Farm Life

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Spiritwind
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Re: Farm Life

Post by Spiritwind »

I had a rough time milking this morning. A very rare event these days. First, Firefly put her foot in the bucket because the flies are suddenly terrible. I tried putting the hobbles on her, but I’ve never used them on her before, and she SAT DOWN! Then, after I went in and washed out the bucket and put Ballerina up there, I milked her. But, in my upset forgot to close the latch to keep her head in on the stanchion and she jumped out with the hobbles still on (I always use them on her since she had a problem with sticking her foot in the bucket). That was interesting. She managed to get the fly strip I had hanging up stuck on her at the same time. It was a wild time. By the time I got the hobbles off, and the fly strip off her, I had to throw the milk out I did get, because of all the flies on the rim. What a deal.

This is a very short update for the moment. I went on to have a very rough night last night, with some kind of weird sickness that came on real sudden like. I’ve been struggling a bit as it is lately, and plus my hands are both hurting. I have a wrist brace on my left hand to help keep me from using it so much. Hard to do on a farm. We made CBD oil yesterday, though, so I can start using it again. Don’t know how it’s going to measure up against the HempWorx brand, but a whole heck of a lot cheaper to make your own. It really did help with my hands before. Also we’ve got about 40-50 ears of corn so far. That was pretty exciting. My husband cut all the corn off most of them and we put individual servings in ziplock bags and froze them for later. Yummy stuff.

Big plans later this month. Just hope I can get my health back on track. More later. Life on the funny farm...
I see your love shining out from my furry friends faces, when I look into their eyes. I see you in the flower’s smile, the rainbow, and the wind in the trees....
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Spiritwind
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Re: Farm Life

Post by Spiritwind »

Autumn seems to have arrived, and now it’s the scramble to get ready for winter. I knew changes were coming, but, as seems to be always the case we are still somewhat caught off guard.

I’ve been writing about how excited I am to finally be getting the water lines in. It’s supposed to happen at the end of this month, or beginning of next month. Even though we have everything we need, parts wise, we may have hit a snag after all. It’s less than a hundred feet from the well house to the barn, but it’s still too much for us to hand dig it out. My husband thinks he wants it 4 feet deep, but I tend to think he will end up settling for perhaps a little more than two. I understand his logic, as obviously he wants to make sure he is down below the frost line.

But, there are big problems for him on the work front. The hotel he has worked at for the last 5 years, as the maintenance supervisor, seems to be on a downhill slide, and a little sooner than we thought. I can’t even wrap my mind around the way the new owners are running their business. Everyone who works there had to wait 4-5 days to cash their paychecks last time, with one employee waiting over a week. They’ve had an eviction notice served on the premises to vacate within 15 days for non payment of lease. Their assurances that everything is fine are not really making anyone feel reassured at all. I could go on and on and on. The list is rather overwhelming. It’s like they are purposefully trying to run it into the ground. Makes no sense at all, unless perhaps they’re scammers and this is just what they do (there is evidence that seems to point that way). My husband has suggested to the general manager to just fire him or lay him off, but she won’t do it. At least that way he can get unemployment benefits for awhile. So he doesn’t even know if he will receive his next paycheck, or that there will be any funds to cover it. Or he may even arrive for work one day and find the building locked up. He has filed a complaint with Labor and Industries. Unfortunately, like most of these government agencies, they promise a lot but deliver little.

I guess it’s one of those “life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans” (John Lennon). That we may not have the money to rent the entrenching machine is a rather big glitch. But we’ll see what happens. The good news in I have hay in for the winter. And I bought ahead on dog food and grain for the goats. I have to get expensive dog food for Mischa, the female Great Pyrenees, or she has serious digestive issues. I have always been forward thinking when it comes to food, so we’re covered there. We won’t starve, and neither will the animals. That’s a rather huge relief. But, it’s very weird to be here again, where our survival instincts are on high alert. I console myself thinking maybe I’m in training for something, as yet unknown.

Even the little good gas mileage car we got back from my daughter has had problems. My husband has a spare door to put on, but can’t get the drivers side door to open and he has tried every thing he can think of. I suggested he cut if off, LOL. Climbing in through the passenger side, especially with bad knees, is not fun. Then the newer battery that was in it turns out to have a short in it. A new battery wasn’t in the budget, but you gotta do what you gotta do. And we just got the front end fixed on our other car (more $). It just never ends, it seems.

The two little boys I sold were picked up a week ago, so for the moment we’re down to 13, the magic number. And I have no idea when Cry Baby and Danae will be kidding. Another big unknown, and every time I have made my best guess this year, I have been wrong.

As I mentioned, we did make our own full spectrum CBD oil again. I learned a lot this time. The good news is that it does work! My hands have made a miraculous recovery, and I have been able to get outside and get started on things that need to be done before winter without extreme discomfort, which is huge for me. Here is what I learned. First off, this time I used just enough extra virgin olive oil to cover the plant material in a double boiler. We simmered it just below the boiling point for an hour and a half. Then we strained the oil and used fresh plant material with the same oil, so that it would be a higher strength, and did the same thing all over again. Then we strained it and put it in a jar. I take a dropper full twice a day, and also rub some directly into my hands where it’s most painful and inflamed. The taste is very tolerable, and doesn’t taste like you’re taking straight olive oil like it did last time, and the strength is as effective as the stuff I was buying.

Thing is, I have been a fan of cannabis for my entire adult life, so my system is used to it. Being full spectrum, means it does have THC content as well as CBD. It’s very expensive to buy even one seed of the high CBD strains with very low THC content. So I’m relying on the generosity of a friend who has some left from last year, and it is a common hybrid strain that has plenty of both. As anyone reading here knows, my husband is ex-military, and while he likes his beer, he has never tried cannabis in his life. He is usually very careful about trying new things like this. In fact, he did try the CBD oil I was buying and it seemed to have a positive effect. But it had close to zero THC in it. He saw that the oil we made was helping me, and applied his physicians assistant logic when he decided to dose himself. He has never done this before. A dropper full is only about a quarter to a third of a teaspoon. For some unknown reason he decided the correct dose he should try was a full tablespoon. A very big mistake!

I seriously thought he was having a stroke or something when he woke up in the middle of the night, almost unable to speak, hands shaking, feeling sick as heck. Then he even vomited, which is an extremely rare thing. I didn’t think it was the oil, but upon later research found that it can indeed do that to someone whose system is not used to it. I tell this story so that anyone trying this at home does not do what he did, as you will indeed regret it. Your system will adapt, but very small doses is the right approach, and slowly increase over time.

I gotta get out and get busy on cleaning pens here shortly. I did completely muck out the barn this week, with thankfully some help from the neighbor. I’m also working my way through to getting everyone’s hooves trimmed up. I try to have everything cleaned up before the snow flies, because once there is several feet of snow on the ground the pens will stay that way until spring. I am coming to terms with the fact that we may have to wait, again, to get the water done. I’m not the most patient person, but I’ve definitely come a long ways. If my husband ends up being home for the winter I will actually be happy, even if broke, LOL. At least we enjoy each other’s company, and maybe he will have the time to enjoy playing music again, as he hasn’t had the time or energy for three years now.

One piece of good news, though. My husband just came in and informed me he finally got the drivers side door open on our little car. Yippie! Sometimes it is just the little things. I think I’ll dig up the potatoes today too, and see how well they did. Still eating from the garden, and thinking about getting a pressure cooker for canning next year. Fall raspberries are ripening up. Cooked one of the approximately dozen acorn squash we ended up with this last week and it was yummy! And life goes on....
I see your love shining out from my furry friends faces, when I look into their eyes. I see you in the flower’s smile, the rainbow, and the wind in the trees....
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Spiritwind
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Re: Farm Life

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Here we go again...

