How A Goat Challenged My Faith

Last March after spending $3000 to have an eight foot fence installed, I planted my first real garden. I have grown a few vegetables in pots over the years on apartment balconies, but I now had real space to grow food. So I planted lots of seeds and started watering daily. Due to the Texas heat and extreme drought, most of my vegetable crop never made it. Many seeds never germinated and others just failed to grow. My corn did well the first few months but when it came time to start producing ears, it simply got burned up in the hot sun. When my tomato plants failed to grow, I went to a nursery in Kerrville and purchased baby plants. At first they seemed to be doing well, but one day all the plants disappeared. One plant did have a stump sticking above the dirt, but another plant, roots and all, simply vanished. Later that month I watched in shock as a porcupine squeezed through the holes of the fence. My next winter project will be to wrap chicken wire around the bottom of the fence to keep small critters from getting inside and having lunch.

One of my goals with the garden was to share, which I was able to do. While most folk’s garden failed them this year, mine did not. Maybe the difference was that when I planted my garden I prayed over it, asking God to bless it so I could help those in need. That prayer was answered as I took bags of zucchini and cucumbers into town. I also made multiple loaves of zucchini bread which I shared with friends. I also harvested arugula, mesclun salad greens, and basil. So though it was not a roaring success as I had hoped for, I did have a pretty good crop, better than anyone else I know of out here.

I joked a lot about my best crop, which I did not plant. Since I had to hand water the garden every day, grass and other weeds started growing abundantly. By the time I was able to purchase some good weeding tools, I had 4 to 5 feet tall grass growing in and around the garden plot. Grass and weeds started growing elsewhere too. The task of removing all that grass seemed overwhelming. I did spend a few hours for several days trying to remove some of the grass but it quickly became clear it was going to take weeks to remove it all. I knew there was an easier way, goats.

Goats will eat anything down to the root and there are thousands of goats in Edwards Co. The problem was how to get a goat. The chances of a goat just wandering into my yard and following me into the garden was so unlikely that though I fantasize about it I did not expect it to ever happen. The nearest sheep (who are pickier eaters) live about a mile away, and goats are over 2 miles away. When the opportunity presented itself I did speak to someone who raises goats and so I knew there was a possibility she might bring over a goat or two, but first my garden needed to close shop for the winter.

So for the past few months I have had goats on my mind, especially when I see all that grass and weeds taking over the garden. I think about goats when I push the grass aside looking for cucumbers that are hiding or arugula needing to be picked. I wonder if I have waited too long to request a goat when I search for the basil among the tall grass.

Well, Friday evening my problem was solved when I looked outside my window and spotted a goat walking by. In shock, I threw my coat and shoes on and went outside to greet my very friendly visitor. At first she kept her distance, but within a few minutes she started following me everywhere I went, which was straight into the garden. My new female friend was very happy as long as I stayed in the garden with her. She was like a little puppy dog, following me everywhere, rubbing her head and horns against me, and eating my weeds.

I immediately called the authorities to report a lost goat. Then I started calling my friends and neighbors. Someone had to be missing a goat but I as I write this I have no idea who owns her. There is always the possibility the owner doesn’t even know she is missing.

It is now early Saturday morning and the sun has not even risen yet. The goat has spent the night in the garden; I am guessing curled up somewhere sleeping. My plans are to leave her there tell either I find the owner, or more likely—find someone with goats who is willing to take her until the owner is found or keep her permanently.

It is not going to take her very long to eat up all my vegetable plants, weeds, grass, etc. Once the garden is cleaned out, which depending on her appetite could be sometime today or tomorrow at the latest, she will be out of food and so she cannot remain in the garden. (I did provide her with a five gallon bucket of water.) Without any other way to secure her, she could wander off onto neighboring property all of which is owned by hunters. For her own safety I need to find better accommodations quickly.

I will share the rest of the story later, after it has happened. Let me just close with this—we should never underestimate God. I hoped for a goat to clean out my garden but I did not really pray about God sending me a goat because it seemed like pie in the sky wishful thinking. A goat just wandering into my yard was too improbable, and yet God provided me with a goat. Not only did God send me a goat, he sent me one that is affectionate and doesn’t want to leave my side, and thus was willing to follow me into the fenced garden. I thought I would have to solve the grass problem myself by seeking someone with goats willing to lend me one, but God had the last laugh.

(Matthew 14:31) “And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’

(Matthew 17:20) “If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Move from here to there. And it shall move. And nothing shall be impossible to you.”

(Mark 9:24b) “Lord, I Help my unbelief.”

Olive Trees in Texas

One of the goals I have always had for this land is to grow food. So it was with interest that a year ago I read an article in the San Antonio Express News about the growing Texas Olive industry. Apparently Texas is a great place to grow olive trees, something I had never considered. The following weekend a friend and I attended Olive Ole' International Olive Festival of Texas. We had a great time learning all about rowing olives and eating great food.

