Morels, anyone?

Well, I wish this beauty would have been behind my camera today, but I was not quite so fortunate! I did march through the woods with the boys this evening and was rewarded with one black morel that was about 1" tall. It was not much, but we put it over the hot coals that cooked our hamburgers and ate it. I had to share with two kids, so I suppose that to say that I had a "taste" of mushrooms this year would be a bit of hyperbole!

I dearly love looking for and finding these rascals! I generally find myself on the short end of the stick and outside of one bountiful year, I generally have had to ration my findings. It is just a delight, however, to consider the wonders of the created world and to marvel at the beauty of what God has done.

A couple years ago I had marched many miles it seemed and had not one mushroom in my sack. I sat down on an old fallen log for a breather and spent some time in prayer, rejoicing in the day that He had made. While praying, I felt compelled to selfishly ask for some mushrooms. I guess if He can direct the disciples where to cast their net, I thought that perhaps God could direct my feet! Wouldn't you know that a few moment later I looked off to the right and spotted a beauty?! In but just a few minutes, I found about 20!

Another time my brothers and I were looking and found the mother lode in an old orchard. We picked a couple sacks of huge yellow morels. Most of the time all I gather are scratches from the briars and deet ticks, but what is a little blood and a few blood-sucking parasites for the taste of these wonderful 'shrooms!

Spring Projects

We have had a string of uncommonly warm days for northern Illinois with warm highs in the 60's and 70's. Persistent thunderstorms this past Sunday brought much needed rainfall - with widespread amounts over 2" - and around 3 1/2" at our place. Some of the water ran off, but the most noticeable result of the rainfall was the growth of the grass. We even had to get the mowers out!

The garden has been tilled and planted potatoes and onions early this week. We set about 100 hills of potatoes and planted 200 onions. My neighbor and I have been working on wood and I am pleased to be able view nearly two years worth of wood now split and stacked. It's a lot of work, but it is nice to have so much done.

We were able to procure a chicken house for the hauling and $50. My dad and I took some time one afternoon and hauled it here, bending a few road rules in so doing. I have repaired the windows, added some electrical wiring, and built a temporary pen to house small chicks. We opted to order some Barred Rocks and are hoping to receive a straight run of 100 chicks. This is the first experience I have had with birds, so I suppose we shall wait and see how it goes.

Gardening already

We know that the Scriptures say that life is like a vapor that appears for a short time and vanishes away. I think of this each time it time to plant the garden, recognizing that before long, it will be time to harvest. It is hard to believe that we are thinking of gardening already. The boys and I raked the remains of last year's garden and I fired up the big Montgomery Ward tiller that belongs to my dad. I have a love/hate relationship with that thing. It does a wonderful job at tilling when it runs, but it seems that every year something breaks and halts the operation. The thing weighs more than three men should lift, but fool that I am, I try to manhandle the thing every spring. I got half of the garden tilled and then, guess what? It broke down!

I am nearing completion of a couple pretty good sized cabinets jobs and now I need to turn my gaze to projects here at home. I would like to plant some of the cooler weather crops soon and there is a chicken house to get ready so that we can orders some chickens. We got a nice brooder house for $50 that needs a bit of repair and then we are hoping to order some chickens.

I am glad to be able to live in an area in which it is possible to teach the kids how to do some of the more staple things in life like planting a garden and taking care of some animals. This provides and opportunity for them to do some chore and to learn how things work. As we labor together, it gives time for us to speak of things that God has done, in allowing us to have the ability to use our hands for the purpose of laboring and to have an opportunity to praise Him for what He has done.