Finding Comfort: Shelters for Goats, Chicks, and Us

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It’s another rainy, spring day — and exceptionally cool for this time of year, which means there is little outdoor work to be done — again. I am so behind in the garden. It may not happen this year. The few seedlings that survived may go in pots and be done with it. On the bright side, there was an opening in the builders schedule and our goat barn/shed is complete! She needs a coat of paint, but I am super exited! It looks great and I didn’t have to wait the weeks I thought it was going to take! I spoke with the breeder and I’m going to check out a few babies likely next week…it is happening people!

The chicks are indoor still but growing well… except for “Onion” a little peep who still seems to be fluffy and downy soft. In fact, she looks like a turkey chick if I didn’t know better. I didn’t order turkeys, so that is very unlikely, but it makes me laugh just the same. As I type this they are all quiet and snuggled up together under the heat lamp. It’s a perfectly peaceful afternoon in the house right at this very moment in the rain. It’s silent and still. And feels safe and warm and serene right now. Which has me musing…

All safe and warm under the glow of the heat lamp!

I’ve been looking at all kinds of shelters… goat, chicken, rabbit. I’m constantly on Pinterest or FB Marketplace looking for ideas and habitats. Before moving to Itsnotta farm, I spent hours (and yes, I mean hours!) scrolling for the perfect century home with all the things on my checklist. Yes, the property is full of maintenance that is draining our time and certainly our budget, but I am so thankful for all the blessings we have. Last night, God granted us a spectacular sunset. The sky was a blaze of oranges and pinks and purples. It was stretching far across the farm fields and I am sure it looked absolutely gorgeous reflecting off the lake. Yes, we are blessed to live in a free country surrounded by the beauty of the southern Ontario countryside.

After such a harsh and long winter, and what is turning out to be a very wet spring, I take comfort in our warm home. I take comfort knowing these little chickies are spoiled in my house under the heat lamp. I feel bad for the bunnies on rainy days and try and snuggle and dry them up before bed — knowing all living creatures appreciate a warm, soft and safe place to sleep at night. A shelter. My A.I. overview gives me this description of the word “shelter”:

“Shelter refers to a structure, covering, or place that provides protection from danger, bad weather, or exposure. It can also mean the state of being protected (refuge) or a place providing food and lodging, such as a homeless shelter. As a verb, it means to provide protection or to take cover.”

Those words describe a lot. Protection. Safety. Comfort. Warmth. I think shelter is one of those basic human needs… like food and water. Essential to life. Did you know the word shelter is used 36 times in the old testament, and almost always, the Lord is our source of that protection? He hides us under a cleft of rock, or draws us near, or under His wing. As I hang out with my new baby chicks, they do not like to be picked up as a rule. They squawk and yell and flap about, until I cover their fluffy little heads in the palm of my hand. This, like hiding under a momma’s wing, seems to give them comfort and a sense of calm protection. Shelter, if you will.

The completed Goat Shed! She still needs some paint…

My goat barn is a simple wooden shed. The goats are new to me, but I am told they will “dog pile” to stay warm. And that they hate rain. I’m looking forward to baby goat snuggles. Still, I know they belong outside and can’t stay in the house forever. My family will surely disown me. So, I will do my best to provide shelter. As our Heavenly Father does for us.

What about you, my friend? Are you seeking shelter right now? Do you need to feel the warmth and comfort of a “safe place”? I can’t imagine being homeless and wet and cold. I am lucky. Many in our world are not. My tiny chicks have it better that they… warm, fed, relatively clean, but most of all safe and protected to the best of my ability. Everyone deserves that, am I right? We must do our part.

So, as you’ve come along with me on another weekly muse, I hope you have taken notice of how you are blessed. Are you warm and safe in a cozy spot as you read this? Be thankful. Can you go to God with all your needs and know that He’ll “take you under His wing” and “protect you in the cleft of the rock”? Absolutely! Take a moment to thank Him for it, as will I, and we’ll see you back again real soon as we walk along this journey together, my friend!

The Significance of Cedar Trees in the Bible

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Welcome back to another episode of what on earth is happening and why does it cost so much? Just kidding. I just signed off on our goat shed. And got groceries this week. Yup, feeling the pinch over here. I suspect many of you are in that stage as well, so I’m in good company, eh? Thanks for being here to follow along in the journey! It’s been a whirlwind here and time has not been on our side. Spring finally arrived with a vengeance and left us with no time to catch up. Story of our lives. For recap: firewood pile is on the lawn and not stacked, baby chicks are in the house and growing fast, goat fence is up and shelter ordered but not in yet, baby goats due soon! garden has already sprouted and not cleaned up, maple syrup is a bust this year and we didn’t get to the sap…it will likely be spoiled… but hey! my house is fairly tidy at the moment, so there’s that! Life, as I have said many times, is like that, and I take comfort in knowing that God’s Got This and He sees it all.

The beginnings of the cedar arbor

So let’s dive in to this week’s muse. I think we’ll continue on the theme we’ve been following on plants and their significance in the Bible. For this week, I came upon the mighty cedar tree. You’ll see it mentioned 103 times in the Bible. “The mighty cedars of Lebanon” built the temples, and refer to strength and royalty. It also refers to a pretty hunk of a good mate ( “He stands tall, like a cedar, strong and deep-rooted, A rugged mountain of a man, aromatic with wood and stone.” Song of Solomon 5:15). Huba Huba… Could be an Old Spice commercial. They probably have a “cedar scent” for their products. Not sure if it was biblically inspired, but they likely have one.

