I've never felt closer!

This morning started like a lot of weekend mornings. I woke up before I really wanted. Five am and while others sleep, I came to my office to be quite and read emails and blogs to which I subscribe. I had plans to go to work today but really didn't want to make the drive. The cost of fuel is a significant load on the weekly budget. I'll change my plans to go in extra early Monday morning and play catch up.


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

Spring Keeps Coming

I guess the only reason it seems that spring is running past me, is I only see it on the weekends. I got up early this morning and sat at my office window to watch the sun come up and read my email and chat online with my daughter. Much to my surprise, a Wisteria down at the property line was in full bloom. I think in the past history of this property, there had been a mobile home to the north of our new home. I think this wisteria is one of the remains of that dwelling.
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.

Garden Spot

It's Spring! 2010

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.

It was dry enough today in the pasture to move the chicken sled. Worked great. Hooked up the pickup, put it in 4 wheel drive and away we went. Now the chickens have new greens to eat. Still getting about 3 to 5 eggs a day.

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.

This is Texas girls, your gonna love it.

So those are chickens!

You may have to look close to find Cleo the Cat as she gets her first look at the chickens.

Isn't Texas Great! March and 74 degrees. Green grass.

The chickens are home and seem to be settled in, we're getting about 4 eggs a day from the 5 hens. Well, settled in is a relative thing I guess, if your ready for snow on the first full day of spring.

Yes, I know it was in the 70's yesterday, but this is Texas

Friday in the 70's, by Saturday night it was in the 30's and Sunday morning snow. Monday is to be sunny and back in the 60's and Tuesday in the 70's again. And the grass under the snow will still be green. I just wish it would dry out on the weekends so I could get a garden planted. I'm two weeks behind on getting the patatoes and onion in the ground.

The hoop house/coop is built sled style so it can be moved around the pasture. They have cleaned all the greens out of their 8' x 18' area in one week. Plans were to move it Saturday but a little Texas weather blew in and changed the plan. Maybe it will be dry enough next week to get the truck in the pasture. In the meantime I'll pull some clover and give them.

This is Chance, if your really good friends with him you can call him "Fat Chance". He's really a Rat Terrier, but in the picture above he was doing his impression of a Pointer. He just doesn't have much to point with.

And here he is with his buddy Roudy, getting a close look at the new arrivals.

I'm really behind because of the wet spring. I've had plans to have a small greenhouse up and filled with seeds by now. It just hasn't worked out because of the weather. Also wanted a small hoop house up and covered to use for a brooder this week. Looking at the weather forcast, I'll be really lucky if I can have them complete by next weekend. Oh well, those chicks, peeps, ducklings and keets can grow in someone else's brooder for another week or so.

HELP!!! HELP!!!!! HELP!!!!!!!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!

Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!

And now the rest of the story on the chicken page.

Still to Come

With the help of Sue, Eddie, David and Darcy it looks like we will get our chickens today. That's the first of several additions I hope to see this year. Guinea fowl, pheasants, ducks, geese, rabbits, hogs, bees and an outside dog that can guard. Oh yeah, a freezer. Oh yeah, GOATS! Oh yeah, fish for the pond.

Don't miss the City Slickers Page

Don't miss the City Slickers visit Dog Alley. Can be found on the City Slickers page to the right.

I don't know when it happened

I don't know what happened or when it happened, but this working all day has reached a point of being difficult. I don't think it has anything to do with being 66 this month or sitting behind a desk all week. Building a chicken coop is hard work. Oh well, just keep after it a little at a time.

It's gotta start somewhere

This is just for me. If someone else reads and benefits, that's great. This is just a place for me to keep my thoughts and dreams. A place where I can make a plan and change it without damage or cost.

The past few day showed me how unprepared my family is in dealing with what I considered an inconvenience. The Dallas and East Texas area had snowfall around 10 or 12 inches. It didn't keep me from work or going to the store or other necessary destinations. It did cause me to be without power in our home for 4 days.

We've had ice storms in our area that were more difficult to traverse, lasted longer and did more damage. But I had power at home. I had lights and heat and my food did not spoil. I slept in comfort, cooked, washed, showered, flushed and watched TV. But with the loss of electricity, these comforts, these necessities, were compromised.

This is what we had. A fireplace, small but kept us somewhat warm. What we didn't have was enough wood to burn. Yes, I tried to buy more, but everyone was sold out. So I cut down an oak tree and smoked us out of the house. Live an learn. Next year I'll cut plenty of wood in advance and have a place to keep it dry. 3 coal oil lamps, at least that's what we called them when I was a kid. Ran out of lamp oil after a couple of days, Oh yeah, everyone was sold out. A fair supply of food although what was in the freezer thoughed. No big loss, just an inconvience. On Sunday, I found our kerosene heater, no kerosene. You get the picture, everyone was sold out. Sunday night Sue finally found the coleman propane lantern and it worked great. Even heated the bathroom while I got ready for work Monday morning.

We now have a list of things which will help prepare us for other events that might happen in the future including wood on hand, 10 or 15 galons of kerosene for cooking and heat, another coleman latern, etc. Candles are better than nothing but hardly worth the effort, except it made Sue feel cozy.

Notes to myself, chickens, rabbits, ducks, and vegetables to plant next week and next month. Spring is almost here. Thank God I still have a job and time to get everyting ready.

Just a couple of pictures to show the snow, I'll have a picture page soon.