getting behind, catching up

Made pizza Saturday night...Chef Boyardee mix with Field Lab tomatoes, basil, jalapenos, and some leftover baked chicken.  Had to settle for some store bought cheddar cheese on top .  Yesterday I put the glass back on the south side of the solar water heater ( was using this piece for my solar oven last summer).  Keeping glass around the tank really helps it heat up better - wind really sucks the heat off the tank.  Today I put stuff away and did a supply run down south to stock up.  Expecting thunderstorms tomorrow afternoon and more rain Wednesday (getting swamped in is the perfect opportunity to make more cheese for my next pizza).  Speaking of rain - total rainfall for 2012 at TFL was 7.86".  41,55,34,0,B,0

Raytown Mo

After the snowstorm, Bonnie Cain called me to see how the boys were doing and to say that church would be cancelled today due to bad road conditions.  So I am surfing around facebook this morning and up pops a message from my friend Pastor John Wiley saying that services are about to begin. http://PastorJohnWiley.com  I have become accustomed to worshiping with a group on Sundays so I joined his congregation online.  Mathew 18:20  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

1 Chronicles 16: 8-12
8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. 10 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. 11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. 12 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done , his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

My take on his message today was about how earthly powers control us through fear - be it government or advertising media.  (note: I specify "advertising media" because government and the news media are the same thing) They both point out problems and claim to have all the answers to the needs they have created in our minds.  I no longer trust them so through faith I am trusting in Christ.

Deuteronomy 28:1-12
1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: 2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. 3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. 5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.     6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in , and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out . 7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 9 The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways. 10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee. 11 And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee. 12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow 

the way it was...

40,56,29,0,C, .26

cold day two

Four inches of snow overnight....cloudy and cold all day and only about half the snow melted.  All the critters made it through (including Mr. Floppy)  Ben and Bud spent most of the day in the barn with plenty of fresh hay, snacks, water, and shelter.  Carl got plenty of house time this morning.  The hens won't give me another egg till it warms up..  Lots'o'photos coming tomorrow (sunny with a high of 60).  33,40,31,4"snow,B,0

cold day one

hmmm....blogger wont let me upload any photos tonight.    It was cold today...sleet off an on...bacon egg and cheese for breakfast...Carl came in for 3 hours this morning...the boys stayed in the barn all day...baked chicken for dinner.  34,38,36,T,W,0

Carl and his dad...

Ben the builder (with Vanessa and Grace) came out today and he got the chance to give Carl a hug.  Ben is the one that brought Carl out here. (Carl attacked him earlier - I guess he forgot about his former life in Fredericksburg)  I see a family resemblance.  Ben helped me shuffle some plants into the "warm corner" of the greenhouse. Got started on the frame to hang plastic for an extra layer of protection there but ran out of daylight so I hope they all huddle up together.

Plants I hope to get through the winter are: 2 date palms, meyer lemon, canna, banana, pineapple guava, 2 avocados, pomegranate, lettuce, tomato, orange, grapefruit, apricot, peach, swiss chard, beet, blueberry, hibiscus.  The next two days will be a real test - 80% chance of precip tomorrow with a high of only 40°....might even get some snow!  42,58,37,0,B,0

Day 1 Surprise

Fed the boys, fed the girls, fed Carl.  Some geocachers came out to hunt down my spot.   Once they zeroed in on it, I took them to see the biggest Terlingua Creek Cat's Eye plants I had.  Lo and behold there were some blooms.  If it hadn't been for my guests, I would have never seen the flowers.  Found blooms on 9 other plants in the area of mother plant1 and mother plant2 as they were named by Maria the plant lady.  Cryptantha crassipes normally blooms in mid March so this must be an early bloom for 2013 for some of the plants that got confused by the wet October and warm November of 2012.
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=28a7d8e7-0b5c-47bb-8864-1019ee9adaa0
44,60,36,0,C,0