Jack Frost Nipping at your Nose

We're in South Louisiana so our winters are decidedly mild.  Sometimes they are warm and balmy.  Snow is pretty rare and some years we don't even have a hard freeze. In fact, most of my pepper plants in the garden this year are two years old as the freeze didn't kill them last year.  They kept right on producing for two seasons. We're not accustomed to the cold, so when it gets a little chilly, I always think that people snowed in in the North must laugh at us having a hard time dealing with a little blast of cold air.

The other morning I was off work on vacation and we went out to milk the cows a little later than normal. (Yes, cows don't care when I'm on vacation!  They still need to be milked.)  I noticed that we had a pretty good frost on the ground from the night-time cooling.  The sun had already melted a lot of it, but you can see in the picture below that where the long morning shadows still occupied the ground, the frost was hanging on for dear life against the rays of the rising sun that had already turned the white ground back to greenish-brown.

I'm melting, I'm melting...

Here is a little frost on top of the chicken tractor.  Chickens do remarkably well in the cold.  They can withstand the cold better than the heat.  I guess their feathers provide great insulation.  I read on a website that a person in Ohio posted that at -20 degrees Fahrenheit, their chickens are out foraging and that they don't even provide a heat lamp until it is -15 below zero.

Milk cows are a somewhat different story.  They can withstand the cold and they can withstand being wet, but both conditions together cause problems.  It is best to have a wind break for them and a place to stay dry.  They also need plenty of hay and feed to replenish the calories they are burning in trying to stay warm and produce milk.

Frost on the chicken tractor roof

I love this picture.  It is a piece of wood that broke off of a homemade chicken feeding trough I made.  It had a screw sticking out of it and I didn't want the animals (or us) stepping on it, so I threw it on top of the chicken tractor.  The ice crystals from the frost made unique designs on top of it.  It's weird the way that works!

Here's some more ice crystals on a piece of tin on top of the tractor.  It is only December.  Normally January and February are pretty cold months for us. Thankfully we've got plenty of firewood cut and ready to burn.

I only need to remember the heat and humidity of July and August to make me appreciate the chilly days of our mild winter.  I'll take our cold weather over the hot any old day.

Almost time for Tomatoes!

On these chilly, wet, dreary December days, it is hard to imagine even thinking about gardening, but that is exactly what I'm doing.  I like to plant my tomato, pepper, and eggplant seeds on New Year's Day - inside of course.  I'll nurture them under growth lights until it is time to put them in the ground outside.

This past year my tomato crop was less than stellar.  We had over 100 tomato plants in rows, representing seven different heirloom tomato varieties.  Although we harvested, ate, canned, blanched, and froze a fair quantity of fruit, it wasn't near the yield that I think we ought to be harvesting compared to the amount of plants we grew, so I wanted to do a bit of reading on the subject.  I wanted to see if perhaps I wasn't growing heirloom varieties that are matched to our climate.

So I went to the following link: LSU AgCenter Heirloom Tomato Trials to see if I might learn which tomatoes grow more favorable in our locale.  The quote below shows the results of the study:

The top five producing tomatoes included: Thessaloniki – 336.44 lbs, 5.6 lbs/plant; Black from Tula – 306.15 lbs, 5.10 lbs/plant; Red Brandywine – 295.7 lbs, 4.92 lbs/plant; Pruden’s Purple – 276.05 lbs, 4.6 lbs/plant; and Mortgage Lifter – 241.05 lbs, 4.01 lbs/plant.

The only variety I've planted before in that list was Thessaloniki.  I decided to give the others a shot, so I needed to order some seeds.  My Go To seed catalog is Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Catalog

Their seeds are open pollinated heirloom seeds - that means you can save the seeds to replant year after year.  I like Baker Creek for several reasons.  First, their seed catalog is a work of art.  It can be used as a coffee table book.  The photography is outstanding.  It is free of charge and can be requested by clicking on this link Rareseeds.com and then clicking on the Request Free Catalog at the top left.  You can also shop online there.

Neat photography

Some more...

I placed my order and in no time at all, look what came in the mail!  I ordered four of the five varieties that LSU tested.  Baker Creek didn't have the Pruden's Purple, so I ordered Black Krim as a replacement.  I was excited to open the package and see my new seeds.  If you look at the last package of seeds on the right, you'll see that it is inscribed, "FREE GIFT."

