Rainy Monday Doesn't Get Me Down

Just kept me busy in the kitchen. I am very blessed to have a friend that has "connections" with a produce stand. She blessed me with well over a bushel of apples, tomatoes, green beans, strawberries and lots of other veggies and fruits. I made 12 pints of apple butter, canned 12 quarts of tomatoes. Made 2 loaves of strawberry bread and have my beans all ready to be canned in the morning. I just love seeing the pantry fill up with the only cost being the canning lids. I am going to be canning applesauce after I get the beans going in the morning. The animals are loving all the veggie and fruit scraps they have been getting the past few days. I still have to think of something to do with all the oranges and tangerines.

We had a heavy rain last night and several rain showers throughout the day. Made the garden stand up and look nice. The radishes, carrots, lettuce, spinach, and peas are growing fast. The broccoli, brussel sprouts, and peppers are standing so pretty and tall. Tomorrow I hope to set out more of my herb seedlings and egg plants. Its suppose to get up to 85 by Friday. Spring is flying into summer around here.

While I was stringing and breaking beans I enjoyed looking at the beautiful flower arrangement Kuma's mom sent me for my birthday. She is stationed in Germany so Kuma is staying here at the homestead until her return. The flowers are all a lovely lavender in a beautiful white basket. They still look as fresh as the day they were delivered and smell wonderful. Thank you Debbi!

Kuma and Rusty both got baths the other day but are already in need of another one. Kuma likes to roll in the dirt and Rusty likes crawling under things. When Charlotte had her piglets we brought the runt inside to warm it up. Rusty thought the piglet was his baby. He sat by it, licked it and when the piglet finally stood up Rusty nudged it with his nose to get it to walk. When the piglet would stop Rusty would nudge it again. We took the piglet back to its mom once it got stronger and Rusty wasn't happy. Every morning and evening when we feed he goes to the pen and stands there till one of us open the gate so he can go inside the pen. He then walks by Charlotte and goes directly to the piglets and looks till he finds Piglet. He watches for a few minutes and then turns and walks out of the pen. We had a hen hatch out chicks and one had a hurt leg. I brought it inside to see if there was anything I could do. Rusty had to check the chick out and lick it. When I took the chick back to the hen Rusty wasn't happy. He now goes and stands outside the pen where momma hen and chicks are and just watches his chick. If momma happens to be sitting on the chicks and he can't see his chick he barks. I have to make him go away from the pen until momma hen gets off the chicks so he can see and not bark. I think Rusty would make a good foster "mom" even though he is a neutered male. Whenever someone is leaving with chickens or bunnies they have purchased from us Rusty follows them to their car and actually walks on his hind legs trying to reach the animal leaving. Its like he thinks they are his and they belong here and doesn't want them to leave. Since we have sold over 100 chickens the past week Rusty has been doing alot of walking on his hind legs.

I have been getting up and going right to feeding the animals and so have switched my bible and devotional reading to right before I go to bed. It seems to work lots better as I have good things in my mind while falling asleep instead of the bad things I see on the late news. I tell my grands that I talk to God so much throughout the day that he wonders if I ever shut up. When I wake up the first thing I do is thank the Lord for a new day and ask him to bless me and mine. As I go about my morning chores I pray for family, friends, worries, blessings, etc. and the chores seem to get done in no time. I am a very blessed grandma and I hope you have lots of blessings to give thanks for tonight!