Clover C Farm

10/11/2026

Sunday on the farm 11 Oct 2026

In 2008, our farm started to turn green. “Started?” You might ask. “I thought your farm has always been green.” Well, of course, from an agricultural vantage point, we’ve been green since creation, but a certain group in our society has high-jacked “green” to make it a social statement. So, reluctantly assuming their definition, we started turning “green” when we got our first electric car/farm vehicle in 2008. I will say that our motive was much different than the current trend in that we got an electric car because of the low cost of operation and not to make a statement about the environment. Since the car, I’ve designed and installed two solar powered water systems; put up solar powered security lights; installed a solar powered pump for one of our fuel tanks; and more recently, a solar powered electric fence charging system. Again, I am sure all these additions make us more “green,” but they are not meant for trendy recognition. My main motive is simply for security from grid power outages, with a secondary benefit from reduced cost of operation. All these systems are great, but all are dependent on some form of energy and the storage thereof. The electric car’s batteries were charged with commercially available electricity that was produced with some form of naturally occurring resource, whether fossil fuels, nuclear, wind, solar, or hydro; the farm’s water, fuel, and fence systems, by the sun. Regardless of the source of electricity, all require batteries for reliable, continuous power.

As I sit here this morning, the remnants of Hurricane Isaias have reached us. The outer bands of clouds reached first on Friday, and since then we have been socked in with thick cloud cover and occasional wind and rain. Solar power does not like cloudy and rainy days. The security lights were the first to show their weariness, as they faded in intensity last night. The battery voltage in the pump houses, fuel pump, and the barn is holding, but all are in dire need of a recharge. My designs are adequate for the short term, but to be effective overall, they need to see some sunshine. Ole Sol will be pretty when he pops out, for sure, and the charge controllers will indicate the batteries are being brought back to full capacity with enough energy to continue to get the job done. We will be saved by the sun!

I know my fellow Christians are getting a sense of where I’m headed with this, by now. Are your batteries completely charged and powerful enough for your light to shine brightly? This world desperately needs our lights to shine for our Lord to put a spotlight on the immorality, depravity, and disregard for the sanctity of life that is so pervasive in our world; and to shine the light that shows the sinner the path to forgiveness and redemption. Without the constant recharging of our spiritual batteries through daily Bible study and regular communal worship with fellow believers, we will be like our systems are here on the farm- weak and inadequate. In His “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus gives us instructions about the use of our “light.”

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV)

Stay charged. Stay ready to shine. Stay in the light of the Son.

Blessings, CC

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

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10/04/2026

Sunday on the farm 4 Oct 2026

Much has been said about the perilous times in which we live, and no more so than candidates for one office or another who want to convince us that their opponent is the absolute worst person who ever walked the earth, and that he/she will cause the downfall of the human race as we know it. Enough, already! I do not propose to tell anyone for whom they should vote, or which candidate is telling the most outrageous lie or vote-garnering promise.

Today I do propose an alternative to all the negativity, and a happenchance finding yesterday reminded me how to do just that. As I was moving a stack of papers off the front counter in the shop, I ran across a sheet of paper on which were ramblings I had written at some unknown time. Apparently, I was taking stock of things that brought me joy, and for which I was thankful. Here is what I wrote:

*The first bleat of a wet, slimy, newborn lamb and the return “baa” of the mother as she gently licks her offspring.

*The first bale of hay in the spring; the last bale in the fall.

* ‘Mater sammiches in the summertime, lamb ‘reservation’ stew in winter.

*Watching a mama cat move her kittens, gently, one by one, across the yard.

*Being met by the waggin’ tails of the dogs as I come out first thing in the morning.

*A round of fat, red-breasted, robins happily pecking about in the pasture.

*A Border Collie at work- poetry in motion.

And today I added to that list:

*Our great-granddaughter, now seven yrs. old, going about her farm chores.

*Listening to our grandson and nephew take stock of and make plans for the operation of our farm.

