So, It Went Like This...

It wasn't asked to...
but, my computer decided to crash earlier this week.
And, it didn't have the decency when it went to permanent sleep...
to save all my photos.
Sigh...
Last night was spent all hours into the wee morning...
working with a software to find all those ditched photos that went into hiding.
Hours...
and now that they are back in my computer...
it will take a few days to put them back in order and re-delete the ones that I deleted...
while keeping the ones that are worth the looking at.
In the meantime...
look who came to the farm the other day...
Sisters of the feathered kind.


A kind lady gave us two of her chicks...free!
Only, our ckicken coop isn't ready, yet.
So, we keep them in a fenced crop field...
and away from our dogs...
who want to eat them!
I think my work has doubled just getting a couple of future egg layers without a coop.
Until that coop is finished...
I'm giving reminderes with the urgent message...
my new hens need a safe home!
I haven't a clue as to what kind of chickens these are.
No one else seems to know...
they are...well...just chickens.
If anyone who is savvy enough to know...
I'm all ears to hear about them.


So...
while I am mulling over the problem of keeping my hens safe and used to their new home...
my new black pepper vine is put into it's new home.
Bet everyone out there except me knew black pepper grew on a vine.
That was a new one for me.


We went up into the country in the mountains to the government nursery...
and got us some new plants for the farm.
I was thrilled they have black pepper and vanilla plants.
But, the vanilla plant will be picked up later.
Getting true vanilla extract is almost impossible here and the beans are impossibly expensive to buy.
So, you can imagine my most pleasant surprise at finding out the nursery is growing them to sell.


Digging the hole and planting my first black pepper was a fun thing.
It will be trained to trail in a circle hanging from a Glory Cedar tree...
a tree favored by both the goats for their leaves...
and the honey bees for their flowers.


yeah...alright, Foxie...
go ahead and guard my black pepper vine.


"For God is the King of all the earth:
sing ye praises with understanding."
Psalms 47:7

Have a good day, or night.

Thanks!

Just a little Thank You!
to all my visitors...
commenters...
and followers.
I love to have you visit and even better...
when you comment.

May you have a wonderful, sweet smelling day, or night.

It's a Cinnamon & Bay Leaf Day...

There is green everywhere one looks around here...
I do so love green


the day has turned out bright and sunny after a couple of days of rain

do you use bay leaves in your cooking?
it's a great medicinal food to add to your culinary cupboard
our farmer neighbor brought us a huge bouquet of fresh bay leaves


I love the way he tied the boughs together...
with dried banana leaves
I'd like to learn how to do that


are the leaves not beautiful?
they are chock full of nutrients

they supply vitamins A, C...
magnesium, calcium, manganese, potassium, and iron
the leaves are anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti- fungal


when dried, they become an olive color

most people know of it in the powder form
I dry mine and then grind the leaves into a powder to keep in my pantry

I use it in soups, stews, cocoa tea, meats
it makes for a great poultice on wounds


even the dog thought the bouquet was interesting

we also harvested cinnamon bark from our own tree...
this tasty bark has it's great properties, also

it never ceases to amaze me how God has put these beautiful plants on the earth for our benefit
you can learn more of both these herbs on...


the boughs of bay leaves need hanging to dry and the cinnamon put away in jars


our little Orphan Annie says...


May you have a sweet, savory day, or night.

When the Mighty Fall...

Tomato picking I find very relaxing...
taking my time and mulling thoughts over.


We have a small field of tomatoes planted from a tray of seedlings just a few weeks ago.


Yellow cherry tomatoes...which have turned out quite sweet.


Plum tomatoes that are still growing...beefsteak tomatoes still in their babyhood.
But, there were enough cherry tomatoes to pick for salads and just popping into our mouths.
We eat up the ripe ones and I pick some green ones to sautee with greens.
The oranges were picked up from under our citrus trees.
We can always tell the sour from the sweet oranges...
the ants let us know by trailing over the sweet ones.
Apparently, they don't care for sour oranges...
but, I like to use them to make fresh orange juice with honey or cane juice to sweeten.


I listened this morning to R.C. Sproul's lecture on
"When the Mighty Fall"
A good lecture which one can find on the Ligonier Ministries radio...
Just click the link above.
There is food for thought in today's broadcast.
I recommend it.


When those who sit in high positions and leaderships fall...
rather than rejoice...
we ought to mourn.
"Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth,
and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:
Lest the Lord see, and it displease Him,
and He turn away His wrath from him."  - Proverbs 24:17,18

Instead of fretting over the evil men do...
we ought to pray for them.
"Fret not thyself because of evil men,
neither be thou envious at the wicked;
For there shall be no reward to the evil man;
the candle of the wicked shall be put out." - Proverbs 24:19,20


Please do have a good day, or night.


