Appetite for learning

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...

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

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

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....

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

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

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...."