Garden – Flat Creek Rolling

Preparing the Garden Spot

It has been some time since writing on Flat Creek Rolling, but here goes…

I have nothing in the ground to call a food garden. We have plenty of things to call garden. They have flowers and such growing in other spots, some have already bloomed and died off like they are supposed to do.

However, back to our garden spot. It had been covered in tall weeds and grass. I mowed it down, rode it down with the mower on Wednesday (6/6/18).

This morning (Saturday June 9) I went and tilled a small spot at the lowest part of the old garden. My thinking is, that when the creek has risen out of the banks the time or two since we moved in here, the water, as it lowered left better soil for growing things.

I may be too late in planting anything. I am going to plant some beets, carrots, and things such as that, but we need some rain. The ground, this morning, was really too dry for tilling, but it got tilled anyway.

I am going to try, and we will see what happens.

From the banks of Flat Creek,

`tim

Potato Garden

I know. It has been several months since I wrote anything here. This has not been a priority with me, but I will endeavor to make it so.

A few weeks ago I bought some seed potatoes (35 pounds), and my wife and I cut them up as you must, and then I planted them. I ended up with nearing six full rows of approximately 100 feet in length.

As of today they are looking good. We do need rain. We received some rain this past week, and that helps.

Right now all we have is potatoes growing in the garden, but we have plans for tomatoes, bell peppers, and some spicy peppers too.

It is fantastic watching things grow. It will we wonderful to have a good potato harvest, hopefully around July.

From the banks of Flat Creek.

~tim

The Tomatoes

I do not know what has happened to my tomato plants, but they have fizzled out. Some one told me that they may have gotten too much water with all the rain we received earlier in July.

The plants have died, or are dying. There is one lone living plant out of ten planted; with one lone, small green tomato coming along.

The first tomatoes I picked were large and firm, and they were really good eating. Great on sandwiches, and just to eat along with chicken, mashed potatoes and such.

Well, we did get to enjoy a few. Thank the Lord of all Creation for that wonderful blessing. Thank you Lord Jesus.

Growing Tomatoes

In an April 16, 2015 post I wrote of planting 10 tomato plants. This picture is showing how those plants are doing.

Those are some of biggest, tomatoes I have seen in a while. They are the best I have ever planted or had anything to do with.

I am enjoying having a garden this year. I have planted some carrots, squash, cucumbers, sweet corn, and bell peppers. Some of them are beginning to break through the soil.

The rain we are being so blessed with will be a great help in having a wonderful garden. I hope yours is doing well too.

Growing garden along the banks of Flat Creek.

~tim

Frost

When I got up this morning it was 32 degrees. There was frost on the ground and I was sure glad I had that trampoline over our tomato plants.

There seemed to be frost only in low lying places. When I left the house to go drive my bus route the temp had dropped to 31 degrees.

It warmed up to 79 degrees this afternoon. Love the Springtime.

The ten tomato plants are doing great too.

From the banks of Flat Creek.

~tim

Tomato Plants

For where my wife and I live we planted tomato plants earlier than we probably should have. We however had the opportunity to purchase some plants that were big and healthy for a very good price; and I purchased ten of them; so they needed in the ground.

On Thursday April 09 I purchased 10 Hybrid-Big Ds from a former Cassville School Teacher, and Bus driver who had purchased several from someone he knew. I was told these plants are selling in Walmart and other places for 6 – 8 dollars per plant. He charged considerably less.

On Saturday April 11 in the early evening hours we (Madge and I) put them in our garden. I have been concerned with frost dangers for the earliness of the time; but I thought of a very good cover for them.

We have a trampoline in our backyard, that goes unused for weeks on end. I got to thinking; “You know the grass grows beautifully under that thing. Why not pull it down over the plants.” I did that this morning. Now no frost worry. Now if there is a hard freeze or something, that will be a different story.

Looking forward to having some good tomatoes this Summer.

From the banks of Flat Creek.

-tim

Getting a Good Rain

We are getting a very good rain today. Since it began this morning it has been coming down slow, easy, and soaking the ground. I do not believe there is any run off. I know that does not help the Flat Creek or the branches which run into the Creek and eventually Table Rock Lake. It is very good for the ground.

There has been no thunder, lightening, or wind; no storm of any kind. At least that I have noticed.

To the Good LORD above for the rain let us be thankful.

