Birds On The Brain...Again

We have been seeing a plethora of birds this past week on our little homestead. Just yesterday morning the children and I spotted a male painted bunting, a male indigo bunting, and a male blue grossbeak within inches of each other in one of the hackberry trees in the backyard!

I am yet to see an oriole, but have an oriole feeder out in case one happens by. So far the hummingbirds are enjoying it's offerrings.

And speaking of painted buntings, one crashed into our dining room window Saturday morning while the husband and kids were shopping for another calf at the local salebarn. The painted bunting was quite shook up and I knew if I didn't rescue him from the deck he would be a cat snack. So I carefully put him into a box to monitor him. After an hour or so, I noticed he wasn't moving much and had been bleeding a little from his beak.


He died just before the children and my husband got home.
It was quite interesting to get such a close look at such a beautiful bird and the kids thought so too. Yet we were saddened that he died.



Speaking of birds, I just have to mention my oversized, ridiculously ferocious yardbird, Mr. Incredible.
Mr. Incredible is our resident rooster and soon to be included in a chicken casserole of some type because of his cantankerous ways.
But currently we're keeping him around so that we can have fertilized eggs.
For the past several days I've been adding eggs to the incubator. We're hoping to hatch out a whole new crew of egg layers. I'm going to go ahead and get my egg license and sell eggs to a local health foods store.



A bird we enjoy but have yet to see is the Whip-poor-Will.
We hear these at dusk and at dawn.
I'm pleased that with the bird units we've done over the past years that the children can now identify many different types of birds and appreciate their beauty.
They are such a testament to our Lord's wonderful variety of beauty that He has so generously bestowed on His creation!

Seeing Him in the simple things, Julie

Regarding my photos: I would like to add that I'm so thankful my husband got me the macro lens that I'm using here last Christmas...it's really made a difference in my picture taking!

Life Around The Farm As Of Late

We're really liking this Botany unit! This morning the kids and I found mosses and lichen specimens on a short walk around the house. We came back in and they drew and colored the finds to put in a notebook that each of them have started for our Botany unit.



Another beautiful moth took up temporary residence in our barn. This time a Luna Moth.



As you can tell by the long worn hindwings, this moth has seen better days and is probably close to death. We measured its wingspan and it was a little over four and a half inches.
After taking this photo, there was another Luna Moth in the barn just a couple of days later.



Yesterday morning a Summer Tanager was flitting about in the oak trees behind the house and I was able to get a quick photo. We've never seen them this early in the Spring and were pleased to get a glimpse of him.

My husband went to one of the local sale barns yesterday morning and purchased our first bottle calf of the Spring.
My oldest child had first pick of the calves this Spring and she named him Raymond.



These past few days have brought horribly violent weather to the east and northeast of us. Tornadoes and flashfloods have brought devastation and death. Please remember those in your prayers that have lost loved ones and homes.

Blessings, Julie

Here, It's Where I'm At

Part of my morning routine is to head out to the chicken coop early while the sun is just peering over the eastern horizon, let the chickens out into their run, and then check the nesting boxes for eggs.
The hens lay throughout the morning, but there are always at least three eggs to be found by the time I get out there,...still warm...in the cedar-lined nests.
This morning, I tuck them into my barn jacket's deep pockets and then head out to the garden to see what may be coming up.



The asparagus I had divide several weeks ago and transplanted is making its way up and through the earth!



Not to be outdone, the green onions are also emerging. Wonderfully, we're all fans of fresh green onions on a crisp garden salad on a hot summers day!



Satisfied with the goings ons there, I stroll back towards the house, my hands in my pockets cupped around the still warm eggs.

The redbud trees at the edge of the driveway demand my attention. I take a few pictures and once again wonder why they're called redbuds when the blooms are most definitely not red.



Grape Hyacinth are blooming. These tiny little flowers that are some of the first to bloom in Spring, have always enchanted me with their durability and the ease with which they spread. So charming!



