Just a question for people who think they get the flu from getting a flu shot.
Did your kids get measles, mumps and rubella from their MMR shot? How about lockjaw from your tetanus shot? Small pox? Anthrax? Plague?
I’m not a doctor, but I’m pretty sure this logic is flawless. 

I’ve spent nearly a year of my life at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, despite the fact that I have never been permanently assigned here. I only mention that fact because I’ve seen many editions of the weekly newspaper, The Guidon, sitting in the newspaper boxes around post. 
And it always has an advertising sticker in the same spot. I can’t be the only one that has noticed it creates an ethnic slur. I first noticed it in 2013, so it’s been going on that long. Maybe put the sticker in a different spot?

The old homestead has been doing well so far this year.  I managed to finish cutting all the trees from the area that will eventually be the pear orchard.  Right after I pull all the stumps.   On a related note, if you’re in the market for some seasoned pine firewood, make an offer – I have a LOT.  Like, seriously, a lot.  I’ll deliver if you’re near me.  Not even joking.

Here we see Mr. Snake.  I don’t bother him in exchange for him being allowed to eat his weight in varmints every day.

The fruit trees are coming along well- the new trees really took off and the existing trees are producing a great crop for the fall.  Here’s a picture of Lucy holding every piece of fruit we picked on the property last year.

 

 

And here’s a sample of what this year’s trees are doing.  Turns out you have to care for your trees, not just ignore them and hope things turn out OK.  It’s like raising kids, except sometimes bugs and fungi cause problems.  Actually, it’s more like raising kids than I thought.

I’ll give you my method on burning a pile of green brush without using gasoline.  I just bring an armload of dry firewood down down from the woodpile, build two small fires in both edges of the brush pile and feed it like you would a regular campfire and it will take off.  These pictures are about 15 minutes from start to fully involved and the entire pile burned in about an hour and a half.

No waiting for it to dry – that was brush from one tree that was still standing earlier in the day.

Goats doing go things.

Stacy tending to the raspberries.  She did a great job and we had a bumper crop of them this year.

Meanwhile, Layla just likes to watch the farming going on.

 

We’re prepping the soil for the vineyard by tilling it and adding lime to raise the pH so we can plant grape vines next spring.  But, tilling means you have to pick rocks.  Lots and lots of rocks.

I’ve had to spend more time away from the farm than I really want to this summer and we have a toddler to look after, but I think I’m still getting it done.  My boots are starting to look like real boots should, and that gives me more satisfaction than you can imagine.

I call this “notes” on traveling when it’s really just going to be me complaining about traveling.  I recently had to fly for work and, long story short, it took me almost twice as long to fly to my destination as it would have to just drive in the first place.  If I had just gotten a wild hair across my butt and kept driving past Portland toward Missouri, I would have made it several hours before the flight that eventually carried me there.

Just to give you a small idea, when I arrived at Portland for my first flight, they were literally so flustered by what was happening that they just put me in a cab and sent me to Boston.  It only got worse from there.

I physically arrived at a total of six airports but only flew out of three of them.  No fooling.

My last flight didn’t do much to calm my nerves.  As I boarded the plane, I couldn’t help but notice what I hoped was condensation and not smoke pouring out of the vents.

 

But, my fears were allayed when I heard the pilot break radio silence in order to calm the people of the plane.  Turns out Matthew McConaughey flies for American Airlines.

Alright, alright, alright.  You tell me that wasn’t McConaughey.

Interesting note – YouTube appears to have automatically fixed my video which was shot vertically with my iPhone.  Sometimes I do love technology.  Especially when it seems to be saying, “We know what you wanted, idiot.  We’ll take it from here.”

Another fun fact:  I arrived at St. Louis assuming there was zero chance I would ever see my bags during my stay, but there they were.  Apparently, my two bags and I took three separate planes into St. Louis and my bags beat me there by several hours.  Should have hid myself in my suitcase.

And in case you are wondering, Missouri is still Missouri.  Search for a bookstore and this is what you get:

 

 

 

 

 

In case you’ve ever wondered how many acronyms the Army expects you to understand, here is a partial list of every acronyms and abbreviations I encountered in the first few days of a course I attended. Keep in mind I chose not to write down anything with a number in it, such as M4.  Only because it would have filled the cover of my book too quickly.