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Thursday, June 28, 2012

We Could Use a Little Rain on this Homestead

O God, in Whom we live and move, and have our being, grant us rain, in due abundance, that, being sufficiently helped with temporal, we may the more confidently seek after eternal gifts. Through Christ, our Lord.
 
This is one of our hay fields.  You can see the stress it's going through with the lack of rain.   As you drive around you'll see lots of fields that look like this one.

The pigs had to come over to say "hi"...Hi Pigs!

The squash and pumpkin patch had to get replanted because it didn't germinate well  the first time.  In a normal year these plants would all be touching by now.  


Our beautiful brown lawn.  Many people around here haven't mowed their grass for a month.

Broccoli, Cabbage and Cauliflower...this patch we've been able to get water to but the harvest is very slow.

Tomatoes...we've been able to get water to some of these and are watching them for early blight.
This is Mark's corn or one of the fields.  You can see the leaves curling up looking for rain.  

This is the sweet corn.  It was planted before the previous picture and looks like this.  I'm not even sure if  we'll be able to get any corn this year.  

Close up of the sweet corn.

These plants are only about a foot high...should be up to our waist and starting to tassel.   This part of the garden is too far away to get water to it.  

Friday, June 22, 2012

Give a Man a Fish...

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." ~ Chinese Proverb

It has been 28 years since Mark and I have gone fishing so this is just as new to us as it is to our kids.  So much has changed from different lures, floaters, weights, the strength of the line...we are really learning a lot.  Armed with 10 fishing poles, 2 parents, 8 kids and an identification book we set out on our newest adventure.  We feel like the best way to learn something new is to totally  immerse yourself to gain as much knowledge as possible.  Tonight we'll be going out again for the 8th time in 10 days.  I think it is safe to say, we found a new hobby.  Below you'll find pictures of the kids first catches and other awesome pictures.  
Angie and Emily fishing while texting :o  

Mark and Preston with the classic Forest Gump pose.

Hannah's first fish



As much fun as it is to fish, you need to learn how to clean them.

I love this picture!

Heather

Karlie

Emily
Ethan

Angie

Mark with a 18.5" wide mouth bass

Mark and Emily holding the biggest catch and the littlest.