Exploring The Night Sky

I like to look up and explore the night sky and see all the bright stars. It’s so funny to think how far away they are, and they still shine so brightly. It’s very cool though, to see all the stars above us.

Hercules Globular Cluster

Eagle Nebula

The moon is so beautiful. It’s like a big flashlight shining down onto our property. Most of the time no matter how far we go it’s always there and following us. I think that is remarkable.

Earth's Moon

I like to examine all the pictures in the night sky- the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, Orion, the Six Sisters, and many others. I have taken the binoculars out during the night and saw a good view of the stars from the earth.

Flame Nebula and Horsehead Nebula

Flame circled in Red, Horsehead in Yellow

My favorite planet is Saturn. What I like about it is its rings made from dust and ice. Saturn has one hundred fifty moons and smaller moonlets. Imagine looking at that! Saturn’s rings are made up of lots of particles that extend in size from little dust grains to pieces as big as mountains. These are made from chunks of ice and rock, assumed to have come from asteroids, comets, or even moons that split apart before they reached the planet. Did you also know that Saturn is the flattest planet?

Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter

There are 9,096 stars visible to the naked eye in the whole entire sky. To see more, you have to use a telescope to find the stars fainter than your own eyes can see. Our binoculars can see far, but not as far as possible.

Mars

When I go outside in the dark to look at the sky, it’s just incredible. I think planets and stars and everything in the night sky above is wonderful. They’re all a part of Gods remarkable design.

Andromeda Galaxy

~Unique

(Subtitled pictures courtesy of Amanda Cox and Christian Truth Foundation)

Little Space, Big Value

Our pantry is probably the smallest room in our house, not counting the attic or closets. Set towards the back of the house, behind the kitchen, it would seem that our pantry wouldn’t be used for much more than a storage room for our food goods. Yet, though small and out of the way, our pantry is not only frequently used but has many occupations.

Of course, our pantry’s first use is for storing our fresh, canned, frozen, or dried food goods. During the late summer/early fall season, our pantry is always busily being filled with items like tomato sauce, jelly, pickles, apple butter, and so much more. With all that produce being harvested from the garden, the shelves which have been filled up with empty jars, are once again teeming with the fruit (and vegetables) of our labor.

When the need arises, our pantry substitutes as a playroom. I can remember times when five or six of us kids would crowd into that small space, lost in our world of Legos, fairies and knights, or farming. Even yet, when all the other rooms are filled and there is no other place to play, toys and little ones find their way to the pantry.

The pantry also fills in as music room at times. Being at the back of the house, it is a perfect place to go when you need to focus on practicing your guitar, mandolin, fiddle, or banjo. Even now I hear Samuel practicing away on his guitar in the pantry as I write.

A now infrequently played role of our pantry is that of a disciplinary chamber. Many a day, in times past, has every child returned from the back room with an adjusted attitude or renewed obedience. One of our family’s favorite stories involving discipline and the pantry, still brings us smiles, eight years later. It included all five of the youngest McDaniel children, though Unique was the star actor. It all started in the afternoon, when we had been particularly naughty. During that time, we were still hosting music lessons and late evening rolled around before we could have true justice administered. The guilty were told to come to the pantry. Since the pantry is often times filled to overflowing with snacks and sweet titbits, we imagined ourselves “starving,” as we had not yet eaten supper. All were called to judgment. We older ones bowed our heads in remorse, while Unique, misinterpreting this particular visit to the pantry, with a great big smile and an exuberant, “Yes!” made her way happily back behind the kitchen. She returned with the rest of us, disillusionment cleared, and lesson learned!

All the grandkids love the pantry and call it Grammy’s pantry, since she stores all types of treats and goodies back there. Often during a visit can you find a few of them in the pantry, gazing wistfully at all the gallon jars filled with candy or cookies. Whenever Mama does let them have a sweet from the pantry, which is often, there is usually a large bunch gathered around her, many times including her children along with the grandchildren. Sticky fingers, big smiles, and colorful tongues are all results of a visit to “Grammy’s Pantry.”

So, you see, our pantry, though small, plays a large role in the everyday life of our family. And though it may not get voted as the number one favorite room of the house, it certainly is in the running for the most versatile area, most valued per square foot, most venerated little space in our home. It is truly a little space with big value!

~Halayah

Another Day on The Farm

One day is never like the next here on our farm. My day generally starts at 6:00 in the morning, when I get up. Once I am awake, I read my Bible, then do my inside chores. 

Next comes my outside chores, in which I feed, water, and care for the sheep. After that comes my four hours of educational work, in which I eat breakfast, then do some math, typing, journaling, reading, piano and guitar practicing, and some writing. 

Once that is done for the day, learning is not over, because I go outside exercising in the fresh air as I walk around looking at the animals at Critter Corner, playing with the kittens, discovering and catching snakes, investigating along the creek, or walking our many trails.

