Much cooler today and the next few.  Carla has planted her potatoes, squash, carrots and cucumbers in addition to the vegetables planted earlier.  She is doing a complete crop rotation and even her dahlias are being placed in an area not previously used for them.

The ground is very dry – and dry for several inches.  Our soil is sandy so it usually absorbs water pretty well, but there is a ‘tension’ in the soil that is repelling water – it must be applied slowly or it just runs off.

Josh’s tractor and tiller work a couple of weeks ago has really helped in getting the garden ready.  While sandy, our soil has been enriched by multiple applications of mulch these past years and turned it into a more fertile bed for her plants – the tilling brings out the best in what Carla has done in that regards.

This thread on my election and first year in Office, including dealing with the Rajneesh, begins with the posting on March 25, 2015. Going into the archives and starting from the beginning with assist you in understanding my posts.

First trip to the ranch, continued:

While I had not been down this road before, I knew the procedure.  Many of the deputies and officials had been blocked and slowed down or even stopped for a period of time as they had driven down this road.   Accidents were staged, cars driven slowly and could not be passed on the narrow road; anything to slow the deputy and other county employees.

They had not been physically molested or threatened – at least not on the road; and no one could prove the actions of Rajneesh’s followers were deliberate, but we knew they were.

Just too many coincidences. 

The Security personnel knew just how long it should take to travel between each post.  As someone passed a post his/her vehicle and occupancy information was called down to the next post. 

If the traveler was not at the next post within the proper time frame, a security person was sent to find out why.  If the visit was a surprise and the group had not prepared for the arrival of officials, they would somehow slow things down until they were ready.  They were in control or at least they liked to give the illusion of being in control of the road.

The road was a county road and therefore public.  However, most of the property bordering the road belonged to the commune; all 64,000 acres and 100 square miles of it. 

To be sure there was several thousand more acres of public BLM land, but a person had better know how to read a map because the security force was not forgiving and they unsettled the citizens as they drove down this road.  

In many places the road was only 8 to 10 feet wide, going between a steep hill on one side and a deep ravine on the other.  In a few places the road would widen out to 20 feet or so for a few yards.  It was designed by the county so a vehicle going in the one direction could pull over and wait for oncoming traffic to pass. 

The speed limit for the entire way was 25 miles per hour so the drive would have time to react to anything coming up and in some areas it was the best speed to have.

Like most of the graveled county roads, in the summer time it was a dry and dusty road.  The slightest wind or any vehicle going over it, kicked up dust.  In the winter it was covered with snow and mud; because the grade was steep it could be slick and hazardous to drive on. 

Most people living in this part of the county drove four-wheel drive trucks or jeep style rigs, as did we.  We had wenches on the front of some of our patrol vehicles to help in case we slid off. 

But, we didn’t want to slide off this road.  It was a long way to the bottom.  No one was sure we would receive any assistance from the commune.  AND it would be hours before anyone knew we were in trouble and several hours later before anyone could get there to help us. 

Once a deputy went over the top of the last hill and started down into the valley they were on their own. 

As I moved on down the road I stopped off at a wide spot just before dipping down into the valley.  The hills within and surrounding the ranch were a deep and beautiful purple.  You could see for miles, and much of what was seen belonged to the commune.

It was said this was the point where Sheila stopped on her first visit taking in the vista and deciding right then, this would be the place they would buy.

I still had another 5-6 miles of the very narrow steep and bumpy road to go before I reached the ranch buildings and what had become a town in the middle of nowhere. 

This was a ranch turned into a small city by a commune that had caused consternation throughout the county of Wasco, the State of Oregon, and indeed had become the focus of many people world-wide.

As I stood looking over the property I couldn’t help think that these people did not like me, did not vote for me and wanted as little to do with me as possible.  They used intimidation to get their way and were not above using questionable techniques to obtain their objectives. 

I would soon be out of radio range and out of contact with my office and any support I might need.  I wasn’t all that worried; I figured they wouldn’t try anything on the ranch that would bring them under even more scrutiny.  (A thought that later would be proven false – at least for some of the officials.)