I’m having trouble ramping myself up to write another installment of Farm Life here. Part of it is psychological. Two days ago, on September 28th, we had a snow storm, some of which is still on the ground. If you go just 3 miles down the road, it’s all gone, but not here! I’ve got my long underwear on, and my snow pants out already, and I’m ready for the hibernation cave!

It’s a seriously big groan here, something city dwellers wouldn’t quite understand. We did get all the hay we need in, but thought we had another one to two months to get everything else done. We do not have wood in for the winter yet, except just a tiny bit. And I have the two biggest goat shelters all cleaned up, but that’s not even close to what I need to have done. Now that it’s all soaked up a lot of moisture, the pens are going to be super physically demanding to clean up. Maybe I need to eat more spinach. Or maybe the tractor fairy will show up. Or maybe I’m just going to get a really big workout that will take me the rest of winter to recover from. Yes, I’m trying to be funny. If I don’t find a way to smile about all this it’s going to be even more unpleasant.

Truly, I don’t mind winter, and actually want to have four seasons where I live. But not two seasons! The goats haven’t even got their winter coats yet, and the little ones do not look happy about it at all. It is kinda funny how some of them don’t seem to mind walking in it, and others will go way out of their way not to walk in the snow. At least all the hay is well covered, of that I made sure.

I had done some work cleaning up garden areas, and moving old composted piles from the goats pens up to the garden areas for next spring. Poor raspberries are kinda freaking out, as they were busy putting on fall fruit. Tomatoes are a done deal. We did dig up the potatoes already, and the area where I used the tires stacked on top of each other did way better than the other area. I will move that one next year, as it’s by a tree that sucks all the water and dries out too fast. And 27 acorn squash, like what the heck! Since we did not finish the well house either (another fall project that was almost done!) I had to bring them all in and they are in two big bags right by my bed, as there is no place else to put them. We are going to get our first deep freeze tonight, getting down into the mid to low 20’s (F).

We scrambled yesterday rolling up hoses. I did already go around and add straw to shelters for more bedding, but need to get more. A lot more! I still don’t know when Cry Baby and Danae are due, but at least for the moment I’m down to 13 goats, a big difference from 18 last year at this time. I’ve got the three bigger mini-Lamancha’s (2 of which I’m still milking), and their 4 kids all together in the pen where we have an A frame, and a 8x8 barn, along with three good sized dog houses. Plenty of room, but guess where they’ve all been sleeping? In the little A frame, all crammed in there together. The four kids all go in the big barn at night, but I’ll have to change that as the two pregnant Nigerians get close to giving birth.

The 4 Nigerians are in the bigger pen, but it’s the one I haven’t cleaned out all summer. I’m not looking forward to it at all. Uma, one of Danae’s two daughters, is still getting out every day because it’s so built up around one of their feeders she can just jump up and over. She has been helping herself to the corn and sunflower patch, what’s left of it, even refusing to go in a couple nights. She has gotten every collar off I’ve put on, at least 4, so she’s a bit smarter than the average. And, when I’ve let the whole herd out (minus the 2 bucks), Miss Ballerina has remembered that the fencing was a bit feeble up around the the well house area. They love raspberries! Anyway, definitely going to fix that area up better. I had to spray her with the hose repeatedly (back when it was still fall last week, LOL) to get her to back off!

Usually there is still forage to scrounge up through October. And most of the leaves haven’t even fallen off the trees yet. But I’ll try to get the girls all out for some more exercise and a chance to interact as a herd at least a few more times before the snow starts piling up. I tend to keep the larger ones separated from the smaller ones so everyone is sure to have shelter, and gets to eat, but it’s still good for them to all get out and head butt and be able to run full bore up and down the dirt access road. It’s good for me too!

Should I really go on and on about life like I do? I always hope that those who read this, who are maybe scratching their heads about why life can be so damn challenging a good part of the time maybe take heart and feel better after reading some of the ridiculous repetitive stuff we encounter here. For instance, we just sunk a bunch of money into two vehicles, and now have a different problem with each of them, at the same time. We ended up driving the old pickup we use to get hay to go with my oldest grandson (to celebrate his 12th birthday) to a movie this last weekend. The economy car we just got back from our daughter apparently has a motor mount that has come loose or off. And with the snow storm this last weekend the heater/air conditioner fan not working became a problem in the other car and the windows iced up so you couldn’t see out of them. Seriously?!

We just carry on though. We found out that L & I are really not much help after all, in resolving any problems with my husband’s employer not paying on time. Apparently, since they did finally pay most everyone (a few had to wait over a week, and it’s become a regular thing) - there isn’t a case unless he wants to hire an attorney. And the hotel recently received a notice from L & I about not paying their share for their employees to be covered by L & I, as is required by law. So the saga goes on and on there.

On a more happy note, we all enjoyed the movie. I managed to buy some decent snacks ahead of time because I find the after effects of eating out of character detrimental in numerous ways these days. And my tastes have changed. I don’t even miss fast food anymore. We saw the movie Abominable, and it was quite good I thought. It portrayed the Yeti as magical creatures, and somehow I’d bet, even if not in the way they portrayed, that they are indeed magical creatures.

I guess as I read what I wrote I realize that I’m actually settling into kind of a rhythm out here, an ebb and flow, that is so very very different from when I lived a “normal” life in the city. We actually made good money back then, and our focus was much different. But it was very structured and, in its way, limited. It makes me think of the many people, through out history, that have had to leave everything behind, to try and make a better life. I don’t know the full truth of what is happening with all these current situations with hordes of people coming over the borders into other countries. I could write at length about how the problem is not a simple one, and that quick assumptions will almost certainly not be correct if all was known.

But I think about this country I live in that was fully inhabited before some of the current people I descended from arrived here about 400 years ago, and what their real story might have been. If you know where to look there are still many voices of those people left, enough to at least realize what we’ve been taught in our history books is not at all a correct rendition of how it really was, or what our true human story is all about. I know some of the people I descended from were escaping what they viewed as oppressive and intolerable, enough to take such a risk to come to this strange new (old) land. They, of course, had some seriously skewed notions and beliefs, but like many things, weren’t entirely wrong. Narrow mindedness was, and still is, quite prevalent. But still, they were a tough hard working adventuress bunch.

I actually draw on that ancestral strength, in times of challenge. I realize that at least at first, their lives were more free (even if way more perilous), for awhile. At least the challenges we most often meet out here are not insurmountable, even if they are somewhat perplexing in their relentlessness. There is also a strong sense of personal satisfaction in overcoming everything that comes our way. It’s become a whole way of life for us out here. When we get a health issue our response is totally different than the mainstream, but yet I feel so much more confident in my own personal knowing the longer I walk this path. I found out, I can trust myself, even if it is kind of scary because other than a few like minded friends it’s almost sacrilegious to talk about. What, you don’t “believe” in doctors anymore!!!???

It’s not that I don’t believe in them, it’s that I realize that they are now a product of their training and education which has changed substantially over time. Changes are continuous, but it especially took a nose dive when: “Nixon signed into law, the Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973, in which medical insurance agencies, hospitals, clinics and even doctors, could begin functioning as for-profit business entities instead of the service organizations they were intended to be.”

I intend to not be profitable to them is all. Anyway, I have veered off the path again. But in a way...I grow a wide variety of herbs because I do know how to use them and most are virtually weeds and hard to get rid off, therefore free and natural. I do believe the earth has everything we need, and that many simply want to live an honorable life, in harmony with the natural forces we can so easily see at work if we but just spend a little bit of time in nature.

And now, even though I finally went for it, and now can think of many things to write about, I think I’ll get out there and get something accomplished. It’s funny how even writing can turn into procrastination after awhile. It’s cold, wet, and quite gloomy looking out there, with a lot of moisture in the air. But, if we want to be cozy warm in here the next few days we gotta cut some firewood to keep the little stove going. Every time I look at that thing, I am grateful. Good way to end this. May blessings abound....
I see your love shining out from my furry friends faces, when I look into their eyes. I see you in the flower’s smile, the rainbow, and the wind in the trees....
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Spiritwind
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Re: Farm Life

Post by Spiritwind »

Today seems like a good day to try and write something up here. I’m sitting here eating a piece of home made apple pie, looking out at the brilliant sunshine on a cold crisp morning, thinking about my day ahead.

The fire went out and I’m not starting another one yet because it burns up too dang fast and as soon as I get done here I’m heading outdoors to get something accomplished anyway. We put up a 6 foot by 12 foot chain link kennel last weekend. I want to use it for breeding in about 2-3 months and getting it ready now is a smart move. Kinda hard to do when there is several feet of snow on the ground, and I keep trying to make things go smoother and reduce the possibility of unplanned goat pregnancies. Then I put up some sheet metal roofing to cover the top of it too. Unfortunately, when I did that I stepped back off the ladder and fell backwards into a big hole that was dug when they perk tested the property. Jumped right up, and as usual, thought everything was just fine, only to realize a couple days later what I actually did to myself.

The whole health maintenance thing takes quite a lot of work, planning, and self discipline these days. I off and on didn’t take good care of myself when I was younger, especially during relationship breakups and when I first left home as a teen. I also saw my health deteriorate in the years before I had my upper teeth pulled due to severe gum disease. My teeth themselves were in really good shape and I just didn’t get it when they kept talking about deep pockets.

But besides all of that, many of us are suffering from vaccine damage (and don’t know it - all those heavy metals and other stuff didn’t exactly help us out in the long run). I had to get a lot of them to leave the country with my family to go to Honduras when I was 10. And now, today, many farmers spray their GMO grain crops with glyphosate to basically kill the plant to make for a better harvest (or at least so they’ve been sold). For all these reasons I now have trouble with my digestive system which started about 5 years ago. Never had a problem before then, but my research has revealed that it’s accumulative in nature. We kill off all the beneficial microbes in so many ways, from dryer sheets and that stupid hand sanitizer you see everywhere now (neither of which I would ever use), to deodorant, hair shampoos and conditioners, soaps, as well as household cleaners. GMO’s and glyphosate do a good job too, as our gut struggles to maintain a balance without the good bacteria needed to do the job. Chemtrails have been shown to have high amounts of aluminum. We are increasingly living in a chemical soup.

When I went to the local Holistic fair last weekend I met an amazing woman who has developed a line of skin products to help restore our natural gut bacteria. Even though her products are not ingested, our skin is one of the primary ways in which our body throws off toxins. And if all the natural microbes are gone (which many of us unwittingly help destroy through soaps, cleaners, lotions, and especially sunscreen) you may find your poor body just isn’t up to the job. I met another woman who was promoting a line of probiotic products designed for internal use too. I am sure her products probably work, but being the financially cautious person I’ve had to learn to be I will probably explore more on how to produce more of these types of things on my own. I plan to learn a lot more about fermentation. I like kimchi and used to make it, plus sauerkraut is good too. I used to do kombucha but after a few years of no one else in my group of nearby family and friends willing to even try it and having a ridiculous excess I ended up letting it go. Everyone thought I was doing some kind of weird science experiment, LOL. But maybe I’ll even try and get that going again too.

All of this takes more self discipline than I actually have, but I continue to push myself to overcome my own resistance to doing things differently and getting used to different habits. I’m writing about all of this because I know these type of health issues are becoming epidemic. For me, having intense fatigue, wanting to just go to sleep and say fuck it all, and moaning and groaning all the time because my body hurts just isn’t acceptable. Especially if there is something I can do about it. Brain fog isn’t enjoyable either. Throw in ten years of hot flashes and not feeling rested even after a nights sleep, and I realize I will find the strength, motivation, and inspiration I need. I have to much to do, and too much to take care of to just go with it.

Somehow, besides all that, I manage to get things done lately. The CBD oil really helps even if it can’t fix everything. And so I’ve been able to get some of the worst parts of the goats pens cleaned up. Thankfully (again!), my neighbor came and helped with the big pile that had accumulated in front of the feeder in the bigger pen where the Nigerians Dwarfs are, and little Miss Uma can’t jump out anymore! Woohoo! Probably three more days of not overworking myself and it will be done (except for the two bucks area - that might have to wait a bit).

I had to listen to three days of Firefly crying non stop because she was in heat. She is the only one who does that (except Cry Baby who is pregnant) when she comes in heat, and it’s annoying as hell. I can’t even let her out to milk her without holding on because she wants to run over to the bucks pen (quite some long ways away) and get them all excited. She will do this probably all winter about every three weeks, and I wasn’t planning on breeding her this year. I know I need to start winding down on the milking, but much like the goats I get into a routine and it’s hard to change sometimes. But, since it’s looking like it’s going to be a possibly harsh and long winter I do need to think about simplifying. We are already having to use the wood stove everyday, and I’m having to clear ice off all the water buckets too.

Since we may not get the water lines in before the ground freezes we plan on at least trying to get a 200 gallon propane tank in. That will make life a bit easier. And we did manage to get a good snow blower for this winter too, so that should help. A couple more batteries for the solar system are on the list. And, well, damn, the motor mount for the little car too. I’m hoping the transportation challenges will abate here anytime, anytime at all. I don’t mind being home, but this is getting ridiculous.

I do see some of the funniest things when I’m out there though, just little things. Like, we bought Ranger, our 4 year old Great Pyrenees, a stuffed squeaky toy the other day. He is big, and ferocious, and actually also like a little kid. He strutted around like he was something special (which he is!) and then went off to find a place to bury it. All quite endearing. Then just yesterday he went and dug it up and came running up with it in his mouth. And then Misha is just an overgrown fur ball. Besides changing her dog food, I also add a bit of diatomaceous earth to her food every once in a while and it always makes her more alert and active. She has had some health issues since early on, and I have no doubt she wouldn’t even be with us if I wasn’t doing what I am doing for her. Plus, they both love the cooler weather.

And I opened up the fence where the corn and sunflowers were and the goats have been loving that. They have completely mowed it down for me! I have already hauled up quite a bit of their composted poop piles from early this year to the garden areas. I find that when I do some of this in the fall I am much further ahead next spring. The whole key to gardening success out here is building up the soil. And it really shows when I see how well things grow in certain places. I’ll definitely continue to improve fencing around garden areas too. Ballerina is keeping me on my toes, big time!

We’ve already had to start worrying about water pipes and drains freezing up with the unseasonably cold temperatures, but we’re gaining on that too. Every year we realize what worked, what didn’t, and what we can do to make improvements. And that seems to be both on the farm, and for ourselves on a personal level at the same time. My mom used to say “youth is wasted on the young”. I don’t know if that is true, but I sure do wish I had figured a few things out a long time ago and not so late in the game.

And, with that, I guess I’ll get my snow pants on and get out there (LOL - can’t BELIEVE I’m already wearing them!).

