Oh what a show stopper it was!

 August 1, 2021

Last night, a storm blew in.  First came strong winds, and then the sky began to light up continuously, however, there was initially no thunder.  We turned off all the lights and opened the blinds and watched as the show intensified.  In instantaneous bursts, the night sky turned to day, as if someone was taking continual pictures using with a giant flashbulb.  Then came the thunder and lightening that reached to the ground.  It was so intense that I could hardly look away.  I thought, No one can do a show better than Heavenly Father.  Experiencing the  different parts of the creation is very healing... He made this for me.

 The storm continued for hours and finally brought with it pouring rain.  The ground shook and after hours we finally had to go to bed.  I got up in the night as the storm continued and a lightening strike lit up. the entire. house, followed by near instantanious thunder.  That was close by!  (Below is a short clip)

I looked out the window this morning expecting to see water standing everywhere, but did not.  The limestone below the surface must absorb the water.  The grass. will be as green as spring now.  I just learned that when it rains, the rain forces the nitrogen to the ground. Microorganisms then take over, converting the nitrogen in the soil and makes grass green. During a thunderstorm, a bolt of lightning can instantly create nitrogen oxide (which is the key ingredient in fertilizers) Lightning is Mother Nature's fertilizer!  LINK

This week has been close to 100 degrees, with high humidity, making the heat index close to 108.  The elders are going to work a little earlier so they can accomplish the work.  They come home soaked in sweat and smiling. (They are on the Lord's errand and they know it). The have been working inside a barn, removing rotted wood in the rafters and replacing it with new.  The wind had blown a large piece of the roof away and the water had deteriorated the wood and compromised the integrity of the structure.

Digging post holes is hard work - it's limestone below

Putting up the metal siding on the lackey barn

Replacing the rotting trusses and stringers in the hunter's barn

What I didn't realize was that the hotter it is, the more. the lightening bugs come out.  Several evenings this week I stood at the window and watched a mini fireworks display right outside my window.  One of the cowboy's wives said that each night her daughter pulls her blinds up and watches the sparking until she falls asleep.  I thought, Wow!  What a happy. childhood memory that will be for her!

I finally captured the sun as it looks in the morning!!!  Seriously, it is this red!

(The cowboys have been busy baling hay this week)

This one is a giant Light Bulb in the water

Last week I asked the ranch manager for permission to buy a gallon of paint for the kitchen.  Everything was rusty and it truly testified to me that it wanted a new coat of paint every time I walked into the room.  He resisted (as the apartment has a remodel in its future) and finally asked what color I would paint it.  "White", seemed to satisfy him, so I and another kind sister went to work and transformed it into a happier place.  Below are the pictures (before and after) and the parable I sent the ranch manager.

Before during and after pictures

Ranch 25: 12   For the kingdom of Sooner is as a (wo)man traveling into a far country, who  beheld the kitchen on the ranch.  And lo and behold she went to the Lord of the ranch and said unto him, give me paint, for the kitchen in which I am living is like unto a barren desert for it hath rust on the cabinet bases, and the walls hath been splattered with grease and other debris.

Ranch 25:13. And the Lord of the ranch looked upon the woman and had mercy.  But he desired to know what color the woman desired for the kitchen in his kingdom for he was afraid.

Ranch 25:14. And the woman jested inside for she knew that the Lord of the ranch was worried about her taste, (because she knew that many women who had come to the ranch with poor taste in colors).  She desired to say "BYU Blue", but she knew that the Lord might not know she was joking because he knew her not.

Ranch 25:15. So the woman requested “white”. 

Ranch 25:16. And the Lord of the ranch was pleased and he granted her request and the woman went to the merchant in town and bade him a gallon of white, semi gloss paint.  And her request was granted.

Ranch 25:17  And the woman returned to the kitchen in the middle of no where, and and a second sister had compassion on her and came and talked with her and worked with her in the barren, rusty kitchen, even though  the woman knew that her clothes would be tarnished and stained if she were to accept.  But behold the first woman offered chocolate and they had joy in the barren kitchen.

Ranch 25:18. And the two women cleaned the range hood.  And it was abominable in their eyes for the grease had been there for many days (decades), and they were sore afraid!  And they were inspired on how to remove it, and TIDE became their constant companion.

Ranch 25:19. And after they labored, and sanded, and chiseled, and soaked, and taped (you get the rest) they began to paint.  And the paint was like unto velvet, very fine and it flowed from the paint cans all the day long.  And the women were spattered, and covered, but they had joy.

Ranch 25:20. And one of the women said to the other, let us return to the Lord of the ranch and ask if he will grant us additional talents that we might improve further and multiply our talents(money).  Let us show him what we have done with the first talent we were given, and perhaps he will grant us additional.  And they did.

(I can buy more paint and a few more items!)

After church today we see something crawling in our direction on the road outside of our house.  Is it a tarantula? No, it's a crawdad?