The Light of the World

This morning we had a meaningful service at our little country church.  It's a tradition we've done for quite some time.  We call it the "Lighting of the Tree."  We have a normal Morning Worship Service, with Bible Study, singing of old hymns and carols, prayer and a message.  This morning's message was on Luke 1 beginning in verse 26 when the angel Gabriel was sent to announce to Mary about her being chosen to give birth to the Christ Child.  The angel told Mary, "The Lord is with you."    He went on to tell her the great news that she, a virgin, had been chosen to give birth to the Messiah.  Mary, of course, had lots of questions.  Before leaving, the angel told her, "With God, nothing is impossible!"

At the end of the message, the lights are dimmed and a big candle on top of the tree, representing Jesus, is lighted.  600 years before Christ, the prophet Isaiah was speaking to Israel.  Due to their idolatry and unbelief, they had been taken into captivity by the Assyrians.  They were in dark times.  Isaiah had hope, though:

But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.  The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.  Isaiah 9:1-2

In Matthew 4:12-16 we see Jesus' inauguration of His ministry fulfilling this prophecy.  Jesus had many "I AM" statements: I AM the Good Shepherd, I AM the way, the truth, and the life, I AM the gate, I AM the Bread of Life, I AM the resurrection and the life.  One other I AM statement was Jesus saying, "I AM the Light of the World."

The theme of Jesus as the Light of the world is prominent in New Testament Scripture: 

• John 1:4-5
• John 8:12
• John 9:5
• John 12:46

Jesus was truly the Son of God and came to the world to save sinners.  In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus gives the believer a challenge for the ages!  Go shine your light before men.  Illuminate the darkness.  Live lives that point to Jesus.  Be intentional about shining your light.  Give all glory to God.

At the conclusion of Scripture reading, our church family is invited, one by one to come to the front and light a candle to represent the light of Jesus living within believers and a commitment to shine our lights for Christ.

It is a quiet time, a reflective time as the candles on our tree are lit, one by one, as the piano is softly played.

The tree was constructed by the father of the gentleman in the photo above many years ago.

Even though our church is small, it took quite a while for everyone to get their candles lit.  There was no rush though.  It was a peaceful, worshipful moment.

One thing important about a light, if you take a lighthouse, for example.  The light keeps people from being shipwrecked onto the rocks.  The light also gives guidance so that those who are lost, may find their way home.

Jesus is that perfect Light!  Shine, Jesus, Shine.  May we shine for You in all we do.

The Christmas Cactus Parable

We've had a Christmas cactus that has never bloomed.  It just sits there and looks very... cactus-like.  Christmas comes and Christmas goes and nothing happens.  Until this year.  We tried remembering to water it.  We moved it to various spots in the house.  Finally, we placed the cactus on the back patio and noticed that the cactus suddenly looked healthier, better, and happier in this spot.  Right around Thanksgiving, the cactus started to get red buds on the tips, and then the thing erupted in beautiful blooms.

This photo shows the progression of small bud to the brilliant-red bloom!  Legend has it that the Christmas cactus got its name when a little boy from Brazil prayed to God requesting a break from the heat and humidity of the jungle.  On Christmas Day, the boy exited his hut to find the jungle around him filled with red blooms of the Christmas Cactus overnight.

The Christmas cactus that for so long sat dormant, sullen, and moribund has made a dramatic turn for the better!  We stop by and peer out the french doors and admire it's blooms often.

So it is with people, with events, with dreams, hopes and wishes.  For so long things look unchanged in situations in your life.  People and events look hopeless.  Sometimes things go on like this for what seems like ages.  But you don't give up.  You must have patience.  Try new things, places and changes of scenery.  And then one day...  Then one day, unexpectedly, you're met with blooms and happiness!  May your Christmas be merry and bright and filled with blooms and happiness. 

