The Pasture Fence!

Phase 2 of Wit's End Farm is finally underway.  It's been a long time coming, Phase 1 of building Wit's End Farm took us much longer than we had anticipated, but we're here now, and I'm very excited to be moving forward with the pasture.

Clearing the fence line!  3-16-2015

You know, sometimes life, health, and other unexpected opportunities for growth present themselves, and we have the choice to either adapt, or to struggle against the situation.  As circumstances slow us down, we can choose to take that time to be still, to seek out what lesson there is to learn in each challenge.  Life isn't always about moving forward, but sometimes it's about learning how to get back up and press on after being knocked backwards.

Just the beginning...so much more to come!  3-16-2015

Having had Bill's youngest brother Jim here for several months was such a blessing. Not only for the work he has helped Bill with, but for his positive attitude and easy-going spirit.  God is certainly looking out for us.  What brought Jim here to us this time was a year of great loss for him, but he has turned it into a positive by focusing on helping others while waiting for direction for his future. There's a great lesson in there somewhere.

Setting some fence posts!  4-2-2015

So, with that said, time marches on, and the clearing of the fence line does as well. And it is a slow march, but they head out each day with the resolve to conquer a few more feet, and it's getting closer and closer.  As of the writing of this paragraph, and the photo below, it has been ten weeks of hard labor, mostly on the fence line every day.  There have been some days they worked on other things, like clearing out the garage so my car could be parked inside, and like planting fifteen or so trees and bushes that had been in need of a permanent home before the rains come.  And other stuff like machinery repairs, lawn maintenance, and some time off for much needed R&R.  But the major focus has always been the fence.

The last section to be cleared!  4-16-2015

Today is April 16th, and it is after 7:00 PM, they will be coming in soon for some dinner, so I need to get to it.  Got to keep these men well fed.  More later.

Now that's a lot of cleared brush and trees!  4-28-2015

And there it is burning down to nothing!  4-28-2015

They've been working very hard, today was a very long day.  Just about 9 hours straight of cutting, clearing, and stacking very heavy trees and logs.  I am amazed at my husband at 69 years old with an artificial heart valve, a pacemaker, and a bum knee, he can still work like a 50 year old man.  He loves this kind of work, too.  They are telling me that it won't be long now until they can string a line and dig more fence post holes on the last side.  Hopefully, they're right.

Yes, another pile of debris 5-22-2015

And, there it goes up in flames again 5-22-2015

September, 2016

And the clearing, and the burning, and the digging and the planting continued on for 2 1/2 more months.  Just before Jim left, the boys worked very hard on putting in the agricultural water lines.  Our son and daughter also helped out on this project.  That was a whole lot of digging and laying down lines, but it was another necessary evil to be conquered.  I took a long pause from this blog post, so will try to catch up on what's been happening. Jim met and ultimately married a wonderful woman.  He left us in August to tend to his own life. Waiting on God for direction is never a bad thing.  They are very happy together, and we love her dearly. 

Jim and Teresa

Building the fence has taken a long reprieve for Bill to have a knee replaced in February 2016.  It hasn't been an easy recovery for him, but now, September 2016 he is slowly getting back to being himself again.  Our daughter moved up here from Florida (July 2015) which has made us very happy.  Now all of our little family can be together again.  She had to deal with some medical issues, (she inherited my hips,) and we have taken some time out to help her recover.  She bounced back pretty quickly.  

Lovely Spring We're Having This Winter!

Okay, so, it's been a while since I've posted to this blog.   Last year was taken up with Bill getting his knee replaced, and it took a very long time before he was able to get back to his normal self.  We both are very happy that this entire experience is behind us.  Just to give you an idea of how difficult this surgery was for him, his doctor (the same doctor that replaced my hip three years ago) told him that he won't do his other knee.  He said Bill took 10 years off his life with all the complications. So, I think we both have decided not to go down that road again.

Plum Tree

I don't know where you live, but here in Southwest North Carolina, in the Piedmont area, we have been having a winter to beat records, warm winter that is.  I thought I'd take a few pictures so you could see how faked out nature is here.  This is February, supposedly the middle of winter.  I'm fairly certain we're going to have another frost or two, so, there goes all our fruit harvest again.  This will be the second or third year this has happened.  It is so disappointing.

Cherry Tree

So, here are our fruit trees in the middle of what is supposed to be winter.  The plum tree is just gorgeous with it's white blossoms bursting out all over.  I don't believe we've enjoyed a plum from it yet.  Maybe this year, forever hopeful!  The Cherry trees are beginning to bloom as well.  Last year we did get a bountiful harvest of tiny little cherries called Nanking Cherries, enough to make a nice batch of cherry jam.  I'm hoping they're not going to be frost bitten this year.

