We woke up this morning to a little sleet/frozen rain giving a light coating to everything outside. There are many folks around that have weather much worse than ours, especially up in the northeast. But, out in this neck of the woods, when we get this type of weather everything shuts down until the roads all thaw out. We've heard a few folks on the VHF radio this morning that are out and about 'going to get something' they need. We always ask ourselves, "Why didn't they need this a couple of days ago when it was sunny and 76*?" That's when we filled up both vehicles with gas and bought what we needed from the store. We can't help but shake our heads and wonder what is actually contained within their craniums that causes them to throw all caution to the wind and venture out in their immortal skins, knowing that all will be well regardless of the weather conditions. It kind of reminds you of all those folks that know a collapse is coming but refuse to prepare anything for it's inevitable arrival, doesn't it? Take hurricane Katrina for example. People knew for days and days it was coming, but some didn't prepare. The video clip that really got to me was the one with some folks out on their porch asking, "Where's my water? When is somebody going to bring us our water?" We will never be able to understand the thought processes of people that throw caution to the wind and expect others to take care of them if something bad happens. Remember the story about the grasshopper and the ant? We're ants.
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| Our pine needle covered path is extra slippery this morning |
Every so often when I am out taking pictures, I get a variety of shots from here and there that don't fit into any particular theme or post, but I like them and keep them. Today seemed to be a good day to dig some of them out to share. So, in no particular order, here is a view of life on our farm.
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| This is a great little lantern that is charged with a small solar panel on top. |
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| Our funny Pearl, waiting with me for baby goats. |
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| My first attempt at fermented cabbage that I haven't told you about. |
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| The salad is growing. Lettuce seedlings |
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| Mixed baby greens |
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| Spinach |
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| Lunch & Buttons, 5 days old |
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| Patch running around like a nut. |
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| Patch |
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| Lunch & Buttons. The lighting makes them look lighter than they are. |
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| Buttons |
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| The wethers and billy goat |
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| Eating hay in the manger |
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| One of our oldest cats, Pooh (there used to be a Tigger) |
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| Frost on the turnips |
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| It's back to milking twice a day. Yea! |
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| This is the first year I've been able to get a few decent bird pictures. |
Before we became bloggers, we really didn't take very many pictures. There are still many times we will be in the middle of something, or even finished with something that would have made a good post, but didn't think of the camera. Very little effort has been made to figure out how to take decent movies and upload them to the blog. The first time I tried, Blogger wouldn't accept whatever format our camera uses. I tried again a few days ago and figured out that I can upload short movies now. Here a few short shots of the kids playing in the barn today. Please forgive the wiggling and sometimes blurry shots from zooming in too close. The quality of the upload is not the best either. You'll notice I am not the narrator. No one is. You may hear goats munching hay in the background or moving around in the barn. Or crows calling. Life in the barn is generally quiet and peaceful. I like it that way.
There are many times that the peaceful, quiet days we enjoy on the farm belie the distant rumblings and groanings of the discord that is growing across the globe. Some days it seems louder and others more distant, but there is no denying the fact that the discontent with life as we know it on this planet is growing and growing at a rate that is visibly escalating. Almost everyday we talk about the blessing of being tucked away from most 'happenings' out in the everyday world. There is no TV or radio blaring here. There are few neighbors and most of them are known. There is no desire to 'go' and 'see' and 'be a part of' anything happening 'out there', like we might miss out on something.
There is contentment with who we are, where we are and the work we have to do here. There is a true blessing in living a quiet, peaceful life on the farm for us. This contentment can be found most anywhere if you choose to pursue it. It won't come knocking on your door, but if you look for it, you will realize it's always been there, waiting to be discovered, waiting to be found.
Until next time - Fern
Were getting the freezing rain as I wright this. Last year when we had the winter storm in January (I'm in Ga) I was working for Walmart as a cashier when I left the roads were very bad and I was out the next day when I went back to work I had a lady complain about the store closing the day before, I told her it's hard to keep open when there not any one working. I just thought she was so selfish and stupid. This is same people that were leaving the cars in the middle of the hwy. and complaining about traffic.Sorry about the rant. I love your blog and the babies are sooooo cute. Stay Warm.
ReplyDeleteHi, Janett. People can act a little peculiar when their daily routine is disrupted. Some folks just can't understand why there is not someone there to serve them. But there's probably going to be a day when everybody stays home to take care of their family and what's truly important. That will include policemen, firemen, National Guard, not to mention store clerks and gas station attendants. Some of these poor folks just can't understand why the store is not open. They want somebody to come and wait on them. It's just the way it is right now.
DeleteThose were cool pictures of people leaving their cars in the middle of the Interstate and walking. A few years back, we have a mountain range just south of us, with a two lane highway and no shoulders, a woman and her child driving a large SUV, stopped right in the middle of the lane, got out and started walking. It had started snowing and she was afraid. Left her car right in the middle of the lane. Like I said, folks are different. Thanks for the comment.
Frank
I guess they don't teach about the ant and grasshopper in school anymore. We are ants, also and love leading our quiet, peaceful, boring life. People nowadays don't have the mindset of folks of our generation. I am so glad to see the homesteading movement gaining momentum. Small farms are treasures.
ReplyDeleteI like your description, Tewshooz, "our quiet, peaceful, boring life", it is so true. There are so many people that would be bored out of their minds if they had to live like Frank and I. We seldom go anywhere. Not to the store, NEVER to the mall, NEVER to the movie theater, and many days not even to the post office where we get our mail in a PO Box. But we're always up to something, even if we are accomplishing the task at a lolly gagger pace, and just toodling along. I thank God each and every day that I have been blessed to live this type of life. You're right, it is definitely a treasure.
