Journey Joys

Lazy Days of Summer

2011-07-28T17:28:00.009-05:00

The rain came in buckets, rumbles and fireworks. Two glorious, delicious, cool and sustaining inches of summer rain accompanied by wind. The cracks opened up to capture every drop. Ohhh, so grateful.

Today's Journey Joy - Abundant harvests, resting in the sun, buzz of the honey bee, tom turkeys, sweeeeet corn

Summer's Heat

2011-07-19T15:39:00.001-05:00

My pores open. Hot salty fluid emerges as my shirt and pants cling to my skin. Less than five minutes in this summer furnace and I am sweatin' like a horse. The thermometer reads 94 degrees but the weatherman says it feels like 105+. The sky is cloudless yet hazy. Long sought after rain is not forthcoming. Quenching, refreshing, and cooling. But always north and always passing. It's been longer than five weeks since any measurable precipitation. And I continue to pray. Please Lord, bring the rain. The land is parched.... crackled. The grass finally succumbing to the crunch of dehydration. Even the bees do not fly. They are overwhelmed with cooling the hive so their babies do not die.

First planting of sweet corn with ears long and ready to fill out, but they need rain.

Dry but protected from raccoons.

The sunflowers and zinnias somehow manage to smile. And I smile back. The giant sunflowers have yet to reach their heights but the small cut-able ones have just begun. I planted them along side the broccoli, peppers, and cucumbers. They are pretty and they calm my farmer concerns. Blooming inspite of an empty reservior. When will it rain?

For the most part many of the crops have been using the deep ground water filled from the persistent cold rains of this spring. At the time I found myself wishing for a close of the sky's water.... not anymore. One to two inches of rain for a couple of weeks would be life-sustaining for the pumpkins, melons, second and third plantings of sweet corn and the blueberries. I have been filling the "water buffalo" (A 250 gallon container Farmer Husband strapped to a wagon) but it is overwhelming. Hours after soaking the plants the ground returns to its leathery wrinkled appearance.

Wilting under the heat even after being watered.

Many crops are ready for harvest. I've taken garlic scapes, purple and yellow beans, monster-sized onions, blueberries, zucchini and yellow summer squash to the markets. More onions are ready, potatoes can be started, and the garlic bulbs can be dug and cured. But it is too hot....

Rocambole and music garlic ready for harvest

And life on the farm continues to bring surprises. Farmer Husband recently taught me to shoot a shot gun. My dad gave me this double-barrel shot gun - actually he gave it to our son, but he's a bit young. The gun was my grandfather's. But I had never used one before. A clever and sly fox was the motivation for learning. The fox has brazingly taken over a dozen of our free-range chickens - four of them our new chocolate colored laying hens. The first time I saw him I cornered him in the chicken yard and attempted to club him with a big stick (it was all I had). Scared him, but he was back in an hour for two more.

Strange, this protection drive. I never like killing animals. I don't hunt. Although I do enjoy fishing (when was the last time I did that???). So this emotion to protect my chickens struck me as odd and out of character. If anyone knows how to get rid of a fox without killing it let me know. The traps are too big for him as he stands about 20 inches at the shoulder.

Farmer Chris learning to shoot. (yes, I did put my hearing protection on). Struck the target well each time - Farmer Husband Gary said, "Glad you're on my side!"

Journey Joys - air conditioning, plants still green, chickens in a safe yard, the smell of ripening sweet corn.

Beauty is not tidy

2011-06-29T09:38:00.000-05:00

Long days ago I wrote about beauty. Fainting, wisping, fleeting. I long to touch it, experience it and be enveloped in it....

And as I go meticulously through the blueberries, seeking the deep sweet blue, I am struck with a thought. In the midst of the wild choking and creeping morning glory entangling my blue beauties, the thought slowly enters my mind. Beauty is not tidy. Beauty is not necessarily clean. Beauty is not found only in clean rows, bountiful harvests and sweet honey. Beauty is not skin deep. Beauty is a reflection of joy. Beauty is found in peace, contentment, and love. The pure white blooms of my dreaded weed do indeed reflect joy. They rejoice in fulfilling their mission. They are beautiful....

Today's Journey Joy - discovering joy among the weeds

Beauty

2011-06-22T17:33:00.000-05:00

When January 1st, 2011 rolled aorund, I, like many other well meaning and hopeful people, chose a special word for the year. A dream and desire that would encapsulate and embed the year. A word that would illustrate and focus the events and characters of our lives.

I knew "my word" right away.... I didn't have to think hard or struggle to discern the perfect one.

Beauty.

Beauty would be my word for 2011. Beauty would be my prayer, my desire, my hope, my journey. Beauty would typify my decisions, my thoughts and my actions. Beauty found in the home, the farm, the animals. In my vocation, in ministry, in music. Beauty in marriage; beauty in mothering. Beauty found in speech, beauty found in motion, beauty found within.

June is almost done. The longest daylight has passed.

And I am no closer to beauty than the north pole is to the south.

Today's Journey Joy - The quest is yet unfinished....

A bunch of Turkeys live here

2011-06-15T09:37:00.001-05:00

Benjamin Franklin once wrote to his daughter, "....For the truth, the Turkey is in comparison a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America . . . He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a bird of courage...."

I think I am enamored of the turkey. Bourbon Red Turkeys to be exact. A heritage breed. They are indeed quite silly, chirp or peep in loud musical tones, and have enormous eyes for their tiny little head.

In March we received our day old poults and 10 cuckoo maran chicks (chocolate colored egg layers).

Day old turkey poults and cuckoo maran chicks (they're the dark ones).

After a couple of weeks the poults and chicks were transferred to the garage since they had outgrown their cardboard box and frankly, were not the sweetest smelling creatures for our basement. Four weeks later the chicks were sent "to the big house", that is, the chicken coop to join 40+ black astrolorps, Rhode island reds, and americaunas. Unfortunately adult turkeys and chickens should not cohabitate and so we needed to build another coop - a turkey coop. The idea would be a shelter from adverse weather which would be enclosed by an electric netting for ranging. The coop need only serve to overwinter 4-5 turkeys each year. The rest would become meat for our (and our friend's) freezers. In the spring the birds would hopefully produce fertilized turkey eggs which we will incubate and start poults again. If all goes well we could have about 100 poults for the following year. Heritage Bourbon Red Turkeys are scrumptious.

At least that's the dream.

First the coop had to be made. But what to make it out of? Ah.... what do we have plenty of around the farm? Pallets. So begins the saga of creating a turkey coop out of old pallets, leftover metal siding and one inch cage wire.

Farmer Husband Gary fixing the base pallet

One inch cage wire and sides going up

Farmer Chris stapling cage wire to base

Sides up and Farmer Husband Gary figuring out roof rafters

Farmer Husband Gary screwing on the metal roof.

Ah.... forgot the green treated skids. Better late than never.

The door works!

Screwing on the metal siding. It's a little dirty but nothing that a little soap and water can't help.

Farmer Chris and the Gator moving the the coop to its final destination.

The electric netting was inserted with some additional metal T-post for strength & the turkeys were let out.
Not sure what to make of this green stuff underfoot.....

So this is what you were working on.....
"Thanks Farmer Chris and Farmer Husband Gary...it's perfect....gobble, gobble."

By mid October or early November the turkeys should be a good weight. Yet I already know that it will be difficult taking these guys and gals to the processors. They are so funny. They follow me around the yard and stop and listen to me when I speak. So adorable. Stay tuned for the adventures of the turkeys.....

Still going...

2011-06-08T18:27:00.000-05:00

93+ degrees today with impending storms tonight. Still weeding the blueberries..... But I have a new technique which I hope will help speed things up a bit. I weed around the the blueberry bush about 1-2 feet in all directions and then proceed to the next plant. Then after I've done about 15-20 plants I take the Stihl handheld sickle bar and mow the weeds between the plants. Seems to be working. Perhaps in a week to 10 days I'll be done. 150 plants done, 1050 to go.... Hmmmm... Three weeks until blueberry picking! Yum!

Update on Farming

2011-06-07T12:52:00.000-05:00

Green string, purple burgundyy, Italian romano, four different types of dry beans, red lettuce, radishes, kohlrabi, sweet corn, muskmelon, cucumbers, zinnias, four different kinds of potatoes and three varieties of onions, sunflowers, marigolds, summer and autumn squash, pumpkins (>2000 seeds with various sizes), broccoli, cauliflower, peppers of all kinds, 75 tomato plants of all sorts, and did I mention sweet corn (about an acre and a half)? Also transplanted black raspberries across the road. And weeding the blueberries.... seems like a never ending task.... discouraging. I had hoped the weeds would be fewer this year after we sprayed with a preemergent. Seems to have made no difference. So in 95+ degrees I'm out pulling weeds, determined to make a dent into the field. I won't be able to spray the grass killer until after harvest and that won't be for 6-7 weeks. So I must get ahead of the grass and weeds and take back the blueberries once again.

We have 17 red bourbon heritage turkeys this year and also 10 chocolate colored egg layers to add to our assortment of egg colors. The turkeys are still cooped up until I have the right fence. I put up an electric mesh fence but the holes were too big and they escaped (yes, we caught them). So I've ordered a smaller opening fence and hopefully I will be able to put that up this week.

Back to the field....

Where Have You Been?

2011-05-24T16:00:00.000-05:00

Ah.... sorry folks. I forgot how to say "no" for awhile and so have been overwhelmed with too much stuff to do.... forgetting that I am a human being and not a human doing. Forgive me. I endeavor to return shortly. Much has happened since the cold wintry days of February. The temps today are in the eighties with green grass stretching to the sky. The blueberries are almost finished blooming and the strawberries are "strawberry-itizing" after a long cold, damp spring....

Thank you for your graciousness.

Today's Journey Joy - heat and humidity! (super grin)

All cooped up

2011-02-05T16:55:00.000-06:00

"Let me out! Let me out!" (translation of "bruckkkkakkkaakka"). "We've been cooped up in this toasty warm chicken house for four days. Let me out!" they insist repeatedly. I try to rationalize with them. "Girls, we've had 18 inches of snow. Where do you think you'll go?"

"Bruckkkakkaaka!"

So I shovelled a path from their coop to the driveway so that they could stretch their legs, strut their stuff, and flap their wings. "Cockadoodledooooo!" PrettyBoy announces. I think that's "thank you" in rooster language.

Today's Journey Joy: Adventurous chickens

Tipping

2011-01-06T09:46:00.000-06:00

Beauty found in broken-ness.

Our picnic bench, which I wanted so badly three summers ago, lies alone. Decaying with neglect. Used only a handful of times. Two picnics. One marshmallow and hot dog roast. Watermelon spitting. The occasional snack. But mostly a horizontal space for young flowers, cat naps, and chicken roosts. Slowly fading in color and strength.

"Crunch." John Deere metal is stronger than the brittle dry wood. And quickly the leg falls. No longer horizontal it serves only as the occasional safe chicken resting spot.

But the autumn rush did not allow repair or removal. And so the snow builds. Climbing. Piling. Sloping. But beautiful.

2011-01-05T11:36:00.000-06:00

Snow reminds me of growth. "Growth?" you say. "How can anything grow in snow?" But it is true. The deep white heavy snow brings renewal. Yes, there is rest. And I'm happy for it. But growth occurs in wintertime.

Without rest roots do not push deeper. Without rest the fine feathers of bramble, blueberry and strawberry roots do not penetrate and absorb essential nutrients. Without rest many fruiting trees and flowers would not bloom. We all need rest. Rest to grow.

Snow. Purest white in nature. Cleansing. Renewing. Restful.

In my life I too must rest. Yet, "underneath" I am preparing, deepening, stretching, yearning... Spring will come when the embodiment of all that winter growth is released. So today I ponder. I dream. I drink up possibilities, nibble on potentials, and feast on Truth. It's a nourishing time. A restful time. A growing time.

Today's Journey Joy - growing in snow

Spring Dreams

2010-12-28T16:51:00.000-06:00

It is hard to imagine. Under the weight of heavy thick snow, grass mulch, and three inches of amended soil lies the seed of the rocambole garlic. They tried to sprout in the delayed winter weather of November but now they rest, stretching out their roots deep into the nutrients, gaining energy.

Next to them lies nine rows of strawberries. They too are buried under seven inches of snow and three to four inches of grass mulch. Only the rounded mounds and row markers give any hint that there is something there. Waiting. Anticipating. Yet growing, reaching, and increasing in vigor.

In the distance the pole bean fence stands abandoned. Frost and snow envelope it. Mounds of last minute horse manure lie scattered throughout the field. Even the stalks of the long gone sunflowers stand as if on guard.

It is this time of year when the brrrr-cold of winter buries all remnants of growth and I have finally caught up on rest.... the sun rises reluctantly, the skies remain gray, and the setting sun dips with long streaks of pink and orange. It has been awhile since I heard the hoot of the owl, the cry of the coyote, or the buzz of the bee.

Yet I know spring arrives in just a few short months.

So I plan for the next season, pick and chose seeds and plants, dream about where I might plant and harvest. Set up spread sheets and goals. Order from my favorite seed companies. I will be starting the tomatoes, peppers, and basil in mid February. Early? Perhaps not.

We may be getting a high tunnel hoop house courtesy of the USDA. If granted, I can start these plants under the warmth of the tunnel two months earlier. Wouldn't that be amazing? Stay tuned.

Until then.... I'll gaze back over the field thankful for its gifts. Both of plenty and of rest.

The End of the 2010 Market

2010-11-02T16:34:00.000-05:00

Heavy sigh. It is done. The steady collecting of beans, tomatoes, lettuce, and blackberries. The digging of French fingerling, Carola gold and Dark red potatoes. The picking and shelling of delicious yellow popcorn. The extracting of fall honey. The peeling, slicing, drying and grinding of stiff neck garlic powder. It is all completed now.

Early summer found me weeding and planting. But mostly picking scrumptious blueberries. Our first blueberry picking summer ended in about 500 pounds of blueberries. And believe it or not, not a one is found in my freezer. (That will change next year!)

I moved markets this year. I drove across the river (Mississippi) to the big farmers market. There are over 200 vendors there compared to about 15-20 (on a good day) at my previous market. It was a good decision. I met some wonderful folks. Clarence and Barb next to me on the right. Sarah who sold cut flowers in glass vases, Mike and Jayne across the aisle who sold creative jams and jellies, hosta plants and biscotti. The wine folks - Steve and Cindy. And a fellow beekeeper who also sells pickles - Phil. Great folks and now some great friends.

It's almost time to rest. Mowing, spreading of horse and chicken manure, and fence taking-downing. (I don't believe that is a word but it works.) One more final look at the bees and a last feed of old honey. The garlic has been planted (1000 cloves!) and tucked in under 6 inches of dried seedless, marsh grass. The strawberries need a couple more hard freezes and they too shall be tucked under some grass.

It's been a great summer. Soon I will share my lessons learned and hopes for next year.

Popcorn Ramblings

2010-08-17T18:47:00.000-05:00

This year the popcorn grows tall. The sugar pie pumpkins stretch to extend their boundaries. Burning orange as the days shorten. Unkempt apple trees laden with disfigured fruit but hungry for chicken appetizers hang low. The August tomatoes, usually slow growing and moisture barren, are this year bursting their skins.

And the UPS man comes delivering packages. School books. New red embroidered uniform tops and jackets. Sneakers, an extra size big, requested after shoe shopping this past week. Reading material for enjoyment... "chicken coops," "easy concrete," "easy to build birdhouses: a natural approach". Our UPS man has been busy. Hundreds of pounds of beehives and equipment. Honey bottles and buckets. "Local Honey Sold Here" sign.

And still it rains.

We could use a week or so of sunshine and dry weather. The potatoes need unearthing. The beans need harvesting. The plump and ripening blackberries need picking. And the bees need flowers.

But the popcorn grows tall. It's at least 7 feet with two long thin cobs at the 36 inch level. No sign of raccoon or deer dinners either. "That's the tallest popcorn I've ever seen," said a gentleman this past weekend. Perhaps the corn loved the former orchard nutrients. Or perhaps yellow popcorn just happens to be taller. I don't know. But the popcorn saga has been much more pleasant this summer. Two months 'til harvest.

"That's going to be a big harvest," the gentleman added. I tried to encourage him and others to volunteer for the great popcorn picking.... they could each take one row. Except that there are at least thirty rows and there were only six of them. "But it would make short work of it." I added. "Ha!" he laughed, "Indeed it would." But no offers were forthcoming. Perhaps if I made popcorn....

Today's Journey Joy - popcorn and our UPS man

Focusing

2010-08-09T14:47:00.001-05:00

"Do you think I'm being realistic?"

My Farmer Husband sits patiently gliding back-and-forth, back-and-forth, in his rocking chair. The soft whirl of the ceiling fan the only sound in the silence that follows my question. I've been talking quickly and fervently for the past five minutes. With barely a moment for a breath. I've outlined my thoughts about our new focus. I'm excited and hopeful.

He quietly shakes his head from the whirl of my litany, trying to focus himself. Lost in the presented information. "Uh, ... sure. That sounds great," he responds trying to sound supportive.

"Are you sure?" asking for more reassurance. For I was unsure. I was eliminating so many tasty vegetables from our farm market. But we had to focus. My ambitious vision surpassed my abilities to maintain. The weeds, particularly the grasses, destroyed 3/4 of the sweet corn, 100% of the dried beans, 100% of the melons and cucumbers, 3/4 of the onions and half of the leeks. The tomatoes almost succumbed but they have only been delayed. The big pumpkins are not vining like they should as well. Although much of their difficulty is the squash beetles this year. We have had strawberries, blueberries, a few black raspberries, potatoes, some sweet corn, some snap beans and a few onions and leeks. Without the potatoes doing so well I don't believe there would be much of a reason to go to the market these past few weeks. But if our melons, onions, cucumbers and the rest of the sweet corn had made it, well, then it would have simply been much better. The prolific growth of weeds this wet and hot summer has been great for the grass. But not so great for the vegetables.

And so I read the list to him again. He didn't ask for it. I'm not sure he actually heard me in the rapidity of my first report. But he is, and always has been, supportive of any farming decisions I have made. And really, I just needed to hear it for myself again.

"We will expand the fruiting plants. Eighty hundred more blueberries. Fifteen hundred summer red raspberries (three varieties that ripen over different periods of the summer). More strawberries to fill about 1/8 acre. Black raspberries. Blackberries. Fruit trees (sweet and sour cherries, pears, plums, peaches, nectarines and apples). Table grapes planted on the west fence."

He's listening again. Not so blurry-eyed this time. Taking it in and thinking. "Yes..."

"But it's the vegetables we will really change." I pause to state it again. Because taking out a bunch of different vegetables is difficult.

"Our major vegetable in the summer will be....." I pause looking at his face trying to determine his response. "Heirloom tomatoes."

"Amish paste, marglobe, marmande, JDT (the Campbell's soup tomato), Green Giant, Brandywine and German reds and yellow. We will start them in the hoop house in March so that we will have some ready to go by mid May. We will plant around 350 plants throughout the summer because many of the plants are determinate tomatoes that only produce for a couple of weeks and will need to be replanted. We would still plant potatoes (but fewer), peppers, garlic, onions, Mirai sweet corn, beans and pumpkins. But the rest.... someone else will have to plant."

"What do you think?" "Am I being realistic?" "Can we do this?"

"Sounds great. And if we are able to do these well we can always add more later or remove the more labor intensive things like potatoes if we run out of time or energy," he says encouragingly.