Oh, yeah, and here is a link to her website (the woman I met at the Holistic fair): https://clearwatercultures.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I got her Healing Cream and it is positively divine!
I see your love shining out from my furry friends faces, when I look into their eyes. I see you in the flower’s smile, the rainbow, and the wind in the trees....
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Spiritwind
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Re: Farm Life

Post by Spiritwind »

I’m sitting here eating a banana, heating up the water to cook my oatmeal. Just threw some more wood on the fire, and thinking about my day ahead. This picture is from yesterday afternoon out here, even though the worst of it blew by us. Many in its path lost power. Fortunately that wouldn’t affect us.

Image

The forecast said it might rain a bit this morning but as I wondered why it suddenly felt so cold I realized it was lightly snowing, so the temperatures did indeed drop rather sudden like. I’m kind of glad my neighbor isn’t an early riser, as it will give me more time to get myself in the right mental mindset for the day ahead. The plan is to clean up the bucks pen and load it, and the pile that’s composted from last year, into our pickup and take it over to his sisters. We are trading poop for firewood! He put some on her garden this last summer and she saw what a boost it gave it, and we definitely need firewood.

So we have our weekend cut out for us. This next week the propane company is coming out to assess where to put a tank, so that’s exciting, and we did get the car over to our mechanic friend. They’re buying some property and are in the process of moving across the road. We finally got some wood they promised us a couple years ago as part trade on our horse trailer (which I almost wished we had kept), but it couldn’t come at a better time. We’re anticipating a possibly long cold winter. Looks like we’ll be doing some trading, as we both need some things done, that the other can do.

They know I’m all for building community, and bartering. In fact, I am very motivated to continue my journey away from reliance on money, more so all the time. So many people are not happy and constantly full of anxiety over how they are going to pay their way through life. And the disparity between the haves and have nots continues to grow exponentially. Our whole idea of what constitutes success is seriously skewed. So, I will learn as I go and face each aspect of the heavy duty programming and indoctrination as it comes up in me, that I have received my whole life regarding the role money should play in our lives. You notice, I didn’t say fearlessly. But I will move through it each time, stronger for it. Our motto is adapt, overcome, improvise, and conquer.

Besides, people have lived without it for far longer than with it. And I just cannot support the belief that money should be my primary focus in life any more at all. It’s part of what keeps us enslaved, in a system not of our making, that is pernicious, all consuming, and evil at its core. A bit of a rant, I know, but hey, it’s my thread and I can do what I want to, LOL.

So, I have a confession to make, that’s slightly embarrassing but I must. Just yesterday, Miss Cry Baby, who I commented just last post about being pregnant, is NOT! She was in heat, crying up a storm all day long. That means she totally faked me out. It’s not the first time, but I am a little surprised. Her udder did appear to start filling out, and she did put on weight and didn’t seem to be going into heat. But I guess false pregnancies are not that uncommon with goats. Yup, that goat got my goat! Kinda good though, as it wasn’t supposed to happen anyway. Danae has gotten incredibly big, if she isn’t pregnant, but now I’m not so sure about her either. Geese Louise, what a funny life I live.

Just lately, though, I have been ever more deeply reflecting on how fortunate I am, and how my husband absolutely insisting that I keep putting my time and effort into our little farm rather than getting an outside job, has afforded me a rare opportunity. Pushing back the outside world is probably one of the best ways there is to experience that elusive something we all know is possible. Maybe it’s all in my head, but I find each day a growing sense of awe, of being in that sweet spot where, like being in the eye of the storm, all is well, all is at peace. I can, in short, feel as if I am in divine presence, as if God is all around me, and in me, and there literally is nothing else. Just typing these words brings tears of knowing to my eyes. I can’t change the world, and their strange show that’s onscreen “out there”, but here it just all fades away into nothingness. I know I’ve basically said this all before, but it merits repeating. In an increasingly fear filled world and reality unfolding for so many, it’s helpful to know that there’s a place of refuge, if you but take the time to learn how to access it. From my experience, it’s time well spent.

Those moments, like just yesterday when Katniss wanted to interact with me, and I was able to just take the time and soak it up. Pure love. Or when I go out to do chores and one of the girls really wants attention, and I get to stop and scratch in that place that makes their eyes go all dreamy. And when I get to see them sleeping all nestled up with one another. They are like one big family. The horse whinny’s when I open the door in the morning, and we talk back and forth. The dogs are usually right there, and Ranger gets into his “I’m so happy to see you” mode, and runs back and forth in a blur. Then he lays down on his back to get his belly rub, which I generally go along with. So so much to be thankful for. Now I gotta take a break and go feed everyone. Hopefully I’ll get time to finish this today.

Okay, I’m back. As usual, once I get going I can think of so many things to go on about. One funny thing I’ll mention, is about my wildlife learning opportunities. We have a little family (where there is one, there is always more) of gophers who have been creating their tunnel system down between the big barn and the corn patch. First, I noticed a bunch of dirt that looked freshly dug up (because it was), and a little entrance hole some ways away. Being the curious sort, as I walk by it several times every day, I wanted to see what the cats would do. They are aware that there is something living in there, and they often spend the night outdoors. I’ve seen them stick their paws in the hole and just lay there, or even lay on top of the hole. I’ve also noticed that the little critters kept filling in the old hole, and digging a new one or two every few days, thereby creating a network. I work with the Medicine Cards put out by Jamie Sams and David Carson, which has Prairie Dog. Gophers, prairie dogs, and ground squirrels all have similar habits, building nests underground. And it appears that though our cats are quite vigilant, at least so far they are outsmarting them. For some reason, this all intrigues me. It’s also a good hint to plan for the future, as they do (and which I have been doing). Ah, life on the farm.

We also have to rebuild the boys shelter here soon. They get so rambunctious this time of year that it is falling apart. It was needing some work anyway, but, other than the roof, it’s a complete rebuild. Contemplating when to start breeding and to whom. Will save that for later musings. Wrote down when most of them went in and out of heat this last couple weeks, to help keep track of what to expect about their cycles, so I can time it right. I could write a whole other post about the bizarreness at my husband’s work, but think I’ll pass on that for now. Will just say that he is kinda thinking that when their one year lease is up on the property, the owners will probably not want to renew it. I guess it’s the building they were buying. That will be around the beginning of February. Being astrologically inclined, I’ve mentioned that I have looked ahead and know that January through March will most likely hold some surprises, not only individually for my husband and I, but also the larger collective (even though we don’t know what it is yet). So we are definitely looking ahead and planning accordingly. On the other hand, you can only be ready for so much!

Some times you just have to take a leap of faith, and trust that there will be something to land on. I kinda like the idea of having a magic carpet. Ya just never know.
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Re: Farm Life

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I’m looking out the window at the gray skies, and trying to psyche myself up to go feed all my furry friends early this morning. I kinda want to go back to bed!

It’s supposed to start raining in the next hour or so, and I’m definitely not doing any physically demanding work in the next couple days. My poor body needs a break, and it’s making it loud and clear. I went and got more wood with my neighbor this last week. We loaded up some big heavy rounds instead of splitting most of it first like we did last time. Then the next day we unloaded it. I still hadn’t recovered from that, but took my grandson on the weekend to go help a friend who was getting ready to have surgery and was in the process of moving. Wouldn’t you know it, the job ended up being stacking wood! Then we did our usual wood chopping marathon for the week yesterday, and now I’m officially not doing any more until I don’t feel like one big owie.

