3/13/09 - 2nd - After Breakfast. I'll post this little after-Ranchfest update, then hopefully, if the Lord wills, I'll get back to the Persecution and Reflection series tomorrow. Ranchfest was a great success, and very pleasant, except for the weather. We had weird, bizarre weather the whole week. We had a freeze that killed most of my garden, and we had some days above 90. The wind blew almost consistently above 20 mph and up to 50 mph, which is very odd for this area during this time of year. It would have been difficult to have had a more atypical display of weather for our guests. This in addition to the continuing drought which has been plaguing us for awhile. I'm sure some of our guests felt positive that they were in a windy desert during the summer and winter at the same time. Anyway, Saturday night we received over an inch of much needed rain, and we praise God for that, even if it was much too late to impress most of our Ranchfest guests. Hopefully we'll receive more later this week.

In the top picture (I will try to post more Ranchfest pics later), you will see our Olympic Fencing Team. We were able to complete an almost 300 ft. fence which will be part of what is necessary for me to completely fence in my little homestead from the rest of my acreage before the June 1st deadline when we are going to turn our Pure Longhorn herd loose on the whole ranch to free-range. I want to thank all the men and women of Ranchfest for their diligent work and for the pleasant week of fellowship. If you are interested in the names for the above pic... from the distance moving forward:

Mr. Plumley, Mr. Sifford, Mr. Woods, Mr. Sustaire, Mr. Gurau, Mr. Powers, Me, Mr. Braley, and Mr. McCarthy. Mr. Woods and Mr. McCarthy are the only ones looking backwards. The rest of us are either optimists, or we didn't see whatever predator was sneaking up behind us.

The last Ranchfest guests left on the 7th day, and my parents and sister were coming to visit yesterday (The Lord's Day) so I brought the family into town (Brownwood) and we procured a hotel room next to the one in which my parents and sister would be staying. So we were able to take showers and get a little rest from Ranchfest before the Bunker's arrived to take us to supper. This morning I am writing from the hotel in Brownwood. We will be buying some supplies this morning to replant the garden and hope to be back at work at the ranch later today.

Like I said, I'll try to get back on the Persecution and Reflection series tomorrow morning, so y'all stay tuned.

Your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker