They're Growing...

This morning...

I needed that cup of coffee...

after the chickens were let out and given some morning rations...

and the dogs fed

coffee always comes after the more important things

these caterpillars (aka frangipani worms) have been busy making a meal of our two frangipani trees

we let them be

 many people panic when they see these caterpillars and will unnecessarily kill them...

thinking all their plants will die...

they do not harm the trees in spite of sometimes completely denuding the branches of their leaves...

the trees always come back strong as ever, with new leaves, every time

God feeds these caterpillars and He brings back the frangipani trees for the next generation

getting to about 9 or more inches long as they eat...

these are the big guys who turn into the Giant Gray Sphinx Moth

the frangipani has a toxic sap that helps these creatures defend themselves...

and our chickens know to stay clear of them

God does make them for a purpose, too...

and it does not bother us one bit, to see them devour the leaves

my husband was taking Farina and her little tag-along back out the gate after a milking...

when she decided the governor plum tree looked good enough to eat

she was indulged to have a few branches hanging too low

she thanked us with more milk later

the crops down by the river are growing quite well...

and on the way to check out their progress, I met a few of God's creatures

a tiny butterfly (although I believe it may be a moth type)

an inch long green grasshopper clinging to a blade of grass

and some of our honeybees

in the July 9th post, I showed how tiny the crops were...

in fact, one couldn't much see them in the photos

well, look now...

because pretty soon, we will be eating these up

the lettuce and tomato...

cucumber and sweet potato...

cabbage, broccoli, eggplant and cauliflower...

red beet and corn

if the Lord so blesses...

we will feast in thanksgiving for His bounty

the butterflies are still in force and doing a marvelous job of looking gorgeous as they pollinate

the sowing of seeds into the ground is a secret thing...

it is the work of God in a mysterious and wonderful way

so it is with the kingdom of God

He sends the workers out to sow...

and it is sovereign God who grows, increases and brings in the harvest...

of the souls He has saved from before the foundation of the earth

And he (Jesus) said,

So is the kingdom of God,

as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

and should sleep, and rise night and day,

and the seed should spring and grow up,

he knoweth not how.

For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself;

first the blade, then the ear,

after that the full corn in the ear.

But when the fruit is brought forth,

immediately he putteth in the sickle,

because the harvest is come.

Mark 4:26-29

and so it is that all glory, power and praise goes to God who does all these things by His own arm

May your day or night be sown in the grace of God.

Sometimes...

Sometimes...
I love to go down to the riverside...
sit cocooned among the tall trees and listen to the gurgling of the water...
among the rocks, while birds flit in and out among the trees...
and chirp their songs

but, not for long, because it can get a bit mesmerizing...

and then I linger too long while there are things to do

one of our bee hives took a beating from the wax moth...

so, we looked up the answer to see what solution we could use...

to keep those tiny winged pests away from the hives

I came upon Michael Bush's beekeeping website...

bushfarms.com/bees.htm

and went to his pests page on wax moths

he recommended using a 2 litre bottle with holes in the sides...

with a homemade solution of vinegar, syrup and banana peel

this is supposed to attract and trap the moths and we are hoping it works

we will not use chemical treatments for our bees and their hives

and speaking of pests...

well, this one may be a fly "admiring" my roses...

but, isn't he pretty...just look at those eyes!

and there he goes

my little garden girl has been watching over the Mexican Sunflower plants coming up...

which all grew by seeds wildly sown from the original plants

at least, I'm thinking that's what they are because nothing else was growing there

I did pick of few of the Jump-up-and-kiss flowers growing along the ground under them

and with some of the Duranta blooms...

put them into a tiny cobalt blue bottle to have something pretty to see...

while I strained some honey into the bottle

I do so like the way the honey dribbles into the long neck of the bottle...

as it streams down through the funnel

the sunlight coming in through the kitchen window gave the honey such a pretty golden color

how I do enjoy God's earthly gifts!

and yet, there is nothing sweeter than the Lord's heavenly blessings...

namely the description of the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus Christ...

I have not declined from Thy judgements:

for Thou didst teach me.

How sweet are Thy promises unto my mouth!

yea, more than honey unto my mouth.

By Thy precepts I have gotten understanding:

therefore I hate all the ways of falsehood.

Psalm 119:102-104

and though I can do nothing of myself,

it is when the Lord has taught me by His Holy Spirit,

and by the work of my Saviour,

that His grace is even sweeter than honey

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

Summertime...

