Root has another litter

 Sows often pick the stormiest or coldest night to give birth. This was the case last night. The low was around 21 F, and we woke up to Root's 3rd litter for us. Praise God!!

Pigs and gardens and voting

I have been wanting to vent my thoughts about voting, but just haven't had time to write a coherent piece.

I will say that this piece makes a lot of sense to me; at Front Porch Republic.

In the meantime, I am about to go off and vote myself, but here are some peaceful pictures: one of part of the fall garden and one of some pigs we are raising up.

Oremus pro invicem!

First frost; first fire in the stove

Posts are certainly sporadic, although I have much I want to write about. We finally had our first fire in the wood stove Friday morning. It should have been Thursday morning, but things happened to prevent it. We had to move all those pumpkins, plus a whole lot more that can be seen in the picture a few posts below. 

I did do a pre-season chimney sweep. I used to have to climb all the way in the chimney to do this, but last year or so, one of my sons bought a chimney brush that connects to a hand drill; and while I still get pretty dirty, I don't have to do body contortions to get the chimney clean.

I love getting that fire going in the wood stove early in the morning when the house is in the fifties and then putting the coffee on - I am glad fall has finally arrived (although it was in the 80's today.) and we had no fire this morning.

Pigs are still doing well. 

The first frost has left some of my pumpkins not yet ripe. Some will ripen off the vine if they are well along in color. Others will not. I had about 30 or so pumpkins not yet picked or fully ripe when we got the first frost on Thursday morning.

Oremus pro invicem!

Another litter

 We had another litter on October 3. 10 live births with all still doing well.

Oremus pro invicem!

Even more pumpkins!

 Still many more not ready to pick yet. 

Except the okra and green beans, the summer garden is gone, replaced by the fall garden of lettuce, cabbage, kale, spinach, broccoli, carrots, radishes, and turnips (so far.)

It has been a great garden year. 

Oremus pro invicem!

Liturgy of the Land Conference

In April my friends Jason Craig and Tommy Van Horn had their book Liturgy of the Land published (TAN books). The book explains the reason and history of the 'back to the land' movement - many of these reasons are why Lori and I moved to our homestead over 20 years ago.

It is worth the read, detailing how our country has purposely and actively removed support from those who want to be a center of production as a family. We should all be consumers and not producers. 

But a few of us have tried to at least partially bucked this trend for both practical and spiritual reasons and become homesteaders in one form or another.

Part of the book details the different levels of homesteading. Not all of us can homestead full-time (if any of us can.) From backyard urban gardener to rural full time homesteader, and every step in-between, the book discusses what is possible with entry level information.

As I said, worth reading, even if you are not thinking of making a move.

In December, TAN books is hosting the Liturgy of the Land Conference at the Catholic Conference center in Hickory, NC. You can meet the authors and learn from some real experts in the rural life and homesteading. 

See you there!

Oremus pro invicem!

My Marine

 He graduates from boot camp today.

Oremus pro invicem!

Pumpkins and Celebrations

We are going to have lots of pumpkins this year. This not so good (flip phone) picture shows the 4 varieties we planted: one "jack-o-lantern type (big orange) which has not so much meat and therefore not so great for cooking. The other varieties are meaty and all good for cooking (and for feeding to pigs.) Mrs. Curley will put some up so we can have pies and breads and soups throughout the year; the rest will feed the pigs. 

So far 110 spaghetti squash picked and counting!!! (Also good pig feed - we are running out of freezer space.)

Today is the feast of the be-heading of John the Baptist, AND it is Mrs. Curley and my wedding anniversary!

Here are a couple pictures - one about a week or two before our wedding, and the 2nd one of the (many) happy times here in Bethune. I think you will be able to tell which is which.

Oremus pro invicem!

I think I have written about EB White before in this space. Today I read in a Pillar column:  

EB White wrote once that all that he hoped to say in books, all that he ever hoped to say, is that he loved the world — emphasis his own.

This reminds me of Pieper's writing on feasts and festivals that they (festivals) are at heart a celebration recognizing that all of creation is good.

Looking back at my reading of EB White's "One Man's Meat" I find the following quote which is very appropriate and I find to be very true.

I don't know whether I came to the country to live the simple life; but I am now engaged in a life vastly more complex than anything the city has to offer. -E.B. White

Oremus pro invicem!

The bounty

We eat a lot of green beans throughout the year and usually grow quite a few of them. This year the crop wasn't coming. So I went to a new source for seeds and planted a late crop where I had just harvested the corn. We started harvesting beans today. These are young and tender, high quality. Hopefully with a lot more to come.

We have finished with the Patty Pan squash - but we have quite a bit to still put up as you can see. Mrs. Curley has been using it to make breads; delicious.

Still getting quite a bit of good Okra now. AND we started picking the spaghetti squash. As you can see, we have a wheel barrow full with a lot more to come.

God is both good and great!

Oremus pro invicem!