Sunday, May 5, 2024

Farm Life-Like

Inspirational song: Thank God I'm a Country Boy (John Denver)

For years now, the back yard has been the lowest of the low priorities around here. It was always overlooked in favor of "build season" on the mountain every summer, and ignored the rest of the year while a certain gentleman was focused on being an educator. Every so often I'd whine about not having the flagstone patio put together or whatnot, but it didn't make anybody feel better about the yard when I did. 

This year I have hope. He has found a renewed interest in gardening here, having built a hoop house (that we didn't really use, but we have it for later), purchased a practice greenhouse, and moved forward with the bees. Today's big project was assembling the greenhouse frame, and realizing how ludicrously large it is for our needs and alloted space. It will definitely be a short-term solution, and we will be designing a more permanent and appropriately-sized structure later. The spot where it's going was buried in flagstone, black walnut logs, and reclaimed lumber for years. He put in hours of clearing and moving. I carried like 5 of the logs and ripped up some volunteer catnip to bring inside. 

I had to go to Lowe's for more nuts and bolts for the greenhouse, so naturally we turned it into lunch and play for four all afternoon. We ate at Modern Market, and then parked where we could access Michael's, Petco, and Lowe's all in a row. The kids had so much energy to burn off, and any attempt at restraint was met with age-appropriate tantrums. 

I feel like I need to start immersing myself in homesteading culture. Farming, beekeeping, herbal remedies, canning, all of it. I'm currently steeping a concoction of lilac flowers and blueberries, so I can make jelly. I'll probably have a lemon balm (and other stuff) tea before bed, with plants I weeded yesterday. Heck, I even went in public in overalls today. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I need a farm. What's the lotto at right now?

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