I sigh with relief. Always hopeful. Always looking for that perfect growing year. And always learning. But I think we can do this. Farmer Husband's Mulch-o-matic collecting system will help tremendously. We can place the grass mulch between the plants and till the rows. We may use some selective pre-emergents on some of the plants... especially the sweet corn. But for the most part the fruits and vegetables will be grown as naturally as possible. I'm encouraged about the future. I hope that this new focus will eliminate the tortuous work of finding vegetables through the grass. And that our efforts will be rewarded with beautiful, abundant, superb tasting produce.

"Ah, honey?" I ask. "One more thing..... we will have to grow more flowers. Zinnias, cone flowers, rubeckia, and marigolds. We need more color around here...."

He smiles.

Today's Journey Joy - Focusing

Visitors

2010-08-05T10:31:00.003-05:00

We had visitors yesterday. Farmer Husband Gary met the wife at the farmers market on Saturday. She was interested in farm fresh eggs. Since the market he goes to does not allow us to bring our eggs there we suggest to interested persons that they come visit the farm and purchase direct. They get to save 50 cents a dozen as well. Farmer Husband gave her one of my "Farmer Chris" business cards as she left.

She called me late morning. "Do you have some eggs?" "Yes," I replied, thinking she wanted maybe a couple of dozen. "Do you have...say, ten dozen?" "Ah.... I don't think so, but I'll let you know by the end of the day and you can have what the girls give us."

With the help of a very good friend who also free ranges her chickens, I was able to get a total of eight dozen. Apparently this new family goes through a dozen eggs a day. They have four young children (six years and under) who like pancakes and eggs for breakfast every morning. "Great!" I thought. Now I should have no trouble getting my eggs sold come this fall when I am not at the markets anymore. But ten dozen a week?! That's 120 eggs. And I only have about 25 girls laying right now. And they are sporadic due to the excessive temperatures lately. And "Tom," my other regular, usually wants about six dozen every ten days. Good thing that the new ones should be laying in about a month and the 25 baby partridge rocks should easily be laying well by spring. We may have a slight difficulty meeting demand in the meantime though.

But I wander.

The visitors came as a family. They all wanted to see the farm and the chickens. I guess I was unprepared for such scrutiny. Usually my egg buyers (or any buyers for that matter), simply drive up, get their stuff, chat a bit and leave. They don't want a tour.

But these guys did.

I discovered that they were a young family who recently moved back to the area. They try to eat only organically grown fruit and vegetables and free range chicken eggs. They sweeten everything with honey. In fact, they purchase their honey by the 30 pounds. (That's a lot of honey!).

As we were showing them the fields and our progress I found myself getting anxious. Weeds everywhere. Disarray. Branches down in various piles. Equipment here and there. Hoses stretched in coils on the sidewalk. Kittens jumping. Chickens (and their droppings) cruising about. Crops lost in grasses waist high. Flowers barely able to bloom between the horse weed. Not my idea of a beautiful farm.

I was embarrassed to show the farm. We've been working so hard at farming organically / naturally. But on this scale, with only a couple of hands, that beatific vision I have of the farm is unrealistic. And looking at the place through "new visitor eyes" made me aware of the chaos surrounding me both inside the home and outside on the farm. Change is due.

We have made plans to focus. For which I will have to wait until tomorrow or so to describe. But I am excited about the possibilities.

Today's Journey Joy - visitors

Life's sunsets

2010-08-03T11:14:00.000-05:00

"Mommy?" my little girl who happens to have Down syndrome inquires. "Mommy?.... Mommy?" I'm distracted and dizzily busy. I don't hear her. But she implores emphatically. "Mommy!?"

The frequency and fervor of her voice finally catches my attention. I stop what I am doing. Turn. Look at her. Her face has furled eyebrows and a serious expression. Unusual for my typically content and happy girl. She is concerned about something. She stammers in her special way, trying to say just the right words, but not knowing how to express her query.

"Mommy?" she inquires again.

"Yes, my dear." I can see she is relieved that she has my attention. That perhaps her puzzlement will be answered.

Her face curls and her emotional voice stutters just a little. "Mommy, when you are a thousand years old who will make supper?"

"Oh."

I grin just a little. Mostly inside. She is serious. And it is upsetting her. How do I explain to her that I will not be one thousand years old? That by the time she is my age I will most likely not be living in this body? That one day I will be gone and she will still be. And furthermore, that one day, she too, will die. How does one describe this to a child? Any child. Her understanding is literal and concrete. Try explaining redemption, death, and heaven without using abstracts. I don't completely understand it all. How to explain it to her?

"Don't you fret my dear. Before I reach one thousand I will teach you to make your own supper." Her eyes brighten and then her follow-up question is asked.

"Can we make macaroni and cheese?"

"Sure we can," I say with reassurance. Happy that the idea that I won't be here to take care of my vulnerable daughter is becoming less acute. Push the thought down.... down deep. If I don't think about it perhaps it won't happen.

"But we don't have any in the cupboard Mommy," she interrupts my thoughts.

"Oh, I will teach you to go to the store and buy things as well. You will have your supper."

She sighs and smiles that smile of innocent glee and seems comforted. "Great!" she exclaims and returns to her thoughts and game.

But my thoughts linger. In life there are sunrises. Full of hope and promise. The sun lingers and nourishes as the circle unwinds. But then it always ends with a sunset. Some more beautiful than others. Some very uneventful. And I ponder awhile. "I hope my sunset is beautiful.... I hope and pray that her memory is filled with bright lights and warm love. I hope the colors at the end of my journey are deep and long." And I remember that sunsets are often due to dust or fragments of particles in the air which are reflected as the beams of setting light strike them at an angle.

The dust is a result of the happenings of the day.

What kind of dust am I raising today? Will it reflect the Light? I am uncertain. The busyness that I approach and attack the day with is often filled not with beautiful sunset makers but monotonous day breakers. Ending in exhaustion not knowing where I've been. Spinning in routines and deadlines. Responding to the daily tyranny of the urgent.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33).

Sunset makers are a result of doing and being the person one was created to be. Today, I hope to keep on the forefront of my heart and mind that in order to end beautifully one must live beautifully. Sunsets are the result of the day's doings.

"Mommy?" she implores again. Another question has crossed her mind.

"Will there be "pa-sketti" in heaven?" And as I smile ever so slightly and pause in my response she adds, "Who will make supper in heaven?" "Where will my room be?" What will our house look like?"

I grin outright. "Oh my dear one, you will live in a house that is beautiful.... And yes, there will probably be "pa-sketti" there too. I bet it will be the best you've ever tasted."

She giggles and grins. And returns to her game. Oh, the thoughts of a child.

Today's Journey Joy - life lived fully

Ouch!

2010-07-28T08:27:00.002-05:00

A few days back Farmer Husband and I took the honey supers off the beehives. We got 70 frames of beautiful, sweet, delicious golden honey from the hives. (About 240 pounds of honey!) I'm still draining the wax cappings for our honey enjoyment but everything else in the extracting process has been completed.

Well.... almost. An unexpected healing process has become necessary.

Yesterday afternoon, after I returned from some errands and responsibilities (and a fun lunch with a good friend!), I placed the now empty, but sticky and wet with honey supers on the Gator to return them to the bees for clean up. The bees usually quickly fix the hexagonal wax compartments that were damaged in the extracting process, move the honey that was still on the frames, and then begin to collect more nectar for refilling. Typically, the bees are mostly friendly and gentle (like the picture above). Usually, putting the supers back on a hive is a relatively uneventful process. One doesn't even need smoke. You simply crack the top open, remove the telescoping cover and place the wet super on top. Replace the cover making sure that the top entrance block is still in place and move on to the next. Simple.

But yesterday it was quite warm (86 degrees). But worse than the heat was the very sticky, oppressive humidity. Perspiration was dripping down my back, my tummy, my nose... I s'pose I didn't smell too nice. And perhaps the bees remembered that I (with the help of Farmer Husband) had just stolen all their early summer's work. I'm not certain. But what I am certain of was that one particular hive was most unwelcoming.

It was our biggest hive in the spring. We split it three times. But it was still big. It produced almost a third of the honey that we extracted. And we only had one super to put on top when we took their honey. So imagine sixty thousand relatives in a big house. All of a sudden the house becomes smaller. The cupboards are bare. The temperatures go up. The humidity makes collecting food stores unpleasant. And it's time for the house bees to make orientation flights around the hive. Introduce a wet, smelly intruder who looks an awfully lot like the robber from two days ago. What would you do?

Yes... and they did.

As soon as I cracked open the hive the buzzing frequency changed. That should have warned me. And actually it did but I thought, "I'll just quickly put the super on and move to the next one. They'll settle down as soon as they get more room and honey."

That's not quite what happened. Recall that I didn't bring the smoker. Usually the smoker masks the alarm pheromone that a bee would make. That way, if a bee shouts "Intruder!" no one really knows or cares. One alarmed bee is nothing. Hundreds of alarmed bees is another thing...

They pelted my suit. Bounced off my bee net. Curled up in a tight balls trying to get their stinger into some flesh. Four of them penetrated my suit at the left knee. The burning sensation of a bee sting is most unpleasant. And it keeps going until you get the stinger(s) out. So I needed to retreat. Time to go get the smoker.

After walking three hundred yards away from this most unpleasant hive I discovered that I had at least forty stingers in my gloves, arms, legs and chest suit. They were serious. This intruder was not going to get access to the hive. Thankfully, only the four had penetrated the suit.

I got the stingers out without difficulty. Redonned the bee suit and lit the smoker with some coals from the outdoor wood burning furnace. I didn't want to go back to the hive. I was a bit scared. I'm not used to bees purposefully defending their hive against me. They are usually gentle. But I had to go back. The lid was opened. The empty super was on the ground next to them. And I needed to button the hive up. So off I went.

I smoked all the stingers in my suit and gloves trying to mask the alarm pheromone. I smoked the hive until it almost looked like a fire. They were still upset but not as bad. And I was able to relatively quickly get the hive placed back together. I had only one hive to go. They too were a little unfriendly but the smoker helped and I was quick to return to the house. I peeled off the wet sweaty bee suit, drank about a half gallon of water and placed some 2.5% hydrocortisone that my Farmer Husband uses for poison ivy on my left knee. Today, the knee is still a little red and puffy but will be just fine. And the bees? We're leaving them alone for awhile.

Lesson learned? When dealing with bees in hot humid temperatures who have just lost their dinner and part of their home.... use smoke.

Today's Journey Joy - protective bee suits!

Wildflowers

2010-07-27T07:54:00.000-05:00

In the busy-ness of summer it is refreshing to ponder. To peer into the delicate lacework of so-called weeds. The tiny white blooms of the wild carrot. They decorate our unmowed fields in a carpet. Without planting, without tending, without fertilizing, these beauties aspire to greatness. And they achieve it. Buzzing with various insects. Highlighting other more colorful blooms. A backdrop to the reds, blues, oranges, violet, and summer yellows.

Growing where much does not flourish. Chicory opens when the beams of golden sunshine warm their petals. Rain and dark skies keep these jewels hidden. Yet, they too, speckle our farm with beauty. Another so-called weed bringing color and beauty to the fields.

Wildflowers. Blooming where they are. Content and flourishing in their environment.

Do they say, "I wish I had that great soil over here"? "When I have more room (perhaps referring to time) I will bloom in plenty"?

But I often do. Hesitating to bloom. Struggling against the other weeds instead of thriving where I am. Forgetting that contentment is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.

In my wildness of a day, filled with competing priorities and tasks, may I continue to bloom in whatever color and size my Creator designed me to be.

Today's Journey Joy - Wild blooms

Sweeter than honeycomb

2010-07-26T08:45:00.002-05:00

It's late July. The bees have multiplied, increased, and become very productive. They were split many times this spring to prevent them from swarming. Swarming takes about half the bees from the hive as they try to find and establish a new home. It's natural. To leave the hive. Go out into the big world. It's how bees multiply hives. Start afresh. Unfortunately, swarms tend to be high in a tree. And their timing is usually inconvenient. Hot, humid, high in a tree.....The idea of half of a hive flying away is just so..... sad. My wonderful husband usually has to don the beekeeping suit, get raised in the loader bucket, and recapture them. (I do the tractor loader raising.)

But this year we only had to do swarm retrieval once, very early in the season, as opposed to last year which felt like at least twenty times. We made several smaller hives through the splits and apparently squelched the swarming instinct in our hives. So much nicer.

The hives were given lots of room to grow. I also did not use queen excluders this year. I was afraid that we would get lots of baby bees (brood) in the honey supers. And in fact we did get a few. But the excluder in the past seemed to keep the bees away or out of the honey supers (where they store their honey). But by eliminating the excluders, giving the bees both a top and bottom entrance to enter their hives, and having lots of room... well, we didn't get any summer swarms. And we got lots of honey. In fact, this is our second harvest of the season. And we should get a third in September. That's definitely worth rejoicing.

Yesterday, around three in the afternoon, my wonderful farmer's husband and I harvested the honey supers from our hives. Some of the hives were still too small to make extra honey. Thankfully, they have time to grow strong before winter. But the big hives had plenty of full honey supers. I used some Fisher's Bee Quick ( an almond smelling liquid that apparently the bees do not like) on a fume board to push the bees into the hive and out of the honey supers. Then, if there were any stragglers in the super, Farmer Husband would gently blow them out of the super with a leaf blower.

We brought the honey filled supers to the house via the Gator and placed them in the basement where our honey extracting is set up. It was dinner time when we finished bringing the honey downstairs. So we started the dehumidifier, put a lid on the stacked supers, and ate tacos. Today, I hope to extract the honey. Until then, our house smells like golden sweet honey. Very pleasant.

It's hard to imagine anything sweeter than honey in the honeycomb....

"Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." (Proverbs 16:24).

Honey is nutritious, sweet, and healthful. Are my words? Unfortunately, my words can be more like the bee than the honey. Buzzing, busy, and biting (well, stinging....). Ouch.

O, may my language, my choice of words and my tone be like honey today. Sweet, sticky, warm and helpful. Not only will this be good for those I speak with today.... but sweet to my soul as well.

Honey. Life sustaining. Sweet and appealing. Good for my soul.

Today's Journey Joy - Fresh warm honey and gracious words

Metamorphosis

2010-07-22T08:23:00.000-05:00

Anticipation and longing fills my heart today. To be changed. From every fiber and bone in my body. To be made fresh. To fly. To flit. To display the beauty meant to be.

I am but a caterpillar. A soft, sometimes colorful worm-like creature. Content on eating and being. Enjoying the environment. Going through life with fellow caterpillars. Creeping and crawling from one adventure to another. The freedom of flight is a hazy idea. A longing. But seemingly impossible.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

As a believer in Christ the chains to being forever a caterpillar are broken. A metamorphosis has occurred. And the hope and promise of forever flight is available. In reality, I am a beautiful, thankful, life-embracing swallowtail. A golden butterfly changed from the worm-like creature I once was.

And still I forget sometimes. I see myself through old eyes. The inner-mirror reflects the green, white and yellow stripes of my crawling self. I return to the life of familiar crawling because it is known and comfortable. Creeping through the summer days from leaf to leaf. Forgetful of my wings of freedom.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free...." (Galatians 5:1a).

Remember your delicate, wonderful wings my fellow believers. See the beauty in the carpet of wild flowers. Embrace the wind. Wrap your longing arms around those who flit around with you. Give grace and love to the caterpillars who yet need to morph.

And fly today.

Today's Journey Joy - New life

Brrruck-a-cluck-er

2010-07-21T07:51:00.000-05:00

We started our chicken raising three summers ago. Fifty straight run Buff Orpingtons under heat lamps in the basement. They lived in the basement for...oh too long. When they started hopping up the stairs into the kitchen they were unceremoniously extricated to the almost finished chicken house. The twenty five or so roosters were taken to the poultry processors in the fall leaving only one rooster. But he was a mean-ol-rooster and so he was replaced with a new rooster. Last year we received about twenty various colors of baby chicks. And this year we received some more. They were hatched in the third grade classroom. But since only about half were hens we decided to increase our flock with more baby chicks. We ordered twenty five Partridge Rocks. They are currently in the garage (thankfully not the basement) getting bigger. In a few weeks they will join the others in the "big house". Our original hens will go to the processor this fall. They will be a little tough being that they are almost three years old, but they will be good for stew and soups.

I will admit that I am a little torn about taking them. Probably too sentimental. But they were our first hens. And they have done a great job at producing beautiful brown eggs. I've been selling them at the farmer's market and to neighbors. There's nothing like a free-range chicken laying lovely brown eggs. The yolks are almost orange and the flavor is exceptional.

Today I'm thankful for our hens... all of them.... in their various colors, shapes, ages, sounds and sizes. We now have spotted eggs, dark and light brown eggs and about three green eggs every day. A rainbow of colors. So beautiful. Hopefully, our new chickens will add even more color to our egg basket.

Today's Journey Joy - Hens

July's Garden Adventures

2010-07-19T08:23:00.001-05:00

Sugar Baby Pumpkins for pumpkin pie making.

It's garlic powder makin' time.

Rocambole "Music" Garlic.

Pumpkin Blooms

The sweet corn ripening in the field drifts an aroma of delight and anticipation. It fills my olfactory sense with delight and reminds me of summer's past. Childhood festivals. Family reunions. Bubbling water on the stove. Butter oozing through the stack of hot corn. Stripping husks and peeling silk. Salt... just enough. Faces full of corn pieces and buttery fingers and cheeks. Finger licking and full tummies.

The cherry and grape tomatoes remain hard and green. But promise of yellow, golden and red delights are in the future. Picking jewels of sweetness from the vines. Almost as good as berries.

Blackberries ripening. Juicy, sweet and yummy.

And yellow string beans. Lost in the weeds and yet bearing beautifully. Exceptionally colorful.

Today's Journey Joy - July's harvest

A Day of Reflection

2010-07-14T10:58:00.000-05:00

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:29-30).

The day is full before I even begin. Laundry washing and pegging on the line. Chicken feeding. Japanese beetle trap emptying. Animal watering. Baby partridge rocks. Broccoli snipping. Bean picking. Onion pulling. Summer squash amongst the weeds. Washing dishes. Washing produce. Loading the vehicle for the market. Ice making. A shower please. Ninety degree temps with high humidity. Library run. Five hour farmers market. Return home. Unpack vehicle. Prepare for tomorrow's interview and presentation. Supper. Shower again please...

But those are only activities. Stuff to do. Not a person to be. Today I chose to focus not on the many things filling the day but the wonder and joy of remembering the past and experiencing the present.

Green grass, leaves, plants. Plenty of rain. Good earth. Fruiting raspberries. Purple beans. Dark red norland new potatoes. Sterling white onions. Free range chickens. Mr. Two-Toes and Mr. Bard Rock (MBR for short). Ten fluffy kittens. Half a million happy nectar-collecting bees. A home with air conditioning. A family of love. A creative and enterprising son. A fun-loving, present-living daughter. A wise, hard working, supportive and loving husband. Friends who know when to tell me to take a break. A teaching job at a local university. Opportunities for tenure. Pursuit of doctorate education. Learning. Growing. Hawks soaring just for the fun of it. Horse weed nine feet tall. Lawn mowers and tractors. Clothes flapping on the line. Rest. New friends at the market. Freedom. New life. New joy.

"There is a joy in the journey. There is a light we can love on the way. There is a wonder and wildness to life. And freedom for all who obey." (Michael Card).