The Mobile Vet

Tricia called Dr. Chip, the Mobile Vet, to make a farm call and palpate the cows.  We have the bull in a separate pasture because he's dangerous.  When we see the cows coming into heat, we put them into the bullpen with the bull and let them get amorous.  Over the months, they have come back into heat, meaning that they were not bred.  We don't know what the problem is.  Perhaps the bull is not "hot."  Maybe there is a problem with the cows.  We wanted to get those issues addressed.

The veterinarian arrived and Tricia got the three cows isolated in the barn and in the head gate so that the vet could put on his rubber gloves and palpate.  First up was Rosie.  Rosie is eighteen years old.  The vet said she is NOT bred, but is still cycling, meaning she COULD still get pregnant.

Next up was Elsie.  Elsie is a beautiful heifer.  She is also A2/A2, so is highly sought after.  Up to this point she has not calved.  Another vet on a previous farm call, removed a cyst from her ovary.  She came into heat after that.  The Mobile Vet said that there was fluid and a fetus that the body would absorb and then she'd go into heat again.  So she DID get bred but lost the baby.  The vet thinks we should get rid of her, but we want to try just one more time.

The final was LuLu.  He palpated LuLu and said that she is two months' pregnant.  So she'll be calving in the heat of summer in July 2026.  Summer is not the opportune time for calving and milking, but we'll take what we can get.

LuLu is two months pregnant

So we know that Nicky, the bull, is fertile and will continue putting him and Rosie and Elsie together when they go into heat in hopes that we can get them all bred.

Running Out of Time

Our fall tomato crop has been better than normal this year.  Every single day, we've been going out and picking the nice red ones that were ripening on the vine.  Without the heat and bug pressure, the tomatoes have thrived.  We've been cooking a lot of them, making homemade cream of Tomato soup and also freezing a bunch of them for later use.  And Tricia, each day, would tell me, "You ought to see how many tomatoes are STILL out there on the vines!

It was with that hopeful thought in mind that we received the news of temperatures plunging to 28 degrees Monday morning.  Oh no!  We have to pull all those tomatoes off before the freeze, but Sunday afternoon was a busy afternoon for us.  Starting at 2:30, we were Christmas caroling with our church at the Veterans Administration Home, Jeff Davis Living Center and Camelot Brookside Nursing Home followed by a fellowship at the church.  Tick Tock!

Tricia and I got home and changed, bundling up as the north winds were blowing and the wind chill was already below freezing.  It took about an hour, but we got all the green tomatoes off the vines before we lost them.  It did get down to 28 degrees and then last night it got down to 30 degrees, but now, the two week forecast shows highs in the 70's and lows in the 50's.  We just ran out of time.

These are some Chadwick Cherries:

And more...

Black Krim, Cherokee Purple, Creole, etc.

Here are some Black Vernissage tomatoes...

Had we just had another couple of weeks, many of these would've ripened perfectly.

We have them in boxes and will see if they will ripen on their own.  If not, we'll make Fried Green Tomatoes, chutney or relish, or salsa verde.  I would rather that they would be red, ripe tomatoes, but when Plan A is off the board, we switch to Plan B or Plan C.  

Farewell To Mocha

Yesterday afternoon a tragic event happened.  Tricia called me and told me that Mocha was in respiratory distress.  Mocha is a Nubian goat that is spotted all over.  She's a really pleasant goat.  Some goats are trouble, but Mocha has always had a calm disposition.  I ran out to the pasture where she was and she was gasping for air.  She fell on the ground, and we worked to see if there was something we could do to help her.  Tricia went back to the house for meds and I coaxed her to the barn where we could work on her without all the other animals in the way.

As it turned out, Mocha succumbed to whatever medical issue that suddenly came over her.  We were both sad as we always are when we lose an animal.  It's not uncommon.  We've lost a multitude of chickens, several cows and a number of goats.  You try to do your best to raise them in a humane manner, knowing that you gave them a good life, but fully aware that death is part of it.