At 11:30am we all gather around the living room to hear Mom read an exciting chapter of The Three Musketeers! While Mom reads, we all quietly work on small projects, color in coloring books, draw pictures, build things with Legos, play Solitaire, or sometimes just sit there imagining what we would do if we were in a character’s place.

Our thrilling chapter is normally over at noon when Dad gets up and he and Mom go on their daily jog. At that time, while my sisters are preparing dinner, I either: practice roping, care for my snakes on Critter Corner, split some wood, play with the dogs or cats, check my traps, or help with dinner preparations.

When Mom and Dad return from their jog, dinner is served. We all gather around the table and eat, while we talk of some interesting things that have happened that morning or Dad shares news of what is happening in the world. After dinner is cleaned up, it’s time to work outside!

We each are sometimes sent on smaller jobs such as mowing the yards, watering newly planted trees, splitting wood, weed eating along fences, repairing fences, gathering herbs from the garden, trail maintenance, etc. Other times we do bigger jobs in pairs, or altogether like cutting wood for the winter, moving the cows, sheep, or mules, working on farm equipment, sorting cows, and other things of that sort.

We stop working around 6:00 pm, and the girls begin preparing supper while my brothers and I make a final check of the animals, closing the chickens and making sure electric fences are turned on. Since it’s summer, it’s nearly 7:00 pm when we sit down for supper, and after we’ve prayed, we begin dipping our food, eating, and talking of the jobs accomplished for the day. Once supper is over, we begin the kitchen cleanup. Someone wipes the table, while another sweeps the floor, two people dry the dishes, while someone washes them, and someone wipes the counters. The first one done, begins packing Dad’s lunch.

It’s now 8:30 pm and we prepare for bed. Dad gets his work clothes on, while we all brush our teeth. At 8: 45pm Dad heads off for work, and we head off to bed. It has been another long, fun, and perfect day. I am generally asleep by 9:30pm, but eight and a half hours later, I am wide awake, living another day on the farm.

~Samuel

The Head Hunter

In archaic times headhunting was the act of seeking out human heads as trophies. The modern term “Head Hunter” refers to a person who identifies and approaches suitable candidates employed elsewhere to fill business positions in a different company. In our garden however, head hunting is much more utilitarian in nature, referring to the gathering of cruciferous plants such as cabbage and broccoli heads.

Cruciferous vegetables are from the family Brassicaceae and are sometimes called Cruciferae. The Cruciferae name comes from Neo-Latin roots meaning “cross bearing” as the shape of their flower petals resemble a cross. This type of vegetable comes in many well know forms such as cauliflower, kale, cabbage, broccoli, and brussels sprouts, serving as one of the dominant food crops worldwide. They are high in vitamin C and are a great source of soluble fiber.

Utilizing raised beds in our garden, we were able to intensively grow nine plants in each 4 x 4 box for a total of 28 cabbage heads and 18 broccoli florets. Each Stonehead cabbage plant averaged about six pounds, yielding around 168 pounds of the tasty vegetable! Much of the plant was shredded and made into sauerkraut, with the remaining shreds being put in bags and stored in the freezer. 

Shredded cabbage freezes well for use in many recipes including kai si ming, fried rice, and even coleslaw. The broccoli heads were also cleaned, separated, and frozen for later use. Unlike cabbage plants which are finished after the removal of the head, broccoli continues to send up side-shoots for a continued smaller harvest.

With the cabbage and broccoli harvest now complete, head hunting in our vegetable patch has come to a close, but we do still have much to harvest. Ears from corn, tomatoes, okra fingers, and leggy green beans to name a few. The hard work now is always rewarding during the cold winter, bringing good reminders of the past summer, and giving us hope for the coming spring.

~Mark

You Know You Are a Musician When. . .

You know you are a musician when…

You keep your fingernails as short as possible. When most of your friends know how to play an instrument. When you wonder if you are going to need to take your instrument on this next vacation. When you go around singing the count of a timing on a song you just buckled down on. When you tell the banjo player to keep the borrowed tuner with him to save the asking. When you cringe just a little until the mandolin player gets the strings in unison during tuning. When you understand what a musician means when he is figuring out a note and says, “Good Boys Do Fine Always” or “All Cows Eat Grass.” Or when you ask a young learner what the note is, and they shout out “Cows! C!” When you find your fingers playing the air piano along with the pianist. 

When it is very difficult to watch an overhead projection of the pianist when the sound is a fraction of a second off from his hands. When random people you don’t even know ask if you brought your instrument with you. When you are humming the double shuffle of the Orange Blossom Special to the beat of the shaking of the salt over the food you are preparing. 

When five sisters whistle tunes with harmony while working in the kitchen together. Or similarly, when your family sings altogether while cleaning up the kitchen after a meal. When your fingertips are calloused, and occasionally peel off. 

When there are enough instruments to go around for everyone at family get togethers, even toddlers play an extra ukelele, drum, harmonica, or shaker. When you come up from the barnyard to pick up your fiddle and plunk around to find that new lick that fits perfectly into the song you were just running through your head. When you find your free time almost always pertains to music in some way or another. 

