Sunday, September 18, 2011

A Song for Your Sunday



video from here

Coop De Grace






Perfectly Flawed

The days are getting shorter and cooler. The garden is dwindling but still blessing us with a few tomatoes and beans. Thoughts of future weekends spent digging potatoes are dancing through my head like sugarplums and I am happy, content here on my little bit of land where we farm the half-assed way only we can around our health issues and full time jobs. I am at peace with our perfect imperfections and wouldn't have this any other way.

After a little paint and a few finishing touches like chicken doors it will be finished. My chicken coop, one year in the making, will finally be done.

All I can say is that it has been a blessing to spend this much time united for a common goal with my parents and even though there was a lot of swearing involved and he swears it isn't up to par, I have loved spending this time with my dad.

Pictures will be coming soon when I bundle up to go back outside. It's not exactly level or perfect but I love it even more for all it's flaws.

Hope you and your family are enjoying this preview of fall together as much as I'm enjoying mine.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Changing Seasons, Changing Roles

Here at the SemiFarm, autumn is changing leaves already and changing lives. Only a week into September, we are already gearing up toward colder weather, shorter days and the end of the growing season. This next weekend I plan to harvest the rest of the chard and put in some broccoli and start some lettuce in a few pots now that it won't bolt. It's time to rotate the guard, so to speak, and get some cooler weather crops in yet if we can.

Our garden this year isn't the only thing that is changing. In less than a week I'll be starting a new job, my daughter will have a new sitter (one of the neighbor kids), and my whole life will have to settle into a new, hopefully easier routine without the swing shifts of retail. I'll be working a normal 9-5 (really 8-4ish) for the first time in my adult life. Makes me a little nervous, really, but I think it will be great for this writer and aspiring farmer to find some routine amongst the chaos. I'm sure it is there, somewhere, just waiting for me, the ease of a regular job with people and new responsibilities. Like my watermelons are hiding among the weeds, good things are just lurking where I can't see them clearly yet is all, but very soon we will see the sun again and all the craziness will ebb as we adjust to our new routines.
We've all been busy growing and planning to get in our new roles and finish up old projects like the coop, which is nearly done. This weekend if the weather holds I plan to paint the door and build some nest boxes for the inside unless my dad plans on finishing the exterior. Then maybe we can get some fencingng in. Hubs brought home a rabbit hutch for free from  a co-worker that needs a little love too and then we will have rabbits and chickens here on the SemiFarm.
Stay tuned for more updates as we establish our little flock this fall.