I Got My Camera Cord!

Yay! The camera cord arrived back here in the mail today. Pics coming when I have the time to get them on here!

Neighbors' Creek Crossing!

I just got word that our neighbors' creek crossing washed out quite a bit, too. We figure that with the force and amount of water going through the creek, plus the force and amount of water going through the meadow...this was one heck of a storm.

I hope he was able to fix it back up. I wonder how many others had a lot of damage done from the rain.

I wish I could post pictures. Even the grass in part of the meadow is "mowed" down.

Major Storm & Driveway Washout

I have so many thoughts in my head to share. Our trip was pretty much a whirlwind one. We are still trying to readjust to the time zone difference.

Right before we left there was a good sized storm. It made our driveway a little bit rough, but we held up fairly well over all.

Right after we got back, though, we had another major storm. It was a downpour for hours. We could barely see across our little meadow because of all the water in the air. We had a gully at the end of our meadow to try and divert the water from the hillside to the creek, but we ended up with a mini river going through our meadow of about 4-6 feet across.

We thought the storm before we left dropped more rain than we had seen in our time here, but this second one was even more rain. Or at least, more in a such a short period of time.

Unfortunately, the neighbors' hillside also drains into our meadow, along with our hillside. This was SO much water, though, that it appears that their creek crossing might have plugged up. Most creek crossings are built lower so that, if it plugs up, the water runs over the top. Theirs is built level to the ground. So, if theirs plugs up it does not just go over the top, it goes to the side, too, onto the property. After it goes across theirs, it can go onto ours. We heard them working with a terramite, so hopefully, they are working on diverting the water back into the creek so it won't come across to our side.

There was a storm not long after their crossing was built where the water ran over like that. Some of it went back down into the creek just on the other side of the crossing and some of it went across their property and onto ours. We really need to dig a deeper trench in the end of the meadow to try and divert the water from the hillsides, plus any other water coming in, back into the creek. But that takes either a lot of man hours and labor...or a small backhoe. We are short on time, energy and money. There is only so much a couple in their fifties and an eleven year old boy can do.

The river of water running through our meadow really messed up our driveway. The water was running with such force that it washed away the gravel and left the bigger rocks beneath exposed at all kinds of angles. There are two sections that are not driveable right now. Plus, there are other sections where we got gullies that need to be filled in.

The water going through the creek was so hard that it washed a large concrete block, plus some bigger rocks cemented together, into the trench Dave had dug in the creek. He and Elias managed to get the concrete and the rocks back out using leverage.

I have pictures, but we left our camera cable back in California. Dave's mom mailed it back to us yesterday. I will get all kinds of pics up once we get it back.

Some of the gravel from one washed out area is still in our driveway. But the gravel from the other is washed away down the creek. These two areas of washout are areas that were packed solid and hard. There was almost no loose gravel on them at all before the storm. The driveway is so bad that, if we had been able to cross the creek and park on this side, we would not be able to drive back out. Not without risking some damage to the van. *sigh*

It is very discouraging when, every time we make any kind of progress, something happens - usually weather related - that sets us back again. My advice to anyone who wants to tackle this lifestyle...make sure you have enough money to get yourself set up to at least a certain minimum.

We did not really have much choice about whether to live this way. However, we have learned SO much in the process. I would still like to semi-pioneer some day. BUT, I want to start off with a small cabin and finished driveway! We bought supplies for a workshop when we moved onto the land, but the weather never let us build it. Now, we are not even sure how good any of the supplies are. They have been out in the weather for almost two years. We protected them as best as we could, given the weather here.

God is leading us on a journey. I am sitting here smiling. Go figure! He knows what we need and where we need to be refined. Even though the lessons learned here have been hard, we would not trade them away.

We are looking at what we can do to better our situation. It could mean a move off the land. We are not sure. Living this way temporarily is one thing...but at this point...it appears to be permanent. Dave has not had a raise since the major layoff. Gas prices are going up. We are still in our little RV with no room off the side. The laundry room is unfinished because other things keep happening to divert us from it, including the weather and driveway.