A year has passed and after learning a different friend was concerned about her one year old olive trees, I visited the web site of Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard and discovered Olive Ole' was just around the corner. Friday I picked her up and off to San Antonio we went. We stayed overnight at a friend's house, which was a blessing. This year Olive Ole' was held at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens. We spent Saturday tasting olives and all kinds of yummy foods. We left stuffed. We attended a lecture on growing and cultivating olive trees, presented by the founder of Sandy Oaks Olive Orchards. We later were able to talk to her personally. My friend learned what was most likely going on with her olive trees and not to worry. her trees are still alive and will make a full recovery. I learned that even where I only have four inches of soil covering sheets of rocks, I can still plant olive trees. We both were given advice on which trees to purchase for our climate and needs. We each purchased two olive trees.

The garden is coming along.

Preparing For Spring

Winter in much of the country is pretty simple-cold. In South Texas winter is more of an adventure. Every year winter takes it sweet time arriving. One never knows if it will be cold enough to wear a Christmas sweater before the big day. But usually by late December or early January it finally starts feeling like winter and we here in South Texas are forced to look for our winter coat.

We do have freezes here. Typically we can count each time it drops below freezing on our fingers, with plenty of fingers left over. That is the way January started out. But this year was not typical. In the beginning of February it dropped down into the teens for four days in a row. If records were kept around here I am sure they would have been smashed. Ranchers all over are still repairing the damage from that major freeze. After that freeze it warmed up considerably for a few days, only to drop once again below freezing, but least it was not as cold.

The second half of February, in South Texas style, warmed up into the 70’s. Suddenly the sweaters were put away and the short sleeve shirts were put on. We could have another freeze any day now but right now it is easy to think spring has arrived. Every year a local San Antonio weather man is asked if it is time to plant tomatoes yet, but it is still too early. Even though I have already worn shorts on several occasions, a freeze is likely to happen even as late as April.

It may be too early to plant a garden but it is not too early to prepare. In February I purchased a mini greenhouse to start some seedlings indoors. Many of the seeds have now sprouted and are enjoying the morning sun shining through the community room windows.

Last week I dug a few holes in hopes of finding a place suitable for planting a fruit producing tree. This is such rocky soil that there is no guarantee a tree will make it, but a friend has had some success with her trees. Her success gives me hope because my dream is to have enough fruit and nut trees on the land to supply everyone eventually living here.

This past Wednesday my friend and I drove to Kerrville and visited a few gardening stores. I came home with a 6 inch (15 cm) Bay Laurel tree and a fig tree, among other plants. In case you do not know, Bay Laurel is what we buy when we purchase dry bay leaves in the grocery store. My little tree may be small today but it will be very easy to transplant (only need to dig a small hole) and once it is big will provide shade in the garden and bay leaves for cooking. I intend to plant it in the garden so the deer don’t eat it.

Speaking of deer, they are a problem. So are a lot of other critters roaming the land looking for something yummy to eat. And what could be yummier then a nice green vegetable garden. That is why I have hired someone to install a fence around my garden. This is not a cheap project. The fence must be pretty tall so the deer cannot jump over it. Also, out here one cannot just dig a hole for the fence posts. Instead the rock must be crushed so there is a place to put the fence post. That is why I am not doing it myself.

I am also paying the same crew to install a rain gutter on the cabin and turn a cistern into a rain barrel. Right now that cistern is just sitting there collecting dust and when it rains I can only catch a few 5 gallon (18 liters) buckets worth of water. Once the project is complete and it rains (we are currently in a bad drought), I will be able to hook up a hose and water my garden in luxury, compared to hauling the water to the garden.

So it may not be spring yet, even if it feels like it has arrived. And it may be too early to plant a garden outside, but that is not stopping me from getting ready.

Of course, a fence and plants are all necessary for a successful garden, but so is a place to grow the plants. I spent last summer digging an 8 feet (2.44 meters) by 12 feet (3.66 meters) garden bed down to solid rock. I removed tons of rocks and some dirt. I put the dirt back but since I only dug down about 5 inches, I must build up. Over the winter I have been adding food scraps and dead grass for composting, but I will have to purchase some garden soil. Since only raised garden beds will work out here, I must build the sides of my garden beds. The most logical choice out here is stone. So off and on, when it has been warm enough outside, I have been going out to my little garden and laying my stone wall for the raised garden bed, which is not an easy task.

How To Build A Stone Wall.

1. Search the pile of stones for a stone that will fit nicely next to the stone you plan to lay it by.
2. Remove cat from stone wall.
3. Position stone on wall so it fits as best as possible.
4. Rub cat under chin.
5. Repeat step 1.
6. Once again remove cat from stone wall.
7. Repeat step 3.
8. Remove cat from pant leg.
9. Repeat step 1.

I think you get the idea. I love these kitties but they sure make it hard to get much done outside. I now must schedule some time for petting kitties into my busy schedule.

Until next time, God Bless You