Growing Sprouts at Home!

Sprout Jar Wooden Rack with Jars

Growing your own sprouts at home is a rather simple project that can provide excellent nutrients at a very reasonable cost compared to purchasing them in your local grocery store.  In addition, it is a very compact way to store food in case of an emergency.

What you will need in order to grow your own sprouts:

1. A jar in which to grow them.  A standard wide-mouth quart size canning jar is what I use.
2. You will need to have a piece of mesh cloth that will enable you to drain off the water from the seeds as you rinse them each day.  I didn't have any lying around the house, so I ordered mine online. 
3. You will also need to have a way to keep your jars upside down so they can completely drain, and have some air flow to the sprouts.  My very talented  husband made a wooden rack for me that holds up to 3 Mason jars and folds flat for storage.  You can purchase one from our Marketplace if you wish.
4. Then, you will need to have sprouting seeds.  I found mine online.

Canning jar, mesh cloth, and metal ring

Folding Wooden Rack

Tree Down, Fence Down!

As I was leisurely looking out the back window this morning, my eyes fell on something unfamiliar looking.  Upon further examination, we discovered that one of our pine trees had given up a few of its branches, right on top of our fence!

Right onto the fence!

The guys, Bill and my brother-in-law, Jim, got right to getting it all cleaned up.

Formulating a plan!

Beautiful Snow On The Farm!

Winter on the farm!

As winter was passing this year, I was longing for some snow to go along with the low, low temperatures we were having.  As days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, I began to think that maybe the snow wasn't coming this year.

What a beautiful world!

But, alas, the beautiful snow arrived last night, and was it gorgeous as it was falling! Huge, huge snowflakes, the biggest ones I've ever seen.  But, I am a Florida girl, so

Sewing With Sarah!

I just had the best few days spending some time with my two granddaughters, Sarah and Hannah.  Please humor me as I share some 'Grandmother's pride'.

When sweet Sarah, my favorite ten-year old granddaughter, first asked me if I could help her sew an apron, her first sewing project, I casually said, "Sure, we can do that".  I then began to reflect on how I needed to begin teaching this as she wanted to do it herself, but had never had any experience with sewing, or a sewing machine, before.  I said to my husband, "Oh dear, what have I gotten myself into?"

Sarah intensely working!

As I began to reflect on when and how I first learned to sew, a million years ago in Home Economics class in 9th grade, I wondered if I still have the patience and the 'know-how' to do this.  In addition, I haven't as much as looked at a sewing machine for at least ten years or more.  As I began to dissect the process, I formulated a plan.  Here's how I thought it would go:

Building A Pergola For The Farm!

This project was started a couple of years ago.  We put down the 13' wide x 17' long patio, Bill planted the four corner posts, and built a fire pit. Then, life just sort of got in the way.  Finally, construction has begun again!  We just may have ourselves a pergola in a few short weeks if all goes according to plan.  Here's a picture of the patio stones, four corner posts and fire pit that were installed a couple years ago.

The beginning of the Pergola! 6/2012

We haven't landscaped the back of the house because we were planning to put in a deck that would go all the way across.  I think that plan may be reduced to a smaller, less aggressive plan including just one half of the back of the house. Some landscaping against the house behind the pergola, maybe lilacs and hydrangeas, would be nice.  I'm wanting to put wisteria on the four corner posts of the pergola.  I think it should be pretty.  Hopefully it will all grow for me.  Being a Florida girl, my green thumb turned a little brown when we moved here.  I'm still learning tho', and that's always a good thing.

Gracie, Our Newest Addition!

Gracie, the photo that started it all!

Since we lost our dear Max more than a year and a half ago, I knew I would eventually want another dog.  That's just me, I love animals, and enjoy having them around.  I thought long and hard about what kind of dog I wanted.  Max, a Loiusuana Catahoula Leopard Hound mix, would be a hard act to follow. There are so many to choose from, but I finally settled on a Sheltie.  My family had one when I was very young, and I have always loved them.  So, as my birthday neared, I started following the rescue shelters that were close by, looking for that perfect fit. Then, Tag 193 came across my Facebook page on July 25th, and I was smitten.  I first saw her on that Friday, and the

A New Mystery On The Farm!

Mysterious Tiny Chicken Egg?

