Something Different for Me

If you have looked around on this blog page - you've seen the small Compassion International banner and a link to their website. I got an opportunity to serve at a local event for Compassion. Christian recording artist, Adam Paul Williams, was doing a concert and Compassion presentation at a local church - they needed a couple of people who were sponsors to work the booth. Skip would have been terrific at this but definitely not able to go in that kind of crowd. You see the fun and interesting other volunteer, Martha, standing inside our booth area with Adam Paul and his wife Kelly and the host church music ministry director setting up in first picture.




Then we have the completed display - the large banner is the artist and his compassion sponsored child - picture taken about a year ago when he visited Guatemala. Also seen is the adorable child of Mr. and Mrs. Williams - and no I am not in any of the pictures - didn't think to ask someone to take one of me in the group!









I was blown away by the beautiful voice and worshipful nature of Adam Paul Williams. Have added a link to his website and I hope the embedded link will play a little of one of his recordings. Had such a great time telling people about the blessing of sponsoring a child through Compassion and the work Compassion does with over one million children around the world. Wanted to share this with y'all - it is good on Buhlaland to know our two little guys in Bangladesh are cared for with the help of such a wonderful organization. Enough effusiveness - we are blessed so abundantly - being able to share it is absolutely the cherry on the sundae of our lives!

Adam Paul Williams

Childhood Cancer Easy way to Help

I heard about an extremely worthy cause from my dear friends the Skees on Sarah's family blog - I've taken some of what Sarah had posted to explain. "Arms Wide Open Childhood Cancer Foundation is working closely with scientists, researchers and doctors who are pioneers in the pediatric cancer field, who are on the forefront of bringing many alternative therapies into clinic which could prolong the lives of children diagnosed with Neuroblastoma until a cure is funded. Right now only 30% of children diagnosed with Neuroblastoma will survive, but because it is an "orphan" cancer, research funding is limited as pharmaceutical companies do not see the efforts as profitable. Recognizing that children should not be viewed as a profit, but, rather, our investment, Arms Wide Open raises money for alternative therapies and actual treatments these children so desparately need in order to survive."

Please go to the Website vote often - Neuroblastoma was the disease which took the life of my dear little friend Ellie
Received the larger format and posted it - beautiful girl with such grace and sensitivity and silliness all wrapped up in one.
Am working on getting a larger picture of Ellie - but wanted to get this post up before I wasted time. Time is a luxury children with cancers do not have!
Closing with one of Ellie's favorite songs



It is good on Buhlaland - a few tears over looking back at Ellie's journey and sincere hopes no more children will be taken over the rainbow so soon.

My kids and these kids

I write about our goat kids - they are sheltered, given fresh water, more than adequate food and I sing hymns to them when I'm out in the pens (they may not rate my singing as special care!)

The kids I want you to think about now - are kids who need you, want you to be their friend and will change our world because of your relationship with them. Everybody is sick of hearing about give to this or that because you are a big spoiled American and the rest of the world deserves your help. During hard economic times fewer and fewer people we know can rate themselves as spoiled financially, compared to the rest of the world we are rich. Most of us think about what we want to eat - rarely whether we'll have anything TO eat. I'm playing an old familiar song for you but it isn't any less true because you've heard it before. Our "stuff" isn't given to us on earth to measure our value - it is to be sustenance for us and handled as a good steward. We are to store up treasures in heaven. You'll definitely be paying it forward to store up treasures you'll receive for $38/month -the financial cost of sponsoring a child through Compassion International. Be prepared to pay more - prayers and notes and pictures. You'll be in touch with your sponsored child - not some generic "poor kid" in the country of your choice. With Compassion it is a real child, if you wish a visit can be arranged to meet with your child (or children?) Our two boys are Elius and Bipul - they are both in Bangladesh. We receive far more from sponsoring than a charitable contribution for your taxes and a feel-good-about-yourself pat on your own back. We are blessed and humbled by prayers of our boys - they pray for US - can you imagine? They live in one of the darkest countries spiritually and a a hard impoverished environment and they pray for us.