It will be interesting to see what God does...and how He does it. Some things I know...Yahweh/God is in control. He loves us. He cares about details we don't even see...in addition to the mountains we do see looming over us. We can trust Him. He will never leave us or forsake us. He has a purpose in allowing us to go through all of this and He will use it for good. These are all things I know are true!

From our little RV on the hillside to you in your home...I hope that you, too, are trusting Him to lead and guide you. He is the only One who knows the future...the only One who holds it in His hands. He helped me to survive things I never could have survived without Him. He is trustworthy. He has a plan.

A Trip & a Renaissance Wedding!

Well...we just got back from a trip we took to go to our son's wedding. Yep, you guessed it...it was a Renaissance theme! We all got to get dressed up and it was so much fun! We are very blessed to have a wonderful new friend and daughter in law in our family.

We took off on Saturday, the 17th. We flew in and got picked up by our son. He took us to a hotel. The next morning he and his beloved came over and we got to try on our Renaissance garb. She had decorated a dress for me and it was so beautiful...simple and elegant. She also made some jewelry to go with it. She and our son had picked out outfits for Dave and Elias and he had made belts for them to use with their outfits. They both made us feel very special and very privileged.

Then they took us to lunch and put us on the train to go North to visit Dave's parents. We stayed with them until Friday morning. While there, we also got to see family and friends. Dave's mom is a wonderful cook and she definitely spoiled us!

On Friday, we took the train back down. Both train trips...north and south...were very relaxing and enjoyable. From there we went to a hotel and then the rehearsal, followed by a BBQ at the bride's mom's home. We had so much fun there. We got to meet more of her family and reconnect with friends we had not seen for a while. It was also wonderful to get to see our older son and his family. I am very blessed to know that my grandchildren have such a wonderful mom! A merry time was had by all!

Saturday we spent switching hotels, relaxing and spending time with our son. Then almost all of the family and friends went to dinner together. Sunday was the wedding.

The couple pulled up in a horse and carriage. Our son played and sang his vows. Our new daughter spoke hers from her heart. I could hardly control the tears. The whole thing was just so beautiful!

The flights there and back were uneventful. Elias got a free movie each way. What nice flight attendants! It was fun flying, yet also very tiring. In fact, I am still a bit tired and recovering from the trip.

From our little RV on the hillside to you in your home...I'll write more later!

Weathering Storms & Blocked Hearts!

We are so grateful that our pipe stayed firmly in place...in spite of the tremendous amount of pressure hitting against it. All of Dave's preparation really paid off.

When he looked at our driveway, he figured that it must have been the hardest rain we have had since we moved here. Our driveway had been firmly packed down. Yet, it was dug up quite a bit by the water running down the hill and down the driveway. It is not bad, although it is pretty rough, especially compared to what it was before.

It can be like that in our spiritual lives, too. If our spiritual lives are firmly in place on the rock of Yeshua/Jesus, we will be able to weather the storms of life. Oh, we might get beat up a bit and our openings/hearts may get plugged up a bit...but Yahweh/God will clear the stuff out of our lives that blocks Him from having free flowing access through us...if we let Him.

I know that I simply could not do life without Him. I don't consider that to be a negative thing. I think of myself as being enveloped in His love.

From our little RV on the hillside to you in your home, wherever it may be...I hope that your spirits are free in Him and that His Spirit flows freely through you.

Creek Crossing Survival!

What a rain storm! It appears that we had more rain in this storm than we have ever had in our creek before.


This is what it looked like yesterday afternoon! It is difficult to see, but if you click on the picture you will see two red circles. The one on the left is the opening to the pipe. The one on the right is the pipe just beyond where the concrete runs across it.

This is what it looked like this morning.







This morning we found this! The pipe had been partially blocked by a board Dave had put in place when he poured some concrete. The rest of the opening was plugged by debris.

Creek Crossing Washout?

