Wild Moon Cottage is a small working homestead in the pristine Ozark Mountains. We have dairy goats, poultry, organic herb and vegetable gardens, a start of a tiny fruit orchard, several black walnut trees, wild berries and fields of wildcrafting goodness. We raise our own milk, our own eggs, much of our own medicine and food. I do laundry by hand, make my own vinegar, candles, soap, bread, cheese ........ For a living I am an artist and herbalist. My goal for myself and our homestead is to be as self sufficient and self sustaining as possible.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Contemplating the Wind

What a year it's been. More so, it seems like we had a double year, most of 2010 and 2011 melted together in painful chaos. But preparing the ground for growing can be a bit like that. So now, most of what we do is planting seeds.

These past winter days have been amazingly bright and warm. Who knows what it means but I am enjoying them greatly nonetheless. Today tho, bight and warm in the sun, there is a very cold and hard biting wind afoot to remind me that it's still winter.

The wind has always drawn my mind away and into contemplation, memories, day dreams... Lately I have thought of my mother and grandmother. Thankfully not grieving, I am much tired of grieving. Rather I have been able to think of Them. The people they were and are. I learned a long time ago to look past all the bad and piece together what good there was but somewhere in the last 2 years I forgot. I am remembering it again and I am grateful.

I suppose it's a matter of wounds needing to heal and until they do, you only see the horrible gash. But heal they do and all that remains are the scars. I never minded the scars, never minded them at all. They are just a part of being.

In these warm winter days we have gotten a good deal done. I love this life, more than I can say. But the other day Nik said exactly that to me, that he loved this life. I didn't realize how important that was to me until he said it.

The people count here has changed a bit lately.

Goat-wise, I sold Thunder so for the winter we only have Thistle left. I am fairly sure she's pregnant, I can feel 2 wicks besides her own. Hopefully come March we'll have 2 more goats and hopefully at least one will be a doe.

Pig-wise, we have 2 now. A friend who was downsizing gave her to us and Mr Pig loves her. We've named her Walnut and she's fitting right in. I've taken pictures but will have to wait and process them on my computer. I'm having to use Nik's to get online.

Rabbit-wise, there are at least 4 babies doing wonderfully! They're Gingerbread's babies, about a week old now and starting to get fur :) :) :) Sadly, the first litter, Beatrix's, died because she nested on the floor of the colony house (now called The Burrow) and I believe they froze or were crushed. I should have moved them to a box and will if it happens again. The other of the first 3 to become pregnant, Cocoa, may have not been or lost them somehow, they've not been found unless some of the 4 that died were hers. She does tend to and help feed the other litter tho. I'm so happy and thankful at how the colony is working out. We have 2 more likely pregnant females, Alice and Esmerelda, and they should be due this week at the soonest.

Everyone else is the same, cats, dogs and poultry. I surely hope the cats and dogs stay just as they are. But I'll hopefully be getting more poultry pretty soon. Several of our hens are getting older and I'm wanting to go back to raising Buffs, RIR's and Barred Rocks.

We have several meat roosters that need to be put in the freezer but I absolutely loath killing and, altho I do it when really needed.

Our main meat for the last few months has been venison and chicken. We've eaten like kings on it. I loath killing at all but I so greatly appreciate the meat.

Other goings on are that we're building better indoor stalls in the barn for goats and an area for a larger creature if needed (milk cow someday). Also working to get a horse shelter built in the pond field.

A lot of firewood cutting and splitting, kindling and starter gathered. We did get a great load of red cedar cut for free from another friend. Yes, we have some Very Good Friends :) But who knows when a blizzard or icestorm could fall on us. regardless, we'll have more ready when we need it.

I've been working a little at a time toward an outdoor kitchen, mostly in the collection stage now.

I'm also collecting pieces of guttering or anything that can be used that way for the cistern. It still needs better cleaning out and we may end up draining it to do that. Then I need to find a manual pump for it and we'll have usable water without the need of electricity.

On a bummer note, we're back at it with the insurance. Our new company, Farmers, will insurance a woodstove as only heat But, the underwriter, Foremost, says our woodstove has to be UL approved. Our very fine wood stove is homemade and doesn't qualify *-* So now I'm looking for a UL wood stove within my price range (which is the tax payment money) of 100. or less. It truly is Always something. I will not give up and will fight to the end for this place but I don't understand why everything is a fight, a constant fight to keep this place and none of it to do with the actual paying/buying of the house.

All will be well tho, I'm sure of it :)

And now, back to work. I hope everyone's New Year will be filled with all good things, much prosperity and great love!

1 comment:

Hidden Haven Homestead said...

Juli, our insurance wouldn't cover us with only wood heat so we got a wall vent less gas heater and installed it. We never use it but its there and the insurance company is happy. It hooks up to a small portable tank or could be hooked to a larger one. So glad to hear how things are with you. Think of you often my friend.