We Are Back . . .

Son James accompanied me to the family farm business meeting and get together.  There is always a topic of some kind that elicits much discussion and we had perhaps three of them.

The first was the survey conducted by cousin Camille on the farm and its management.  In her words it was almost identical with the one conducted 10 or 15 years ago.  There a couple of responses from those who said they did not care about it one way or the other.  The desire in that case was to find out who did not care and see if we could get them to part with their shares.  Not an easy idea to deal with as we first do not know who they are (anonymity was a key element in the survey) and nobody can put a value on the stock.

This led to the second topic of discussion the Usufructs Agreement.  Our parents made a deal with each other on the use of the front of the plantation.  The W. C. Morrison (Walter's family) got the use of the family home as they all grew up there.  That made sense.  Then the remainder divied up the other three parts roughly equal in size.  In that case my father (John) traded his spot with his younger brother (Farnham or Uncle Ham to us) so that my brother, John, could build a log house on the spot he desired.  The last piece was Aunt Edna's and neither of her daughters seemed to care to much about the use of their spot.  It is the garden location now days.

There were some peculiar issues buried in the Usufructs agreement, one of which said as long as Uncle Walter and Aunt Flea lived they had exclusive use of the family home.  Upon their demise that exclusivity ceased.  No matter, we do not chose to live there and Chris Morrison, a son of Walter's does so and maintains the home.  It is far better to have a willing occupant than to have an empty structure which will immediately begin to seriously deteriorate.  The agreement expires in May of the year 2020 at which time all improvements, changes, structures all revert to the ownership of the farm.

The final issue was a new suitor for leasing the farm.  Currently, the Schexnyder family leases the farm.  They have been very good tenants over the years but the rental income for 520 arable acres was marginal at best.  a new lease offer made by "Jobie" Beaud, also a family that are long friends of our family. was tendered.  That offer was more than twice the amount paid by the Schexnyders.  That is quandary that the board of directors must deal with.

None of the issues had a final solution and some present some real issues to deal with.  So goes the family farm meeting.  A family meeting first, a business meeting secondly -always.  Some how we have to  figure out how to deal with it.  And we will.

Then we had a wonderful repast catered by "Hot Tails" restaurant.  Food was fried Catfish and Sensational salad with hush puppies and Boudin balls.  After the meal we visit and played with the grandchildren that ran about all over the place.  The weather was beautiful

James and I departed False River camp the next morning for Texas   The drive was uneventful until Marshall, Texas.  At Marshall the temperature dropped from a balmy 70 degrees to 49 degrees.  By the time we got to Tyler, Texas it was 32 degrees with freezing rain, sleet and snow.  At the out skirts of Dallas it was 26 degrees and dropping.  But the time we got to Weatherford it was 20 degrees out side.

But we made it back safe and sound, albeit a little bit cooler than Louisiana - not.  It was damn cold.