Monday, October 26, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Summertime
We just finished dinner and ohhhhh how delicious it was. We had roasted chicken with a side of green beans, potatoes, carrots and onion, sauteed with garlic and butter, and a fresh tomato, cucumber, onion and basil salad with Italian dressing. Everything including fresh basil snipped from the garden and prepared to arrive at the table within an hour of picking. I can't even begin to express in words how filled with flavor everything was. I LOVE summer gardens! Each vegetable carried its own distinctive identity that filled every delectable bite with yummy goodness.
I hope everyone has had the opportunity to plant a summer garden. I was at a 4th of July party yesterday and the host lived in a beautiful subdivision with every family having a beautifully landscaped yard-nothing seemed out of placed. Each lot was at least an acre and I offered the thought that there was plenty of room in the back for a couple of chickens to lay fresh eggs and they all looked at me like I had spoken a foreign language. Conversation stopped, everyone looked at each other with a quizzical, slightly confused look on their face. There was not even a tomato plant to be seen. Don't these people know what they are missing? It always takes me back to the thought of what happens if we have to provide for ourselves? What if there are no grocery stores open to buy food? What if trade becomes so restricted that food no longer moves freely from state to state? Will we be ready? Will we be able to feed ourselves and our family? The folks I spent the 4th with were wonderful people but they had no sense of urgency about the state of our economy, yet Joe Biden himself today said their administration had misspoken about how severe the outlook for the economy is. Prepare, says the Lord.
I hope everyone has had the opportunity to plant a summer garden. I was at a 4th of July party yesterday and the host lived in a beautiful subdivision with every family having a beautifully landscaped yard-nothing seemed out of placed. Each lot was at least an acre and I offered the thought that there was plenty of room in the back for a couple of chickens to lay fresh eggs and they all looked at me like I had spoken a foreign language. Conversation stopped, everyone looked at each other with a quizzical, slightly confused look on their face. There was not even a tomato plant to be seen. Don't these people know what they are missing? It always takes me back to the thought of what happens if we have to provide for ourselves? What if there are no grocery stores open to buy food? What if trade becomes so restricted that food no longer moves freely from state to state? Will we be ready? Will we be able to feed ourselves and our family? The folks I spent the 4th with were wonderful people but they had no sense of urgency about the state of our economy, yet Joe Biden himself today said their administration had misspoken about how severe the outlook for the economy is. Prepare, says the Lord.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Zavat gives birth
I don't think I can add too much to this video other than life is precious! Even down to the smallest farm animal; to watch a live birth is amazing, emotional, tearful, and a gift from the Father above. What a priviledge we have been given to experience such a miracle! Tears fall even as I write this to know the sanctity of life in a newborn child is threatened every day through abortion and I am moved to my soul with the birth of a baby goat. Why can't we as people see ourselves as the Lord sees us-His precious, loved children. Each and every one.
Initial presentation of the hoof
This video shows the initial presentation of the kid's hoof. Notice how white the hoof is. All baby kids are born with a white covering over their hooves to protect the mama during birth. The coating falls off in a day or two after birth. We are just getting started here and the kids (mine, I mean) and I are very excited but also very nervous about what is coming next. The hardest part is yet to come.
Monday, April 21, 2008
We have so far lost two guinea hens. The first broke her leg somehow and Tim had to kill her. The second has an interesting story that leads to its' untimely demise.
One sunny day we all walked out to admire the chickens and how cute they were. Joe, the studly rooster that he is, was strutting around proudly claiming his territory. Each seemed content pecking in their own areas except this one guinea whom I believe discovered a grain stash Joe was protecting. As she passed Joe heading for his stash he suddenly reached out and grabbed this not-so-small guinea in his beak and wouldn't let go. Oh the noise she produced, squawking and crying out; her little guinea feet slashing through air trying to find ground again. Joe held tight though until he felt she understood the point he was trying to make. Then as quickly as he had grabbed her he let her go. She stood there for a minute acting as if she were going through a checklist. Still breathing-check; head still attached-check; feet on the ground-check; and off she went and seemed perfectly fine.