That's another reason I like Baker Creek.  Even though the seed company isn't from Louisiana, they completely understand the concept of Lagniappe - a little something extra or free.   With every order, they include a free pack of seeds.  In my order the free seeds were 'Gypsy' Tomatoes from Russia.  These tomatoes have a purple-maroon color.  I can't wait to try them.

Seeds of Change!

I already checked my inventory of pepper and eggplant seeds and I've got plenty. Now, in just a few days I'll be sowing seeds.

Quick Fix for a Dragging Gate

Do you ever have a few annoying things that you keep meaning to get done, but they are low priority items and never get scratched off the list?  I do.  Today was a day for taking care of a few odds and ends like this that I wanted to fix.  The 12 foot gate leading into the pasture has sagged over the years.  Now when I open it to bring the round bales to the cows, it drags in the dirt.  I have to pick it up when pushing it or it digs a trench in the ground and is difficult to open.

Digging a trench

Should be an easy fix.  I had an old wheel in a box in the barn that was going to fix the dragging gate problem.

Wheel for the Gate

After putting the gate up on a brick and measuring exactly where the wheel needed to go, I used my drill to drill a hole in the pipe frame of the gate.

Drilling

For the gate wheel's axle, I used a long bolt with washers and a nut.  I ran the bolt through the wheel and then on through the hole I had drilled in the gate frame and tightened the nut.

Tightening it down

And that's all there is to it.  Now instead of lifting and pushing and struggling with the gate, all I have to to is give it a little kick and it glides open.

The new wheeled gate

Ah, the simple little things that make life easier.  

Time to Bake

The island in our kitchen is one of our favorite places to hang out.  Our college kids were home and we decided to do a little baking, so we all gathered round the island and pitched in.  Tricia is from South Texas and comes from a Mexican heritage.  One of the things that is traditionally baked around this time in the Hispanic culture is a special cookie called Pan de Polvo.

Tricia used a recipe that's been handed down in her family to make a batch or two of Pan de Polvo for us. These little cookies are delicious and melt in your mouth.  Polvo means "dust" or "powder" in Spanish and I'm guessing that they are named Bread of Powder or Dust because they melt in your mouth or maybe it is because of the dusting of sugary spices that get sprinkled on top.

Here's what you need to make it:

3 cups flour
1 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 dash salt
1/4 cup anise/cinnamon tea

Blend the softened butter, sugar, and tea until soft.  Gradually add flour & salt to the mixture.  Handle and mix with your hands, then pat down and roll out.

Rolling it out

Then using little cookie cutters, cut out little round cookies out.

Cutting out the cookies

Arrange on a tray and put them in an oven pre-heated to 350 degrees.  You want to leave them in until they are just lightly brown, or about 12 minutes.  

Pop them in the oven

When you take them out of the oven, allow them to cool for just a bit.  While they are still a little warm, you will want to coat them in a sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Piping hot out of the oven

And here they are in a tin, ready to be eaten.  They really do melt in your mouth.  This tin didn't last long at all!

Pan de Polvo!

We also made Gingerbread men & women.  I love the way molasses smells. 

We cut them out.

Put them in the oven and bake them and when they've cooled, Laura Lee started decorating the little guys and gals.

She got pretty creative with some of the decorating...

Now the only thing left to do is eat 'em up.

My Main Squeeze

Citrus of all types are ripening now and our trees as well as those of our neighbors and friends are full of fruit. The limbs of the trees are bending low to the ground under the weight of the fruit.  We have been eating lots of satsumas.  We've also gotten some nice navel oranges.

Navel Oranges

One of the things we like to do is to make freshly squeezed orange juice.  Fresh squeezed orange juice is one of those things that is so superior to the juice that you can purchase in the grocery store.  We simply cut the fruit in half and place it on top of the old glass orange juicer that we have and twist.  It takes a little elbow grease, but in no time the little glass reservoir is full of orange juice.

Juicy Fruit

We discard the orange half in the compost bucket and move on to the next piece of fruit.

A lot of the pulp remains in the juicer.  

