Fall Ducklings.

Because the summer was so hot our poor Momma ducks did not have an easy time incubating their eggs.  Although the coop is in the shade and we keep it ventilated, it still is quite warm in there during the summer months.  We have one Momma duck who has tried several times unsuccessfully to raise a family.  She seems a little spooky too and we thought this year she'd be headed for the roaster.  Well, good thing we kept her around a little longer....

make way for ducklings.... 15 of them to be exact.

She was not going to be unsuccessful this time.  She hatched 15 little yellow ducklings.  We are keeping them inside until they get feathers since it is getting cold at night. 

Doesn't this just make you smile?

Busy Days

I know it's been a long time and probably most of my followers have given up on me.  I also don't like it much when someone doesn't write for a long time and after a while just don't visit anymore, but hope you can empathize with me when I say it has been very busy. 

Brandon stayed with us until the first week of August.  We had a good time, but he was really ready to go home and missed his mom terribly.  There were many changes for him at home and I think he was getting nervous about what was waiting for him there.  I've talked to him several times since he went back and he seems to be settling into the routine and is now back in school. 

We've had a good harvest from the garden.  Picked 2 bushel of Jacob Cattle beans and then while I had pneumonia it gave me something to do with my hands.  I have recovered for the most part, but still feel a little wimpy.  I have found that my stamina took a nose-dive and we're working on that. 



shelled Jacob Cattle beans



We put up 15 quarts of dill pickles.  The tomatoes have been pouring in and I've been enjoying them so much... nothing like a sun ripened tomato!  This weekend I'll be picking the remaining shell beans and also the Romano beans and getting those put away.  Also want to can the tomatoes for soups, stews and sauces (those that I don't eat fresh). 

We didn't have a huge crop of beets this year, but it's OK since I got a bunch from another source and Mr. D put them up for us already (sweet man!). 

Our corn is almost ripe and ready to pick.  We'll enjoy that fresh since we do not freeze or can corn.  Mr. D won't eat frozen or canned corn, but he will eat it roasted fresh.  Because of that we don't plant much and we invite folks over during corn season for a corn roast and fellowship... great times.

Well, now that I seem to be recovering and the harvest may be winding down a little, maybe I can get back to blogging.  I have been collecting pictures to share with you of the flooding that we had around here from Irene

I go over this bridge twice/day.  The water came up and over flooding on either side.  See all the debris caught in the underside of the structure.

This is the shopping plaza in West Lebanon, NH  it was under 6 feet of water.  Where I am parked to take this picture was in front of a grocery store in the same plaza... it wasn't touched, but all the other stores were flooded.

The next morning after Irene, the sky is blue, sun is shining so innocently and this is the mud that used to be a beautiful green soccer field and dog park.  After 2 weeks it still is like this... so many lost houses this is not a priority for cleanup.

God is so good!  We didn't have a lot of damage here on our property from the hurricane.  The eye went right over us, but a few miles to either side of us they received a lot of rain and there was much damage from flooding.  Some of the folks from work were stranded and couldn't get out.  One girl had her mobile home flooded and is still living in a camper till it dries out and she can replace the carpet and wall board.  She lost a lot of other stuff even though it was only a few inches of water and the insulation underneath had to all be torn out.  So sad to see all the destruction.

Here's a few links so you can see the damage around VT and NH...
http://www.mansfieldheliflight.com/flood/

http://www.cvps.com/Jobs2.aspx

I've been calling customers this week that are in the damaged areas.  It is amazing how nice everyone is.  So many volunteers out there helping to clean up.  The mud is so thick as you can imagine.  This is not an area that floods very often.  In fact some of these places have not flooded in recorded history.

Well, I am very grateful and humbled too that God would spare us as He did.  I am ever mindful that these things happen to the godly as well as the ungodly.  It's all for His purpose and plan. 

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  Keep looking up!