A little background before we get going again.
Now that we have the basics of where I am at this time and what is occupying my time, lets take some time on two subjects for the next couple of weeks. The first being an introduction to our little wanna be farm and the second being the road to becoming able to live a self-sustaining existence. At nearly 65 years old it’s a little late for both, but I am going to try with the help of a strong and healthy husband and a like-minded daughter.
I grew up on a farm and spent 35 years away from it first in college and then following my husband around the world as an Army wife, briefly a missionary to the military and then with his career in portable X-ray. All of those gave me little time or space to do much gardening or farming with a few brief exceptions. In July of 1999 my mother was told that she had 6 months to live. She wasn’t much older than I am now but had abused her body to the point it was quitting. I moved here to help take care of her and my Dad who’s strokes had caused him some problems. To keep myself occupied I got a couple of bantam hens with a bunch of chicks. Soon they were joined by some turkeys and some Rhode Island Reds. Along came a couple of geese and 3 goats. Last came the rabbits. A buck and a doe. My Dad built me a great 3 room rabbit house that nestled next to the chicken house I had built and we started having babies.
And so the story begins.
My Dad and his friend plowed up a nice plot of ground for me and fenced the deer and elk out and I started my gardening adventure. There are so many memories of that first year. The baby geese were in my hip pocket all time and “helped” me in the garden. Sometimes I had to just stop, sit in the dirt and play with them until they would leave me alone to work. When it got tough going with my Mom’s illness, the animals kept me going. They gave me time away from the constant care and sadness of her illness. On December 27, 1999 she passed away and I was ready to move back into the 5th wheel I had been living in and my Dad asked me to stay here and I haven’t left since. He moved out and then later to Montana to start a new chapter in his life. I became a farmer and never wanted to go back to my old life.
There are a few things don’t like about farm life….the main one is butcher day. The other one is that I just plain get tired. It seems like the more you get done, the more there I to do. I have it in my head that you don’t play until your work is done and it’s never done. Therefore, from May until October, there is no play time. This time of year, I can relax a little and play. One thing I do in the summer is stop when I get company or a neighbor stopping by. Don’t ever think you are interrupting me…you are giving me the only break I will get that day.
This coming summer, Tina and I are getting our fishing licenses and taking time to do some fishing. That will be our play time and relax time. It has been a long time since either one of us has been fishing but hopefully it is like riding a bike…once you know how, you don’t forget. We certainly have the worms from our compost pile. Although, I am going to start my nightcrawler collection as soon as Spring gets here.
That’s it….have a great day.