*A quiet sit in my rocking chair with a good dog at my side, listening to the rain fall softly on the shop shelter.

Just reading these wee bits makes me feel pretty good all over again, despite the mess of the world.

I hope each of us can stop, meditate, and be thankful for those so-called “little things,” and remember to give thanks to Him from whom all blessings flow, large or small. As Andy Rooney is reported to have said,” I've learned... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.” All we need to do is look around. His blessings abound. Be thankful for anything and everything in life that brings you joy, makes you smile, or makes you laugh right out loud.

Make your own list and visit it often.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

Blessings, CC

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

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09/27/2026

Sunday on the farm 27 Sept 2026

I went to the henhouse one afternoon this week expecting a bounty of fresh eggs. I did find a few in the first two nests, but what to my wondering eyes should appear in the next? Why, Ol’ Jake Slick-Shoulders himself-a long, shiny black snake coiled in the nesting box, heavy and sluggish after swallowing a meal meant for tomorrow. Given that he was not in his place, I quickly put him elsewhere.

The snake didn't crash through the door or break down the walls. It had slipped in. It took just one egg at a time, silent and undetected. Elizabeth and I had wondered why the egg count was low some days. She admonished the chickens one day when the count was exceptionally low. “Lazy chickens- lazy, lazy chickens!” I even accused Blue of stealing them, as dogs are sometimes prone to do. E had previously found a snake in the nest, so she didn’t freak out when I told her what I had found the day before but went about her task of gathering the eggs. She filled the basket and began to look around. “Look, Granddaddy, look, under the nests. There’s the hole where the snake got in.”

A henhouse is built with a purpose—to nurture, protect, and provide a place of calm so the hens can get on with their business of giving us hen “fruit.” But a snake doesn't need an open door to steal that fruit; it only needs a hole the size of a quarter. It squeezes its way in, rests in the dark, and quietly consumes the harvest.

Solomon uses the word vigilance—which in the original Hebrew carries the imagery of a guard standing watch over a fortress. The heart is your spiritual henhouse. It is the place where God deposits the seeds of joy, peace, future blessings, and spiritual fruit. When we stop being vigilant, we leave small gaps open. A tiny grudge, a little “white” lie, a "small" compromise in honesty, or a habit of looking at things we shouldn't. These don't destroy our lives overnight. Like the black snake, they enter silently, hide in the dark corners, and slowly swallow our peace, our integrity, and our spiritual vitality one piece at a time.

Finding “the snake” is a wake-up call, not a death sentence. It tells you exactly where your defense failed. To protect the next harvest, you don't just remove the thief, you find the crack and seal it up. When we guard our hearts with God's word, we leave no room for the enemy to slip in and steal what belongs to Him.

“Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.” — Song of Solomon 2:15 (NIV)
"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." Proverbs 4:23 (ESV)

Blessings, CC

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

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09/20/2026

Sunday on the farm 20 Sept 2026

If you visit our farm at dawn during lambing season, you are usually greeted by a wall of sound. There is the demanding bleating of ewes, the high-pitched cries of hungry lambs, and the rattle of the pins as the ewes push against the feeders. It is a livestock symphony of constant, anxious need. But often this time of year, especially on a crisp Sunday morning as Ranger and I make our security sweep at dawn before the rest of the world stirs, you step out to the pasture, and the world is completely still. The flock isn't frantic. The lambs are weaned and in the feed lots. The ewes are chewing their cud in silent contentment. There is no pushing, no crying out, and no wrestling for position. For this rare, beautiful window of time, the entire fold is at perfect peace.

