A beautiful Alabama Sunrise over a soon-to-bloom cotton field.
Feeding our horses, Tonto and Shenadoah, apples from the orchard.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Of Cows and Corn
Thy Mercies, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth to the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains;
How excellent is thy loving kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
Psalm 36:5,6,&7
On the evening of April 27th 2011, a mile wide F-5 tornado tore through the state of Alabama leaving behind in it’s path nothing but death and destruction. Many of you may have heard of the Lee family, who not only loss their home, vehicles and everything they owned, but they also lost their beloved husband and daddy. Mr. Lee gave his life for the safety of his wife and children and until his last breath, he uttered prayers and supplications to his Heavenly Father, Whom he was about to meet, for their protection and safety. God has honored this righteous man’s prayer and by His Grace they are able to say with Job, “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
God has blessed, and is blessing, this precious family through so many different folks from all over the country and the Church has come together to serve through this trying time. The Lee family have been very dear friends of ours for sometime now, and we are very grieved about the loss of dear Mr. Lee. But we are also very grateful to the Lord for allowing us to know him for the time that we did and we know we shall see him again in glory when all of God’s children are gathered about His throne.
Well, summertime is here on our farm and life is becoming busy with all those wonderful things that summer brings. A few weeks ago I built {with the assistance of my older sister} a little chicken tractor for the 12 Rhode Island Red chicks that we had gotten at the local hardware store. We used some scrap 2x4’s to build a 4x8 square frame that rests on the ground. Then we took old 1“ PVC pipe and cut it into 6’ pieces and by bending them, we were able to fit them into the wood frame, making hoops, {kind of like a covered wagon}. Then off to the hardware store to purchase some chicken wire. I decided that 30 feet of the 30” wide chicken wire should be enough {or I hoped it would be} and I also got a 10x8 tarp. Back at home we laid the chicken wire over the hoops and wired it in place, then using the tarp in the same manner we were able to make the shelter part of the chicken tractor. I must say, I was quite proud of that little project, for it turned out looking {and functioning} right well. The chicks loved their new home and were very happy pecking about at the grass and bugs. But alas! It was not to last as the pretty little chicken tractor that it was- our young goat kid found a way out of her pen and decided that I had built the chicken tractor just for her to jump on. And jump and climb all over it she did, bending the brand new, nicely stretched wire all up and almost ruining the chicks new home. And so, after obtaining permission from Mama, I made a phone call and had the baby goat and her mother sold and carried off that same day.
Now we are looking for a milk cow. It seems, I have observed, that cows stay in fencing a little better than goats. For a gentle, calm, family milk cow, you don’t need 4 foot tall woven wire fencing, reinforced with barbed wire and at least 2 strands of hot wire at two different levels. No, I think a regular good old fashioned {and cheap!} barbed wire fence with 6 foot T-posts and strong cedar corner posts, would suffice well enough for most cows. And guess what we have? Almost all of our 90+ acres are fenced in exactly so.
Perfect for cows.
And there I rest my case.
Now I know, that the absolutely, ultimate way of dealing with cows {especially if you are doing the “Salad Bar Beef” method} is to have moveable electric fencing and live in a place where there are wide open spaces and at least have a mile between each mountain or hill so as to get the best grazing and pasture growth. But here, where I abode there are hollers and hills all around and little places we like to call “high mountain meadows” {which are little fields tucked between two hills or upon a cleared hill} and smallish hayfields edged with woods, hills, creeks and rivers. The best way to move cattle is on horseback or with a 4-wheeler, going from one already fenced in high meadow pasture to the next, over hills, through the woods and fording the creeks. That’s why I am of the opinion that Texas Long Horn cattle would do grandly here.
Or Herefords.
But preferably the Long Horns.
In-between chicken tractor building, goat selling and cow hunting, I have kept busy in the garden planting, weeding and hoeing. I am growing cotton again this year, and one of these days I will actually make something with it. Got the pink eye purple hull peas and zipper cream peas in the ground, and they have come up, but I need to fertilize them badly. We need rain badly too. Been hotter than buccaneers pistol here and getting pretty dry too. Today Jasmine and I canned 16 pints of salsa. By the end of canning season we hope to have put up at least 40 pints. We like salsa. This evening I am planning to plant some field corn. I know to most folks it might seem a little late in the season to plant corn, but here in Tennessee you plant field corn as late as June 15. I heard tell that by this fall corn will be going for $14.00 a bushel. That’s quite a high price, especially if you are buying it by the ton. I remember back in 2006 corn was only $3.50 a bushel. Back then we would buy 150 lbs of corn and 100 lbs of oats and mix our own feed for chickens, horses, and goats. But now we just buy individual feed for each farm animal. The corn seed we have is heirloom, handed down for generations since before the Civil War. We grew it last year and it turned out real nice. Makes the best cornbread! This year we would like to not only use it for feed for the animals, but for our own use too. Cornmeal, hominy and grits. Sounds good to me!