Dave got the pipe about 65% done. Then a rainstorm blew in that was only supposed to drop about 1/4" of rain. Ha! It has been raining buckets all afternoon and evening. The water was totally covering the pipe.

You can see it partially done a few posts back. I did not get pictures of the stage in between that one and where it was before the storm started.

We are praying it won't wash out our pipe. If it does, we lose the pipe and all the time and money and work that went into it. It will be a loss that we have no way of recuping outside of a miracle.

I am trying to upload a picture of the water level, but the upload image window keeps giving me an error.

Heater Update & Guy Time!

Well, Dave looked at the schematic for the heater that came with the RV. Naturally, none of the colors of wires on the diagram for the fan were used! So, he started snipping to see if he could find the one that would shut off the fan. After a few snips with no success, he took the motorcycle and our son to the store to get wire connectors.

Well...naturally, they ended up having to go two counties away! Ahhhh...such is rural living! So, they went out to dinner while they were out and had a "guy time"! A motorcycle ride out and dinner with Dad...what more could a boy want?

When they got back, he reconnected the wires he had cut. Earlier, he had removed the panel from the heater, hoping to see something obvious there. The heater is crammed into a tiny cupboard space. That is why the fan cools it down. There is a fire risk if it does not. Well...wouldn't you know? He had to bang on the cover to get it in place and the fan stopped! Apparently, it was not the sensor, but a stuck switch. Needless to say...we put tape on the heater thermostat so we won't turn it back on again!

Heaters...What Fun! Not!

Our RV is about 24 years old. So is the forced air propane heater in it. We noticed after we bought the RV about oh...I don't know...six (?) years or so ago...that the forced air heater works kind of funny. This is what it appears to do.

It heats up and works really well. However, once it reaches the right temperature, it starts blowing cooler air, apparently in an attempt to cool itself down. I am not sure why it would need to do that, but that is what it appears to do. Of course, even cool air through a hot furnace will come out hot at first. So, if you accidently turn it up too hot, you have to bear with it while it cools down. There is NO way to turn it off!

You can turn it down so that it switches to cool air, once the furnace is cool enough for the air to not heat up on the way through. You can even turn the on/off switch to off, but it will keep blowing. Typically, it blows cool air and then stops. Then it starts blowing cool air again. I presume that is because the heater is not really totally cooled down and so it kicks back on to cool it again. It will do that quite a few times and then it finally shuts off for good.

Well, it was a little chilly this morning and I wanted to warm things up fast, so I kicked the heater on. The long and short of it is that the fan won't shut off at all now. I turn it down. I turn it off, but the fan just keeps blowing. I think it is in cahoots with that pink bunny on TV. You know the one...he just keeps banging on his drum!

Dave thinks the sensor that tells it that the heater is cooled off is not working. So, it keeps thinking it is still hot. I have tried turning the heater back up and down a few times in the hopes that it would kick it...but nope. The heater runs on 12 volt, so, turning off the power won't kick it off, either. We can turn off the power and disconnect the 12 volt batteries...but, if it is the sensor...then as soon as we turn the power back on, the fan will come back on.

So, I have been sitting here for hours with the hum of the heater fan in the background. I even put a fan under the kitchen sink and aimed it at the heater in the hopes that it might help. The heater is turned down and it is turned off. But that fan just keeps on blowing!

I am just so thankful that it is not stuck on while heating! At least we aren't using propane and roasting! Well...what do you expect for a heater that is this old. To be honest, we are amazed it lasted this long. And actually, the heater works just fine. So does the fan. It is the sensor that is apparently not working. Or maybe a switch?

Buying One Boot & the Creek Crossing!

Dave had one of his mudders start leaking. So, off he went to find another pair. Well, the last pair he found in this one store...was only half a pair. They just could not find the other boot anywhere. But it so happened that the one boot they had...was the one he needed!

So, he asked if they would sell him the one boot...and they did!

Hopefully, the other boot will hold. He says it looks like it is might be starting to leak, too.

Dave got a lot of work done on the creek crossing. He feels really good about that. It is nice to feel as if we are actually making some kind of headway! Yay!