Speaking of great odour, cedar is a favourite of mine as well. Have you ever been to one of those antique shops with an old cedar chest ? I have slight regret for not buying one when I was a teenager… it was all lined with quilting and smelled fabulous. I now own several old crates. Not sure too many of those have that great cedar smell, though. That mix of ruggedness and freshness. Outdoorsy, but still “clean”. Yes, would definitely make a good deodorant.

Cedar trees. Itsnotta farm has several cedars surrounding the property. Some are very, very tall and the owls and crows hide in them way up at the top. I can only pick out their bird calls. The evergreen needles hide them well. We also have a cedar “hedge” near the house. I say “hedge” as I think it once was much shorter than it is now. I’ve hacked away at it to build my arbor. Which is still up… but leans to the side slightly. So much for strength and royalty. I guess the good wood was just in the wrong hands. It smelled good though, when I was hacking away at the branches.

The “Cedars of God” nature preserve, one of the last vestiges of the forests of Lebanon Cedar.

Anyway, another week, another focus. Mighty cedars. What does it mean to you? A sweet aroma, reminding you that God’s in control and will be your source of strength? A symbol of power and royalty, used to build the mighty temples and palaces that held the likes of Solomon the wise? A tall evergreen to hide and protect us in its branches?

It’s good to take a look around once and awhile and notice things and wonder why they are there. It’s why I do this little thing every week. Lately, I feel like my writing hasn’t been as focused, but if someone somewhere gets something out of it, then I suppose my little musings are worth it. In this world of AI and auto generated everything, it’s nice to have a little unprofessional blip about nothing in particular every now and then, yes?

And so, as I go out to do my farm chores every morning, or hear the owl call from somewhere in the branches at night, I’ll think (and smell?) about our little cedar hedges, and be reminded of the mighty cedars of Lebanon and the strength they brought to the ancient world. And now, I hope you’ll be reminded of them, too, and trust that the mighty Creator of the cedars thinks about you as well! Be blessed, my friends!

Our leaning cedar arbor…surrounded by the “hedge”

Learning to Embrace Mint: Freshness for Your Garden and Soul

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Hello, my beloveds! The new baby chicks are in the house, scratching and pecking and chirping, the goat fence is up, the snow has melted, and the sun is shining today! Finally! Oh sure, there’s still dishes in the sink and junk scattered throughout the yard, but things are moving in the right direction… I think. Maybe it’s all coming too fast. The garden has started sprouting already and I was hoping to get it looked at before that happened. Still. I’m feeling good, so let’s not focus on the other side today, okay? Let’s just dive in to our muse of the week, shall we, and forget about all the stuff we gotta do for a short, five minute read? The stuff will be there when we get back.

Okie dokie, I was musing about what plant to focus on for this week and came up with mint. Realistically, I was thinking about catnip, but it’s in the mint family so I’m blending it all together. We were chatting about catnip at work, and my cats seem to like it… well, one of them does anyway. The other could take it or leave it. The warning with catnip, though, is that it, like most herbs, spreads like crazy in the garden. So if you plant it, thinking you’ll just grow a bit for your kitty, you’ll soon be overwhelmed and have enough for the entire neighbourhood of cats! So plant it in a pot.

Likewise for “mint”. I’m wondering if my bunnies would like a mint herb? There are just so many summer garnished desserts one can make with a fresh sprig of mint leaf. How can I justify growing vast, spreading plants? Do goats like it? I was at the dentist yesterday and requested mint polish…maybe that’s an option. (Giggle). Mint jelly! With lamb. Nah, couldn’t raise lamb. Mojitos? I don’t drink enough for those either. Anyway, mint was on my mind.

I was thinking about mint in context of the Passover meal. Symbolizing “spiritual freshness and cleansing”. Kinda like the dentist appointment. Fresh and clean again. Traditionally mint was thought of in line with purification. This is how I know it in the biblical context. Yet, I also discovered a few other associations I had not known. And so I share….

First, Mint may represent Hospitality. Perhaps after you cleaned your house all minty fresh? Or with those mojitos. I’m not sure what you do with the mint that makes it part of “hospitality”… but Google tells me so. So, now I have told you. The other one was also new for me. It stems from a story in Luke 11 where Jesus rebukes the pharisees. Usually, this story focuses on cleaning the outside dishes and not your “insides”… which are full of greed and wickedness, but a tiny mention in verse 42: “For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God…”

Mint container Photo credit: medowlarkjournal.com

Remember how I said mint flourishes? Obviously, the leaders were giving tithe of that abundance and it wasn’t really any sacrifice at all. A tiny income from our garden. Little effort required. So. Hospitality, freshness, abundance and giving wholeheartedly. Did you get all those? I’m learning, that even when things are not totally clean, and my farm is a little crazy with half finished projects and chicks in the house and mud and chaos and an already growing garden that hasn’t been tidied up yet, that my friendships must take precedence. I hosted our small group with supper dishes piled in the sink. Shocking!

I’m not good at that. I get overwhelmed a little. I dream big and fall hard. And usually that involves something alive to take care of. Which, don’t get me wrong… the creatures are well cared for and loved… but they take up time. I am aware. And now you are too. Thanks for following along in our journey of chaos, where we gather spiritual tidbits of inspiration along the way and try and follow the straight and narrow. It’s a little messy, but maybe a little mint will freshen us up as we travel along and purify our hearts a bit today! Until next time!