Today's Journey Joy - wonder and wildness of the yoke of Christ

To Break The Cycle

2010-07-13T08:03:00.000-05:00

I'm still impressed. Twigs planted in the dampness of spring. Rains and sun nourishing throughout the summer. Leaves bursting forth verdant green. Transforming to brilliant fire engine red in autumn. And finally returning to twig form in the crispness of winter. To start the amazing cycle again. This time heavy with fruit.

But now the young blueberries are beneath grass and perennial weeds. Japanese beetles attack. And I have only so much time and energy. I cannot keep up. What will happen to our wonderful blueberry field? It can not be good for them. To be so choked and suppressed. They have completed their fruit bearing but they need to keep growing for next year.

That's why we have decided to take back the field... with synthetics. (That's a nice way of saying "chemicals"). I feel as though I failed. My dreams are larger than my time and energy. Certainly not larger than my effort, for I put hours and hours in the humid hot heat of our Midwest summer sun. Bent over with hoe in hand and weeds ripping from soil left in a heap to be mowed into mulch. But the grass is close to seeding.... to repeat their annual seeding. And the field is large. Those weeds which are too tall or old to succumb to the chemical will be yanked and destroyed manually.

We will return to natural practices as soon as the cycle is broken.

Journey Joys - It's hard to express the "journey joy" today. I am thankful that there are chemicals that can help. And yet I am torn between my strong desire to grow naturally without chemicals and my strong desire to have a healthy productive field. My husband and I have always said that we would follow organic farming as long as we could. But if the crop was in danger of failing we would use chemicals. We are at that point. And yet I still feel.... discouraged.

The Nemesis of Gardening

2010-07-12T07:40:00.000-05:00

I love tilling the earth, mowing the grass, picking flowers and collecting fresh fruits and vegetables. I enjoy sharing the fruits of our labors with those at the Farmers Market. I like to think that they appreciate the hard work and time and energy that goes into each product that they purchase.

But gardening is a constant struggle. My two worst insect pests are Japanese beetles and squash beetles. Followed by cucumber beetles and cabbage moths.

We try to collect the beetles. We collect hundreds and maybe thousands of these nasty destructive beetles. I dip them in cold water for a few minutes and then give them to the chickens to gobble. But they continue to reproduce and damage the crops. They seem to particularly like blueberry and raspberry plants and my cherry trees. So the "big guns" need to come out. That is, Neem oil. It is an organic and OMRI approved insecticide and fungicide that doesn't really kill the little buggers but makes it so the leaves are not very tasty. That helps protect the blueberries.

But spraying 1200 blueberry plants takes an amazingly long time. And a lot of Neem oil. It took 16 gallons of the stuff to spray the whole field. And it was hot and heavy work. The backpack sprayer holds four gallons. But between the backpack and the water / Neem oil it felt like the whole contraption weighed fifty pounds. My shoulders were not prepared for such heavy work.

The Neem oil also works relatively well on the squash. Not as good on the broccoli because of the oil. The leaves of broccoli do not seem to respond to the insecticide like the squash and blueberry plants do. So I use Bt on them. It too is an organically approved insecticide. But it kills larvae not adults.

But pesty insects are not the only thing a gardener has to deal with. As you could see from the pictures above.... weeds. I seem to spend most of my time and energy on pulling or preventing weeds. But this should be reduced now.

My wonderful and creative husband made a contraption that collects the grass while one is mowing. He mows the grass and it is sucked up through the vacuum and blown into this really neat collecting area that he built specifically for this. The top and 1/4 of the sides are made out of hardware cloth so air can flow.

On its first voyage my husband filled the trailer to capacity. (Forgive the sun spots on the photo please). It's neat seeing the different layers and types of grass he's collected. After he dumps it out (it's a dump trailer as well) I fork it up and spread it no thicker than 2 inches on the just weeded plants. I can't put more on at this point because the grass is green and will mold. But even at two inches the sun is blocked and the weeds cannot grow. After a few days I'll go ahead and put another 2 inches on. That will definitely keep the weeds down. But I have a lot of weeding to do to catch up.

Next year we should be able to keep on top of the weeds now that we have this suck-u-phrazt attached to the mower. I'm very excited about the possibilities. Perhaps I'll have some time to actually work on my flower garden.

Today's Journey Joy - A Very Creative Husband

Learning to Love Bees

2010-07-08T07:58:00.003-05:00

I have to admit that when we decided to have bee hives on our farm I was quite apprehensive. The idea of purposefully keeping stinging insects... well that just seemed a little crazy. I don't like getting stung. The area swells great big and my tummy feels nauseous.

But I have come to appreciate these hard workers. They gather pollen and nectar for their family (even if it is a very large one). They clean house. They babysit. They guard. They keep the hive warm in the winter and cool in the summer. They are usually not aggressive towards others. You mind your own business and they will mind theirs.

This year we started with eight hives that survived the winter. We had the usual ten to twenty percent hive loss. One simply died because it ran out of honey stores. Another hive was just empty. So as the spring temperatures warmed we split the bigger hives. Some of them two or three times. So now we have 15 hives (along with a swarm I collected and brought to a friend's farm). And as a result we have not been swinging in the trees chasing swarms. We added many supers above the deeps and gave them a top and bottom entrance. I am hoping that we did good work suppressing swarm activity and that it wasn't just a good year for "non-swarming". But regardless, it has been a good year in the apiary.

I've been stung twice this year. At the same time. It was my own fault. The bees innocently climbed up my pant leg and when they couldn't get out they resorted to stinging. Ouch! But now I tuck my pant legs in my socks preventing that curious bee from investigating. Last year I didn't get a single sting. Well, not quite. While I was weeding the green beans a teeny little native black bee was probably getting the salt off my back and when I stood up got trapped and stung me right on my gluteus! Another ouch. A pretty funny episode I'm sure. Here's this lady weeding in a T-shirt and pants hitting her bottom and jumping all around. Needless to say I now tuck my T-shirt in as well.

So I'm learning to love bees.... at least honey bees and big rumbly bumbles. I'm still not too fond of wasps and hornets. But the others provide such great pollination and honey that I've developed a working and loving (?) relationship with them. Perhaps it is a little nuts. But it sure is amazing. Now, when I see a honey bee flitting from flower to flower I stop and talk to her. "Are you finding some good nectar my little one?"

Perhaps I've spent too much time in the sun.... ☺

Today's Journey Joy - learning to love stinging insects

Weeds and the "One Thing"

2010-07-07T08:12:00.001-05:00

Even weeds are beautiful. They grow and bloom and reproduce. They add nitrogen to the soil and keep the hard clay loose. They prevent erosion. They provide pollen and nectar. Food for the bees. Food for the birds.

But I don't look at weeds as beautiful most days. In the process of growing strong they also choke the tiny plants I have so lovingly pressed into the soil. The small seedlings sprout first but become quickly overwhelmed by the weedy biosphere in which they have been sown. To pull the weeds often ends up pulling the small vegetables. So I let them grow together... for awhile. When the plants are strong enough to survive a disruption to their fragile roots, I pull and tug those weeds. Yank them out with a ripping sound as the soil vibrates with their removal. The path between the rows becomes covered in weed roots and tops. But the vegetables survive. Able to breathe and feed without competition.

I've been growing slowly amongst weeds these past days. Overwhelmed with competing desires and needs. A dirty home, piles of laundry, a chicken coop that needs cleaning and painting, weeding, mowing, building, feeding, sleeping, selling. Imagining. Picturing a world of completeness and beauty. But working... working...working...

"And a woman named Martha welcomed him (Jesus) into her house. And she had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lord's feet and listening to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary...." (Luke 10:38-42).

When will I learn this? To listen, absorb, embrace the Lord. Only that one thing is necessary. To be molded, transformed, filled with the character of Christ. That is the one thing. If I have accomplished numerous tasks throughout the day but have not listened, learned, and loved at the feet of Him who brings purpose and meaning to life, I am only distracted among the weeds.

Martin Luther once said, "Tomorrow I plan to work, work, from early until late. In fact I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer."

The one thing. May you and I do the one thing, the necessary, today.

Today's Journey Joy - priorities among the weeds

Spring Blossom Honey

2010-07-06T08:00:00.001-05:00

To extract honey several sticky steps are needed. One first must get the honey frames off the hives. Sometimes the bees don't seem to mind. At other times they are very determined to keep the beekeeper (honey-taker?) out of the hive. Spring time is usually an easy time. The bees are happily flying from blooming flower to blooming flower and returning pollen and nectar to the hive. Most of the 30-60,000 bees in a hive are out working. Usually only a few guard bees are present plus a hivefull of new baby bees.

After the honey frames are taken into the house it is time for extracting. This spring, as soon as the frames were off the hives, we started uncapping the honey frames. When bees have completed the amazing process of turning nectar into honey they seal the hexagonal storage unit with wax. (A process that my mom copied when canning jelly and jams with paraffin wax.) So before we can put the frames into the extractor the seal must be removed. We use an uncapping knife. It's basically a stainless steel knife that is electrically heated to smoothly and easily melt through the wax, cutting off the seal and revealing the sticky, warm and amazingly wonderful smelling honey.

The honey oozes out of the cells. This year's spring honey was a light to medium color with a slightly fruity, light and delicious flavor.

The wax is discarded into the uncapping tank to drip and collect the honey that was in the wax. But the now glossy honey frame is ready for the spinning of the extractor. Yum.

The honey supers are then returned to the hives. Usually the bees are quite happy to get their wet sticky honey frames back. They quickly clean them, repair the wax that was damaged, and begin to refill the frames.

This weekend we hope to get our second harvest from the hives. The clover has been blooming well. The wonderful smell of honey is drifting from the hives as we drive by. It will be good to get a midsummer harvest of honey.

Today's Journey Joy - warm honey

Fish in the sky?

2010-07-01T07:55:00.001-05:00

This spring and early summer have been filled with gray skies, rainy days,thunder, lightening and wind. Our gardens are filled with grass and weeds. The tiller cannot get into the field. My ankles sink deep.

Can fish fly?

But the past five days have been filled with sunshine, dry air and cooler temperatures. The soaked soil is drying and actually cracking in some places. Today the tiller attacks the garden. But unfortunately the mower will have to go first. That's how bad it is.

I almost succumbed to chemicals.

How can I keep all these weeds out of the gardens? They grow prolifically and choke the growth of the vegetables. They harbor diseases and insects. They have deep roots. But there are only so many hours in a day. And my forty-seven year old muscles can only pull so many weeds with my hoe and bent shoulders.

If this bluegill-looking fish can fly..... perhaps I can get some crops to grow organically.......

Well, I'll just do my best... because fish do not fly, and weeds don't jump out of the field by themselves, and vegetables need space to grow. As do I.

Today's Journey Joy - reality check

Our first U-Pick customers

2010-06-30T08:21:00.000-05:00

By planting 1200 blueberry bushes I became a "blueberry farmer". Our 600 Reka, 300 Patriots and 300 Northland blueberry bushes did remarkably well their first year (in spite of my lack of weed control). We were not expecting many blueberries their first year after planting. But they surprised us. I've been picking blueberries for three weeks now and taking them to the market. But I found that I couldn't keep up with the picking. And so our dream of a Pick-Your-Own berry farm started before we thought it would.

But I am a hovering blueberry mother. The plants are still quite fragile and young. One needs to pick carefully and gently. So..... this young lady and her charming mother (who happens to be a terrific friend) came over the other day for blueberry picking. Her camera-shy mother picked alongside her beautiful ten year old daughter. They were careful, methodical, and fun to pick alongside with me. We enjoyed several hours of chatting and eating and picking.

I still have much weeding to do and there is about one to two more days of picking left. But the early blueberries have been a joy. The plants are showing great signs of new growth promising more blueberries for next year. We will definitely have more people over for picking. I have found that eight hours of picking in a day is exhausting... perhaps picking is for eager ten year olds.

Today's Journey Joy - friends who pick gently

It's nice to share

2010-06-28T08:30:00.000-05:00

This spring we had two momma cats have kittens. Zilchie had six fluffy little ones. Three are mostly white and three are mostly gray. And Tabby Girl had five kittens. This was her first litter of kittens. When she was just a kitten last summer she would let the bigger kittens nurse on her. She so wanted to be a mommy cat. The kittens didn't get any milk but everyone seemed happy.

When Tabby Girl had her kittens in the garage she was so proud. Two mostly white, one mostly black and one that was black and white (reminds me of a cow!). She nursed them and cared for them wonderfully. But she was too trusting. She wouldn't protect them from the other cats. And so we basically locked her and the new ones in the garage. (Even displaced the Gator). But last week we decided that the little ones were old enough to be recognized as kittens and not little mice. So out they came. Unfortunately, the mostly black one, who was the most adventurous, somehow got hurt and died. So Tabby Girl only had four kittens left. But that was no problem for Tabby Girl. She simply "adopted" some of Zilchie's six kittens. She'll nurse all ten of them.... and later Zilchie will be nursing all ten of them. Well "nursing" might be a stretch. I don't think that is physically possible. But they all do try and snuggle and get some milk and love. It's amazing seeing all those fluffy beautiful little kittens with one momma cat. I didn't know cats "shared" nursing responsibilities. We had kittens on our small farm growing up but I do not remember any cat being an "auntie".

Tabby Girl and Zilchie remind me that I can't do "mommying" alone. Sometimes I need help. I am so very grateful for friends who encourage me and come along side and help me. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, "And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

When I need strength for my parenting responsibilities today or see someone who needs help.... may I be the "auntie" who shares and comes alongside. It's nice to share.

Today's Journey Joy - Sharing responsibilities

15 out of 23

2010-06-23T11:03:00.001-05:00

For fifteen of the past twenty three days it has been raining. Sometimes torrentially... sometimes constantly... sometimes in a slow drizzle. Much of the weather has been accompanied by lightening, winds, and thunder. The ground is saturated. My boots sink up to my ankles when I step. Only those areas that have received enough grass mulch are passable. And that means only the potatoes. But they do seem to be happy.

I am looking forward to the day when I can uncover the mulch and gently push my potato fork into the soil. What will I find? In just a few more weeks I should know.

The flowers continue to bloom.... even through the rain. Rows and rows of white and lavender. The buzz of the bumble bee occasionally heard. And thankfully, no sign of the nasty potato beetle.

Yes, it is raining again today. I have decided not to go to the Wednesday market. The forecast is for thunderstorms yet again and the radar supports that prediction. So the blueberries, heavy in ripeness, will have to remain one more day. Thursday and Friday will be filled with frantic picking. I must get the berries off the plants before they over-ripen.

Today I ordered 800 new blueberry plants for next spring's planting. The new planting will be made up of Patriot, Blueray, and Chandler. This will allow us to length the blueberry season somewhat and have more blueberries for fresh eating. I have found that Reka is very productive and extremely yummy for processing. But it has an occasional "twang" factor that I have found unpleasant at times. Perhaps I need to add something to the soil to make it "sweeter". I'll do some investigating. But our Patriot is definitely delicious and Northland is as well....although this variety has smaller berries in general. Good for baking in muffins.

And speaking of blueberry muffins.... that's sounds like a fun rainy day adventure.

Today's Journey Joy - blooming through the rain

A Mother's Love

2010-06-15T08:45:00.000-05:00

Sunday evening six furry little kittens ventured out of the metal scrap pile. "Mew! Mew!" they cried. As if to say, "Mommy, where are you?" They scrambled to me as I walked toward their call. Whether one is their mother or not, a child's call tugs at your heart. "Where is your mother?" I asked them.... as if expecting them to answer me. "Mew! Mew!" they continued to cry. "Oh Zilchie, where are you? Your babies are calling." I called for her. "Zilchie!" "Zilchie!"

Zilchie was our first kitten when we moved to our farm. She arrived with her brother from a colleague at work. She was thus named "Zilch" after my inventive son's favorite dice game. She has had two litters of beautiful kittens in the subsequent years. Of all our cats she is the oldest. And of course I give her special attention. Every time she has kittens I give her extra treats. I can't help myself. Perhaps I empathize. Raising children is exhausting work. Wonderful, exciting, heart warming, and exhausting. Especially when they are young. Young children do not know their boundaries. Have no idea of safety or danger. They know only of their wants. "Mew! Mew!" the kittens cried.

Sunday night brought storms and rain. I had hoped Zilchie was out on a hunting adventure. She's a great little mouser. I dreamed of her cuddled up with these six fur balls. Her keeping them safe and reassuring them. "It's just rain my little ones. The thunder will pass. Stay close to me and you will be safe." But Monday morning.... still no sign of Zilchie. And the six little gray and white now wet and slightly fluffy kittens cried even more. "Mew! Mew!"

I searched the garages. I searched the chicken coop. I called and called. But no Zilchie. "Oh" I thought, "She may have succumbed to the life of a farm cat." Coyotes, hawks, owls, neighbors with pellet guns, cars and trucks. Anyone of them could have ended her life prematurely. And in this case, the life of her six young kittens. And yet I searched more. "Zilchie!"

"Where could she be?" And I hoped for the best. Last year another new momma cat was hit by a car. Her three young kittens were orphaned. We tried to nurse them. We got kitten milk supplement. A tiny bottle. A warm cozy bed. But one by one the small kittens died. I did not want to experience that again. "Zilchie!"

Saturday evening I had emptied the SUV from the market. It was raining then and I was in a hurry. But Zilchie was not like the other cats. I had never seen her jump into one of our vehicles. But it wouldn't hurt to look. I opened the back door and gave a hopeful call, "Zilchie?" And immediately a happy grey head popped up out of the tables, baskets and canopy. She came running. I picked her up and hugged her strongly. "Zilchie!" I shouted to my children. "I found her! She was in the car!" Her nipples were filled with milk and she was quite thin. I brought her over to her crying babies. She quickly laid down and all of her children attached themselves and suckled. I think both Zilchie and I gave a collective sigh. "Ahhhh..."

My son filled a bowl with cream (a very, very special treat). He set it right by her. And yet she didn't budge. She nursed those six hungry kittens until their tummies were round. She licked them clean until they were soft and fluffy again. And then, and only then, did she drink her cream. After that she laid down in the grass next to them and fell asleep.

A mother's love.... speechless.

Today's Journey Joy - a found mama cat and six little happy furry kittens

Raining (Again)

2010-06-14T08:36:00.001-05:00

Everywhere I look water seems to be accumulating. It is raining again. Still. And more is forecasted. Typically a farmer appreciates rain... longs for it. It is the sustaining hydration for the growing plants. But much like any powerful asset, too much can bring damage. Only a few of the blueberries are threatened. But the corn and beans are soaked. The grass in their respective rows is the only plant that thrives in this environment. And because the fields are wet and waterlogged, I can not rescue the young plants. The grass will grow and impair the strength of the crop. The rain will make for a lot of difficult weeding in future days.

Saturday's market started precariously. I left our small farm at 6:30. The western sky was deep gray and there were rumbles in the distance. "Oh, no." I thought. I momentarily dreamed of jumping back into bed and sleeping the morning. But there were thirty five pints of just picked blueberries and 8 quarts of the last of the strawberries in the vehicle. I had to sell the fresh fruit. It would not keep until the next market on Wednesday. And my hard working and supportive husband had worked hard at preparing more smoking chips and chunks. Although they would keep until the next market I was reluctant to stay home and not try to sell them.

