Work Man Work

OK I have officially returned to the grind.  Off for 4 months due to injury and happy to say all is going well.  The injury caused by playing soccer when I am much to out of shape for such as that, has left me with a new acl in the right leg.  It was a long process of therapy but now it is ready for the work I do which is climbing ladders and sweeping chimneys.  I have no regrets that I did what I did and am actually thankful to have come across so many wonderful caregivers along the way.  I think the world of everyone of them and am so blessed to have met each and everyone of them.  God is good.

Not gardening just living

Today I am in Florida surrounded by sand and sun.  The last few days we (my wife and I) have been taking a few days to recharge our batteries taking walks along the beach and swimming.  The area we choose to stay at is between Destin and Panama City.  The beaches are white as snow and the water is very clear.  There is good seafood at many of the diners close by.  We don't come here often because it can be expensive since we want to be on the beach with the sound of the waves close by.  I have a few pictures to show what the area is like where we are staying.

I'm fired up about my new oven

This is my newly built wood fired oven.  It has been a long time in the makings and I am soooo glad to have it.  We had pizza the first time it was used and it was fantastic.  I will roast, bake and barbecue for many meals to come.

Travelling Through Paris with Family and Friends

We’ll here is the perfect way to spend a vacation.  The beautiful city of Paris and surrounding France and Belgium in tandem with all my family.  The weather in July was perfect and the people were all so nice everywhere we went.  Our trip began in Brussels and from there we headed to France to the small town of Grandcourt.  We stayed in a very lovely chateau that was quiet and private.  It had a heated pool and a large area of manicured grounds with a stream running through it.  The hills were rolling with wheat fields and forest and some cattle mixed in.  This would be our home base for the week ahead as we searched out the area by rental car.  We had a great time!

          Of course there was so much to see and do but nothing as exciting as or day in Paris.  My three sisters and one niece and one nephew traveled into the city and spent the day filling up our time touring the city by open bus.  I could have spent the week if time would have allowed us in this amazing city.  So much to see let alone what there is to do.  I loved all the history in this one place.  The time went by so fast.  I loved being with family I hardly get any time to see since we are on opposite coast.  Amore’ Amore’ 

 

We travelled all through the area from the Normandy coast where we visited the hollow ground where the D Day invasion has been so well preserved.  Such a beautiful area where so many soldiers are laid to rest in memorial for all to remember their ultimate sacrifice.

There is so much to put down about our trip and I wish I had the time so for now I will have to come back later to add more.  So many memories to share.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Hummingbird

Today has been perfect weather for gardening and bird watching.  I have not taken the time to garden but I did get a good picture of the hummingbird that has spent this summer on our feeder.  It won't be long before this hummer and many other birds head south for the winter, so I am delighted to get to see them enjoying the sweet nectar of our nice feeder.  The garden has pretty much exhausted itself except for the lettuce I planted earlier last week.  Temps were in the 80's, perfect for germinating and a quick start to this fall and winter greens.  I hope you can see the hummingbird.

I have planted the lettuce sprouts for fall and winter harvest.  I will have plenty of good greens Thanksgiving and sometimes through December when covered with frost protection.  The best garden is fall time here in Tennessee.  Cool weather keeps the bugs down and lettuce crisp.  Yummy!

Stars on the Fourth of July

This is a very special flower that I had been meaning to plant for the last 5 years.  The seeds were in the refrigerator and when I planted it I was not sure if it had any life to it or not.  It is a very delicate vine that reaches up 6 feet on a garden gate and over. The beautiful flower in the shape of a star reminds me of the fourth of July celebration today.  Enjoy your fourth and God bless America.  Jim

Storming outside

To be sure the garden is a success after filling it up to the top with leaves, manure, grass clippings and the compost from whatever else was found to put in it.  No fertilizer or chemicals added since this garden was started over 25 years ago.  Rotating crops and keeping the weeds to a minimum has been one of the challenges in preventing disease and bug infestation.  This year I had a large amount of flea beetles that decimated the bottom leaves of just about all my warm weather crops.  They all survived but one lone eggplant without having to use and pesticide.  Now all is well in the garden with the summer heat of 95 since June 1.  But today is cooler thank goodness, and a heavy rainfall is all but past now with all the plants doing much better having the rain.

Permaculture is a success!

The idea of having a garden without having to till or weed may not seem possible but it surely can happen.  In order to get to the place where it happens is a process of time and manpower.  This was in my case anyway because when I started to put in the garden I just did what I wanted.  Dig here and there and plant, plant and dig more.  I loved to work in the soil in hopes of seeing things grow.  I did not have any good soil but I had lots of leaves, grass, and kitchen waste that was composted to add into the soil. I used a lot of energy I did not need to use because I should of let the soil alone do the work.  No dig..... dig it.  All this is said because I believe if you just leave the ground alone and lay down compost the worms and bacteria will produce a good soil from the top down.  Move the top layer of compost and plant your seedlings or seeds and push the earth back over and you will yield a good crop.  When I start to take over some unused part of the yard now, all I do is remove the top sod and add some type of compost.  The worms then go to town.....to eat.  I was always told to till the ground and then plant whatever you were wanting to grow. Now, each year aflter you add  more compost, leaves and grass clippings to feed the earths busy little movers and shakers in the ground. The movers in turn feed the plants.  Great to know you don't have to use chemicals at all. Here is my garden now and it is soo easy to plant and very little to weed.  I do weed around the edge of the garden because you can see my lawn is close by. 

It's very lively in the garden

The dirt is germinating all the wonderful seeds planted and they are now coming up in search of sun and warmth.  I am so happy I took time to put all the seeds out when it was dry.  The garden will definately be a sight to see come early summer.  Flowers and every kind of veggie under the sun.  I'm loving all my Lord has done for me and allowing me to know His mercy.  Thank you Jesus.

Flowers,Sweet Peas and Rhubarb

These are some of my garden additions in the form of seeds for flowers and peas.  The rhubarb is a long tuber that I purchased out of Arkansas.  It is huge and in one week I can see the start of some leaves.  I hope it will survive the hot weather and by next year I can harvest a few stalks for pie.  My flowers are planted and watered and covered with plastic to help keep them warm as it is still early to plant outdoors.  My addition of some strawberries will give me a harvest in one year since I am pulling off the blooms this year.  I really have a lot to do before the warmer weather hits like planting lettuce, leeks, and more lettuce.   Tired and need some sleep.  Love and peace like a rose in full bloom.  Nite Nite

How not to blog

I haven't the foggiest idea of what it takes to keep a daily blog. But you see I write a page of some boring something or other and then quickly delete it and start over. It is not that I am a perfectionist, not at all! I am incredibly lost when I have to write about what I am doing day by day. If some day I have a most amazing story to tell I think about it and I find if I put it in writing it somehow becomes trivial. So I leave you with a few words to think on and oh yes I will be back .....wont I? Cheers and Joy. Jim