The pecan tree (caution: slight religious overtones)

I frequently work in several Mennonite communities.?ÿ Unlike the Amish most of the brethren I run into aren't really any different than you or me.?ÿ Friendly but stoic, they all have electricity, trucks, telephones and even internet.?ÿ I've seen Wal Mart bags and empty pizza boxes in their trash bins near the road on Wednesdays.?ÿ I believe?ÿtheir faith and?ÿreverence for community is?ÿwhat defines them.?ÿ I personally admire?ÿthem for sticking to their principles.?ÿ

Most of them are just regular folks steeped in agrarian ethics.?ÿ Their farms are always clean and well kept.?ÿ The good condition of their farm equipment gives me insight on what I might consider successful.?ÿ But from what I've gathered each community probably has its own doctrines.?ÿ?ÿ?ÿ

There is one community that seems a little different than the others.?ÿ?ÿTheir dress and somewhat tight-lipped social interaction is an indication they are the more "conservative" of all their local brethren.?ÿ I was a bit interested in their differences and did some reading.?ÿ If you're interested they consider themselves Holdeman Mennonites, but their church goes by a different name.

The community is building a new school and some time back I had prepared some easement documents to get electric service up to the building.?ÿ Apparently the council of elders considered the new pole line running up to the new building as unsightly.?ÿ Burying the primary would require them to be responsible for a portion of the construction cost. And apparently a large OD green transformer near the building was as unacceptable as a pole line.?ÿ Engineering put the job on hold until they decided exactly what they wanted.

Last week I received the new work order.?ÿ The new pole line is planned to run some 800' from an adjacent section line along the rear of the site. I'm guessing this keeps the aerial utilities from being prominently visible from the front of the new building.?ÿ I need to prepare some easement documents AND get some wood in the ground for the brush clearing crew as the new route crosses a wooded area.

I've just pulled up and I'm eye-balling the area.?ÿ The electric co-op's brush clearing equipment is parked on the RW and all they need is some wood in the ground to get them pointed in the right direction.?ÿ I can't see the proposed pole location at the rear of the building due to the trees, but the property line is most nearly at a right angle to the section line.?ÿ I've "slapped a ninety" a hunnert-thousand times in my career and this line looks like it's going to run straight through a stand of beautiful and mature pecan trees.?ÿ I'm suddenly startled?ÿwhen a young girl with two children suddenly appeared behind me.?ÿ I hadn't even heard them walk up.

The young girl introduced herself and her children, an older boy and a young girl in her momma's arms.?ÿ Their home and property was adjacent to the new construction site.?ÿ I remember from my deed research the property was owned by a Jacob and Hanna Toews. I recognized her name when she introduced herself.?ÿ Her and the children's attire was predictably conservative Mennonite and all three were barefoot.?ÿ I was happy to see I'm not the only Okie?ÿleft that likes to go barefoot when I'm at home.

Hanna was concerned with the disposition of the pecan trees.?ÿ They apparently provided her and family with lots of good fruit.?ÿ While the actual property line apparently had never been established with fence, the Toews considered the pecan orchard to be theirs.?ÿ Hanna explained the elders had considered the trees, but opted to allow the new electric line and my survey would determine the fate of the trees.?ÿ I explained I was going to have to do some digging and set up my equipment, but we would all know before I left.?ÿ I also told them "it didn't look good".?ÿ My experienced eyeball said the trees were dead on line.?ÿ I had turned to get some gear out of my truck and I realized Hanna and her children were all silent with their heads down.?ÿ After a few moments she began quietly praying out loud.

I'm probably far more reverent than most people think.?ÿ At my grandmother's knee we learned scriptures from the Bible that I still remember to this day.?ÿ Hanna was re-hashing James 5:16 which basically provides a good return for the prayers of righteous people.?ÿ She was asking the Lord to keep the pecan trees safe because the fruit was food for their bodies and therefor in turn for the Glory of God.?ÿ Hanna had one damned good prayer.?ÿ As her and the children turned to head back to their house the little girl in Hanna's arms looked back over her momma's shoulder at me with a toddler's unemotional scowl.?ÿ I wondered if the child would remember the "surveyor" As the one that made the pecan trees get dozed.

After I got all set up and got everything in the DC I needed I started across the meadow with a bag of lath.?ÿ Staking toward an object is difficult to tell where the line was going to hit the trees.?ÿ I guessed I'd just see when I got there.?ÿ The lath line missed the trees by thirty feet.?ÿ Impossible.?ÿ It looked so catty-wampus I?ÿhad to refigure everything.?ÿ Nope. All good.?ÿ I made it through the trees to end of the line by the new building and hit it dead on.?ÿ I was amazed.

I was back down by the road where I had started.?ÿ Instead of stowing my gear I had to just stand there and try to figger out how I could have been so wrong with my initial eye-ball.?ÿ I just shook my head and crammed the equipment in the back.?ÿ After I was back in the cab ready to leave I noticed Hanna and her children had walked back.?ÿ They were looking down the lath line.?ÿ As I rolled up I leaned out the window and told Hanna it looked like she was going to get to keep her trees.?ÿ She had her one free arm in a salute to shield the high sun from her eyes as she smiled and answered, "It's a good thing.?ÿWe're thankful".

As she turned back toward?ÿ the trees the little girl on her shoulder was looking back at me again.?ÿ This time she had a slight smile.