Thanks for the emails and encouragement.  We really miss friends and family.  I didn't think we'd make much use of this blog but it's turned into the best way to update everyone.

Work continues on fencing but Tonya thinks I'm out having fun in the woods.  So I essentially said "ok, you go out there and start clearing" which means I would have to home school for a day to which she said "ok."


I don't have a pic for the next topic, just imagine TJ with a really scared expression and me too.  And it's dark.  That imaginary picture was taken last night.  Calvin and I were taking care of the chickens and Caleb and TJ had left us 10 minutes earlier to start a camp site (the three oldest decided to camp far from the house and hopefully in the AM catch a critter they've been unsuccessfully pursuing).  TJ then returned in a panic and told me that they came across some people on the property who now had Caleb.  What!?  Yeah, that's what I said, and I could tell TJ wasn't kidding.  I had no phone so I collected our predator control tool and went to find Caleb.  Thankfully I soon found Caleb who told me where the people were.  I then found four guys who apparently were in college and just decided it was a good night for trespassing.  Turns out that when Caleb came across these guys (remember, it's dark, it's the country, there shouldn't be anyone where we were and there is no neighbor near by) he told TJ to run and find me and he then kept his distance and confronted them.  They told him they were just hiking (yeah, sure, it's dark, you don't have lights, and we're out in no-where) to which he told me he said to them they obviously were not telling the truth.  I was amazed, my 17 year old confronts four strangers in the night and tells them they're liars.  Thank the Lord it ended without an incident.

This is one of the roads I occasionally drive on now.  A lot different compared to my old commute.

Pigs love attention from boss hog.

We're experimenting on a new way to feed the animals by giving them sprouted grains.  It enables you to save money and offers more nutrition.

We've set up this area to experiment with the sprouts, the bottom of the trays are covered with grain and watered twice daily.

Thanks Sue and Larry for the wonderful package of jerky.

Liberty: "There isn't any jerky left?"

Me: "No, but you can have as much milk as you want when we get home."  (We have access to plenty of milk now [same with that cat], all that's missing is a lot of chocolate ice cream which I hope we'll figure out how to make soon).

 

Merry Christmas!

We went to Silver Dollar City a few days ago.  It is like King's Dominion but unapologetically Christian and we had a great time with another family of 11 all close in ages to our kids. (Ignore the guy on the right who looks like he's checking lotto numbers, he's not one of our kids). On to farm items...

Work has different hazards now. We had just finished talking about things to look out for when dropping trees and soon after we were reminded about one more (when a tree splits higher up you'd better be out of the way, start at about the :25 mark and end at :50).

Moving the chicken coop. These guys poop (and poop, and poop some more). This coop has an open floor which allows you to drag it and give the chickens a fresh floor of grass they can graze (and fertilize).

This is our commuter vehicle, it takes us to the far away tasks (like maintaining the coop, the chickens are no longer near the house). Back in VA I used to think it would be awesome if I could drive one of these to work every day and now many of us do.

Here is another excellent machine, this one has a massive amount of torque and can readily lift big trees with the front grapple (those tires are almost six feet tall).

Zeroing for pest control during lunch time. The bandit from last week has many friends that we've lost more livestock to. A coyote was spotted yesterday.

Here is another option for pest control. I really like this one, it's the most ergonomic and ambidextrous I've tried.

Our Nativity Scenes Need To Be Corrected

If we were to update the nativity scene this is what we would use for a manger.  The animals reach in through the steel to eat the hay.  I learned a couple years ago from my pastor that just about all of the manger scenes are inaccurate, and since our family was studying ancient history at the time, it didn’t surprise me.  When people read scripture they tend to interject their own definitions and experiences into the text, but to gain a better understanding, study how the people of that time understood what was being talked about.

Wood was scarce in the land of Israel, so it was very expensive.  Most of the wood existed north of Israel and would have to be delivered over much terrain.  A little inconsequential town like Bethlehem could not afford it, let alone poor farmers that lived in the town.  And if someone could afford it, they were not going to use if for their animals.  What was abundant in the area was stone, and that is what was used to make feeding troughs or mangers.  They would carve out a depression for the hay or feed to reside in.

“And this will be a sign for you:  you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12).  This verse tells us that Jesus wrapped in cloths and lying in that cold stone manger is a sign.  When I typically thought of this as being a sign, I thought that it was what the shepherds were to look for when they reached the town.  But I have learned it is still a sign for us today.  The signs in scripture reveal purpose and meaning of who Christ is and what he came to do.  The sign gives a beautiful picture of the Gospel.

