What do you think of when someone mentions security. I suppose that question falls into a different light if you live in a big city teeming with people that don’t all have the best of intent in their heart. Fortunately I live away from that experience, in a town nestled in the mountains of Virginia. Most everyone where I live knows each other and has for decades.
I though about writing about the eternal security I have in Christ since I accepted Him into my life over three decades ago. That is definitely one of the most important events in my mortal life and I write about it frequently on my faith-based blog Living the J.O.Y Principle, so I will let that be the way for now.
Recently I added another post to my Dogs of My Life series, about the dogs I have enjoyed in my life from a child until now. I had to briefly stop the series because I was determined to post about the dogs in the order they affected my life and I could not find the photo I will share below.
Louie was a Lemon Beagle that patrolled Alpine Acres, our 3.25 acre spread for about 8 years, making rabbits and groundhogs as well as any other critter very scarce. We love to garden, but without a dog like Louie it is very challenging to have a successful experience. You will notice the timestamp on the photo is 2006. It wasn’t but a few weeks after the photo that Louie met his end trying to battle a car. We have had two dogs since then, but neither is the kind of predator countering canine as Louie.
As a result our gardening efforts have suffered. So this year we approached the problem in a different way, opting to construct a better solution. In truth there is more than just security involved in the new design. As hard as I try I cannot seem to avoid getting older and more stiff. Bending over to weed and pick beans is getting harder every year without back pain. The hope is that making a raised bed will alleviate some of that strain as well.
I am willing to bet I am the only respondent to this post that is writing about his bean crop. That is okay, everyone has their priorities and eating some home-grown vegetables is one of mine. Happy reading!
Joe's Musings 
I do hope this year turns out well for you. Cheers! I’m sure Louie misses your company too.
While I cannot compare the heartache of losing a pet to any of my family members there is a special kind of grief when you lose this kind of special companion. It has been long enough that when I finally found the picture of him for my Dogs of My Life series it was pure celebration.
Pets are very special. I agree. They love you in a way human don’t.
If you’re interested you can scroll back to see the Dogs of My Life for Louie. At the end are links to the other dogs since my childhood.
I certainly shall. Thank you.
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I sure hope your raised garden keeps your crop secure, and I hope you can find a solution to keep your dogs safe, too. 3+ acres is a nice size for a dog to roam, but it’s a pretty big area to have to fence in. Good luck!
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A garden is certainly security, Joe. Tasty response.
janet
We shall see.😋
Nice post, Joe. The raised planter will be a God-send for you. We put one in about 5 years ago and it makes it SO much easier to tend the garden. I have found that as I age, the ground gets farther away and gravity seems to be stronger.
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We built a 4×12 bed last season and had the best tomato crop in a decade. We filled with compost that will decompose over time allowing us to add fresh each season. I really look forward to having fresh beans.
Compost and crop rotation are the keys for successive seasons.
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Unfortunately I have a Toyota pickup with rust issues that I cannot use for about a month and I still need two trailers of compost to get ready to plant. I am trying to work out an alternative plan.
Compost happens, Joe. Good luck with Plan B.
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It does! Thankfully I have a Kubota tractor with a front loader bucket that makes unloading the trailer a breeze.
Smart man. Keep us posted on your progress.
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I spent time yesterday using “Kubo” to pile mulch beside the raised bed for weed control. I will. If I may I’d like to invite you to my garden and flower blog, Chasing the Blooms.