Monterey Park

Monterey Park

March 7,2011

Monterey Park was one of the earliest memories of camping I have. It has changed so much in thirty years. Now it is pretty much just a boat ramp but back when I was little it had camping loops.

We decided to go for a walk to see what I could remember about it.

 

This road was closed long ago so people would not camp down this loop anymore. I remember riding my bicycle down it with my sisters.

 

 

We walked down the road until a dog barking made us decide we didn’t want to deal with a dog chasing us so we turned back.

 

We spotted a buoy of some sort at the south end of the park, maybe it was to keep the boats out since the lake is so low.

 

 

Austin spotted this tiny turtle shell as we was walking back to the boat ramp, it was a little larger than a quarter. Poor little thing was so young.

 

 

It makes me sad to think of all the places I knew as a kid is no longer available for my children to enjoy.

 

 

The water level on the lake is pretty low because there was no rain to speak of this winter. I fear a drought is coming.

 

 

A single loon swims a little ways out from the boat ramp.

 

 

We walk down one last loop that I remembered to have camped on long ago.

 

Memories of being a little girl camping with my daddy all came back. I remember that I was never afraid because I knew my daddy would protect me from danger. I knew no one would mess with us at night and no animals would come in camp without him knowing it. He always had a gun and I knew he would use it if he had to.

I miss being a child under the safety of my daddy’s protection but now as a woman I have the understanding of the protection of another Father in my life, my heavenly Father. HE needs no gun or weapon, HE watches over me day and night. HE knows what I need before I ask and HE knows what danger lies before me better than I know. It has been hard for me to trust in HIM but trusting in HIM is all I can do because there are so many things in this world I have no control over that scare me terribly, but I have learned to cling to GOD and HE will see me through.

 

Isa 41:10  Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Anna’s Garden

Anna’s Garden

March 7, 2011

I suppose it is true that the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and with women it is with flowers. With the guys planting all the veggies, Anna wanted to plant flowers.

She was shocked at how small some of the seeds were.

Once they grew big enough to transplant, Anna and Stewart got busy planting in the rock flower bed he had made for her.

It was a special time for just her and daddy to do something together.

She used the little shovel trying not to get her hands to dirty.

 

Carefully putting the flower in the soil.

 

Daddy helping to do it just right. Apparently the best angle for her to plant is in the flower bed.

 

Still a long ways to go.

A happy little daddy’s girl.

 

I am glad they spent time together, just them. It is very important that a daddy spends time with his daughter, it creates a bond of love and trust between a girl and her daddy. I want her to look at her daddy as a measuring stick for a future husband. I pray she too gets a hard working man that has good solid morals and values with a deep desire to please GOD.

"A woman's heart should be so hidden in God that a man has to seek Him just to find her."

Adam’s Garden

Adam’s Garden

March 7, 2011

After watching his daddy “make a garden” Adam had to have one of his very own.

 

Stewart tilled it for him and Adam got to work hoeing it into rows.

 

Knowing the garden plot was much to big for just his plants Adam kindly allowed Austin to plant with him.

 

 

Austin working on getting his plants started. Radishes, carrots, cantaloupe egg plants, and the giant pumpkin seeds are waiting to be planted in the tray.

 

 

 

Adam planting some bird house gourds so that he can make bird houses when they grow.

 

After the seeds grew to the size they needed to be transplanted the boys got to work.

 

 

Adam grabbed the rest of our herbs that didn’t fit in the pots and headed to his garden.

 

 

Adam grabbed his walking stick and punched holes in the ground just the right size for the starter pellets to fit.

 

 

The boys worked well together. Austin is a good big brother.

 

 

Adam was careful to place the plants gently in the ground.

 

 

I believe the giant pumpkin was ready to be planted.

 

 

Adam even allowed his daddy to plant on one row of his garden.

Stewart used old egg cartons to start some seeds in. He was surprised to hear my mom had done the very same thing to start some of her seeds, great minds think alike.

“There now, that is done!”

 

I am curious to see if Adam is the one who weeds and hoes the garden now that “his garden” has become the home for all our guys’ plants.

A pot in a Pot

A Pot in a Pot

March 7, 2011

 

Stewart bought me some flower pot for Adam and I to plant our “herb garden” in.

 

 

The idea is a pot within a pot.

 

 

Adam and I got the herbs out and got to work.

 

 

First he put the potting soil into the big pot.

 

 

Then he set the little pot in the big pot and filled the little pot.

 

 

We planted some in the top pot.

 

 

And some in the bottom pot.

 

 

Then Adam gave them a good drink of water.

 

Now we just have to try and keep them alive so that they grow big enough to dry our own herbs with the dehydrator. Adam is super excited to see if that works.

Gardening

 

Gardening

March 2011

We almost decided to not garden this year. I expect a dry year. Lord, I hope I am wrong. At the last minute we decided to go ahead and give it a try.

