Back on the Home Front..

While Mom and Dad were soaking up the sunshine in Florida, back here in frigid Michigan their children were hard at work... most of the time.

One of the items on our busy schedule was helping Josh and Theresa move out of their apartment and back into Theresa's parents for a while.

Of course their apartment was all the way at the top of the building.  Three flights of stairs....  Excellent exercise! ;)

Up in the apartment Theresa was busy trying to fit everything into boxes,

Down below the guys were endeavoring to fit everything in the vehicles!  They were quite successful actually, and we only had to make one trip back, with 2 out of the 4 vehicles for the remaining bits and pieces.

We only had one major accident, which unfortunately involved Theresa's right leg being severed at the knee.  But not to worry, we just happened to have just taken apart the coffee table and gave her one of it's legs to stand on.  She'll be just fine.... :P

The rest of the time (when we weren't discussing chickens, ducks, pigs, cows, farming, moving, or life in general) we spent cleaning up the house for the parent's return.

You would not believe how many times we washed dishes on Saturday as we cleaned the kitchen; it is absolutely marvelous how many dishes 4 people can go through!

LOOOOOKKK  A clean Counter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With lots of hard work, a good dose of soap and elbow grease, we did managed to have everything in pretty good order by the time we had to go pick up Mom and Dad from the airport.  Pheww!  :)

So, there is a very brief and incomplete summary of our last weekend.

~Chs

Down in Florida

 Last week, the "children" of the Sauve family were "home-alone".  Dad and Mumsie were privileged to attend the National Ligoneer Conference in Orlando, Florida.

They had a wonderful instructive time, very much enjoyed the warm weather, and were overwhelmed with the attendance at the conference.  Over 5,000 people!!!!!

Below are a few photos from their weekend.

The Chapel.

Look at all those people!

When they went to get their rental car the lady suggested they upgrade to a midsize car since Dad would have had a very hard time fitting in the economy cars (Dad said they looked like Roller Skates :P )  but when they went out to the lot there weren't any midsize cars so they were given a full size for the same price!!

The enormous church where the conference was held.

The Brass Band that serenaded them during one meal.

At the end of the conference they invited all who wanted to come up and sing the Hallelujah Chorus.   Dad went to sing, along with a couple hundred others!  They only had one practice but mother said it sounded magnificent.

Heading homeward over the clouds.

We are so grateful Mom and Dad had a safe and enjoyable time away, and well, we managed to behave pretty well back on the home front... :)

~Chs

Winter Flowers

Winter is still settled on us, and though there are little green shoots pushing their way up in the frozen world, there are no brightly tinted blossoms to greet your color-hungry eyes.  Here at Lily Spring Gardens and Farm, we have solved this problem by both forcing our own bulbs, and grabbing up any bunch of flowers which are on sale at the store.

Hyacinth are some of our favorite flowers to force, because then you can actually smell their gorgeous perfume without standing on your head to sniff. :)

 

 Dad bought his girls this beautiful bouquet of multicolored Roses.  Simply Gorgeous, and a few of them actually had a scent which is unusual for greenhouse Roses.

Then for Valentines Day Dad purchased this beautiful lily for Mother.

We hope to plant it outside once the weather breaks, and enjoy the beauty in the following years as well!!

This little happy flower doesn't smell at all, but it sure does make you smile :)  It is solar powered so when ever the sun comes out, the little flower bobs and dances in pure delight.

You have to be careful going into Kroger late February, especially if you have any money in your pocket.  The other day Dad and I stopped in, and I immediately decided to rescue the pitiful pot of Tulips that were discounted.   The pot was bone dry, and the Tulip leaves were faded and old, but there were many flowers still alive, so I brought it home and enjoyed the beauty while it lasted.

This year I tried forcing Daffodils for the first time.  They got a little tall and spindly  but are absolutely adorable.  Pretty soon the flowers will start blooming outdoors - little Crocuses creating dots and splashes of brilliant color across the lawn, Daffodils nodding in rows in the the breeze, Chinidoxa peeping shyly in our new flower bed, and buds bursting into life on tree limbs.  Sigh, Spring is one of the most exquisitely, delicately, beautiful times of the year!

