He's Okay Now

This is what Big Red, my main rooster looks like in good shape

he's a handsome rooster...

very gentle and while protective of his hens...

he is never aggressive towards humans

my kind of rooster

then, one day, he started to look like this

his feathers and tail became droopy

not interested in much and straying from the flock

his comb, wattle and face started to pale considerably...

till they were a pale grayish pink

even his eyes lost their luster and alertness

not good

his comb fell over to one side

I could not figure out what was wrong

whatever it was didn't seem to affect the other chickens

when the other roosters started to pick on him...

and he was taken to sitting down and hiding...

I knew I had to do something for him

I really didn't want to lose such a good tempered rooster...

so antibiotics in a broad spectrum was in order

something I do only in an urgent time

whatever he was down with...

the medication worked

I suspect it may have been an infection

in any case, after two weeks, he now looks like this again 

and he is doing this again

keeping watch over his hens for me

and yes, he now makes sure all know he is once again king of the flock

I was even quite elated to hear him crow once again in the wee hours of dawn

yeah, Big Red

I'm happy, too

For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared,

a great King over all the earth.

God reigns over the nations;

God sits on His holy throne.

Psalm 42:2,8

May your day or night find grace in the Most High King.

Pharoah's Dream

These are just some of the sweet things on our homestead....

seeing my chickens happily foraging for their food...

coming out and being greeted by kid goats...

who cautiously tip toe up to me...

because although they will come to me...

what this little doe is really prudently watching is my dog who stands behind me

and although the goat doesn't know it...

my Foxie really is good around the animals

she may be a rascal at times...

but it makes me happy she is nice with the livestock

we have a bit of sugarcane growing

that grassy part in the photo below is sugarcane

it's what we eat for candy

behind the sugarcane are a few coffee trees and they are bearing well this year

a couple of weeks ago, we harvested the cocoa and sold them...

keeping enough for us

they are now drying in the sun before I will store them and use them whenever needed

of course, being the lover of God's nature...

I cannot help but notice the pretties that flourish under the cocoa trees

and there on the other side of the gate and through the coconut palm leaves...

sits our little vegetable garden

when the chicken coop door is open...

I throw a little feed to the ground to get the chickens started on breakfast...

then, they make a dash to the compost area for the grubs and worms underneath

while they are scratching around for their meat supply...

I water my potted herbs of rosemary...

and newly potted anise hyssop, a favorite of mine for making tea

in the vegetable garden...

we have cabbage which are now starting to form into their spherical shapes...

cauliflower...

and this one is more than ready to pick

today, I will be making creamed cauliflower soup per my husband's request

we also have broccoli growing

this one looks like it will be flowering soon if not picked shortly

we have strawberry growing and hopefully will do well in the near future

once we are ready to move over to the new homestead...

I will take a few cuttings from the strawberry plants and transplant in my new garden

of course, what garden does not have tomatoes in it?

lo and behold, a pair of tiny finches decided to build a nest in one of the plants

there are now two wee bitty babies in this nest

but, this nest almost fell the other day and I had to prop it up with my shovel and pick handles

I think it will stay alright now

I check on it every now and then to make sure it stays strong

it will only take a few couple of weeks for those babies to fledge

and I still get my tomatoes harvested just fine

I made a tomato soup the other day which my husband really liked

I did, too

my rose bushes are now blooming and I get a whiff of their fragrance now and then

so nice

and because ornamental plants do add a prettiness to a homestead...

or any home...

we do grow a few of those near the front gate

the Lord has graciously sent us, on Pilgrim's Farm, a goodly garden of eats...

we are not in famine time here

which brings me to my post title, Pharoah's Dream...

do you know the story in Genesis 41 in the Bible of Pharoah's dream of feast and famine?

Joseph told Pharoah that sovereign God sent him the dream as it says in verse 28:

"This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharoah:

What God is about to do He sheweth unto Pharoah."

God sent Pharoah the dream to warn him of the 7 year plenty followed by a 7 year famine

both the feast and famine years were not of any doing except by God's decree

and this is known by verses 29 - 32:

"Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:

and there shall arise after them seven years of famine;

and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt;

and the famine shall consume the land;

and the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following;

for it shall be very grievous.

And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharoah twice;

it is because the thing is established by God, 

and God will shortly bring it to pass."

God sent Pharoah the two dreams that were actually one in order to make it known...

that the feast and famine times were of His decree

you can read more about it in the book of Genesis, chapter 41

so what is my point in telling this?

while we often see events and happenings in the world as men's choices in actions...

God says...

"I have seen all the works that are done under the sun:

and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

That which is crooked cannot be made straight:

and that which is wanting cannot be numbered."

Ecclesiastes 1:14,15

for...

"Consider the work of God:

for who can make that straight, which He hath made crooked?

In the day of prosperity be joyful,

but in the day of adversity consider:

God also hath set the one over against the other,

to the end that man should find nothing after him."

Ecclesiastes 7:13,14

whether in feast or famine, I can find comfort in the sovereignty of the Lord...

knowing that all His ways are perfect in all His doings

"And all inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing:

and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven,

and among the inhabitants of the earth:

and none can stay His hand,

or say unto Him,

what doest Thou?"

Daniel 4:35

May your day or night find solace in the comfort of the Lord's sovereign grace.

Sweet Friday

The bougainvillea running along our fence at the front gate...

gives me a sweet pleasure to look at when I walk along it

it stays blooming most times since it started to flower...

and there is nothing like having something blooming in the yard to brighten a day 

the crops down by the river are doing fine...

and we have been harvesting sweet corn which we enjoy in the evening times

we love to roast the corn on it's cob, and while my husband likes his just as it is...

I slather butter and sprinkle sea salt on mine

the corn growing in the garden behind the cottage is growing ears also...

and the honey bees have been busy collecting from the corn flowers

my anise hyssop seems to be struggling a bit...

but, I'm guessing it may be stressed from too much rain

since they are potted, I will be putting them in a drier spot and hand watering for now...

and giving them a little extra feeding to boost them a bit

when a plant is potted, it really does need a bit more attention

someday, I will be planting my anise hyssop into the ground in my future herb garden

but, the butterflies tell me they still find nectar in the blooms of the anise hyssop

the picture of butterflies feeding on the flowers delight me

 I cut back my rose bushes a month ago...

and already they are blooming with new roses

now that our sweet and creamy avocados are ready to take from the trees...

we have been dining quite well on them and adding them to our green salads from the garden

is there anything fresher tasting than that?

every so often, I enjoy a warm cup of vanilla milk sweetened with raw honey

very simple to make, it just takes a cup of milk, about a 1/4 tsp of vanilla...

and the amount of honey to satisfy one's own sweet taste

a nice break from regular tea or coffee to sit and enjoy a preening chicken at the door...

for reading by...

or just to enjoy the new day with

how thankful I am that...

His anger endureth but a moment;

in His favour is life:

weeping may endure for a night,

but joy cometh in the morning.

Psalm 30:5

May your day or night find joy in the Lord's gracious favour.