Every day we watched to make sure there were no serious injuries and until about three days after the attack she seemed fine. Then we noticed her getting progressively worse as the week wore on. By the end of the week she could not breath nor could she hold herself up. Finally one day she just died. I was puzzled by this because she had been doing so well with no problems so I did a little research into the behavior of chickens. I found that when one of the hens in a clutch has an ailment the other hens(notice I'm talking hens here)instead of coming to her aid and helping her through this difficult time actually peck her to death. So each night when the hens went in to roost they were literally pecking her to death day by day. Isn't it interesting that this is a typical female behavior. Why are a group of women talking referred to as the hen house? What is it they talk about? Are they theoretically killing a wounded friend with their tongue. I know I cannot hold myself blameless. Please forgive me if I have ever wounded a sister or brother through thoughtless words aimed to kill their spirit. Lord help me to continually lift up and nuture those around me to help them "live and not die" and grow to become what you will them to become. In the mighty name of Yeshua.
One sunny day we all walked out to admire the chickens and how cute they were. Joe, the studly rooster that he is, was strutting around proudly claiming his territory. Each seemed content pecking in their own areas except this one guinea whom I believe discovered a grain stash Joe was protecting. As she passed Joe heading for his stash he suddenly reached out and grabbed this not-so-small guinea in his beak and wouldn't let go. Oh the noise she produced, squawking and crying out; her little guinea feet slashing through air trying to find ground again. Joe held tight though until he felt she understood the point he was trying to make. Then as quickly as he had grabbed her he let her go. She stood there for a minute acting as if she were going through a checklist. Still breathing-check; head still attached-check; feet on the ground-check; and off she went and seemed perfectly fine.
Every day we watched to make sure there were no serious injuries and until about three days after the attack she seemed fine. Then we noticed her getting progressively worse as the week wore on. By the end of the week she could not breath nor could she hold herself up. Finally one day she just died. I was puzzled by this because she had been doing so well with no problems so I did a little research into the behavior of chickens. I found that when one of the hens in a clutch has an ailment the other hens(notice I'm talking hens here)instead of coming to her aid and helping her through this difficult time actually peck her to death. So each night when the hens went in to roost they were literally pecking her to death day by day. Isn't it interesting that this is a typical female behavior. Why are a group of women talking referred to as the hen house? What is it they talk about? Are they theoretically killing a wounded friend with their tongue. I know I cannot hold myself blameless. Please forgive me if I have ever wounded a sister or brother through thoughtless words aimed to kill their spirit. Lord help me to continually lift up and nuture those around me to help them "live and not die" and grow to become what you will them to become. In the mighty name of Yeshua.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Starting the farm
We have been here almost a month now and are settling in nicely. Each day holds promise of work but after the day is done we have always seen the fruits of our labor. I am struck by how this simple day to day existence so closely correlates to the teachings of God's Word.
Two weeks ago I began to prune the grape vine and apple trees. Of course, the kids were right there wanting to help and know why it has to be done. So we talked about each tree we pruned. The first tree was healthy so it only needed the growth from last year taken off to make room for this year's crop but the second tree was filled with a fungus and alot of dead branches. Kind of like us, I told them. Sometimes we stop growing and become comfortable with where we are in our walk with God and He has to take a little off to get us growing again. But sometimes the sin is deep like a fungus and part of us has actually died in our love of God so the pruning is hard and severe. My goal is not to kill the tree, I told the kids, but to save it and have it once again produce fruit. So it is with our Lord. When He prunes, it is because He loves us and wants us to grow again and bear fruit.
Two weeks ago I began to prune the grape vine and apple trees. Of course, the kids were right there wanting to help and know why it has to be done. So we talked about each tree we pruned. The first tree was healthy so it only needed the growth from last year taken off to make room for this year's crop but the second tree was filled with a fungus and alot of dead branches. Kind of like us, I told them. Sometimes we stop growing and become comfortable with where we are in our walk with God and He has to take a little off to get us growing again. But sometimes the sin is deep like a fungus and part of us has actually died in our love of God so the pruning is hard and severe. My goal is not to kill the tree, I told the kids, but to save it and have it once again produce fruit. So it is with our Lord. When He prunes, it is because He loves us and wants us to grow again and bear fruit.
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