When you try to listen closely and count just how many instruments are playing in that song on the radio. When the famous Ricky Skaggs is in your family tree, and Mamaw (whose maiden name is Skaggs) tells you to play and “make good ole Uncle Ricky proud.” (He is a distant cousin.) When you have a rough estimate of fifty instruments in your house. When you just love playing for the Lord and serving others along the way through music.

Being an instrumentalist is so exciting! You never know where your instrument will take you. There is an amazing joy and fulfillment that comes with being a musician. I am so blessed to be in a family that is full of them. Making music to praise the Lord is my goal when I play whether for an audience or not. There is always an audience of One. Psalm 101:1 says, “I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to You, oh Lord, I will make music." Psalm 33:3 “Sing unto Him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.” Yes, I am happy to be a musician!

~Jayla

The Outstanding Acrobats!

A few days ago, I went out to the pond to look for bull frogs. While walking around the bank, I noticed lots of dragonflies flying above in the air. The insects were flying over the water. Later in the evening I saw lots of dragonflies in the barnyard darting here and there.

A dragonfly is an outstanding acrobat. It can fly forward, backwards, side to side, and even hover in midair like a helicopter. That is incredible! 

A single dragonfly can catch up to one hundred mosquitoes a day. They also eat other insects, such as flies, gnats, and even butterflies. They catch their food in the air while they glide.

I watched the flies in the air for quite a while. I wanted to get a closer look at the astounding flying insects, so I went to the pond, sat down on the bank, and waited for one of the insects to land. I knew they would land on the grass growing on the bank, because I had seen them land there before. 

Then out of the corner of my eye I saw a dragonfly land on a stem of grass. I crawled toward it slowly to get a closer look at the incredible bug.

The insect had four wings, which were colored blue with a black stripe in the middle. It had two large compound eyes and six legs. The compound eyes help the insect to see its food while flying in the air. They also help it see 360 degrees. That is the whole way around its body!

I watched it take off into the air, then return to its stem of grass. It was catching little insects to eat. Dragonflies are one of my favorite insects. They are covered in all kinds of beautiful colors and are exciting to watch dashing overhead in the air.

~ Jonah

For Generations To Come

This year, our oldest apple tree is laden with fruit! This blessing has been years in the coming. While old fruit trees are ornamental and producers of food, they are also wonderfully romantic, living things that stand as a testament to the history we’ve shared, the diligent hands that have pruned and cared for them with years of care and good husbandry. When we first planted our orchard here on Providence Prairie, sadly, it wasn’t long before a prairie fire destroyed all our young trees. Alas, we had to start again.

Planting our orchard at Providence Prairie 1999

Years passed and our fruit trees began slowly maturing. Waiting is a big part of developing an orchard. Pruning the wayward growth each late winter in the hope of producing strong branches causes one to reflect on how much we need pruning from our Heavenly Father. The process of braving the cold to snip off nonproductive growth continues each winter until only maintenance pruning is attained. We patiently wait for the spring to bring blossoms, look forward to the summer that would yield fruit, and anticipate the autumn that ushered in the harvest. The cycle would continue year after year and prompt us to remember how fleeting life is.

Alas, while the other less mature trees were setting on one or two fruits, this larger nicely trained tree would blossom each spring and yet have only a handful of fruit. We noticed that its bloom time was significantly earlier than most of our other apple trees. To remedy this situation, this spring we purchased a companion tree that was in full bloom while our mature tree still carried its blossoms. And do you know? This year the older tree was teeming with little fruit!

We have been living here on our farmstead, Providence Prairie, for twenty-six years this summer. When we left our home in Pricetown, Ohio, the orchard that we had planted there was just beginning to produce! 

Our young orchard in Pricetown, Ohio 1992

It is touching to drive past our old place and see the mature-looking trees that are bearing fruit for another generation. We were excited that this year would be the one in which we would finally be able to enjoy a plentiful harvest here as well!

Climbing in the apple tree this summer 2023

Ironically, this week a storm passed through, and blew over our fruit laden tree. We pause to remember that the bad days help us to appreciate the good days even more. So, we remind ourselves to keep moving forward. Despite it all, we had the opportunity to enjoy some of the fruit of this fallen tree. While it is lying horizontal, it is still green and we are hopeful to be able to get a harvest, in spite of the storm.

Looking at the bigger picture, we know that each day brings with it a fresh start. Our thoughts, decisions, and actions towards the situations we meet in life causes us to view life as either good or bad. We can choose to make the best out of a bad situation. Time will tell what we’ll do with this one struggling tree, but in the scope of a lifetime, we know that the fruit of our labor will come. We strive to move forward by remembering that each new day is a promise of a new beginning. Our time is but a splinter of the span of mankind, so we will continue to strive to grow and maintain a good orchard despite whatever trials might take place. One solitary apple tree can produce food for generations to come.

~Rhonda