Thank YOU LORD.

-tim

About My Dad

Back in August 2011 I wrote about my Dad having a heart attack and that the doctors had given him little time to live.

Guess what. Here it is 2014 and Dad is still alive and still kicking. Well, I do not think he can kick much, but he is still up and about in his power chair.

Yesterday he came down with my sister Judy, her husband David, and ten of their grandchildren. They went down behind our house, and Dad spoke to them of the old Blankenship Mill which used to be sitting about where they were all sitting and standing.

Mom and Dad have been to church nearly every service since I became their pastor for the second time. I think they missed the first Wednesday night of July.

Dad goes out in his power chair every day and gets the mail. He tends a garden; it is a raised garden of sorts made up of three different beds; built from lumber; and with space between each one for his chair to roll. It works quite well for him.

It further goes to show that doctors do not know how long we will live. Just for clarity: I do have confidence in most doctors. They are needed and helpful for many illnesses, but I think most of them need to realize that they are servants of the one true Healer – Jesus the Christ, Son of God and God the Son. Most medicine practiced today only treats symptoms; and does not heal the real problem. After all if they healed us we would not need their treatments any longer.

Anyway I am thankful that my Dad is still going strong; at least as much as is possible. Thank YOU Lord for my Dad.

-tim

Thirty Two Degrees

No! I am not writing of the degrees or percentage of a slope. I am however writing of this mornings temperature at 5:00 a.m. That is right it was 32 degrees fahrenheit down here in our little valley on Flat Creek.

I am somewhat thankful that we did not have frost or any killing affect on plants; tomato plants and bell peppers that are still growing and producing. That was due to the cloud cover we are having. The clouds acted as a blanket of sorts keeping the frost from coming. We also have gotten a little bit of rain. Thank you LORD.

More is on the way; of that I am pretty sure. It is that time of year. Winter is on the way. Only God knows what will come our way. Thirty two degrees? That is really not that bad.

-tim

The First Day

It is the first day of Spring, and it is raining. It is supposed to rain inches and inches, getting rivers and streams over their banks.

Those who have planted their gardens will receive much needed water for them to grow wonderful veggies, potatoes, and it will be quite necessary for the farmers as well.

Have a great first day of Spring. Enjoy the rain, be thankful for it. Be thankful to our Creator for giving it.

From the banks of Flat Creek.

-Tim

Putting in a Garden

In the past few years we have attempted to do some gardening, but without much success. This year our son Timothy and wife Sarah have done much work on getting the garden spot ready for planting. They spent all day this past Saturday [March 10] harrowing, plowing, tilling, and other things too. I spent part of that time burning a brush pile; and part of the afternoon doing a little bit to help.

I was worn out. I am fairly certain that Timothy and Sarah were worn out physically too.

It is amazing the temperatures we are having now. Trees are budding. The Bradford Pears are in blossom and leaves have come out too. It seems so early. There is an old weather proverb that says, “Thunder in February; there will be frost in May.” Well, there was thunder in February. We will see if there is frost in May. Frost will be a death knell for many plants unless they are protected.

It will be interesting watching how the Lord will bless our crops this year.

On the banks of Flat Creek.

-Tim

Frost on the Grass…

Wednesday morning when I arose from bed there was frost on the grass, on the cars, the trees, and the temp was 30 degrees outside. It was not a heavy frost, but frost none the less. We have had frost every morning since then. And there is this morning as well.

I mowed the backyard yesterday afternoon. It was needing it, the grass was still very green, however the tomato plants were wilted, so I pulled them, and dug the soil of our small raised garden we had on the East side of our house. It never had much in it except tomatoes and onions. Neither one did very well; though the tomato plants nearly diminished during the heat of the Summer, and grasshoppers demolished the green of the plants, they did come back when we got some rain. The tomato plants were doing real well, just small tomatoes, and they should have been larger.

Just to let anyone interested to know; I am still writing in my journal; and almost every day. I think I have missed one day since I first began on August 30.

I rejoice in knowing that the Creator of all that is is also my Lord and Savior. Praise Him.

-Tim

Flat Tire

Over a month ago I borrowed my Dad’s tractor and began doing some brush hawgin on our place. It was looking pretty good until a broken shear-pin stopped it – the brush hawg that is. So I was done for the day; then, after I got another pin for the PTO shaft of the machine the right front tire went flat. It set for several days even over a month, before I decided to take it and get it fixed.