So off I went to the market. At 6:50 when I pulled up to my spot, the rain had just started. With the help of my neighborly vendor I got my canopy up, weighted and secured with tie-down straps to the back wheels of my SUV. Then I held on.... The wind blew. The rain came down in torrents. And the lightening and thunder filled the river front sky with adventure. Well.... perhaps adventure is not the right word. Frankly, I was a bit scared. Standing under a canopy.... even a weighted down and secured canopy.... holding on to aluminum structures.... and watching a storm pass overhead was a bit unnerving. I love watching storms.... not being in them. But the worst of the storm was done in 30 minutes and I was able to set up my tables. Blueberries, strawberries, mulberries, just harvested spring honey, bizarre looking garlic scapes, geraniums, wave petunias, and apple and hickory smoking chips and chunks filled my table. And as the wind and rains dissipated, the kind brave folks came out. Eventually I sold out of the fruit. The honey and chips sold well throughout the day. And I only went home with about 100 garlic scapes. (I took about 500).

One hour into the market I realized that I had forgotten my beautiful signs. My always helpful farmer's husband called and volunteered to bring them to me. "Oh, thank you!" I thought. He had not been to this market before and I had hoped he would get a chance to see how wonderful it was. So it was with a grateful and happy heart I saw him and my daughter coming down the aisle about 30 minutes later. And the best part was that they stayed! It was great to have them there. I loved hearing him describe what a garlic scape was and how to use it. And folks listened attentively. Perhaps a guy with a Saturday morning beard dressed in a short sleeve shirt and pants led credibility to the message. But folks listened and bought those scapes. And he even sold the $25 honey bucket. It sure was great having him there.

So today, Monday it rains again. The children and I will have to be indoors. But there is plenty to do. Perhaps I'll even get that kitchen floor washed.....

Today's Journey Joy - pitter-pattering of rain

Garlic Scapes

2010-06-10T12:46:00.004-05:00

These strange looking curly things are garlic scapes. This is not my photo.... I forgot to take a picture before I cut them all off. But this photo looked so similar to my garlic garden that I figured it would suffice. I don't have that cute little white house in the background though......

Garlic scapes are the flower portion of the stiffneck garlic. If left to mature the flower would be quite similar to the flower of the onion. But alas, the garlic bulb left in the ground would be teeny. The energy needed to produce large delicious stiffneck garlic bulbs is put into making the flower if the scape is left. So every year, about this time of year, I go through my garlic and cut off these bizarre looking flowers. Last year I threw them in the compost. A waste I discovered. Apparently, one can cook with these edible delights.

I found this recipe which looks interesting: "Raw Scape Pesto"

1/2 pound of scapes cut into one inch pieces

1 1/2 cups olive oil

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

In a blender add scapes and oil. Pour mixture into bowl and add cheese by hand. Can be used in any way that traditional pesto is used. Also the recipe makers suggest using a couple tablespoons as a substitute for the oil in the bread of garlic bread.

Yesterday, I took some of these to the Farmers Market. Out of all the people that walked by only two people knew what they were. I did convince a couple of people to give them a try. I will take the rest of the scapes to the market on Saturday. If nothing else it sure does generate a lot of interest.

Garden update - the potatoes are flowering well. Blueberries are ripening (should be able to take some to the market this weekend, snow peas are forming, purple beans are flowering, black raspberries are forming).

Today's Journey Joy - fun flowers

Blueberries

2010-06-09T08:33:00.007-05:00

Have you ever seen so many berries on one little plant? We planted these plants last year. It was quite an endeavor. (Check out last year's blogs for more details if you desire.) I took off all the blueberry flowers last year in order to allow the roots and plants to become well established. It was difficult but necessary. This year the flowers were left to become fruit. And our mighty little bumble bees and honey bees did their pollination job with gusto. Look at all those berries! This particular blueberry plant is known as "Reka". It is an early ripening variety developed in one of my most favorite countries: New Zealand. The berries are sweet and pick easily. I can only imagine how many berries they will produce when the plants are more mature.

The evening rains have washed these berries fresh and clean. Picking begins in two days. I tried picking a few berries.... they were great but unfortunately some of them were just a little premature and therefore a bit tart. So... I will be patient and allow the sun to sweeten the berries.

I'm hoping to take many pints to the market on Saturday. Perhaps there will still be some strawberries and if I have time, I'll grab some mulberries as well. The snow peas are ready to pick and I'll even try bringing some rocambole garlic scapes. But today I will enjoy watching the berries ripen.

Today's Journey Joy: anticipating blue sweetness

Spuds

2010-06-03T14:48:00.004-05:00

The 1600+ potato seed I planted many weeks ago are thriving. They must like rain. And the mulch my wonderful husband swept up is doing a great job at keeping the weeds down. I always need more but I am pleased with the results in the potatoes.

The Carola golden potatoes have just begun to flower. I was surprised at that. They were the last to peek their heads out of the soil and through the mulch. They are supposed to be a smoother flesh potato than their well known counterpart the "Yukon Gold". In addition the organic farmer who sold me the seed emphasized that the Carola does not have the hollow center problems that often accompany the Yukon Gold. We shall see. I have always liked the Yukon... and it has name recognition. But a better potato is just that. A better potato. I wonder if it makes good french fires? (grin).

The French fingerlings and northland red potatoes are also doing well but no flowers yet. I suspect though that I will have some yummy new potatoes in just a few weeks. Perhaps by the end of the month.

More rain is forecasted for tomorrow. We've already received over 3+ inches since Monday. No more thank you. The weeds in other parts of the garden are overtaking. But pulling them up in this muck also pulls up the plants. And so I weed the blueberries and mulch and pray that the weeds in the broccoli and beans and corn do not hinder their growth.

Today's Journey Joy - flowering potatoes

Appetite for learning

2010-06-02T08:43:00.007-05:00

He grows. And grows. And grows. He eats. And eats....whenever his head comes up from the words or his eyes leave the program he is writing.... he eats. "Mom, what is there to eat?" "Mom, I'm hungry. Can I have something?" And as quick as he can, he gobbles nutrition (hopefully) and is re-energized to learn more. Even power outages do not stop him. "I'll just get some candles..." And back to reading and learning he goes. He's reading "Bringing Up Boys" on this stormy evening. Learning about himself and others. Learning that a foundation built on God and His care is tantamount to a growing young boy. Does he understand it all? I do not think so. Some concepts may be beyond his eleven year old mind. Yet, he surprises me. And he learns. He reads and he re-reads. And his appetite is growing along with him.

His mind is always thinking, analyzing, and sorting. "How does this fit with this other information?" "Mom, did you know...." as he recites some specific fact. To which I think, "He's definitely his father's son." Remembering bits of information, numbers and quantities to great distances or fine minutia, categorizing logical arguments or even identifying logical fallacies. His dad has a similar ability. I never thought like this at age eleven. I was playing hide and seek, raising a pet duck in my bedroom, and swimming in our farm spring-fed pond. I enjoyed books and learning but it wasn't emphasized in our family outside of school. Not until many years later did I discover that one could learn about life, about struggles, about wisdom from reading. He, already, has surpassed me in many ways.

Hungry for life. Hungry for learning. An appetite unending. May the world hold enough books for my young son. Today he's reading a series on Sherlock Holmes. "Mom, is this a true story? Mom, did you know....?"

I grin. Keep learning my son.

Today's Journey Joy - Life's appetite

Still more plantings...

2010-06-01T08:15:00.003-05:00

In March I started some various types of pepper (cayenne, Hungarian hot peppers, red, yellow and green bell peppers) and tomatoes (yellow, gold, and red cherry and grape tomatoes). Unfortunately my labeling system was faulty. I had cleverly hot glued the paper label to toothpicks and placed them in their respective rows. But, as you have already surmised, the paper fell off and disintegrated over the two months in my basement growing center. So hopefully I will "discover" which type of pepper and tomato I planted as they mature. Oops. Next year I will use used plastic milk jugs and cut some label markers. Permanent marker should do the trick.

I finished planting the Diamond and Alibi cucumbers next to the trellis where I had planted the burpless ones last week. I also got the beets, edamame soybeans (not for me.... a friend requested some), turnips (or were those parsnips?), small red sunflowers, yellow bush beans, and the second planting of sweet corn (10,000 more seeds). Today I hope to weed my three rows of blueberries, finish weeding the garlic, plant the spaghetti squash and some of the pumpkins. I also need to clear out the basement of the leftover flowers and prepare for honey harvest next weekend. Probably too ambitious.

Last Saturday I went to a different Farmers Market. People have commented over and over again that I should go to this particular market.... but I have been reluctant. It is huge (a good thing - over 200 vendors!), but vendors can go to the local food distributor outlet and "resell" things. Hardly seems "local". And I certainly am. The experience was good though. Yes, there were vendors who were selling melons, sweet corn, garlic, squash, and other non-seasonal items... but I can't tell you how many times people asked me, "Did you grow this?" "Where are you from?" So the local thing is important to some people at least. So I will be back. As I get more and more produce I hope to sell out every market day... or at least close. My wonderful husband will go to the other market when blueberries and sweet corn are ripe. Since we've paid for the other market already.... that way we can hopefully capture the local area. (Wow, this sounds very business - like).

The experiment of selling flowers was a failure. Didn't even break even. A good learning experience though. I've already made plans to change. For next year's spring markets I will sell popcorn and dried beans. Those are two items that I can take home and store if they do not sell. Perhaps I will plant some asparagus and some radishes and green onions as well. And maybe just a few flowers....

Time for a few more plantings....

Today's Journey Joy - learning

Powdery Dust

2010-05-26T09:14:00.004-05:00

The shadows linger longly over the freshly tilled soil. The sun sets in a somber somnolent manner. And I feel it with her. The day was filled with tractoring, hazy heat, and perspiration. The long rows of promising vegetable seeds planted with plodding care. Foot prints of tired legs and a hopeful heart. This year I am reminded, almost daily, that gardening is a process of faith and hope. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1). I prepare: I carve into the soil; I place tiny little seeds; I cover and pat. I space; I plan; the Lord waters and brings warmth. The sun heats and empowers. And eventually my garden sown in hope and faith pushes up from powdery dust and develops into a new expression of life.

Tiny little watermelon starts already leaning towards that heat and light.... even though the shadows are becoming long...

My faith journey is much like this. Ever hopeful. Not always seeing.... usually not until many sunsets have been spent.... some times never. But still hopeful. Still leaning. Still dependent on the Giver of life... Resting and yet energized through His power.

Today's Journey Joy: Faith without seeing.

Mulching and planting

2010-05-25T10:45:00.004-05:00

My gator has been a blessing and a work horse. It has never been stuck, only had one flat tire, zips up and around all our hills, and hauls and hauls and hauls. My farmer husband busily scoops oak mulch into five gallon buckets and tarps. Then I haul it out to the blueberry field and replace the old mulch. Last year's mulch was much too thin in places and in some places nonexistent! Hence, tons and tons of weeds. I have made a promise to myself that the blueberry field will never be like that again. We have spent way too much time weeding already this spring. But the mulch will certainly help. Every time I take the gator to the blueberry field I fill up about 12 five gallon buckets and deliver them to the most needed spot. We're making progress.

Yesterday, I spent almost the entire day rototilling. It always seems to take longer than one would think possible. I did manage to get some purple beans, watermelon, acorn squash, zucchini and yellow summer squash and yummy cantaloupe in. This morning I rotilled the apple orchard area where I had tilled yesterday and planted yellow popcorn (let the popcorn saga begin!). I also have planted the Tanja burpless cucumbers starts next to the trellis my hard working husband and son put in for me. Next comes the tomatoes and peppers.

I mentioned yesterday to my husband, "I'm running out of ground...." Meaning literally, ground. I have almost used all of the tilled area already and have not planted the pumpkins. And they take sooooo much room. I may be tilling again.

The storms that hot humid weather foster are coming today. The horizon is already hazy and cloud filled. Back to planting....

Today's Journey Joy - experiencing the wonder of planting

Spring continues....

2010-05-24T09:52:00.003-05:00

The hills roll and spring forth with life. As if to say, "Ah.... that was a long rest." The grass stretches its blades, seeking to seed and spread yet again. The apple blossoms are a-buzz with bee activity, trying to get some more nectar and pollen for the early spring build up.

And my wonderful and helpful farmer husband (although he always says, "She's the farmer; I'm the farmer's husband."), neatly sweeps up the first cutting of the rye grass we planted last fall. The old apple orchard was cleaned of 50+ year old despairing fruit trees and replaced temporarily with winter rye grass.... until this spring when we started replanting the orchard. The grass was used as mulch for the 16-1800 potato seeds I planted. They are growing beautifully. The rest of the orchard will hold pumpkins and popcorn. And then next year 25 more fruit trees and transplantation of black raspberries.

It is hot today. That spring morning pictured above was over a month ago. Now the trees have tiny fruit, the grass has been mowed and swept a second time and the potatoes are awaiting their next mulching. The old orchard soil has yet to be turned though for the planting. I am torn between planting melons and squash and preparing the soil. Which to do first? I planted about 1/4 acre of various types of dried beans yesterday. And about 45 tomato plants (more to plant still). The peppers, squash, melons and okra (not for me thank you!) have yet to be planted.... but it's 90 degrees today and bright and sunny. Maybe later this afternoon when the sun gets lower in the sky.... But the seeds can go in. We are expecting rain tomorrow afternoon. I suspect the rain will be accompanied by big thunder booms.... summer is fast approaching.

And still I ramble.... the bees we brought across from the other side of the road have adjusted well. We have had only one small swarm 2 weeks ago which was readily captured. We have split and split our hives this year in the hopes that they would not swarm. I think I am getting to old to be climbing ladders. And besides, it's a lot easier to split. By the way, the swarm that I got out of the lady's garage about 20 miles south of here earlier this week is now happily collecting pollen and nectar at my friend Stacy's house. This week I will go over there and move them to their first deep. Hopefully, they will build up comb quickly and maybe even get a honey harvest from them. I think my friend and her family would like that.... honey from their property. Yum.

And still I ramble.... it's only getting hotter. Time to put the sun screen on, drink a couple glasses of water and jump on the tractor. From afar I will savor the wonder of those potato plants growing their deep green and long for the blueberries to ripen. I may stop and pick a few strawberries along the way. The heat makes them ripen fast and sweetly. Enjoy your day my friends.

Today's Journey Joy - Bustle of spring planting in a beautiful warm (hot) day.

Closing In

2010-05-18T11:14:00.003-05:00

Finals week has ended. I've submitted my semester grades. I've packed the textbooks for the move to the new Health Science Building. My email inbox has ceased flurrying. I almost feel lazy.

Yes, there is still much that can be done. Committee work mostly. And 2 full days of meetings which rarely serve any productivity.

Ah...but I got a call from a lady 20 miles south of me who says, "There is a swarm of bees in my garage!" I respond, "Oh, how exciting!" To which she thought I was probably nuts. Apparently they have been making a home in a bucket that used to have sunflowers in it. They somehow got the bucket out of their garage but want the bees gone. Can't say that I blame them. i wouldn't want bees in my garage either. So later this evening I will happily go fetch this "bucket" of bees. I sure do like it when swarms are on the ground!

Two more rows of weedy blueberries and we will be ahead o the weed game. But then the fun begins... the rest of the garden... potatoes are up, broccoli is growing, some purple beans are up and growing, peas are flowering, radishes are...radishing? The cucumber plants in my basement are beginning to flower....Yikes! Time to go outside. Weather permitting the basement green house" will be shut down this weekend. But there is so much to do:

1. The local Popular Astronomy Club is coming out on Saturday for a picnic and viewing through their observatory telescope.

2. The fields need plowing... some for the first time. Popcorn, Indian corn, pumpkins, squash, melons, beans, peppers, herbs, and tons more needs to be planted.

3. The spring honey is ready for harvest.

4. Farmers Market on Saturday morning. Will I ever sell these 600 flowering plants?

5. And those two rows of blueberries.....

Hopefully.... a farmer is always hopeful..... it will all get done. It's good to be hopeful.

But I must get back to business.... Three more days and then it's summer vacation!

Time Passes Quickly

2010-04-16T12:22:00.004-05:00

Forgive me my friends.... time passes so quickly and I am currently caught up in the scurry of spring activity. I planted those 650 flower plugs and they are growing ever so beautifully downstairs in the growing center my hardworking husband built for me. The tomatoes, peppers, cone flowers and rudbeckia are also growing. Squash, melons and cucumber starters for early production have sprouted and are stretching their thick necks as they spread out their two new green massive arms. Opening from sprouts in a posture of praise.....

We've been weeding blueberries for over a month now. A few hours here and a few hours there. But last year the weeds overwhelmed us and I left them standing in the field. Tactical error. Now the new weeds and the old weeds need to come out. Thankfully I have only discovered 2 out of the 1200 blueberry plants that didn't survive. They are close to flowering and I have half the field yet to go. One weed at a time.....

Radishes, beets, spinach, kohlrabi, green onions and purple royal beans are planted. And during the past week we planted over 1600 onion plants, 250 leeks and 1800 potato seeds. All by hand. Although once again my wonderful creative husband came up with an onion planting stamp. It made planting those onions much easier by just placing them in the premade hole that his "stamp" made.

We also planted 34 fruit trees across the road.... Sweet and pie cherries, peaches, plums, pears, nectarines, apples, and peentos.

And in between those times we have been taping drywall (1500 sq ft), working (oh, yeah.... that tiny detail called making a living!), and assisting in the organization of the Easter Resurrection celebrations at church.

Spring has sprung and the pace of life hastens. The exhilaration of joy and beauty fill me.

Breathe it in.

Savor it.

Taste it.

Respond in kind....

"Opening their arms in a posture of praise...."

Spring is coming!

2010-03-04T16:56:00.002-06:00

At least I hope so. Today 42o tidal wave petunias and 210 maverick geraniums were dropped off at my front door. They are small, beautiful, green, healthy plugs that I bought from a nursery company. I ordered them before Christmas. My dream is to transplant them into 3.5 inch pots, grow them in the basement for 8 weeks and have them blooming by May when I start the early Farmer's Market. Last year I really couldn't go to the market until the 2nd or 3rd week of June when the strawberries and then the black raspberries were ripe. This year I hope to take advantage of every one's need for beauty and sell spectacular flowers for the first month.

My inventive and hard working husband is ready for me to clean up the basement. It still has the honey extractor that needs to be thoroughly cleaned and a bunch of bee boxes that need attention. Those items are in the way of the contraption that he hopes to build for me. Something that will hold 630 3.5 inch pots and provide enough light and access for watering. He has a bunch of 2x4s, 1/2 plywood, fluorescent fixtures and bulbs, chains, bolts and screws to do the trick I think. Now that the plants are here I am strongly motivated to get the basement cleaned and ready for building. I still need to get some planting medium and the pots. But I believe the best source for the pots is our local Menards. Maybe they will give me a deal if I purchase 630 of them. Soil medium is another story. There's a surplus store in town that will sell me 6 dry quarts of starter mix for $1.50. That doesn't seem very "dirt cheap". But a farmer's market friend directed me to a company about 30 miles away that I could buy in bulk from. I will need to do that pretty lickety split. But I wander in my thoughts.

The basement will look pretty funny from the outside. I can see it now... the local drug enforcement people will see fluorescent lights glowing from our basement 20 hours of every day. Hmmmm.... "What's in there ma'am?" "Really officer, they're just flowers." But hopefully next year I will have a cold frame or at least the porch to start my flowers and plants.

And talking about plants it's time to start the tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, lavender and other herbs. In a month I will start the melons and the cucumbers. I am hoping (again) to get a jump start on the competition and have some items earlier than I did last year in order to make a better profit. Yes, I am learning about business and farmer's market business in particular.

Spring is coming and I have much work to do. Off to cleaning the basement.....

