Thank you - THANK YOU! That is the main sentiment I want to get across to everyone who has sent a kind word, sent up a prayer, come out to see me and offer their support, friendship, advice or business. It is a small world and we are all connected somehow - and we can all be such a big part in another person's life if we allow ourselves to be.
The tornado has taught me
a few things; I am not an island, I can't do it all and I need my friends - and appreciate them more than any of them realize. New ones and old friends alike.
It wasn't a huge crowd as we almost feared it would be - after-all, a FREE concert with 3 great bands, free parking, byob and all that was being asked was token donations to help raise some money for some folks who found themselves in an unpredictable predicament - was sure to draw in huge numbers of folks, right? Well, not exactly. It was more like a private concert with about 40 of my close friends and three totally awesome bands who probably never played harder. I wish everyone could have seen them - all 3 bands - and saw the level of professionalism. This was not some cheesy back of the pasture unplugged jam session. This was by all rights, a concert! And I'm sorry you missed it. Not because we needed to raise more funds, that was only part of it, but WOW!, these guys sounded great! The jokes were clean, the weather was perfect, the food from Mr. Billy's Cajun Market was tasty and the spirit of neighbors helping each other was strong! The energy, the positive feelings I got that day, were so healing, it brought tears to my eyes and still does as I recall the faces and hear the music over in my head. We may not have raised enough to raise a new roof, but I can't tell you what it did for raising my spirits through the roof. I’m truly humbled.
We did raise enough to help out though. My neighbors at the apartments are getting some help with groceries and damaged furniture, ASE Arena & Stables will be able to pay for most, if not all, of their roof repairs on the small pole barn, and their ranch hand David's truck can get a new windshield so he can drive more than 30mph without worrying about it caving in on him. My tree removal bill and some of my deductible on the covered things will get paid. It is more than what any of us had before the concert. And we are all grateful to those who came out and gave.
What did folks do before "insurance" anyway? They all pitched in and helped each other out, or went under, I guess.
Maybe I don't speak for everyone affected by that April 9th twister, but I have no intention of rolling over despite the storm. The fact that I paid for insurance on "outbuildings" for the past 5 years, only to find out the actual barn wasn't covered - made me more determined than anything else to preserve it (if it was safe to do so of course) and get that Farm Bureau coverage I was only 5 days away from securing in case there is a "next time". I was 5 days away from better coverage. 5 days. Live and learn, eh? Economics being the main reason I was about to switch over, not only would the barn have been totally covered, but so would the roof of the old farm house and the animals had we needed it for that. A friend had told me about this farm coverage last year, only after I had re-upped my conventional coverage with the only company I could find after the 9/11 tragedy. I wasn't going to go through the antics to switch over and request a refund, etc., for a few months’ savings. I'd just wait till renewal time I told myself. Had I known my barn was excluded and a tornado was on the way, I'd have jumped through all the hoops - several times. Oh well. The new agent had already taken pics and was in the process of submitting the application. Ahh, timing. It is everything isn't it?
Now, even if I had full coverage, it seems I'd have a hard time finding anyone who wants to work on a 50 something year old wood barn. They either want to tear it down and build a standard metal building, or the roofers I've called don't do "metal" barn roofs. Is this a lost art? Apparently. Carpentry, it appears, is a skill lost on the new generation. But, fortunately for me, I know a few “old” carpenters who are talking about taking on the project. Nothing would be cooler than to have an old fashioned barn raising! Somehow the money for materials will get scraped together and once again, the Spirit of good folks will rise to the top. The top of a barn that is.
The tarp is tattered, but thankfully, the rains are pretty well gone for now. Tess, the mare who was most freaked out by the storm, finds solace in the pasture during a storm, now, and the chickens have all found other rafters to sit on. We've had several hatching's of new chicks and ducks – we survived the storm, stray killer dogs and we'll get that old historical barn back in shape yet!
What history you say? Well, for one, remember the story about Barney the bull? The bull’s owner, Glen McIlvain and his rodeo brothers and their friends grew up playing in that old barn. (It was also his trailer our bands played on as a stage.) Champion bred quarter horses, racing thoroughbreds and beloved family pets alike shared stalls for generations. The hay loft is made out of oak planks! You just don't see craftsmanship like that anymore. I'll do whatever I can to preserve that slice of Balch Springs’ history. And I have some awesome friends that want to help me, too. This throw away society will not see waste here on this ranch if we can help it.
Thank you to all - Randy Allen and his guys of 34 Honky Tonk and his wonderful sound system, the city of Balch Springs for their blessing on the event and use of the smaller trailer, Ken Schiumo and the whole Blaze Of Glory band, their friends (and now mine, too) of Decades, another rocking band, Jenice's 2 comedian friends, TEKG and Peter Barrera - and of course, my friend Jencie Johnson - your very own "GO" editor - who confirmed my stray, late night thought of a fund raiser concert with her own stray thought of the exact same idea the very next day. Hey, great minds think alike what can I say? She put the bug in Ken's ear, (who ran with the idea I must say), covered the event despite feeling ill, took awesome pics of the bands and of course, gave me so much support during this difficult time. Friends, neighbors, customers and fellow gardeners all came out to pitch in. I have the best of them! Thank you – everyone. Eden’s will plug along and The White Horse Ranch will, too.
Barn Aid 08 was a success in my eyes. It brought some great folks with great hearts together for a good cause, in the right spirit. Maybe next year we'll get more publicity, and more of you can enjoy an old fashioned "party in the pasture" and walk away with a warm fuzzy feeling in your heart like those that were there this year. We'll surely find another good cause and the Spirit will be there, I'm sure. Barn Aid 09? Stay tuned.
