3.5.10

The year seems to be moving quickly along, which I don't mind as much this time of year but I hope the whole year doesn't sweep by. And I wonder what it will bring at whatever pace it chooses.

Home is where the heart is. I have no doubt about that, my heart has made a home in many odd places over the last 46 years. But my heart will greatly miss this home. It's the first home I ever really thought was mine. Ours for sure but also, mine. And I was so close. But things are as they are.

I've been asked several times why I continue working and doing here at The Burrow now, knowing for sure that it's not ours after all. The truth is I'm probably not going to be doing everything. or even trying to do everything, on my goals list. On the other hand :) what else can i do. If I don't plant we won't have as much food or income from market. If I don't tend the herb gardens I will lose a great deal of business and my own wick. If I don't fence and build the creatures won't have as good a life. If I don't continue preparing then we will not be prepared .... One of the things I said to the guy several times on discussing buying this place was that I never want to move again because I leave so much of myself behind.

Of course I can and will start again, I can do whatever I have to do and I will always find a way to thrive while doing it. There is joy everywhere, it's just sometimes a bit hidden.


Anyway, we got a good deal done this week.

Sunday we put up fence for the largest pen and tho it's not finished, i ran the fence around and added the gate so that it can be used to rotate the goats and give them more browse. Today was the first day that the bucklings stayed with the does all day. The main goat pen, where the does are, is also where Herc lives and he's still a bit young and rough for the kids. Matilda butts them a bit, or tries, they just pop away from her if she gets to close. Today she was less inclined to even try.

On Monday we took recycling and made the monthly feed store run.

I got more seeds started Monday and Tuesday, I'm not sure how many total now but I think there are around 30 little cups and 3 small tubs. And, we have sprouts already :) English Thyme, Soapwort and Lemon Bee Balm.

Tuesday the bucklings turned 7 weeks and I've begun weaning them. I feel bad for doing it, if they had their mams they wouldn't be weaned so early but I am exhausted from feed every so many hours a day and the milk is very expensive. I feel bad for them but I'm so relieved that in another week they'll be weaned completely.

Tuesday and Wednesday I was able to hang out all the laundry, tho i washed it all inside. it was to dusty to hang any today but I was finished anyway :)

Thursday we picked up three 55 gal food grade barrels and four 5 gal jugs from our friend Bonnie. I had ordered four barrels but only 3 fit in the blazer. We had a nice drive to pick them up in Ava and I was pleasantly surprised that they were better than I expected. I still need to get them washed well but they'll be wonderful additions to our emergency water supply and catchment.

Today we got the back fence up on the two main gardens, or almost. I realized we had used the last of the fence poles for the larger pen, so the fence is there but not up.

We also did some cleaning up around the yard and are reorganizing the firewood piles/stacks. We have 4 different types, wood that's cut but way to big for our tiny stove (it has to be cut down with the bow saw or some with the chainsaw), wood that's cut down and may or may not need to be split, small dead trees or large limbs we pull up from the forest to be cut up with the bow saw, and the kindling wood that needs to be broken up. We're getting it all sorted properly but the wood to be split is in the vegetable garden at the moment.

There were also the assorted tea orders to fill, laundry, dishes, sweeping the carpet because the vacuum died, making beds, feeding animals, gathering eggs ... those sorts of things

I also had a bit of bad news this week, my market booth hasn't done well at all so I'll be closing it next week. I really had high hopes for it but this is my 3rd or 4th attempt at a flea booth over the years and they have never done well. I guess I'm just not a flea market person. Except for buying that is! I do some of my best shopping at flea markets :)

And now I'm going to go read a bit, The Last Ship, and have a nice glass of wine :)