New virus coming? Plant trees, cultivate garden, tend livestock. Supply chain shocks and inflation? Plant trees, cultivate garden, tend livestock. Climate change? Plant trees, cultivate garden, tend livestock. New war coming? Plant trees, cultivate garden, tend livestock.

If you happen to be stopping by the Cove Creek store, come get a cup!.

On this day we are honoring an American tradition. Happy 4th 🎉

The biggest steps towards religious faith are to become convinced that (a) God is real and that (b) God is good. For some, these are independent questions, and for others, they depend on each other.

The first argument you have with someone you meet and get along with is a good sign. It means you have a chance of becoming friends.

It’s commonly said but bears repeating: having kids is exhausting but you’re rewarded frequently with the feeling that your wealth is immeasurable.

Starting on the first agenda item now

What are your plans for the 4th weekend? . I’m planning to move the sheep, weed the garden, buy fencing for some hickory seedlings, help my son set up a lemonade stand, build a rack for the garlic and maybe harvest it (~750), perhaps check out the town fireworks, and go to church.

This is one of two of the earliest persimmon trees that I planted on the property a few years ago. Last winter the other one died - likely due to the storm - but this one is taking a leap forward in new growth

Many nights it’s like the valley snuggles under a heavy gray blanket and goes to sleep, and around 8-9am the valley awakens and the blanket is lifted

Hot take: Zyn is disgusting, nicotine lozenges are far superior.

God knows our hearts better than we do, beyond the corruption and confusion, in both the original and the potential image. By turning to God, we have the opportunity to know ourselves truly, and to know what we can become.

Morning after all-night rain

I had never heard of them but I just ordered 10 Chickasaw plum trees from the state forest service. Anybody tried them?.

Of course the animal waste becomes fertility for the pasture, but over time the nutrients that leave the farm in the form of meat has a depleting effect. You can supplement this from the outside, but there is an untapped reservoir deep underground and trees know how to access it.

I haven’t heard anybody talk about this but I think it’s legit. One benefit of silvopasture is that the trees can mine deep in the soil for nutrients, and by shedding leaves maintain the nutrients of the topsoil in the pasture even as nutrients get taken up in body of the animal.

I checked this morning and there was one left, looking like it was ready to fly. And when I checked this evening, it had.

Concluding the Sunday morning early service at the historic St. John’s, which is only offered during the summer

“if someone thinks he has known something, he has not yet known as he ought to know; but if anyone loves God, this one is known by him”. 1 Corinthians 8:2-3.

My wife decided to make a crumble instead

On the theme of integration, there is also synergistic integration of perennials and animals.