So I’ll write a little bit just to get started here. Probably the biggest event of the last couple weeks was getting two, 100 gallon, propane tanks put in yesterday. This should last us, if we are careful, until at least towards the end of February, depending on the temperatures. We hardly use any through the summer months, but rely on it for heating at night in the winter. Our tiny little wood stove just won’t hold a fire in it that long. Plus we use it for cooking. Now, even if we get seriously snowed in we are covered. Maybe we didn’t get the water lines in this year, but this was still a major accomplishment for us. And now that we have all the materials, we’ll get the water in for sure next spring, even if we have to dig the damn ditch ourselves.

My mind gets pulled in a lot of directions when I think about what to write. And sometimes I get pulled into just going to sleep! Which is what I did when I came back in yesterday. It was a busy day due to several does coming into heat around the same time. I had the kennel all ready to go, which is located not far from the girls pens. We moved Raven in there on Sunday. I knew Ballerina was due to come into heat soon, so put her in there with him. My grandson who was visiting for the weekend got quite a kick out of that! Unfortunately she wasn’t quite in heat yet, so was not being very cooperative. I thought my poor grandson was never going to stop laughing, from all the funky noises and tongue action coming from Raven, along with watching him pee on his face.

I felt sorry for Ballerina, and let her back out on Monday morning. Then Uma was trying hard to get out of her pen and doing a lot of tail wagging, so I put her in there with him for the day. She seemed quite willing to go. This is the best I’ve ever had it! It works like a charm. I let her out at the end of the day. Then yesterday morning I go out and Ballerina is finally in heat, and was actually happy to go in with him this time. How funny they are! I let her out at the end of the day, and suddenly Danae, who I guess is not pregnant after all, looked like she was in heat. So she went in the pen with Raven over night. And now this morning Cry Baby was in heat again (so is Karuna, but after her giving birth so young this summer, that’s a no go!), so I put her in with him for several hours. Doing it this way, I will know when they are all due, which is actually how it’s supposed to work. It’s a miracle!!!

With four of them hopefully bred now, maybe the boys will settle down a bit. Don’t plan on breeding Jewel and Vida until January, since they are still too young. That just leaves Firefly, Coco, and her two kids (who are way too young) and none of them will be bred this year (at least we don’t plan on it!). And as far as Cry Baby and Danae goes, it will be the last breeding, if she takes, for Cry Baby. It’s possible that Danae had a miscarriage and just absorbed them. I say this because we had several girls with some kind of eye infection this summer. I treated a few (maybe three of them) with antibiotics, but only those who showed any sign of infection.

According to Molly’s Herbals (https://fiascofarm.com/herbs/mollysherb ... hanks%5D=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) she had an experience where some of her girls aborted/miscarried from a similar type infection. She recommended treating the whole herd, which I did not do. So, we’ll see. Everyone seems healthy now. But I did go out one morning and saw something strange (it looked kind of like mouse guts I’ve seen the cats occasionally leave lying around - when I went back to retrieve it for my husband to take a look I couldn’t find it) and it is possible that Danae was actually pregnant for awhile. Or, they both could have just faked me out. Time will tell. Actually very happy I won’t be having any more birthings this year!

I mentioned somewhere my renewed interest in fermenting. I am quite excited to get kombucha going again, and make kimchi too. My husband loves those jars of pickled vegetables, usually cauliflower, carrots, celery etc., and I can make them at home for a fraction of the cost. Plus I’ll know exactly what’s in them. I’m really excited to start giving the goats fermented grain next year, too, as everything I’ve read is blowing my mind, especially how simple it is. I also picked up a really nice little dog house for free at the “Giving Tree” (literally a tree at a corner of an intersection out here on the road to the main hwy where people put good usable items for anyone who can use them to pick up) that I plan to convert to a chicken coup. We’ll have to expand it on each side to add nesting boxes, put some legs on it to get it off the ground, make a little ramp to the door, and, wallah! I’ll finally be able to get the chickens I’ve been wanting next spring! The kennel is already up, breeding will be all done, and we’ll be pretty much ready to go this time. And I plan on feeding them fermented grain as well! I’ve been reading some amazing health benefits when you do this for them. It’s win win all the way around, as the goats and chickens will be healthier, which means their milk and eggs should be healthier, and even the composted poop we put on the gardens should have more nutrients and good bacteria. I can’t wait to find out!

I’ve haven’t read up much yet on it, but I’m looking into what it takes to make mead, too. I’ll need to get a hydrometer. What the hey, might as well go for the gusto! So, I didn’t rant and rave about anything not too farm related, and covered most of the interesting going’s on for the last couple weeks. Think maybe I’ll quit for now. Time to get out there and do some more work anyway. Until next time...

Just adding a couple links to information on fermenting grain, in case anyone wants to know more:

https://afarmgirlinthemaking.com/feedin ... ed-grains/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://lifeatmennageriefarm.blogspot.c ... ecret.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I see your love shining out from my furry friends faces, when I look into their eyes. I see you in the flower’s smile, the rainbow, and the wind in the trees....
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Re: Farm Life

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Today is a good day to spend some time writing. I’m watching the trees outside bend low from side to side, as the gusts of wind whip them around. Sometimes I hear things being blown about, but I’m in no hurry to go look and see. I already know the hay storage area covering over by the bucks has blown over. I was going to carry some bricks over there yesterday, and neglected to do so. I figure I’ll wait until I go out to feed everyone here in a bit to assess the damage so far. I did put a lot of things away the last few days, getting ready not only for the predicted wind storm, but anticipating the snow that often catches us off guard. Once things get buried in the snow, they generally stay right where they are all winter long.

And the wood’s a little damp, so we’ve discovered if we don’t keep a good hot bed of coals going in the stove, it wants to just go out. Besides babysitting it all day, I plan to make an apple pie that even my neighbor can eat. I don’t have much room in the RV to make pie crusts from scratch, and unfortunately most store bought ready made pie crusts have lard and other weird stuff in them. I do intend to “give thanks” tomorrow, but totally keeping in mind the fact that everything us Americans have been taught about Thanksgiving is basically false.

In fact, I’ve been doing some serious genealogy research as of late. My niece gave me an ancestry.com DNA kit some time ago, and I finally signed up for the 14 day free trial they offer (yes, I know they sell our data but figure at this late stage of things it just doesn’t matter any more), which allows you to search information that is only available by subscription to their site. It’s been quite the eye opener! I found the information my second cousin had sent me, and input all of that on the family tree I started, along with other information I had found. And, so far, even though we only have reliable information on my mother’s father’s side of the family, I’ve already been able to trace it back to the Uk, as far back as the late 1400’s.

I do have a verifiable relative that came over on the Mayflower in 1620, and a number of relatives from the early Martha’s Vineyard days. I am related to people that, while independent and adventurous, had a very skewed perception of the world and the land they had just occupied, by force. Although some actually tried to get along and respect those who already called this land home, they would ultimately not be the ones to prevail. Since my ancestors are no longer here to apologize, I will do it for them. I am truly sorry for what they, in ignorance, did that contributed to what amounts to genocide. This entire continent was full of people, and, in many ways they had far more going for them than the stiff upper lipped well indoctrinated white folk who claimed to be so much more civilized. Is knowing how to live in a cage ever better than living free?

Wow, it’s really blowing outside. They did predict up to 60mph gusts. I’m almost afraid to go out! I’ve noticed all three cats are becoming much more interested in spending time inside, and on my lap. In fact, Mr. Thomas is curled up here right now. Just lately he’s been taking to grabbing my hand with his two front paws and pulling it over to his face, so I will keep scratching his neck (especially when I’m thinking about getting up to do something!). I’m trying to psyche myself up to go out as it’s just not getting any better. Goats hate the wind, so they will probably all be looking forlornly out from their shelters. I just hope there are no big surprises (other than the one I already know about).

