FARMERDANRN.COM

Going to the Ranch & Lots of Work to Do

2010-05-21T02:51:00Z

God Bless My Parents! I am so grateful for their health. It is late Spring gather at the ranch this weekend and both of them have been working non-stop to make sure that all of the ground work runs safely and smoothly and that the after party/bbq is a success. The work is is up to all us but other folks will come by to enjoy BBQ and great fellowship.

We leave early tomorrow, pick up my nephew and head for the hills. I have been trying to convince my parents that this trip is vacation and we're not there to work but they're not buying it. Mom just chuckles and I just thank the Lord for cool weather it keeps the flies down.

Meet Gus, He is Beautiful...

2010-05-15T20:22:00Z

Gus the resident Peacock. He perches on the porch so that everyone knows he is there. He eats out of the dog bowl and socializes gracefully each one of them. Gus loves grapes and bananas and will wait by the front door patiently until someone satisfies his sweet tooth. Gus has a girlfriend Lucy. She is very aloof but Gus is very determined and displays himself in all his glory in the hope that she might take interest. During this season Gus is loud and acts as a watch dog crying out warnings if there is something unusual in his world. He is better than the dogs. Gus sleeps high up in which ever tree he picks, favoring a pine right in front of the house or a beautiful oak down the slope. He does not venture far, the ranch has become his home. With great meals and a girlfriend can you blame him?

 The Peacock

  There he goes with his head up high,
  Proudly thinking, "No creature is so beautiful as I."
  He struts about with an arrogant air,
  Satisfied with his beauty so fair.
  
   
  The peacock thinks himself to be without flaw,
  Thinks that all who see him should be in awe.
  His Creator has given him a plumage rare,
  Causing all that see him to stop and stare.
  
   
  The peacock has a flaw not plain to him,
  A flaw to his eyes very dim.
  He arrogantly prances about with very ugly feet,
  Proud of his beauty, but deceived-like so many we meet.
  
   
  Hes not altogether what he thinks he is,
  To see himself as he is would be great bliss.
  But he struts about with blinded eye,
  Thinking, "No creature is so beautiful as I."
  
   
  The peacock teaches a lesson true,
  That there are flaws in me and you.
  That we are not so mighty and so high,
  That we should see ourselves with the humble eye.
  
   
                      -GENE GRIFFIN

Foxtails Again!

2010-05-14T02:29:00Z

So the question is why is my poor dog's eye swollen shut. He had been fine just this morning, but this afternoon he sneezed a couple of times and began to paw at his eye. He really would not let us take a look at it but after some fighting with him, we were able to irrigate it. Nothing came out that evening, but it did look alot less angry.

Unlike the foxtail which had lodged itself in Charlie's eye (What is wrong with Charlie? ) my poor dog had nothing visible in his eye the next morning when I got up early to go in to work. All I had time to do was put some antibiotic ointment in his eye so that any corneal abrasion would not become infected. Eyes are funny things, either a scratch becomes dangerously infected fast or it will heal fast, but either way it really hurts so I gave him some baby aspirin to make him more comfortable.

When I got home from work that evening, we once again wrestled our poor boy down and washed his eye out with copious amounts of saline. And then there it was, it was not much of a foxtail,but it was enough. We got it out and reapplied ointment. 24 hours later and the eye looks so much better, thank God we got it soon. It is going to be a long foxtail season!

He will most likely have a red eye for a couple of days, but I do not think we will develop an abscess and lose an eye!

Wildfire Awareness Week is May 2-8 - Are You Ready?

2010-05-13T19:31:00Z

We live in a high fire area. As soon as the grasses dry out, we become front lines for a Red Flag Warning. Last year's fire made that statement reality as we watched the slopes of our land burn as well as all the surrounding brush and grasses for several miles. Through personal experience we have learned the absolute necessity of cutting the fire line. Last year the hard work saved the farm.

Our home is set back in a cove where we get daily sustain winds every afternoon which creates a sort of swirling flow of air. Because of where our house is situated we are required to cut a fire line of at least 100 ft. from each structure. The property is surrounded by slopes which make the job somewhat daunting.