I went and got the wagon that was to serve as the hearse to bring Mocha to her place of interment.  LuLu arrived to pay her respects.  I can't say that LuLu and Mocha were friends, but LuLu looked sad to learn of Mocha's passing.  As I pulled Mocha off in the wagon, a trail of curious animals followed me to the gate.

In the very back of the garden, between the strawberries and the sugarcane, lay the spot I picked out for Mocha's final resting place.  The previous day we'd received a little over an inch of rain, so the soil was easy to dig it.  It wasn't long before I had a DEEP hole dug for Mocha.  

At the appointed time, Mocha was lowered into the earth, and I began to shovel dirt over her.

The job was soon done, and I fashioned a crude cross with some oak limbs and some baling twine and decorated it with a camelia bloom.

I stood by the graveside, and it seemed like some words needed to be said for Mocha.  I went inside and found "The Pastor's Manual" by J.R. Hobbs.

The Table of Contents showed plenty of information for how to properly conduct funeral proceedings.  It gave direction for all manner of funerals - young, old, and many others.  Try as I might, I couldn't locate directions on how to perform a Funeral Service for a Goat.

Well, we know why, right?  Goats don't have souls.  We'll miss Mocha, nonetheless.  She was a good animal, and we will miss her around Our Maker's Acres Family Farm.

Bring Something Made With Honey

At our last monthly meeting of the Bayou Beekeepers Club, we were asked to bring something made with honey for the club to enjoy.  We met tonight and had our normal meet and greet from 6pm to 7pm.  We meet at Green's Cafe.  Tricia and I enjoyed a homemade burger on a jalapeno bun topped with grilled onions and pepper jack cheese.  We talked with other club members and then the meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer.

We talked about what you should be doing right now with your bees, namely purchasing equipment and boxes to prepare for the spring when we'll be making splits.  An open question and answer period then goes on.  We have very new beekeepers and very old ones, too.  When all the questions are answered, there is a "show and tell" time where members bring equipment and demonstrate its usage.  Finally, there were door prizes given.

Before the meeting was adjourned, peoples' attention was turned to a table of goodies that beekeepers brought that was "something made with honey."  Of course we had to try a little bit of everything and recipes were handed out.  We feasted on a variety of homemade treats, including caramel, honey bars, cinnamon rolls, bit-o-honey, pecan pie with honey, berry tarts with honey, granola and BAKLAVA!

Baklava was Tricia's contribution.  Baklava uses phyllo dough.  In a buttered baking pan, you layer 10 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing melted butter on each sheet.  On the tenth sheet you sprinkle a combination of chopped pecans, toasted coconut, brown sugar and allspice. 

 Then you repeat the process.  On the tenth sheet, you put another layer of the pecan mixture.

For a third time you layer 10 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing with melted butter.  Yes, it is a rich dish.

You preheat the oven to 350 and then cut the pastry into diamond shapes with a very sharp knife.

The baklava goes into the oven for 45 minutes and then is taken out and allowed to cool.

But you're not done.  In a saucepan, you combine 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, and 1/4 cup honey and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Tricia adds the honey AFTER it stops boiling to retain the nutrition in the honey.  

Then we drizzle the sweet mixture over the baklava.

Cover and allow to sit for 24 hours while the baklava soaks up all the sweet goodness.

Then it's time to eat!  I wish I would've taken a better quality photo that would show the flaky, delicate layers with the pecan/coconut/spice mixture saturated with the honey glaze.

After sampling a little bit of everyone's "something made with honey" dessert, we left the meeting very satisfied.  We fellowshipped with friends, learned about honeybees, and engorged ourselves on products made by the incredible honeybee.

Going Down Memory Lane

Oh since around 2020, we haven't watched much TV at all.  I can't tell you the last time I sat down and watched the news, or a sit-com, or any other television program.  I just don't like the content.  They lost me.  It seems like every show is editorializing, every commercial is trying to push some type of agenda.  Even sports programs have become unwatchable with all the virtue signaling.  I don't know.  Maybe it's just me?  Anyway, I've found more productive things to do with my time, and haven't even missed it.