Orange pulp

It's up to preference, but we strain out most of the pulp by placing a sieve in the funnel that we pour the juice through in order to fill up an old timey milk jar.

Straining the pulp out of the juice

It just took 3 large oranges to fill up the old milk container with orange juice.  I placed it on the window sill and let the sunshine filter in.  A beautiful sight indeed.

Fresh OJ

Now it is time to enjoy the fruits of our labors.

Mmmmmm....

Since we have a lot of oranges, satsumas, and tangerines, I'm looking up some recipes now for marmalade. I've never made that and I'm thinking that would be good to eat on biscuits.  We'll eat plenty of the fruit just hand picked and chilled.  They're so sweet and delicious.

Over the river and through the wood...

To Grandmother's house we go.  Actually to my Mom and Dad's house we went after we got the morning's milking done and all the animals fed and taken care of for the day.  We all got together at Mom & Dad's for a day of food, fellowship and fun.  After a delicious meal and lots of laughter, we gathered in the den in front of a roaring fireplace.  Dad traditionally reads the story of Jesus' birth out of the Gospel of Luke.

Unto you a Child is born...

We had a house full of family members.  Along with our family and my Mom & Dad, my brother and sister-in-law were in from New Orleans, along with my sister, her husband and her six boys.  My mom's cousin also joined us.  After the Gospel was read, we enjoyed fellowshipping with each other.  There was lots of excitement!

We traditionally go out and launch a rocket or two.  This year we mixed it up a bit and added a wrinkle to the family rocket launching tradition.

Houston, all systems are go.

The Russians were known for putting a monkey in space.  The Sonnier's are now known for putting a frog in space.

Mission Control, the Frogmanaut is ready.  10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1...

On the launchpad

We have liftoff!

One Giant Leap for Frog-kind.

After the rocketry, we did a little target shooting with a new pellet gun...

Sharpshooters

Threw the football around a bit.

We had a good chance for sister-in-laws to catch up and visit, kids to play, and other adults to laugh and talk,

We Hugged, enjoyed each others' company, read directions on new toys,

And rode around on the golf cart.

We enjoyed our day and hope you did as well.  From our Family to yours, we wish you a Blessed and Happy 2014!

The Sonnier's wish you a Happy 2014!

May God richly bless you!

On the First day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me

Acts 20:35

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

35 In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

We're in the Christmas season, right?  This is the season of giving, we're told.  I ran across this from ABC news and thought it was interesting:  Popular Gifts 1913 and 2013  This piece compared the most popular gifts in 1913 and then again 100 years later, in 2013.  Are you ready for this?

Most popular presents in 1913:

1.   Candy

2.   Nuts
3.   Rocking Horse
4.   Doll
5.   Mittens/gloves
6.   Toy Train
7.   Oranges
8.   Books
9.   Handkerchiefs
10. Skates

#1 on the list: Hard Candy

In the words of a popular Dolly Parton song, "I'll be fine and dandy, Lord it's like a hard candy Christmas. I'm barely getting through tomorrow, but still I won't let sorrow bring me way down." 

Most popular presents in 2013:
1.   Furby Boom
2.   Teksta Robotic Puppy
3.   LeapPad Ultra
4.   Flying Fairy
5.   Big Hugs Elmo
6.   Barbie Dreamhouse
7.   Giggly Monkey
8.   Nerf Gun
9.   Ninja Turtles
10.  Lego

Behold the Furby Boom 

Now I understand progress.  Many of the items on the 2013 list are just modern day dolls, which was #4 on the list.  I get that, but the thing that stands out to me is the simplicity of the 1013 list: candy, nuts, an orange. Not only the simplicity, but the practical nature of some of gifts.  I would submit that the mittens/gloves weren't #5 because they were fashionable, but because they were functional - they kept your hands warm. The handkerchief probably wasn't a Ralph Lauren handkerchief.  They just needed one to blow their nose!

If you are like me, you have things on your 'list' that you want and need.  I find that when I sacrifice and save my money and purchase that item, I never am satisfied.  I begin looking to get the next item on my list.  You know, the one that will make life better, easier, and save time?  But it never does.  And so begins that futile, endless quest to find the thing that will make you satisfied and happy.  It makes me wonder...