I had my own way of intimidation if I needed it.  I am not a particularly brave man, I had just learned through the years to do what needed to be done.  I am right at six feet tall, plus I wear Wellingtons or cowboy boots which added a couple of inches to my height and I have a heavy built. 

I had learned a long time ago, that built, my knowledge of the law and good law enforcement techniques accompanied with a firm and confident manner would carry me far in Law Enforcement. 

One of my first training officers, a man who commanded respect just by his presence, was a big help to me.  He told me that unless it was absolutely necessary, go into any situation low key.

You can always amp up your response if needed, but often it wouldn’t be needed.  If you went in too strong it is difficult to calm down the situation as the people involved get more defensive.

This doesn’t hold true in all circumstances; sometimes you have to go in hard to protect someone, to break up fights and/or shout to be heard.

But, for the most part, it had worked well in my patrol days and in my dealings with almost everyone I met. 

It was important that I go by myself; this was to be a statement of professionalism and an olive branch, of sorts, made by me to this organization as well as a show of self-confidence; I would not be intimidated. 

They needed to know that I was the Sheriff, I was not necessarily their adversary, if they wanted to they could be friends as well as constituents, but, they needed to know I was not afraid to walk among them; alone.

 

John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

How many times do we go about our life as if everything depended on us, and us only?

Frankly, in many ways that is an admirable trait.  If we act as if everything depends on us, then we make sure it is done and done and the outcome is what we want.

The danger of that though can be damaging, both to the person that is having this desire to be THE one to get it done, and to those that want to help but are being excluded.  They don’t have enough buy into the project to support it wholly.

I have always been hands on, and many times I couldn’t let go and should have – it limited my abilities and limited what could be accomplished.

When we rely too much on our own abilities, no matter how good they may be, we can over extent ourselves.  We end up tired and (in my case) cranky.

When we rely too much on our own abilities, we do a disservice to something, it could be something in our private life, it could be something in our professional life, but something gets short shrift. 

When we are good at what we do we think we can stand alone, we don’t need assistance.  Unless the responsibilities are minute, that will always come back to be a problem.  It becomes a burden to us that causes us mental anguish and sometimes physical distress.  It becomes a stressful endeavor and instead of pleasure it becomes pain.

Jesus made it clear that in our service to Him, we are but the servers, not the master.  When we rely on our own abilities then we are usurping Him authority. 

We don’t do that intentionally, none-the-less we do it.  A gifted speaker may believe that he can take the scriptures and give a good message at any time.

And for a while He may get by with that; however, if God is not involved in the process, the preaching doesn’t feel the need of the people who are supposed to receive it.

The preaching doesn’t have the dynamic that is infused by the Holy Spirit to reach the heart and therefore the life of the listener.

Not every witness to someone will bear fruit; not everything we do will go 100% well even if we have searched the mind of God.  Satan factor can interrupt us and interfere with what must be done, but in the end, God will prevail.

When we rely on our own talents, our own strength we are telling God we don’t really need Him.  We can do whatever task there is without His help.  We know that isn’t the right attitude, but it is one that happens when we are good at what we do.

One of the reasons some of the Bible’s great leaders became leaders and accomplished great things on His behalf is because they KNEW they couldn’t accomplish the mission without Him.

They had a willing spirit that God could use and did use.

That is why it is so important that we spend time with Him, every single day.  Time alone, time spent in listening to Him, really listening, so that we can better serve Him.

We have to be careful that we don’t take for granted the abilities He gives us.  We don’t want to rely on yesterday’s conversation for today’s activities.

When we take our relationship with God for granted, we become lackadaisical in our service to Him.  Eventually that will become obvious in our service; the Holy Spirit will not manifest Himself in our actions.

God is the root and the vine, we are but one of many branches He uses to proclaim the Gospel.  We are but one small branch that relies entirely on Him for sustenance.  Without that connection with Him we will wither and die, being pruned away so that He can use someone else in our place.

Whatever we do, we want to do it for the Glory of God.  To accomplish that we have to be in touch with Him to find out what He wants us to do.

AND we have to remember that we are not the vine, He is; we are nothing without Him.

Later, Art :-)

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again
Dad :-) to some, Art to the rest of ya!
Art :-) and Carla Labrousse
The Dalles, OR USA
http://www.fromcrg.com/index.html