What a delightful week! Sunshine! Warmer weather! A lull in Fiber Friends orders (ah, post holiday season- darn you) and homesteading chores calling to me from the barn. Oh, what a feeling to have sore muscles from doing chores! Yes, i’m happy about sore muscles!
Thursday and Friday were quite productive for me this week. Some of the highlights:
1. Giant pallet of ancient, rusty cans full of pears (most likely hog feed from years gone by) tossed, 3 by 3 into a friend’s loaned trash trailer. Oh, the smell of fermenting pear juice – not a good thing in this case! (and yes, i am that weirdo that takes documentary photographs while she does chores.)
2. I successfully closed off one side of the barn using a newish gate that was previously baling wired in the inside of the barn and hung it on reclaimed hinges off a mangled, un-usuable gate from near the house. I’m digging this “using stuff that’s on hand” concept! Too bad most of the stuff that’s on hand is disgusting and rusty…. case in point: pallet of ancient canned pears….
3. Although some (Pocket) may enjoy relaxing on this lovely sofa in the middle of the barn… i felt it looked more fitting on the trash trailer. Look, ma – i did that all by myself! Let’s hear it for hand trucks and Ethel Utility Gloves!
4. I’m cringing a bit on this one, but i found an experienced (and insured) logger to fall a few trees for us. One is spindly and blocks valuable kitchen window light, the other has a bleeding scar and leans threateningly towards the house. I’m crossing my fingers that they each fall where the guy wants them to do (on the lawn, not on the house or other trees) but he’s a pro so i’m counting on his expertise!
And finally – here is the first photo in a series i’ll be adding to for the next foreseeable future. On the first of every month i plan on taking a few shots of the homestead from this same vantage point. I can’t wait to look at them all in a few years to see how things have changed and hopefully improved!
How’s life in your little piece of heaven? What chores or fun diversions are keeping you outside (or inside) this weekend?
Yea!!! Progress feels good. I got out to the over grown garden and chopped down some blackberry bushes. Now to rent a tiller and get to gardening.
Melissa recently posted…Our First Oregon Christmas
I absolutely love seeing your posts and the progress you’re making on the homestead. No gardening chores for me right now – it’s so dry out there, no rain, some freezing nights, just water the Square Foot Garden and wait for some rain. I have to keep my veg/herb garden small – terrible shallow soil, deer and rabbits so the SFG is fenced in. Have to water every other day in the summer. Gardening in Central Texas is a challenge – too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry, bugs, critters…but I soldier on.
Deena O’Daniel recently posted…Roman Army Recognized the Value of Cats
Thanks, Deena! It is great fun. Next week – before and after the 80 year old tree was felled!
Here in South Austin we are harvesting lettuce every day or so and tending the raised beds full of various greens, beets, onion family members, and repotting the first of many tomatoes and sheltering them in the pop up greenhouse. First time to procure a Green Zebra tomato — my Portland, Oregon, cousin loves them and suggested I try them.
oh, i miss winter gardening in texas! I love green zebras – great choice!
glad you are getting rid of those trees. We had some like that and they almost came out of the ground during high winds. Had to get them removed fast.