"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands........" 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Farm life...the ups and downs of it all

Sophie helped me take all of the Christmas decorations down....
who can find a more good natured and patient creature?
Remember my earlier posts about "experimenting" in my green house? I had planned on planting all kinds of seeds and seedlings. We have only had a few severe cold days and the past few days have been very warm. As you can see, some plants have done very well......

Where others have struggled. The alo vera I had shown you with the bloom, never got to bloom. The cold nights made the bloom fall. That plant as well as some others are still doing good, but as you can see from some of the tips, the cold nights are tough on them.


Very tough. One problem with this type of green house...although put together well, it still has crevices and gaps along the plastic where the wind and cold still get in. I have sealed as much as I can, yet it can only do some good. I could put a heater in, however, the heating bill will zoom up and I have not checked out the proper kind of heater yet. One day I will look back at all of my failures with this and think nothing of it.......for now, it is very discouraging.

But on a more positive note.... my hens have started up their laying again. There is nothing more pretty to me than a hay filled nest with brown and green eggs lying in wait.

I took this shot of the Italian Jasmine budding and almost ready to bloom.

The very next day, it bloomed it's pretty vibrant yellow flower. In just a week or more, the whole bush will be covered in these little blossoms. I love this jasmine bush. Even though we have not had a drop of rain and the cold is zapping my greenhouse flowers.... it sits out in the grounds showing forth it's beauty. A promise even in harsh times... a glimpse of hope and cheer! Hope all of you have a good week and can find glimpses of hope and cheer along the way!







18 comments:

Lanny said...

An even keeled life is way over-rated, better a lfe with ups and downs, then you know better where you are.

Good job on the propagating! I have a cast off woodstove for when my greenhouse gets built. Probably not the best but I figure it can get me through those really bad times like we had recently and won't have again for another twenty years most likely!

Living Life with a Joyful Heart said...

Hi, I have been following your blog and have to tell you Sophie looks very familiar to me, you will have to come over to my blog and have Sophie meet Annie, she is my daughters dog. They look like they could be cousins.

Have a Blessed day
Mary

Phill said...

THings are looking so nice there! Thanks for posting this - it makes me feel like Spring is actually on its way.

Connie said...

So lucky you are to have Sophie as your helper. She looks like such a sweetie. I loved seeing the flowers, Kathleen. There won't be any flowers here for about three months or so, at least. Glad you shared yours. :D

Nancy M. said...

Sophie is such a great little helper! My hens egg laying goes up and down. It's wonderful to get those eggs everyday, even if it's not as many.

Vintage Linen Treasures said...

I LOVE your little helper. What a sweetie. Great post. It's always so nice to come in and read about your life on the farm even when there are some downs.
Patricia :o)

KathyB. said...

Sophie looks rather festive with her wreath necklace. And I have had aloe veras for years. They get very big in my sun room but I did not know they bloomed, they bloom ?

Your weather is a bit balmier than ours here in the Pacific Northwest. Flowers outside, wow!

Lisa @ Life with 4! said...

my hens are in slooow down mode too. Next year I'm going to use a timed light when the days start getting short to keep up the egg production.
I love the jasmine, nothing blooming here yet.

Gingerbreadshouse7 said...

What a nice blessing to have a green house,I'd love to have one, also having the chickens laying eggs beats going to the store anyday..Abundant Life seems to be happening all around your farm.....and Sophie doesn't look that pleased to help to me :o)...I think she is saying , "Glad it only comes once a year" :o) Ginny

Juri said...

Sophie is adorable...and yes, very patient! Just looking at the plants makes me thing spring will be here before we know it! Love your pictures!

Juri

Vickie said...

Good morning Kathleen! Sophie is a great helper - so cute.

You reminded me - my grandmother received an aloe vera plant once, and it grew, and she split it up, gave away some babies, it grew some more, and more and more and pretty soon she had a forest of aloe vera in huge clay pots all over her house and outside, too! It loved her I guess!

Tipper said...

Sophie is adorable! You'll figure the green house out-wish I had one to play around in. Love the jasmine you showed-still too cold here for much blooming.

CatHerder said...

Oh what a cute puppy!!! I am so jealous, i want to raise hens so bad! We moved back to the burbs, and we are not zoned for it here...maybe in another 2 years when we move! HAPPY NEW YEAR

Flower said...

Sophie is a great holiday helper! Do you need a goat for the greenery? They love to eat it!
The two eggs are beautiful! Our girls slow way down in the cold...but one of them kept producing even when she shouldn't have! How do you keep the hay so clean?

Amy said...

What a cute helper Sophie is! She is smiling with that wreath around her neck. I love finding eggs too, isn't it wonderful?

Sugarplum Cottage said...

Thank you so much for your visit, have truly missed you. With everything I see here, I'd love to come and stay awhile with you. Would gladly gather eggs. Hugs, Rose

Laurie said...

I love the photo of Sophie, really put a smile on my face.

Princess S said...

Sophie looks like such a sweetie; she reminds me of my dear Sparkles.
Sparkles was my best pal but after 7 years together she got sick and we had to tell her good bye...it was a very hard decision but we couldn't watch her suffer.
Give Sophie a tooshy scratch from me!!!!!