Flowers - Enjoy!

The First Pipe Is In!

Well, we got one pipe in place! It is not totally cemented in yet...but progress has been made. Woohoo!


Two triumphant guys!



The first stage of the concrete!


















Water runs through it!

Green, Green All Around & Doing What's Right!

There is so much green all around now! I look out my window and see almost solid green, what with the trees and the meadow. When the clouds are overhead and things are a little bit dark, there is this particular shade of green that is just indescribable. It is so beautiful! If only I could capture it.

I love the sunshine, but the darker days have a beauty all their own. The shades and tints change in appearance.

I sure miss being able to do my sponge art. I hope that some day I can get back into it. I would love to try chalks, too, although I know that can get a bit messy.

My mind is kind of rambling today. I am working through a really hard personal thing, but I know that Yahweh will help me. He will preserve me. I am having to be obedient to what I know is the right thing to do and not everyone in a particular group of friends is in agreement with that. Oh, well. I must do what is right, regardless of the consequences. It is what I would want done for me if the situation were reversed.

ReignDown USA & Paul Washer!

Wow! First I heard about the vision that Shawn-Marie Cole had. Then I found the website and watched the video about it. Now, I am watching the ReignDownUSA event that took place in Washington D.C. on April 26th. I am half way through it and sit here amazed...and so encouraged...and so convicted.

All I can say is "wow!"

If you have never seen this or heard of it, you can find information here:

http://www.reigndownusa.com/

The video of the actual event is found here:

ReignDownUSA on demand

It is incredible.

I also found Paul Washer. Phew! Does this man tell it like it is, or what? For years, Dave and I have been concerned about the direction we have been seeing the "Christian" church in America going. Yet, when we saw the videos by Paul Washer, boy were we convicted. Almost everything he said were things we had been feeling and saying to each other for a long time. Yet, we could also see within ourselves how much we have been letting the world creep into our own spirituality.

If you want to check out what he is saying, I would suggest you start with these:
This is his testimony. It is very short...only about 4 minutes.
He Saved Me

This is a message he gave at an Alabama youth conference in 2002:

You can watch it here:


There was interview done by Kirk Cameron and Todd Friel. It is divided into two parts. Paul actually comes on board in the second half; but the first half has such a powerful message that I am including it, too.

Part 1



Part 2



Our country has been going downhill for a long time. We claim the blessings of God and give Him lipservice, but how do we live our lives...seeing as we are supposedly the children of a holy God? Are we living lives that reflect His holiness? Or are we living for ourselves?

We are doing a lot of self-examination. Are we living for Yahweh according to His true nature and holiness? Or are we living according to how we wish Yahweh to be? Hmmm...a lot of food for thought there.

From our little RV on the hillside to you in your home...we hope that these messages will give you a message of true hope...real hope.

Civil War Re-enactment!

We went to a Civil War Re-enactment. We were only able to go on the "smaller" of the two days, but we did get some pictures which I will share with you here.


The encampment.

This is an example of a tent. They tried to make everything there be from that period.



They fought young.





Every man needs his rest.







Taking pictures...the old way!











A soldier and his tent.





Showing us how the gun fires.




Looking across the battlefield.





Beginning the skirmish.




The medics assisting a soldier.



Coming back from battle.








A high ranking officer discusses the war.




The same officer with his wife.






The President with his wife!








A genteel lady.

A Photo Winner!

Hmmmm...I don't know what others see in this photo, but I guess it was liked since it won me $10! So, I decided to share it here with you all.


This is the one that won. This is what it looks like from our "living room" window. You can just barely see the hill across our little valley.



This is the companion photo.












This is about a month later when it is foggier. You cannot even see the hill across our little valley.

Elections & Responsibility!

Well...I am certainly not used to the way this state does things regarding elections! In CA, they mail you a sample ballot with all the things listed on it that we will be voting on. They also mail you a Voter Guide that tells about the issues and gives the statements issued by the people being voted for.