Well I did that on Wednesday morning. Thursday morning [yesterday, October 13] I did some more brush hawgin finishing up the garden spot, and a small area of the corner of our back yard. Then, I went down by the old barn, did a few rounds, then, guess what? That is right. The right front tire went flat again.

I got the tractor to a better location, then shut it down. I guess I stuck a nail or something in it this time, because it went down fast. What I did get done does look better now.

I guess you noticed that I changed the name of this blog? YES! I did notice.

God is truly good and blesses beyond measure.

-Tim

A Nice Little Shower

As I write this morning a little rain shower is bringing some much needed water to our soil, grass and garden. It’s probably not a whole lot as of yet, but much appreciated.

The clouds are keeping things cool for a while longer. The sun has risen, but is out of view behind the clouds. Looking at the grass it almost looks greener already. Of course, that means mowing will be coming up soon. Of course I haven’t mowed my yard in nearly a month; and it needs it. It looks scraggly and dusty.

Yesterday afternoon our outdoor thermometer was showing 126 degrees with the sunlight hitting it; and when you were in the sun it felt every bit of it too.

I still like Summer. Its heat can be deadly if we don’t take precautions such as drinking a lot of water, not overdoing ourselves in outdoor activities – whether it’s work or play. What ever you do never leave your children or any disabled person in the car. It gets hot enough inside a car to bake cookies. I saw a news report where a man did just that in Springfield, MO. yesterday afternoon.

Thank the LORD for the rain shower we’re getting now; and for the ones to come.

We need them on the banks of Flat Creek, and every where else.

-Tim

The Fruit of the Ground

Yesterday morning I went out after breakfast and dug some potatoes. We never planted any potatoes this past Spring, but we had potatoes growing from last year; so I endeavored to care for them, maybe a little too late; but I started to do so anyway.

I may have gotten 10 pounds of small to smaller ones. Even among a few people I know who planted potatoes they have reported harvesting small potatoes.

After I dug the potatoes, I went and borrowed a pickup truck, and a chainsaw to cut a limb off a gate which goes into our family cemetery. A week or so ago we had a strong wind come along and a limb broke off crushing one of the two metal gates, and resting on top of them both. I cut the limb into wood chunks, and threw the brush from the limb over the hill side. It looks much better now.

In the afternoon I replaced a missing shingle on our house, which was due to wind damage some time ago. That’s done now.

I am thankful for the Fruit of the Ground which the GOD of all creation has provided, and the labor that goes with it; especially the strength to do it, along the banks of Flat Creek.

-Tim

Maple Trees in The Yard

On April 30, 2010 as I was walking back from taking the lawn mower to my parent’s home I plucked some maple saplings from the side of the road to our house. When I arrived home I grabbed my shovel and began planting them.

It seems now that at least one of them will not survive. It was one that I had hoped would make it. We water them frequently – every day – once a day, unless it rains.

We do want some trees in our yard. These will probably be fast growing, soft maples and make a fairly good shade.

It seems that I am recovering well from the stent work. My energy level is growing I do believe. Though it seems it is slow in coming. I do recover quicker than I did.

When I arrived home from bus driving this evening I went and did some work on our fence. It is a different kind of fence; at least for me. We are nearly finished with the part which extends from the road to the creek. The, we will need to get started cutting cedars and build along the road around to the corner of the garden. It will look pretty good I think.

Thank the Lord of creation, the Creator for all He has done. His name is Jesus.

-Tim A. Blankenship

It’s Spring Now Two Thousand Eleven

This Spring is wracking up the numbers. Numbers of mysterious events in our lives. My family and I that is. We enjoy Spring. I know I do.

It is amazing how you can plan to do things, get things done around the house, yard, garden and such, and there are inconveniences and mysterious events taking place which work at odds to prevent it – what you have planned that is.

I have plowed and worked a bit of a garden. I have an acre and a half of yard to mow, and now things have been slowed for now.

Last Fall my wife had heart surgery, and we moved into a new home by the end of October. We have been slowly laboring to improve things around the house and such. Build a fence around it so cattle don’t get near the house and tear things up, as well as mess up the yard, spread ticks and such. Moving dirt has been a chore we were doing as well.

