New Shoes
Well it has been a full year–four full seasons–on the farm. Do we love it, yes! Is it a lot of work, yes! Has it been an adjustment living further away from town, yes! Has it been worth it, absolutely!
A little over a year ago I hung up my Choo's (that's Jimmy), and traded them in for muck boots. The kind of boots that can get filthy, with shit up to your knees, that somehow become routine to clean and start fresh each day. The journey of owning a farm has been hilarious, life enriching, exhausting, devastating, rewarding beyond measure and filled with daily life lessons.
I loved my beautiful, glamorous house in Oak Cliff, Dallas. If something broke someone could be there to fix it in a matter of hours. The grocery store was down the street. Any delicious take out you could think of was at your fingertips. The sounds of airplanes overhead, traffic, and neighbors on their evening stroll (with the occasional helicopter spotlight and celebratory gunshots on pretty much every holiday, that I don't miss). A year and thousands of miles later, I wake up to the sound of our creek, birds of every kind, a particularly timely rooster, named Owl, and occasionally some wildly eerie and captivating animal sounds coming from the mountains that surround us. If something needs fixing, it probably takes days, maybe weeks. A quick trip to the store? Not happening. As far as take out goes... you mean from mom's kitchen? That's life now.
Many days I find myself trying to figure out what I am supposed to be doing. Having lived life every hour, on the hour for decades, now I only really need to adhere to the daily cycle of nature, sun up, sun down. I often feel confused about what it is I am supposed to be doing other than following the circadian rhythm of life. Then I have to remind myself, I am doing it. I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing. I am living life and finding the fullest expression of who I want to be, and giving my son space to grow his spirit and let him run wild! Our days are spent enjoying the company of those who don't speak human and have fur or feathers, rather than hair. Do we miss the social life? Sometimes. Do I miss getting dolled up and wearing my fancy shoes? Occasionally. But this new lifestyle feels like a cozy sweater you can't wait to put on with a cup of delicious coffee and a roaring fire.
Last year was filled with new experiences and endless life lessons.
After spending a couple of months unpacking, getting school situated for Clark, and REAL WIFI established, it was finally time to set up my new business, Heirloom Springs. The real planning would begin, first up–the farm.
In February 2021, I got busy working on my new gardens. I planted our stone fruit orchard (4 cherry, 4 peach, 3 plum) and started sprouting over 50 varieties of heirloom seedlings. The first goal was to grow enough food that it would feed my family and I'd have some to give to friends. No problem! In fact, I was able to put away much of my harvest through the freezer and canning. On these cold bitter days lately, it is fantastic to make a delicious pot of tomato basil soup or peach pie and reminisce of summer.
By March I had ordered my honey bees, Italian ladies, taken a beginner beekeeping class, and most importantly had found my new beekeeping mentor, Allison. When my girls arrived in April we set up their new house and let them get busy. I harvested two quarts of liquid gold! I am told it was a success that I was able to harvest any honey at all for my first year. Bees are by far the lowest maintenance on the farm, while simultaneously the most complex. In short, they are amazing and I love them! 2022 my goals are to expand my 2 hives, to 4, and truly establish an apiary.
April was a big month on the farm in 2021. We started two feathered flocks and construction began on the 'Chicken Mansion' and 'Duck Condo'. Our baby ducklings showed up first. OMG they were so cute and fun. First baths, watching them eat and play could consume hours of time. We were in love. But it was not easy. In fact this brought our first hard farm lesson. My son had fallen in love with one of the ducklings and named her Waddles. While her sisters were growing bigger, she was roughly half their size and on Easter, Clark's favorite, Waddles, died. We cried, hard. How could you get so attached to an animal so small, who had only been in our lives and this world for a few short weeks. Clark looked at me with very sad eyes and said "if this is what owning a farm is going to be like, I don't want one." After composing myself and thinking about how to respond, I said, this is life. We are born, we live our best life that we can, and we die. The prognosis of our sweet Waddles was what is referred to as "failure to thrive." This brought up so many philosophical thoughts. I know this is a term used for humans also, but those words "failure to thrive." We have to live our best life, we have to work TO THRIVE, we have to enjoy the work we do, and it has to be meaningful and drive purpose so that we always thrive! RIP Waddles. We had a funeral for her and buried her under our weeping cherry tree behind the house. Being on a farm brings hard lessons, but living life to the fullest is the most important lesson of all. I told Clark in the future choose the fattest, meanest one as his favorite! He did, her name is Pinch, she is alive and well...
About 3 weeks after our baby ducklings showed up, our baby chics came in the mail, yes they mail them. Oh were they cute, loud, and VERY messy, but so cute. Did I mention both sets of these new feathered family members where in my house, specifically our breakfast nook, at the same time? I bought large water troughs from Tractor Supply and set up their brooders inside so they could be kept warm and safe. Jake (our Aussie) was both very pleased to keep such a close eye on these new little things, but also might have wanted to eat them... The chicken mansion was well over a month behind schedule, the baby chics were now figuring out how to get out of the brooder, Jake had to be barricaded out of the breakfast nook and Russell expressed to me, no more animals in the house! I promised no more in 2021, but hey new year!
After a few too many weeks inside, the chickens went to their new digs and the ducks were able to head to their condo, with a pool, and make their home in the orchard. Both feathered friends are expected to do their job of keeping pest control in check, fertilize, and providing glorious eggs.
I had two more animals in mind that were on the short list for year one–goats and Guineas. Our twin brother and sister duo of goats came to us from one of my new farm friends in August. They are darling, mischievous, incredibly smart and very demanding! Oreo, our little boy is a pasture pet and a brush eating machine, while his sister Reese is our future milk mamma. I have had a lot of fun with them. We love taking them on forest walks and watching them play! My future endeavors are to get into the art of cheese making and yes, that means baby goats are in our near future. We have to find Reese a suitable suitor first. To be continued!
Lastly for 2021, we added Guinea Fowl. They are loud, smell, and really dumb... they are definitely low rung favorites. In fact Russell hates them, they drive Clark crazy and the jury is out for me. Their pay off is supposed to be serious pest control, including ticks. I will report back as the 2022 gardening season is upon us.
The balance that comes to life when you bring in farm animals, is the natural balance of prey and predator. It is one that is really important to consider on a farm, and how will you keep your animals safe. We knew it was important to also recognize biodiversity. How do we respect nature when, after all, we are the newcomers. Case in point, we had another fatality with our beloved ducks. We ran out to the orchard to find a hawk still sitting on top of our lifeless, warm, duck. Unwilling to leave his prized catch, we couldn't blame the hawk, after all we were in his world, that was a hawk just being a hawk. We yelled and cried and Clark told the hawk "go eat someone else's ducks, ours are special," which made me cry harder. We were the ones that brought in the prey, and easy ones at that. We need the hawks. I need them to eat the moles, voles, mice, and squirrels to help me maintain my gardens. I think the word here is balance. I was so proud of my boy that day. He let that hawk go on its way, and buried yet another one of his sweet ducks. Tears rolling down his face, he grabbed the shovel, I asked if he wanted help, he declined and went to the weeping cherry tree in the backyard again. After $18 and a few hours later, the orchard now has fishing line strung overhead. Farm lessons...
It's easy to fantasize about how glorious farm life is. To look at pictures of beautiful, pristine farmhouses without realizing the amount of shit on everyone's boots. The life lessons are endless and the natural beauty around us is breath taking. Being on the farm puts life in perspective and invites you in to live as you were meant to.
While there is still snow on the ground, it's exciting to think about what the soil is doing and how life is waiting to spring back up! We'll see what 2022 has in store for us beyond a new pair of muck boots.