The grasses this year, because of last year's fire are exceptionally lush and some grow as tall as your hip or higher. In the past we have disturbed rattlesnake dens and have had to learn how to stand on the slope with the string-trimmer without rolling back down. This year we have turned to a team of men that have knocked the job out in less than a week. We are set for the fire inspectors.

Friend or Foe? Companion Planting in the Garden

2010-05-12T00:22:00Z

I am not expert when it comes to companion planting. I do, however, have several charts that I refer to in hopes that what I do put in the ground gets along and benefits it’s neighbor. Taking advantage of companion planting does provide essential benefits in your garden.

First, your plants will grow better when they are next to another with similar nutritional requirements. The plants often will yield more fruit than those planted Wtih not companion or with an antagonist. Produce will taste better. Tomatoes, especially like basil and oregano, a ready made fresh pot of marinara sauce right there in the same box. Second, and more important, is the benefit of pest control. For example, onions are not favored by most pests and therefore, planted along with a companion they will help deter pests that would normally enjoy your hard work. Many of the Aromatic herbs act as repellents because they release volatile odors. Plant the strongest of these with your pest friendly veggies and they will help to disguise the growth of your plants. This is veggie camouflage and a militant approach. Another great way to take advantage of companion planting is to plant your butterfly, ladybug, and lacewing friendly flowers within the beds. The more beneficial insects that you can draw into your garden the better off your garden will be.

This year I have put sugar snap peas with eggplant, tomatoes with parsley, cucumbers and chives. Spinach is partnered with strawberries and habanero peppers alongside oregano. The bush beans get along well with potatoes so they live together in harmony.

Remember:

Companion planting is the pairing of plants for the mutual benefit of the garden and of each other. Benefits include a higher, better tasting yield and Natural pest control. It is important to know which plants are intolerant of one another in that you don’t want to undo your hard work or waste your time by the outbreak of disease or other pests. The chart attached gives you an overview of compatibilities. This is a basic chart as many other plants can be companions or foes to the ones listed.

Companion Planting Chart - Friend or Foe?

Copyright 2010 by Dan Courtois

Advanced Childhood Thinking.

2010-05-11T16:40:00Z

What do you think your mom and dad have in common? "They both don't want anymore kids." - girl, age 8

"Never trust a dog to watch your food." - boy, age 10

"When your dad is mad and asks you, 'Do I look stupid?' don't answer him." - boy, age 14

"Never tell your mom her diet's not working." - boy, age 14

"Puppies still have bad breath even after eating a Tic Tac." - boy, age 9

"Never hold a Dust Buster and a cat at the same time." - boy, age 9

"Stay away from prunes." - boy, age 9

"You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk." - boy, age 9

"If you want a kitten, start out by asking for a horse." -girl 15

"Felt markers are not good to use as lipstick." - girl, age 9

"Don't pick on your sister when she's holding a baseball bat." - boy, age 10

"Never try to baptize a cat." - girl, age 8

How can a stranger tell if two people are married? "You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids." - boy, age 8

How do you decide who to marry? "You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and then she should keep the chips and dip coming." - boy, age 10

"No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with." - girl, age 10

Is it better to be single or married? ""It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them." - girl, age 9

When is it okay to kiss someone? "When they're rich." - girl, age 7

"The law says that you have to be 18, so I wouldn't want to mess with that." - boy, age 7

"The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do." - boy, age 8

What is the right age to get married? "23 is the best age because you know the person forever by then." - girl, age 10

"No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married." - boy, age 6

What would you do on a first date that was turning sour? "I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all of the dead columns." - boy, age 9

What do most people do on a date? "Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough." - girl, age 8

Charlie's Garlic Garden Update.