Before I make a break for it, I will mention that my husband finally found a ventless propane heater for the well house that has a safety guard on the front, and a thermostat so we can set it on a low enough temperature to just keep it from freezing up in there. We only have one more wall to insulate and sheetrock and I’ve already noticed it doesn’t get as cold in there as it did. It will be nice not having to fill those little 5 gallon tanks all the time, except for the little heater, and now we won’t have to worry about the pressure tank freezing up either. We do have a few heat tapes to plug in, and insulated a few vulnerable areas. The biggest problem will be the RV water pipes and drains. When it gets below zero at night, and doesn’t really warm up at all for several days is when it becomes a problem. But we’ll deal with that too, as we have before. I’m tough and resilient, and solution oriented, as well as planning ahead for various problems. And I’m not sure if I mentioned we have a snow blower for this winter too. So in many ways, we will have it more together than we have since we’ve been on the property.

I’ll be back...

Things held up relatively well outside. Surprisingly, the little tiny greenhouse blew over. It hardly had any plastic left already, due to the kitties having fun on it summer before last when they were kittens, so I did not expect that. At least I don’t see any trees down so far, which is always a worry. Time for me to get busy with some indoor projects here shortly.

One thing I hadn’t mentioned, and wasn’t sure I would, is that my oldest son who is incarcerated for a couple more years yet recently got moved to a facility that is just outside the city I live closest to, so I will be able to take my two grandsons to see him, perhaps even this weekend. I guess I do take my role as “grandma” rather seriously. I did not have grandparents who wanted anything to do with my life, nor did my kids have grandparents who did. I actually see it as an important role that helps support young people in what is increasingly becoming a very topsy turvy world. I’ve learned so much, and more important is what I’ve unlearned these last many years. I can’t go back and do a better job with my own children, but it’s never too late to make a difference, and be that change we want to see.

My oldest grandson, who just turned twelve, is particularly vulnerable, as “the change” is just around the corner for him. Grappling with where his dad is, a step dad, and a mom who hasn’t been where I have and just doesn’t know what I know makes it even more challenging. I think the fact that their dad will be closer now, and she will likely have to work harder, even if it’s just with me, to make sure they get to see him as often as possible makes her somewhat uncomfortable, and perhaps even feel threatened. When he gets out, then she will really have to deal with him being in the picture again. This isn’t a judgement, I just know her quite well, and know it’s going to have some moments ahead for all of us. She is not a bad person, and I know she works hard and is doing the best she can. In many ways, she is doing a better job than I did when I was her age.

But she does have a serious problem with being truthful, and definitely can be quite insensitive to the feelings of others. So it will be a dance, for sure, to just stay centered, not allow myself to get triggered and just do what I feel is truly best for my grandsons. It’s really hard when my older grandson tells me about things that go on that upset him. I make sure I never feed and fan those feelings of discontent, as I know that helps nothing at all. Sometimes, one just has to bite their tongue, especially if whatever you are thinking can’t be said in a way that can be heard as it is intended. Not always easy to do. For me it’s a learn as you go kind of thing. I have cultivated being a better listener, and that is definitely a plus. Sometimes just feeling heard and understood can go a long way. I know when I act from the heart, it always turns out better (maybe not right away, but patience can be learned too, LOL!).

I share all this, because I know just the holiday season can be fraught with a great deal of emotional upsets, and nothing can get people riled up more than trouble with family members. I’ve learned to just stay away from most of them (works for me!), but some wonderful healing moments have actually come my way the last couple years, so all in all I am very grateful. Funny how when you get older you often see the veneer that you saw life through as young adults start to peel away, and a much more clear picture of the past begins to emerge. Especially as I’ve looked at all these photos of people in my family tree, they did not look like a happy lot. I know they had to keep a straight face for the cameras back then, but still, their eyes! It tells so much. So very much to heal in this life! So much truth still to emerge. I don’t think it’s going to be easy for any of us. But somehow, truth will prevail (and so will love!).

As I like to say, Heart to Heart to Win!
I see your love shining out from my furry friends faces, when I look into their eyes. I see you in the flower’s smile, the rainbow, and the wind in the trees....
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Re: Farm Life

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As I awoke way too early this morning, on this last full moon of the year, I began to have thoughts bubble up of so many things I should remember to do, just little things that get lost in the days shuffle, and could feel my body tensing up.

And now I’m looking out the window at the snow covered trees, and dark overcast skies, as I contemplate the day ahead. Once again I find myself visualizing, as I did earlier to release the tension in my body, a scene in which I could imagine such detail that it almost feels as though I am there. I can feel the gentle waves rolling in over the tops of my feet, as I stood with them partially buried in the sand. The smell of salt in the air, and the sound and sight of seagulls, as they fly around looking for tidbits of food. I can feel the warmth of the sun on my face, as I gaze out at the ripples of dancing light it creates on the waters before me. Nothing but beautiful blue sky overhead. Ah, yes, I could stay here forever.

Ok, I’m back. Big sigh. I don’t mind winter, and actually wanted to live where there are four seasons, although a tropical paradise would probably be my second choice. My son who was recently visiting just went back to Alaska, and I admit I would have a hard time living there. Almost light all the time in summer, and night all the time in winter. It would be difficult to adjust to.

Makes me think about the idea that the earth once rotated around Saturn and was in a state of perpetual twilight. There is a whole line of thought that goes with that, which, while intriguing, goes way off topic so I’ll try to pull myself back here, to “the Farm”. I should be itching to get on with the day, but I admit I feel resistance. There will be snow and ice removal, wood cutting, and water carrying. For some reason, when the sun is shining it’s much easier to feel motivated.

The wood cutting thing has become a real chore as of late, as more of those “little things” crop up. We need to get another better file to sharpen the chain with on the chain saw. Even at that its about a 45 minute job. So we bought another chain in the meantime, but my husband hasn’t had time to put it on. It’s dark when he leaves for work, and dark when he comes home. And then the chop saw he was also using just bit the dust, and is no longer usable. I can split (which I already did) a bunch of larger pieces, and then use the Dewalt skill saw to cut them into smaller pieces, but every time I use it, I pay dearly. Like, for days my shoulders and neck are uncomfortably stiff (got a bit of arthritis going). But I’ve been doing it anyway, because using the wood stove is the most economical way to stay comfortably warm. My husband’s planning to come home early today to get the chain saw going and saw up some of the bigger rounds we have into smaller ones, then I can can split them up into a size that fits in our stove. I, unfortunately, won’t use a chain saw myself anymore, for the same reason I shouldn’t be using the skill saw. And, I simply don’t have the strength to swing the heavy splitting mall much anymore. In fact, I’ve watched when my husband or my neighbor try to split some of the bigger heavier pieces and it just bounces off. A log splitter is on the wish list...

The goats are all doing fine. I took them for a walk yesterday, as there was a break in the weather and I knew they needed to get out. There is room to run in their pens, but not like they can do when I let them out. They love it. They race up and down the dirt access road as fast as they can go, do a lot of head butting, and scrounging around for something to eat. Not much of that right now, as everything is covered with ice and snow. I usually give them some loose minerals when I let them out too, and they literally mob me. I’m glad they are not full size goats. From here on out, except for the barn, I will have to watch the waste hay and poop build up until next spring. Somehow, some way, I hope to have a little money to pay for some help this next year. A tractor most likely won’t be on the horizon any time soon, so it’s not going to get any easier. Over time, though, I should have some of the best gardening areas around. Helps me to look at it that way.

