Late Winter Update

2/6/10


Shabbat Shalom, dear readers!

It's still winter here at Make-It-Do Farm. Got our third snowfall last night, before the former had even melted. The trees are gorgeous this morning! This snow is wetter than the last and although only an inch or two accumulated on the ground, it really stuck to everything; every little limb, leaf and pine needle, set behind with a perfectly grey sky. Stunning. I'm ready for spring now.

Okay, I say that, but I'm not, actually. I need this winter to prepare my body for the work coming my way this growing season. The tiny garden at my window sill needs a place outside soon. When I think that in a few short weeks it'll be time to work the ground, I just sigh and pray for healing. My back is still a wreck. A little better as I've learned what I absolutely can't do and what I can and when, as well as regularly stretching and strengthening the other muscles that are supposed to be helping my back carry it's load (amazing what bearing children will do to your body - a sacrifice I don't for a moment regret)... but I'm still pretty limited and the littlest wrong movement often has me flat out for a few days. It's been a trying season, to say the least.

I look forward to spring in spite of that. I used to be the biggest fan of autumn, but I've converted to spring loving, if for nothing else but it's unrelenting, irresistible, ineffable hope. Winter can cast a shadow upon the most cheerful, resolved heart. Yet the most miserable person must be very committed to their position to resist the allures of spring. Sorry if that's not spiritual enough for some of you. It may show a decided lack of faith to be so moved by seasons, by circumstances. I've wondered if I have the faith for winter, both physically and spiritually speaking. I think I do. My faith always speaks to me, in the dead of the most miserable, grey winter, that spring is right around the bend and that I'll be there to meet it. With bells on. And maybe a back brace.

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Around the homestead...

Two of our three goats are swelling nicely with kid (the third being too young to breed). They're due in mid April and so this week I'm drying Dessy up to give her a break. Funny, last year I dried her up in late fall because I wanted the break. This year I'm loathe to give up the milk. We have decided we just cannot drink that poison that passes for milk at the super market and so have literally milked every drop from our goat. I've called around and have found raw cow milk at $6 to $9 a gallon. Yikes. I found goat milk on the other side of town for $6.50 a gallon and am due to pick up a couple gallons this 1st day. It's all the lady can spare right now since her kids are getting most of it. She also has cows due to freshen in April and sells a lot of milk, usually. I don't know if it's "organic," but at least it's raw and nearby. My own milk and eggs aren't organic yet, but I'm working on it.

This same lady has a nice little Jersey heifer for sale. I'm sorely tempted to buy it. I've decided I definitely want to get cow and Bobby has given me the go-ahead, but after much consideration, I don't think we're ready. We just don't have the place to keep her, her hay, or her manure. I know I'll hit it off with a cow, but we'll still keep a goat or two.

So, this year we hope to invest in fencing and outbuildings. The chicken coop will be doubled in size as I plan to pick up a couple dozen chickens in March and sell eggs later this year. The barn will have some additions for hay storage and animal shelter. I'm reading everything I can about crop rotation, improving pasture, and herbs for healthy critters. We're planning a small shed for storing tools and the odds and ends that collect around our place. When we moved in three years ago the only outbuilding was the well house. Buildings are expensive. We've added a small coop and barn, but they don't have much room for anything not critter related. I tell ya, if there were outbuildings on your property when you moved in, be grateful!

So, about half of our tax return is going toward bills - catching up and savings - and most of the rest toward home maintenance and improvements, including a new water heater and vehicle repairs. Also, we're having our dogs "broken" (that is, spayed and neutered - can't really used the word "fixed"), which is no small chunk of change with our big dogs. Remodeling the attic to a bedroom takes back burner again as we tackle the outside needs. Six kids in one room is working fine, so why rush? Besides, until we have outside storage, we need the "spare oom" for our junk. We had hoped to put down a significant portion toward our debt, but as it turns out, very little will be able to go that direction.

Bobby’s been working away from home a very little bit and every time I’m tempted to get cranky about his rate of pay or the frequency of said pay, I repent and praise Yahweh that he has any work at all. Also, that he has so much time at home.

We had some pretty nice weather mid to late January (some days in the 60’s) and when he’s home I’m sometimes able to talk him into helping me clean up outside. The place really is a wreck with all the trees down in various stages of firewood - untouched, branches cut off but trunk not bucked up, bucked but not split, split but not stacked, branches piled but not burned. You know that cranky feeling you get when your house is cluttered and how peaceful it is to have it clean again? Well, there’s not an area of our property (right around the house, anyway) that has that nice, uncluttered feel.

Bobby tends spread his work around; a little here by the house and a little there in the orchard, and I think he gets overwhelmed with all there is to do, so we’re helping each other by dividing the property and working on just one area at a time. We’re almost done with the goat "pasture" (about 1/4 of an acre or less - more of a glorified pen). We burned an old couch and it was just what we needed to get the wet brush to burn. My hat's off to my husband; I didn't think we'd get them burned off until late spring!

I played around with our garden plans for quite some time, trying to fit in all the varieties I want in the quantities I want. Ha, ha. It's a good thing I don't have the land for it, I'd bite off way more than I could chew. We're not enlarging this year, and although I always say I'm going to grow more of the basics and less of the froo-froo stuff, I always end up with an area planting in trial veggies.

It's awful nice to be gardening in January. Just after the first of the year I seeded some leeks and onions in flats. Soon after that, some lettuce, then cabbages and peppers. Next week I'll sow the rest of what I plan to start indoors - tomatoes, flowers and herbs. (I've got the fall garden all planned out, too, so this year I'll have no excuse.) I'm in a bit of a pickle for where to put everything, though, and how to keep it warm enough, with enough light. Everything might have to wait for the tax return so I can get some plastic and lights and shelves, like I did two years ago. We have some of the things we need to build a greenhouse, but won't be able to get to it until spring, if then. I'm just going to start my seeds and work fast on getting space ready.

It's been a good season for study. Contrary to popular belief, the Encyclopedia of Country Living is not the only book I study. =) Bobby and I have been up to our ears in scripture and are continually thrilled at where our Father takes us when we seek to know him better and are willing to explore his word. There's enough there for several more blog entries and I do hope to write some soon on what we've been learning.

I also hope to upload some photos of the children in another entry. The pictures will do much more justice to them than my many loving words.

Until next time!