"...If My People..."

"When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."  II Chronicles 7:13-14

Golden Afternoon

Today was one of those dreamy, golden-warm autumn afternoons.  Please join me on a little photo-tour of the farm; first stop, the sun-illumined leaves of an elm:

Even poison ivy is beautiful this time of year, but still be careful of it!
Supplicant branches, reaching their arms heavenward.
Ladybug is enjoying the warm day.  Isn't she beautifully framed?
                   A close-up of Dogwood leaves and berries.  
A literal field of Dogwood berries - the birds will be feasting!
                       Sun-illumined Dogwood leaves.
                          Autumn symmetry.
                      Autumn green and gold.  
Mira in her winter coat.  "Do you have a treat for me?" she's asking.
                                         Peek-a-boo Pony.
Lance said 'cheese', but closed his eyes!
     The little line of Dogwoods by the drive.
Lance and Mira enjoying the day.  I hope you did, too.

How Did the Garden Grow?

Gardens are a lot like relationships.  They both have their joys and difficulties, labors and fruits.  Even as I planted my garden last spring, it occurred to me that it was the honeymoon stage of gardening;  all was fresh, new, budding, beautiful.  I blogged about that sweet beginning in "New Old Green".  Ah, youth!  Ah, Springtime!  For then comes summer... and heat, and insects, and blights, and weeds, and drought; and then we must really work.  

But, don't abandon the garden at this point; and neither should relationships be abandoned or ignored simply because the work is hard, for there's fruit to be won.  And the fruit is sweet!

From the outset, I considered my garden to be one big experiment, knowing that I knew but little!  Indeed, it has been an interesting laboratory, and there will be some things I will do the same, some I will do differently, and some I won't do at all! 
1.  Soil - that all important element.  The composted manure I bought for the raised beds wasn't composted nearly enough, and the young plants struggled through the summer to establish themselves because of the high level of nitrogen.  So, this fall I will be composting leaves and other dead plant matter into these beds to balance them out.  Interestingly, the one bed that had soil made up of an assortment of old dirt and manure that I had on hand did stunningly.  And it didn't cost a thing!  (Older, composted wisdom will bear much fruit.)

2.  Sunshine - My beds are in shadow during the very first part of the morning, therefore the squash, peppers, and tomatoes were late in season to bear.  Next spring, I'll put them in the parts of the beds where the sun appears earliest.  (Early meditation on the Light of God's Word is helpful to your growth.)

3.  Water - Rainbarrels are a great idea, but you have to have rain in order for them to work!  Since we had drought for much of the season, I had to use the diabolical sprinklers.  When will they EVER make a sprinkler that actually works for more than two weeks?  Next season, I will invest in soaker hoses for the beds - it's better for the plants anyway, and less wasteful.  (You cannot do without the washing of God's Word, so get it any way that you can.)
Veggie Conclusions:

1.  Pumpkins and melons take up way too much space.  I think I'l just buy those from now on.

2.  Lettuces are so easy to grow!  I've actually bought very little lettuce since the spring.  Buttercrunch was the best.

3.  Tomatoes - there is nothing more delicious than a garden fresh tomato!  The little yellow kind was so fun and sweet.

4.  Carrots - the little Nantes were good, and they grew all summer long.  The onions in my same root-bed didn't do much of anything.  Maybe the high nitrogen?

5.  Broccoli - easy to grow, but have BT on hand for those ruthless caterpillars.

6.  Spinach - almost as easy as the lettuce, but don't let it dry out at all.

7.  Peas - so much fun, but be ready for the aphids.  I went away for less than a week last May, and left the peas full of blooms and young pods, and came back to peas full of aphids.  I went after them with pepper-oil spray and burned most of the peas!  Lesson learned - don't overdo.

8.  Herbs - plant them anywhere and everywhere.  Don't be afraid to keep up a continual harvest of them.

9.  Berries - Blackberry bushes are much easier than Raspberry bushes.

I replanted broccoli, peas, spinach, and lettuce in September, but will do it in August next year.  The temperature wasn't the only thing to take into account, but the waning hours of sunlight were a factor I didn't anticipate.  So, though we've been enjoying lettuce for a few weeks, I'm wondering if the peas and broccoli - though doing nicely - will have enough time to bear before winter truly hits.  Hmm..... maybe a hoop-house?  

Palin Probe

Whether Democrat, Republican, or Independent, if you've wondered about the situation involving Gov. Sarah Palin and the incriminating results of the Alaska Senate Judiciary Committee; and if you are interested at all in the truth of the matter, check out blogger Sola Gratius for a carefully thought-out, well-written analysis.

True or False?

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."  Exodus 20:16

"You shall not spread a false report.  You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.  Keep far from a false charge..."  Exodus 23:1,7

"If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing, then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days.  The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother."  

Deut.19:16-19

"A false balance is an abomination to the Lord..."  Proverbs 11:1  

               "... danger from false brothers;..."   2nd Corinthians 11:26
"A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape."  Proverbs  19:5
"Beware of false prophets. who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  You will recognize them by their fruits."   Matthew 7:15-16"You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another."  Leviticus 19:11
"Through your precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way."  Psalms 119:104
"I hate every false way."  Psalms 119:128

One Down, Two to Go

After watching the first of three televised Presidential debates, my husband John, a USNA Alumnus, commented:  "The difference between McCain and Obama is that McCain had a Plebe year."  In other words, Sen. McCain has lived through his crucibles with the resulting seasoning of maturity, experience, and wisdom.  Though gifted and talented, Sen. Obama has yet to live through his crucibles, and I would really hate for that event to take place while he occupied the Oval Office.  

Sly Pony

Look what Hugo was out doing while I was away!