Silver Linings?

There is a silver lining in every cloud. I really want to believe that. Although there were good reasons for Jim to take this out of town job, right at the moment I'm struggling to remember what they are. He was home briefly for shift turnaround, and has just left. For the second time. I imagine he'll be late for work tonight.

He got home about 9:30 last night (after a twelve hour shift and a four hour drive) and stopped off at the church where the rest of the worship team and I were waiting for him for practice. The practice went fairly well, and when we went out to come home, the truck wouldn't start. The good truck, not Thunder. I'd driven Thunder in, so thankfully it was there for us to bring home, grab a few tools and a flashlight, and go back. It didn't take him long to get it running (something about bleeding a fuel line or something...?), but still it was nearly midnight when we got home.

Of course he couldn't sleep in this morning, due to our team being up for worship, and church is now on summer hours and starts at ten. So we come home, have lunch, and finish loading a few days' supply of food and clean clothes into the camper. And he heads out, right on schedule, about one o'clock.

At two o'clock I hear a vehicle that sounds suspiciously familiar, and when I look out the window, yes, it's Jim. About twenty minutes down the highway he blew something in the motor; he thinks it's likely the head gasket, and spent the remainder of the time limping back home. In thirty minutes flat he was on his way again, this time in Thunder, loaded with everything he needs, if less comfort than the camper. I'm pretty impressed we found the tent, thermarest, sleeping bag, campstove, propane canister etc in record time, shifted the contents of the camper fridge into a cooler, clothes into a gym bag and off he goes. To a four hour drive and a twelve hour night shift.

And yes, that leaves me without wheels for two days. I wonder if cycling to work would kill me? I'm a bit out of shape.

And now? Nice relaxing Sunday afternoon? NOT. Now I see the cows have broken down a small section of fence. We'd planted a couple of shade trees last year in the corner of the pasture, and fenced them off so they could grow strong enough to withstand cow rubbing. So if I don't go fix the fence, they'll break the little trees. I could do with about 40 less cows around here. We have eighteen cows, eighteen calves, three of last years calves, and a bull. You do the math. (And yes I am well aware that a bull is not technically a cow, so you don't need to go there...)