You Might Live in Michigan If...

The weather outside is a bit rainy and cold, so I took a few minutes to compose a list brought to mind by our wild swings the last few days.


You might live in Michigan if...

If you recognize the two official seasons: Winter and Road Construction.

If you have the sub-season MUD between the above seasons!

If your winter coat stays on the hook by the door until the beginning of June...just in case.

If you know what UP really stands for.

If you are used to seeing people wear flip-flops, shorts and a sweat shirt or coat.

If at least half of your church goes to Florida for the winter...and the U.P. for the summer.

If you don't think much of it being in the 40's one day and 70's the next.

If you just left reading (or writing) this post to go start a fire even though its the end of MAY!

If you can remember both 80 degree days and days with 4+ feet of snow in the month of March.

If you plan on spending at least 2 hours at the secretary of state--just to get a title transfer.

If you've seen a species that doesn't exist in your state....at least according to the DNR.

If some years you have flowers for Easter...and other years for Memorial Day.

If you're always pointing to your hand to show people where you live.

If an antique tractor or steam engine show will draw people from over 100 miles away.

If your state is home to one of the biggest empty cities in the USA.

If you know how far you have to drive to get to the closest bridge to Canada.

If you've been to the locks...and know what they are!

If a quarter of the little towns around you have a maple syrup festival.

If the arrival of your state bird signals the beginning of Spring...you hope.

If you have "resident" Canada geese that you can't keep from making a mess all around your pond.

If you give your distances as a measure of time from "The Bridge."

If you know how to properly pronounce "Mackinac."

If a snowmobile is considered a reasonable means of transportation and they fill up at your gas station.

If you have the some of the highest gas taxes in the country and the worst roads!


 
That will have to do for now...though I'm still hoping to get an update on the lambing up sometime soon.

Praising God that HE isn't like the weather!

Matthew

Data Loss Prevention - A Story

Take a crack data loss prevention team:

And add a stack of 35 hard disks with data to be annihilated:

Use these tools:

To remove these screws:

Leaving these parts:

Read Arms

Circuit Boards

High RPM Moters

Miscellaneous stuff

To render innocuous this pile of disks:

And create this statue of really strong magnets:

10,000 uses for these things.

Mission Accomplished.

- Jonathan

P.S. I'm chronically buying new domain names--they're some of the best and cheapest forms of advertising, after all. The latest:

• CallJonathan.com
• TheChiefMandate.com

The Newcomers

We have had a few newcomers over the last few days!  There are still many animals left to have their babies, but the little ones that have arrived are quite photogenic :-)

Our first comers were the little piggies as "Spot" farrowed early last week

A few hours old--and Hungry!!

Now a week old they are starting to get out and about.

Did you say 'Boo'? 

 The sheep have been taking things quietly and many mommas that I thought sure would have lambed by now are still just getting bigger!

Still waiting for "big Debbie" to kick it in gear...she had 5 lambs a few years ago!

"Sarah" getting some loving from Mom...she is the favorite--and she knows it! 

"Prissy" was the first to lamb this spring--here she is in the barn with her  little girl last Sunday.

Over a week old now, and running with the flock! 

Next to lamb was "Sarah's" lamb from last year...this is Number 36 who's name we can't remember....

That lamb is pretty cute now, but just an hour earlier....

It was hard work getting born. I had to help momma a little and pull the
 lamb--it is a big one for a first time lamber

First tries at getting up are so hard!

Almost...

There!  She made it!

 And then this morning I went over and discovered another ewe with twins!

This is No. 29 a two year old who is lambing for the first time.
So far she seems to be a good momma and didn't even need any help!

 Since they were doing so well, No. 36 and her baby got to go out to the pasture today!

"This is MY baby....oh, I guess you can take a picture--but don't try to steal her!"

Isn't she cute?

"And that is the way it is"  on the farm tonight May 14th 2013...and as always keep your RSS reader tuned to this station for the latest updates in News (birth announcements), Sports (muddy pig chasing anyone?) and the Whether (whether or not there have been any more newcomers that is! ;)

"The earth has yielded its increase, and God our God shall bless us. God shall bless us. Let all the ends of the earth fear him!" (Ps 67)

Matthew

Hey May--Wait for Me!!

April disappeared in a whirl of frost and now we are 7 (!) days into May already....how does time go by so fast?

In April we were wondering if Spring would ever arrive in Michigan--we have certainly had a cooler and later spring than last year!  No 80 degree days in March for us this year. (which is really alright, because when it cooled back down to more normal temperatures in April last year the trees and flowers had a hard time coping!)