As humans, our daily lives usually sound a lot like a chaotic sheep farm during lambing time. We wake up to a barrage of internal and external noise—demands from work, family needs, financial anxieties, and the loud, persistent alerts from our digital screens. We are constantly rustling, constantly pushing, and constantly crying out for the next thing we think will sustain us. We often forget that sheep only fall completely silent under very specific conditions. A flock will not rest if they are hungry, if they are afraid of predators, or if there is friction within the flock. The presence of a quiet morning only happens when the sheep feel entirely secure, fully satisfied, and profoundly safe. They can only rest because they trust that the shepherd has already taken care of everything. This Sunday, the Good Shepherd invites you into that same quiet. You do not have to earn this rest by fixing every problem in your life first. The quiet waters and green pastures of Psalm 23 are not rewards for a completed to-do list; they are provisions for your exhausted soul. If your mind is bleating with worry or your schedule feels like a chaotic pasture, look to the Shepherd. He has already secured the perimeter. He has already provided nourishment. He is standing watch. Let the noise fade, step into the stillness of His presence, and allow your soul to finally be refreshed.

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1(KJV)

Blessings, CC

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

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09/13/2026

Sunday on the farm 13 Sept 2026

In memoriam:

She had an infectious smile and an outrageously contagious laugh, with a love for life and all things beautiful. She could give aid to the sickest among us, offering treatment with a calm reassurance that provided physical as well as psychological support. She was blessed with perfect pitch, using her talent to play a mean bass and keeping us less talented players in time and on key. She could handle the most aggressive ram and then cuddle the newborn lamb. She could take a raw fleece and turn it into a work of art, either knitting her own yarn or weaving on the loom. She never met a stranger, and, as her Moravian background had taught, firmly believed and practiced, “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; and in all things, love.” She believed that any child who desired should have the opportunity to experience God’s world at the farm level and worked with countless children through sheep shows at the county and State Fair level. She allowed a crusty old sheepman to be granddaddy to her children and let him and his wife “adopt” her family.

She believed that her God would look after her and trusted Him unequivocally. Whenever He called, she answered, and the final call came Thursday morning, September 9, 2021, at 9:55 AM.
Too soon, we all said. Too much left for her to do. Too many more sheep to shear; too many more patients to care for; too many more hugs to give; too many more songs to play…but she was tired from the endless chemotherapy, and radiation treatments, and the surgeries, and the in and out of the hospital. Her ravaged body could take no more. She rests in the arms of her Savior, no more sickness- no more pain.

She truly believed the words of the Psalmist, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26

Those left behind should believe and take comfort in those words, just as she did.

Thank you, Lord, for sharing Glenda with us for those few years.

Blessings, CC

“Glenda George Moore, RN, age 57, of Spring Hope, North Carolina passed away on Thursday, September 9, 2021. A celebration of her life will be held Saturday, September 18, 2021, 10:00 AM, at Winters Family Farm, 2100 Boyce Bridge Rd. Creedmoor, NC, 27522.”

