Changes are Coming

It is so hard to believe how long it has been since this journey began!  The road is taking a turn here in the next few days and I have very mixed feelings now.  Excitement, trepidation, sadness, curiosity - all of these run through my mind constantly these days.  So let me explain ...

We have already been making plans to change the type of operation we have - going from a cow/calf to a stocker operation.  To some - this seems like insanity; to others - makes perfect sense and a good business decision.  We have been discussing what would need to be done in the next couple of months to get everything in place and ready to begin running stocker calves.

Last week, on Sunday morning, we gathered the cows to take them to a sale here for brangus cows on Monday.  Got them gathered (with a little excitement) and got them transported to the sale barn.  I had to leave early on Monday morning as I was scheduled to work at the State Fair of Texas all week and would be staying in Dallas (yep - the hospital with the Ebola was just a block or two from our hotel).  My spouse was going to the sale to see how things went and how the cows sold.  He went - they sold and we talked a little about getting calves worked this past weekend to get them finished with pre-conditioning requirements of the organization we sell through.  He was going to have a cousin and his son come help give final shots to the calves to have them ready for the Northeast Texas Beef Improvement Organization sale in November.

That's when everything - and I mean EVERYTHING changed! We got a text on Sunday while getting cows to the sale barn from a realtor with whom we had listed the land earlier in the year but we had not renewed the listing. We had decided to just stay where we were and work with what we had.  Apparently the listing had been left up on one site and someone saw it, came and looked and she felt they would make an offer.  Sure enough - I think it was on Tuesday - the realtor called my spouse and said there was an offer on the table for the land, the heifers, bulls, and calves!  We talked after spouse emailed the offer to me and came to an agreement about what we would accept or change.  

To make a long story short - we came to terms that both parties agreed on and will close on the sale today!  I know it's silly but it really makes me sad as this was the first step when we moved here to start our dreams.  The setup was perfect for us - water, barn, working pens, etc. and allowed us to raise 2 crops of calves - just didn't really have opportunity to expand as the property around us is owned by families who are not looking to sell.  I found out how very much I LOVE doing this - and my family would never have believed that I would!

I had to make one last trip out last night to walk the entire property one last time (while it was still ours).  It was a great starting place and God's timing was perfect in providing means and opportunity to start on this journey.  I guess I am just a sentimental fool!  Cried a little as I walked the property, took a few pics, talked to the girls a little, then headed home.