STUMPS

When I bought Tin Star Ranch almost four years ago it was overgrown with weeds. I couldn't wait to rent a tractor and a shredder to make it more presentable.

Said tractor rental day came and I proudly started my ranch heritage as a true caretaker of the land by plunging into the nearest waist high weed patch....and promptly dang near plunged over the hood of the tractor as I hit a stump.

Now if you have never shredded weeds from the exquisite vantage point of a tractor seat, you have no idea what a thrill (heart pounding, jaw dropping, sphincter spasm moment) that hitting a stump can be! Ya got two options actually:

1. Mow with the front bucket down low (which means you avoid hitting the stump with the shredder, but guarantees that you dang near pop you head off when the bucket hits the stump and you fly forward at the speed of butter goin' thru a duck)

2. Mow with the front bucket up (which means you hit the stump with the heavy steel shredder blades that are turning at 540 revolution per minute powered by a 32 horsepower tractor)

Option #2 is my favorite because it is the closest thing (I hope) that I will ever experience to a helicopter crash!!!!!!!

The quality of an experience is often in direct proportion to frequency. How frequent does this stump "maniacal gyration" occur? I decided to mark the stumps for future removal by buying a bundle of 100 orange flags at Lowes. The first bundle evaporated before I could even get started. Not to be deterred, I bought another bundle of 100, and it evaporated. Yep, did a third bundle and just gave up marking 'em. If your math is as good as Kaitlin's, ya can figger than I am dodging more than 300 stumps (risking life, limb, and clean drawers) every time I mow.

Does that slow me down, NOT. The job is necessary, worthwhile and rewarding on a variety of levels.

About now you are wondering if there is a point to this drivel? (Children of mine, this in the point where you should start paying attention)

All of life will be full of "stumps". Some are hidden and surprise you at the most inopportune times, but others are ones that you expect (sick kids, no sleep, work, school, in-laws, out-laws and senile Daddys to name a few). The "stumps" can jar your teeth out, scare the bejeebers out of you, and tax your will.

Not to worry. the "stumps" (for reasons you can't see at the moment) are necessary, worthwhile and rewarding on a variety of levels. The "stumps" are allowing you to grow personally and spriritually, they are allowing you to earn your place in the world, and they are making you tough enough for whatever is to come in your life.

Now put on your overalls and plow thru those "stumps" like the wonderful, brilliant, blessed keepers of our future world that you have so richly become.