The winter fields speak

2010-01-11T15:00:00.003-06:00

The days are lengthening. Yet the weather is cold and white. Through the icy window I study the landscape where inches of snow pile in drifts and peaks. A few dark lumps penetrate the field. The sky is gray and wintry.

Does the soil rest well in winter? Does it long for the warm sun, penetrating rains, and new growth as I do? What is it saying? Can it sense the changes in the season? Is it longing for spring? The fields give no expression to discontent. They simply rest...wait....embrace the day. It is me who struggles.

If only.....

If only the weather were warmer. If only the sky was blue and the sun were shining. If only I could start my seedlings. If only I didn't work outside the home or farm. If only my children's schedules fit mine. If only the days were longer. If only I had an organized home. If only I enjoyed grocery shopping. If only the body didn't get old or stiff.

If only...

The "if only's" imprison me from joy. They leave me discouraged, dishevelled, and defeated. A repeating canker that eats away at my heart and my strength. Arg.

Contentment. To be joyfully resting and waiting. To want what I have; not have what I may want.

If only.... it were that easy. A choice, a decision, a willing. But it must start there. It must. It is a choice.

......And then it will be a thread, a pattern, a lifestyle.

"But godliness with contentment is great gain." (1 Timothy 6:6)

Ally's Blog Post

2009-12-29T14:55:00.002-06:00

Hello. I live with Mommy, Daddy and my brother. Today my brother's friend is playing over at our house. They are playing computer games, board games, hide-and-seek with me, and other things.

I am a big girl. I am in second grade and I am learning to do subtraction and telling time. I like Christmas and the Christmas tree. It is very beautiful.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas too! Happy Birthday Jesus!

"Twas three days after Christmas....

2009-12-28T15:18:00.004-06:00

'Twas three days after Christmas and all through the house
All the children were stirring as if they had louse
Itchy with boredom; wiggly with sight
How could they survive this week, this day, and this night?

There's mom in a frantic, a frenzy and a fury.
Clean up your room, pick up your clothes,
Wash the laundry, use your new game
And please, please, please, why do I feel so lame?

There's snow in the field and a chill in the air
The wind whips around houses with a cold wintry flare.
How come the Season has ended this way?
How can I help and repair the day's sleigh?

I'd liked to be playing, resting, or reading
But the trappings of Christmas require some weeding
The papers pile high, the boxes as well
Why in the world do I clean with a yell?

But sitting down resting, taking a spell
I practice what I know can ring those Christmas bells
Focus on the King, the Savior, the Child
And then I will find joy in the midst of this wild.

Wintery Reflections

2009-12-21T07:27:00.003-06:00

The snow falls quietly. Drifting through the skeletonized branches of resting trees. Slowly settling on fence posts, beehives, roofs, and fields. While inside the colored lights flicker on the Christmas tree, the presents pile in their brilliant colors, and the cacophony of sight, sounds, and smells overtake the underlying reality of disorder, disarray, and disorganization.

I sat in church yesterday marveling at the beauty and wonder of the Season. The sanctuary was decorated in golds, reds, and greens while yellow-white lights glimmered and shone around wreaths and trees decorated with chains of red and gold. Every detail seemed in its perfect place. The music was traditional and memory making. And my heart was warmed and calmed.

Order, beauty, peace and hope.

That is what Jesus brings to all who would come.

But just as snow gently falling can turn to a dangerous howling blowing blizzard, so too can the Season.

Look at the manger. Tired and amazed Mary. Protective and adoring Joseph. And the Baby. He came and changed the world.

May you find order, beauty, peace and hope today from the Savior who became a Baby.

Today's Journey Joy: The Baby

Cleaned through the Fire

2009-12-03T17:13:00.003-06:00

Cold and windy. Blustery and gray. Dry crackling leaves. Crunchy remains of trees. Coals warm and red. The dance of the flame. The laughter of those dancing around the heat.

Winter begins.

And so starts the cold. The branches gathered throughout the summer and into the autumn chill are stacked skyscraper-ish and lit with glowing embers of wooden coals. "Snap!" "Pop!" "Crack!" "Whoosh!" sing the flames. And the heat radiates and warms our faces.

In the cold and beginning of winter I am reminded that there is One who always warms us. When my heart is cold and wind tossed the Artist creates a palate of warmth and love. Remember the warmth my friends. Remember the love.

When the cold winds blow in this season of rest remember it is He Who keeps us.

Journey Joy - warmth

Let the shelling begin

2009-11-17T14:44:00.006-06:00

This past weekend was a busy one. Tucking the gardens in, burning brush piles, moving soil, grading landscape in preparation for fencing.... and shelling popcorn. My son's friend came over and lent us a helping hand.

They took the dried cobs and twisted them in the manual popcorn de-sheller. Basically just a lot of muscling, twisting wrists, and flying popcorn.... After about 45 minutes (the boys gave up after 5), I had almost ten pounds. It still needs to be sifted of the debris but it it almost ready for packaging. But of course we had to try it to ensure its organaleptic properties. Does it look good? Smell good? Texture? Does it pop well? And most important, does it taste good? "Yes" to all of the above. Wonderful white kernels.... yum.

My daughter decided that she would be the ultimate taste tester. Did the popcorn pass? Definitely. There was not even a kernel left. I guess that's a hit!

Today's Journey Joy - Popped white and delicious corn

Popcorn

2009-11-03T19:45:00.007-06:00

It started as a dream. A fantasy if you will. Books were read. Websites browsed. Information gleaned. Could we make our little farm profitable? Could we grow and aid in the nourishment and management of the earth? Could we?

The year started with the planting and preparation of 1200 blueberry plants. Then it was on to the fields. Well.... field. We have only one relatively flat area on our property. The blueberry field took up two of the five acres. So three acres of roughly flat untilled soil awaited us. The field had been in hay / grass for as long as folks around here can remember. Last year the yield was more grass than alfalfa. It would have been time to replant either way.

The spring rains came. And came. And came. More rain than the soil could use. More rain followed by more rain. It rained almost every other day for a couple of months. We are now over 13 inches of rainfall above our average for the year. That's more than one third of our total average. But I digress.

The rain made it very difficult to till the soil and get the crops in. And then the machinery troubles began. Well, only one machine. Our trusty, handy dandy, wonderful John Deere 2210 with the JD 450 rototiller... the machine that we use to till the soil.... the tractor broke. And it wasn't a little break. It broke bad. It would cost more to repair it than the tractor was worth.

Time delay. Tractor hunting and researching. Finally settling on a JD 3720 with a nifty JD 672 rototiller (a full six feet of tilling power!). But we had to wait three weeks. More delay. Spring was fast escaping. Our wonderful neighbors to the rescue. They let me borrow their tractor to till. It was time to plant. Finally.

The popcorn went in last. (I was waiting for the seeds). I measured, marked, and dug for the little seeds. 20 rows. 20 long rows. They came up fast. So did the grass. Which would succeed?

Remember this? I was weeding and weeding in July. Hoping to keep up and ahead of the weeds. Hoping to give the popcorn a fighting chance. I was close to giving up that day. The weeds were so plentiful.

It survived! It thrived. The weeding followed by some grass mulch left the soil between the green stalks clear. They tasseled and grew. And corn developed.

I harvested this past weekend. The stalks were brown, bent and the ears listed toward the earth. The local raccoons and other critters took their share out of the middle. That's to be expected when one doesn't put up the electric fence. But there was plenty for us. I took buckets and buckets of popcorn ears down to the basement for drying. In a few weeks the beautiful hard, but not quite dry, kernels will be stripped off and tested in a pan. Then to packaging and labeling for Christmas presents and spring markets. Hand sown, hand weeded, hand picked and harvested, hand dekernelled (what do you call the process of getting the kernels off the cob?) and hand packaged. Lots of love in these little kernels.

"Pop! Pop! Pop!" I can hardly wait. Perhaps this year we will string popcorn for our Christmas tree. Our popcorn. Sigh.... and Smile.

Today's Journey Joy: a fine harvest of golden kernels

The Market is Finished

2009-10-25T18:06:00.004-05:00

Today was the final day of our Great Pumpkin Sale. Yesterday, was the final day of the Farmer's market. Our first year is finished. Strange.... how when I was packing up the tables, canopy, baskets, buckets, signs, table cloths, and left over produce.... strange...odd... and amazing...were my thoughts. So glad to be done. I am tired and am looking forward to one day a week sleeping until 7:00. But I will miss my many new friends. Friends from the market. Vendors as well as customers.

There's Ray, next to me on my left. He sells hand made birdhouse, feeders, tables, and other wooden crafts. He told me he was 84. He is the nicest gentleman. Always encouraging. Always helpful. And always kind. He even brought me coffee!

Sara was on my right. She too is very nice. She sells beef, pork and lamb. She and her daughter would pull right up, put their table out, don some beautifully made aprons and enjoy the day. They would always man my table when I had to be away (you know, nature calls sometimes! Especially if you are drinking coffee).

I can't tell you enough about the people I met. There's Nancy, Ann, the tomato man, the lady whom I introduced to summer squash and garlic and who would come every week, the young lady with her beautiful daughter who would buy from me because I didn't spray artificial stuff on my vegetables. So many. Wonderful faces. Wonderful smiles. Wonderful people.

The pumpkin sale at the farm was a great success. Not just because we sold about 200 pumpkins. More importantly we met our neighbors. Sure, we know our immediate neighbors. But those down or up the road? No. We see them drive by. Now, when they drive by they smile and wave. I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting these folks. One couple in particular have touched my heart. Mark and Gina. They live down the road. They are special people with special hearts. Warm, open, loving. Neat people. I hope to get to know them more.

I am still thinking about the lessons I have learned this year. Perhaps I will share it. But mostly I am left with a gladness and thankfulness. It was a lot of work, a lot of joy, a lot of time. But it was good.

I still need to harvest the rest of the popcorn and sunflowers. Then it's time to clean the gardens, mow the weeds, and till the leaves in. I will plant 500 cloves of garlic and mulch them. So the work isn't over yet. But there is an end in sight.

Today's Journey Joy: Completion

The Great Pumpkin Sale

2009-10-06T12:52:00.005-05:00

I am so thankful for computers and laser color printers. You see, my artistic ability is limited to stick figures and painting houses... whole houses, not pictures of them. I think the sign turned out pretty. I glued it on a 22 x 28 inch foam board and laminated it with clear contact paper to protect it from the elements. "Pumpkin Sale... Sundays 1 - 4". My resourceful husband got some 20 foot rebar and cut it into ten foot sections and bent it into a frame. He then drilled holes in the sign and attached it to the bar with zip ties. It worked well. Looks very professional!

The question was whether people would come to the sale or not. It's not like we did a ton of advertising. We put three signs up and placed the sale on the local free classifieds for our area.

The day turned out to be a lovely day. It was about 65 degrees with patchy clouds and a breeze. We had washed a trailer load of pumpkins and gourds the afternoon before the first sale. And we set up my Farmer's Market canopy and tables. To the pumpkin sale we added berries, squash, gourds and tomatoes and peppers. We also had a table of our Beacon Woods Honey (just harvested!).

We had many people stop. Most of them were neighbors that we hadn't met yet. That was special. Most of them said that they had seen us working all summer and were curious to see what was going on. And most of them purchased at least 2 pumpkins. One nice gentleman and and his beautiful wife also bought one of my biggest jars (1/2 gallon) of honey.

We spoke of our dreams of the farm, of planting the orchard in the spring, of picking blueberries in July and of maybe setting up a farm stand once a week next summer. Most of our new friends were very enthusiastic about the whole idea. "This will be so good for the neighborhood." was a comment often mentioned.

We have about 500 pumpkins left. Yikes! Good thing I'm still going to the Farmer's Market on Saturdays. Hopefully, over the next three weeks we can sell them. But I must admit I'm a little discouraged. We maybe had about 15 cars stop. I was hoping for more like 50 (you know me... always dreaming!). But next week might be better. We asked many of the nice folks who stopped to spread the word and they said they would. But I am also a little discouraged because the local Walmart and local food stores are selling pumpkins either at the same price or slightly cheaper. Do we reduce our price? I believe it is a fair one. It is awful hard to compete with those megastores. But we have more variety... and are certainly more friendly! ☺ And are chemical free.

Seas of orange with brown leaves rustling. Windy breezes with gusts of chill. Canadian honkers soaring in V - shapes. Daylight shortening. Flowers fading. And pumpkins harvested. All sure signs that autumn is here with the rest and quiet of winter to quickly follow. I am thankful for the pumpkins and the signs of autumn. I am looking forward to resting.

Today's Journey Joy: pumpkins at the market

Honey Harvest Time

2009-09-24T15:01:00.013-05:00

I love honey harvest. The aroma, the beauty, the wonder, the amazing sweetness of it all. How could a bug make something so sweet from flowers? Absolutely amazing.

We harvested honey a week later than usual. Typically, "honey harvest" is Labor Day weekend. But the weather has been so wet and cool that the flowers are still blooming. The golden rod had been blooming only 2 weeks when we harvested.

I started by putting "Bee Quick" on my fume board. Smoked the hive gently and placed it above the supers that I wanted to get off. The weather was around 80 degrees and so we had to wait about 5 minutes before most of the bees were out of the supers.

But some bees usually remain. So my wonderful husband gets the leaf blower out and "gently" coaxes them out of the frames. It's a very effective technique and usually does not harm the bees.

After the bees are essentially out, we quickly place a clean, unused black plastic bag around the super. This keeps the super warm and keeps the bees out of the supers. Caution must be taken when removing honey supers from a hive in the fall. The bees are very energetic about keeping their honey or finding "free" honey. If one does not cover the supers the bees may begin robbing. An that is not fun.

We got all the supers off the hives and drove them to the house. There were supers in the front, back and in the cargo area of the gator. It worked great having the gator. Easy to maneuver and get the supers in and out.

We then brought them down to the basement to our honey house set-up. Two deeps and seven medium supers full of golden and delicious honey.

My husband and our friend Jim (who came over for the harvest) took turns using the uncapping knife.

The extractor was filled (several times!) and we were ready for the honey to come pouring out. The extractor fits 20 frames and spins very quickly. And because the frames are not always equally filled with honey sometimes the extractor wobbles a bit. So my amazing and resourceful husband attached it to a pallet and then three adults stand on it (with the help of two young children). And then the honey comes pouring out!

After a day or two (or a week in this case) of settling to let the air bubbles come out) it was time for some honey bears.... Mama, Papa,and Baby bears.

We have three more containers yet to fill....

We put the supers back on the hives in hopes of getting just a few more frames filled. The golden rod and asters are still blooming and the temperatures are in the upper 70s.

It was our best honey harvest ever!

Today's Journey Joy - yummy honey

Farmer's Market

2009-08-19T15:40:00.006-05:00

Last weekend was the best Farmer's Market I have had all year. I was so excited! I felt like a little girl.... looking and longing to experience everything. I couldn't stop smiling! My friend Stacy (and her family) came by and thankfully captured some of the beauty with her camera.

It was a lovely 85 degrees day... sunny with a slight breeze. I brought the most variety I have ever brought. I felt like a real farmer. The colors were so beautiful. Yellows, reds, greens, purples, white. Oh the splendor!

Stonehead cabbage, red cabbage, cauliflower, cheddar cauliflower, and broccoli spears.... Organically grown. Because they were so fresh, I enjoyed their fragrant aroma every time I walked near.

Acorn squash, sugar pie pumpkins, goofy gourds and Mirai sweet corn.... The sweet corn permeated the area with images and aromas of the most delicious corn on the cob. I kept finding myself taking deeps breaths by the corn. There is something about fresh picked corn.

The spread also included pickling cucumbers, burpless cucumbers, rocambole garlic, purple (red) onions and yellow storage onions, green sweet peppers, snack 'em peppers, Yukon gold potatoes along with a couple of Kennebec potatoes. Chiogga beets (the ones that look like a target when sliced) and regular purple beets (called "red cloud") packed in gallon bags. Green and purple string beans, spaghetti squash, yellow and zucchini summer squash, and a few tomatoes finished out my table.

I spread out my plaid bed sheet, put up my sign, and marveled at the assortment and quantity of the garden's bounty. "Beacon Woods"... our dream of a fruit and vegetable farm (and wood working shop).... the glimpse of a fantasy coming true. It was as I imagined it. Abundant, full, beautiful....

Often my dreams or visions of reality do not come to fruition (please, no pun intended). I often can close my eyes and "see" what I envision. But then, I open them and the view of reality is quite different. Sometimes I am defeated. Usually not. I keep pressing on. Knowing that dreams take time, energy, passion.... and vision.

I wish I were a poet.... Able to pen thoughts and feelings in a creative and artistic way. I feel a song brewing....

Rejoice with me today. God has blessed the work of our hands. Thank You Lord!

Today's Journey Joy - Glimpses of a dream

Ponderings

2009-08-13T11:32:00.005-05:00

But I will hope continually,

and will praise you yet the more.

My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,

of your deeds of salvation all day long,

though their number is past my knowledge.

I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord God,

I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.

O God, from my youth you have taught me,

and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

So even to old age and gray hairs,

O God, do not forsake me,

until I proclaim your might to all the generations to come.

Your power and your righteousness, O God,

reach the high heavens.

You who have done great things,

O God, who is like you?

(Psalm 71: 14-19)

"You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?" Good question. During today's journey I will joy in the wondrous things that the Lord has made and taught me.

Today's journey joy: God's incomparable Person

The garden grows

2009-08-11T15:58:00.006-05:00

The tomato cages continue to be made and installed (thanks my honey!). And they are beginning to ripen. I can hardly wait to taste that first red, juicy, and sweet tomato. Others have already had their tomatoes ripen. But I got them in late, didn't weed them well, didn't fertilize until recently (who knew that a previous hay field wouldn't have enough magnesium and calcium?). But out of the 77 plants all but 7 are beginning to produce fruit and start to ripen. Within the next month I should have tomatoes coming out of my ears! Early girls, beefsteaks, super beefsteaks (delicious is their name), and Amish paste tomatoes. I hope to put enough ingredients together to make "salsa kits" at the market. The jalapenos are ripening, the garlic is harvested, the onions are available. I just need a little cilantro. That might be a problem. They are buried under weeds.

Cinderella squash.... just something a little different. Not the best for eating but they do make good decorations. These where planted from leftover seeds (2 years ago!)

The pole beans are going crazy! I love pole beans. I think they are just a bit tastier than their bush cousins. But the best thing is that they are much easier to pick. After this photo I picked about 10 pounds of delicious green pole beans (Blue Lake, of course).

This Connecticut pumpkin is fast turning orange. Wow. It looks like it weighs about 15-20 pounds. Should be pretty. There are dozens more where that comes from.

The broccoli, cauliflower, and red cabbage are nearing their end. I will harvest much this weekend. The cabbage is "red" but frankly, I think it should be called purple! It has been a joy learning how to grow these organically. I'm not always successful with the broccoli though. Last weekend I found 5 of those little worms in one head! Yikes! Glad I got them before my customer did.

Journey joys are found everywhere. One only needs to look. Pause. Contemplate. Reflect.

Today's Journey Joy: The harvest is nearing

It's canning time!

2009-08-06T07:36:00.003-05:00

The wonderful thing about string beans is that they never seem to stop. Once they start producing they keep going and growing, and going and growing. So much so that those that are ready throughout the week must be picked and preserved.

