Farm Happenings
Chickens- I've been in a disgusted state with our flock. They stopped laying over a week ago. I thought this was normal. I accepted that it was just too cold, or too dark or whatever,. But then my bosom friend neighbor proclaimed that she was getting around 9 eggs a day from her girls! And then the disgust kicked in. I was like a mad person, staring out the window, drinking my coffee, watching them go through the yard. What used to be a cute little pack of renegades turned into a pack of free loaders. And then my bosom friend neighbor said, "They wont lay if their boxes are dirty. They want a tidy place to lay their eggs." (Does she know who shes talking about? They're the messiest animal we have on this farm) But I went out today to do a makeover on the coop. As I was removing poop from every inch of every surface visible, I noticed a small little indentation in the bedding....and in that indentation, were 4 eggs! They were so disgusted with me and my farmer skills that they said, "We'll just make our own nesting place." And as I held the eggs in my hand, my love for them began growing again. I cleaned out their box and tried to get the top covered as best as I could, so when they roost over it, or near i,t or on it, they wont poop directly into it. Were using milk crates, and have not been able to get the tops cut off, and anytime we put wood on it they knock it off. So I moved the box out of the poop drop zone and hopefully this will help.
Bethel- Because I'm in an extreme learning stage with Bethel, I have been treating her like a delicate spring flower. Anytime the weather has been windy and cold, I haven't let her out. Here on the hill, its always windy and cold so she had only been out romping around for a few hours a day. Yesterday she had had enough. Anytime she heard me open the back door of the house she started with her angry moo. So this morning, when I went out to do chores, I brought her to her line and said "Have at it sister!" I thought, I'll go in, and in a few hours she'll be standing there all hunched over freezing to death and wanting to come in. This of course, was not the case. She happily grazed, and hopped around when the chickens came by her, and she scratched on trees and licked them as if they were her best friends. She could have cared less about the cold. I'm a dummy. But like I said, we're in a learning phase of our relationship. From now on, out she will go. Unless of course the weather is terrible as it was on Halloween, then she'll continue to be my delicate spring flower.
Mama puppy, Kate, who we now call Katie, has been doing well. Her puppies are starting to get more active every day, but still spend most of their time eating and sleeping. We have been taking Katie out with Harley for walks to get them used to each other, and Harley has been a compleet gentleman. He's very patient and sweet with her, giving her her space, and always remaining calm. She's been a bit leery of him, but for the most part, has tolerated his good manners. The puppies are around 3 weeks old, and will be with us for another 5 weeks. The past week has been easy peasy, with Katie doing most of the work, but I think its about to get "real" in the next week or so. We're ready, and Tori has been the absolute lead man on the project. Shes been fantastic and has been tending to Katie and her puppies like a pro, as if this is what she was born to do. Her heart is in it, and she is such a hard worker. Evan has picked out his puppy and named her Clara. Clara!!! He is such an adorable darling.
The farm dreams, of a raw dairy business, have just about been put out. Were lacking in so many things for the endeavor, land and financing to name just two. When I first started to realize it, the devastation threw me into the depths of despair....for about an hour. I was heavy hearted. I thought this was what we were going to do with this property. I thought that this was the plan. But, we have such a good God, who knows exactly what hes doing, most especially, when we don't know what we're doing. And I trust his plans more. On Sunday at church, the pastor spoke about how Gods plans are always so backwards compared to ours, so upside down. They are this infinite idea that we can't even dream up ourselves. And I think that yes, he can give us glimpses of them sometimes, but for the most part, I think he just shows up. His perfect plan just shows up right in front of us, and we sit down and say "Ohhhh, now I get it." Our hearts overflow with gratitude and awe because we never knew where he was going, what direction he had planned all along. So my measly little farm dream, is going to be so much more than I could have planned, plotted or schemed. He gently sat me down, and said now watch me work. And that's what we're doing. In the meantime, we have Bethel, and we will have milk. Milk for our family, milk to give away to those who need it, and milk to sell to those that want to buy it. We still have milk, and if milk is the purpose of this place, than God will give us the only amount that we need. Whether its from one cow or 5 cows, he'll be behind it. And if milk is not the purpose of this place, then he will still provide us with whatever we need. His plans and perfect will can never be thwarted, and that is such peace. That our lives are in his hands, and nothing can take us away from him. That no matter what happens, EVER, he is always holding us, he always knows the next step, he always has the whole thing under control. In a world so out of control, how can one live without that. How can those live around us without having their lives in his perfect palm. How can one survive without him. It wrenches my heart open to think of those trying to make it on their own.
So, as for the plans of Green Gables, they are once again in his hand, they were always in His hand. But I have surrendered them over to Him, once again.
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