Spring Time work has begun

Spring is finally here, now I wait for ground to dry out with all the February snow and the heavy rains in March . I was not able to get the potatoes in the ground , as my dad always taught me to try to have in the ground by St Pattys, day. My mother started the tomato plants and I will start some tonight. It does look like I might get some onions and lettuce as well as those potatoes
in the ground this weekend they are calling for 70 degrees the rest of the week. My nephews Dave and Dan helped Kenny Ray and I this past weekend clear some ground and pile up some brush for burning. My grape vines arrived Monday and mom hilled them in for me till I can go down to the farm to plant as I am still waiting on some Apple trees to come in also . It looks like we will have to start mowing the grass this week as well . Kenny Ray cleaned up the brooder
yesterday and said that I was going to have to repair the door as it broke off. The chickens are ordered for May 12 , but I am going to try to get some earlier now as it appears the weather may cooperate. I love this time of year because there is so much to do sometimes to much to do that I fall back into some old routines and not trusting God and to give him thanks. I tend to depend on myself and forget that I can not control anything, and that anything good in my life is because of Him. My biggest hurdle in life is my own ego.

Boy scouts and a fat old man

Have been busy last week putting on the finishing touches to a 5 mile hike and camp out that I ran for Kenny Ray's boy scout troop. Everything went well would make a couple of small changes as there was not enough time to do everything I wanted to, but some times things go better when you fly by the seat of your pants and just let things happen. There was 45 boys and 15 parents

attend the event and we split into 2 groups for the hike , the waterfalls I think was the biggest hits and the tunnels that we hiked thru. Some of the boys took off their shoes and sock's and waded in the stream. Shane a friend of mine helped with the cooking for the adults and led one of the group of boy's around the trail. we did have one problem. had to call for paramedic's as one boy got hypothermia and we were unable to revive him Sunday morning it gave everyone a scare but he is fine.When Kenny Ray and I got home we cleaned up and took a nap. I love to go camping but it wears me out and I am sore even my toe's hurt. I love to see all those boy's have a good time. I know not all those scout's will make eagle, but I think they should have fun and make memories and someday think of that fat old man that took them hiking at Old Man's cave.

Sleep over at uncle Kenny's

We had sleep over guest's last night my niece's Kelsey and Emily as well as nephew's David and Danny aka Biscuit. I ordered pizza for dinner and we went out for ice cream. The weather was warm but a thunder storm was coming in, we sat outside and talked as we ate our ice cream.The kids are very close and they play well together even their age's range from 6 to sixteen. Kenny Ray and Biscuit started the evening with a jam session, Kenny Ray on the electric guitar and Biscuit on the saxophone. Kelsey sat in the living room and played the box guitar for me an instrumental of her own called" uncle Ken is afraid of snakes". They played Scrabble and played chess, Dave watched the Kingdom of Heaven with me. They fell a sleep on the couch and the floor kids everywhere. I would of loved to of had 7 or 8 children. Kenny Ray gets upset sometimes because he is an only child. I now believe it is wrong to have only one child as they get older they have no to share good times as well as sad ones with a sibling. I do not understand some people who do not want to see or even talk to their brother's or sister's. I enjoy talking to both my sister's even though I am better looking and smarter than both of them.

Give mother my crown

It's sad how people take for granted those they love the most. My father and I had a strange relationship almost all of my life. He and my mother divorced when I was about 12 year's old. He was a violent alcoholic and I had to break up many fights between him and my mother, she had to divorce him for safety as well as my sister's and mine. My mother ended up raising us 3 kids alone with no help from him or the government, at times she worked 2 jobs just to pay the mortgage and keep food on the table. She got us all through high school and both my sister's went to college. As i think about now I regret some many things that i did in my youth things that I should have been more of help to her. When I started drinking with my cousin at 15, I can only imagine the things that went through her mind. But she battled with me until she won, I quit and stop running around with my cousin I left those things behind.That was just one of many things she battled with me over, she always hung in against me until she won. I asked her one time after getting in trouble at school, I said mom why are you always right? Her answer was simple she said I have been down that road before. She and my sister continued to battle with me over my salvation until she won as always. When my father came back into our lives over the past 15 years she accepted it. And when my father was dying

she accepted him into her home where her and my sister took care of him. I can not tell my mother how much of I love her as there are not enough words. there is an old song that Flatt and Scruggs sang "give mother my crown" and these words say,The best way I know how"If I have a crown coming when rewards come around please blessed Jesus give mother my crown

