, but they don’t have their loved ones.
I want to remind the folks in Richland Springs that the Baptist Church has opened a food pantry for our little community. It will be open the 1st and 3rd Mondays from 5:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. If you would like some assistance, please call the church or just come by and get a box of food. If you call ahead, we can have the box ready for you. If for some reason you cannot come by, just let Franky or Esmeralda Soto know, or call the church office, and we will try to deliver it to you. Especially those of you who are older and cannot get out, please contact us so we can help. This is a ministry of the First Baptist Church for our community and surrounding area. Please call if you need help. Donations are accepted, but please do not bring home canned goods. Health department requirements don’t allow for home canned goods. Mind you, nothing can stop you from dropping some of your scrumptious home canned goods to your neighbor. School supplies are also available for those families who need assistance. Just call the church. You can also contact your child’s teacher and she can pick up supplies from any one of our local churches.
We have all been following the progress of the local fires. Our heartfelt thanks and appreciation go out to the men and women who have been fighting these horrendous fires. The last and biggest fire is now 75% contained. It’s called the Gate 5 fire and has burned over 13,000 acres. The forestry service and all our local volunteers have joined forces to fight this monster. Thank you to everyone who has helped. We have a marvelous force of volunteers. Please be careful during this very hot and dry season.
As to that hot and dry season, we need prayer for a good rain. I would love to have a frog strangler or gully washer. The rain would also assist with keeping fires contained. If you are staying out of church for health reasons, go online and watch the services. I know for sure Shiloh and First Baptist have a face book page. I’m not sure about the Christian Church or the Church of Christ. Don’t forsake your church, don’t forsake Jesus. We need our faith and religion more than ever during these trying times. I'm grateful to all the people who prayed for my eye. It is doing much better.
Please pray for our police officers. I pray people will begin to stand up for our men in Blue. They are our defense against evil. I know, here in Texas, there is a certain pride in being able to take care of our own, but millions of people don’t have that option. They need the police to enforce the laws and protect the citizens. Pray for our President and our Congress. We need some stability and cooperation to happen immediately. This is a great nation of strong people; we can get this fixed. We need to talk seriously about the need for rain around here. Lord God, please send rain to water the land and put out the fires. We pray for all the elders who are shut in because of the virus. Most of all we pray for our precious troops and their families. See you in school soon!