Thank you!


I really appreciated seeing your comments to my question on the last post
and even more...
I appreciate your following my posts
you, dear Readers are an encouragement to me


right now...
we have corn on the stalks


we have, so far, 3 gardens of them around the cottage


the grains growing at the tops of the corn stalks always give the promise...
of a corn harvest
they are actually the corn flowers that open up...


to let the nectar in the flowers bring those busy little honey bees


and no doubt...
that nectar makes good honey


it won't be too long before we are eating to our palates' delight


and did you know that chickens...
love to eat the fallen corn flowers from the top?


sometimes, I help them cheat just a little...
and snip off a couple of those flower stalks for them


and among some of the corn...
we have more watermelons growing than expected


I can already taste them
perhaps, when they are ready to pick...
I'll give you a recipe for using them besides just eating as is


our Jamaican sorrel has been growing by leaps and bounds


now, while the calyxes are wonderful as juice...
you can also eat the leaves
they have a lovely tangy flavor to them
are great in salads
and I often go outside and pick a few leaves to eat as they are
they are easy to grow and make a healthy addition to a food garden


my roses are blooming galore for me


and while my husband planted them just for me...
the Lord gave them the increase for our enjoyment...
and His glory


when my husband does the weed wacking mowing...
I get out my rake and scoop a few bucketfuls


this is something I relax and enjoy in...
taking my time while the dogs wander around me and watch


this grass is so soft and lovely...
even when it has dried...


that I use it to feather the hen boxes and throw under the roosting area...
which will compost in time...
and will be used for the garden and my potted herbs


my little hen, Penny...
has hatched 3 puffballs


she is such a fierce protector of her puffballs...
I have gotten quite a few marks from her on my hands
but, I do like to check on them...
after they have hatched to make sure they are fine...
so, I endure a few pecks that might bring a bit of blood  heh-heh
she will even chase anything quite a distance...
she considers a grave danger to her wee ones
my dogs make a wide berth when walking around her

that is fine with me...
it keeps the puffballs safe


and with that...

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

Planting and Husbandry


I must admit to you, dear Readers...
that I often have trouble giving you interesting posts to read


because we are often working at growing food...


that seems to be the bulk of our activities on the new homestead


we have been busy with sowing and planting...


and are excited to see results coming along quite nicely


my husband planted peas among the corn as well


and the watermelon patch is already putting out tiny melons...
our mouths are watering for these juicy fruits 


the gates for my herb garden are finally up...


and the naughty....


but, cute chickens are now limited to their own wide open spaces


the roses in the flower gardens are blooming in profusion


and my husband continues to give lots of attentive care...


to our livestock


making sure that Ms. Ruthie Moo Moo will be healthy at calving time


and giving the ram his dues...
and the does their bit of deserving attentions


I would like to ask of you, dear Readers...
what would interest you about our homesteading?
Is there anything I could post about for you?

May you day or night find grace in the Lord.

Torrential Rains...but ah! Sweet, Raw Milk

Last week, the Lord sent what could only be called...
a torrential rain


we woke up to inclement weather with the passing of a tropical wave

and we were so glad we had a few ditches dug around to catch the rain runoff...
or we may have seen much water creeping up to our door


being surrounded by mountains while we live in a valley...
practically makes it quite imperative to dig drainages that will keep...
the waters flooding down into our property from those high hills...

as you can see, the bucket really did fill up in seconds from the runoff


the spring creek is normally a gurgling peacefulness...


but, this particular rainfall came down hard and long...
causing a quiet creek to be impossible to cross


our goats stayed safely up on the hill above the swollen creek


and while the river is normally winding it's way through the forest...
with just a whisper of it's watery voice...


 it became a raging force that only a fool would try to cross


it became quite angry with a roar that we could hear as if it were at our doorstep


and it soon took a turn to the right as it overflowed


and because it started to creep it's way down the road...


my husband took up his shovel and dug a ditch to redirect the flow...
to head the river back to it's own rightful place along the forest course



and then, there is the peaceful anticipation of raw milk
our dog, Shadow, a raw milk lover knows...


that when my husband brings down, Darla, our milker from down the hill... 


there is the anticipation of delicious food to lap up


Darla is our new milker


and she has been a very sweet goat


we brought her home from a goat project that went defunct


and she has blended in quite nicely into our homestead

she seems to like it here
heh...
perhaps because she is treated very importantly


after all, she gives us liquid nutrition...


that is a real benefit to our diet


my husband soon discovered...
she does not need tying to the post to stand nice and quiet for milking


indeed, give me raw milk over gold anytime
I would rather eat well than be rich in monies


May your day or night find the richness of God's grace.