Please read any of the Compassion Bloggers-Kenya - look at the faces, joy and real poverty. Not tooting our horn because so many others with more with less- but we found we lived better without satellite TV. Almost the exact savings from cancelling satellite service brought us Elius and Bipul as long distance friends. You really can do it -don't feel as if you'll deprive yourself somehow. A dear blogger friend said recently she'd been taught the lesson "you can't outgive God". You can store up treasures where thieves can't steal, rust won't destroy and joy is the interest compounded on deposits.

It sounds as if I'm saying sponsor a child through Compassion for your own benefit - well it is. Yes - your sponsorship will absolutely change a child (and their family) forever - they'll receive education, food, health care and biblically sound teaching. No child has to become a Christian nor does their family - all care is administered by local, well established churches. Try it - you'll never be the same - it is Soul Food without the cholesterol and salt, it is candy without the calories and cavities, it is comfort food which will truly comfort! Bless y'all - every tongue, every nation - let's help write the Love Song born of a grateful choir.

Now where DID I leave that word?

Here on Buhlaland we often sky gaze and star gaze and always find something worthy of our attention. Paying attention is harder when we are scattered mentally and emotionally - a situation we've allowed to exist far too often in recent months. DH and I will ask one another "what was that guy's name?" or "where did we read such and such?" or the worst "you know - one of those _____s?!" we exclaim with such frustration. Misplacing a memory, a word, a name, a doe a deer a female deer - oops got carried away there- is so exasperating. I just read a blog posting which tickled me no end - glad to see it isn't our aging brain cells solely to blame for us playing hide and seek with our vocabulary. Thanks for bringing a laugh to Buhlaland ButterflyMama!

Butterfly Mama: A Brain With a View

Keeping an eye on things

I haven't been blogging much - actually have had real life to do. Chickens continue to grow and are developing real "chickatude" - pecking at my feet or the dogs!

We had guests on Sunday - made a "lemonade" cake and dadgum it was good. Several activities at the end of a school year, even with no children of our own we can rejoice with the children in our extended family-by-choice.

When I get down about not having a family of our own - I am blessed by contact with the family of our hearts - thanking the Lord for those we love.

"Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the other person’s ultimate good as far as it can be obtained."C. S. Lewis

Still busy - didn't want you to think I'd forgotten y'all - there is a time to reap and a time to sow - this is the time we are sowing whether it is a cake or hospitality or tending chickens and it is good on Buhlaland!

Return of a welcome visitor

You may recall the bathtub inspector who gives joy to our hearts and smiles all around. His mom (also know as chauffeur/playdate scheduler) said he liked baby goats at the stock show last month but didn't enjoy the crowds and noise. We have lots of baby goats, no crowds and not much noise so he was invited to Buhlaland to mingle with baby goats. The goat mingling didn't last too long - Crybaby checked on little boy fingers to see if they were edible. Mom had to take his hand and suggest other things to do (not heading in best direction at that moment) and he felt she wasn't correct. He spied the dwarf peach tree in full bloom and became the peach tree inspector. He also discovered - when you pull OFF the little flowers - they won't stick back ON no matter how you hold your mouth. Oh well - no problem - throw down the flowers (and ignore Mom and that other woman who are laughing for no apparent reason) and keep on running - places to go and things to do!

We love having visitors on Buhlaland and our inspector of bathtubs, goat babies and peach trees is welcome any time!

Psalm 127:3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.

Feeling a little Hungry?

Millions of people in our world are hungry and it isn't a matter of going to the store to replenish the pantry. Today(March 11, 2009) is a day of emphasis by Compassion International about the global food crisis.

"What is the global food crisis?
The World Food Programme calls the global food crisis a phenomenon, a "silent tsunami," that is affecting families in every nation on every continent. Food prices for popular menu items like rice, wheat and beans have doubled in the last year. Though increases in food prices have hit all budgets, it's the poor who bear the brunt of price inflation. The higher prices are forcing people who survive on just $1 a day to spend upwards of 80 percent of their budgets just on food. As a result, many people, including millions of children, are going hungry. The longer food prices rise, the more people will be plunged into hunger and poverty.
Why is the global food crisis happening?
Food shortages have affected developing countries for generations. It's a cyclical problem. But this global food crisis is more rapid, urgent and devastating. Since 2005, food prices have risen a whopping 80 percent.

• Why?
  *rising fuel costs
  *rising food demand from populous nations like India and China
  *natural disasters destroying crop yields all over the world, including the United States
  *growth of biofuels."

