Aquaponics update.

I am having trouble with some of my bell syphons on 2 of my beds.  I have to say that this is the one part of aquaponics that frustrates me.  I wish I could get them perfect and not have to worry about them, I would much rather spend my time enjoying planting and harvesting instead of continually working on them.  All in good time.  Hopefully we will figure it out soon. 

On a happier note I'm seeing FRUIT!!!!!!  I'm seeing jalapenos, cayenne, Anaheim, and a bell.  This is so very exciting.  Especially when I look at how much I spend (or don't spend because they are too expensive for my taste ;) ) at the store on peppers.  Here are some pix to show the growth.  I have had to tie up the tomatoes and Dennis mentioned placing a cattle panel across the top of the greenhouse so we don't have to tie the tomatoes to the framing of the greenhouse. 

Forgot to mention I see a TOMATO in my greenhouse.  Long awaited tomato! 

 

I think this is an Anaheim pepper.  It's much lighter than the others.  If this is Anaheim then this is the one Anaheim plant that survived that I started from seed.  I have an amazing recipe that I use these peppers for and I ended up buying 4 of these pepper plants from the festival at Baker's Creek this year.  I'm pretty sure it's the only vegetable that I bought as a baby plant.  Everything else was started from seed.  Which I'm truly taking pride in.  So it's a special little Anaheim pepper plant.  :)  

First Bell pepper of the year!!!!  Can't wait to make my favorite pepper jelly.  :)  It tastes really good when mixed with bacon and green beans.  YUM YUM!!  LOL prob not the healthiest way to make green beans but I'm a sucker for sweets. 

I think I counted 9 jalapenos on this  little jalapeno plant.  We love our hot peppers.  

8 or 9 Cayenne peppers on this lovely plant.  I put a peice of cattle panel in this bed to help hold this pepper plant up.  Oh look a "daddy long leg spider"  LOL  Every time I see one of these spiders I LOL and think of my friend Melissa and being a girls camp, where I saved her from this harmless insects.  Hehe!  

Samuel Listens to the Lord

God will Honor Those Who Honor Him! 1 Samuel 2-3; 8

Geneology

I would love to do more with my family history.  I'm think I might try to figure out how to share my findings here on my blog. So I'm setting up this Genealogy Page here on my blog.   

My Parents are Mr. T.W. McMasters and Mrs. B.R. Crossland McMasters

This is my Dad's Parents grandpa and grandma McMasters

 Mr. Wallace Lemore McMasters and Mrs. JoEtta Frieze McMasters

 

And my mom's parents grandpa and grandma Crossland

 Mr. Harvey Evert Crossland and Mrs. Doshie May Scarborough Crossland

How does your garden grow?????........

June 16th 2014  

Tonight I ran out and took some more pix of the progress in our garden.  

Hope you enjoy the journey with my family.  

 

 

The photos above show the summer colors of our yard so far this year.  Outside the garden gate I have lavender plants (I started from seed)  that border the path. The orange day lilies, we found all over our property when we bought it so we have given some away and transplanted many of them.   And the yellow day lilies will bloom all summer and I purchased them on a clearance rack last year. 

This is a peaches and cream honey suckle that I also found on clearance last year.  It is working its way up and over my swing that Dennis and the boys built.  Love it. 

Potatoes Gone WILD!!!   I've added taller cages to the  potatoes as they keep growing taller and taller.  I'm so excited to see how these turn out this year.  They are looking good

We've had so much rain I have no idea how much but the tomatoes look a little sad and one of my zucchini plants started to look sad too.  Oh and next year I will tie the peas up a little better.  :)  they seemed a little weak and fell over.  

 Found something had munched on the peppers and that just won't due in my garden. 

 These poor tomatoes I just planted in the two new boxes Dennis built this past weekend.  So I finally was able to get the last of the tomatoes in the garden.  I sure hope they perk up soon.  :) 

Dennis also added rock and some stepping stones under my swing he built.  I am so very spoiled.  I'm extremely grateful for all his hard work and wonderful talents.  I love sitting on the swing and pondering and feeling all the gratitude I have for the garden.  

The grapes.  Oh I took some pix when they were just blooming and I took a pix of what I thought was a bunch of tiny grapes but I was wrong.  I learned that the first little bunch ends up flowering first and then the tiny grapes follow.  These are looking good don't you think?  

I really am excited about harvesting these berries.  I bet next year they will be amazing!!!!!

NOW for a quick little memory

This is my Grandpa and Grandma McMasters in their garden. My dad has told me many stories about these two amazing people and their love of gardening.  My grandpa Wallace McMasters might have gained the desire from his parents in which I know found joy in gardening too.  My dad has many stories of my grandma Lizzie McMasters and how she started seeds and how my grandpa and his brother would talk about who was going to get the first ripe tomato off the vine.  I wish I would have got to know them, but I have the hope that someday I will know them and get to talk with them.  My dad said my grandma Joetta McMasters had fair skin and always wore her straw hat to work in the garden, and long sleeves because the corn and okra would make her skin crawl.  I always pictured her hat brim much wider.  I have a garden hat too.  But mine is very big and very floppy.  And when I put it on I think of my grandma Joetta McMasters. 

This weeks Sunday School newsletter.

There is something deeply satisfying to go from seed, to plant, to food storage.

I love the shaker caps that "Ball" jar company came out with.  And the lime basil is my favorite to walk past in my greenhouse and touch because it smells amazing.  I can't wait to add it to my recipes. 

I'm So Totally EXCITED to add these to my pantry! 

Premium Fish Food Company

JUNE 5th, 2014

Fish..............  So far I have been feeding our tilapia with pellets that I know are not high quality but all things must be done in order. ;)  And today I ordered some high quality fish food for our tilapia through "Premium Fish Food" online.  It's quite expensive to have it delivered and we had some things to do in Kansas City so we opted to pick up our order from their storehouse in Smithville, Mo which is close to KC.  You can find their website here http://premiumfishfood.com/  And if you order use COUPON CODE....

 REWARD-4006-9O6LB-SXQB

I'm excited to see if the change in diet produces some breeding in my breeding tank.  Premium Fish Food Company has a specific food for breeding your tilapia, and I'm wondering if this is why I haven't seen any breeding done yet.  According to all that I've read on the subject this is the one area I think I'm failing at.  So fingers crossed we will see a change in water quality and a desire for breeding once we get the proper diet going on in our tanks. 

Balloons on the Lake

The Book of "Judges" How can we apply these stories to our lives today

I just got called as the Gospel Doctrine teacher in our little ward (church).  Gospel Doctrine is a Sunday school class where the Doctrine of the Gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is taught.  This year we are learning about the Old Testament.  I have never studied the Old Testament and was a little worried but I'm LOVING it!  I'm learning so much and I've only taught two classes and will teach my third this Sunday.  This Sunday we will be learning about The Book of "Judges"  The following outline will help you think a little about the reading that we will be going over. 

Click on the photo below and you can download the Handout to print if you want. 

You can download a copy of the official study guide Here
And if you want to know more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints you can visit here!

Tablerock Lake with Friends