And, I’m kind of looking ahead, which helps me too. Only 9 days to the winter solstice, and then slowly the days will start to get longer again. That’s something to look forward to. I am definitely affected by the reduced daylight hours in winter.

There is much on our horizon to ponder. One, is my husband’s job, which is still very very shaky at present. The newer people who own and operate the hotel where he works seem to be completely bereft of a moral compass, and it really shows with each passing day. It’s only a matter of time. Tick tock, tick tock. Two attorneys have contacted him, so we are really wondering if their lease on the property will even be renewed the end of January. I guess we have to wait and see. I don’t do “Black Friday” but it didn’t do much for their reputation when they neglected to pay everyone on the regularly scheduled payday, the day after Thanksgiving, and everyone had to wait until Monday. So not good.

Before the other shoe drops there, we are scrambling to accomplish one last thing before the end of the year. Two of our three cats were kittens last year, and, unfortunately chewed up one of my hearing aids. They are a spendy item, and my hearing is beyond bad. If all goes well, I should have new ones within the next couple of weeks. My son who just visited is helping a bit, otherwise it wouldn’t be happening. And maybe I can start having a life again. Seriously, I have not enjoyed most social events because I can’t hear but about one out of every three words. Generally not enough to go on. And I don’t read lips.

And the motor mounts on our one car should be done by this weekend maybe. That was the other part of the equation. I’ve learned to be very patient for the most part, but yes, there is much I’m itching to do, and these two little things will make a world of difference for me. Then we’ll just have to see what the new year brings, for all of us. I have no doubt whatsoever it will be more than a little interesting. I can feel those Plutonian energies moving under our feet, gathering momentum. I guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. Instead of saying “may the force be with us”, I think it may be more appropriate to say “may the power of love be with us”. And now I really do gotta go.
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Re: Farm Life

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I don’t have much on my “to do” list today, other than the usual feeding/watering of animals, wood sawing/chopping. So I guess it’s a good day to do some writing, even though I’m feeling a bit puny today. Part of it is eating foods I don’t eat much these days, to accommodate my husband’s fondness for traditional holiday eating habits. I don’t eat pork or beef at all anymore (haven’t for years) and if I wasn’t cooking for someone else, I probably wouldn’t eat any poultry at all either. Gravy and stuffing are also among his favorites, and while I do like the taste, it’s really not good for my digestion. Plus, we’re all, pretty much everyone I know and have seen lately, experiencing respiratory problems, runny nose, coughing, sneezing, sinus infections.

I plan to do a several day fast using the fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne routine here very soon. It would be nice if I could get past three days on it, but it’s a challenge. My sinuses clear up and by the third day I can’t hardly deal with preparing food for someone else due to the incredible smell of food overcoming me. If I could afford it, I would go to a retreat where I’m away from distractions, but alas, I must make do with what I have.

We’ve also been feeling some minor earthquakes up here in the Pacific Northwest. My husband and my neighbor have noticed them the most, as they seem especially sensitive. It’s easier to feel them out here, it seems. And I do note that during these times I seem to have more problems with dizziness and upset stomach. There were several small ones that occurred in the Fall City area of western Washington State on December 19th, as well as one close to home in Medical Lake, and a 6.2 west off Vancouver Island on Christmas Day we felt. People in highly populated areas often don’t notice them, so it kind of surprises me I found a good internet sight that shows all seismic activity in our area so I can verify what we are picking up.

It seems that some of us are fairly sensitive to the energies evoked as we approach the solstice, the three days following, and sense a sort of uptick as the days start slowly having more light. Some of us can even feel the dark magicians and their ritual activities during this time, and generally not in a good way. Not my favorite, and it is a strange mix of both down-pulling and uplifting energies all to be sorted through and felt at the same time. I could feel many things this time around, that could warrant a whole post in itself, so won’t elaborate much here.

And yesterday I wrote this and shared it with a couple friends:
“I had a rather entertaining day. The goats seemed antsy, so I let them all out to run around. Then the horse, Freckles, who hadn’t been out in a while, kept whinnying at me, throwing her head towards where they were, indicating her wishes very loud and clear. I did let her out, with her trying to help me get the chain off the gate quicker, then she proceeded to spend about a half hour chasing the goats around, up and down the road, and kicking her heals up. It was quite a show. She’d race right towards me a few times like she was going to run right into me, and I just stood there smiling at her, and she’d stop abruptly just before she got to me. Don’t know what got into her! Yes, I’m easily entertained on an otherwise cold and gloomy day.”

So it seems they were feeling it too! Today, on the other hand, does not feel very inviting for some reason. I almost feel like I want to take care of everything I have to do outside and come crawl back in bed, or, go out and shop thrift stores with money I don’t have, LOL! I probably won’t do the latter, because we still don’t have our little car back. Hopefully, fingers crossed, this weekend.

Well, it’s the next day now. I didn’t manage to get back to this and finish it yesterday. Not even sure why or where the time went. And, no, I didn’t go to the thrift stores (or go back to bed). In fact, we won’t be doing much spending at all. I have mentioned before about my husband’s job being on a downward spiral. He, and all the rest of the hotel’s employees, were supposed to receive their paychecks yesterday, but unfortunately there was no money in the account to actually cash any of them. Things are not looking good there. It’s very unlikely they will still even be open within the month. In the meantime, I’m really hoping at least this check goes through by the beginning of the week, or it’s going to be serious scramble time (and possibly a little panic). I knew this was coming, although we’ll be in much better shape if at least this one goes through. There are some very suspicious activities involved regarding the current cast of characters at the hotel, but it’s too much of a soap opera for me to go into here. Apparently, some people prefer to navigate through life with a criminal mindset, rather than using their intelligence in a way that has a glimmer of empathy and integrity, even though they would probably be more successful if they changed their orientation.

One really fantastic and amazing thing that happened, though, is I did get some new hearing aids. Good thing, as that job I mentioned maybe having to get outside the home may be coming sooner than I thought. I could go on and on about what it feels like to not be able to hear, and how it impacts a persons life. It’s huge. So many sounds I haven’t been hearing, it blows my mind. The clock ticking, for one! Like, I was sitting here going “what’s that sound?” I can’t hardly believe I didn’t even know it made a sound!!! So so nice that everyone can quit shouting to talk to me all the time. And now I can enjoy social activities again! Funny how life is such a mixed bag.

I’ve mentioned the neighbor’s dog before, a little yappy blue heeler that has a loud very shrill and hysterical bark. Well, they have been leaving it home alone quite a bit, and it’s really been making a racket lately (especially since I can hear so much better). I go talk to it, say “hi”, and “hey, you see me everyday, and know I live here!”, but to no avail. It still barks as if it constantly feels threatened, and maybe it does. Makes me feel kinda sad for it. And, surprisingly, our dogs don’t bother it. I worried about this when they got the dog, because they don’t have a fence up, and we let our dogs out every night to protect the goats. But, they have all seemed to established a boundary. Even the husky/malamute from down the road that they let run all the time doesn’t come up here anymore (it’s a cat chaser and probably would chase the goats around). And Ranger, who is not neutered, could take out either of these dogs if he wanted to, but as long as they don’t cross over that unseen boundary, he leaves them alone. I’ve watched him and Misha do a complete circle around the two and a half acres we primarily occupy (we leave the almost 3 heavily treed acres across our access road pretty much alone) and they each have their look out points, where they sit to observe as they patrol the area. They take their job pretty seriously. If they didn’t have a job, though, they would probably be roaming all over the place.

