Playing farmer

I think oldcajun said it best..."good son, good man, helping folks out"...you are doing the Lord's work...your life is one that others should emulate.

I apperciate the kind words from everyone. It really does just feel like playing still. Its fun but not paying the bills, not that I care about bills I have a job for that nonsense. This is all just playing as a hobby. Just a hobby of growing food and having fun.

Just so you guys didnt think I was fibing ,  went out and picked at lunch. 

almost 3 buckets.   And a few shots from walking back. Including the corn that needed picked a week ago and Ill try and do today if I find any extra time.   The sunflowers were my grandfathers favorite,  and I like them also.   They attract this pair of yellow birds that match the flowers.  I only see them when the flowers are in bloom and only on the flowers before they fly off.   I tell everyone about them but very few people get to see them.  Watching them and the bees on the flowers just brings me joy.  My office is behind those windows,  and I sit there and listen to the birds and get lost watching them. 

Good work and great produce!

Cool deal Travis, We planted sunflowers where we thinned our beets, and now pumpkin near the base of the sunflowers. My peppers and squash are rolling in but My tomatoes were late, and just now coming in. I wish had your drive, instead I have age, and each year my garden grows smaller.

We had boocoup cucumbers from 4 plants, the July sun killed them, not much tomatoes, too much rain, waiting on Okra, planted late. As age goes up, gardening goes down, used to plant 4 60 ft rows of corn, lots of work keeping grass down, Now wife buys ears of corn at supermarket, also my corn intake has to go down because of the sugars, 💩 on the Golden Years.

  The wife and I had a nice discussion about the "golden years" with another old couple ,standing near the restrooms at Lowes. First off, we were all drawn to that location by "the golden years" ... as we each took our turn ,the three not otherwise engaged came to the conclusion the old age sucks ,and is only golden for insurance companies and Doctors.

  I'm ever so glad to have lived long enough to retire, and equally grateful that I can stay home and enjoy my retirement ...but I'm sure the term "golden years " was coined before the healthcare industry took over the world.     

Mr and Mrs Brownthumb here....wish you was our neighbor, home grown vegetables are the best.

we water or cactuses daily, they just keep dyin.

Did get around to the corn last night.  Well  most of it.  Put 200 ears in the freezer for corn on the cob.  All the cobs with imprefections will be cut off today and put up
Ursa the cat inspecting.  She is one of the 2 farm cats.  She thinks she is a dog though.  Follows me around for morning chores every day.  Waits on the side of the feed barrells for a pinch of chicken feed.   Does not want rabbit feed or corn scratch.  Will knock those off if tried.  But a few layer pellets is her morning routine.

Sat on the porch for about 2 hours last night shucking corn.  Enjoying the breeze and listening to the chickens.  Watching the cats play with the silks ,  and the dog chew on a cob I gave him.  The sweet smell of corn from my hands and clothes.  Later mixed with some Sutliff Virginia flake out of a  Twain cob.  Most nights I can confirm the view from my front porch is better than anything on a TV.  If not better at least more relaxing.   

You've done amazingly well!! Congratulations.

Been busy for a while,  finally got a new project going.  I helped with it some,  but found that with the speed of the crews who do this every day I was better use changing saw blades,  and carrying things for them to use next,  and going to pick up lunches.  






 I have always wanted to just walk off in the woods,  cut down some trees and build a house.  This might seem very far from that,  but it is the closest I have been able to actually make happen with money in my pocket and codes of the county. In my studies and praying I often ask for patience.  Which really means asking for oppertunities to be patient.  if I do not learn this lesson from building this house I never will. 

The crews are gone and its all me and family and friends now. Although it is an interesting quirk of people ,  I find they are never actually as willing to help as they think they are. 

I am very excited about the upcoming hours and hours of work. My dad being retired and bored is almost more excited than I am.  We have already had discussions on his pace and my pace of things.  I have planned this for 7 years,  it is not something I am going to rush through.  I am not in a hurry to be done, I am excited for the adventure.  


I still have beans,  cabbage,  lettuce,  spinach ,  carrots,  sweet potatoes coming in .  Freezers are full and 30 more chickens will be headed there in about a month,  so been eating very well every night and giving away to anyone in the area needing full plates.   Got a few quail to see how they fit on the place,  they are funny little birds. I underestimated how vicious they are to each other.   Will hopefully start hatching them out to go along with the chicken and rabbit that is the staple here.  

I have always loved the changing of the seasons and the different jobs and pace it brings in gardening and animals. Just about the time something becomes routine the earth literally moves for us to start new.  With all the wonderul parts of all the seasons this time of year is my favorite.  The cool mornings doing the chores is a treat.  During the summer even at daylight everything is already up and moving.  Cool dark mornings it is almost like the world is waiting on me to wake up. I get to watch it moving from chore to chore.  

In a day when so many sit on milk crates ,in intersections, and reach for a hand out, you ask God for the time and strength to build something for yourself and your family. Folks like you give me hope, and all I can say is, well done!

No new photos in this post, few things have happened worth showing. Biggest event in the past few weeks has been moving the mountain of dirt from the house pad. The tractor my extended family uses is busted so it’s been wheelbarrow and shovel practice until I can get it fixed. I think a good wheelbarrow is about the best purchase I ever made for this place. Every person I have working on the parts of the house I can’t do (septic and electric due to permits) is either sick, or to busy to show, so the house is at a stand still for the foreseeable future. With the holidays I am hoping they are spending more time with their loved ones so Im not pushing to hard for them to come out anyway. Everything will come together in time (I say this lots when thinking of the house sometimes through grit teeth)

My job realized I had not taken any time off this year ( I was saving time for house things) so they forced a week vacation on me, which is fine I spent it split up between a few peoples houses that needed work done. Ran new gas lines for a cousin, re-roofed a shed for my parents, built a privacy fence for girlfriends parents. Worked with a neighbor on their brick mailbox that cars seem to find unavoidable. “Helped” the church down the road work on their van, didn’t get that one fixed but it was a fun day of fellowship. I did manage to get some new quail cages done for my place which was nice. The quail like the new cage in the barn less than the heat lamp cage in my kitchen, but in winter I close off the rooms I can in the trailer so they had to move out. Their spot was where I put my bed for the winter months, and I wasn’t going to move myself to the barn. Did manage to find a male rabbit locally, he’s not quite the size or breed I wanted, but the family seemed like they could use the money and I have money so that works out. I have a few months to see how he develops before I start back breeding anyway.

Thanksgiving was wonderful as always. It is without a doubt my favorite holiday . Good food and conversation and seeing new babies because for a large part of my family that’s the only time I see them really. There is always a cousin or two with a new kid I haven’t met yet. I get all caught up on all the rumors, drama, and tragedies of the group. In turn they like listening to my stories and backwards thinking like not having TV, or house payments, car payments. How I sleep wonderfully every night, and have zero complaints or worries in day to day life (for the most part). It generally ends with “ If I had the time I would do all the things you are doing” I know is a false statement on their part, and they do to. Just like I say if I knew how to work the new phones they have I might enjoy it. I wouldn’t. They love me and I love them and we are just as confused by each other’s preferences which I think is the case for most families. If we were all the same it would be very boring.

I am still blessed beyond anything a person can ask for, I hope you all are well and Ill try and get pictures for the next time I pass through.