And then I head back into the house to prepare breakfast, educate children, work on a blog post, ponder the progress we're to make in the spiritual place our family is in right now, pray without ceasing, and work on the history fair that I have had the privilege to head up these last three years. The history fair is tomorrow morning.

My husband emailed this quote to me this morning,...I love it!

"Let it never be forgotten that the material part of a Christian Church is by far the least important part of it. The fairest combinations of marble, stone, wood and painted glass, are worthless in God’s sight, unless there is truth in the pulpit and grace in the congregation. The dens and caves in which the early Christians used to meet, were probably far more beautiful in the eyes of Christ than the noblest cathedral that was ever reared by man. The temple in which the Lord Jesus delights most, is a broken and contrite heart, renewed by the Holy Spirit."
~ J.C. Ryle

Isn't that great?!
Blessings and have a great weekend, Julie

Looking Ahead

We have a small spring behind the house.
When we bought the house a little over five years ago, it was described to us as a "frog pond."
But it is a natural spring.
And it's just a short walk from our back porch.
Many mornings I enjoy getting outside early in order to get some pictures while the light is good.



I enjoy taking pictures at dawn and dusk, it's about the light a lot of times for me.
The spring is all dried up right now as we've been experiencing drought-like conditions here.



But the rains will come soon, as they always do, and provide the much needed water.

There Will  Be Showers of Blessings



The rains will come and warmer weather.
Dragonflies and butterflies will return!







The flowers will bloom once again!

Oh! Happy Faces, I long for you!







The cicadas, clothed in humble dull cases, will crawl from the earth.
And then they'll emerge anew, winged, to fly from bough to bough chorusing from the tree-tops!



I'm yearning for Spring and all her promises...I'm looking ahead.

Spring is also about new beginnings.
Our family is about to begin a new journey with the guidance of our Lord.

He is faithful, He is trustworthy,...I'm looking ahead!
Blessings! Julie

Visions of Spring Dancin' in My Head

Wonderfully, I've found that many of you presently are of likemind out there in the real world, the cold winter world. We're dreaming of Spring and all its offerings, blessings, and warmth.
I've been enjoying all the Spring gardening planning posts that I've been reading at some of my favorite blogs...and dreamin' and plannin' my own garden.



This year, one of my goals is that the children and I join one of our local farmers markets and sell eggs, produce, and flowers. I don't know that it will be wholly accomplished. We'll see.



But forgive me for being a weather whiner, long awaited projects are beginning to take shape during these frigid days, also.
Tim's parents came this past weekend to celebrate Christmas and his dad lent his muscles and building expertise to a play structure that Tim has been planning for quite some time.
He found the plans here. 



A friend of the family came over to help and brought his whole family (wife and all five kiddos). We had a blast! And the guys got so much done.



With two tractors and plenty of muscle, the largest part of the project was completed...getting the six large poles in the ground.


The kids are excited and looking forward to the finished product as am I!
Tim's mother surprised the girls with sweatshirts and now they're the "Christian Chicks."



My mother has knee replacement surgery next Monday. I'm really desiring your prayers in this area as I've heard so many discouraging accounts of how hard it is to recuperate from this particular type of surgery. Please pray her knee would heal quickly without incident and that the Lord would continue to provide all that she needs. She's had such a tough time in this life and admittedly so much of it is due to unwise decisions and her mental health issues, but God is merciful and she's precious to Him, too.

A good blogging friend of mine, Sally, is having a fun and creative contest at her blog, Diamonds in the Rough. Recently, she posted a picture of her girls "getting into the Word" at her site. I commented, "P31's in progress." To which she commented back here that this was every morning before breakfast. In fact the motto at their house is, "No Bible, no breakfast."
I loved it!!! And I was challenged...really. So for the past two mornings we've all read our Bibles and then had Bible study and prayer afterward before breakfast. I am determined to keep it up. Keep me accountable and ask me sometime if we're continuing to read our Bibles every morning before breakfast, please.
Thanks for clicking over and God bless!
Julie