Perhaps, and this may be wishful thinking, many people are longing for 'normal' TV where the idea is to entertain without trying to push the limits of societal norms and indoctrinate viewers.  Why do I say that?  Well, I tip my hat to Chevrolet.  I was made aware of Chevrolet's "Going Down Memory Lane" Christmas Commercial 2025, and I want to share it with you:

Wow!  That really got me.  A family takes a holiday road trip in their old Suburban and remember their past experiences.  Things aren't always a perfect or care-free or happy as we remember, but times are good and filled with laughter amidst tears and joy intermixed with sorrow.  Even when things seem bad, at least we've got each other - togetherness, a family that leans on one another and carries each other through difficult times, and ages gracefully together.  When we do that, we arrive at our destination.

Watching this commercial made my eyes get a little... damp.  It especially hit home where it flashed to the back seat of the Suburban as the children grew and then there's only an empty seat.  And the dogs.  Dogs named Willie and Waylon, no less!  Whew!  Anyway, I don't know if this advertisement will sell any vehicles, but it sold me.  It reminded me that wholesome, family-oriented commercials can still be made.  Ones that you don't mute or go to the bathroom when they come on.  Well done, Chevrolet!  Keep 'em comin'!!!

Rolling Out the First Bale - DEC 2025

On December 7th we rolled out the first round bale for the cows and goats.  They were happy to see the gate open.  Thanks to the lime, our pasture held up really good this year.  We had a fair amount of grass, even when neighboring ranchers' grass was poor.  I give the lime application the credit.  We'll do it again this spring.  By December, however, the animals had eaten the grass down and were anxious for the hay they know we have stockpiled for the winter fight outside the fence.

Each year we purchase 10 round bales from a gentleman who delivers them to our home for $40 per bale.  We roll them out in a double row on the property line between our house and the neighbor to the east of us.  We cover it with a tarp.  We noticed that we need to buy a new tarp as ours are in rough shape and did a mediocre job of protecting the quality of the hay.  We were using a really old repurposed outdoor advertising vinyl billboard sign and also a tarp from Harbor Freight that disintegrated.  I'm making calls to Lamar Outdoor Advertising to see if they have any old vinyl signs for sale that I can use as a tarp.

The hay ring is a must to try to keep the hay protected and attempts to keep waste to a minimum.  However, the cows and goats are especially messy eaters.  They waste about a quarter of each bale, pulling it out, dropping it on the ground, stepping on it and then pooping and peeing on it.  The goats, once about half of the bale is eaten, like to hop on top of the bale and sleep.  Of course, they poop on it and then the cows and goats won't eat it.  I'm thinking about putting up a gate and only allow them access to the hay for short periods during the day, so that they only eat and don't lounge around.

We have about 68 square bales in inventory in the hay loft and (now) nine round bales in inventory for the winter.  I'll be calling the gentleman who sells us the round bales for another order of 10 bales in a month or two.  We've found that a round bale lasts about six days before they animals have finished as much as they are going to eat.  We feed them a little sweet feed over the winter, but if they're not in milk, we generally just make sure they have hay to eat.  I do have plenty of turnips planted in the garden to feed them as well.

A River Runs Through It

Last week I took an interesting drive that I wanted to share.  The drive started west of Oberlin, Louisiana in a town called Mittie.  Mittie boasts the Ouiska Chitto Creek where several canoe outfitters launch canoes and kayaks.  We grew up canoeing on this creek.  The water is as clear as you're going to get in south Louisiana.  The sand is the whitest you'll find in our area, too.

The photo you see below was taken a few weeks prior.  I'll pull in on the side of the bridge from time to time and walk down to the water.  It is peaceful.  The bridge you see is Highway 26 that runs between Oberlin and then intersects with Hwy 171 near DeRidder.  Just beyond the bluff behind the rope swings is the launch point for several of the canoe outfitters.  During summertime and especially on weekends, this area is bustling with activity. 

