All posts in Our Farm

How delighted we were with our crop of peaches off this young tree.  The tree was so full and green this year, much more than usual, and this is the most fruit it has ever born.  Exciting!  Nothing compares to a fresh tree-ripened peach warm in the sunshine, and bursting with juicy sweetness.

I climbed the step ladder and began harvesting all this richness.

Its funny how peaches have hardly any stems at all, but cling almost to the branch directly.

“I’m in an awkward spot, Penny, would you mind climbing up to fetch that last peach just beyond my reach?  Thanks so much.”

A picture of bounty, that makes makes my heart happy.  All from our own tree.

Late summer days full of sunflowers are so cheerful.

The queen upon her sunny throne.

I have a yummy treat in mind; let us gather a few fresh fall raspberries…

…and slice one of those still-warm-from-the-sunshine peaches, add a little cream….

And dig in!!

Care for a raspberry with cream?

I’m thinking of a song, are you?

“Come, ye thankful people, come,
Raise the song of harvest home;
All is safely gathered in,
Ere the winter storms begin;
God our Maker doth provide
For our wants to be supplied;
Come to God’s own temple, come,
Raise the song of harvest home.”

Springtime is all about joy and new life.  Buds and blossoms, nests and eggs, sunshine and rain, all bring the promise of fruitfulness to come.  I took this picture of Penny joyously surrounded by the fragrance and beauty of lilacs, bleeding heart, honeysuckle, and a pale pink tulip.  I love all these soft spring colors.

I enjoy the song of the robins, especially noticeable in the early morning and again at evening.  I wish more people would have the joy and freshness of spring life inside of them bursting out like this.

I was reading in Jeremiah 17:13 about how the Lord is the fountain of living waters, yet He had been forsaken by the people.  He said earlier in chapter 2, verse 13 –

“My people have committed two evils:  They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns – broken cisterns that can hold no water.”

This is rather a hazy picture of a rainstorm in the distance.  Life-giving waters on the way.

Rain, washing the face of the earth and encouraging life and growth to continue.

The morning dawns, the sun is coming, and a new day begins.

“Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”  John 14:6

“Thou wilt show me the path of Life, in Thy presence is fullness of joy, At Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”  Psalm 16:11

“We have put our hope in the Living God.”  1 Timothy 4:10

“…I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.”  Revelation 21:6

Wildlife – this painted turtle was found soaking up the warm spring sunshine.

Farm life –  in our brooder house new baby chicks are growing, and snoozing together under the heat lamp.

Recently my pretty pet turquoise parakeet, Pixie, died at the old age of 14.

A new fellow has come to make friends, this is Nobbles…

And who can not be awed by new life as a wee baby makes his arrival?

“For with you is the fountain of life.”  Psalm 36:9

“For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel;  In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.”  Isaiah 30:15

“Let him who thirsts come.  Whoever desires,  let him take the water of life freely.  Revelation 22:17

 ^“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  Jeremiah 29:11

Hello Friends, welcome to the chilly, drippy days of spring on the farm.

Spring is so new and hopeful that even on gray days, I can’t help but smile as I watch the changes coming on.

I cut some early forsythia branches a couple weeks ago to bloom on our table.  You can see out the window here that the snow was yet on the ground then.

This picture was taken today, a bouquet of unusually thin pussy willows, and a store-bought bouquet of yellow tulips from a sweet friend,  the African violets are blooming as well.

I’m sorry these tulips look a bit spent, but their cheery color still brings me a smile.

I know its chilly out, Penny, but let’s go about exploring on this rainy spring day.

C’mon, it’ll be fun!

She looks a bit shy about leaving the porch here, doesn’t she?

Here we go!

The purple crocuses aren’t open today, but they still show their pretty blue shafts.

The daffodils are poking their way up through the aged elm leaves under which they have been hiding all winter long.

Water, water everywhere makes for some squishy, squashy, sloppy walking.

But how pretty are the patterns the raindrops make in this puddle.

We invited some rainy-day toy-friends to come out and play in the puddles with us.

The snowdrops aren’t open today, but here is how they looked last week in the soft sunshine.

And the crocuses bursting with blue happiness.

I am reading a book I love, Hannah Hurnard’s “Hinds’ Feet on High Places”. 

