If...

...I didn't have all these livestock animals and Kangals, it probably wouldn't be that big of a deal.  It's easier to roll with the punches when one is void, or at least in a pared down state, from the various responsibilities that come with a working farm.

My neighbor commented the other day that we were in the 40th day of no rain.  Drought seems to have invaded so many sections of our country...some areas are devestating from this lack of rain.  Thankfully we're not at that critical level but it's still not good.

The grasses crunch from dryness when you walk on them.  The man who I get my hay from to last me through the winter just called and said he would not have any hay this year.  Mayyyyyyyyyyybe he might have some in a few months IF we started getting some rain and IF there was enough time for his pastures to grow enough again before winter sets in.

I went and bought a couple of orbital sprinklers that will shoot water 85'.  I guess it's my pitiful attempt to water some of the grasses so they will grow for all the animals.  I figure anything is better than nothing.  My pond is down several feet even though it is fed by 5 underground springs.

The year I moved here, there was a horrible drought going on that was in it's 3rd year.  My pond was down at least 4', the creek bed was dry but the house water that is fed from the mountain spring still flowed strong so I'm hoping and praying that using some water to irrigate some areas in the smaller pastures won't compromise it.

"Thank You, Lord", I had a seperate well dug earlier this year.  The plan for this water source will strictly be for keeping the animals watered and irrigating my garden, thus removing any compromise from the mountain spring that feeds the actual home.  I have been so swamped with other things around here that I haven't laid the water lines yet...my goal to finish that project was and is, early fall.  I'm beginning to wonder if I should bump that particular project up the long project list towards the top.  At least there, it would give me two seperate water sources for the family and the animals.

See?  Writing can be very helpful because I didn't even think of that until I began to write this blog and it unfolded as I wrote.  I have been focusing on finishing fencing a new pasture area so that I can move some of the animals over there, giving other pastures a rest and I didn't even think about getting the water lines laid first...which would place water lines further out into pastures where I could hook up sprinklers and at least give them a good soaking once or twice a week.

I'll have to have a concrete pad laid for the pump area for the well.  I'll have to have electricity run to the pump and have insulated housing built over it to protect it mostly from freezing temperatures.  Then, I'll have to lay hundreds of feet of pvc piping for the water lines that will service different areas of different pastures.  I'll have to have no-frost faucets heads on all of them and make sure I get the tanks that auto-fill, relieving the pressure of having to make sure that all the animals are watered every day.

In case you were wondering, I've never done any of this type of work before.  I don't know how to do it but the 'unconventional college course' continues.  I'll talk to people 'in the know', find someone who can do that type of work and jump right in.

For me, when exploring the possibilities of "if's" I find myself quickly turning from the "if" to prayer.  I don't like "if's"...they're very vulnerable and dependant on too many unreliable things.  "If's" are a recipe for stress and potential dashed hopes and as I get older, it gets harder to expend energy in that direction.  Prayer is my constant...always available, and even if (see? there I go again with that word lol) things don't work out like I want or plan, at least I know I can trust Him...

...No matter what.