An editorial comment of mine and certainly not to be attributed to Compassion International - the issue of biofuels is concerning because many people think it is very "green" to use biofuels in their vehicles. My understanding of the commercial production of biofuels is the costs are not low to make the fuel and clearly it takes more production out of the world food supply. My prejudices are showing- but in my mind the survival of human beings (created in God's image beings) is a great deal more important than nifty car fuels. Not being foolish about wasting fossil fuels is a good thing. Using food to fuel a vehicle to drive to church to pray for the poor and downtrodden isn't exactly the highest and best use of resources. Please read and pray about the issue and respond according to your finances and heart --

"James 1:27 (New International Version)
27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Interesting wording, being polluted by the world. I believe true religion is following the teaching of our God and Savior as closely as we are able. Are we able to feed orphans and widows and millions of our brothers and sisters with a few dollars? Yes - because $5 from each of us can become tons of rice, cooking oil and seed to plant for a future harvest. Try it - you will like it! Better to be labeled a fool for Christ than be wise in man's eyes. We are well fed and content on Buhlaland - why are we so blessed?

A new link and tidbits of life

I've added a new blog link - 6yearmed. She is a good writer, her blog posts are often quite emotional since her work in the hospital is with new borns. Today's posting is disturbing so not recommended reading if someone is currently pregnant or nervous about a loved one who is. Just forewarning you not everything works out tidy and with all happy endings - although some of her posts are very funny.
I've settled down about the Blogger mess - apparently we can go in and manually change the setting,irritating changes are made without users opting in or out. Enough of that. If you haven't ever cruised through some of the links I have - try it - there are some fabulous blogs out there!

Posting a picture of our little buck, Snickers, the people who gave him to us had his horns burned off (called disbudding) when he was small and it wasn't done properly. After several infections- his head seemed to heal. Much to our dismay small deformed horns began growing. One was particularly problematic in being larger and loose. I wouldn'tdo anything with it because it hurt him to move the little hornette and I hate hurting the critters unless it is absolutely necessary. Two days ago - the problem was resolved by one of the other goats. The hornette was broken off completely and didn't bleed much. Rough world when you have a messed up head and everyone greets by slamming their forehead into your forehead!
Tin can gardening works! I harvested a head of bok choy yesterday and we had stir fry for lunch. The heads are large enough to make two meals so I still have half to use. Squash are blooming like crazy and one of the tomato plants has set blooms. Don't know if the weather will hold warm enough to get tomatoes from the gardening in a can experiment but I'll keep them covered if we get a hard frost warning.
Our little friend Hollis came by again this week and was scooching up the stairs in no time (yes I stood behind him so he was in no danger). After a couple of trips upstairs - his mom suggested Hollis be our new bathtub inspector. The tub is sitting in our living room until we are ready to install it in the master bath --serving as a perfect child playpen! He is so sweet natured and fun to be around.

















babies and sunlight



Here on Buhlaland we stay busy and are so content it is almost embarrassing. I'd like to remind you, dear readers not to pay undeserved attention to all the shouting of doom and gloom and predictions of disaster. Loud voices are rarely impartial or showing wisdom -
Listen for the Whisper

1 Kings 19: 11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

Rely on truth and faith and common sense when it comes to making decisions - here on Buhlaland we like whispers!

Visitors

Matthew 25:35 NIV
35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.

Here on Buhlaland we always have something to eat or drink and most strangers are welcome.

Some of our visitors aren't all that strange - but they are usually interesting at least to us!

Here is a particularly lively and charming visitor. Hollis is a handsome fellow and finds his own reflection amusing beyond all imagination! Perfect dinner guest - the people who came with him were pretty nifty too.

Then we find this critter on a huge fall Peace rose. We have lots of mantis around this year and they are welcomed visitors because of their huge appetite for all the pesky insects!

Next visitor decided she didn't want her picture taken so here she is leaping the back fence - two does come into the backyard and eat acorns. You will probably need to click on the other picture to find the deer - she is to the right a bit and barely visible but definitely there!

We love company here on Buhlaland! You never know when we get to feed an angel in disguise (somehow I don't think the mantis was one - but surely could have been an angel hiding in that little boy!)