Also last month after a special Thursday Awana night at our church where the kids put on  a talent show and a Friday afternoon Band Festival (Jonathan and Dad play their horns with the Homeschool Band), Jonathan and I made a trip down to southern Tennessee to visit some special friends!

This is our first view of TN, from the top of the rest area trail

For about a week we enjoyed fabulous fellowship, fantastic food and frantic fun!  Staying at their newish farm allowed us to help out with a few projects and enjoy "roughing it" a little bit...though we really felt like we were living like kings!  After all what more could a man ask for--Godly friends (given to us by God!),  great food (especially those cookies--thanks again ladies! ;-), a few firearms (OK, so more than a few), big fires (gotta love burning brush!) and a farm to facilitate it all!  We have a lot of memories that we will cherish for a long time and are already looking for God to send us the opportunity to do it all over again!

We miss this place--but we miss the people more!

Another field in green, green TN!

We arrived back in Michigan with praise and thanks in our hearts to God for His goodness to us and dove, that is tried to dive, back into our daily schedules with a mix of renewed zest and sheer desperation...we had have a lot to do in only a few before some other friends come to visit us the middle of this week!

In the meantime God had an idea that I needed some more rest because I ended up with a flu bug of some sort and didn't do much but sleep for three days....and I was expecting to be able to use that time to get ready for the baby pigs, lambs and chicks that were all due to start arriving the end of last week!  Thankfully the little ones held off and before they came I was back on my feet and able to get some different arraignments made to accommodate their arrivals.  Lord Willing I'll post some pictures of the little cuties soon!

So far we have only had one ewe lamb and while one gilt did farrow yesterday afternoon we are still waiting for the sow and other gilt to decide they can't possibly hold those little pigs in any longer...they almost look like they're going to explode!

This old girl is due any day (minute?!?) now....

There are still several things that I need to do as quickly as possible--like get the sheep out on grass, but as God gives strength I know that everything will happen in good time.  His time and not mine!  How glad I am that He has a plan and all my concern needs to be is cooperating with Him!

The last few days have been warm and sunny-just what the grasses needed to use the rain of April and jump start their growth. The trees have finally gotten a good start towards leafing out and the mid-Spring flowers are starting to make their appearance.  It is not the green and warmth of Tennessee but we are thankful that the snow that was on the ground when we left did not stay and wait for our return!

We are starting to get a bit of green here.

If you drop by for a visit, you'd drive through the golden maples...

And come calling at ol PotterVilla

We have more to share, but finding the time to sit and write while outside projects are calling is difficult, so until the next time, whenever that may be we wish you God's best!

May God be gracious to us and bless us, and make his face to shine upon us, so that your ways may be known on the earth and your saving power among all the nations.  Let the peoples praise you; O God,
let all the peoples praise you! (Ps 67)

Matthew

Church Occasions

In the month of March our little church was bustling with activity--in addition to regular services and Awana, two couples teamed up to host a Family Game Night; and we also had special services for Easter to celebrate the power and life of our Risen Lord!

At the game night one of the husbands who had worked for a local pizzeria headed up the pizza making--a big mess ensued, but boy was that good pizza!  

Freshly baked pizza's waiting to be sliced and served

 There were a TON of games to choose between--from board games....

And card games...

 To bean bag toss!

A lot of people had a lot of fun--and hurling those bean bags seemed to be a real favorite!

On the other side of the divider, protected from the legume projectiles there were a couple of more serious game players...

Another opportunity we took to have some food and extra fellowship at Ainger occurred between our special Easter morning celebrations.  It is our tradition to bring in breakfast to share between the early (Easter only) 8 am service and our usual 11 o'clock assembly.

 Some of the ladies did a lovely job of decorating the tables.

The fare at these feasts is always fabulous--never lacking in quantity or quality!

   

And what report on Resurrection Day would be complete without a few pictures of Lilies?

"In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea...

"With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me.....

"As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free...

"For our God IS marching on!"

Praising God for His unconquerable, undiminishing love, displayed in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us! (Romans 5:8)


Matthew

A Little Bit of Shooting

One nice Sunday afternoon a couple of weeks ago Jonathan and I got a couple hours of shooting in.

Start with a nice open field...

Add the good 'ol pick up and a few accessories...

 And you've got a pretty good start!

The shooters loading up:

Jonathan

Matthew

 We didn't get any action shots, since we both were engaged in either shooting or throwing (a bit of a knack to both...) but did take the time for some portraits:

Fun, fraternal fellowship, and not too much competition.... (it was Jonathan's first time out :)

We're looking forward to the next time!

Matthew