God's grand world and a ham sandwich

Kenny Ray and I went down to the farm Friday night, and my friend Shane and his son's Justin and Matt came down to spend the night with us. Shane help me with some plumbing I had to finish up and helped me cut some firewood for the cabin and for the house. I almost made a mistake by putting my truck over the hill in the woods as everything here his finally starting to thaw out. I thought I got my truck stuck, I did finally get out but I did manage to add some dents to my truck, steel does not hold up well to Chestnut oak trees. For dinner we went over to the Mennonite store and got some sandwich's, as usual the store was packed and it took about 20 minute's to get the sandwich. We outside on the porch it was about 45 degrees but was nice to be outside. When we got back to the cabin everybody helped me give the cabin a good cleaning as I am letting a couple spend next weekend there . They are the daughter and son in law of a man I work with. They went down a day last summer to fish in the pond and liked my place. They are also expecting a baby and kind of thought they would like to have a little vacation before their life change for ever,it is there first child.As me and Kenny Ray started home last night I told Kenny Ray to look up at the sky and all the star's. It was a clear night and they were endless . Even now at my age it amazes me that when you get away from the city and street lights how dark it gets at night when there is no moon and nothing but millions of star's and how small it makes one feel in God's grand world. It was a short trip this weekend has we had to be home for Sunday as it is the first Sunday of the month and we have a family dinner,with my mother and sister's and their families and it is at our house this month. The weekend was short but very fulfilling . With simple pleasure's , of friends , family, a ham sandwich, sunshine and star's. As always I thank God

Jesus is our savior

Last night Kenny Ray and I attended The "Gods Great Outdoors" dinner and expo in West Milton. The keynote speaker was Hank Parker a christian as well as an outdoorsman. His message was very moving for my son as well as myself. It was as if he had been living my life going thru the alcoholic father as well as thinking that I can do it all myself. I went to the show thinking it was just an outdoor show like so many I have attended in the past, but Hank's Testimony changed our lives, At the end of the evening my son was in tears, we both prayed asking Jesus into our lives and accepting him as our savior.I am no longer at struggle with myself.

Philippians 3;13 brothers , I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it , but one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead 14: I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Jesus Christ

Keeping a journal for future generations

I have kept a journal off and on for over 20 years. I have written down hunting and fishing trips,

and about what I have done to my land and events in my life as well as my dreams. They have included such things as weather conditions , number of fish or animals harvested ,as well as which tomato did best, to which type of feed the chickens did better on. I love to sit by the fire with a cup of coffee and read thru them. I am thankful for my blessings that I have been given.

In my journal i also draw sketches of where trees were planted and even vegetables for rotation.Here is an entry
Saturday March 9 2002
Mom and David, Dan, Kenny Ray and I went down to cabin today and planted some white pine seedlings that I ordered from the state. We got 83 planted of the 150 planted. It was 50 degrees and pouring of rain. Still have not got roof on cabin yet. Received word from Midwest Outdoors
today , my article:"Kenny Ray's day" will be in the April issue.
I wished my grandparents had kept a journal I would have loved to read it. I can only think what my journal and now my blog writings might mean to my future generations

Spring on the way

Got down to the cabin Saturday, was going to go down Friday night after work but It started snowing again and it took me an hour to get home that is about 35 minutes longer than normal,

so I decided against it. I fixed some frozen water pipes that cracked and replaced the kitchen and shower faucets that froze and started leaking. Kenny Ray went with me to help and clean up a little, to get the cabin ready for more regular use. There is still about a foot of snow on the ground and the lane to the cabin is just barely passable even with 4 wheel drive. The woods and the fields around the pond are beautiful with all the snow and few deer and rabbit tracks are the

only sign of life around right now. I have enjoyed the snow this winter, the weatherman said this February snow fall is the second largest on record 23" for the month and only one day above freezing, and just 2 days of sunshine.About the only thing I did was rabbit hunt , and read the Bible. I am starting to get cabin fever. I always try to plant potatoes by March 17, they may be late this year, looks like it will take that long for the snow to melt. They are calling for 40 degrees this weekend so I am planning on checking my honey bees and place an order for 3 more packages. we had planned on doing some fencing and burn some brush this past month but now it looks like March is going to be a busy month.