Monday, May 21, 2012

So, another week in the bucket. Have been busy cultivating peanuts. Need to get the Gypsum on soon. Another clutch of turkeys hatched (5). We should be picking our first corn in 7-10 days. We’ve had a few inches of rain the past week or so. This will be enough to make some good corn on at least our first planting. One more rain needed on our 2nd planting, and we’ll just have to see on our 3rd and 4th planting.


Sal had her second litter of pigs. 16 born alive. 14 survive the week and going strong. Harry the sow due in 2.5 weeks or so. Need to get a new farrowing pen built for her. The old one is under corn right now!

We are still picking broccoli and have started picking peas in earnest-two pickings a week right now and the sugar snap peas will have their first picking this week also.

Our horse sustained an injury from the mule right where the plough collar sits. Thus we haven’t been able to prepare the last part of the leased field for planting cow peas. We are hoping it will be fully healed this week and we can get back to ploughing so as to plant the cow peas by early June at the latest.

Landed a part-time job on at a local quail barn. It is the answer to our prayers. Added income with flexible hours just minutes away, what more can one ask for? I give entire credit to the Infant of Prague in whose hands we place our needs.

Comforting words from this morning’s Gospel (from John 16): “In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”

Oremus pro invicem!

Monday, May 07, 2012

Itching, War, Farm News

First to the comment below on cold water on the itch for poison ivy: Cold water does “cool down” the itch. Hot Water, on authority from my sons, and then from my own experience based on their advice: in the shower use water as hot as you can stand on the places where it itches. The itch increases and increases and then suddenly goes totally away. Finish with cold shower. Itch stays away longer than just with the cold water, HOWEVER … read on.


The problem with the hot water is that it opens your pores so much, that (especially if you have been scratching just a little - or more) it also opens those pores to potential infection, like staph. In my case, I got an infection and needed an antibiotic to get rid of it. So be forewarned….

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Listened to Morning Edition on NPR, interview with Rachel Maddow on her new book “Drift” on why we go to war this morning. Her thesis (paraphrased by me) is that because we have a large standing, professional army and military industrial complex, (we have drawn down less and less after every war since WWII), we tend to try solve problems with our military instead of using other means. Ironically, (she being a liberal) she quotes pre-president Jefferson on the virtues of small government.

I make sure my children before they graduate high school have all read the Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers, (something my hs and college education lacked. We read about them, but never read them.) One of the points the Anti-Federalists make is Rachel Maddow’s very point: countries with standing armies are more likely to engage in war, and strong, centralized, governments will eventually maintain a standing army.

This is why we need to understand history-not merely dates and events, but the thoughts behind them, which are most evident when we read the original documents and not just commentary on those documents.


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Drying off Penny (aka New Cow) for her pending freshening in June. Litter of piglets due later this week. More peanuts planted and one more section of peanuts to go. Almost finished with the broccoli; radishes gone; Swiss chard being plentiful; corn coming on strong-just a few more drops of rain needed! Eight turkey chicks hatched by momma turkey this week: 7 survive first week! Small Engine repair course ½ over, already fixing 4-cycles right and left. Number One son graduated tops in his EMT class!!



Oremus pro invicem!