Here's some fairly recent pictures of life here in Bethune. First up is a few pigs from our litter in July as they have grown a bit.

And then one of the pigs (now hogs) from our very first litter in April.

One more hog picture. This is one large hog. You can't see it, but we dug a hole so the head of this hog wouldn't hit the ground, so my feet are about 1 foot higher than the hog's head.

Now for some chickens .... The first (left) is our flock which is laying now. Some Rhode Island Reds, a Comet or two, a Black Sex-Link, and a couple Americaunas.

The second is part the flock of the future (the near future I hope). These are Comets and White Leghorns. They should start laying in earnest any day now. (We are getting a white egg here and there.)

Okay, now a one more pig picture to wind things up. The "reds" are doing quite well. The larger one will enter our breeding herd come December. The other will enter our freezer around the same time.

Next time, may be I will have a picture of our Turkeys. They are quite big now-almost ready for harvest. Speaking of harvest, our field of peanuts should be ready for harvest this week.

Oremus pro invicem!

Our newest litter

Our newest litter nursing - 3 days old.

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Today is the feast of the Archangels-one of whom is the patron of our homeschool.

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. Rebuke him, O God, we humbly beseech Thee. And do thou, o prince of the Heavenly host, drive into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who wander through the world, seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Oremus pro invicem!

15!

15 piglets, all black or black with white rind (like their Hampshire daddy) born live on Saturday. Spent part of the afternoon watching. I have a short film and a couple pics, but don't have time to post them today. Other things are taking care of themselves (with God's help.) Thanks for prayers and concerns!

Oremus pro invicem!

Stitches last night (or actually all day yesterday. You wouldn't believe the number of flu cases in our emergency room-and they took every one of them before even looking at my wound); dead battery on one car this morning; malfunctioning window on the other car; need hay desperately for the milk cow; gate down to our holding area; and little spot overdue on her litter (due yesterday).

Now you ask why I am not posting much? (No complaints here.)

Oremus pro invicem!

We have a litter of pigs due Wednesday or Thursday this week-although yesterday she seemed to be bagging up and was making a nest, (but not panting) such that I wouldn't have been surprised if there had been piglets on arriving home from Mass. But nothing was happening.

Have been a little disappointed and confused as some sections of our fall garden have not sprouted. Was talking to our 90+ year old farmer neighbor a few days ago .... he told me had already planted his turnips twice and they hadn't sprouted ... lack of rain. So we go at it again.

My wedding ring broke or cracked this past week. The ring almost looks like a rope, if you will. I had it sized about 15 years ago when my weight was rapidly making it too small. It broke near the point where material was added. I was leery of wearing it, as I thought it could break in two pieces and I might lose it. However, I decided to try soldering the crack. It seems to have worked, holding together so far.

It's funny, I really never thought much of the wedding ring until it cracked. Then I got worried over whether it was symbolic of something deeper. (My kids used to think-with a little encouragement from me-that whoever was wearing my wedding ring was married to their mother. They would panic if they saw me taking it off or playing with it. )

Oremus pro invicem!

Finally some rain ... but just a little. May be some more today ... "red in the morning".

Have done a bunch of fall planting, with mixed results. Swiss chard is coming in well, but the rest is spotty. Maybe due to the lack of rain. I have tried to water, but there is no substitute for rain.

I tilled up the old goat pen and planted half, the other half this week.

We have another litter of pigs due next week. We have been selling pigs of late. Keeps the lights on.

Today is the feast of Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian. Connor (Conor) is the Irish version of Cornelius, so today is a name saint day here. We will pray the liturgy of the hours (MP) together and have some dessert later.

Jersey is still giving milk and lots and lots of cream. More than we can make butter with. Muscadine harvest is almost over. Mrs. Curley has made some jam and has another batch to go.

For me, lots of work to get done, including some catch up on the boys school work.

Oremus pro invicem!

What's up with this?

I checked out some of our books available on Amazon recently and found Russell Shaw's Catholic Laity in the Mission of the Church available USED from $46 to $235! (Regularly price is $14.95.)

See proof of my claim here.

Do they know something I don't know? I wouldn't doubt it.

Oremus pro invicem!

Continuing saga ....

on food prices and small farmers vs. big Ag. This is actually where I started several weeks ago, and here it is again. I read the following at Front Porch Republic :

Organic farming, Conkin notes, exists only because of the financial backing of affluent consumers. Morever, the advocates of organic farming are often unaware of their dependence on technological improvements and scientific advances, many subsidized by governments. No small farmer of his youth could have been met the certification requirements for organic farming. Even today, for those who go organic, they cannot be profitable selling free-range chickens or organic tomatoes except that there is a bobo marketplace where people will buy these products well above market prices.

At the same time, a small farm cannot be profitable because the public wants to spend their money on other things than food, and thus settles for subpar food. (And I am not an all-organic guy. I think there is a middle ground.)

Oremus pro invicem!

The end of an era ... beginning of a new era

We sold our last goats on Saturday. In some senses we were sorry to see them go, but it is for the best. We didn't have pasture or enough forage for them, and they weren't providing much to us either.

And the new? Mrs. Curley distributed her first batch of homemade soap around to the washing areas of the house last night.

Oremus pro invicem!