2016 Goals

Tito the Belted Galloway.

I turned 40 not too long ago, and to politely paraphrase Coach Gundy at Oklahoma State University, "I'm 40, I'm a man." Self-reflection, honest self-reflection at least, comes easier with age and I'm on the wrong side of 40 now.

I feel pretty good. After a lot of years of trying to squeeze more from my body than I had any right to ask, I take stock and overall I've been really lucky aside from a few broken bones, a couple of foot surgeries, and the occasional morning where I awake trying to remember which biker bar I'd engaged in human cock fighting the night before I'm doing well. For my health I'm extremely thankful.

My wife is just the sweetest woman alive. What she sees in me is beyond me most days. For said birthday she strong armed a bunch of friends into writing their favorite stories. I suspect she's just getting ready for the impending funeral due to my advanced age, but I digress. So in the mail a few days before the big Four Oh, this scrapbook of memories show up. I'm so thankful and blessed that she loves me the way she does.

Each and every day I wake up knowing I'm a lucky bastard. I've basically gotten to live the New Age Forrest Gump movie as my life, minus the whole Jenny the Coke Whore with the Hiv deal.

I've been lucky enough to coach some amazing kids at the collegiate level. I've got to do and see things in the Service that most kids never could dream of when grinding away for Big Blue. I've been blessed to never have been afraid to jump, and lived all over the world because of that. With a lot of work, focus on killing debt, and more than a little luck I can now call myself a Farmer. 

More than any of this, I've been lucky enough to make unbelievable friendships everywhere I've gone. Charlie, Manny, and Max in RI, Shawn, Bill, Gabe, Ruffin, and Jeff in Texas. More than I can count in Idaho, Utah, Oregon, New Mexico, and California. Keith, Dennis, and Michelle in Florida, and I'm sure in trying to pound out this post that I've forgotten some amazing folks. To Libby and Adam, thanks for always being there for me, I'll never be able to express my gratitude to you all.

The goals for the farm this year are pretty straight forward:

1. Tractor and implements.

2. Galloway bull.

3. Gutters and water cisterns set up on the house and barns.

4. Chicken coop occupied by chickens, ducks, geese, and quail.

5. 4 raised garden beds 

6. Plant around 4,000 locusts and apple trees in a Missouri Valley Gravel Bed system.

7. Ponds, swales, and shooting berm installed.

There's at least another 100 or so smaller projects that either need done, or that I'm hoping to be able to sneak in. I need to plant another 70 or so fruit, nut, grape vines, and blackberry vines.

We'll see what the next 363 days bring.