Wish we could have visitors from Bangladesh - our boys Elius and Bipul write to us and their requests are so very small. I know most visitors to this blog are more than aware of the needs of children in poverty all around the world and our personal commitment to Compassion International. If you haven't sponsored a child yet or feel moved to spread some of the blessings you have in your life around to someone who is grateful for shoes and rice and letters from a friend in a foreign country - please click here for a child who needs YOU right now . I know times are tight financially, but what for us means not ordering a pizza this week - can for them be the literal difference between having anything to eat each day or not. We live in almost the only country where people worry about what they want to eat rather than if they will have anything to eat. What is the purpose of life? To glorify God - taking care of one of the least of these gives you far more than the $32/month in money it costs. Here on Buhlaland - that's a fact, Jack!

Compassion

I seem to have a theme this week. As a person with no children of her own it truly makes my heart ache when I read about a child who needs help. Rachel and Jacob were the subjects of yesterday's plea for help (my pleading - they graciously gave us the opportunity to be part of blessing a child).

I joined the Compassion International's bloggers some time ago- a very loosely knit group of Compassion sponsors who are given a blogging topic once a month. I'm a wretched procrastinator and I've delayed until today - the last day for June to post. Hard to get my mind around how massive the Global Food Crisis is and how quickly it is growing. I've posted one of our sponsored children - Elius in Bangaldesh again - he is not starving but I spoke with a pastor from his country and was told food is getting harder to buy. We have SOOOOOO much in this country. Like you I'm freaking out a bit each week seeing how staples in our diet are going up in price but we still are able to buy pretty much what we want to eat. The dividing line in my mind would be - I get to think about what we WANT to eat - while millions are trying to find a way to eat at all. Now realistically - how long do we spend thinking about it? Oh a few minutes during the evening news watching foreign reporters talking about feeding stations. YUCK what an awful word to have to apply to humans, created in the image of God. Humans who are our brothers and sisters in this world are fed at "stations".
If you click on the link global food crisis - it takes you to the Compassion International site where you can get more information or make a donation. I know I know I know - we are bombarded with "good causes" and catastrophes and flooding and typhoons. Yes yes yes I totally agree we cannot save the whole world ourselves. But if we can save just a few at least we won't stand on the Day of Judgment saying - well Lord there were so many good things available to do I just couldn't decide which one YOU wanted me to do - so I sat and read and thought and prayed - and did nothing.
I want us all to hear "well done my good and faithful servant". Quoting the advertisement from Nike - Just Do It.
God bless you for reading this - whatever you decide to do is between you and the Lord. Honestly unless you are just moved to say so - I'd rather you didn't post if you gave or not - this is one of those times I think it would be wise to keep the giving decision between you and God.

We are overfed and often overwhelmed on Buhlaland and forever grateful for a chance to help. Cannot do it all - but oh thank you Lord we can do something.

Chance to shop and do good!

Hey Bloggy readers?blogospherites - I never know what to call y'all so I'll just call you friends of the bloggy persuasion. Anyhoo - just saw a neat opportunity to act quickly and do a VERY good deed. Rachel is preparing to do foster parenting and needs some help in the preparing supplies department. Shouldn't be expensive (little kiddos and their clothes aren't all that costly when we are talking warm weather and small children) and I doubt even UPS charges would be much. PUHLEEEZZEEEEEE zip over there - read her nifty posting and DO IT. Just click on her name and you'll go to her blogsite. You'll be blessed and if we can't help somebody with a little giftie here and there - well life just gets too boring don't you think? Here in Buhlaland we are planning a boy and a girl gift bag and will take pictures before we send it off. It is good to be spontaneous and sounds like Rachel and her husband are just the kind of folks I'd want to be caring for some little ones. How about you? Okey dokey - I have to get back to work ASAP - showing property late this afternoon (yes it will be 100 degrees ) so need to be organized before I get out there.

Truth

My friend Sarah Skees posted encouraging news from the mission field. Don't go there expecting something cute or funny - this news is the gospel kind of truth. Sarah's brother Chad and his family are missionaries in Papua New Guinea. New believers always have a fire about the Truth but the man described in Sarah's posting absolutely held the truth up to his world and proclaimed it. Worth your time. We like to hear the amazing results of the Word of God - here in Buhlaland and across the world.

