Spring Projects

Spring this year started off with very warm temperatures-almost 80 a few times.  After winter, these temps are quite welcomed but had all of us wondering if this summer was going to be an extremely hot and long one and even though we have gotten 2wks of moisture now, a long hot summer is always a possibility.

With the warm temps though, I got 'spring fever' pretty bad-this is nothing new, so I of course wanted to get going on projects!!  

  We got chicks this year......

 lots of chicks!!  Time for a fresh flock as our other ones are getting old and none of them are good sitters to hatch their own chicks.  We have Light Brahma's and Silver Laced Wynadottes but the free exotic-a Buttercup.

   I was debating on doing a garden this year because we have plans to do some major re-modeling on the front of the house-pouring concrete and extending a covered porch all the way down and I was thinking about doing the garden different.  After lots of thought and calculating the cost we decided that would be a project for next year.

  So, in order to have the garden this year we needed to get a water spigot put back in.  We found out it wasn't draining back this winter when it froze....ugh!

   Bryan just 'loves' these projects   ;)  

  The garden boxes were going to need some more 'dirt' and we decided that it would be better to water the trees out back by drip line instead of flooding a ditch-saves on water too.

 Just a few of the trees out back.

  Spring projects always involve flowers.

   Fast forward a couple weeks and the garden boxes are planted!!!

 We also decided to try a couple fruit trees this year-apricot and plumb!!

Answered Prayer

The last few year of drought have been really taking a toll on life in the west.  It is effecting everything from available water for personal use to everything in nature that God has created.  To see nothing turn green in the spring, springs drying up that have never been known to be dry to the Humbolt River being bone dry in June, and many wild animals that are in less then ideal condition for winter and then of course the very lively hoods of farming and ranching that feeds us being threatened is all very humbling.  It really makes me wonder if the lack of moisture over the past few years hasn't been a judgement from God; a call for repentance, an acknowledgement to the very One who is Sovereign in all situations good or bad.

This has caused me to do some serious thinking and reflecting even more on God and who He is and who we are before Him.  We are at His mercy but for those that know Him as Lord know the greatness of His mercy and love in the work of Christ and therefore can give thanks to Him in all things.  In giving thanks to Him though, we can also bring our petitions to Him knowing that He hears our prayers and we have been praying for rain, much needed rain.

   We have been receiving rain everyday for almost 2 weeks now; I believe without a doubt this is by the Lord's hand.  "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avail much" James 5:16

   Watching these storms roll in day after day is simply amazing!  They are powerful yet are at the will of God; the same God that has calmed storms in the past or has used them to bring judgement-they strengthen my faith and keep me humble.

   Watching new life bud forth, flowers bloom and dust being settled has been refreshing in so many ways; makes ya really want to get outside and literally breath it all in.

   The variety of wild flowers are starting to show their colors.......

and the hidden oasis's seem to be not holding back on taking in all this moisture!

    "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork"  Psalm 19:1