This year I have grown both the purple beans and my favorite "Blue Lake" pole beans. Both are very tasty and very pretty. At the market I often get asked, "What's that?" as the individual points to the quart of purple beans. Then I go into this repeated story of how they are just like the green beans but have a little more vitamin A and (I think) a little more bean flavor (especially the little ones). I then explain that the purple color disappears with extremes of temperature (both very cold and hot). So that when the beans are steamed or cooked the purple beans look just like a green bean. Kids love 'em because they are different and fun to watch change color.

Sometimes it is a hard sell but lately more people at the market are adventurous and trying new and unfamiliar items. Good for me since I will have a few "blue potatoes" in a week or so. They stay blue even when they are heated. That might be a little weird.... eating blue potatoes. Don't we throw them out usually when they look like that? Ah, the new and unusual. Isn't that what experiencing life is about? Dare. Dream. Experience. Embrace.

Today's Journey Joy: Trying new things

Endlessly...

2009-07-30T14:23:00.006-05:00

Endless.

I sigh and take a deep breath. "Am I making any progress?" "Am I ever going to catch up?"

The long rows lined up perfectly. Three foot spaces. Tilled down the middle. Long green grasses choking growth. Yet the stalks grow.

I can imagine the warm crunchy corn as the white kernels pop. The aroma. The taste. The miracle of change. Changing a plain dry kernel of popcorn into a fluffy white morsel.

But the rows need cleaning.

Hand pulling. Hoe raking. Stooping. Bending. Kneeling. Deep breaths. Breaks while standing. Gazing down the row. Endless.... And overwhelmed. I am left with tears. I have failed. The muscles of my bottom ache. The lower back longs to stretch. Stiffness enters into my hands. I will not finish today.

But I persevere. One more weed. One more plant. One more row. And the grasses which have been competing for nutrients and space with the corn are left rooted up. To die without hydration. Baked in the late July sun.

Eight more rows to go. Forty five minutes each row. But they will wait. Left to fend by themselves for another day. To struggle against that which grows so readily. While I, the weary farmer, rest.

"May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves." (Ps 126:5-6)

Today's Journey Joy: Persevering

Cool as a Cucumber

2009-07-27T16:06:00.004-05:00

This morning, as I was walking around the gardens, I saw several beautiful cucumbers growing. The bees were busy pollinating all the squash, melon and cucumber blossoms. And this little guy was patiently growing. There is nothing as refreshing as a cool cucumber. I will probably pick this one on Wednesday. And then again on Friday afternoon, I will pick for the Market.
The produce is finally getting ripe. The summer squash is in full production; the tomatoes are trying to turn red; the corn is tasseling; the beans are beaning; the broccoli is broccolitizing. (OK, so that's not a real word.... a little neologism never hurt).

It's time to start thinking about planting again. That's rather hard to do. I am so tired of weeding and the harvest is just beginning.... but the cool crops can yet again grow. It is great having spinach, lettuce, radishes, and other spring vegetables in September. So perhaps later this week I will till the earth and sow again.

"The point is this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." -- A biblical verse pertaining to giving cheerfully. Isn't it interesting how many agricultural metaphors there are in the Bible? There is something so common and simple in growing things. Common sense. Shared experience. One cannot reap what he or she has not sown.

Time to get those seeds in the ground. Are there other seeds (cheerful giving, spontaneous praise, or a thankful heart) that need sowing today?

Today's Journey Joy: cucumbers

Weeds don't look quite so bad

2009-07-20T20:11:00.003-05:00

Buried behind our garage and growing faithfully in front of the (now harvested) garlic is a smattering of perennials.... purple cone flowers, black eye Susan's, Shasta daisies, chamomile....

Normally I weed this patch of flowers often. This year I haven't touched it. But it surprised me nonetheless with splashes of color, fragrance and beauty. You can hear the rumble-bumble buzzing sounds of the bumble bee lazily swooping from bloom to bloom. What a pleasant surprise. Even in the midst of weeds these flowers bloom faithful.

"Bloom where you are planted" the saying goes. It might be more difficult. It might seem impossible. It might even feel like you're choking.... gasping for air.... frustrated in the thick of things pushing for attention, sun and nutrients. But "bloom where you are planted."

It may not be the exact words, but the Bible says something quite similar. "Be content", "Be thankful" "Be joyful". Sounds like an excellent way to travel in the journey....

Today's journey joy: Blooming

Garlic, garlic and more garlic

2009-07-18T19:41:00.011-05:00

Rocombole garlic... it is a stiffneck variety that has a brilliant and full taste. The cloves are very large and the bulb is beautiful. This year I planted two different varieties of stiffneck garlic. Well actually, I planted them last fall. "Music" and "German Whites"..... which are supposed to grow well here in the Midwest. And they did grow well.

Yesterday, I harvested the 400 garlic cloves I planted. Previously during the summer, I had mulched, weeded, and cut off these cool looking twisty flower stems called scapes. Now it was time to dig up the bulbs and see how well the cloves had turned into bulbs.

By nature I tend to be a tad impatient. Waiting 2-4 weeks for the paper thin peels to dry seems soooo long. And the work of twisting the stems and hanging the garlic bundles from rafter may sound romantic and fun.... But basically it is just a lot like work. That's where my wonderful husband comes into the picture. I had mentioned to him that the "Deliberate Agrarian" had made some sort of garlic dryer... "Could you make one for me, please?" So he looked at the picture that Herrick Kimball posted on his blog and figured, "I can do that." (Thanks H.K. for sharing your ideas!) So off to work my industrious husband went.

He made five big boxes of 1 x 6 material, reinforced with triangular corners, stapled 1/2 inch hardware cloth and glued it on to the boxes and further secured them with small wooden strips. In this picture the wood glue is drying.

I dug up the stiffneck garlic (took about 2 hours), snipped off the stems about 4 inches above the bulb, shook off the excess soil, and gentle "stabbed" the stems through the 1/2 inch hardware cloth. (Some stems were too big and these garlic had to be laid on their side).

I stacked up four of the drying boxes on top of the base which has a special compartment perfectly made to hold a 20 x 20 inch box fan. The fan gently moves air through the drying rack allowing the garlic to dry in a steady and quick way.

Here's the garlic drying rack in operation. In just one week's time the garlic will be dry enough to handle... and sell at the Market. The garlic that does not sell will go either into the ground for next year's crop or I will attempt to make garlic powder (another H.K. idea).

Today's Journey Joy: Drying garlic in a drying rack made with love.

Directionally challenged

2009-07-08T14:18:00.002-05:00

In yesterday's post I stated that my beautiful bees were flying south. In fact, they were travelling due east, not south. I think they were gathering from an early blooming soybean field. That's exciting. Soy bean honey is very sweet.

Good thing they don't ask me for directions!

Makin' Honey

2009-07-07T18:41:00.003-05:00

I really enjoy watching the bees coming and going from their hive. It is amazing to me that a worker bee can go from flower to flower collecting pollen and nectar. Then, fly home, find the right hive, and drop off the "goods" just to go as quickly as she can to the next flower. Every bee has a role. The worker... well she does all the collecting. The house bee.... she maintains and cleans the house. She learns to take care of the young, clean the rooms and maintain a healthy environment. The guard bee... she makes sure that only the right bee gains entrance. If you are a bee from another hive, you will be rejected... probably stung. Drone bee... he inseminates the queen during a mating flight and then dies. He neither collects food or cleans house. And... the Queen bee... well there's only one of her. She really is royalty. Every bee in the hive is her daughter. And without her the hive would die.

By this time of year we have usually harvested the spring honey. But the bees did not cooperate this year. We had so many rainy days. And they don't like that. So they swarmed. Hard to make extra honey if half your working force goes elsewhere. So no spring honey.

But now the bees have settled down to business. They scurry the countryside looking for what is in bloom. Currently, the bees are flying in a south direction. All of them. From every hive the "bee line" is southerly. I wonder what is flowering that much. It would take a lot of blooms to satisfy 13 hives. But what is most important is how those blooms flavor the honey. In a week we will take what we can from the hives. Then we will put the supers back on the hives to get ready for the summer and fall honey for Labor Day weekend harvest. I can hardly wait for some honey.

Today's Journey Joy - watching bees

Farmer's Market

2009-07-04T16:23:00.003-05:00

On Monday - weed. On Tuesday - weed. On Wednesday - weed and pick berries. On Thursday - weed. On Friday - weed and pick berries and produce for Farmer's Market. On Saturday.... the Farmer's Market.

I've had some interesting experiences at the Farmer's Market this year. I don't bring much (yet). At first, just a flat of strawberries. Then a little more strawberries. And then some strawberries and black and red raspberries and apple wood chips (for smoking). Today some red and black raspberries and some German Giant radishes. Not much to take but... I am learning:

1. People are very interesting. I enjoy interacting, laughing, and discussing the products around the market.

2. The weather is unpredictable and determinative. On my first market day, it was beautiful.. The second market day was sunny for the first hour and then tons of rain. The third market was another sunny, hot beautiful day. I said to my son, "We are definitely bringing our canopy next week." And today.... ccccoooollllld and wet and cloudy. The first three weeks there were many people at the market. So many that I sold out in usually one hour. Today... there may have been 50-60 people there all morning. I came home with two pints of black raspberries.

3. The Farmer's Market is business. Vendors are constantly checking to see what your prices are, what your products are, and how they look. Today, a new vendor (to me) stated quite boldly that my prices were much too low and that I needed to raise them. That was strange to me. I did raise them somewhat but not to the level he wanted. I will have to think harder about changing (what I consider a fair market value) at the market. I know why he wanted the price higher.... and I'm all for making a profit.... but it seemed high. (But it was not the reason I went home with fruit though.)

4. I need to get my produce into the soil earlier so that I can get them to market earlier. Those who bring the "first" to the market sell the best.

5. I need help weeding. Time to invest in a commercial grade rototiller.

The cabbages are growing.... and so are the weeds. But it is a joy to see them mature. Remember when they were just tiny shoots? In a week or so I will harvest. That's exciting.

Today's Journey Joy - learning at the Farmer's Market

Cats, Cats, and more Cats

2009-07-01T09:17:00.007-05:00

We love cats. They are affectionate, independent, entertaining, and very effective at eliminating mice, moles and voles, and bunnies from around the farm. I have only seen two bunny rabbits all spring and summer (and who knows? Maybe it was the same bunny). I haven't seen any of those nasty telltale signs of moles. Our cats are wonderful.

Recently, our mama cat had kittens. Five of them. They are so fun to watch. Their curiosity and playfulness makes me smile. They embrace life. They enjoy it. They explore it. Oh, so good for my heart and soul. If only I would be more like a kitten.

Today, a friend of my husband is bringing us more cats from the city. Apparently her family has "adopted" every stray cat in the neighborhood. And then they had kittens too. "Enough is enough," she said (or at least that is what I imagine she said). So the crew of cats is coming to the farm. When I asked my husband how many she was bringing... well, apparently "a lot" was the response. "This could be interesting," I said. My son will have to expand his naming business.

I'm glad we have a place for cats to run and play.

A farm cat's life may be shorter than a city cat living in a home. But, the farm cat enjoys life in a cat's sense. Chasing, hunting, and interacting in nature and each other. Our cats and kittens are a blessing to us. They love us and are affectionate toward us. We smile and laugh when they do their funny antics. And we are sad, very sad, when they succumb to the life cycle of farm life. I am grateful for their life and their service on our fruit and vegetable farm.

Today's Journey Joy: Laughing with the kittens

Ponderings

2009-06-24T16:09:00.003-05:00

I am tired today. Physically. Some of it has to do with the very warm temperatures. Better than yesterday, it is only 86 degrees today (so far). I have been trying to find my corn among the mass of grass surrounding them. I am succeeding but the process is long (and so are the rows!). Another reason I am tired is that I am a little overwhelmed. So much to do. And only so much time and energy to do it all in. (I am currently taking a break from being outside...very pleasant).

Laundry, folding, ironing, dishes, scrubbing, floors, bee boxes, priming & painting, supering and checking the hives, weeding, weeding, and weeding, picking berries, teaching, parenting, supervising, morning & evening chores of chickens, kittens, puppies, and baby cockerels. Bills, paperwork, marketing, sign building and painting, web designing, business cards, dinner, showers, grocery shopping, piano lessons, library day, chatting, summer schooling, Farmer's Market and more....

I remind myself: how does one accomplish a great task? One step at a time. So I persevere and press on. Enjoying the quiet time of birds singing, bees buzzing, flies whizzing and butterflies drifting lazily as I weed. Enjoying and rejoicing in my son who gently and lovingly teaches his sister with Down Syndrome about reading and games. Enjoying watching and interacting with the "things of nature". How amazing the process of life is.

Yesterday, I threw some of the last of the strawberries to the new chickens. Earlier this year the third grade class borrowed our 42 egg incubator and Mrs. Schafer brought eggs from her sister's farm. The eggs were an assortment of brown, white, and green eggs. And we certainly got an assortment of chickens from them. I think about 75% hatched. About a 50/50 ratio between boys and girls. The little hens are with the older hens in the "big house" while the cockerels are still in a smaller pen in the garage. I do not want to mix them. I am hoping to try caponizing again this weekend. Hopefully it will go better than the last time. In the meantime, it is fun seeing the new colors to our flock.

Today's Journey Joy: Growing

Peek-a-boo

2009-06-22T16:47:00.002-05:00

It is toasty warm today... 90 degrees as I write. The humidity must be up there as well. Sticky hot. King Two-Toes, our kind and faithful Buff Orpington Rooster is staying cool in the Virginia Creeper vine. He is a good rooster. He has never threatened anyone. Calls his girls home in a timely manner. Hops to their aid when they need him.

We had thought about replacing King Two-Toes. (Although I keep calling him, "Mr. Two-Toes".) We even purchased some baby cockerels. But I've changed my mind. He doesn't seem to be suffering in his condition (two toes on one foot and the other foot can't bear much weight...hence the hopping). He is alert, active and friendly. My kind of rooster. He won't quite let us pet him, but he is still kind.

Sometimes a disability is an asset. Sometimes.... events or "problems" or concerns have a way of teaching... or helping to grow... grow in a way that is new, unforeseen, even unwanted. A kind of pruning. Lord, help me to embrace life's new adventures.... even when they are not my will. Help me to see and experience life in Your plan.

Today's Journey Joy: Embracing Rooster different - ability

2009-06-20T19:35:00.004-05:00

Life is full. Life is good. God has blessed. And I am truly thankful.

~Garden vegetables surviving the storm.
~Strawberries selling well. And tasting great!
~Raspberries starting to ripen.
~Becoming more comfortable as a vendor at the Farmer's Market.
~A husband that serves and serves and loves and loves. He is remarkable.
~Lawn tractors mowing 2 acres of grass. New tractors with a replaced slip clutch mowing 5 foot high grass.
~Bees making honey.
~Potatoes flowering.
~Alpha birthing two kittens. And they look just like her. Right down to the gray spot on her white head. Alpha-1 and Alpha-2?
~Baby hens adapting to their new home with the big hens.
~King Two-toes hopping much better.
~Warm and long showers with lots of soap and suds.
~Weeds, weeds, weeds, weeds...did I mention weeds? I really can grow something! ☺
~Making Gator trails and fun rides with the family.
~Company coming over. My house is a mess. I am learning to embrace it and have people over anyway. Strange... they are coming over tomorrow and I spend the day mowing... "so that it will look nice". But my kitchen floor still needs mopping (scrubbing?) and supper hasn't even started. But home is for sharing. And I am looking forward to their visit (all dozen-or-so of them!)

Life is full. Life is good. God has blessed.

Thank You, God!

Today's Journey Joy - The Journey

Strawberries

2009-06-16T14:15:00.003-05:00

Yum! It's strawberry time. Well, actually it has been strawberry pickin' time for the past two weeks. First, the Cavendish strawberries became ripe, then the Cabots, and now the Jewel strawberries. I've been selling them (once) at the Farmer's Market and to friends and colleagues of my husband. My small little patch has made enough to almost cover the insurance for the Farmer's Market. Next year we will have four more rows of Cavendish. I am wishing that I planted Jewel instead of the Canvendish. But I'll plant more of that variety next year. The reason I wish I had planted differently is that the Cavendish, although tasty, big, and early, tends to get the gray mold very easily. The Jewel variety keeps its fruit off the ground for the most part and doesn't seem to be as susceptible to the fungus that causes the mold. In addition, Jewel is very tasty and sweet.

This morning my wonderful husband took six quarts to work to sell. (For those interested, we sell our strawberries at $4/quart and they are always less than 24 hours old.) I still had seven pints from yesterday picked. And before the rains came mid morning Ben and I picked the Jewel row again. We (well, more like I) picked four more quarts. What to do with that many strawberries? I could freeze them for future strawberry desserts or make jam out of them or squish them up and top ice cream with them ( a very scrumptious thing to do!). But recently while I was slicing some for my breakfast cereal I remembered that I purchased a super food dehydrator last year. So I've been dehydrating my extra strawberries.

At first I was slicing them individually by hand. Painstakingly slow. Sort of fun, but when there are a couple of gallons of strawberries to slice that gets a little tedious. My resourceful husband to the rescue again. He suggested trying the egg slicer. It has very thin metal wires that perfectly slices a hard boiled egg into picturesque egg slices. Why not try it on the strawberries? At first I was reluctant. I figured it would just make mush out of my beautiful strawberries. But after two or so strawberries sliced perfectly I realized that the job of slicing would be a cinch. And with Ben helping me, we sliced up those strawberries, placed them on the racks, and set them in the dehydrator in no time at all.

Now the house is filled with the yummy sweet aroma of strawberries. In about 10 hours of dehydrating time the strawberries will dry down into crunchy, sort of leathery, strawberries that I will place in canning quart jars and seal tightly. They should be good for several months. I can see them on top of cereal, granola, in salads and the like. Yum!

Today's Journey Joy: strawberries

"Ally's Blog Post"

2009-06-15T15:52:00.002-05:00

Today is my first post on my mom's blog. This is a picture of me wearing safety goggles and my pajamas. These are some of the words I know: zoo, dad, sad, happy, cat, mom, dad, Ben. I am learning new words all the time. I will share more another day.

~ Ally

John Deere 3720 Blessings

2009-06-13T21:26:00.003-05:00

A few weeks back a tragedy occurred. The JD 2210 that we have had for about six years got broken. Apparently the brush mower that was cutting some of the tall grass struck a stump and the impact sent reverberations up through the PTO and into the drive shaft. $9000 to fix. Yikes! Alas, we needed a new tractor. We can not run our fruit and vegetable farm without the ability to use a PTO. The PTO rototills, chips up wood brush, runs the mower deck and the brush mower. All essential implements for a small farm. So off to the John Deere guys.

After looking over all the options we decided that a 3720 would meet or exceed our needs. We have found in the past few years that we tend to run a machine to its limits. So hopefully this new tractor will be able to run the farm. We got a new (bigger, faster, stronger) rototiller, a broom (to sweep snow and grass) and.... the best part (for my husband who gets a twinkle in his eye just talking about it)... a grapple bucket. Check this out:

The tractor will need more weight in its tires. We are thinking about foaming the back wheels. That should help.

We also had fun seeing how the rototiller worked. It was amazing. It really pulverized the dirt. Even though the soil was pretty wet with 1/2 inch of rain last night. I was pretty impressed. I can hardly wait to till the rest of the popcorn and sweet corn fields so I can plant the last plantings.

The other journey joy is that my resourceful husband believes that he can make the old 2210 work... maybe not like new, but at least functional.