Here is a special quote from page 58,

  “They came to a place where a rushing stream poured itself across the path they were following and went cascading down the other side.  It was running so swiftly and singing so loudly that it seemed to fill the valley around them with its laughing voice.

  As the Shepherd lifted Much-Afraid across the slippery, wet stones she said to him, “I do wish I knew what it is that all running water sings.

Sometimes in the silence of the night I lie in bed and listen to the voice of the little stream which runs past our cottage garden.  It sounds so happy and so eager, and as though it were repeating to itself over and over again some very lovely, secret message.  I think all running water seems to be singing the same song, either loud and clear, or soft and low.  I do wish I knew  what the waters were saying.  It is quite different from the voice of the sea and of salt waters, but I never can understand it.  It is an unknown tongue.  Tell me, Shepherd, do you know what all the waters sing as they hurry on their way?”

The Shepherd smiled again, and they stood silently for a few moments by the little torrent, which seemed to shout even more loudly and exultantly as though it knew  they had paused to listen.  Suddenly, as Much-Afraid stood beside the Shepherd it seemed as though her ears and her understanding were open, and bit by bit, the water-language became clear.  It is, of course, impossible to write it in water-language, but this is the best I can do to translate it.  Of course, it is a very poor effort, for though a water song perhaps may be set to music, words are quite a different matter.  But it went something like this:

The Water Song

Come, oh come! let us away –
Lower, lower every day,
Oh, what joy it is to race
Down to find the lowest place
This the dearest law we know-
“It is happy to go low.”
Sweetest urge and sweetest will,
“Let us go down lower still.”

Hear the summons night and day
Calling us to come away.
From the heights we leap and flow
To the valleys down below.
Always answering to the call,
To the lowest place of all.
Sweetest urge and sweetest pain,
To go low and rise again.

[The Shepherd said] ” … It is only up on the High Places of Love that anyone can receive the power to pour themselves down in an utter abandonment of self-giving.”

… It seemed too, that the wild flowers were also singing  the same sort of song, only in yet another language, a color language, which, like the water tongue, could only be understood by the heart and not by the mind.  They seemed to have a little chorus all their own which thousands upon thousands of them were singing in different color notes.

“This is the law by which we live-
It is so sweet to give and give.”

**********

The month of October has been so beautiful here in Western New York, I have enjoyed trying to capture some of the color and some of our labors on the farm.

Penny enjoys being a part of canning days in our farm kitchen.

Above, are the aronia berries I was canning for juice, and below are the warm-colored jars of  hot peppers and salsa from our garden.

The jeweled colors collecting on the canning shelves in our basement make me smile with thankfulness for the abundance we’ve been given.

Sometimes you will find an autumn bouquet on our table.  This one has pretty patterned zinnias, marigolds, snapdragons, and lavender-colored autumn crocus accented by parsley leaves.

Sometimes you will find a messy project like tomato sauce in the making.

Or mounds of our own grass fed beef being weighed and wrapped for the freezer.

This is an early morning shot showing the soft colors of a waking world growing light.

And here is an evening shot of the geese honking against a glowing sky.

I love the magnificence of this grand old walnut tree.

And the fullness of the golden maple tree.

These leaves may be spotted and imperfect, but they lend their beauty to the world just the same.

The arbor of wisteria vines is turning a pretty yellow above its twisting branches.

The cosmos are towering over the garden fence, nodding in the breeze.

We aren’t the only ones putting up food for the winter ahead.

Now join me for a little walk through the vegetable garden.  The cherry tomatoes are a favorite snack as we pass by.  A pet chicken has kept the bottom branches cleared of fruit as it ripens, so its a good thing this vine is growing on a trellis so we can claim the top ones for ourselves!

The queer shape of the romanesco broccoli is fascinating.

The nasturtiums are bright and vibrant even after the frost has touched them.

Its time to get dirty and dig the potatoes.  Do you see the little fellows that were overturned also in that soft soil?

The pretty garlic bulbs have been drying up in the hay mow.  Once the outer skin is brushed away, they are a clear, smooth white color.

The Rat-a-Tat-Cat is on farm patrol.  Her fur is growing in so thick and soft for the cold days ahead.

While surrounded by all this beauty, we know that without a doubt, the Father above delights to shower us with His blessings.

Please know that you are loved always.

Its written in the autumn colors.