The pickup point is at Carpenter's Bridge in Kinder, LA and that's roughly 8 miles away.  The canoe trip, depending on current and how often you pull up on a sandbar to picnic or swim, will take you between 4 and 7 hours.  Carpenter's Bridge was an old, rickety wooden bridge, as I remember from my childhood.  It had fallen into disrepair and the local, rural budgets could not support rebuilding.  In fact, the bridge stayed closed for about two years, only reopening in September 2024.  I had never driven over the new bridge and decided to take a little road trip while working in the area.  Here's the new bridge in all its glory!

This view off the bridge shows the canoe pickup point.  That sandbar, in summer, has tired canoers lined up ready to load up in an old school bus for a ride back to where their vehicles are parked.

And here is the other side of the bridge.  The creek flows until it meets up with the Calcasieu River near LeBlanc, Louisiana.

It's a nice spot, for sure.

I drove over the bridge toward Kinder.  It is a long, winding rural two lane road that eventually ends up in Kinder.  I'm passing over the Calcasieu River bridge in Kinder now.

Right alongside the bridge and the river, you'll see a large corrugated tin barn.  There's a big engine in that barn for it houses a large pump used to re-lift water out of the Calcasieu River.

That water is pumped into Kinder Canal Company's canal system that flows for miles and miles.  Rice farmers with land positioned alongside the canal in Allen Parish to Jefferson Davis Parish use the water to irrigate their crops.  What you're seeing in the photo below is 'the pump,' which was a very popular swimming hole for years and years.

It was a nice, relaxing drive that brought back a lot of memories.  I love a good road trip!

Trimming the Tree

Nope, this post has nothing to do with Christmas trees even though it's that time of year.  I know that "Tis the season to be jolly," but jolly wasn't the emotion the other day.  I've posted about this long ago, but let me give you a little back story to set the stage for this event.

My Dad graduated from USL in Lafayette.  The University of Southwestern Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns.  They've since changed the name to UL.  Back when Dad graduated from college, they had the neatest thing ever at USL.  As you walked across the stage to shake the University president's hand and receive your diploma, they would give you a coffee can with some dirt in it and a live oak seedling from one of the old live oaks on campus.

Being in his early 20's, Dad wasn't enthusiastic about this 'gift' or understand the importance of the memories of this little tree.  He brought it home, gave it to his grandmother and forgot about it.  Well, my great-grandmother lived right smack dab in the middle of the town of Kinder at the intersection of Highway 165 and US 190 right across from the police station.  She planted it right in her yard.  And it grew, and GREW, AND GREW.

Sixty years later, it is a big live oak tree, providing beauty and shade.  My great-grandmother's home is long gone, but the tree remains.  Kinder has changed a lot in 60 years.  It boasts a couple more red lights, an overpass over the railroad tracks, a McDonald's and a casino now, but the tree remains the same standing in all it's stately glory, anchoring down the past, holding tightly to nostalgic memories while pointing confidently to the future.

Until last week...

No, the tree didn't get cut down.  It's not ALL gone, but it got one heck of a hair cut.  I remember being in elementary school and getting a haircut that I didn't like.  I was embarrassed to go to school.  I ran and hid - under a car, if I remember correctly.  How long would it take for my haircut to grow out?  Well, the old oak tree got a bad hair cut - a massacre, a butchering, you might say.

You see, there is a sign in the foreground and a larger outdoor advertising sign in the background.  The tree had grown to block the view of the signs.  A big miscommunication happened and someone had Dad's tree trimmed without his permission.  Branches were stacked alongside Highway 165 four feet high.  The tree trimmers gouged a big chunk out of the middle of the tree before passersby in town stopped the crew and asked if they had permission to be doing that since the tree is on private property.  It caused quite a stir.  Telephone calls were made and sincere apologies given, but the damage was done.

