Oil, Wheat And Hay, Oh My!

It's a beautiful morning here in the West. The sun is just now making it's morning appearance over the Rocky Mountains. My tea is steeping in my largest mug that a dear friend gave me. It makes my tea even sweeter. Number One made a brief appearance out of the bedroom to say, "good morning", then back to bed for a Sunday nap before church. The girls (pups) are like teenagers who sleep till noon. They will not appear until 9:00 or 10:00 am. They will go outside and then get back under the covers until it warms up a bit more. We have a heavy frost this morning. When I arose out of my own slumber, it was 23*.

I have been traveling this week. I was amazed to see the first cutting of hay in Oklahoma and foot high wheat in Kansas. It was already in the mid 90's and everything was "new green". I love the smell of fresh cut hay. The rancher's were not going to take a chance this year by not cutting as much hay as possible. Last year, they had to pay $300 for large square bales to feed their cattle. They were in a drought(most cattle places were) and hay was scarce.

Have you ever wondered where your food comes from? Well, you don't have to travel far in the USA to find a farmer. The wheat stretches forever in Kansas. Right now it's green and it's heads are getting big. Pretty soon it will be the "amber waves of grain" that is in the song "America The Beautiful". It is a lovely sight to behold. If the weather holds, we will have fresh produce early this year. I love to attend the Farmer's Market to buy fresh fruits and vegetables instead of buying trucked in produce that was not ripened on the vine.

We could not find a place to stay in the "oil belt" either. They are drilling as fast as they can, so maybe prices will go down some more. Wishful thinking? We had to travel 30 miles past our destination one night. The prices for rooms have tripled and in some places they are not up to my standards of clean. At least these little towns are surviving in this mini depression. Don't get me wrong, there are still closed down businesses. The word I used was "surviving" not prospering.

Oil and wheat...

They are everywhere...

First hay cutting...

Alternative energy and more wheat...

New green...

Fun in the sun in April?

Traveler's Prayer

God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,

"...Lead us toward peace, emplace our footsteps toward peace, guide us toward peace, and make us reach our desired destination for life, gladness, and peace."
In Jesus Name,
Amen and Amen