We get two seasons here on this tropical island...
rainy and dry
so, I don't know that we could say it's "summertime" here during rainy season...
but, it's been feeling like it

in any case, the heat doesn't keep me inside when there are interesting things to see and do

this little finchie lady who hangs around the cottage with her mate...

took to sitting after Mr. Finch finished the nest on the corner of the cottage up in the ivy

and when I stepped by the beehives on my way to the garden...

the bees were trying to tell us something

my husband listened and gave them another super, adjusted their opening for more ventilation...

and the sweet bees are now a little calmer

often, with dogs and chickens close by my heels...

I like to wander down to the fruit trees to see what's good to snack on

and the rains bring in wild things like pretty flowers to stare at...

and admire

we are still getting plenty breadfruit on the tree...

and when I pick one, manage to get milky sap from the broken stem all over me...

but, well worth the stickiness

but, oh! these Ceylon mangoes are so good and their flavor tastes...

much like flowers mixed with honey

the citrus are coming along pretty fast and we are looking forward to adding them...

to our culinary menu

of course, there is always a little nest builder using the trees as home

buzzing by the breadfruit tree, I noticed that maribone wasps were swarming in a tizzy

not being sure as to why, it was better to step away and leave them to do their own thing

I did take a peek at the sugar apples on their tree at the bottom of the hill...

and soon, there will be some ready to pick

they will let me know, when the sections start to break loose from each other

when one is ready, I'll post on it to let you know what they are

the fruity booty for the day...

and Foxie just has to put her curious sniffer in to check it out

And the Lord Jesus Christ has promised His people:

I will also deliver you from all your filthiness,

and I will call for corn, and will increase it,

and lay no famine upon you.

For I will multiply the fruit of the trees,

and the increase of the field,

that ye shall bear no more the reproach of the famine among the heathen.

Then shall ye remember your own wicked ways,

and your deeds that were not good,

and shall judge yourselves worthy to have been destroyed for your iniquities,

and for your abominations.

Ezekiel 36:29-31

and He says:

I create the fruit of the lips, to be peace:

peace unto them that are far off,

and to them that are near, saith the Lord:

for I will heal him.

Isaiah 57:19

Amen, Jesus Christ the Saviour

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

Window Cleaning and Cocoa...

How do window cleaning and hot cocoa come together?

they meet on a rainy day!

we got the bottom part of a tropical storm that went through north of us the other day...

and it left us some hard rain in the night...

and some gentler rain through the day as the tail of the storm wagged it's way on

Pip and one of his hens came up to visit briefly in the morning

I let them visit through the screen

and when the rain started coming down again...

the hen had sense enough to seek shelter under the cottage...

and Pip forgot his senses and didn't make a big deal of the wet

during a rain pause...

I went down to the garden to pick some herbs for tea...

and saw this pretty little bug

the Lord has His artistic reasons for painting these tiny creatures as He does...

and it's beautiful

I don't know if this is a good bug for my garden or a bad one...

maybe I will look it up

it was the kind of evening that called for hot cocoa

my electric coffee grinder took a permanent holiday...

so, now I just use the hand grinder which works just fine for me...

and I ground enough roasted cocoa beans to make two large cups to relax with, after day's end

and the rains brought a chance to clean the windows on the inside...

where I take a damp cloth with a bucket of vinegar water and...

and wiped down each and every wooden slat

we have no glass in the windows; just screen and wood slats that close and open

these windows are our "air conditioners"...

and I love the way the cool breezes flow through the slats and keep the cottage comfortable 

Hearken, ye heavens, and I will speak:

and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.

My doctrine shall drop as rain,

and my speech shall still as the dew,

as the shower upon the herbs,

and as the great rain upon the grass.

For I will publish the name of the Lord:

give ye glory unto our God.

Perfect is the work of the mighty God:

for all his ways are judgment.

God is true, and without wickedness: 

just and righteous is he.

Deuteronomy 32:1-4

May your day or night find showers of blessings in the grace of Jesus Christ.

Sometime Earlier...

A few days ago...

I took a walk down the hill to the back land of the homestead to see...

the tilling and sowing being done on the farm

the corn is coming up

right up front in the photo below you can see it just a bit

we've got some greens and tomato plants moving right along

I know...they are a bit hard to see...

but, I was being distracted by the lovely green trees all around...

and didn't do a good job focusing the camera on the short crops

there is a pumpkin vine growing under the cocoa tree in the center of the photo

we'll have to keep watch to make sure it doesn't overrun other plants

not sure if it was deliberately sowed there or a volunteer...

but, we do hate to pull up promising food plants

it's been a busy week so far...

and so my time on the computer is quite limited for the moment

but, the butterflies and bees are still spending lots of time around the Duranta plant...

and they have given us a lovely show, so far

May your day or night find blessing in God's grace.