2010-05-11T06:00:00Z

I really enjoy growing garlic, maybe it is just in my blood; I know that my great grandfather (may he rest in peace) used to grow a lot of it. My family uses A LOT of garlic in everyday cooking so it seemed only natural that I start growing it as well. I guess that I started growing it about 10 years ago and have steadily increased my production.
Garlic is a really interesting crop to grow and that is part of the fun in growing it for me. Garlic is unusual in that it takes about nine months to growth maturity and it is almost never grown from seeds. This hardy plant is probably one of the oldest crops known to man and has been grown in various forms through out the world. One of the things that I find most interesting is that since garlic has not been grown from seeds for probably a thousand years. People grow garlic by planting individual garlic cloves and this in turn produces a whole head of garlic. What is really neat about this though, is that the garlic cloves that you are planting now is genetically the same as the clove planted several hundred years ago!
Garlic is a hardy, relatively easy to grow crop that everyone should try. There are a couple of books below that you should check out to help get you started on your own garden growing journey. Who knows, maybe if you are lucky enough, our little dog will help you!

Copyright 2010 by Dan Courtois

Why I Love Mom.

2010-05-09T23:06:00Z

Mom and Dad were watching TV when Mom said, I'm tired, and it's getting late. I think I'll go to bed.

She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches. Rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took out meat out of the freezer for supper the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container, put spoons and bowls on the table and started the coffee pot for brewing the next morning. She then put some wet clothes in the dryer, put a load of clothes into the washer, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button. She picked up the game pieces left on the table , put the phone back on the charger and put the telephone book into the drawer. She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket and hung up a towel to dry.

She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom. She stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the field trip, and pulled a textbook out from hiding under the chair. She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick note for the grocery store. She put both near her purse.

Mom then washed her face with 3 in 1 cleanser, put on her night solution & age fighting moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth and filed her nails. Dad called out, "I thought you were going to bed?" "I am on my way." she said.

She put some water into the dog's dish and put the cat outside, then made sure the doors were locked and the patio light was on. She looked in on each of the kids and turned out their bedside lamps and TV's, hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks into the hamper, and had a brief conversation with the one up still doing homework.

She set the alarm; laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack. She added 3 things to her 6 most important things to do list. She said her prayers, and visualized the accomplishment of her goals.

About that time, Dad turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular. "I am going to bed." And he did without another thought.

Anything extraordinary here?

Wonder why women live longer?

CAUSE WOMEN ARE MADE FOR THE LONG HAUL! (and they can't die sooner, because still have things to do!!!)

Amazingly Simple Home Remedies

2010-05-09T02:55:00Z

1). Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold the vegetables while you chop.

2). For high blood pressure sufferers - simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure on your veins. Remember to use a timer.

3). A mouse trap placed on top of your alarm clock will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

4). Avoid arguments with the females about lifting the toilet seat by using the sink

5). If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives. Then you'll be afraid to cough.

6). You only need two tools in life - wd-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the wd-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

7). If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem.

Infamous Southern Fried Chicken

2010-05-05T17:47:00Z

"A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday does not know where it is today." --Robert E. Lee

Out here one the west coast there is a generation that has grown up without the benefit of experiencing their early heritage. By the grace of God I was able to spend time in North Carolina on many occasions with Granny, family, and the many other names that salted the area of Swanns Station with all of the quiet, slower pace of living that is so easily taken for granted. The Land is still covered in beautiful woods occasionally carved out to provide room for the crops that for two centuries has been the livelihood of the community.

In North Carolina, as I am sure most of the Southern States, country churches were established by the families in the immediate area. My Granny's Church was no exception. The church began as a Red School House in 1845, in the 1860's more land was acquired and a house of worship was built. This structure was replaced in 1904 and remains standing. This church maintains a cemetery on the land where a majority of the church family has been buried since the setttlement and continuing today. The country community, though simple, paints a deep picture of our heritage as a nation and has bound together not just families for generations.

I have had requests for a Southern Fried Chicken Recipe. After poking through mom's old cookbooks I finally found one that is much older than me. One of Granny's life long friends is responsible. In addition to the fried chicken recipe, I have included a recipe for slaw, biscuits and an OLD Apple Cake recipe, a complete meal.

Mrs. Cameron's Infamous Fried Chicken

Chicken Pieces (skin on)
Salt and Pepper
Self-rising Flour
Sage
(These are simple ingredients and if you prefer the flour may be seasoned according to your taste)

Soak the chicken in salted water for about 30 minutes. Coat the chicken with self-rising flour which has been seasoned to your taste. I like to use salt, pepper and sage. Put the chicken back in the salted water long enough to thoroughly wet. I allow just a couple of minutes. Return the chicken to the seasoned flour for a final coat. It might be a good idea to leave it in the flour so as to give achieve a good coat. Fry in your usual manner.