A passing

Don't know how many of my occasional readers were familiar with Steven Curtis Chapman's family and adoption advocacy. Their youngest daughter was killed in a tragic accident yesterday. I've included the link to a tribute to her - if you watch the short video you'll be blessed by her charm and the obvious love in their family. Maria Chapman
When something so startling and apparently wrong occurs all I can do is to trust in God's faithfulness shown in Isaiah 55:8-12
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,"declares the LORD.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
The beautiful child has been welcomed into the presence of God Almighty - her family here on earth will mourn and we should pray for their comfort. Nothing to add.

Our special blessing

Here is our most recent picture of Elius - he'll be ten in July. Isn't he handsome? We have been blessed to be his sponsors for almost 3 years now. We can't say often enough or strongly enough go here child waiting longest and commit to change the life of a child. For less than the cost of going out for a pizza and movie night once a month - you will be blessed beyond belief. You may not be able to change the world but you can change the world of a child and his or her family. The link goes to Compassion International, specifically the page where you can select a child by your own preferences - we chose a child "waiting longest" and Elius became part of our life. Do it - I mean seriously - do you NEED another high fat and sodium meal or do you offer the bread of life to someone? Here on Buhlaland, we are carrying new pictures in our wallets and showing everyone!

I'm no Alex Trebek or Ken Jennings

Alex, the question is Why do you click on this link and spend $10? Jeopardy answers could be: because you love them, because God tells us to , because you feel guilty sometimes about all you have and how little they have, because it is the right thing, because you can.
Aiding children in poverty might not be a great category for a TV game show. Compassion International is giving us all an opportunity to help children in countries with serious malaria problems. Try it - you'll be blessed and what is ten dollars? It coud be a life - Please watch the video at Bite Back and your heart will grow.Would have been a lot more effective if I'd put in the link to Bite Back Sorry -

Wisdom from afar

If you live in our part of the world -afar is pronounced as if it is spelled ah fawr (like burning wood). Your linguistics lesson for today in Texanese.
Chuck Swindoll is doing a series about living in the desert - not just dry lands but dry times for the soul - I particularly liked the quote from Amy Carmichael (missionary to Asia - amazing woman if you'll google for her - you'll be impressed). The picture here came from Donvahur's website-Amy as a young woman.

Amy Carmichael, wrote these words:
Before the winds that blow do cease,
Teach me to dwell within Thy calm:
Before the pain has passed in peace,
Give me, my God, to sing a psalm.
Let me not lose the chance to prove
The fullness of enabling love.
Oh, love of God, do this for me:
Maintain a constant victory.

Amen - when the winds are blowing against us here on Buhlaland - I want to remember that God doesn't always still the storm but He can give us peace in the midst of it.
It is good on Buhlaland - even in gale force winds.

WWJD?

Elius then and now

















Bipul first picture and now - our boys are growing so fast!














"What Would Jesus Do" a slogan on bumper stickers, jewelry, shirts, coffee mugs and banners, WWJD in a multitude of places . I know a definite answer to that question - Jesus would be smack dab, totally in the middle of the poorest of the poor children. Compassion International is working as Jesus with skin on in the world. Pictured are our children through Compassion. Elius and Bipul live in Bangladesh. The serious young man in blue long pants has been ours for a year longer than Bipul. Elius has a hardworking mother, his father died over a year ago. Bipul's parents placed him with someone so he could go to the Christian center in their town and they traveled as itinerant workers. For less than the cost of going out for pizza and a movie ($32/month each) God has changed their lives, they are getting an education, medical care and learning about Christ. We get letters regularly - usually with drawings of animals or plants and lots of questions about how we live. They pray for us , you can't imagine the persistence with which we pray for them. The world in which they live is as different from the United States as earth is from Mars. Bangladesh is a primarily Muslim country, one of the poorest countries of the world and afflicted with frequent severe flooding. But they have hope - realistic hope through a simple arrangement done very well.
Compassion International is sponsoring a blogging trip this week to Uganda - I've included links to all the blogs and a link to Compassion so you can sign up RIGHT NOW and change your world. It is absolutely the best thing you can do to make a difference. I'm adding this on Friday the 15th - I forgot to mention when we contacted Compassion to sponsor - we simply asked for the child who had been waiting longest - no stipulation on age, location or anything. God engineered it both times that it would be a young boy in Bangladesh.