~Chs

Visitors

It was a snowy Saturday; so snowy in fact that it was hard to see the trees out back.  Into this blizzard I ventured, wrapped up in scarf and coat to feed my ducks their lunch.  Sadie Rose accompanied me, and we were soon fighting our way through the blowing flakes marveling at the thickness of the falling snow.  After I fed my ducks I decided to go for a quick walk around back and headed up the pine tree path.  It was truly beautiful and I vaguely wished I had my camera with me.  I quickly banished the thought, and decide to simply enjoy the beauty and capture it in my memory.  I was just beginning to head back up when a flutter of wings and a soft cheep-cheep attracted my attention.  Looking up I saw 3 bluebirds peering down at me through the maple branches.   That's it, I thought; I have to fetch my camera.

To my immense relief and surprise they were still there when I returned, and not only did they stay, they POSED!

Truly, the little birds seemed to like me taking pictures of them, and perched, chirped, and tilted their little heads regarding me with curiosity.  I was thrilled.

They perched on branches, bushes, and the tippy top of sumac.

The females reminded me of little English Robins.  So poofy and cute!

Sweet little couple.

I stood out in the snow for what must have been at least 30 minutes if not longer, simply captivated by the charming little creatures.

Perfectly Adorable!

I finally was driven inside by frozen fingers, and shared my find with everyone inside.  Faith made up some Bluebird food and we headed back out to set up a feeder for the little songbirds.

I was a little worried that they all would have left and I wouldn't be able to show Faith them.  But, no, sure enough there were a line of them in the maple tree.   Sitting like little fluffy balls gravely watching the proceedings.  We hope that they find our offerings, and stay around for a little while.  But even if they don't, I am so very grateful for the chance to spend a happy, snowy half hour with these dainty little feather friends.

~Chs

Harvesting The Ice

 When our pond refroze Josiah decided to harvest some of the newly formed ice.  Back in the early days this would have been done with whole communities and horse drawn wagons.  Josiah of course doesn't have access to horses (too bad..) so he used his own strong muscles and our toboggan.

First he chopped a hole with his hatchet for a starting spot.

Next, Mr. Reiche's borrowed saw came into play.

Josiah said "it cut the ice like butter!" :)

About 5 inches wide for each cut, since the ice was about 5 inches thick.

After cutting the slabs, Josiah pulled them out to chop into cubes.

Sadie Rose was very interested in the procedure, and ate every little chip of extra ice laying around.  Frozen doggie!!

Josiah "harvested" 32 ice cubes off of the pond that day.  Now we'll see just how long they last!!

~Chs

All Frozen Again

 It wasn't very long after the "meltdown" when the temperatures once again plummeted and everything froze in place. 

 But, the freeze began before "all the waters had receded off the face of the earth" and after the streams had iced over.  The water continued to decrease to it's normal state, creating a foot gap between the ice you saw, and the partial icy but still running water underneath.

If you were able to punch through the top layer and peer through, you would be rewarded with a look into what seemed like a beautiful, delicate, and almost surreal world.

 Ice structures hung from the ceiling, formed in bubbles around rocks, and magnified the beautiful sound of the rushing water.

 Walls of crystallized condensation stand here and there, creating a visual block in the long cold world.

My favorite part of this under-ice creation had to be the ice feathers.  Scattered all along the edges and some seeming to float on the water, they were simply stunning!

 Much more marvelous than I could capture on camera; I only wish you could have seen them yourself...

 God is a magnificently beautifully complex being, as I am constantly reminded of by viewing the things God imagined and spoke into being!

*****************************

 And as if ice layers weren't enough beauty a couple of days later there was another marvel of winter.

Frost coating the trees, fences, bushes..... everything!!!!

And just to make it more majestic, God paired the white outlined trees with a light mist down below and piercing blue skies above!!!

 Chicken wire + frost feathers = beautiful :)

Little love birds in a frosty tree.... then on second thought they have their backs to each other.......

Isn't it simply stunning!?!?!?!?!!

Look at all those little tiny ice crystals!  Truly amazing.

See what I mean?   

Reaching to Heaven.

We have a truly creative Father!!  Go out and take sometime to just soak in the beauty and worship Him for it.

It won't be a waste of your time... promise.

~Chs