Marinated Slaw

1 Med.cabbage
1 Sm. onion
1/2 green pepper
Combine & Set Aside

Dressing

3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. salt
1 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon dry mustard

Bring these ingredients to a boil; let it cool. Pour cooled dressing over the cabbage. DO NOT mix the cabbage and dressing until you are ready to serve.

Lucille's Biscuits

3 cups self-rising flour, sifted
3/4 cup lard or shortening
1 cup buttermilk

Mix together flour, shortening and buttermilk. Knead with hands until firm enough to roll into biscuits. Cook at 400 for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Buttermilk biscuits can be tricky, practice & have fun with them.

Apple Cake

3 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 cups diced cooking apples
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
2 teaspoons vanilla

Cream together oil & sugar, add well beaten eggs. Sift together flour, soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and beat well. Add apples, nuts and vanilla. Pour batter into a bundt cake pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 30 minutes or until done.

Icing

3/4 stick butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup carnation milk
2-2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt the butter in a pot, add brown sugar, stir and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Add milk and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool. Add confectioner's sugar and vanilla, spread on cake.

You can not have a good country fried chicken chicken dinner without slaw, home grown slices of tomatoes and all the leftover greens and beans that are in the fridge. Finish dinner with homegrown watermelon and apple cake.

My Southern heritage is one that I hold close to my heart. It is a treasure, steeped in history as rich as land and as rooted as the people. Enjoy these recipes and when you do remember Our Country and all those who have poured their blood and sweat into the land to make it what it is today.

Copyright 2010 by Dan Courtois

It Feels Like Cody Was Born Just Yesterday.

2010-05-05T02:11:00Z

He was a cute little foal brat two years ago! Now he is just a big brat!

Papa is pretty proud of him though!

Before I Was A Mom.

2010-05-03T04:03:00Z

Before I was a Mom, I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn’t worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom, I had never been puked on. Pooped on. Chewed on. Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts. I slept all night!

Before I was a Mom, I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests or gives shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was Mom, I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn’t want to put her down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn’t stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom, I didn’t know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn’t know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn’t know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn’t know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom, I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment, or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn’t know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom!

I LOVE YOU MOM!

Copied from church bulletin. Spirit of Praise, Gospel Publishing House, MO

Today's Gardening Update

2010-05-01T20:45:00Z

I made a date with my mother-in-law, we were to meet in the garden between 10:00 & 10:30 am. I am in no way an early riser and that's not early, but, I still harumphed when my alarm went off. This past week we have been putting in seedlings; we planted tomatoes, eggplant, sugar snap peas, zucchini, crookneck squash, beans spinach,strawberries, cucumbers, peppers and a variety melons.

Our garden grows in raised wooden packing boxes from a local citrus company that was going to start using plastic boxes. They've been tricky with some of the veggies (especially those that are a vine, cucumbers, melons and the like) but have proven to be a huge blessing as we live directly next to open land and the gopher problem is uncontrollable.

Today's finishing was like the laundry service. All of the boxes had to be fluffed and folded. I resigned to tackle two or three boxes a day; and, this morning with the help of my in-laws we finished planting, caging, weeding, and placing the drip irrigation system back together with all emitters put in place and ta da, Lord willing we will stay in fresh produce all summer and into fall. The water is automatic and segregated based on needs of the plant. The first year that we had the boxes, we did it the hard way, watered by hand and as you can imagine the harvest was reflected in the inconsistent watering.

This year the plan is to trellis the cucumbers and fashion something to help the melon vines stay watered and tended appropriately. I am also planting cucumbers adjacent to tomatoes as they a good companions, both are vines, and my hope is that they will mingle and help each other along. Another good companion is eggplant and sugar snap peas. I planted a row of the peas between the eggplant, caged the eggplant and ran poles along the top of the box to help the peas along. I can't wait to see how pretty that combo looks. Spinach was put with strawberries,peppers with oregano and potatoes with bush beans.