Even the cats are worth their weight in gold, to not be overrun with mice and rats. They do a fine job (except maybe on the gophers). I noticed their personalities are changing and they are becoming more and more personable. They do some of the funniest damn things, and they’ve all turned into super beggars! I wanted to post a few pictures, but until we get another working laptop my posting abilities are kind of limited. I’m already thinking ahead, though, to spring! And I have all the stuff I need now to start fermenting, which I’m pretty excited about. Hopefully I’ll be too busy to spend much time online anyway. Besides, it’s kind of depressing when I do peak my head out and look around at what’s happening in the world, especially since the news is definitely not focused on any good things happening. Good thing I already have one foot firmly planted in alternate realities and the spirit world. This isn’t the only show in town, and I can just switch the channel, and I do, often.

Once I get going I can go on and on (as anyone who reads my posts knows, LOL), but alas, I think I will pull myself away for now, and save it for another day/post. Not sure what the day will bring, nor the soon to be new year, but I figure I’m as ready as I’ll ever be, to embrace the big unknown. I’m sure it will rocking, in one way or the other. Let the games begin....
I see your love shining out from my furry friends faces, when I look into their eyes. I see you in the flower’s smile, the rainbow, and the wind in the trees....
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Spiritwind
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Re: Farm Life

Post by Spiritwind »

A new day, and a couple weeks into a new year. I’ve got several other pieces of writing I haven’t finished yet, and find it difficult to just focus on farm life itself, when so many other thoughts are rolling around in my mind. But I will try.

Everyday lately has been full of tasks here on the farm. A lot of it has to do with the weather. We’ve been getting hammered with snow storm after snow storm, with around three feet accumulated (not counting what has melted, frozen, and compacted). It’s daunting to keep up with. The snow blower we have now has a few issues, being used and all. Reverse doesn’t work, and, of course, if the snow is too wet and heavy, it doesn’t work well either. But it has helped. Still, there is plenty of plain old shoveling we’ve had to do anyway. The tarp blew off the newer hay storage area we made this last fall, in a big wind storm a while back, and we just finally got it put back on. I had it tied down pretty good, I thought. Hopefully this time it holds. Removing three feet of accumulated snow from around it just to complete the task was rather exhausting.

Even though I say I won’t do it, when I go down to feed all the goats in the morning after each storm, because I don’t want to overdo, I still end up making paths for them inside their pens to their feeders. Can’t help myself. The Nigerian Dwarfs are so short that you can’t hardly see them due to the height of the snow. And the younger ones that are Lamancha cross breeds are still pretty small too. At least they get to be in the big barn at night, where they are more protected from the elements. Poor Bob Dean, our older almost 6 year old buck is looking a little haggard, from all the jostling and jousting he is doing with Raven, since all the girls are not bred and still going into heat. This summer we want to move the boys area entirely, make better shelters for them, and separate them into two nearby pens, to hopefully help keep Bob from getting so beat up. Plus he won’t stop peeing on himself, which actually isn’t so great in frigid temperatures.

As you can see, it’s all pretty mundane stuff here. Still carting water around to all the pens, and with the temperatures lately their buckets are frozen by the evening feeding time, so they have to be completely changed out again. I’ve learned not to fill them all the way. That way, I’m not hauling a full bucket of ice to bring inside to thaw. There are five buckets all together, and then the horse’s 50 gallon water trough. For her, I boil a big pan of water and take it down there to melt some of what is in there and allow her to be able to drink from it longer before freezing. When it gets too full, like when it doesn’t even get above freezing for days in a row, then I have to switch to a five gallon bucket and switch it out twice a day. Eventually, I want to try out a solar water trough heater.

Then of course, we have wood cutting to do every week. Most of the time it’s not so bad, but when we get back to back storms, and we have to be away on my husbands days off, then it gets a little more challenging. We’ve found a good deal on presto logs from a local feed store that helps in a pinch. They also burn longer, so when we mix them with regular firewood we don’t have to feed the stove quite as frequently. My husband hit a nail when sawing some of the bigger logs we have with the brand new chain he bought, and just like that, it wasn’t sharp anymore. That’s when we jump up and down and do the mad dance! Not really, but kind of, because it’s almost an hours drive to the city, and in inclement weather it’s even more. He bought a new electric chain sharpener, but hasn’t used one before, so something else new to learn, in all his non existent spare time.

Then, just last week one of my worst fears came to fruition. We have metal steps that you pull out for the RV we live in, and the second step is slanted downwards. I’ve had a vision of one of us being tired, not paying attention, and stepping down on it when they’re icy, and going down, and that’s exactly what happened. My husband stepped out to go shut the generator off one night, and down he went, like feet out from under him kind of moment, and hit his head on the concrete blocks we added that are on top of a small pallet to make a couple more steps. Scared the crap out of me. That was one of the reasons I wanted so badly to build a cover over the entrance. I even threatened to make one out of pallets, but didn’t follow through, for I know if I’m patient he can build something much better than what I had in mind.

Then he went out the next day and did snow shoveling and wood cutting. I kept telling him that sometimes it takes a couple days to realize how bad you hurt yourself, and unfortunately I was right. To top it off I think he has developed an ulcer, probably because of all the stress from his job and the fact that he has daily life habits that don’t help and is reluctant to change. The fall seemed to exacerbate symptoms, and he has been in a fair amount of pain, enough to even give up his love of beer in the evening (you know it’s serious then!).

He has physicians assistant training and experience from his years in the military, so I didn’t need to tell him he needs to take it more seriously. I plan to do a lot more research to see how we can help heal that. There is so much going on at his job. And because of the fact that it is now involving a possible law suit by the owners and the recent visit by the health department I probably shouldn’t write about it in any detail. But suffice it to say, the doors are closing in there. He is fully working with them because he knows it’s the right thing to do, even if it puts him and everyone else there out of a job. Personally, I think a few weeks or even months on unemployment would be a good thing for him. In fact, I think if he was home we could get enough income going right here he wouldn’t have to work somewhere else. But, he’s a stubborn guy.

I have to say our dog, Ranger, seems to love this weather. He bounds through it just like a kid, and lays out in it like, no big deal! The cats, on the other hand, are spending more time in doors, and starting to get more than a little rambunctious. Fortunately, I have a squirt bottle to help fix that. Little Zoey, literally starts trying to climb walls, plus they keep picking fights with each other. I can’t sleep in even if I’d like to, because the minute I start to move around the time I usually get up, they are all there, staring me in the face. Thomas has turned into by far the largest cat I’ve ever had, and moving him, especially when he doesn’t want to, isn’t easy. At least they help keep my feet warm at night. Little miss Katniss looks like she swallowed several mice whole when she comes in sometimes, with her little tummy bulging out, and yet, all of them still run for the food dish to eat more.

It is beautiful out here, and I would post a few pictures, but until I get something besides an iPad to work with, it will have to wait. There may be a way to do it, but I don’t know what it is. In fact, there is so much snow on the trees, some of them are bent all the way over, and some have fallen across roads due to the weight. I still wouldn’t want to be any where else. Although, I have thought about downsizing even more next year, if we don’t get someone out here who wants to experience this lifestyle with us to help. It breaks my heart to even think of it, but it has crossed my mind. Especially on certain days.

I do have to get going, though. Got to heat up water, and we just discovered the hot water line in the kitchen is froze up, so gotta get to work. On and on it goes, where it ends, nobody knows....
I see your love shining out from my furry friends faces, when I look into their eyes. I see you in the flower’s smile, the rainbow, and the wind in the trees....
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