Joy

Wednesday, August 4, 2021

Our Covid Time Out

Welp, Covid found us.  Even all the way out here in Arkansas.

Right before VBS (which was cancelled) several of our church members and leaders got sick with covid.  Josh was tested because he had been around so many people that were positive.  We were a little suprised when the test came back positive because he had zero symptoms at the time but a day later he started to feel poorly for about 3 days – nausea, congestion.   I got it in the form of losing ALL sense of taste and smell but felt 100% normal in all other ways.   I would have preferred to feel bad for a few days over not being able to taste my morning coffee!  (It came back after just 1 week - I was expecting two)  It is the strangest and most annoying sensation.  I am grateful though that we had mild cases of it, which I believe has a lot to do with our overall healthy lifestyles and vitamin regimen we started right away.  (large amounts of C, D Zinc, and Quercetin,) and also the use of a nebulizer with a hydrogen peroxide solution in it.  (It’s highly recommended among the science that has been censored regarding covid.)  

Anyway, we are stuck at home for a few more days, My parents don’t come in our house and we keep a distance outside.   The timing was particularly bad (for me) because my dad had just finished taking out all of the cement counter tops but had not had a chance to install the new counter tops so we are using the kitchen with plastic tablecloths covering the naked cabinets. (at least there was a board under the cement)

The kids have been swimming a lot. 

We started school as planned since there is nothing better to do.

Jack is starting Kindergarten (slowly – he is just not very ready; as in literally 0 desire to learn. We are still working on his ABC song)

Paige started 3rd

Joy started 5th

Claire started 8th.

I am so loving not having to worry about work while we try to do school.  I actually know what they are doing now.  After covid my mom will be able to help too!

My garden continues to produce and it seems like every other day I get another 5 lbs of tomatoes and cucumber and beans.   I had a huge 20 lb watermelon that was about a week away from being ripe but we had some heavy rain and it exploded with a  huge crack right down the middle.

BUT…. We got our first cantaloupe!  I couldn't taste it but every else said it was really good. We've picked 2 more since.

I canned some jalapeños for the first time!

Jack’s pumpkins are really struggling.  Every time there is a female flower it turns yellow and dies before it is even big enough to bloom and get pollinated.   I did discover that there is an evil, evil bug here called the vine borer and it flies in, lays its eggs on the plant, the eggs hatch and the little grubs burrow into the stem of the vine. 

Then they eat their way down the center of it and destroy it from the inside out.   I have surgically removed several of these guys out of the stems.   Super maddening.

I keep track of all of the produce we bring in from the garden.   Here are the stats for just the month of July.

Tomatoes 44.25 lbs
Cucumbers (119) 87.5lbs
Beans 15.62 lbs
Cantaloupe (2) 10.5lbs
Zucchini 5.43 lbs

That’s 163.3lbs of food!  We brought in 37.37 lb in June is that's 200lbs!

I started the fall garden in our bathroom by building make shift shelves over that ridiculous bath tub alcove.   There are a few different varieties of brussels sprouts, cabbage, lettuce, broccoli and spinach.

 

Random pictures of strange things in Arkansas:

Luna Moth

Mushrooms

Dragonflies:  Oh my goodness,  we have not had any mosquitoes!  We credit the thousands of dragonflies that continually patrol the yard.  It’s so neat to look out and see armies of dragonflies gobbling up those mosquitoes.

Extremely friendly butterflies.


Horsehair Worms.





Oh, and tent worms!

 

We found some tent worm webs in one of our trees so my mom and I cut them down,

 

Burned the web, collected the caterpillars,

and fed them to the chickens. 

 

Speaking of chicken food, my dad and I have been working outside on a strange/gross project.  (Okay, well, I came up with the idea and my dad built all.) If it works,  I will be proudly sharing that on here.  

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