The weather today could not have been better. I am truly grateful that we have the opportunity to garden and enjoy God's creation. The last of the fall harvest was taken today.

These onions are flanked by oregano,rosemary and sage (I forgot the thyme). The garlic planted last fall is coming along nicely and fruit is set on the trees.

Who Makes a Garden
Poet - Douglas Malloch

Whoever makes a garden
Has never worked alone;
the rain has always found it,
The sun has always known;

The wind has blown across it
And helped to scatter seeds;
Whoever makes a garden
Has all the help he needs.

Whoever makes a garden
Should surely not complain,
With someone like the sunshine
And someone like the rain

And someone like the breezes
To aid him in his toil
And someone like the Father
Who gave the garden soil.

Whoever makes a garden
Has, oh, so many friends;
The glory of the morning
The dew when daylight ends.

For rain and wind and sunshine
And dew and fertile sod;
And he who makes a garden
Works hand and hand with God.

We really love companion planting and we hope that you will give it a try as well!

What's Wrong With Charlie? Foxtails!

2010-04-29T22:04:00Z

Last night our Cairn Terrier, Charlie, did not quite seem himself. Although he still appeared somewhat energetic, his interest in chasing his favorite ball just were not there. Charlie will typically sleep at the foot of the bed and will fall asleep and not be bothered by anything. Last night he was restless and could not get comfortable, wanted to be close and curled up by my head which is just not like him. Living in the heart of Southern California Earthquake Country we thought maybe his behavior was a precursor to a tumbler. Being prepared, we made sure clothes were set out, just in case.

Charlie knows he has to go out one more time before we go to sleep so Dan got up, took him out and that is when he began rubbing his face on the ground, pawing at his face and ear and showing discomfort. I noticed that his eye was a bit wet and thought perhaps because he loves to dig for gophers that he had inhaled way to much dirt and had irritated his sinuses. Dan and I cleaned his eye, both lids were quite red, and checked his ears and were unable to find any foreign body. We gave him a canine antihistamine, Atarax, he calmed down, and we all went to bed.

This morning before Dan took Charlie out we saw that his eye had become crusted over, like pinkeye. Dan got another compress and gently cleaned his eye to a place where Dan could open it. Wedged across the inside of the top eyelid was a fox tail. Dan gently removed it and cleaned his eye. That foxtail had been embedded in his eye since some time that afternoon and could have caused severe damage. He is able to keep his eye fully open but it remains a bit glassy.

Treatment at this point is pretty mild. We are flushing his eye with a mild saline solution and applying Terramycin Opthalmic Ointment three times a day to avoid and infection that may occur from scratches. The ointment was available at the local feed store and a mild saline solution can be made at home or purchased at the local drug store. We will watch him closely as if there was and corneal damage or an infection that develops a trip to the vet will become necessary.

For dogs, foxtails are the curse of the summer. As the grasses of spring dry out the seed pods looses from the stem and are easily picked up when the animal runs through a patch. It is very important to check your dogs on a regular basis for the presence of foxtails. For dogs with longer hair, like Charlie, daily combing is recommended. For those dogs with longer hair a close trim before the grasses dry out out helps followed up with regular grooming through out the season.

Foxtails can work their way into the paws causing abscess. they can work their way down into the ear canal causing infection and more severe damage including deafness. Dogs will inhale foxtails where they can become embedded in the nose, sinuses and throat. In all of these cases infection will more than likely occur and can be fatal. Foxtails can, like shrapnel, work themselves through soft tissue and into vital organs, kidneys, liver, lungs and heart. Like in our case, foxtails will embed themselves in the eye and can cause infection and/or blindness.

For those foxtails that have gone beneath the skin or abscessed, antibiotics are the course of treatment with the idea that the foxtail will decompose or the body will create a cyst around it. When organ damage feared surgery is the course of action. When the foxtails get caught in the nose the vet will sedate the dog and use forceps to remove it. This can be the same treatment for a foxtail embedded in the ear.

This is to be informative only and is not the advice of a veterinarian though the sources of information have been professional. If your dog prevents symptoms such as constant sneezing with discharge, paw, tugs and rubs the ears and /or face, squint and presenting pinkeye like symptoms, limps or gags during this dangerous time of the year a vet visit is likely in order.

