Our joint honey venture was a total success! From our one hive we got 10 gallons of honey. So 5 gal for Steve and Ann and 5 gal for us. I've been slowly working on filtering and jarring our beautiful fresh organic raw honey. I learned a lot and definitely hope to do it again next year either with Steve and Ann again or on our own if their not up for it. It was so amazing to see the different colors of honey created by the different types of flowers that they were getting their pollen from. The early honey from when we had them in Manley by the bath house was mostly from the dandelions and was a dark gold color. After we moved them out here to Eureka their main pollen source was the Fire Weed which created a very clear honey that looked like water. When it was all combined we got a lovely light gold honey that is so sweet and has a wonderful full flavor.
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| Extracting honey at Steve and Ann's. Steve in picture. Ann taking picture. |
Petunia gave birth at 9:00 am so the kids were able to attend the birth. My mom was also there for the birth of buckling Birch. Birch is the spitting image of his father Guy.
Lilly gave birth to her twins at 3:45 am. Spruce was born first and Aspen followed almost immediately. This birth I attended alone due to the hour and fortunately it went very smoothly and I was able to just watch. I didn't get very good pictures of her birthing because it was very dark in the half finished barn.
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| Spruce |
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| Oak hugging Tamarack |
The pole barn is pretty well dried in but still needs to be finished and insulated.
We also have some other new additions to the homestead. 2 ducks and 5 chickens 4 of which are bantams (mini chickens). They were given to us from a friend who didn't want to keep them over the winter and didn't want to butcher them. They are almost old enough to start laying. I need to go out at some point and get pictures. The Turkeys are getting huge and I'm pretty sure that we have a male and female. Next time I would like to get a breed that can reproduce.
Ken also built a new pole shed for the wood pile and we've been working on stocking it. We have a lot of wood to be split and stacked that we cut last year.
OK, I want to take a minute to talk about something that I am doing. This is probably going to be a touchy subject for some and will get me some raised eyebrows from others. I'm talking about head covering for women. This is a practice that has been done among Christian women in the past but is not as common now days outside of plain faiths such as the Amish and Mennonites. I recently read something that inspired me to read 1 Corinthians 11 again. I felt a conviction in my heart but was still unsure. Many pastors that I highly respect have said that head covering is no longer needed or that a women's hair is her covering. Since this wasn't something that I really thought about I was fine with their answers. Then after reading it again I couldn't help but see a distinct difference between the reference to hair vs a head covering. Then there was the argument of well it says you only have to wear it while praying or prophesying so only in church. Hmmm.... I thought since when do we only pray in church? Then came to mind the verses that command women to pray without ceasing. So to me it made sense that I should wear it at all times. So to sum it up I guess what I'm saying is to spite reasonable arguments against it I have decided to follow my conviction and have started wearing a head covering. Ken is OK with it but really doesn't care one way or the other. Though when I have Lisa wear ones he says he misses seeing her pretty blond curls. My mom was a little more bothered by my choice because she likes my long curly hair. I'm not going to tell you that I wont learn that this isn't what I should do. I haven't had a chance to talk to my pastor about it yet as he has not yet returned from the lower 48. But, for now don't be surprised if in future pictures of me I am wearing some sort of head covering. Right now it's just a bandanna. In doing online research of other Christian women who have come to the same conclusion I have found a variety of reasons that these women have come up with for covering. Some say for modesty and add that only revealing their hair to their husbands has added a new level to their intimacy. Other women started that it was a way of setting them self apart from the world. Others mentioned that it aided in them in their struggle against the fleshy desires of "dressing up" to impress other people. Still others stated it as a way to add simplicity to their lives. While all the arguments that I've heard both ways are good and make sense the bottom line for me is that it is a conviction of the heart after reading my bible and praying about it. I'm not doing it to be more holey or to cause a stir it is simply what I feel led to do to honor God and my Husband. If anyone wants to talk about this I'm more than open to it just please no bashing keep it respectful. Those who know me personally know that I'm not one to push my beliefs on anyone. While I am firm in my beliefs they are mine and this conviction is mine and not something that I would push. I hope that makes sense. I will continue to research my bible on this topic and I will keep you posted on what I learn and how I feel led to proceed as I gain knowledge and of coarse I will continue to ask for guidance in prayer.
1 Corinthians 11:1-34 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you. But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God. Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God. Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
Blessings to all!