We know of another place Christ was laid in stone and wrapped in cloths.  “And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away” (Matthew 28:59-60).  The same way the Christ child came into the world is the same way that he left the world.  It reveals the reason he came: while we were sinners, Christ died for us.  The perfect, helpless baby grew into a humble sinless man for the purpose of dying a wretched death, taking the penalty of our sin on the cross, so we can live free from the punishment and be clothed in his righteousness.  Only God’s begotten son, God himself, could accomplish this.  Peace came to man, peace between man and God, but the peace was complete after that stone tomb rolled away and Christ rose from the dead to life.

We should update our nativity scenes.  Not only will our hearts be lifted with a reminder of why Christ came, but our neighbors will wonder why we don’t have the “traditional” wooden feed trough.  We will have an opportunity to share the Gospel, the reason for Christ’s birth.

Update from Paul:

Thanks to Gerald, Larry and Dave for providing their time, encouragement and tools to this boy who puts food on the table and cares a great deal for animals (this bandit was taking out chickens).

Just another day at work, instructing the child labor on the finer points of putting up fencing.

And some kids just can't take things seriously.

Blaise! Pay attention!  I'm trying to run a serous farming operation around here (and have material for a few seroius blog posts).  Where do you get this penchant for goofing off?

O.k., being serious for a moment. With the exception of previously working with some really excellent engineers, I used to work in environments that were like humongous day care centers for adults. Now I work with real kids who are industrious and eager to get things done.

This post is for people who like machines.

A tractor is essential for farming.  It exponentially multiplies our labor.  Here I am moving a livestock hutch.

Ours has tracks which makes it slow (tops out at 3mph).  But those tracks allow you to do so much more.  I seriously doubt any 4x4 tractor could rescue a hay bale on a significant incline (plus the soil was damp).

Here is a pic just in case the Struck Corp. (the manufacturer) stumbles across this blog and wants to use me in one of their ads.

This is the most interesting thing I've done so far.  The farm foreman (on the right) suggested I help free this road tractor.

My tractor has a 31hp motor and only weighs two tons and that road tractor probably weighs seven tons!  Turns out he was right (that's why he's the foreman).  I never thought I could pull a dual axle with an overnight cab.  It wasn't easy but eventually I pulled it out (while the truck's tires were turning).  There is no way a similarly sized 4x4 tractor could have done this.  Amazing.

And here is a pick of the hog farmer.

It's Paul again, sneaking in another entry (Tonya is threatening to kick me off her blog, please send her an email letting her know how intelectually stimulating my posts are).

I took Tonya out on a back-woods country date.  I forgot to bring beer though.  I wonder if Deb and Glenn would be impressed with my dating skills.

Here is a close-up of my girlfriend (you go girl!).  Yes that is purple and yes that is Hello Kitty in 9 m m.

This is the road I took (if the van broke down out here I was going to save money on the repair and use if for target practice).

We picked up a five week old boar out of this litter (we bought him from a farmer who does confinement raising which we don't like [the herd we are starting will graze].  Notice how the pigs are filthy, the brown ones are actually white).  That's also about five days of growth for me, I'm shaving even less now (but I am still bathing regularly).

Pigs can get really big 5-600 lbs. (and sows with litters can be dangerous if you get close).  One of these sows is the grandmother of the boar we bought.

Taking a break watching chickens, Trins is working on her hog farmer girl pose.  The netting is electric and produces a nice jolt.  These are the same chickens from two months ago.

It's Paul, just more items from the cutting room floor.

This pic was taken during a tense moment. Someone called Sammy a girl, and then I'm pretty sure through his pacifier I heard "Weally? Watch dis girl open a can o' whoopash on you" after which I had to intervene.

TJ is trying to decide between being a farmer or a hat model. If he's lucky the closest he'll get is getting picked for the local WalMart catalog if one of us gets a job there.  "TJ, son of Paul who works in the stock room."

Here is an interesting public school bus.

Just so there are no surprises when people visit, here is one room you might sleep in. This is what I call the estrogen room, it has pink walls and a thick pink shag carpet (it also has girl toys in it).

And here is Boss Hog (Trinity's new nickname).  When she calls them they come running, it's fun to watch.