Well, I better get back to the farm and garden. It's been fun chattin' at y'all!
A Tennessee Farmgirl,
Cecilia
How excellent is thy loving kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
Psalm 36:5,6,&7
On the evening of April 27th 2011, a mile wide F-5 tornado tore through the state of Alabama leaving behind in it’s path nothing but death and destruction. Many of you may have heard of the Lee family, who not only loss their home, vehicles and everything they owned, but they also lost their beloved husband and daddy. Mr. Lee gave his life for the safety of his wife and children and until his last breath, he uttered prayers and supplications to his Heavenly Father, Whom he was about to meet, for their protection and safety. God has honored this righteous man’s prayer and by His Grace they are able to say with Job, “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
God has blessed, and is blessing, this precious family through so many different folks from all over the country and the Church has come together to serve through this trying time. The Lee family have been very dear friends of ours for sometime now, and we are very grieved about the loss of dear Mr. Lee. But we are also very grateful to the Lord for allowing us to know him for the time that we did and we know we shall see him again in glory when all of God’s children are gathered about His throne.
Well, summertime is here on our farm and life is becoming busy with all those wonderful things that summer brings. A few weeks ago I built {with the assistance of my older sister} a little chicken tractor for the 12 Rhode Island Red chicks that we had gotten at the local hardware store. We used some scrap 2x4’s to build a 4x8 square frame that rests on the ground. Then we took old 1“ PVC pipe and cut it into 6’ pieces and by bending them, we were able to fit them into the wood frame, making hoops, {kind of like a covered wagon}. Then off to the hardware store to purchase some chicken wire. I decided that 30 feet of the 30” wide chicken wire should be enough {or I hoped it would be} and I also got a 10x8 tarp. Back at home we laid the chicken wire over the hoops and wired it in place, then using the tarp in the same manner we were able to make the shelter part of the chicken tractor. I must say, I was quite proud of that little project, for it turned out looking {and functioning} right well. The chicks loved their new home and were very happy pecking about at the grass and bugs. But alas! It was not to last as the pretty little chicken tractor that it was- our young goat kid found a way out of her pen and decided that I had built the chicken tractor just for her to jump on. And jump and climb all over it she did, bending the brand new, nicely stretched wire all up and almost ruining the chicks new home. And so, after obtaining permission from Mama, I made a phone call and had the baby goat and her mother sold and carried off that same day.
Now we are looking for a milk cow. It seems, I have observed, that cows stay in fencing a little better than goats. For a gentle, calm, family milk cow, you don’t need 4 foot tall woven wire fencing, reinforced with barbed wire and at least 2 strands of hot wire at two different levels. No, I think a regular good old fashioned {and cheap!} barbed wire fence with 6 foot T-posts and strong cedar corner posts, would suffice well enough for most cows. And guess what we have? Almost all of our 90+ acres are fenced in exactly so.
Perfect for cows.
And there I rest my case.
Now I know, that the absolutely, ultimate way of dealing with cows {especially if you are doing the “Salad Bar Beef” method} is to have moveable electric fencing and live in a place where there are wide open spaces and at least have a mile between each mountain or hill so as to get the best grazing and pasture growth. But here, where I abode there are hollers and hills all around and little places we like to call “high mountain meadows” {which are little fields tucked between two hills or upon a cleared hill} and smallish hayfields edged with woods, hills, creeks and rivers. The best way to move cattle is on horseback or with a 4-wheeler, going from one already fenced in high meadow pasture to the next, over hills, through the woods and fording the creeks. That’s why I am of the opinion that Texas Long Horn cattle would do grandly here.
Or Herefords.
But preferably the Long Horns.
In-between chicken tractor building, goat selling and cow hunting, I have kept busy in the garden planting, weeding and hoeing. I am growing cotton again this year, and one of these days I will actually make something with it. Got the pink eye purple hull peas and zipper cream peas in the ground, and they have come up, but I need to fertilize them badly. We need rain badly too. Been hotter than buccaneers pistol here and getting pretty dry too. Today Jasmine and I canned 16 pints of salsa. By the end of canning season we hope to have put up at least 40 pints. We like salsa. This evening I am planning to plant some field corn. I know to most folks it might seem a little late in the season to plant corn, but here in Tennessee you plant field corn as late as June 15. I heard tell that by this fall corn will be going for $14.00 a bushel. That’s quite a high price, especially if you are buying it by the ton. I remember back in 2006 corn was only $3.50 a bushel. Back then we would buy 150 lbs of corn and 100 lbs of oats and mix our own feed for chickens, horses, and goats. But now we just buy individual feed for each farm animal. The corn seed we have is heirloom, handed down for generations since before the Civil War. We grew it last year and it turned out real nice. Makes the best cornbread! This year we would like to not only use it for feed for the animals, but for our own use too. Cornmeal, hominy and grits. Sounds good to me!