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

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09/10/2026

09/06/2026

Sunday on the farm 6 Sept 2026

I have told tales before about my mother’s younger sister, my Aunt Zyba. She was the youngest of the children when my grandfather, Wake County Deputy Sheriff Guy Cecil Massey, Sr., was killed in the line of duty in 1933. As such, she was raised by her older siblings, who stepped up to help my grandmother keep the family together. My grandfather had nine brothers and one sister, all who took Guy’s family to be their own. Aunt Zyba graduated from Wakelon High School and went on to the University of Virginia, earning her B.S. in Nursing. She then volunteered and served as a Navy nurse in WWII. Upon returning home after the war, she was encouraged by one of my grandfather’s brothers, Dr. L. M. Massey, to enroll in dental school, and became the only woman in the first class of the UNC Dental School, graduating with honors. The now Dr. Zyba K. Massey returned to Zebulon and practiced dentistry with Uncle Luther until his death. She continued her practice until her retirement, well into her 70’s. My cousins and I then had the sad, but necessary, duty of removing her chair and associated equipment from her treatment room, along with the contents of her office. As we were sorting things, I noticed her records, especially those patients who had not paid her for her service. “Aunt Zyba, let me send bills to these people, letting them know you are retiring and their balance is due.” Some were decades old. “No, son, they know they owe for services rendered. They will pay me when they can.” Can you even imagine going to the dentist today and not making arrangements for payment before you leave? I asked again, and the reply was the same.
I may be going a bit far afield here, but let’s talk about our sins for a little. First, everyone has sinned. “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23 KJV) Second, we must acknowledge the fact that we are sinners. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8 NIV) Thirdly, we must confess our sins and ask for forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9 NIV) The scripture does not say we should make a blanket confession. Our confession should be akin to the work of the surgeon, not the butcher. We must be specific and confess our sins, one by one. He knows them, we should name them.
Aunt Zyba said her patients knew they owed her; we know we are sinners, indebted to God. She said those indebted to her would pay when they could; God is patient and will wait for our confession. Aunt Zyba expected full payment for her services before she cancelled the debt; God expects full confession before he cancels our sin debt. I am in NO way comparing Aunt Zyba to our Lord, but the scenarios seem to mesh.
If we are to draw anything from the story of my aunt, let us acknowledge and pay our debts. Certainly, as Christians, we must service our secular debts. Also, as Christians, we must confess that we owe a debt to God that can never be repaid. He only requires confession that we have sinned against Him to forgive us and cancel our debt. Just as we cannot go through the day without soiling our hands, neither can we go through life without sin. Just as we wash our hands several times daily, so should we confess our sin. We don’t let the dirt on our hands accumulate, neither should sin. We can experience being forgiven and cleansed as soon as we realize and acknowledge our sin. Let us strive to do so.

Blessings, CC
“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

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09/05/2026

The ole man sez:
Whether it has eight legs, six legs, four legs, two legs, or no legs- if it ain't messing with you, don't mess with it.
Case in point:

08/30/2026

Sunday on the farm 30 Aug 2026

October 1968, and I reported for duty assigned to the 728 Tactical Control Squadron, Shaw AfB, SC as a fully trained Cryptographic Systems Technician. A few weeks there and all of us who had arrived together were called in by our NCOIC and informed that we were going TDY to Eglin AFB, FL for advanced combat training. What combat training? I was a geek…electronics was my gig. However, the Vietnam War was still hot and, since we were a mobile tactical aircraft control outfit, we could be deployed anywhere in the world at a moment’s notice with a war zone always a possibility. So, we loaded up on a C-130 and were unloaded at Eglin. We climbed onto 6 x 6 trucks and were dropped out somewhere in the 460,000 acres that Eglin encompassed. I won’t go into all the details, but what came over the next few weeks was intense. We stood for inspection every morning, not expected to have spit-shined boots or fresh-starched uniforms, but our weapon and survival gear better be in order. During one inspection, the Sarge erupted and dressed down this one troop a couple of bunks away from me. I will not repeat his “comments,” but let’s just say there were several choice expletives filling the air. So, what was the transgression?

An ant. An ant was discovered inside his canteen cup. At first, someone might say, “It is only an ant.” But the problem is not simply the size of the ant; the issue is that something small had entered a vessel that was meant to be clean and ready for use. We were supposed to be ready. Suppose this was a piece of trash in his weapon that would cause it to misfire? The result could have been deadly for him or one of his squad.

Sometimes the things that damage us are not always big things. They can be small compromises that we allow to remain in our lives. A small thing, when ignored, can eventually cause great damage. A little dishonesty can become a lifestyle. A little bitterness can become hatred. A little neglect of prayer can become spiritual dryness. A small compromise can eventually become a major fall.

Luke 16:10 says, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.”

We shouldn’t wait for the “big” problems before examining our lives. We should allow God to deal with the little things—the attitudes, habits, thoughts, words, and compromises that may seem insignificant today. The lesson the Sarge taught was simple: Don't ignore the ant. If something small is found in your life that should not be there, deal with it early. Keep your heart clean, because what we tolerate in small things can eventually affect the bigger things God has entrusted to us.

Blessings, CC

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

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08/28/2026

Eand Monie mulching their 'maters. Won't be long now!