June 25, 2022

Weather/Nature

Hot and dry! The weather pattern continues, and we are at day 17 with no rain. We’ve had to hand water our young fruit trees, sweet potato slips, and other seeds that have recently germinated in the garden, but our more mature veggies will have to hang in there. Our soil seems to do a good job holding moisture, but I don’t want to push it. Hopefully we’ll get a rain in the next day or so.

We have noticed a lot more deer activity around the edges of the property, and one morning getting water from the creek I interrupted a group of three bucks, one pretty big one. We’ve also been seeing some turkey chicks around, trying to keep up with their mother.

The longest day of the year happened this week, and I think all that extra sun is part of why things have been growing so fast (compared to FL). Our migrating spring birds have moved on to somewhere farther north, and we are settled into the summer set of birds. I think my favorite is the wood thrush, whose enchanting flute-like call is usually the last one you hear before quieting down at nightfall.

Down On The Farm

Nothing amuses our suburban friends more than our use of an Austrian scythe to mow certain areas, but the benefits are wonderful. Using a scythe is quiet work, provides good exercise, and forms a connection to how work was done long ago. Not to mention that a clean stroke with a well-honed scythe through clover is about as satisfying as hitting a pure golf shot (the few times I’ve done so). We use a scythe to mow the Dutch white clover that we established in the orchard, using the clippings to mulch the fruit trees and bushes.

Veggies are starting to come in strong, and we’ve officially begun the harvesting/preserving season that will dominate farm life for the next few months. Erica made pickles this week with the initial harvest of cucumbers (29 lbs), which made 17 quarts after saving some for fresh eating.

She also is preserving the abundance of kale by making ice cubes of blended kale to use in smoothies throughout the year.

And we harvested a portion of our early sweet onions that will now cure on the porch before being braided and hung.

Best Thing We Ate

Quinn’s pancakes!

From Family Worship

After 6 months we are finished going through the Westminster Confession of Faith as a family. By studying the Confession, we learned a lot about what the Bible teaches and how all the pieces fit together. And the study also had the effect of deepening our conviction that the Confession rightly summarizes the Scriptures. It is our confession of the faith we hold. We’re grateful to God that we can so richly benefit from the many centuries of those who have gone before us.

Other Happenings

Not too much else. Did I mentioned we’ve been busy in the garden!?

June 18, 2022

Weather/Nature

Record heat across much of the country, and we were not exempt. It is oppressively hot – and dry. We need a good rain soon. We’ve been trying to get out in the garden early to beat the heat. Seems that all around us is still under the blanket of heat.

Down On The Farm

We harvested some summer squash that is more like zucchini. It is called Costata Romanesca, an Italian heirloom variety that has absolutely taken off in the garden. These four fruits totaled 11 pounds and were ripe a full 15 days ahead of the 62 days that the variety calls for.

The corn is up to about 5-6′ tall and the pole beans are starting to climb their way up the stalks. Tomatoes have all set fruit, but I’m hoping the high heat doesn’t hinder the remaining flowers from setting fruit. I had to spray the okra for beetles, and they should be ok. Also had to treat a Japanese beetle problem in the apple trees that came out of nowhere.

Best Thing We Ate

We are finally at the point here where our home grown food is contributing to our table. Anything from the farm has an immediate chance of winning. This week we enjoyed zucchini fritters, broccoli salad, and minestrone soup with garden veggies.

From Family Worship

We covered several chapters in our study of the Westminster Confession of Faith this week, working through the Church, the Communion of the Saints, and the Sacraments. Good discussion, and we all learned something. The timing worked one evening for my parents to join us for family worship, which was a special treat.

Other Happenings

We tried to soak up the last week with my parents in town, going on a double date, and the kids having a sleepover at their place. We also were blessed this week by a visit from Steve and Ann, part of our extended family in Alabama, as they were passing through the area.

June 11, 2022

Weather/Nature

Things had been hot and dry before getting over an inch and a half of rain Tuesday night. This seemed to put the garden into overdrive. The summer weather and long days put us in the mind to go to the lake, which we did a couple days ago. There’s something fitting about doing things in their season.

New wildflowers, frogs, and other discoveries continue to catch our eye.

Down On The Farm

The sweet potato slips finally came in the mail. Supposedly they were late due to a cold and wet spring. We may try and raise our own next year. We got them in the ground this week, along with the pumpkins and winter squash seeds. The whole of the garden is now planted. Once the spring vegetables are fully harvested (cabbage, broccoli, kale), we’ll use that area to plant a few things that will last into the early winter, like Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, beets, etc.

Best Thing We Ate

The homemade pizza night continues to be a big hit, and some weeks it just can’t be beat.

From Family Worship

We covered several chapters in our study of the Westminster Confession of Faith this week, working through the Church, the Communion of the Saints, and the Sacraments. Good discussion, and we all learned something. The timing worked one evening for my parents to join us for family worship, which was a special treat.

Other Happenings

As mentioned, our beloved GiGi came for a long weekend visit, which meant so much. She is graceful and kind, and a wonderful grandma and great-grandma.

Lots of activity this week with a day at the lake, more grandparent fun, County fair, and a church potluck.

June 4, 2022

Weather/Nature

Dry and warm during the day, mornings are comfortable. The porch in the morning with a cup of coffee is the place to be. The fireflies have been our evening delight lately, filling the fields and forests with their blinking green lights.

Down On The Farm

The garden is growing and growing. It’s all we can do to keep up with its needs, but we are hanging in there and finding the tending of the garden to be enjoyable work. I think Erica and I would agree it is our favorite part of our little farm.

Best Thing We Ate

The kids decided to make chocolate cupcakes with mint icing.

From Family Worship

This week we considered the important, but somewhat neglected topic of what the Bible has to say about oaths and vows: the difference between the two, when they are appropriate, and most of all, their significance. Fittingly, the next chapter in the Confession was on marriage. We discussed what the Scriptures say about the purpose and design of marriage, legitimate reasons for divorce, and how the institution of marriage has been undermined by various laws, including no-fault divorce.

Some may think these topics are boring or too obscure for children, but nothing could be further from the truth. Kids see and hear things about what’s going on in the adult world around them, and we’ve found that direct discussion of hard topics is like throwing a life raft for them to grab on to as they try to make sense of things.

Other Happenings

My parents are here for an extended visit, and we’ve all been enjoying the time together. This weekend, my grandma flew in to join in on the fun, and it means the world that she would make such an effort to come visit us. Pictures of Grandma’s visit next week, but here’s some photos from this week with my folks…