This year because of all the wonderful rain and the fires the slopes around our house are lush and beautiful. However nice it looks we know that diligent attention to the foxtail problem with both the terrier and leopard hound is critical.

Like most dog owners, they are an extension of the family who works their way into your heart and cannot be replaced. Take the extra time.

We find these books helpful in caring for many different kinds of animals, you may also want to have them in your library.

Copyright 2010 by Dan Courtois

Starting Our Spring Garden.

2010-04-27T03:37:00Z

We spent some more time today getting some of our seedlings into our box gardens. Of course, we had our favorite garden reference book at had to give us directions on companion planting, feeding, water needs, and soil treatment. It is a real pleasure to get in there and get some good garden soil under your nails. Stress and anxiety just seem to melt away with each spade of soil that I turn. We have started our own seeds in the past with fairly good results, we have even saved our own seeds for that matter. But this year we had little time for that so we just went down to a couple of good nurseries and bought some good quality, organic seedlings. We could quickly get our garden on in this way. We had prepared our soil for planting in the past but a quick look through the "Vegetable Gardener's Bible" reminded us of a few things that we would want to take care of.

Of course clean up after garden work is really important, scrub those hands and apply some lotion to them before you begin flipping through your copy of "The Vegetable Gardener's Bible" for more garden inspiration.

You will find, as we have, that it is really worthwhile to own a copy of "The Vegetable Gardener's Bible"; you can get one relatively inexpensively @ Amazon.com --see link below and buy the book.

The Last Little Girl of The Season

2010-04-25T04:15:00Z

Here is the last of the calves that we will have this season. This beautiful red heifer was born yesterday on my in-law's ranch. It has really been a full season of blessings for them. GOD is good!

Know My Jesus.

2010-04-25T03:45:00Z

At the University of Chicago Divinity School each year they have what is called “Baptist Day.” On this day each one is to bring a lunch to be eaten outdoors in a grassy picnic area. Every “Baptist Day” the school would invite one of the greatest minds to lecture in the theological education center.
One year they invited Dr. Paul Tillich. Dr. Tillich spoke for 2 ½ hours proving that the resurrection of Jesus was false. He quoted scholar after scholar and book after book. He concluded that since there was no such thing as the Historical resurrection the religious tradition of the church was groundless, emotional mumbo-jumbo, because it was based on a relationship with a risen Jesus, who, in fact never rose from the dead in any literal sense. He then asked if there were any questions.
After about 30 seconds, an old, dark skinned preacher with a head of short-cropped, woolly white hair stood up in the back of the auditorium. “Docta Tillich, I got one question,” he said as all eyes turned toward him. He reached into his sack lunch and pulled out an apple and began eating it. “Docta Tillich CRUNCH, MUNCH. Now , I ain’t never read them books you read. CRUNCH, MUNCH. And I can’t recite the scriptures in the original Greek. CRUNCH, MUNCH.” “I don’t know nothing about Niebuhr and Heidegger…CRUNCH, MUNCH.
He finished the apple. “All I wanna know is: This apple I just ate, was it bitter or sweet?
Dr. Tillich paused for a moment and answered in exemplary scholarly fashion: “I can’t possibly answer that question, for I haven’t tasted your apple.”
The white-haired preacher dropped the core of his apple into his crumpled paper bag, looked up at Dr. Tillich and said calmly, “Neither have you tasted my Jesus.”
The 1,000 plus in attendance could not contain themselves. The auditorium erupted with applause and cheers. Dr. Tillich thanked his audience and promptly left the platform.
Have you tasted Jesus?
Pass this on Saints! Jesus has risen and He is coming back one day!
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. If you have, rejoice in the hope of the resurrection that your faith in Him brings.” Psalms 34:8

Found in the church bulletin “Spirit of Praise” Gospel Publishing House, Springfield, MO