Well, I better get back to the farm and garden. It's been fun chattin' at y'all!
A Tennessee Farmgirl,
Cecilia
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Beautiful Life
Life is beautiful,
purposeful,
bountiful,
and so very precious
but fleeting, like a vapor in the wind
held in the mighty hand of God
completely and solely at the mercy of His will.
We can get so very busy in life.
Laundry to be washed,
garden to tend,
bread should be in the oven,
but the baby needs to be fed RIGHT NOW
theres the phone ringing {again}
and the chickens are squawking about something
hurry, hurry through breakfast
got to plant before the rain moves in
school work is behind...
"Martha, Martha"
but there is so much to be done, I think I'm going to scream!
"Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things."
Convictions come swiftly and effectively. When was the last time I sat down at the feet of Jesus and listen to His word?
Sit, rest,
be still and know that He is God.
"But one thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall be taken away from her."
Luke 10:42
We all tend to be "Martha" and seem to only be "Mary" on Sundays.
It is so simple.
Choose that good part,
sit down at the feet of Jesus,
listen to His word
and it shall not be taken away from you.
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
Psalm 27:4
purposeful,
bountiful,
and so very precious
but fleeting, like a vapor in the wind
held in the mighty hand of God
completely and solely at the mercy of His will.
We can get so very busy in life.
Laundry to be washed,
garden to tend,
bread should be in the oven,
but the baby needs to be fed RIGHT NOW
theres the phone ringing {again}
and the chickens are squawking about something
hurry, hurry through breakfast
got to plant before the rain moves in
school work is behind...
"Martha, Martha"
but there is so much to be done, I think I'm going to scream!
"Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things."
Convictions come swiftly and effectively. When was the last time I sat down at the feet of Jesus and listen to His word?
Sit, rest,
be still and know that He is God.
"But one thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall be taken away from her."
Luke 10:42
We all tend to be "Martha" and seem to only be "Mary" on Sundays.
It is so simple.
Choose that good part,
sit down at the feet of Jesus,
listen to His word
and it shall not be taken away from you.
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
Psalm 27:4
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Hey Everyone!
So sorry that I have not "rambled" in a long time! I reckon you could say that I have been doing more farming than rambling! Just wanted to say "howdy" to y'all and thank you for being so patient with my "every once in a while " blog. Hopefully after spring planting I'll be able to ramble a little more.:)
Happy Trails to y'all!!
Cecilia
So sorry that I have not "rambled" in a long time! I reckon you could say that I have been doing more farming than rambling! Just wanted to say "howdy" to y'all and thank you for being so patient with my "every once in a while " blog. Hopefully after spring planting I'll be able to ramble a little more.:)
Happy Trails to y'all!!
Cecilia
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
A little Bit of spring...
This is a video that my sister and I made last May, and I thought ya'll might like to see a little bit of spring time- since it's not too far away!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Since Presidents Day has just past, I thought I would leave y'all with a few thought provoking quotes from our Founding Fathers. Let us never forget what what our country was founded on , or what made it great...
"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by christians... not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
- Patrick Henry
"It is impossible to rightly govern... without God and the Bible."
-George Washington
"I think we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industries."
- Thomas Jefferson 1824
"... All the perplexities, confusion and distress in America arise, not from the defects in thier Constitution or confederation, not from want of honor or virtue, so much as from downright ingnorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation..."
- John Quincy Adams, 1829
" If ever this vast country is brought under a single government, it will be one of the most extensive corruptions."
- Thomas Jefferson 1822
"Niether the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt."
- Samuel Adams
"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by christians... not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
- Patrick Henry
"It is impossible to rightly govern... without God and the Bible."
-George Washington
"I think we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industries."
- Thomas Jefferson 1824
"... All the perplexities, confusion and distress in America arise, not from the defects in thier Constitution or confederation, not from want of honor or virtue, so much as from downright ingnorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation..."
- John Quincy Adams, 1829
" If ever this vast country is brought under a single government, it will be one of the most extensive corruptions."
- Thomas Jefferson 1822
"Niether the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt."
- Samuel Adams
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