Living Life

Bucket List: Enjoying life w family and kin.
 #LivingforToday. #NotWaitingforTomorrow.
 Taking in moments together. #UnitedAsOne.
 Family. Sharing moments w one another.
 Turning these moments into memories. #NeverForget.
Our biggest mistake. We think we have time.  #LiveLifeToTheFullest.
 ... And ALWAYS remember to say 'I Love You.'
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Hurricane Issac

Enjoying a mug of community coffee this morning w my mom and dad; watching the hurricane creep closer to New Orleans. Kelly came in last night w Pokie Joe and Floppy..  The news informed us that this is the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which has made the people of the gulf coast panicky. I can only hope  that this hurricane will make landfall at a  Cat 1 or tropical storm, however just in case I made sure my family evacuated New Orleans. Kelly does not have any leave, but we don't want to take any chances.. My Prayers go out to the people of Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida..


We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.

Psalm 33:20

God Bless.

Sustainable Energy

I have been researching sustainable gardening pretty extensively.. I am actually pretty damn excited about it! Something else that we are looking into is Sustainable energy. When Kelly and I build our cabin in the woods we are hoping to purchase solar panels in order to produce clean energy; the panels will pay for themselves..

Right now we are in limbo waiting for a job reply, however if that job doesn't work out we are looking into a job that will be opening this winter.. Either of these positions will bring us closer to home. God will  lead us in the direction we need to go in next.

Until then we will continue to dream about our retreat in the woods.

Crowder Peas

Crowder peas are  drought tolerant plants that love full sun, and sandy well drained soils. We will plant these late spring to early summer.. When preparing the top soil tilt the top 6 inches of soil.  Then, add a tenth of a pound of elemental sulfur for every 10 square feet of soil. After doing this,  add 3 pounds of limestone for e very 100 sq feet of soil.. These two things help w the Ph of the soil. Lastly, cover the  seeds w 1 to 1/2 inches of native soil.

Sweet Potatoe Vine

Sweet potatoes and Potatoes are two entirely different vegetables, however sweet potatoes sound like they will be easier to grow.. This veggie will have to have 4 monts of warm weather to grow to size. They desire full sun / partial shade, however  afternoon shade is preferred in hotter climates. Soil Ph is said to be 5.0 to 6.5. Something to keep in mind:  Feeding sweet potatoes just increases foliage. So plant these in soil high organic matter and leave them alone! To prevent disease from year to year rotate your crop.

Potatoes

Potatoes grow under ground; so you never know how you are doing until you harvest your crop. You know when the top of the plant dies off the potatoes are ready to be harvested. We are going to use the container method to grow these plants. Readings suggest using a clean garbage can or whiskey barrel will work sufficiently. First Lay 6 in of soil in the bottom. After putting in  your soil, spread out your seeds. Then keep adding soil as your plant gets taller. We can try to grow these plants in soil or peat, either will work fine. Sounds like potatoes are going to be a nightmare to grow. Diseases and Bugs are going to be a problem, but we are up to the challenge! A good suggestion  to help control diseases is to refrain from planting your potatoes where your tomatoes or egg plant has been planted in the past. Controlling PH levels, and adding compost  will also help w disease and bug problems.. It is best to plant potatoes in the late summer or late winter. This will ensure that your plants will not have  to grow in the hottest months. Keeping the soil loose and well drained will help the plant develop properly. Potatoes like Full sun / Partial shade.

Egg Plant

We want to plant a variety of veggies and  fruits so we do not become bored w our selection of food we bring to the table.. Kelly wants to try to grow egg plant. This is another heat loving plant; thriving in full sun. They are usually around 3 in tall and bushy. The articles I have read on egg plants suggest planting the plant in the same spot year after year will help prevent disease.. Picking the plant before they are fully grown will encourage more fruit set; cut the fruits from the plant do not pull.