Garden Puttering...


Welcome!
Come on up the hill...
and through the trees to see the latest on my kitchen garden.
*****
I milked my goat, Farina...
she's turned out to be a sweetie.
After that, I headed to my potager garden to plant the cress pepper seedlings.
*****
Below, is a potager view through our
young flamboyant tree from our farm road...
we planted it to look over the garden...
far enough away so as not to shade it.
*****
Come on through the gate.
*****
There are a few things planted in it right now...
but, they are still on the small side.
*****
I'm trying my hand at cotton...
so far, so good.
They look healthy and who knows what may come of them?
We shall see.
I like to think we may have our own cotton balls and not bother buying them.
*****
The cucumbers are coming up and I will stake those as they grow...
making sure every one has room.
You can see a tiny papaya tree just behind the cucumbers...
that's a volunteer and I will leave it alone until I know whether it is male or female.
The male doesn't produce papayas...
so, if it's a male, he will be chopped down...
no offense, men.
*****
The beans are doing nicely and I do hope to get plenty beans.
*****
There are tomatoes, salad mix greens and summer squash in the garden also but...
Didn't want to bore you with too many plant photos.
And, yep, that's me...
putting in my cress peppers.
The logs that keep in the soil for the plants also serve well as seats.
We just take from the forest across the road what we need...
and save ourselves monies on pre-cut lumber.
I believe it's called, frugal living :-)
It works...it's all natural and organic. No treated wood.
*****
My mind gets busy with thoughts when my hands are busy.
Got to thinking about my own attitude when it comes to knowledge.
Such as thinking at times I know more than I really do.
So, this comes to mind:
Those who think they know everything don't know anything.
Those who don't think they know everything know more than those who think
they know everything.

Proverbs 15:2 says;
"The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright:
but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness."

Yikes. Makes me want to be careful of what I say.

How I wish my tongue would continually...

"...bless the Lord at all times:
His praise continually be in my mouth." 

"O maginify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt His name together."
Psalm 34:1,3

May your day, or night be filled with praise for the Lord.

The Flowers Appear on the Earth...

My Beloved spoke, and said unto me,
Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.


For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone...
The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of the singing is come,
and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;


The fig tree putteth forth her green figs,
and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell.
Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Solomon's Song 2:10-13

And so, the Lord God called me to His salvation.

May your day, or night be blessed of the Lord.

A Blessed Moment...

It's hard work chasing down a butterfly for a photo session...
while I was out in the bush to pick orkras.
I happen to look down and see this lovely creature.
(click photo for larger view)


I said, "oh, please...
don't fly away...
let's do get together and have a photo party"
I did the chasing and the butterfly did the teasing...
flitting and landing on a leaf and just as I would get up close...
it flitted away, again.


I'm sure I circled the bush more times than I have fingers...
the butterfly dancing and twisting along through the air...
before landing just long enough for my camera to take a half decent shot.
Only half decent.
Through my dance in the bush in my chase for the elusive creature...
my eyes were distracted by the not-so-elusive beauty of the okra flowers.


I had to take a few photos of those...
just to capture the soft petals as they unfurled.


I'll take any kind of flowers...
only, my camera does them no justice.


I did happen to catch one of our honeybees in it's hunt for nectar...
do you see it below?


Of course...
I like wildflowers, too...
and this one below was no exception and certainly not safe around my camera.


Finally...
a better close-up of my elusive friend.
Gottcha!


Isn't the Lord wonderful?!

May your day, or evening be blessed of the Lord.


Whatsoever He Pleased...

Good morning or day or evening...
wherever you may be.


Little Orphan Annie and her sidekick, Macho Kid (on the right)...
enjoying frisky moments in the field.
I checked on the goats and moved some to other pasture.
As you can see below...
one mama goat is watching me, looking for a treat.
She forgot she already had some.


We have new banana trees coming up...
 I love the fields when they are full of trees.
Watching my goats is a relaxing time...
but, the potager garden needs looking after, too.
So, mama goat turns to eat and I go on my way.


I have a little garden girl in the potager garden who sits and...
 well, sits.
She doesn't do a thing except look nice around my herbs.
After a soft rain, she looks like she's been crying.


But, I can assure you...
she has not been crying.
She is a reminder to me to be content and quiet...


and reminds me that...
"...in whatsoever state I am, to be content"
Phillipians 4:11

For I know...
"Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He in heaven, and in earth,
in the seas, and all deep places"
Psalm 135:6

It is a great comfort to know that...
"...our God is in the heavens:
He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased"
Psalm 115:3

My Lord is perfectly sovereign in every way...
and can only do that which is perfect.
Blessed be the Lord.

May the Lord Jesus Christ be your sovereign contentment.