While collecting the eggs and feeding the chickens today, I found this remarkably small egg in the nest with all the hens eggs.  It's just a tiny bit larger than the malted milk candy eggs you find in the stores around Easter.  The hens have four nesting boxes, but all fifteen of them share one favorite box, go figure.

The First Snow On The Farm In 2014!

The First Snow On The Farm In 2014!

If my memory serves me right, we didn't get any snow last winter.  I missed it, I really missed it.  I'm a Florida girl, and I truly don't like the cold, but if I must endure the cold, a bit of snow seems to make it worth while..  We got our snow this year, just the right amount, a couple of inches.  It is now two days later, and there is still a remnant of snow on the ground.  It will be all gone by tomorrow.  A world of pure white will transform into a world of winter brown once again.

Thirty-One Ways To Praise!

Thirty-One Ways To Praise!

It's November 1st, and it's the beginning of a very important month for this country.  No matter what happens, it's good to remember that God is in charge of everything that touches our lives.  A friend of many years sent this to me, and it's a wonderful idea to help get our prayer and praise life where it needs to be.  If you're like me, and could use a little encouragement along the way to stay focused, this is a wonderful tool.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Carpe diem! Lil and Bill

Night Falling On The Farm

Evening Sky On The Farm

Thought you might enjoy this photo.  I love this time of day when the sun is setting and the earth settles down to recharge for another day.  Bill and I almost always sit on our porch and watch as the sun sets, as God does His artwork in the sky.  It's a beautiful time being alone with each other while listening to the crickets chirping, the cows mooing, the chickens clucking and crowing, and  the dogs barking to ward off any predators as they prepare to settle in for the night.  It was different tonight, no color, just the brightness of the sun's rays reflecting against the clouds.  They're always different no matter how many we see.  Isn't God just awesome?

Carpe diem! Lil and Bill

I Then Shall Live!

I Then Shall Live

Something to shoot for!  This song inspires me every time I hear it.

Carpe diem! Lil and Bill

What is this?

Does anyone know what this creature is?  It attacked Bill from a tree today, I've never seen anything like it.  It was about 2" long and 1/2" wide, and it had wings.  It released saliva or something from it's mouth, then hammered the area with it's head (mouth).  Fortunately, Bill was wearing leather gloves.

Carpe diem, Lil & Bill

The Birdies In The Treetop!

Our tiny little bird eggs hatched!

Checked on our teeny tiny bird nest today, and found at least three hungry, furry little babies.  There were four eggs in the nest just a couple days ago, but I could only see three little open mouths.  I was trying to hold down the branches with one hand and hold the camera and snap with the other while not disturbing the nest.  I'm not too good with that, but you can see them fairly well.  I'm still not sure what kind of birds they are.  I just love Spring!

Carpe diem, Lil and Bill

The Garden, The Miracle Within!

I love the garden when it's freshly planted, the earth is so clean and bare, and filled with promise!  The idea that we can put tiny little seeds into the ground, and with care and hard work, reap a harvest of abundance fills me with awe.  I look out at the patch of naked earth each day with hope and faith that it will bring forth the life it holds within.  What a miracle it is! 

Carpe diem, Lil and Bill

The Garden, The miracle Within!

And Another Mystery Bird Nest!

Bird nest about 4" diameter with jelly bean sized eggs, blue with brown spots

On my post of May 9th I had a picture of a nest, about 6 inches in diameter, with blue eggs and brown spots, the eggs were about an inch long.  It turned out to be a mockingbird nest.  Here is a different nest with eggs that I found in our cherry tree, it's much smaller, about 4 inches in diameter, and the eggs are about the size of jelly beans, but they are also blue with brown spots.  I have seen the mommy bird, she is small like a sparrow, maybe smaller, and colored like a sparrow, but has a dark red stripe on her head.  I tried to find her on the internet, but have had no success.  Anyone know what she is?

Carpe diem, Lil and Bill

Yet Will I Praise Thee!

Habakkuk 3:17

I saw this today, and thought about how sometimes I get concerned that we will never quite get our farm to where we want it to be.  I tend to be the impatient kind, however, being married to my wonderful, extremely talented husband has taught me to be much more patient than I ever thought I could be!  This verse from Habakkuk spoke to my spirit and said, "Thank Me, praise Me", for I have much for which to be grateful.  Gotta love it!

Carpe diem, Lil and Bill

Bird Nest with Eggs

Bird eggs

While I was enjoying our orchard today, I came across this bird nest with eggs.  Does anyone know what kind of bird they belong to?  I'm thinking either northern mockingbird eggs or cardinal eggs.  I'd like to know if anyone knows for sure what they are.

Carpe diem!  Lil and Bill