Sounds and Smells of the Country

This has been quite an unseasonably warm winter.  I'm a bit concerned that the weather didn't match the persimmon seeds.  Two possibilities have come to mind.  Either we've so distorted our weather with chemicals and technology, what has been working in nature for eons will no longer gibe with the "reality that has been manufactured," or . . . March is going to be very wintry!  At this point, I don't know, but what I do know is, I'm very thankful for the sounds and smells of the country.

The other morning as I walked out the door to do morning chores, the fragrance of a spring rain was in the air.  I know, a bit early, but it was very clearly there.  There are already jonquils and some ground cover blooming, which scented the gentle breeze, and the smell of fresh milk was wafting.  Then there are the sounds of the baby goats playing and their mothers calling them.  The roosters were impatiently crowing, awaiting my arrival to open the chicken house, and Hank stood at the bottom of the steps "talking" to me, giving the "night report."

Living in the country, working the land has certainly had it's frustrations on occasion, but the pros far outweigh the cons.  I have not set an alarm clock in over a decade, yet I've witnessed the most beautiful sunrises, courtesy of our Creator and the rooster.  In the past three years now, I've sort of moved to a split shift.  My bedtime is much earlier now, than it once was, but Father awakens me, usually between 2-4 or 5 for amazing time of prayer, contemplation, and intercession . . . and hearing HIM!  Through the winter months, I go back to sleep for another few hours.  In the summer months, morning comes somewhat earlier . . .   

The sounds and smells change with the seasons, of course, and I think perhaps this unusual winter has brought to my attention, just how precious the sounds and smells of the country are . . . not to mention the sights.  This is the first winter I've enjoyed flocks of cardinals and bluebirds in the same season.  Seems the cardinals are in abundance in the winter, but the bluebirds are out of sight until spring.  Even the robins were a part of the February scenery this year.

As I go about my chore routine, I smile and say thank you to my Heavenly Father.  As I organize my thoughts of the garden and the flocks and herds, I smile and say thank you to my Heavenly Father.  As I think of the first Thursday of the month, the livestock auction is one of my favorite places.  Just in thinking of that, I smile and say thank you to my Heavenly Father.  The sounds and smells of the country truly are a blessing.

The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land  Song of Solomon 2:12

Easy Times and Holy Days

The easiest month in homesteading, I believe, is October.  The full swing of the garden has passed, so canning and preserving is quite minimal.  All the young critters are off the bottle, and I dry up most of the dairy goats for the breeding season.  The weather is still warm, so there's no ice to chop and the big hay bales are in place, yet the pasture is still green.  Basically, it's just a matter of opening and closing the door on the chicken houses, gathering a few eggs, as they decline through the autumn season; filling water tubs, and feeding the dogs and cat.  There are still daily responsibilities, but those responsibilities are quick and easy.

The month of October on the Gregorian calendar closely aligns with the seventh month of the Biblical calendar.  It's not an exact overlap, but close enough that it's easy to see, there are far fewer agricultural responsibilities through the month of YHWH's set apart days.  Hardly a coincidence!  Considering the seasonal changes of living an agrarian lifestyle, it would be very difficult to become bored or stuck in a rut.  Life is not stationary, but is constantly changing.

With the easy month now behind me, there have been a few days of ice chopping, and feeding grain to the herd has now begun.  Although the calves will not be grained, the goats do receive non-GMO grains through the cold months and their time of gestation.  The egg production certainly slacks through the months of shorter daylight hours and the lack of garden scraps.  In the next few weeks I will be trying my hand at canning chicken and that will officially end the canning season.  This year will seem odd.  November and December work on the homestead consists of tending to ice and firewood, but January always gave a hint of new life in that I'd start the bedding plants in the greenhouse.  This year the land will rest, so January will be just like December . . . There will be no planting in mid February, but YHWH willing, the kids should be arriving.

By March, the eggs are abundant, milking is in full swing and the new bottle calves arrive.  A friend is planning to visit later this month, and I thought of his last visit which was in April.  April is also a month of minimal agriculture.  Although there is plenty of milk and the eggs are in abundance, but the garden isn't yet producing much.  April breakfasts on the homestead are amazing!  Dinners . . .not so much.  This also aligns with a set apart time.  Passover and the Week of Unleavened Bread are in the first month of the Biblical calendar which usually aligns with April.

Abba truly did create life to be so much easier than we have made it.  In the months He has called us to observe extra Sabbaths, there really is less work to be done.  April and October, both mild weather months, seasons of change, and the beauty that is clearly by the hand of our Creator.  Whether it's the color of springtime flowers or the leaves of autumn, He meant for us to enjoy this life in Him, and He decorates beautifully for His Holy Days.