I Shall Not Want // On the Farm

Sweet Pea, peeking around the tree, with various babies.
I'm assuming that two are her lambs, but they all look really similar this year. ;)

btw, I didn't boost the color or anything when I edited these photos - the grass is so green!

Maggie and her lamb Gilligan.

I believe this is Susan, one of Emma's lambs...but I could be wrong.  I know that's Katniss behind her.

Gilligan picked up this "nibbling on everything in sight" trick from his mommy Maggie, aka The Nibblin' Lamb. *wink*

Aww...Gilligan is so cute and growing so well.

Beautiful green grass, deep shade...there's nothing that brings me more peace than watching my sheep enjoy grazing in the orchard and knowing that they rely on me for their every need.  We're so often compared to sheep in the Bible.  Easily distracted by juicy grass in the next field, going the opposite direction of where we should go, not content with what we already have.  But when we trust our Shepherd completely, it's the most natural thing in the world to follow Him wherever He may lead, and to be content where He has placed us.   

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Psalm 23

In the Orchard // Apple Picking

A happy day spent in the orchard picking apples, and laughing until my side hurt watching the antics of Merlin and Bonnie playing together.  Those two have become fast friends, although Bonnie is overwhelmed sometimes by the amount of energy Merlin has.  He's not afraid of her at all, and is the most playful kitty I've ever seen!  Always playing with something - Bonnie's stubby tail, her ears and paws, leaves, bushes, blades of grass, and sometimes rocks!  When he's not playing, he's 'stalking' the big kitties (and sometimes my sheep! lol!).  Muffin gives him a gentle beating every once in a while to keep him in line, and Mitts is still adjusting to having another cat around.  I was happy to see him hanging out with all of us in the orchard and tolerating Merlin.  I'm so blessed to have these wonderful critters in my life...and to have homegrown apples!

What has been blessing you lately?  I want to know!

On the Farm | garden & horses

Heading out to the garden...

Confession:  I don't like tomatoes

But, I do LOVE salsa and fried green tomatoes, so I always plant a lot.  Besides, a garden without tomatoes seems wrong somehow, doesn't it?  And they do smell wonderful.

My garden kitty, Mitts.  Wherever we are, that's where he wants to be:)

Jalapeno peppers are a must.

I also have radishes and beets planted, but they haven't popped up yet.

And soon I'll be planting beans, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, spinach, and potatoes.

All of the rain we've been getting has put a damper (no pun intended;) on planting for now, but I'm going to plant a few things as soon as I finish this post...or not.  It's starting to rain again.

 

Fence energizer, polywire, step-in posts...oh, you beautiful things, you!

It's been wonderful having the horses graze in the orchard.  

Once we have fruit on the trees though, they won't be - don't want them eating it!

Reading in the orchard is one of my favorite things to do.

I'm just starting to read the Mitford series by Jan Karon.

Happy Trails!

rosy apple blossoms

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I asked you," he said, "as a special favor, not to be too flowery. But our poetess . . ." Betsy squirmed and blushed . . . "is not only flowery. Her flowers are the wrong color. I haven't read your story, Betsy, and I don't intend to. The opening sentence is enough for me. He read aloud scornfully:

"Under a tree hung with rosy apple blossoms . . ."

"Rosy apple blossoms! Rosy apple blossoms! Who ever heard of rosy apple blossoms? Apple blossoms, my dear young lady, are not pink. They are white."

Betsy's blushes receded. She turned, in fact, a little pale.

"I think they are pink, Mr. Gaston."

"You think they are pink?" Mr. Gaston glared at her through his thick glasses. "But I know they are white."

"It's the under part of the petals," Betsy said falteringly. "They're pinkish, sort of."

"Pinkish, sort of!" Mr. Gaston mocked.

Betsy looked around a little wildly. Joe Willard was staring out the window. She brought her gaze back to Mr. Gaston stubbornly. "We had lots of apple trees when we lived up on Hill Street. I always liked to look at them in May."

"You should have examined them accurately. You would have found that they are white."

"But they aren't white." Betsy was near tears, but it was from anger.

"They must have been peach trees," Mr. Gaston said.

"They were apples. I've eaten the apples."

"Betsy," said Mr. Gaston with a maddening, condescending smile. "If you were a little younger, I'd ask you to write a hundred times, 'Apple blossoms are white.' As it is, I merely ask you to rewrite your story, and eliminate any inaccuracies."

He picked up another paper.

But the subject was not quite done with. Joe Willard turned from his study of the trees beyond the window and raised his hand.

"Yes, Joe?" Mr. Gaston said changing his tone.

"It is my opinion sir, that apple blossoms are pink."

Mr. Gaston was silent, stunned.

"Pinkish, rather." Joe continued. "I think Betsy's word 'pinkish' is excellent. They're colored just enough to make the effect rosy."

The silence in the room had width, height, depth, mass, and substance.

From Betsy in Spite of Herself  by Maud Hart Lovelace

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As you can see in the photo, Betsy and Joe are quite right - apple blossoms are pinkish.
And they smell simply divine!!

P.S.
If you've never read the Betsy~Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace, you should.
Really, you should.
They're simply delightful.

under the cherry blossoms

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soft afternoon light

soft spring grass

soft little lambs

under the blossoming trees

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