The tree is okay, and the bad haircut will eventually grow out - albeit a little longer than it takes for us.  Oh, live oak tree, Oh, live oak tree, how lovely are your branches...

A Postscript on the Bees

A few final notes following the pulling of fall honey from our hives.  We had mentioned a while back about small hive beetles and the damage that they can do in a hive.  If you have a strong colony, the bees will do a good job of fighting them off.  The guard bees run them out of the frames.  We help the bees out a little bit.  We learned a trick from our bee club that is doing the trick.

Swiffer sheets.  Yep, you heard me right.  Those sheets that you put on a dust mop to clean your kitchen floors have a dual purpose.  They will catch and kill small hive beetles.  We put a sheet on the top of the frames. The bees run the small hive beetles out of the hive and up to the top.  When they run across the Swiffer sheets, their little feet get caught in the microfibers and they are stuck together like velcro.  They end up dying.  Look at all the small hive beetle carcasses on the Swiffer sheets!: 

Tricia began rendering the beeswax from the cappings from our fall honey pull.  It only consisted of 21 frames, but we still save every bit we can.  Tricia puts all the cappings along with some water into a crock pot and lets it all liquefy.  This is then poured through a muslin cloth that acts as a filter.  We do this process twice to get a lot of impurities out of the beeswax.  It looks like a brick of gold.

We're saving all this beeswax for candle-making and making lip balm.  We are getting quite an inventory of beeswax and there are so many uses for it.

Once the beeswax has been filtered and removed from the crock pot, what remains is some honey that was trapped in the wax.  That honey, however, is mixed with water.  We tend to feed all this back to the bees.  In very early spring, we'll pull this out of the freeze and feed the bees.

So many uses of all the by products in honeycomb.  Not much goes to waste.

A Hit Or Miss Type Deal

Growing tomatoes in the fall is a hit or miss thing.  You are in a race with time and if you hit it right, it's a lot of fun.  Spring tomatoes can be good, but the battle with stink bugs, heat and humidity take a lot of luster off of the undertaking.  Fall tomatoes can be heartbreaking, too.  Several years ago we had a beautiful crop of big, healthy fruit on the vines... and then an early hard freeze came in November and dashed our hopes.  We ended up canning many jars of green tomato sauce that year.

This year the crop looked good.  No hard freezes to date and we've been picking lots of tomatoes.  Between what we've harvested and what's left on the vines, we could actually see a better harvest this fall than we did this summer.  In late summer I planted about nine varieties of tomatoes from seed.  We also had some that came up volunteer that I potted and nurtured throughout the dog days of summer.

One variety that has been SO productive are Chadwick Cherry tomatoes.  I didn't order these.  They came as a packet of FREE seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom seeds.  Boy, am I glad I planted them.  Every day we pick them.  The fruit are larger than the normal cherry tomato you think of.

Chadwick Cherry

We also have larger tomatoes as well coming in: Creoles, Black Krim, Black Tomatoes, Cherokee Purple, Campari, Pink Brandywine.  Just this afternoon, we cut these up and made some Pico de Gallo that we promptly devoured with some chips.

Along with eating them, we're also putting some up for later.  With the Chadwick Cherry's, Tricia washes them up and freezes them whole.  She finds them easy and delicious to quickly thaw out and use as a base for cooking sauces for pasta.

The vibrant red color of the tomatoes really pop!

Today we talked about processing some of the tomato harvest and canning a bunch of jars of tomato sauce or perhaps, salsa as we still have a lot of tomatoes on the vine.  I think the 10 day forecast isn't anticipating any freezes.  If things hold up like they ought to, we'll put up a bunch of jars of tomatoes in our storage pantry this year.  And in just 30 more days, I'll be planting the spring tomato crop by seeds.  How nice to stretch out the tomato harvest almost year-round!