Bloggers for Uganda Trip - absolutely worth reading - share these with everyone you know and ask your readers and friends to become Compassion sponsors:
Anne Jackson
BooMama
Chris Elrod
David Kuo
Doug Van Pelt
Heather Whittaker
Keely Scott
Phil Ware
Ragamuffin Soul
Randy Elrod
Rocks In My Dryer
Shaun Groves
Spence Smith
Tom Emmons





I would like to encourage you to prayerfully consider sponsoring a child today! In fact - I strongly recommend it - it'll rock your world. Knowing that on the other side of the world, two boys pray for us makes life even sweeter here on Buhlaland. Thank you Lord.

Can't get enough of the morning light

The white fence in the background is our house - I am entranced with the golden light this fall. Rarely have such warm weather this late in the year and never have had all this grass. Supposed to get a cold spell Wednesday so it will all change. I promise to post some recipes and pictures of the finished product - just not today - today I'm praising God for letting us be in this place at this time. Am praying for some sick people and a couple of dying children - The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, Blessed be the name of the Lord. Amen. That's the update from Buhlaland - where the sun shines and flowers bloom and our hearts are grateful.

Unable to upload blog

Hey there - well I am not going off on a rant becoming popular in the blogosphere- Blogger has a recurring/worsening problem uploading pictures to our blogs. Literally hundreds of people areparticipating in a cyber version of instigating a lynching. I keep thinking - but this is FREE we are not paying a penny to use this ingenious, fun tool. I'll try again tomorrow to uploada couple of pictures . We are having one of the most beautiful fall seasons ever. Not a lot of trees turning vivid colors, but the light this year is awe inspiring. Sometimes it appears our fields and animals were painted by one of the early American realist/romantic painters who captured that mote filled golden tinge of autumn (of course I cannot recall a single artist's name despite a few years ago having had a dear friend walk with me through the National Gallery of Art pointing out the special qualities of dozens)

Wanted to post because I am once again ramping up prayer levels for some people - one is a beautiful lady named Sharan who is struggling during her first week of treatment for leukemia, another is a blogger who goes by the name WhyMommy and is in the throes of chemo before she can have a mastectomy, our beloved little Toby Pannone is in a rougher time right now and Kyle Ogle has scheduled surgery to remove tumors in the lungs before he can qualify for another experimental chemotherapy. NOW - with all that said - I have a sense of joy about praying for these people - God knows and loves each of them, their situation is known to Him and the outcome was decided long before time began. BUT there is the fabulous mystery of prayer - He tells us to ask, ask repeatedly. So I'll ask and keep remembering a quote I read today from Elizabeth Elliot "about the wee small hours of the night making mountains of molehills". During the wee small hours of actual night or the midnight hours of our lives - it is too easy to abandon hope and forget all the blessings to focus on the what ifs and the maybes. Here in Buhlaland -~ it is well with my soul~ (look it up if that hymn is NOT a favorite already I'll post about it another time) - and y'all come back when we have pictures to share!

New faces,Familiar Faces - same places

DH has a son, daughter in law and grandson who are here on Buhlaland for a first ever visit. Grandson is a smart and often funny fellow who really likes Rocky the goat - Rockster is pretty crazy about the boy also. While we went for a walk (sometimes DH and grandson were running but I'm too dignified for that - actually -I value my joints too much to do that to them!) this morning GS talked about the goats and what were they doing and where were they going? We opened the gates to back pasture (trusting that drier weather would cut back on the need for isolating pastures for parasite control) and GS wanted a pic with Rocky - our very small and so far nonfunctioning buck! Rocky has developed a semi-mohawk - what style the little fellow has! OK - that is the kid and kids report.

Next picture is Hannah ( mother of Montana) literally chest deep in grass. What a difference a year of rain makes in the pastures! Hannah was quite ill for a while there - same problem that took her twin Bananna - but this time it turned out better - Hannah is regaining weight, her nose is no longer a whiter shade of pale and she is able to butt heads with the rest of the gals. With a firm belief in the totally subjective theory you cannot publish too many beautiful sunrises - Ta Da - First sunrise of October - life is good on Buhlaland. Y'all come back now.