Farm Decisions

Well, we finally made some decisions about how to balance the arrival of a new baby in May and what we have going on with the farm. After much deliberation, we are selling our Jersey heifer.



I knew early on that we didn't need to have a lactating bovine along with a lactating me. It took a little longer to decide to not keep our unbred heifer at all.

We have had some responses to an ad we posted to sell her, so I am hoping to have everything taken care of before winter sets in. As much fun as it was hauling 5 gallon buckets of water from inside the house out to the barn in two feet of snow and freezing temperatures last year, I thought it might not be *quite* as much fun while 6 months pregnant. But who knows, maybe I'm wrong...

Regardless, it was still a difficult decision and we'll all feel some sadness when Ellie finds a new home. We all know it is for the best, though. Just having her for the past 19 months has taught us so much about cows, farm life and ourselves. And honestly, one of the best lessons was learning that I think I may be more suited to having goats!

Next challenge will be to restrain myself on my garden seed order...

Our New Neighbors

We're all excited about the new abode on the farm!

 

It started out looking like this:

 

But with a lot of this:

 

It turned into this:
 


There's more finishing work to be done, but Ben (my brother) and Stacey moved in yesterday. And so the adventure begins- Ben & Stacey embark on their tent-living adventure and we all embark on our pseudo-communal-living adventure. Fun and challenges to come for all. I'll post more detailed pictures of the building process soon. They should be adding a working door today!

New Plan

So, what if I just write a new blog post every four months or so? Hmmm... might be too much to expect.

Just One Bite...

 

But boy are we looking forward to more now!

Family Adventures Week 2

For the second week of our Sunday afternoon outdoor family adventures, we headed up to the Blue Ridge Parkway and made our way to the Indian Gap parking area. Just a short walk down a wooded path and we arrived at Indian Rocks. And the kids didn't stop climbing and exclaiming for at least the next 30 minutes. (You can click on the photo collage for a bigger image.)

 

A flat-topped rock served as a perfect picnic table and PB&H sandwiches were enjoyed by all. Then back to the climbing and a bit of hide and seek. Curt managed to take a nap. Yes, lying on a rock. I tell you, the man has crazy sleeping skills.

We only had to have one "serious talk"-- I won't name names, but it involved a lengthy discussion with a certain 4yo about the consequences of pushing his siblings whilst they stood near the edge of a rock with a 20-foot drop to the ground. Ahem.

Stay tuned! I'll try to get the week 3 adventure post up soon so we can be caught up and ready for current updates.

Strawberry Countdown

My coastal North Carolina friends and family are already enjoying red, ripe strawberries. It's true, I saw it on Facebook. And I salivated.

We're still waiting for the first hints of rosiness to appear here in our little patch. We have strawberries in all stages-- except ripe.

Just leaves
 


Dainty flower
 


Fruiting flower
 


Greenies!
 


I can hardly wait...
 

First Iris

 

Sunday Hikes

We've been living here in this beautiful area for almost two years now. There's always something to do around the house and certainly on the farm, but we're also surrounded by wonderful outdoor opportunities beyond our little hilltop that we want to take advantage of more often.

I have been inspired by Renee at FIMBY (Fun In My Backyard) (and also at AdventureinProgress) and her family's plan to set aside one day a week to spend as a family, observing a sort of sabbath and exploring the outdoors beyond their own backyard. Check out this post for both inspiration and practical tips to make it happen.

So three weeks ago we set out on our first Sunday afternoon outdoor adventure. And two weeks ago we did another. And yesterday, yet another! I think we're catching on. Right now, what is working for us is to set aside Sunday afternoons for this. The hardest part for me is to not think about all the things that need to be done here at home- a house to be cleaned, clothes to be washed, things to be planted, weeded, etc., but I'm getting the hang of that part, too.

I waited to see if this new plan really had a chance of "sticking" before I blogged about it, so now I have three to to report on. Here are some photos from our first outing- at Douthat State Park. Soon to follow are the other two- and maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to make a habit of keeping up with our weekly outings (boating is high on the kids' list once it warms up a bit more!) and a weekly post about it...

 



 

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Just so you know it isn't just my mind that gets lost around here...

Time for Tea

Spring is uber-busy here on the farm, but never too busy for tea! And it helps when the friends who come for tea (or coffee!) happen to love planting trees and weeding the garden... especially when they bring rhubarb pie...