Here...you get...nothing. You have to depend upon the media, whether it is TV, newspaper or radio, to know that there even is an election. We kept hearing about elections, but kept thinking we would get SOMEthing in the mail telling us where and when to vote at least! Nope!

I called today and found out where we go to vote this coming Tuesday! I also got the official state government web address for the election info. There is a Voter Guide online, but all it tells you is the general information on how to vote. I can get a list of everyone running, but I cannot get a list of just those in my area. The list is for the complete state, although it does list the area for each candidate.

We can get the info we need, but we have to work more for it here than in CA. Well, I guess it is shame on us for assuming that things were pretty much the same across the states. It is our responsibility as citizens and voters to make sure we find out how the government works in our locality...even if it is regarding the federal government. Apparently, voting in nationwide elections does not guarantee that it will be handled the same in every locale.

So, now that we know, we have our homework cut out for us this weekend. We have to ferret out all the information we can about what we will be voting for. I HATE going into a voting booth uninformed. I have been thinking about the elections for some time now. I really should have checked sooner instead of assuming that something would come. Oh, well. Live and learn, right?

Rain, Rain, Refreshing Rain!

Hmmmm...around here, if they forecast showers, you can probably count on a deluge. However, if they forecast a deluge...you can probably count on it either being a light shower, or nothing at all, as the storm bypasses us here on the outskirts.

That is one of the difficulties with not being close to the main weather hubs. In fact, we are so "not close" that, if we use the zip code for weather, we might get one of two service areas. If we use the zip code of our town versus the town 12 miles away, it is two different weather hubs.

Needless to say, that makes planning rather difficult. Plus, when you add how much rain we seem to get here, it makes getting anything done outside even more of a struggle when you are limited to weekends and evenings to work on things. When you are needing to know if it will drop below freezing so you can wrap up the washer so the pump won't freeze and break...well...let's just say it makes life interesting!

We love the rain...ordinarily. We just wish it would only rain at our convenience! *laughing* Yeah, right! Like that is going to happen! *smile*

I love how the rain freshens the air and drops the pollen to the ground...for those allergy sufferers. Although, around here, the allergies seem to be more from the mold that tends to grow in the river valley than it is to the pollen.

I also love the green from the rain. In CA, it was often rather brown in the summer on the hillsides. The green came in winter with the rains. Where we lived there was rarely any snow, although we did get a real good snowfall at the summit one year. It was incredible. There was actually enough snow to make small snow people! Huge, soft flakes coming down.

This winter we did not really get much at all in the way of snow. Only once was there enough for sledding. There sure was lots of rain, though! And mud!

I am sitting here listening to the sound of the falling rain. What a beautiful sound! It makes me think of Yahweh's love coming down all around us...of His raining down His Ruach/Spirit to fill us and strengthen us for the tasks ahead. I will choose to trust Him to make a way for us to sort through our stuff and get things done...in spite of the persistent rain at all the wrong times!

From our little RV on the hillside...I hope that you find refreshing in your life today. I especially hope that it comes from Yahweh/God's Spirit filling you with His love and forgiveness through His Son Yeshua/Jesus!

Home School Co-op!

Well. last week wrapped up our time in a home school co-op. I have always wanted to participate in one and we were blessed with the opportunity this last semester. It was a wonderful experience. I got to meet other home schooling parents...to connect faces and voices to names. Elias got to meet other youth of varying ages. All in all, I am very grateful that we got to do it.

It was also an incredibly stressful experience. Having only one vehicle meant that we all needed to leave together at 5:45 in the morning. We would either have Dave drop us off at a church where we waited for the secretary to come let us in; or we dropped Dave off at work and came back to the church. If I dropped him off, then I had to go back to pick him up later. By the time we got home, typically about 13- 14 hours later, I was wiped out. Actually, I was tired long before that.

The evening before I had to make sure we had everything packed that we needed. We needed to have breakfast, lunch, snacks, etc. Although there was some access to a microwave, we had to remember to bring all the utensils, plates, etc. It was very interesting, to say the least. The day after was usually spent recuperating from the day before! The very first day we did it, I came home and just crashed on the couch. I was exhausted. But I would not have traded the experience away! It was worth it!

