Sunday, May 16, 2010
I've never felt closer!
Yesterday through the screen of the open window in my office, I heard Brett and Eddie talking about some berries growing on our property. I went to check it out for myself and sure enough there they were. Thorny bushes of wild black berries growing in the overgrown fence line. I picked a few and of course had to eat a couple. They are sweet. I picked a handful and brought them in the house and left them on the kitchen counter for others to try. I already had walked part of the fence line and found others growing wild. I made plans then to pick more the next day.
This morning I found a lid from an angel food cake to use as a bucket for the black berries and headed out the door. That's when it started. This was the most beautiful morning I can ever remember. The air was extra cool from the weak cold front that moved through this weekend, there was a light fog that gave the morning sun a special glow and music from the early birds singing. I guess I've never felt closer to God than I did this morning. Memories from the past filled by heart and it took some time for me to continue with my morning plans. God is good to give us these good memories and subdue the unpleasant past.
You can't see the trees for the forest. We've heard it over and over. I guess this is my example. I often look out my office window and see the beauty of the trees along our property line. They are a mixture of oak, pine, elm and others that I don't know their names. But while picking berries this morning I got closer than normal and I could see the beauty of what made the forest. These are the black berries that drew me closer to the forest than we normally look. I muse at what I put myself through to get to these morsel of sweetness. Before it was over thorns stuck in my fingers and tore the skin of my hands and forearms. I was hoping to pick enough for a cobbler, but don't think just one day's worth will make it. Maybe someone else will go out and pick some more tomorrow as others ripen.
I see a lot on the Internet about heirloom or antique flowers. They may not get any antiqueier than this wild rose growing in the fence line with the black berries and sweet smelling honeysuckle. This little antique rose is about to knock itself out when all these buds open. It's just getting started, there are hundreds of buds on this thorny little beauty.
Honeysuckle is really an invasive plant here in east Texas. It covers all our fence lines and climbs about anything it can find. It still smells sweet and should be a source of food for the honey bees I hope to have soon.
Speaking of honey bees, that's the newest thing on my want list. I'm gathering lumber now to build a top bar hive. Maybe several of them.
Sometimes it's really nice to have a good day.
Thanks God
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Spring Keeps Coming
After chatting with my daughter I drove over to Ben Wheeler, TX, which was a little further than I had been told, to get some tomato plants. You know, I don't even like tomatoes much, but if you plant a garden, you have to have tomatoes.
A lady 3 miles east of Ben Wheeler has a nursery at her home and advertised on Craigslist that she had tomato plants for $1.00 each, 4 to 6 inches tall. That beat the box stores by more than half. I came back with a variety of tomato plants and some pepper plant and $40 lighter and a half days ration of fuel spent. But it was a nice trip and I meet someone I liked and had a nice chat. With all this said, every old farm house between here and Ben Wheeler had either a Wisteria or Lady Banks Rose blooming in their yard. Red Buds, Dogwood, Quince and wild flowers are blooming everywhere.
Well, here it is, my biggest garden ever just waiting for me to get started. After my trip to Lott's Nursery and WalMart, I'm loaded with seeds and plants that will return my efforts 100 times. If I can hold up to the efforts. This is an effort I hope to share with many and also build a supply of food for us.
As soon as I started planting, I discovered that the man that tilled the garden spot only tilled down about 3 inches. It looked great until I started planting. I guess I'm really disappointed in the job that he did for us. Maybe by fall garden, I'll have my own tiller or adopt one of the no till methods of planting.
This is about 1/4 or 3/8 acre, I'll walk it off tomorrow and check it out. My previous gardens had been small backyard plots in very bad rocky, shallow soil. I was so happy to get to plant in this east Texas sandy loam. After working all afternoon (80 degrees) I only have about 1/8 of the garden planted. This will be more than a weekend job.
While I'm working in the garden I let the chickens out to FREE RANGE. They seem to love it. While walking through the pasture I see a lot of insects for them to feed on. Maybe cut down on the feed bill some.
Their chicken run/coop is a sled 8 x 18 feet. They eat down the weeds and grass in this area in less than a week. I try to move them weekly. I'm really glad I built the sled design. Works great.
The last couple of years have not been great, but on this Easter weekend I am grateful for what we have left. Thank you Lord. Amen.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Garden Spot
I don't have a lot to report this week. Mr. Talbert came with his Yanmar Garden Tractor and tilled about 1/4 acre. Sure looks like a lot of area to plant. I guess I'll get started next weekend. Wish I had taken a picture of Mr Talbert's garden tractor, but I forgot.
Things are turning green, another week of warm weather and everything will have their new leaves. Sue's great nephew came one day last week and fished our pond. At least we now know there are fish other than brim. Coby caught a bass and catfish. Small as they were, they weren't brim. Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against brim, I've just always considered them catfish and bass food.
I started a new brooder house for chicks but didn't get it finished. Also intended to get a small hoop house/green house up this weekend, but that didn't get done either. Spring just started and I feel like I'm already running out of spring days. I heard on the radio last week we were nearing a record number of days under 80 degree temperatures. The news tonight was predicting temperatures in the 80's this Tuesday. That's almost summer weather. Brett and Eddie started the disassemble of the horse barn (pole barn). We'll move it to a more aesthetically pleasing location in the future.
The more I study about chickens, the more old breeds I find that I like. Like the Silver Laced Wyandott and the Welsummer. So cool looking. Maybe we need a bigger farm.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
This is Texas girls, your gonna love it.
Yes, I know it was in the 70's yesterday, but this is Texas