Green, Green, They Say


The color of the rain is green, one could say


after all, green is what follows after, when rains come this way


and when the green comes in abundant vibrancy...
then, the crops do follow, to everyone's sowing fancy



but, alas!
the time has come and passed for cherry jam time...
and the bowl of cherries just for jam...
has gone beyond it's point of chime

which simply means...
I just wasn't able to get to the jam making before the cherries went bad
and bad cherries make bad jam



but, the passionfruit are coming along just fine


the vine climbing the mango tree until the fruits intertwine amongst themselves



and I've got to keep an eye on the passionfruit vine...
to make sure it doesn't mess with my grapevine



to rotate our crops, my husband sowed corn in the kitchen garden...


along with some lettuce



he did try a couple melon seeds and while they came up...
this season they just didn't do so well

we'll try again later



I was pleasantly surprised by my turmeric plant...
when she sprung a lovely set of bracts with pretty yellow flowers


and how wonderfully the Lord detailed this plant that gives it's rhizomes for medicine
it's easy to find the info on it on the web 



we are nuts for breadnuts here and so I thought to sow a couple seeds to grow
one seed came up in no time and the little tree is doing fine

we will transplant this as part of our new project homestead soon



and because soursops are so popular these days and bring in a nice little income...
we have sowed quite a few seeds and almost all have come up

we have them in various growing stages and will be transplanting the older ones soon
they too, will be part of the new project homestead crop



it's been a rainy day, today...
and I have not spent much time outdoors

and with the day coming to a close...
 it is time to finish up the last of the chores before night falls...
and lighting the lamps again for our evening time of relaxation and rest


He maketh me to rest in green pasture,
and leadeth me by the still waters.
Psalm 23:2

May your day or night find rest in the grace of the Lord.

Pilgrim's Farm Cherry Juice


The morning I made cherry juice started with a bright light of a cloud...
with just a whisper of a cool breeze


and the little birds of Pilgrim's Farm were busy among the tree branches...
catching breakfast...


and singing their songs


and in spite of picking a bucketful of cherries the day before...


the trees were still as full of these red jewels as though they hadn't been touched


and because it would be a silly thing to let these good fruit go to waste...


I picked as many as I could reach


leaving a few that were being feasted on by the spirobolid millipedes...
creatures found by many to be a nuisance...
but, they are great for getting rid of rotting produce


even the birds have not been able to make much of a dent in the amount of cherries in the trees


and there were quite a few that were too sky high for me to reach
no doubt, the critters will help themselves to those


and then it occurred to me that I didn't bring the bucket and my shirt got full


so, a bucket I got and in no time it started to fill and the cherries took a long time to pick...
but, the birds were singing, the chickens were clucking, the sun was shining...
and there wasn't any hurry for something else at the moment
just cherry picking therapy at my own pace



I love the cherry jewels that hang all by themselves from the lower branches of the tree...
as if they don't care for the crowd that jostle for room

the brown of the trunk and the red of the cherry seem to go well together 



and as if the red, red cherries weren't enough red...
the cashew fruit is giving competition a few feet away


of course, I cannot leave them all behind just for the birds and millipedes
it's only fair to have them share a few with others of us



let's not forget the wax apple fruit with it's sweet crunchiness...
and still coming along into it's own red hues
I did pick a few that turned out to be quite good in spite of their youngness



and did I mention that there are still more fruit in the color red?
this pretty little oval is called a plum here on the island...
but, am not sure exact name for it
it's small, sweet and juicy and of course...
most of these have been eaten by the birds
ah well, it isn't like we don't get enough fruits to eat



on my way back up to the cottage I collected a few eggs for the day
our hens are consistent egg layers year around as we have no winters here



there is no easy, fast way to make cherry juice
but, if one has the patience, it's well worth the effort
because, you see, the pit of the cherry has cyanide and you don't want to eat that
so, with time, every pit must be taken out
my patience, I'm sorry to say, isn't very remarkable


nonetheless, the cherry juice was made using the blender to process the pulp of the fruit...


and whirring the fruit until it is completely pureed into a liquid
no need to strain


the cherry pulp color won out over the skin color...
but, isn't it pretty


tangerine colored cherry juice


this is what happens when one is patient enough with...
picking, cleaning, pitting, blending a wonderful little fruit...
into a delicious, refreshing juice sweetened with raw honey
and no doubt, a little carbonated water would probably give it a sparkly kick


So that a man shall say,
Verily there is a reward for the righteous:
verily He is a God that judgeth in the earth.
Psalm 58:11

May your day or night be fruitful by the grace of God.

Project Homestead Postcard


It's a good time to plant some fruit trees with the rains coming along


Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance,
in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in,
in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.
Exodus 15:17-18

May your day or night be planted in the grace of the Lord.

Cherries, Crabby Crab, and Repurposing an Old Hose



Is there anything prettier than seeing red, red cherries...


hanging from the tree branches?


I was watching the lovely pink blooms coming out not so long ago...


and now those blooms are giving us...


juicy, just a wee bit sweet, fruit
I have feeling we are going to be bombarded with more cherries than we can eat
cherry jam making is coming to mind, perhaps next week


it's not unusual to meet a little land crab down in the land where the fruit trees grow


but, this little crab didn't like my approach and gave a clear warning to stay back


the brave little fellow wasn't the one to back down...no, no...
he backed me down when he grabbed the nearest stick to show me what could happen...
should I stick my fingers a little too close for his comfort

I chose to keep my fingers


sometimes, an old item one would normally throw away when it's come to the end...
of it's normal use...
becomes an item for repurposing


instead of buying a collar for this little ram on Pilgrim's Farm...
or just using the rope which can be a choke hazard on it's own...


my husband cut up the hose into pieces long enough to go around the ram's neck...


and threaded a rope through it to use as a tether when needed

the hose is soft enough to be comfortable for the ram...
no chafing around the neck to make the ram miserable...
it is flexible enough to bend with the ram's motions...
and it keeps the rope from choking the ram should he get caught on a bush or branch


and it looks like we are sharing plenty of papayas with the little birds around Pilgrim's Farm


May your day or night find comfort in the grace of God.