At the first church, we got to know the secretary who, very graciously, gave us a place to work at while waiting for music classes to start. The music classes were not part of the co-op. They were a different group. Elias took music theory. After music, we either drove or got a ride to the other church where the co-op classes were held.

There he got to take a class on oceans. He also got to do P.E. and art. After the classes, we got to participate in a group dinner. By that time, Dave would be there. That was really nice, too, as that was the time he had to also get to know other parents.

What a wonderful thing to see adults and youth working together to share their talents and knowledge and abilities with each other. All the parents pitched in and helped, whether with teaching, or setup, or cleanup or other assorted things that needed to be done. There was a spirit of co-operation and coming together with a common goal to make things work for everyone.

Expelled, Evolution, ID & Creationism!

If you have not seen the movie "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" yet...we highly recommend it. It is a very powerful and very moving expose on what is going on in academia.

Supposedly, there is freedom of speech and thought in the academic, scientific and media realm...but there is not, as this documentary so very clearly shows!

There are interviews with scientists and journalists who have lost their jobs simply for asking questions or for even mentioning that the idea of other possibilities exist. One journalist was not even advocating anything. All she did was mention that the idea of Intelligent Design existed...and she lost her job! Freedom of thought and speech?? Hardly!

There are also interviews with Richard Dawkins and Eugenie Scott. It is amazing to watch these people admit what they really believe. They later cried "foul" protesting that they were led to believe that they were being interviewed for a different movie. Now what a minute! Regardless of how the interviews were led into, these people spoke what they truly believe, did they not?

With all the protesting about "being mislead", one has to wonder if they would have been so open about what they really believe had they known that the interviewer was NOT pro evolution? Or if they had known what the premise of the movie really was? I mean...isn't that what they are saying by protesting? That they would not have spoken so openly? What? Would they have changed their opinions? They either mean and believe what they say, or they don't! What difference does it make what kind of movie the interviews go into? I think there is something foul about their crying of "foul"!

Ben was clearly moved at the obvious link between the teaching of Darwinism (evolution) and the destruction of his people in the Holocaust. That was something that hit very close to home for him...and, I am sure, for millions of people around the world whose families were touched by that horrible atrocity...the Holocaust. My heart goes out Ben and to all of them, too.

Sadly, there are many in the world who apparently do not believe that we have enough intelligence to be able to look at different viewpoints and decide for ourselves which ones make the most sense. Well, I think you are all more intelligent than that. So....after the link for the movie, I am going to put a couple more links up here for you all to check out, if you are so inclined. They include viewpoints from both sides.

I encourage you to look at them...thoroughly and openmindedly. Don't kowtow to those who try and tell you that believing anything other than Darwinian evolution makes you a moron. You are smart enough to think for yourself. One has to wonder...what is it that the evolutionists are so afraid of that they don't want to allow complete and open discussion of this topic? If the idea of a "Creator" is so clearly stupid and moronic, then why not discuss it? And if evolution is so right on, then why won't they allow the discussion of the problems with it? Why do they still allow proven lies to be presented in the classroom textbooks as "scientific fact"? Hmmm...sure makes one wonder!

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

Expelled Exposed

Answers in Genesis

Happy reading!

From our Little RV on the Hillside to you in your home...may you fearlessly search for the truth, leaving no stone unturned!

Keith Green Story!

Keith Green's music has been a major influence on my life. I remember being very stirred by his music and getting all his first albums. It was an exciting time as the whole Christian music scene started to change. Not all the changes have necessarily been for the best, but many were. I loved how Keith's music would challenge me to live an authentic Christian life. His message was strong. It was real. You could clearly see his heart. One of the things I really liked about him was that he was not pretentious. What you saw was what you got.

Here is a video that my friend, Pat, from PBN, found on the life of Keith Green. I hope you enjoy it!