October 29, 2022

Weather/Nature

Some pockets seem to be in peak fall color, but much of the forest is past peak, headed toward full leaf drop and bare trees. Even though we’ve had some hard freezes, most days are still mild, with highs in the 70’s and lows in the 40’s. But it has been dry. The lack of rain hasn’t been too serious since the garden is all in, but we would like some rain on the oats and clover seed that is laying out in the garden for our winter cover crop, and we’re getting tired of watering young fruit trees by hand.

I had to fly to Sarasota for a quick work trip this week, and on the way back to TN got to enjoy a sunset.

Down On The Farm

We are in a lull between garden/veggie work, which is all done, and the butchering of our pigs in the coming weeks. The break has been nice, and we’ve used the time to knock out some house projects, clean, etc.

While I was away, Erica and the kids defrosted some frozen pork belly and started the curing process to make it bacon. It will be ready to smoke in one week.

Best Thing We Ate

Riley’s homemade chocolate ice cream with raspberry topping from the orchard

From Family Worship

Our Bible reading finished in James, and we jumped into Daniel. The context of Daniel and his friends being exiles in a land hostile to their religion immediately confronts us. Even though these events took place in 600 B.C., the setting of hostility is familiar. With very few exceptions over the last 2,600 years, God’s people have almost always been the outcast minority, persecuted for their faith by a world of darkness that hates the light.

Christians in the West have generally enjoyed religious freedom the last couple hundred years, but that is in the process of changing. This shouldn’t surprise us if we look at the big picture of history, and we do well to remember that it often takes external difficulties to sharpen and grow our faith. The book of Daniel is timeless, as all of God’s Word is.

Other Happenings

It was a surprise treat to get to see Gigi down in Florida – a remarkable woman!

We were out of town this week, visiting with family at a Georgia meet-up, so nothing to report from the farm. It is always good to spend time with family, and we enjoyed a few days of Georgia “lake life”.

October 15, 2022

Weather/Nature

On Tuesday we had the first frost of the season, and we needed an evening fire to take the chill out of the house. The leaf color is more striking each day, and there’s no doubt we are in the heart of fall.

The hummingbirds are all gone, as expected. We learned they winter in Panama. Imagine such a small thing having the strength and wherewithal to make it that far. We are hoping to spot an American Redstart, which would be a lifer for us, but the window is closing to see one this fall as they migrate through.

Down On The Farm

The garden is officially done for the year. We harvested the last of the winter squash, storing them underground, and fed the last of the field corn to the pigs. All three plots have been sown to oats and clover as a winter cover crop, the tiller stored in the barn until spring.

The garden was a ton of work through the summer months, and we learned a lot. There are some things we’ll plant more of next year, and some things less, but overall it was a success for us. The winter months will provide time to read through all of my garden notes and strategize for a new year to come. It is highly doubtful we would have purchased all of the food listed below from the store if we had no garden, but it is still insightful to record harvest amounts and their retail value. The more we align our diet and menu to the produce of the farm, the more it will directly reduce our grocery bill.

Best Thing We Ate

Pumpkin pie from our pumpkins…John’s nose approves!

From Family Worship

We’ve been reading through James, a chapter each night. So much wisdom for everyday life: not favoring the rich over the poor, loving our neighbors as ourselves, using our words to give life and not tear down, understanding why we quarrel and argue, and on and on. As the very Word of God, the Bible is matchless in its insights, and most of all, its remedy.

Other Happenings

October 8, 2022

Weather/Nature

It is impossible to overstate the perfection of October weather. Maples and the Virginia Creeper vine are blazing red and purple in the woods, and other trees are turning from green to yellow. We think the bulk of the color is still ahead, but this season is new for us, so we are learning.

Down On The Farm

Sweet potatoes and various winter squash are coming in heavy now, and we are going to try to store them underground in the storm shelter.

Okra seed has been harvested for next year. This closed loop of saving your own seed from year to year, with the variety becoming more adapted to a particular location, is fascinating and satisfying.

Best Thing We Ate

Ginny’s Chocolate!

From Family Worship

As we wrapped up our reading of Nehemiah, we benefited from the comment we read that just like the walls of Jerusalem provided physical protection for the city, so the precepts of God provide spiritual safety for us. Even in Nehemiah’s time, the rebuilding of the physical wall was always accompanied by the Word of God.

Other Happenings

Riley, Sam, and Paige camped down by the creek Thursday night. We were proud of them for doing everything themselves, making their own dinner over the fire…and making it through the whole night!

We were also visited this week by one of Erica’s dear college friends and her family, who live just two hours away in TN. It had been maybe 15 years since we’d seen Ginny Braddock, now Ginny Wilson, and it was wonderful to meet her husband Randy and their two sons. Their family business is a chocolate shop they started in their small town, so they lavished us with much chocolate!

October 1, 2022

Weather/Nature

With the calendar now turned to October, it is fitting that we’ve had cooler weather. Lows have been consistently in the 40’s and highs in the 70’s. The front that brought this cooler weather is the same front that turned the hurricane down in Florida. We are relieved that our loved ones in Bradenton/Sarasota are safe and accounted for, but the damage farther south is terrible.

Down On The Farm

Erica put up quite a bit of pumpkin puree, and we harvested our first sweet potatoes.

Best Thing We Ate

We’ve been enjoying acorn squash stuffed with sausage and rice.

From Family Worship

We were struck by how many elements of our Lord’s Day worship service can be seen in chapters 8-11 of Nehemiah. As the exiled people of God returned to Jerusalem, God’s word was read and taught, they confessed their sin, were reassured of God’s forgiveness, a financial offering was taken, they prayed, the mighty deeds of God were recalled, the next generation was taught, the covenant was renewed and remembered, and in all of this the people worshipped the Lord.

Other Happenings

John and I cleaned out the wood stove chimney, and got the leaves out of the gutters. Getting the creosote out of the chimney each year is important so you don’t run the risk of a chimney fire.

For a long time the girls have been interested in archery, so the time was finally right to get a compound bow for them to practice with.