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.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

8.4.12


When I sat down to start this it was 2:22. At 2:33 the page just ceased to be. I started again, and again, the page just disappeared. I am persistent and will have my say.

We are weary.

Nik got very ill this morning, threw up and almost passed out at the market. He has a possible bite mark on his neck. Some people told me about a clinic nearby that they were sure would see him. But the clinic (Chern Clinic on hwy 14 in Ava, beside MFA) turned us away.

The receptionist was kind and clearly felt bad about the doctor’s decision to refuse to see Nik. I asked the receptionist if she thought the doctor would turn us away if he thought it was life threatening. She lowered her head and said “yes, he probably would.”. Doctor, what a funny title to apply to such a creature.

There was once a thing called The Hippocratic Oath. Or maybe that was just a fairy tale.

Apparently, the only place that will see him is the emergency room over 80 miles away.

Nik is here, in bed and feeling a better. He has a dark mark on his neck that is of concern, he woke with it around 4am. It’s not big but is larger than it was. I believe it to be a spider bite.

He’s on fluids, large doses of Vite C, Echinacea, Pau D’arco, allergy pills for any allergic reaction, baking soda draw for the bite and topical antibiotic. He’s a strong, healthy young man.

At the market things were very down. There was stress and exhaustion floating on the air like germs. People are undone. Some have given up, others have given in. There were very few customers and the few that were there walked around like zombies, sort of lost looking. There was very little vendor cahooting, mostly we just stood in our booths staring.

When there was talk it was subdued and quiet. Almost hushed like there was fear of shattering the day.

We are all just weary.

Normally this time of year I would be buying a bale of hay each week to put back for winter feeding. For the last few months I’ve been buying two bales per week and the goats are eating it all. There is nothing saved for winter.

My younger sister and brother-in-law are here. They’re fine, doing very well considering. Things are better than I expected, being a hermit and preferring aloneness, we are enjoying and appreciating them more than I can say.

They’re still looking for a better dwelling than their tent but we have a couple of possibilities and the right one will work out.

I was offered a horse on payments and the cost only being for his vet care and gelding. Even with everything else going on I am considering it. He spoke to my heart when I saw his picture and heard his story. He’s a beautiful blue/gray dapple colt. Saved by these good people but abused and left as trash before them. We have similar scars, he and I. Things will be as they will and we will see.

The hammocks are going wonderfully. I enjoy weaving them and the money is such a great boon.

There was (may still be) a forest fire not to far from us. Last I heard they were unable to get it under control and it had jumped the line for the second or third time in as many days.

Still, so far, we are safe.

While we burn, others are drowning.

There is a smallish chance for rain tonight and tomorrow. Please. Please rain.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

There is the same sense of teetering on the edge here too. Not in markets, as I work a dayjob and am never able to get to town on Saturdays, but in general.

It did rain a lot here last night, but I think it's too late for making more hay to keep animals through the winter. What hay can be found is tremendously expensive. Everyone I know has been selling off their herds. My daughter said the auction normally ends at 7 or 8 at night but went clear through to daylight the next morning and price/pound was less than half the usual.