DeleteFern
Fern, thank you for posting the two videos and the photos. The kids are so cute! I hope you'll continue to post as many videos as you can, while they're young and so playful.
ReplyDeleteIn the southeast the rain on our deck started freezing early this afternoon and there was ice on the trees and little icicles (spelling?) hanging off our bird feeder. As the rain and sleet continued throughout the day, the trees and shrubs got a heavier coating of ice and started bending under the weight. After dark, I heard a loud crack that told me a tree had come down in our yard, and late tonight another. I held my breath, I think, until I knew it wasn't coming through our roof. The power has been off since about 6:00 p.m. and I worry about people who don't have alternate means of heating their homes. I wouldn't want to try to travel on the icy roads to get to someone's house who has a fireplace or woodstove. Let's hope more and more people will start figuring these things out for the safety and survival of their families.
A radio/tv host today ranted about how we should all watch the latest ISIS video offering, showing twenty-one Coptic Christian workmen being beheaded and young children being put in cages and set on fire. I have no intention of watching those videos. My imagination is quite capable of scaring the life out of me. I don't think I have to see the actual footage to know the horror of what is happening in the world today. Unadulterated evil is prowling the earth. God is on his throne. He will never leave nor forsake his children. I pray for the soon coming of Jesus.
I hope you didn't lose too many trees, C.M. and there wasn't any other damage. I would take snow over ice any day. Take comfort in knowing that God is on His throne. No matter what happens here in this life, there is always Hope.
DeleteI will keep doing videos from time to time. I have discovered that they can't be very long, or I can't upload them. We had two friends tell us they couldn't see the movies, only a blank spot. Then we found out they were on an iPad and a smart phone. I guess there are some formats where the movies just don't show up. There is always something new to learn, even if it's a technical difference between devices.
Thanks for sharing.
Fern
Your last paragraph says it all - we should all be so fortunate to be in the place in our lives as you are.
ReplyDeleteLife is not always peaches and cream, Bellen. But I chose to be content. And I try to be content with everything, especially things that are out of my control. Like constant pain. It has been my good friend for many years. If it decided to leave me I wouldn't miss it, but instead it has taken up residence in my body. Could that leave me miserable and full of discontentment? Sure. Easily.
DeleteSomewhere along the way I realized that what happens to me in my life isn't important. That sounds strange, doesn't it? What is truly important is what I do with the things that happen in my life. I used to be so picky about how things were done that I'm sure I drove Frank crazy trying to please me. Now I realize how foolish I was. Now I Choose to be content. Every single day I feel so blessed to have been given this life to live and I truly wish everyone could feel the same way about their lives and circumstance. For we all are blessed of God to be who we are, where we are.
I do appreciate your comments.
Fern
I am always amazed at the lack of preparedness...does the continual belting out of warnings numb people? We watched a news clip of people getting food for this storm...saying they were going to be ready. Their shopping carts were full of items that needed electricity to cook or refrigeration to keep. Oh yes lets not forget the bags of chips and bottles of soda!
ReplyDeleteWe have about 8 inches of snow. [SW Virginia] WE did not have to go anywhere and if Ralph didn't have to got to work would not turn a wheel today. I have finally been able to get our pantry stocked fairly well. Lots of home canned food that keeps without refrigeration, dry food that stores well and things we can eat with minimal cooking.
This post was so enjoyable, it gives a person a sense of security and hope. Being properly ready is an attainable goal more people should be able to do! You lead by example!
Thank you for sharing your perspective and experiences, Fiona. That you have a pantry full of home canned food and dry food is an excellent example of being self-reliant. It also gives you the opportunity to sit back and not worry about food should a storm or hardship come your way. That is comfort in and of itself. Thank you for sharing.
DeleteFern
Where I live in rural Victoria Australia we lost power for around 27 hours on Sunday night. A very unusual event for here but one I feel will happen more with the aging infrastructure that is around. Approximately 2 km of line was blown down in the wind storm we had and the power company worked for 24 hours to get it up and running with approx another weeks work to fix it permanently. Those workers deserve all the praise in the world for working in hot and steamy conditions under very trying circumstances.
ReplyDeleteBeing the middle of summer it made for interesting times and the number of people that were complaining that it was so inconvenient was unbelievable even more so was the number asking why wasn't the power restored immediately? The funniest comments I heard was where would they (the general public) buy their lunches from as most of the shops were shut. Considering the power went off at 8 pm Sunday night surely it wouldn't have been hard to whip up a sandwich to take if your place of work was open on Monday morning?
My family were fine. Hubby is an electrician and our house is wired to run mainly on the solar power we generate and we have a generator that started up two minutes after the power went down which ran the cool room, air conditioners and my mothers granny flat (at the back of our two acres). Life went on as normal for us. We were careful with power usage and breezed through the "crisis", in fact we used it as a way of determining what areas we need to work on in case of the proverbial hitting the fan. The only things we really need is more fuel (DH is working on that) and multiple water tanks that will give us around 25000 litres of drinkable water - this years goal.
So two days after the power was restored there is not even a whisper from Joe Public about putting away a few things in case it happens again. Instead there's a widely held belief that it was a "one off" event and life will continue on as normal and the government and associated public services will keep us in the comfort we are used to. I'm not holding my breath.
Love your blog too. Haven't commented before but do enjoy reading and looking at your photos - especially those gorgeous baby goats.