_The Great Divide_ * Chapter One

Chapter One


I padded back inside the house and tried to decide whether to go lie back down and take advantage of a few extra minutes of rest or to get my day started. I compromised. I went to the recliner with my Bible and journal in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. After getting settled in, I relished the quiet and before I began reading, I finished my coffee and let my thoughts wander around my brain like a flittering canary in a cage.

I smiled as I recalled the expressions on the faces of the boys as they left with their Dad. It was a rare treat for the four of them to go off together for a trip. Going to visit our relatives in Arkansas was one of their favorite things to do. Nathan still seemed a bit apprehensive about leaving me to ‘do it all’ but the boys couldn’t conceal their excitement. They’d have such a good time and I was glad.

There was no doubt that I would miss them terribly. Not only did I love them dearly and enjoy their company; they supplied 90% of the muscle that kept things done on our little homestead. The two oldest boys shared the chores of feeding and watering the goats and chickens among many other things. The third oldest walked the dogs and fed them too. There were three dogs and one of them a giant breed puppy. Every step they normally took would now be mine to take. Of course I wouldn’t be cutting grass, cleaning chicken coops, moving 50lb bags of grain or building fences which were their normal weekend activities with Nathan. They had gotten all of that sort of stuff done up ahead of time in anticipation of their trip.

Besides, I wasn’t going to be left completely alone. I still had the four youngest to ‘help’. I couldn’t stop from wondering just how much help they would be! But, then, the girls were getting pretty good at hanging up the laundry and even my youngest boys, both 5 years old (but not twins) could carefully collect eggs, throw out scratch grain for the chickens and walk our smallest dog on a leash. I grinned and thought of how tired I would be and how happy I would be to see them return. Well, it was good for me, I had grown too soft with all my fellows around.

Turning to the Scriptures for my devotion I stared blankly at the pages for a moment trying to bring my mind into focus. Being the first day of a new month I decided to read through Proverbs again, there was always such wisdom there. Thirty-one days in July and thirty one chapters in Proverbs, it was a perfect match. The first chapter was full of warning as to what happens when we don’t heed wisdom. One part even said that people booby-trap their own lives. I knew that was so true, and as a matter of fact, I had fallen prey to a few self imposed snares myself in the past.

I closed my devotion time with a prayer and felt refreshed, focused and ready to face my day. I opened my journal and made an entry that included a prayer for wisdom as well as physical wellness and strength in the next few days with Nathan and the boys gone.

My four youngest still asleep I contemplated how to best use this rare few moments of quiet. Then Aslan, our 5 month old Anatolian Shepherd began to whine. He was ready to go outside and there was no more thinking to do on my part, this was a moment for action! You don’t want a 60lb puppy having a potty accident on your floor.

I grabbed his leash, my cell phone and my gun. I had promised Nathan to wear it while outside when he was gone. Just last week he had killed a sizable Water Moccasin. And although we were in a good area, there were some unsavory characters on the land that adjoined ours. Slipping into my shoes I headed for the door with an eager Aslan close at my heels. Gypsy, our little Border Collie mix joined us and we stepped into the humid, warm morning. Instant sweat beads formed on my forehead. I hated being hot. Even after being born and raised in the Deep South, I still wasn’t use to it.

I walked directly to the goat yard and deposited Aslan inside where he happily lopped around checking on his charges and doing his duty. Gypsy stayed out with me, she was my Rooster Guard! There were a couple of bantams who liked to catch you unaware when you had your back turned, but Gypsy kept them in line. She was my little shadow and had a great herding instinct. She herded the goats if they got out, the chickens when we were trying to put them up and the children at times! Her only drawback was that she sometimes nipped the children in the rear end as she attempted to herd them. So, if they were having a game of tag or chase and they heard Gypsy coming, it was a comical sight as they all covered there rears with their hands and came to a screeching halt!

I went methodically through the outside chores, feeding the chickens, checking water, getting hay for the goats and finally headed to get my nanny goat so I could milk her. Sweat was now trickling down my forehead into my eyes and all I could think about was getting in the shower as soon as I stepped back into the coolness of my air conditioned house. I was also thinking that I had been taking the boys a bit for granted as they did most of this themselves every morning.

I managed to get Cookie Doe out and her little doeling and up to the garage where I had the milk stand. Cookie Doe decided today was the day she would refuse to hop up on the milk stand. I did my best to persuade her, finally gave up and lifted her front end and then her rear end. Now, I’m sweaty and smelling like a goat. I could feel my frustration level rising and so I began to talk to Cookie Doe and myself in an effort to calm us both.

It was then that I realized the doeling had knocked over a tub of food as she followed us into the garage. I secured Cookie Doe and grabbed Candy Bar, put a leash on her collar and stationed her outside. Determining to wait for the clean up after milking I returned to the matter at hand and began to wash Cookie Doe’s bag. About that time I heard Gypsy in full herd mode barking and felt a large square head at my knee. It was Aslan.

How had he gotten out of the goat yard? The wethers must be out! Turning on my heel I deserted poor Cookie Doe still waiting to be milked and took off to assist Gypsy with the apparently escaped goats. There they were headed right for the new fruit trees. Seeing a rake in the corner of my eye I grabbed it and tookk off like a wild woman swinging the rake, yelling at Gypsy to “Yip” (our code word for herd) and attempt to wrestle the two extremely strong and stubborn goats back to their yard.

Apparently Aslan had decided he was finished in the goat yard and had pushed in the right spot on the gate to manage to get out. The goats followed suit. By this point I was trying to catch my breath and keep from falling right out into the grass. I probably would have given in and done so but knew the grass would make my now sweat covered legs itch like crazy. So, I leaned against the fence post for the briefest of moments when I heard Cookie Doe bawling. Heaving a great sigh, I headed for the garage.

I was almost there when I met Aslan. He looked strange. His face was misshapen. There were little bulges all around his cheeks. I immediately thought that wasps must have stung him! My heart was moved with compassion! I hurdled towards him with my last ounce of strength when I realized this was not the case. He had a mouth full of the eggs I had just collected! Outraged I yelled one of our new training commands we had just learned at Puppy Training. “Leave it!”

He did, he immediately and obediently opened his mouth to let 3 eggs (one of them bantam size) drop and crack at my feet. Now, I was mad, bent out of shape, and about to blow. I could feel my temperature rising. I grabbed his leash, without speaking a word although he apparently thought I’d be pulling out a liver treat for his quickness to follow the ‘leave it’ command and attached him to a tree. Cookie Doe was now bawling so loud that I’m sure she could have been heard a mile away.

Forty-five minutes later having finished up the milking, returned the girl goats to the yard, carefully securing the gate, cleaning up the spilled grain and broken eggs I walked into the house. I kenneled Aslan and headed straight for the shower, longing to go back to bed but understanding that the day had only begun, after all, it wasn’t even eight o’clock yet.

The children would likely wake while I was in the shower, so I’d have to hurry. Having just gotten my hair good and sudsy I heard a shrill scream. I stopped, cocked my head like a dog might do and listened. There it was again! A scream of terror! Something was wrong! Not even stopping to turn off the water I grabbed my towel as I sprinted from the bathroom, through my bedroom and into the living room where the two girls were standing and holding on to each other for dear life.

“What is it I?” I gasped! Quickly taking in the scene, looking for blood and realizing that wearing only a towel I certainly wasn’t wearing a gun. Together, in one accord, eyes wide with fear they answered. “A MOUSE!”

Soap now stinging my eyes worse than the sweat had done earlier, I turned. Without a word I walked back through my room, back into the shower, ignoring the minor flood that now existed on the bathroom floor.