 

 

Stewart tilled up the garden plot with his redneck fixed tiller.

 

 

He made wire rings to make compost out of leaves and grass from our yard. It helps the soil be richer for planting.

 

He then made rows and hoed out the grass.

 

 

Stewart had Austin build these raised beds and run a piece of cattle panel down them to tie his tomatoes to.

 

 

The men then hoed the rows with a trench so the short people could plant the Pinkeye Purple Hull Peas, which is the main thing we plant. I figure we could live off peas if we ever had to, besides fresh purple hulls are so much more tastier than canned.

 

 

The short people, which included myself, got busy planting the peas while the guys covered them back over.

 

 

I love that my family does everything together, whether it be work or play. Of course they enjoy the play much more than the work but I feel making them learn “work before play” is a major value that will carry on into their adult lives.

Get the work done, then you have your reward. Knowing that they had a major part in the planting of the seeds gives them a since of accomplishment when it comes to the harvest.

 

Wow, that could almost preach.

Our Front Porch

Our Front Porch

March 15, 2011

Now that I have my little Cactus Bed in my front yard I had not taken the time to just sit and enjoy our little oasis. I glanced out my front door and saw two beautiful young Cardinals feeding on the seeds that had been knocked out of the swing feeder above the cactus bed. I grabbed my camera and carefully opened the door to get a picture or two.

We had to fence the cactus bed to keep Kelev out of it so he would not chew our plants.

The male watched me cautiously from a branch, while his mate ate seed below.

I think the fence helped her feel more safe. They eventually flew away because I eased out the door and spooked them. I grabbed a chair and sat it on the porch to wait for more birds to come by.

My next visitor was a Tufted Titmouse.

At first glance, I thought it was a baby blue jay, but then I decided it was not, using my Audubon Guide we found out what kind it was.

My overly playful pup scared the Tufted Titmouse away.

A little Carolina Wren lit in the branches but was not brave enough to go to the feeder. A child wandering into the front yard to see where mom was at spooked the wren away.

A squirrel darted from branch to branch in a nearby tree, barking for no reason that I could see.

Just as I was getting ready to go inside, figuring that all the birds was not stopping because of pups and kids wandering through the front yard, our state of Texas bird stopped by. The Northern Mocking Bird landed on a branch and peered over at me to see if I was a danger. Apparently, she decided I was and left as quickly as she came but I am pleased I did get a good picture of her.

It only took about thirty minutes to capture all of these birds and the squirrel on film.. well on SD card. I am so thankful I live in the country and GOD gives us plenty of wild life to view from our front porch.

A Sign and a Mark…

A Sign and a Mark…

March 12, 2011

I was studying the other day about the “mark of the beast” and came across some web sites that talked about what the “sign” of GOD was. One that I thought was really interesting was called The Antichrist Truth. Now first, I want to say I do not agree with everything posted in their sight, but it was the site that led me to looking into the Bible and comparing the sign vs. mark scriptures. The following is some what how my study went.

 

Exo 31:13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.

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a sign you say??? thoughout our generations...hmmm... that we may know that the LORD sanctifies us???...

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Eze 20:20 And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.

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again with the sign thing??? hmmm LORD are you trying to tell us something???...

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Deu 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Deu 6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

Deu 6:7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Deu 6:8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

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wow ... hmm the beast is gonna replace the sign that is bound on our hand and our head ...

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wonder what the symbolism for hand and head is...our hand (our actions) and our head (our beliefs)???...

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Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

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Rev 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God,...

Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

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Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

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hmmm wonder if there is a connection???

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I am not going to state my thoughts on this. I just wanted to bring it to the “frontlet” of your mind and let you study it for yourself.

Happy Studying!

You Might be a Redneck…

You Might be a Redneck…

March 14, 2011

If anyone ever wondered if my family were rednecks, this might clear up the confusion.

My husband, who used to own a wood shop, is no mechanic, that is no secret. What is questionable is what happens when you have a woodworker who needs to fix his farm equipment?

 

My wonderful husband took some scrap pieces of wood and screwed them together when the handle on his tiller broke, to stabilize it.

Back view.

Side View

 

You may ask, “Does he really use it like this?”

Yep!

And if you thought this was a one time thing that he did, think again.

 

On the wheelbarrow, my husband got sick of airing up the tires and replacing them when they go flat or broke off under huge loads of dirt, so he just made his own wheel.

Yep, folks he made them out of wood!

He is just trying to save money with the economy so bad right?

He has even corrupted the children.

 

The leaf rake’s handle broke, and my son fixed it “like daddy would.”

 

Yes, my friends, with a stick.

But wait, there is one more.

This is his “old” wheelbarrow, stabilized with a 2X6 and handles replaced by the broken rake handle!

So, if you ask if we are redneck… to the core my friend, to the core.

I love my husband so very much, he is the best a girl could ask for, not to mention he keeps me laughing all the time.