They plant acres of pine trees here in long rows that are eventually harvested and sold for lumber. The trees grow from 12 years up to 20 years depending on the size that is needed. Often people who live in a more rural area with a lot of land will plant acres of trees and then are given agricultural status on their property taxes - they do have to harvest them, but they can go for a long time.
Can't do a blog without sending at least a few pictures of the clouds - amazing.
Last Saturday we traveled to Newberry, a small southern town about 15 miles from Gainesville. We visited Pawn Pro, the local pawn shop. The boys would have really enjoyed it .. lots and lots of guns and loading equipment - a big sign in the window advertises it.
We also went to a local fruit stand which has been operated by the same family for a years. It was a granddaughter (now attending University of Florida) and a nephew of the original owners that helped us. We bought some "cukes", some peaches
and some of the famous Florida boiled peanuts
They were better this time, kind of taste like pine nuts - but we still gave most to one of the young men in the YSA who really likes them .. you can choose plain (with salt) or Cajun (spicy). We took plain. They sell cans of them in stores, but the word on the streets is that the best place to buy them is a roadside stand where they are made fresh every day.
For the kids - a link "Eating Goober Peas" by Burl Ives and Johnny Cash. We didn't know but peanuts are called goober peas (or maybe goober peas are called peanuts ... )
For the kids - a link "Eating Goober Peas" by Burl Ives and Johnny Cash. We didn't know but peanuts are called goober peas (or maybe goober peas are called peanuts ... )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBOxw6vbDyo
The roads often have canopies of trees over them - we have posted these before, but it never seems to give the full effect that they have when you are driving through them.
Even the Temple - it might be a Temple thing but we hadn't seen it before. The car and the license look like they have been around for a while.
We have seen lots of hay fields, but never with the big round bales placed end to end. ..
Our weeks march on pretty much the same - boring to read about but fun to live. We are at the Institute building every day from at least 10 - 5 approximately, but Tuesdays we serve a light meal at 6:30 (class at 7) so closer to 8 when we leave. Wednesdays Mike teaches so we have the meal at 6:30, class from 7-8:30, and leave about 9 or 9:30 depending on if the YSA's decide to hang around and play ping-pong, pool or foosball (the Institute is well equipped) or just sit around and talk. We have started a Thursday evening Devotional series this semester with speakers from the community in different professions and how you can have a career and stay strong in the church. It really has been fun. We serve refreshments after - usually cookies and ice cream. Our budget doesn't stretch to buying cookies, but it actually has been kind of fun making different ones and the kids are always complimentary - and willing to try almost anything.
Some cool thoughts on the how individual and personal the atonement is - Elder Merrill J. Bateman, an emeritus member of the Seventy "For many years I thought of the Savior's experience in the garden and on the cross as places where a large mass of sin was heaped upon Him. Through the words of Alma, Abinadi, Isaiah, and other prophets, however, my view has changed. Instead of an impersonal mass of sin, there was a long line of people, as Jesus felt 'our infirmities' (Hebrews 4:15), 'bore our griefs, ... carried our sorrows ... (and) was bruised for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:4-5). The Atonement was an intimate, personal experience in which Jesus came to know how to help each of us." Ensign November 2005.
C.S. Lewis put it this way: "[God] has infinite attention to spare for each one of us. He does not have to deal with us in the mass. You are as much alone with Him as if you were the only being He had ever created. When Christ died, He died for you individually just as much as if you had been the only man [or woman] in the world."
We are grateful for that Atonement. Love ya'all have a great week.
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