Today's Journey Joy: Tractor blessings

Green and Yellow

2009-06-12T20:36:00.006-05:00

It came today! We got the new John Deere Gator. It's a 620i 4x4 XUV series with all sorts of fun stuff on it. I've been wanting one for quite some time. Just imagine what I can do with it. It has an electric dump too. My husband also put a front cargo rack so I can haul even more stuff. Of course I had to try it out as soon as it came. So the whole family jumped in and we went four wheeling. Max, the wonderful sales guy from John Deere, said I could go through anything. So we decided to go through the marsh with grass growing over five feet tall. Pollen and stuff was flying everywhere. Check this video out:

Doesn't that look like fun?

Today's Journey Joy: Journeying joyfully in the Gator

Another swarming day

2009-06-08T16:33:00.002-05:00

Yes, it is another. Another swarm. This one was about 10 feet high on a walnut tree just behind the likely suspected hive. It was a good size swarm. Probably about 4-5 pounds of bees.

Because the last one got away while I was preparing their site, I quickly decided that I could get this swarm all by myself. Waiting five hours until my husband got home was not ideal. They could fly away too. I've never gotten a swarm without my husband's assistance (ok, he gets the swarm with my assistance). But today I was determined.

I grabbed a six foot rickety wooden ladder from the garage, my five gallon bucket, the big and little loppers and some honey. When I got to the tree where the swarm was I realized that 10 feet high is a long way up when you only have a six foot ladder. Ah.... a challenge. Isn't that what everyone wants on a Monday afternoon?

Well, I snipped the branches that were in my way, climbed to the next to the top step (yes, the one above the step that says "do not stand or sit on or above this step"), and bonked the majority of the swarm into the bucket. I got about 75% of the swarm. The rest were not pleased with my acrobatics. But while they were buzzing around trying to find the culprit who disrupted their cozy formation, I walked the bucket of bees to their new location (the one I had gotten ready for a previous swarm). I "gently" dumped the bees into their new home, squirted some honey on the hives and watched them line up on both sides of the honey in neat little rows. I wish I had brought my camera.

I went back to the branch several more times. Each time I would get a few more bees. Eventually a double fist-full of bees decided that they would return to the parent hive and abandoned this swarm. That's alright.... the swarm will be big enough.

I checked a few minutes ago and the new bees seem to be reoriented to the new box and are busy bringing pollen and nectar in to make more bees. They will be busy. I had no drawn out comb for these girls. But they will be safe and dry. I wonder if they swarmed yesterday. We had a great big rain and storm last night. No wonder they weren't too happy. But rest assured. All is well now.

Today's Journey Joy: Hiving a swarm all by myself

The one that got away

2009-06-06T19:53:00.005-05:00

Well, that didn't work. Plan C that is. Plan A was to reach the swarm and get them in a hive. Unfortunately, Plan A was not to work because the swarm was thirty-something feet high. So, Plan B: Fling a rock up to the branch and suspend a drawn-out frame with honey next to them from a rope or line. Unfortunately, the bees didn't think that was such a good idea. They ate the honey and stayed in their swarm formation. So... Plan C: attach a 5 gallon bucket to a telescoping limb lopper, stand on / in the bucket of the tractor fully extended (14 feet) and cut the branch allowing the swarm to fall neatly into the bucket. Good idea. Unfortunately, easier said than done. The swarm was thirty something feet high. The tractor was 14 feet extended. My adventurous husband was a little over 6 feet high with extended arms. And the telescoping limb lopper... about 12 feet with a five gallon bucket taped to it. Total length: 32 feet. Guess what? The swarm was juuuussssttt out of reach. So jumping (a little) in the tractor bucket to bonk the limb and "catch" a bunch of flying bees became Plan D. Believe it or not he got some. We put them in a hive hoping we got the queen. Well.... next morning.... no bees in the hive.... and a new swarm formed in the trees. Guess they didn't like being bonked out of a tree and dumped into a hive box.

Well the new branch was lower. Yeah! We could get it. So I started making a level area for the new hive and in a different location. It probably took me about 20 minutes. Getting the ground level but slightly inclined forward... About 1 minute before I was done I heard the familiar sound. Yes, you guessed it. The humming and buzzing of thousands of bees flying. My swarm was swarming! Ah!!! Try, as I could, I attempted to chase them. They flew high into the sky and went north. Within 5 minutes they were out of my view. I hope they found a safe, dry place to live. It was the first swarm that got away.

But good news prevails. At the same time as we were retrieving the swarm with the bucket (or at least attempting to retrieve it) another swarm settled next to this swarm. Just out of reach again but somehow the bonking technique got the queen. We got a bunch of bees, put them in the box, closed the lid, and walked away. They are happy and buzzing today.

Four swarms; three caught. Tomorrow, weather permitting, I will put more honey supers on 2 or 3 of the hives. Next weekend (or perhaps the following) we will harvest the spring honey. I can hardly wait. My mouth is watering just thinking of that golden sweetness.

Today's Journey Joy: chasing swarms

Another Swarm...Way Up High

2009-06-03T11:52:00.009-05:00

It has been raining for the past two or so days. I've been told that when that happens the bees have little to do but think about swarming. (Just a little anthropomorphism). Well, today is a bright seventy degree day. A gentle breeze and a pleasant change from the previous gray days.

As I was taking a morning stroll around the gardens to monitor the "weed factor" I walked over to the bee yard. The yard is now ten hives strong. Only one hive is a little week coming out of the winter. I looked up and down the trees bordering the yard. Way up high, about 30 feet or so, I noticed the typical "clump" of brown dangling bees from a box elder tree high up on some branches. There was no way the tractor could reach these bees. So time for "Plan B".

I read on the Beesource Forum that sometimes one can lure bees from their temporary branch by either resting a nuc box (a wooden box with 5 frames in my case), or just a frame of drawn out comb, close to their current swarm location. The goal is that the bees will be persuaded to leave their little branch and cluster on the provided frame. The frame would be slowly brought to the ground and then placed in a box. Great idea. So I grabbed my surveyors lime green line and some kind of blue metal bracket and attempted to throw the line above the branch where the bees were located. Unfortunately, I am no swinging mama and the weight went over an adjacent branch quite far from the one which was aimed. Oops. Worse, was the fact that the "weight" got caught up in the tree. Boy, I hope that blue bracket isn't important. It will be sometime before we will be able to get it down.

So then, I cut the line, found a roundish shaped rock (in hopes that "round" wouldn't get caught in branches... just in case my aim wasn't any better). After a couple of pathetic attempts I finally did get the line over the branch that the swarm was resting on. The little rock was removed and then I smothered some old honey on a frame of drawn out comb and hoisted it up the tree. That's what you see in the picture: A swarm to the right and my frame in the left.

I've never attempted a swarm collection in this fashion. I'll have to report again on whether it was successful. In the meantime I set up a nuc with lemongrass oil, drawn out frames, and a little honey near the garage. Maybe the bee scouts (no, not boy scouts) will find it and fly the group to it.

Today's Journey Joy: attempting new swarm collections

Friends

2009-06-02T15:06:00.003-05:00

No, she doesn't always have a mint cookie delight ice cream cone from Whitey's in her hand. In fact, this is the first time I've ever seen her with one. (ok, I confess. It's mine... I asked her to hold it while I took the picture.)

But she does have a warm, embracing, accepting and loving way about her. I mean, look at that smile. How can you not smile back? Meet my friend. I am blessed.

I am blessed to have a friend who holds her relationship with Christ, with her husband and with her children in the forefront of life. Her words are thoughtful, encouraging, gentle, and penetrating. Who could ask for a better friend? She is creative in ways that I have not been gifted. She is a strong prayful woman....often reminding me of the impossible woman. You know, the Proverbs 31 lady. She can do it all. And she does it all well. Isn't it great to be able to rub shoulders with someone like her? Indeed, I am a blessed woman to have Stacy as my friend.

Today's Journey Joy: friends

Humming Tree...Bzzzzzzzz

2009-06-01T16:00:00.006-05:00

I look forward to it every year. Our humming tree. No, not a humming bird. A humming tree. Every year around this time (late May - early June) the tulip poplar tree breaks out in bloom. Traditionally, this tree is considered one of those "weed trees". Easy to grow, fast growing, and (relatively) short lived. The leaves resemble a combination of a maple and a poplar (at least in my opinion). It provides us with nice shade and a burst of yellow tulip-looking flowers every year.

Some years the tulips are "drowned" in the spring rains. They bloom for about one week and so, if it is the week where there is a lot of rain, the nectar in the flower is washed out or at least diluted.

But this year the rains have yet to ruin the flowers. And hence, the tree is a-buzz. A-buzz with happy, busy, honey-making, beautiful bees. You can stand under the tree and hear the humming. It is a low pitched, constant humming. In fact, my son, standing under the tree yesterday said, "It sounds like a whole hive up there!" Well, he's probably close to right. I would guess there are representatives from all of our ten hives up there.

It is predicted to rain tonight. And rain hard. Storms might even come. I sure hope the bees are working hard. The banquet table will be empty by morning.

Today's Journey Joy: listening to the humming of bees

Zilchie and her kittens

2009-05-30T21:36:00.002-05:00

I marvel at our cat. She's patient, clean, productive, gentle, and wonderful. She had her second litter of kittens. Last year she had four. This year she had five. My son has named them: Episolon, Zeta, Eta (who I call "Fluffy"), Tippy and Boots.

Zilchie just gives and gives to her little ones. Lately, she has been hunting for them and bringing back little mice. They gobble them up right away. But any time she is around they want to nurse. Sometimes she lets them; other times she doesn't. She takes care of herself too. Today, I saw her resting in the shade for a couple of hours. Perhaps I should learn something from Zilchie.

Rest anyone?

Today's Journey Joy: Observing our mama cat

Second swarm of the season

2009-05-29T21:01:00.009-05:00

Last evening, after I put my bee suit on and proceeded to jump on the JD 700 to mow around the beehives, I looked up and...well, you guessed it. Another swarm. From the ground it looked massive. Bigger than any swarm I had ever seen. It apparently came from one of my swarm- happy hives. The hive in question swarmed over four times last year. (Which means I need to get in there and make a split!).

After zipping back to the house I asked my wonderful husband to come and help. The swarm was big and the tractor would be needed. (I wonder why they don't land on lower branches.) He went out to the Morton building to get the tractor, another deep and frames and his medium gloves. I got his suit, veil, loppers, and branches.

When I got to the location where we were going to put this new swarm I found out that the deep that we had staged earlier was missing a frame and so I hiked back to the house and found a frame. We got everything ready and then drove the tractor to the swarm.

The swarm was about 15-20 feet high in a tree a little down the hill from the likely hive. I lifted my husband up in the loader. The picture looks like he is standing on the ground. In fact, he is in the bucket of the loader raised about 12 feet high. The plan was to cut the branch and bring the branch and swarm intact to the new hive via the slow moving tractor. It turned out that I climbed the into the loader with my swarm catching honey. He held the branch while I attempted to cut it. Unfortunately, the loppers were pretty dull and when I finally cut through the branch the cut jerked the branch and a bunch of bees fell into the loader bucket.

I carefully climbed down the loader (with bees flying erverywhere and landing on me) trying not to dislodge any more bees. But the branch that was cut had many little branches and I'm afraid that my body hit the swarm a couple of times. That didn't help matters.

Eventually we got to the new hive box and gave them a quick little tap into the deep. They fell into the hive nicely but then decided that the walls of the deep were where they wanted to hang out. Usually the bees move quickly into the frames. Where was the queen? I never did find her. Hopefully she is in there.

We, after awhile, gently filled the top deep with frames (some drawn out and some not). Put the telescoping cover on, the lid, and some heavy rocks. As usual, we put some branches in front of the hive to help them reorient to the new location. In this case the new location was only about 25 feet west and uphill from the old.

I briefly checked on them today. Just to see if there was some activity. And there was. That's a good sign. Looks like we have a new hive. That's ten now. I can hardly wait to taste the honey.

Today's Journey Joy: Catching swarms

What to do with carpenter ants?

2009-05-27T10:28:00.004-05:00

A week or two ago my adventurous husband cut down the dying soft maple tree. It kept dropping small limbs on our driveway (where we park the cars). It also easily broke and had numerous danglers. The tree was a beautiful shade tree and every year the helicopters would go flying from it. But there were also signs that all was not well. There was a large crotch area where rain would enter into the tree. After almost every rain there were saw dust-like substances coming out of holes. Probably not good. So, my wise husband, the JD tractor, and I, all had a hand in bringing the ole tree down.

It came down with a crash and a big thud. Big black ants crawled everywhere. They were going this way and that way. Some carrying little larvae, others just running for their lives. But with a quick little call to our chicken friends..."here, chick, chick, chick, chickens!" the question of what to do with all those ants was answered.

Red, our only Rhode Island Red chicken (who believes she is top on the pecking order) found something a little more substantial in the tree debris. Some great big wiggly larvae. Could it be a cicada bug? I don't know. I remember that we found a lot of them last year in a dying hackberry tree. The chickens liked them too. Anyway, Red grabbed this wormy guy and ran with it. It took her several "bites" to down the whole thing. Pretty efficient way of getting rid of bugs.

Today's Journey Joy: Watching chickens enjoy a good meal

First Swarm of 2009

2009-05-21T10:45:00.007-05:00

Eight of our 11 hives survived the winter. Pretty good since it was one of the coldest winters on record. I had given them granulated sugar piled high on a cardboard pizza plate and placed in an empty super for emergency supply. Some needed it, others did not. I did a brief inspection about a week and a half ago. Many of the hives were strong and needed supering. So seven of the eight hives were given a box full of frames (some already drawn out) so that they could store their honey.

But one hive was acting a little weird earlier this week. On Sunday when my husband and I were walking back to the Morton building we noticed that at 10:00 in the morning there was an awful lot of activity around the buckfast hive (I only have one buckfast; all the others are Italians All stars). It looked like they were doing orientation flights. But that is usually done in mid to late afternoon. "But," I thought, "Maybe buckfasts do things differently." Alas, it is not so. They were "practicing". Practicing for the great move. You see, when bees feel that they do not have enough room to expand they swarm. The old queen takes a bunch of the bees and flies away to find a new home. That's how bee colonies reproduce. A very natural and effective way of expanding. Great for the bees. Not so great for the beekeeper. Less bees = less honey.

Yesterday (Wednesday) I went to the building again and noticed some bearding on the hive. I thought, "Odd... but maybe 84 degrees is hot for the hive. I will have to check their screen bottom board and make sure it is open." But I didn't get a chance. By the time I got to the building and got the tractor running (less than 5 minutes!) a great cloud of bees were dancing and flying and.... well, you guessed it..... swarming! It was amazing to watch. Bees everywhere. They reminded me of the flock of blackbirds migrating in the fall. They all flew together. Up and down; here and there. Flying to this tree and then to that tree. All I could do was watch and pray, "Please bees, land in a low branch." Fifteen minutes went by and then I saw it. They were congregating on a relatively (12 foot high) low branch of a walnut tree about 15 feet away from the hive they had recently departed. "Yeah!" I said. And quickly went to get my bee equipment: hive, frames, bee suit and limb cutter.

I parked the tractor right under the swarm. Lifted the bucket up and realized that although they were assessable, I would need another helper. I could climb the loader and snip the branch, but how then would I get back down? The branch and all the bees would probably weigh 25 pounds. I'm strong, but not that strong... especially when the 25 pounds could fly away. I would have to wait until my husband came home (One and a half hours later). ("Oh please, don't fly away!")

When he got home he quickly came to my aid. He re-leveled my spot for the prospective new hive and dressed up in his bee gear. I lifted him up to the branch in the loader and then climbed into the loader myself. He held the branch while I cut it. Then I gingerly climbed back into the tractor, gently lowered the bucket while rotating it so that I wouldn't dump my precious cargo(my husband!) and slowly drove the tractor to the new hive location (about 100 feet west and up the hill).

We had previously put a deep full of half drawn out comb and an empty deep with frames ready to go in at the location. My husband simply bonked the branch on the side of the deep and the majority of the bees "fell" into the hive. Some flew around...not too happy we disturbed them. But none were aggressive. They had just eaten. They had nothing to protect yet. No babies, no food stores. Just them. So they were very gentle. I've even heard that many people capture swarms without protective gear. I could believe that. I'm just not quite ready for that experience. The suit helps me. Keeps me calm.

We closed up the hive, put a couple of white cedar branches in front of the hive entrance so they would reorient to the new location and walked away. A successful capture.

I haven't checked on the new hive yet. I sure hope they are happy and have stayed put. I will need to go through the old hive and see if I need to break up the brood so that the hive will not swarm again. I'm happy we got this one. But prevention of swarms is a much better practice.... unless you like climbing trees.

Today's Journey Joy: capturing bee swarms

Let the Weeds Begin

2009-05-19T16:35:00.005-05:00

How come they grow so readily? So well? So prolifically? That's one thing I can grow. I can grow weeds. But perhaps the point. I don't grow weeds... they grow themselves. Images of weed-free rows with productive and healthy plants creep into my mind's eye every spring. I plan; I order; I till; I plant. But weeds do not need tending. They grow where they are unwanted. Sucking up nutrients and moisture. Taking from the desire-ables.

Over the years I've learned a thing or two about weeds. Prevent them. Mulch with as much seed-free grass, straw or other clippings. As thick as you can lay it. Lay cardboard between wide rows and cover them up with wet mulch. Grow a winter cover crop. And when prevention doesn't work.... Get 'em early. Get 'em often.

But inevitably the weeds seem to win. Every year I say "It'll be better this year." And it usually is better. The soil is better amended. The weeds are prevented from growing and reproducing through mulch. But every year I seem to make the garden bigger. This year was a monumental expansion. I have never had four huge gardens before. It covers almost three acres. And somehow, in my mind, I think I'm going to keep this under control.

Notice I didn't say "weed-free". No, I am learning to adapt and modify. To live with some weeds. To remove as many as I can. And to help the fruits and vegetables flourish.

As I sit here and contemplate this weedy problem I am struck by the parallel between gardening and organizational structures. Regardless of the organization (or the garden!) the goal is to produce a good crop. But there are weeds. Weeds in the department. Some are noxious and pervasive. Some are irritating. Some can choke out the new idea or venture. Some abscond with the resources. And sometimes I may be the weed. I must remember, weeds are plants or flowers that are not where they are wanted. (Even poison ivy is tasty to goats.) And just as in gardening, I may not be able to get rid of every weed.... I need to learn to live with them. And learn to live well. Can a life with weeds be lived joyfully? I think so. I must learn to do so.

Today's Journey Joy: Looking at weeds afresh

Mulching

2009-05-18T10:20:00.006-05:00

Over the past couple of years a very nice tree service has been dumping their wood chips at our place. We thought it was a mountain. We were to find out that our mountain was insufficient to cover the need.

We started the process by first loading the mulch into the old dump truck. (I probably shouldn't call it "old". It's a good little truck.)

Then I would attempt to drive the truck (in low gear) out to the blueberry field. That was an adventure in and of itself. The truck is a manually driven Ford 4X4 (I think it's a F350). It's the manual part that is tricky. I have certainly driven many cars and trucks that are manually driven, but this one requires a different touch. I would jerk and jolt and run up the engine. Not a pretty site.

Anyway, I would drive the truck out to the field and line up the tires on the outside of the blueberry rows. My husband would then rake or coerce the mulch to land in neat piles between the plants. I would then proceed to the next plant. How do you mulch 1200 blueberry plants? One at a time.

We would end up with piles of wooden mulch up and down the rows. I would then follow with the rake and smooth it out. It made a nice 4 inch mulch around the berries.