Has my threshold for contentment and satisfaction been raised to unsustainable levels?  Have I become greedy, materialistic, and covetous?  Am I selfish and spoiled? How much does it take to make me happy? What does it take to give me real contentment and joy?  There's nothing wrong with giving gifts or accepting them. I love to give things to my wife and kids, family members and friends that I know will make them happy.  The bottom line, to me, is where does our true, lasting contentment come from?  I need to remember where the PERFECT GIFT can be found:

James 1:17

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

I constantly need to be reminded of this.  Thank you LORD!

Bradford Pear in the Fall

We don't have Aspen trees in South Louisiana that turn glorious colors like States such as Colorado do. We have lots of live oak trees (which are evergreen) around our house which are gorgeous, but not in terms of colors changing.  We do see a little yellow in the foliage of our pecan trees.  Perhaps the prettiest coloring change in leaves of trees in our area is in the Chinese tallow tree, or chicken tree as many call it. That is an invasive species, so we don't let them grow along the fence rows at our house.

I do have a Bradford Pear tree planted in the backyard.  It was sent to me by the Arbor Day Foundation several years ago.  It was just a little tiny stick at the time, and I planted it intending on digging it up and replanting it later.  However, the next year when I tried to replant it, its root system was so extensive that I couldn't dig it up.  So there our Bradford Pear sits, close to the picket fence in front of the garden.  I haven't seen any partridges in it.

The Bradford Pear Tree by the Garden

The Bradford Pear is a pretty useless tree if you're depending on it for food because it doesn't produce edible fruit.  In fact I've never seen ours produce fruit at all.  In reading I learned that when, or if, it does, the fruit is small, hard, brown and bitter. The tree does have a very redeeming quality in that it has beautifully colored leaves in the Fall.  The picture below just doesn't do it justice though.

Yellow, Red, & Gold Leaves

Fall really marks a turning point.  Leaves that grew in the Spring and throughout the Summer provided food for the tree in converting sunlight into energy that the tree can use to grow.  These leaves have done their job and will now fall off as the tree goes dormant.  They'll be replaced by new leaves in the Spring and the process of fresh, new growth starts all over again.

Seasons come and seasons go

Speaking of new growth and shedding the old, while looking at the leaves on the pear tree, I captured a picture of a cicada (locust) coming out of his shell.

Shedding his skin

Just another example of the cycle of life that the Creator fashioned into the lives of plants, animals, and humans.

Weeding - A never ending task

Weeds are something else!  It doesn't take them long to take over the garden.  It is amazing, really.  One day everything looks fine and under control and then you look again and the weeds are crowding out the good crops.  I wish edible crops would grow with the vigor that weeds do!

Below you can see a couple of rows that are overgrown with weeds.  The row on the left contains Swiss Chard and the row in the middle has Bull's Blood Beets growing on it.  The beets really stand out against the green weeds.  Those weeds have got to go.

Weeds in the Winter Garden (Before)

So I straddled the rows and began to pull the weeds while bent over.  One must be very careful, because if you aren't paying attention, you'll end up pulling up good crops along with the weeds since the weeds are growing intertwined with the good crops.  I inadvertently pulled up some carrots today while weeding.  It's okay - we'll eat them.  Nothing goes to waste.  Not even the weeds.  I chunk them over the fence and Daisy, Rosie, and Maggie are all too happy to eat the weeds.

One man's trash is another cow's treasure

The chickens like eating the green winter grass and weeds and will compete with the cows for a free meal.  It didn't take me all that long until I was finished weeding the couple rows that I set my mind on getting done this morning.

Weeded rows (after)

Russ had helped someone rake leaves the other day and they bagged them up and were going to throw them away, but Russ asked if he could take the bags of leaves. We opened the bags of leaves and poured them between the rows that we had weeded.  This serves a couple of purposes:  First it will suppress additional weed growth as it keeps sunlight from hitting the ground.  The leaves will decompose and soon become part of the soil, adding organic matter and nutrients to the garden soil.

Mulching the weeded rows with leaves

I'm always trying to amend the soil and add as much as I can to it to build the soil.  I'm so glad that Russ thought to ask for the leaves.  It is better that they go in my garden than be sent to the landfill.