Our Solar Update

2010-04-22T03:39:00Z

Our family solar system is finally up and running now, and just in time. The weather will be blazing in the next couple of weeks as our little part of desert California will heat up. When the summer winds come, you can smelt copper on our front porch or fire ceramics. Needless to say, we will soon need the safety and protection of the air conditioner to keep our air cool enough to breath; outside air in this area is frequently hot enough to ignite the mucous membranes and lungs of those unfortunate to be trapped outside long enough to have to take a breath. Anyways, for the personal respiratory health and safety of all who need to safely breathe on this property, we found ourselves spending a couple of hundred dollars a month in electricity to meet our power needs during the summer.Our solar panels glisten brightly in the Sun on the South facing portion of our property. The power line runs underground towards the inverter, which is located a few hundred feet away. The inverter hums contentedly along as it coverts the hot energy from the Sun into life giving, life sustaining air conditioning. To the right of the inverter (the converter has to be protected from direct sunlight ironically enough) is the regular electrical meter…..spinning backwards! At its peak during midday, our system produces about 12.5 megawatts of usable electricity to our little electrical system and then to the grid beyond. We have finally won some semblance of energy independence!
Maintenance and care for this system is simple, just keep it clean and keep it intact. The surface of the panels only need to be rinsed off about once a month to keep the panels clean and dirt free on the Sun facing surface (you have to let the Sun light shine on through to those photovoltaic cells). The other thing that must be done is to keep the whole system intact (as in no broken panels, loose mounts, or broken supports). The support structure and mounts are extremely important out here where we live as the winds can really kick up to about 30 miles an hour for the better part of a summer day therefore we really put in good solid footings to support all of the super structure. We have now moved into the solar water heating side as well. Dad and I were able to do this ourselves so there is a good feeling of family accomplishment and progress towards energy independence.

The Sun is now heating up the pool faster than it did in years past. I know that I talked about the convection heater like characteristics of the area surrounding our domicile, but the pool really does not start to heat up to “swim able” temperature until late May. One would think that a pool sitting in the sunshine of our own little solar still would be boiling by late January at the latest. But a 33,000 gallon heat sink does not heat up, or cool down, quick time. Dad and I installed this new solar water heating system on top of one of the buildings here at the farm. This was really neat for us as we were able to do it without much outside help. We bought this kit from a local supplier and got to work. The system is supposed to raise the water temperature running through the mats by 10 degrees. At first this does not sound like a big increase, but as water is pumped through these thin mats over the period of a couple of hours the temperature starts to rise.
The kit consists of a few relatively simple components, these being black solar mats, connectors, retention straps, and brackets. Each kit consists of two mats and all of the aforementioned parts. We bought four kits so that we could install 8 mats as we figured this would be best for our needs. We also bought about 200 feet of schedule 40 PVC piping to run between the mats and the pool pump system to carry the cold water up to the mats and the hot water down to the pump and ultimately into the pool. We also used some “U” brackets to hold the PVC pipe down with the rest of the system (remember we had that big wind issue to deal with). We took some silicone sealant to seal around the holes that we placed in the roof to prevent rain from working down into the roof. The mats were sold with a kit to keep the mats flat against the roof preventing them from being carried off of the roof. Just like the “U” clamps, we covered the bracket holes with silicone sealant as well.
Here is a quick run down of the steps that we ran through in order to get this system up and running. Obviously, we already had a plan as to where we wanted to locate our system, that being of course a south facing roof surface. We removed the parts from the boxes and took a quick inventory of the contents. After gingerly climbing the rickety ladder, we spread the mats out on the roof. We had a little trouble getting the mats to lie down long enough to place weights on them to prevent them from blowing around.After positioning them into the place that we wanted them to be in we went to work securing the mats with the nylon straps that were provided with the kit. After we drilled the pilot holes for the bracket screws, we covered them with plenty exterior silicone caulk. We tightened the straps down tight in order to keep the mats down hugging the roof. As the roof heated up, the mat started to flatten out to the contour thus making it easier to secure more. The mats were now connected together with simple black rubber fittings secured with easy to use band connectors. The more difficult part came when we had to cut and fit the PVC piping to fit the system. These are the pipes which will of course carry the hot and cold water throughout the whole system. These pipes have to be cut precisely and glued together; this process includes removing the burs on the pipe edges, wiping the edges clean, and brushing the primer, followed by applying the glue on the pipe ends. After the glue is a little tacky, join the ends and apply and hold pressure for about a minute.
We secured the PVC pipe down to the roof with some “U” clamps in order to keep everything where it is supposed to be. After this it is largely just a matter of making the right connections to your individual pool system.
We have built this system for our pool, but one can just as easily adapt this sort of equipment to fill your domestic hot water needs. We bought a prepackaged kit, but I know that you can buy plans or parts to make your own. You can also have a professional installer design and install a system that matches your own situation. We really enjoyed designing and installing our system ourselves and being able to do it together. Needless to say, our new solar systems have brought us a great amount of excitement around here!