We are not quite finished. There are about 4 complete rows yet to go. (Each load barely covers one row.) But our mountain is gone. Looks like we will have to use straw or hay mulch until the tree service can help us some more.

Last weekend I went through the field and snipped off all the lovely blueberry bells...the pretty little flowers that eventually turn into blueberries. It was a hard thing to do. But it was the right thing to do. Pruning comes in many forms.... and is usually best in the long run. Much like life, eh?

Today's Journey Joy: growing blueberries

Hard Working Boy

2009-04-24T20:46:00.002-05:00

Peat moss everywhere. Box knife in hand. 600 bales to open. Only a mommy and a daddy to help. At first this growing boy was reluctant... the task was so big... and there were so many other things (in particular, computer programming) to do. But we needed him to help. The truck with the plants was to arrive in only a few hours.

He worked hard. He worked fast. He worked creatively. Slice this way, slice that way. Slice six ways. Slice four ways. Collect plastic peat moss bags flying over the field. Run up and down the rows. Jump up and down with excitement.

After many, many hours, I believe this young boy learned a lot about the intrinsic value of a good days work. He had fun.

Today's Journey Joy: my son

Making of a Blueberry Field (Part II)

2009-04-20T16:23:00.008-05:00

I last wrote about our preparations for the new blueberry field. But alas, I didn't describe the planting. When I last wrote I don't think I had even taken any photos of the process. I almost didn't get any either. Every spare minute was planting. Monday I planted 60 blueberries between rain drops. Tuesday I planted 180 plants. Wednesday another 180 plants (give or take a few). Thursday I only planted 120 plants (I had a Farmer's Market Association meeting). But on Friday both my husband and I were home in the morning. We finished planting them all. There were about 20 extra plants in the many bundles of bushes so all in all we planted about 1220 blueberry plants. On Friday, at about 11:30, I remembered that I hadn't taken a picture. So quick! Out with the camera for the "staged" planting.

First, my husband would dig a small hole and then gently place the plant in the hole while spreading out the roots.

Next, he would mound up the peat moss / soil mixture high around the planting.

Then I would come after him and deliberately, but gently, firm the soil around the plants with my boots. I would go around the plants in a little circle making sure that there were no pockets or depressions that might trap air or water.

And then, finally, it was done. All the blueberries were planted. I had to go to work for a long meeting but my wonderful husband stayed and watered all 500 that we had planted that morning.

Yesterday, it rained and rained and rained. Thankfully we will not have to water for at least a week or two. But as soon as the soil can hold up the tractor we will be mulching the soil in the rows. The mulch has been sitting in great big piles for a year or two. Should be a great cover.

Today's Journey Joy: Blueberries planted!

The Makings of a Blueberry Field

2009-04-13T20:14:00.011-05:00

I realize I have been delinquent in writing. It's almost spring. And like many gardeners, I have been scurrying with activity. The sprouts now need hardening, the garden tilling, and the later vegetables starting. But that's not what has occupied my time (mine and the rest of the family!). We have been preparing for a blueberry field.

There is a lot of thought and preparation needed to grow blueberries. Unlike most berries and many vegetables, blueberries are quite particular about the pH of their soil. They prefer and do best in 4.5-5.5 pH. Now that's acidic soil. But to get my soil that acidic I would have had to add sulfur to the soil last fall. Needless to say life was quite busy last fall and I was unable to prepare the field. So after much research and question asking I discovered that one could actually add 1 cubic foot of peat moss to each 12 inch hole and acidify and add organic matter sufficient for blueberry growing. Pricey yes. But since I had ordered my blueberries 18 months ago and there was no return of my rather substantial 25% deposit, we had little options.

As soon as the early spring rains gave us a break we began the field. It all started out by laying the rows out. Four foot wide rows with five foot aisles. We were going to plant 1200 plants. Yes, that's right, 1200. So after doing the math and checking out our field we determined that we needed 20 rows of 240 feet long. We carefully layed out the stakes and measured and marked each row. Then my husband pulled some wire for a guide. I rototilled each row. It looked great. Then late into the night he rototilled them again. Four days later I rototilled again. And two days after that yet again. Then it was time to drill the holes.

I don't know if the thought of digging out 1200 holes 16 inches across and 12 inches deep seems daunting to you... it sure did to me. But.... wonderful husband to the rescue again. He attached the post hole digger / auger to the backhoe and proceeded to do the hard hole digging the smart way. But first we had to lay out the pattern. So we once again got out the tape measure and measured four foot marks along the grass. I would drive the tractor and when the front tire just crossed the painted mark, my husband would then drill the hole. This went on for 1200 holes. (7 hours later....)

Next was the peat moss delivery. Then the moving of the peat moss bales (all 600 of them). Then the opening of the peat moss and dumping into the holes. Then the mixing.... well, that stopped after 25 holes. We tried initially to stir them up by hand. After an hour we realized that it wasn't going to work. Rototiller to the rescue again. We tilled the peat moss in. That technique worked well. And we didn't have a heart attack in the process.

Then the delivery of the plants.

And now, finally, the planting. ...We are still not done with that part. (nor have I taken any pictures) The rains came again. We have five rows done. It takes about 30-40 minutes/row to plant. Hopefully we will be done before the end of the week.

It is all very exciting. I have so many thoughts to share...they will have to wait for future posts. Suffice to say that my son learned (and enjoyed!) hard work. And I discovered within myself a blossoming new respect and love for my husband (as if it could be possible to love anyone any more... no wonder he's the best husband in the world!) More on those subjects later.

Gardening is physically taxing at times.... My body is still in recovery. I am very thankful for ibuprofen, water, and rest... oh yes.... and a hot shower.

I should be in great shape in no time!

Today's Journey Joy: The beginning of a blueberry farm

Broccoli Anyone?

2009-03-30T16:38:00.004-05:00

The sprouts continue to grow. Three more weeks and they will go outside for "hardening" and eventual planting. The tomatoes and peppers have sprouted as well. They will stay in the basement (under the grow lights) until mid May.

Hard to imagine that it will be warm enough for planting soon. It snowed this weekend. And it isn't warm enough to melt yet.

Today's Journey Joy: Growing starter plants

Peeking Out

2009-03-25T16:49:00.005-05:00

It was a warm, sunny early spring day. The winter bees were collecting pollen. The robins were searching for worms. Our tom cat was searching for girl cats.

I spotted this brave little strawberry plant outside of the straw mulch. Most of its friends were still tucked under the straw... waiting for the infamous day...the expected last freeze date (April 15th). It is then that I will gently uncover the the rows of strawberries and encourage them to grow.

But this little guy? He may make it. But it is hard for one to thrive without support. True for me as well.

I am thankful today for "my support"....the best husband on the planet, wonderful healthy and growing children, faithful and encouraging friends, faithful and passion-driven coworkers, a caring supportive church family, and eternal hope. With such support... well, I should weather spring's unpredictability. And hopefully..... well, hopefully, bear some juicy sweet fruit when the weather warms.

Today's Journey Joy - support

Leaning sprouts

2009-03-16T17:39:00.004-05:00

Stretching, yearning, reaching... oh, if only I could reach it.... if I could touch it, wrap my winter softened fingers around it.

My being longs for the warmth of spring, the promise of life afresh. New growth, new hope. As the red cabbage sprouts lean toward the bright afternoon sun, so too, do I lean. Leaning.... and hoping...

Today's journey joy: Seeds sprouting

It has begun!

2009-03-12T17:33:00.006-05:00

It has begun.... The robins have returned. Their musical calls ring out in the midmorning sun and throughout the day. A few brave buds have begun greening. The snow covered fields have long lost their white blanket. And the ground is thawing. Mud, water, struggling weeds (already). But is has begun. Spring. There is hope.

Along with warmer temperatures, rain, and longer sunlight hours, my hopes and aspirations for a fabulous and productive garden abound. No, I do not have a greenhouse, or a cold frame, or access to a nursery with all my desired plants. I have a couple of card tables, tongue blades, fresh potting soil, wonderful seeds and a couple of flourescent grow lights. It may not seem like much. But it is a start. I've started the earliest vegetables... cauliflower (both the Amazing and Cheddar varieties), broccoli, cabbage (red and the typical green), and egg plant ("dusky"). Next weekend I will start the peppers (all five varieties) and the tomatoes (four varieties). I'll probably have to start a few flowers as well. Soon, the table will be growing with green sprouts. The fields will be tilled, the mulch prepared, the rows will be planted...Ok, I'm getting carried away.... that's many weeks ahead.

In the meantime I will take photos of the "garden" and enjoy the joy in tending the vegetables.

Today's Journey Joy: Beginnings

Words of Encouragement

2009-03-11T14:08:00.002-05:00

"Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. "

~Habakkuk 3-17-18

Test time

2009-03-05T13:11:00.002-06:00

It's 1:13 pm. I'm standing in front of my class. They are serious, contemplative and hard working. They are taking a test. I've been teaching them the pathology of the cardiovascular system for the past two weeks. We've covered topics like myocardial infarction, hypertension, cardiac tamponade, pleural effusions, atherosclerosis, valvular diseases, dysrhythmias and shock. Today, as their instructor, I get to see how well I have taught them. They don't know that it is a test... a test for me as well as for them. They are focused on recalling information and applying it to case studies. They are not thinking that their learning is partly my responsibility. There is sighing and head holding and shoulder shaking. There is page turning, pencil markings and test bubbles. I look around (they think I'm looking to see if anyone is cheating... maybe that's a little part of my motivation)....I look around and see pencil chewing, pencil spinning, pencil reading.... I wonder if there is some psychology to all this exam pencil activity.

It's been a rough couple of weeks for me. Perhaps I'll write about it someday. But the pain and anxiety and frustration are too close to the surface (even now my eyes well up). I can not afford to be less than the knowledgeable pathophysiology professor. Yes, it is a fascade. But students don't think professors are real people. With real feelings, real troubles, real joys and real frustrations. So today I am content to watch my students learn (even if they don't believe that an exam is part of the learning process). I don't have papers to grade or books to read. I have no lectures to prepare or objectives to write. Spring break is tomorrow.

It will be good to rest after this testing time....

Lingering winter and dreams of spring

2009-02-20T17:02:00.004-06:00

It's February. But it's the end of February. March is just around the corner. Spring.... really. It's coming. Yet it's hard to imagine. We woke up this morning to 11 degrees. And the weatherman says that we should expect 4-5 inches of snow to cover our brown dead fields and mud-rutted paths. But March is coming. Really.

It's fun to look at last year's garden. It sure was plentiful. One can see the giant sunflowers in the background. On the other side of them was ten rows of serendipity sweet corn. Just looking at the picture gets me excited about planting again.

You may recall that this year I am going to attempt to grow and sell produce (fruits and vegetables) for the local farmer's market. The market begins in May and is on Saturday mornings from 8-12. So I have been planning and preparing the market stuff and the growing. I still need my "tent", tables and signs, buckets, baskets, aprons, cash box, bags and the like. But the seeds came this week, so did the manual seed planter, Japanese beetle traps, row covers and popcorn shellers. I need to get the planting soil but I have plenty of those plastic plant start containers. Next weekend I will start the broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and other early spring vegetables.

Here's the list of vegetables I hope to grow this year. Did I miss anything? Suggestions?

Beet, Burpee Golden (55 days)
Beet, Red Ace Hybrid (53 days)
Broccoli, Coronado Crown Hybrid (60 days)
Cabbage, Ruby Perfect Hybrid (85 day)
Cabbage, Stonehead Hybrid (65 day)
Cauliflower, Amazing (70 day)
Cauliflower, Cheddar Hybrid (68 day)
Carrot, Purple Haze Hybrid (70 day)
Carrot, Sugarsnax 54 (68 day) Hybrid
Corn, Sweet - MIREA 350 BC (78 day) (these were quite expensive; I sure hope they are worth it!)
Corn, Sweet MIREA 308BC (71 day)
Cucumbers, H-19 Little Leaf Pickle (62 day)
Cucumber, Sweet Slice Hybrid (burpless) (62 day)
Eggplant, Dusky Hybrid (63 day)
Green Bean, Royal Burgundy Purple Pod Bush (55 days)
Kohlrabi, Kossak Hybrid (70 day)
Lettuce, Multigreen (50 day)
Lettuce, New Red Fire (29 day)
Lettuce, Salad Bowl
Lettuce, Simpson Elite
Lettuce, Summertime (70 day)
Muskmelon, Ambrosia Hybrid (84 day)
Muskmelon, Goddess Hybrid (68 day)
Muskmelon, Superstar Hybrid (86 day)
Onion, Copra Hybrid Yellow (107 days)
Onion, Mars Hybrid Purple (105 day)
Peas, Goliath Snow (68 days)
Pepper, Big Bertha PS Hybrid Bell (72 day)
Pepper, Habanero (95 day)
Pepper, Early Jalapeno (65 days)
Pepper, Super Heavyweight Hybrid Yellow (77 day)
Pepper, Yummy (73 day) [snack peppers]
Potato Sets, All-Blue
Potato Sets, Kennebec
Potato Sets, Red Norland
Potato Sets, Yukon Gold
Pumpkin, Early Sweet Sugar Pie (90-115 day)
Pumpkin, Phantom Hybrid (110 day)
Pumpkin, Snackjack Hybrid (hull-less seeds) (95 day)
Radish, German Giant (29 day)
Radish, Red Meat (30 day)
Radish, Sparkler (25 day)
Radish, White Icicle (27 day)
Squash, Aristocrat Hybrid Bush (53 day)
Squash, Butterstick Hybrid Yellow (50 day)
Squash, Heart of Gold Hybrid Winter (90 day)
Squash, Pasta Hybrid Spaghetti (92 day)
Squash, Table Ace Hybrid Winter (acorn) (80 day)
Sweet Potato, Centennial (90 day)
Swiss Chard, Bright Lights (60 day)
Tomato, Amish Paste (75-85 day)
Tomato, Big Beef Hybrid (73 day)
Tomato, Ultimate Opener Hybrid (57 day)
Watermelon, Sugar Baby

I also have some seeds from last year that I hope to grow as well:

Basil – Sweet
Beet – Chioggia (heirloom; striped)
Beet – Red Cloud
Black Eye Cow Pea
Broccoli
Bean – Black Coco
Celery – Giant Pascal
Cilantro
Corn – Ornamental (Autumn Explosion)
Corn Sweet – Luscious se/sh2
Corn Sweet – Serendipity
Cucumber – Marketer
Green Bean – Blue Lake s-7 stringless Pole (my absolute favorite green bean!)
Green Bean – Fortex Pole
Green Bean – Tricolor Bush Bean
Gourds- Autumn Wings
Gourds – Birdhouse
Lettuce – Green Ice
Lettuce – Red Fire
Lettuce – Summertime
Luffa Sponge (This should be fun!)
Nasturtium
Parsley – Italian
Pea – Experimental
Pea – Garden Pea Eclipse
Pepper – Jalapeno
Popcorn – Robust 21-82W Hybrid White
Pumpkin- Cinderella
Pumpkin – Connecticut Field
Pumpkin – Early Sweet Sugar Pie
Pumpkin – Snack Jack
Squash – Butternut
Squash – Spaghetti
Sunflower – Large Giant Grey Stripe 8-12’
Tomato – Way Ahead
Vermont Cranberry Dry Bean

Zinnias (King Arthur Reds)
Zucchini Squash-Spineless Beauty

Our last frost is anywhere from April 15th to May 1st. Yes, that is quite a long time. But there is plenty of work to do prior to the massive planting time. (Oh yes, we have 300 raspberries, 1000 blueberries and 250 chestnut tress coming as well!) I'd better get some rest.

Today's Journey Joy: Anticipation of Spring

Learning to Lay

2009-02-12T18:22:00.004-06:00

For the past several weeks our hens hatched out in August have been learning to lay. Most of them have it down fairly well. Out of 33 hens we get an average of 28 eggs per day. That's pretty good for February! Today I found the tiniest little brown egg. I wonder who layed it? I have never seen such a teeny little chicken egg (unless you're talking about a bantam).

Of course we had to see what was in it. Could it have a yolk? Was the egg shell strong? Well as one can see the "yolk" was not yellow but pale to clear. It was very hard to break. My fingers were too big to daintily crack it....hence the egg shell shard near the "yolk". I wonder what she'll lay tomorrow.

Today's journey joy: Egg surprises

Sky gazing

2009-02-10T16:18:00.002-06:00

There's something about a sunset that calms and quiets my soul. Makes me pause. "Look at me!" it beckons. And I do. I stop the frenetic activity of grading papers, making supper, folding clothes, feeding chickens, cats and dogs, cleaning house... "Look at me!" it implores. How can I not? What color. What beauty. What a lovely wrapping for the close of the day. I understand the science... how light rays refract and reflect off of tiny particles in the atmosphere. But that knowledge does not diminish the wonder. Perhaps this comparison of science and beauty is an argument in favor of beauty. I can reduce the sunset to one of molecules, energy and dust...still pretty neat. Or I can savor in the aesthetics and ponder in the painted sky. Can I do both? Not well. At least not simultaneously. Perhaps others can. Perhaps my brain can not contemplate both at the same time. Perhaps it needs training...or perhaps I should simply rest in the truth that we, as created beings, can marvel in the amazing. No other creature seems to be able to do it. Can this be part of the expressed image of God found within us?

Cold IS A Relative Thing

2009-01-28T16:47:00.004-06:00

The following is a short little essay about cold. On a day when we've been in single digits and I'm tired of the cold, it made me laugh. It was sent to me by a friend from work who happens to also be from the best state in the union (Wisconsin!).

COLD IS A RELATIVE THING

65 above zero: Floridians turn on the heat. People in Wisconsin plant gardens.
60 above zero: Californians shiver uncontrollably. People in Wisconsin sunbathe.
50 above zero: Italian & English cars won't start. People in Wisconsin drive with the windows down.
40 above zero: Georgians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, wool hats. People in Wisconsin throw on a flannel shirt.
35 above zero: New York landlords finally turn up the heat. People in Wisconsin have the last cookout before it gets cold.
20 above Zero: People in Miami all die. Wisconsinites close the windows.
Zero: Californians fly away to Mexico . People in Wisconsin get out their winter coats.
10 below zero: Hollywood disintegrates. The Girl Scouts in Wisconsin are selling cookies door to door.
20 below zero: Washington DC runs out of hot air. People in Wisconsin let the dogs sleep indoors.
30 below zero: Santa Claus abandons the North Pole. Wisconsinites get upset because they can't start the Snow-mobile.
40 below zero: ALL atomic motion stops. People in Wisconsin start saying...'Cold enough fer ya?'
50 below zero: Hell freezes over. Wisconsin public schools will open 2 hours late.

Hope of Spring

2009-01-21T18:49:00.003-06:00

It happens every year to me. It seems it happens sooner though. Last year it was mid-February. This year I am succumbing to it at the end of January. You know, it's winter weariness. I'm tired. Really tired. I wake up and it's dark. It's dark before supper. The temperatures are ccccooolllldddd. The sky pale gray-blue. Everything white, brown, golden or gray. I need green. I need yellow. I need red. I need blue. I need.... Spring.

But Spring is months away.

Perhaps it's just that I physically do not feel well. Some upper respiratory illness. Coughing, sneezing, aching, tired. Going on 3 weeks now. Ugh. I'll get better... hopefully before spring.

The bees will fly, the birds sing and the flowers will bloom. It will happen. I am hoping.

Today's Journey Joy - photos of color