Now I have had to go into the hospital for an angiogram, and it was discovered that I had a lot of blockage in the vessels of my heart. They put in 3-4 stints; one of them doubled to make it long enough for one blockage; and on Monday I will return to the hospital for more stints, I think a couple more. I am off of work for at least two weeks, and who really knows.

I don’t mean to sound as if I am complaining, but rather I laugh as I think of what I have written. I laugh because our plans often fall far short of what God has planned for our lives. His plan always out weighs our own; and is the one plan that is far better than our own.

I don’t know what the Creator has in His plan, but I can trust and know that it is for my good, your good and for His own glory.

I still love Spring. I will always love Spring. The grass returns to greening, the leaves bud and sprout on the trees, flowers bloom, gardens grow; and so much more. It is a time for growing; and that’s how I looking at what is happening in life right now.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Summer Is Nearing

I haven’t wrote anything here since January of this year. Much has happened in my life and the life of the world since then. Earthquakes that have left many thousands dead and many more homeless in Haiti, and Chili, and China. Floods have hit in many parts of this country [USA] up North in the South in Nashville, (Country Music City), and much chaos in the gulf from BP’s blunder with the oil well.

Since my last post my wife and I have moved. We are now living with my parents, hopefully helping them out while helping ourselves be nearer our work on our own home which is nearby. We have also planted a garden, and we spent time with it today; tilling the rows of potatoes we have planted; and they are growing quite well with blooms on the plants and new potatoes growing under the soil. I brought some of them home this afternoon, which I accidentally dug up while tilling the ground.

It seemed that the whole 2009 – 2010 School year moved by quickly. We are now out for the Summer vacation; and boy am I relieved. I was ready. I think every other bus driver was ready too; and not only the Cassville drivers.

It was sure warm; maybe even hot as Madge and I planted three rows of corn today. It didn’t take us long, but boy were we worn out, bushed, beat, and nearly busted of all our strength. We’re not that strong any way, and that sun beating down on us didn’t help.

I don’t mean to sound as though I am complaining; I am actually quite thankful. Thankful to our Lord that He has given us the strength to do what we can do; and leave what we can’t do up to Him. Sometimes even that which we think we can do we must let Him take care of too.

Looking forward to a grand and glorious Summer. We have Youth camp next week; and Children’s Camp in July. What a wonderful Summer it will be. Every day is wonderful when the God of all creation is in it; and He is.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Summer is Nearing

I haven’t wrote anything here since January of this year. Much has happened in my life and the life of the world since then. Earthquakes that have left many thousands dead and many more homeless in Haiti, and Chile, and China. Floods have hit in many parts of this country [USA] up North in the South in Nashville, (Country Music City), and much chaos in the gulf from BP’s blunder with the oil well.

-Tim A. Blankenship

Some Good Stuff

The past two weeks have been pretty busy for my wife and I. We have enjoyed the days though. On the fourth of July we had our Blankenship family, friends and neighbors celebration down at the swimming hole, with picnic, fireworks and all. On the weekend preceeding the ninth we had our kids and grandkids at the house for our annual family get together.

My previous writing was concerning produce in our garden, which has been greatly neglected. With the rain and lack of time to get to it it has only been tilled one time. Yet, it is producing. My wife Madge and I went on Friday and dug some new potatoes, picked some green tomatoes, some bell peppers and some cucumbers.

On the ninth Madge and I headed to Mt. Vernon, MO. to join others in the kitchen of Baptist Hill Campground for Barry County Southern Baptist Association’s annual Children’s Camp. We were about a dozen strong doing kitchen work, cooking, distributing salads, drinks, cereals, and such as that. It was a long day for about four days. The day started for me at 4 a.m. with my regular devotion times, then, at 5 would go to the cafeteria where some of the men would have a cup of coffee and fellowship a few minutes before getting breakfast started.

As soon as breakfast was over and the pots and pans were clean we started lunch, then as soon as lunch was over we started preparing for supper (dinner). There was rarely a time to relax. I don’t mean that as a complaint. The time flew by. It was also a joy to see those 280 campers come by getting their meals. Many of them were saying “Thank you” as they went through the line being served the food for that meal. That was a great thing.

One of the best things was having a young lady tell of her receiving Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. An update from our Director of Missions was that there were 20 decisions for salvation. That is sure one of the worthy affects of camp. We praise our God of grace and mercy