Morning Pleasures


Every morning...
the dogs and I take our walk down the road

when we get back to the homestead...


I can't resist visiting the rock gardens my husband made


with my second cup of coffee in hand...


and a rock as my seat...


it's time to enjoy the flowers and scenery all around us


we planted a couple of "yesterday, today, and tomorrow" roses
yesterday they bloom in light pink
today the blooms turn white
tomorrow they will turn a deep pink as they slowly die
heh-they seem to relish going out with a "boom"

below, you see the rose in it's 3rd stage of "tomorrow"...
crowned by buds that will bloom their "yesterday" color of light pink...
as they unfurl their lovely petals


from the garden I can survey...
the hill beyond the creek in the back of the cottage...


the goats are slowly making their way up as they forage for the morning...
and the chickens peck their way around the yard for bugs and greens


more roses to look at


these are quite small...
but, quite pretty


when my coffee cup is empty...
I get to work...
and go down to the creek to ladle up some water for the herb garden


it's something I do enjoy and find no reason to hurry


the plants do like the creek water as there are plenty nutrients in it for them


of course, someone is always watching, it seems...
just curious, but not really interested

this cockerel is too comfortable to get off his perch...
on the plum tree at the moment


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

Quiet, but Not Always So Simple





I always wonder what people mean by the "simple life"

is life really simple?
lots of thoughts from various perspectives could be debated on this subject


in any case...
I can tell you that...
life on Pilgrim's Farm and Cottage is quiet for the most part...
but, not always simple

(our bean bushes are flowering)

while we live without some amenities of the modern world...
simply because we have no need of them...

(the tomatoes are coming along very nicely)

we do have to also live with nature and it's realities...
as well as it's beauties

(our newest puffballs)

sometimes, life can be less than simple when the difficult parts come along...
often as surprises

  (our milk goats down from the hill to have their treats for the morning)

but, we find it important to take the bad with the good
they both come from the Lord

(where our goats love to roam and romp)

we are grateful to the Lord for all the things He teaches us...
both through life and His Word in the Bible

(Darla, the doe, peeking through the trees up in the woods)

and truly...
He has blessed us with the ability to live life in quietness

*****

my herb garden is a bit slow in coming...
but, it is getting there
here are a few of the things that are now in my herb garden


I finally got the "big thyme" (Cuban oregano) and the aloe vera planted
they were both given to me by a friend...
and that made me happy as I needed some of those


the tumeric rhizomes I planted a couple of months ago...
are doing beautifully in the pot
I love how the sun shines through the pretty leaves

the Shado Beni in the small pot has bolted
I will plant the seeds that come from that one
I will tell more of this herb later


the "wild" mint tree is doing well since being planted into the ground
the breeze gently blows the bells along side of the mint...
and gives off a pretty tinkling sound now and then

somehow, that feels just right in the little garden


a couple of months ago...
I also planted two grapevines and have they taken off!

how nice it would be if in the future...
they produce a few clusters of grapes


and lastly...
after having forgotten about pot pie meals...
I made one and it turned out pretty good

it's been several years since I made one due to gluten free flours...
not making the best pastry for such things


I did manage to find some good gluten free flour mixes that worked well...
and here is how I made chicken pot pie

I cooked a home grown chicken and cut into bite size pieces


I diced potatoes, carrots, celery, onions and garlic...
and sauteed them until they were tender
I sprinkled a generous bit of powdered sage into the vegetables... 
then salted and peppered them


I melted 4 tablespoons of butter in a pot...
whisked 4 tablespoons of cornstarch into the butter...
added 1 cup of chicken stock into the cornstarch mixture


I added 1/2 cup of milk cream and 1/4 cup of adagio cheese...
whisking it all together as they were poured in


I added salt and pepper to taste


I made and rolled out the gluten free dough...
one to fit inside the casserole dish...
and one for the top crust
you can find gluten free (or regular flour) dough recipes on the web


honestly, I surprised myself
it turned out tastier than I thought it would


my time on the computer has run out


May your day or night bloom with the fragrance of Christ's grace.

It's Been That Busy (and rainy)



Snowflake had twins


a Jack and Jill set


as usual, the kids are too cute


and everything went all right...
we're so glad


well...
Darla dear, (on the left) decided it was time she thought about kids


and she had a little talk about it with Phillip, the ram


of course, Phillip was only too obliging...
and in the next five months...
Darla should show just how many kids she will give us


the mama hens have all been busy giving lessons about the bugs, dirt baths...
and sunbathing


and have now weaned their puffballs into pullets and cockerels


we have harvested a nice little bit of butternut squash


our sorrel is now ready to start harvesting


the okra has done quite nicely


and we are using both to feed ourselves


we still have the sweet corn coming along


our red cabbage is showing promises of more food in the kitchen


the eggplant has been flowering wonderfully


and I planted wingbeans in the corner of my herb garden


but the real news is...


while the creek is low now...
it was much too high to cross during the week long rains we had


and as scary as it was...
I had to cross that narrow beam on the half finished bridge

the beam at 12 inches wide and 20 feet high isn't so secure looking...
when the risen creek below has turned into a raging river below


with nothing to hold onto and nothing to grab should one slip...
it was a little intimidating...
but I got a helping hand from one of the bridge workers who guided me...
and got me across safely

by the time I took these photos...
the creek had gone down and calmed down considerably


after so much rain and water...
it was nice to see blue skies again


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