Read more on Self sufficient living @ Working Towards Self Sufficiency-Energy

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We hope that our progress on our solar system will help get you to dreaming about your own!

Copyright 2010 by Dan Courtois

Why Did Jesus Fold The Napkin?

2010-04-21T02:44:00Z

Why did Jesus fold the napkin?
Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? I never noticed this.
The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes.
The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.
Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.
She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and I don’t know where they have put Him!”
Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple out ran Peter and got there first. He stopped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he did not’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying to the side.
Was that important? Absolutely!
Is it really significant? Yes!
In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day.
The folded napkin had to do with the Master and the servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition.
When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it.
The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the Master was finished.
Now if the Master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.
The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, “I’m finished.”
But if the Master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it besides his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because.
The folded napkin meant,
“I’M COMING BACK!” And so He shall!

Found in the church bulletin "Spirit of Praise" Gospel Publishing House, Springfield, MO

Put Your Fruit Trees on a Diet, Thin Them Out!

2010-04-17T23:08:00Z

Most of our stone fruit trees have set fruit. The blossoms have fallen leaving the bright green leaves and small little buds of what will be sweet summer fruit. Pruning was completed at the end of the cold season while the trees were still dormant, this lessens shock, and if done properly will yield a wonderful bounty come late Spring and Summer. If your trees were pruned incorrectly or in the past your trees have not been thinned the fruit production from your trees will suffer.

Pruning problems cause poor growth which in turn will affect pollination. Over pruning will suppress new flower buds from appearing by favoring the production of new shoots. Adjusting your pruning technique will fix these problems but will not account for birds and disease.

Some trees will begin to produce biennial fruit with each of these years full of small underdeveloped fruit. In addition to the poor fruit quality the possibility for branch breakage is likely. This condition will occur when there has been a previous heavy crop, frost damage or cold hot snaps, disease, or poor fertilization. Trees in this condition by manual blossom thinning and fruit thinning techniques can encourage large well rounded fruit production and breakage of the biennial cycle.

I find fruit thinning to be easier than blossom thinning for one reason, bees! A general rule of thumb is to allow there to be the width of three fingers between each fruit. Each fruit tree does have its own rule for proper thinning which can be looked into further.

Our peach tree in the back has been very difficult it thin. Every year much time is spent removing the little stones. The tree is relatively high so the top branches do not always get their due. If the lover branches of the tree are consistently thinned, the tree, in several years will adjust and lower the amount of fruit set. It has been three years with this peach and by the looks of it, I will be busy pulling fruit again.

Thinning needs to begin in April and May depending upon the time of fruit maturity. By thinning many fruit diseases, growth and damage to the fruit and tree are averted. Thin the crop when the developing fruits are about an inch in diameter. To avoid damaging branches, twist fruit off gently rather than pulling it.

I have always found U.C. Davis Cooperative Extension to be helpful with the questions that I can not answer. This quick article in their Environmental and Horticultural Notes will give you more specific detailed insight into the necessity and benefits of thinning your fruit trees. Thinning Your Fruit Trees

I love this time of year. Canning, jamming, jellying, eating, cobblering, pieing and all the other ings are the best. Giving your fruit trees the TLC they deserve will ensure a great harvest. Enjoy your summer fruits! Please remember that DirectGardening.com - Offers quality plants at great prices, come see what we mean! You might want to go back and read a previous article that we wrote which is similar to this one, Bare root tree stock.

Copyright 2010 by Dan Courtois