Another lovely day here in Arkansas
and so much time has passed since we all touched base.
School has become the endless challenge
of many of my days. I find it harder and
harder to keep it all together, thank goodness for the summer and few classes.
The younger children Elijah and Elisha are
doing well in their studies. Currently they
are helping with the animals and raising baby frogs for their science journal.
Dah’veed is studying world literature and psychology
this week and continues to keep up with his lessons in animal science.
My daughter Rachael, who is now attending
college, struggles but I feel she could do better with a little more effort in
her work, but I am sure all parents feel that way.
My son Isaiah has moved out and started a new
chapter of his life and pretty much excluded us from it.
The
onions we planted in February are almost grown and look so lovely with their
white flowery tops and dark green leaves, dripping with morning dew. It has
been a mild winter and our decision to plant early has really paid off. Currently we have harvested lettuce, dandelions,
mint, onions, lemon balm, sage and some wild greens. We have tomatoes the size of your fist and
peppers on our pepper plants. Our Jerusalem
artichokes are almost as tall as I am. Our asparagus and rhubarb are doing well
too. Our broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower
are fantastic. This year’s garden is so incredible that I have already
harvested our first green beans, even before the peas…lol
We have
also planted potatoes, tansy, tarragon, basil, and a huge variety of corn,
tomatoes, peppers of all colors and types and well more herbs. There will be plenty this season to can dry
and ship to others.
We did
lose our lovely doe and then two more. Age does not play favorites and does not
recognize love. We also lost our lovely Jacob ram Moses. He is greatly missed. We have watched the sheep ever so closely
this year to see if we would have a son from him. The first lambs were born, first an almost
black male, the son of Joshua, not Moses.
Another ram is born, white, son of Joshua. A yew is born, son of Joshua. When we had all but lost hope a small spotted
male was gifted to us by G-d and he is the son of Moses.
Moo cow
blessed us with now Carmel colored calf whose name is Ruth, she is named after
my husband’s mother. What a little spit
fire she is, jumping and playing in the fields, a true blessing! So far no calf from Tov cow, but we will wait
and see. Our bull now two years old is
looking plump and happy. We still have
wiggle cow, at least until I can find a good butcher, than hamburger for the
freezer.
We have
taken on a cart pulling mini-horse that we thought was a pony, lol and a Tennessee
walking gelding in. Steak sauce the
little mini horse lives with the cows right now as we still have the stud colt
and a baby from him would kill her, beyond a doubt. Our colt is now the size of our full grown old world Missouri fox trotter and he is such
a stinker. Too smart for his own good,
and can often be found in the morning hours feasting on grass in my yard,
unfenced, the little bugger.
The
kitchen is coming along slowly, as the back roof has jumped ahead of it on our list;
I still hope to cook in there this fall.
I have most of the parts, just need the time…
We have purchased
a milk pasteurizer, but I have to get a different cord for it. Makes me mad, since I paid like 50 some bucks
for it and it was sold in working order….but other than this small set back,
but we will move forward and go on.
Be Blessed dear ones from all of the kids and critters here
on Mahanaim Farm
