robin tidwell « Robin Writes

We officially moved to the farm this past Saturday! It seems very strange not to be figuring out what to do, and when, before we drive back to STL in a few days. The kid came over early Saturday to help load the truck, and by the time I left around noon, he and my husband were still at it.

I got here around 3:30 or so and took care of the dog and cat and watered my plants. I put the cat, who’s never been here, in the dungeon while I unloaded the car. Half an hour later, he was meowing to get out. He circled the house twice before scoping out all the windows and then taking a nap on our bed. He finally got to go outside the next day, and boy, does he love that! I’m not sure he could clear the fence, but he might try. I’m not too worried about him—he’s a 20-pound Maine Coon.

The unpacking is almost done. Still have a few boxes that either can’t yet be unpacked—like stuff for the laundry room—and some pictures that I have no idea where to hang, but mostly it’s done. The biggest part was rearranging the things we’ve been using and incorporated the REAL stuff from STL.

My husband has finished clearing the garden area and ordered fish for his pond. We picked up a horse trough yesterday, but no horse yet—this is first going to be fish transport on Saturday. At Fish Day.

Yes, that’s a thing.

I also discovered I have family in the area—how weird is that? My cousin passed away a few days ago; I saw her obit in the paper. I haven’t seen her in probably 30 years. Her brother still lives here.

When I was growing up, I spent a lot of time at Nana’s house. Aunt LaVerna lived next door on one side, and Aunt Mary on the other. I ran and played in all three yards and visited both of them a lot. Sometimes, my cousin Dolores was home; she was a mail carrier. I don’t remember her brother Lon very well. They were both 30 or so years older than I.

I DO remember a big family ruckus though, probably in the early 90s, when Dolores and Lon moved Aunt LaVerna out “to the country.” Just didn’t realize it was here! This is almost as strange as when we moved from Colorado to Granbury, Texas in 1999 and discovered that my husband’s grandparents had lived there—and their marriage certificate was still at the courthouse!

Well, anyway, back to the work part:

Yesterday, before the town trip to buy fish and a few groceries, we seeded the pasture with 50 pounds of fescue; going to add some alfalfa or lespedeza too. Planned it ahead of the nice rain we got this morning—perfect for sprouting.

I also planted my signature purple verbena for the five hanging baskets on two of the decks. The third deck, off the kitchen, is for my seedlings and herbs. And a grape vine. I think that’s what it is. Hard to say…

And I’m pretty sure all these gorgeous little yellow-flowered trees are sassafras. Don’t think I’ve ever seen them before, but we have a quite a lot. The blueberries wintered well and the peach trees have leafed out; the apple trees are budding.

Very exciting!

Yeah, yeah, I know it’s Tuesday. Our move to the farm has taken an unexpected turn, so that’s my excuse. Tune in Wednesday for all the details . . .

Weapons. Everyone should have one for defense.

Before you freak out over this statement, consider how many things could be USED as a weapon: canned good—yes, we all had a laugh over this Internet sensation, but think about this in the context of your home, not a classroom—heavy knickknacks, sharp knives, a large hardcover book.

Take a look around you. What if someone broke in to your home right this minute? Or what if you answered the door, expecting a religious treatise or something, and it was, instead, the bad guy?

The old baseball bat by the door is almost a cliché, but it could be effective. So, too, could a heavy object. Or a kitchen knife, if that’s the location of the break in. Almost anything can be used as a weapon, if you’re willing to grab it and get up close.

First, you have to have that mindset. Naturally, it depends on the situation—the intruder might just be annoying, or maybe he didn’t expect to find you at home and he’ll run. On the other hand, perhaps he IS bent on destruction, robbery, or death. Your death.

Mentally prepare, and have something at hand at all points of entry.

And practice. You might feel silly, but really, it could save your life or at least minimize injury; and no one has to know.

Then, of course, we have your standard weapons: guns, knives, hatchets, arrows, and so forth.

Practice daily or weekly, but practice. With firearms, you need to become familiar with the handgun or shotgun or rifle; you need to learn safety procedures and practice those EVERY TIME you bring out your weapon.

Ammo can be pricey, but you still must practice on a regular basis. Forget a quick-draw—just be ready to use it, slow and steady, if necessary. Defense consists of two prongs, if you will: mental prep and skill/ability. Even if you don’t “like” to use your firearm, you may, at some point, need to.

While handguns have less range than long guns, knives are typically used for an up-close encounter unless you become proficient at throwing. Throwing knives are, of course, different than a kitchen knife or a hunting knife; know the different and practice often. Start close to the target, and when you become consistent, move back and keep practicing. Same goes for hatchets. These are mid-range defenses.

Whatever your weapon of choice, you should strive to become proficient, and this means practice. Just like with common, everyday objects, you first need to mentally prepare to defend yourself and then have the weapon at hand—and then practice until it becomes second nature.

I know some of you will be concerned with who is to be accorded “bad guy” status. Sometimes, yes, this can be difficult to discern; pick up a psych book and do a little reading and research on signs and clues.

Most of the time, however, in spite of TV and movies, you’ll know right away that this intruder means you harm. After all, he’s already entered your home, or your space, uninvited, and he seems determined to come at you or steal from you or attack you.

This is not the time to wonder if he’s the “bad guy” or to run down a list of clues in your mind. This is the time to go on the offensive. Sure, you can wait until he makes his move, but that might be a fatal decision.

And sometimes, just a show of being well-armed with any kind of weapon is enough to deter the “bad guy.”