We're really in the crunch now. Gardens are slowing down, seeds ate falling off the weeds, and geese are winging south in noisy lines. It's time to tidy up, batten down, and snuggle in. Our first killing frost should be coming soon, followed too quickly by snow. Rumor has it this winter will be longer, snowier, and harder than the last. It was a balancing act last year, keeping us warm and comfortable without spending all our time and money doing it. We're more prepared now. Hopefully all our work this year will tip the balance our way.
Not-So-Evil Ex fixed my old computer, so it should be easier to stay connected through the indoor end of the year. I also should be able to post photos again soon. That is, if there's anything to post photos of other than a blanket of white.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Thursday, September 11, 2014
11.9.14
Time is marching on, as it does, and is taking our summer with it. The whole summer has been unusually and pleasantly cool, rarely reaching the 80s, and only hitting 90 a time or two. We've had a blanket on the bed for most of the summer, but now we're up to two blankets. And today, for the first time since spring, I have had to shut the windows to keep out the damp chill.
Winter is closing in quickly, reminding us that we need to step up our efforts in preparation for the snowy months. We've put up almost 300 jars of food, along with some onions and squash that will go into cold storage. The chickens will soon be moving into their upgraded home, and the tools now reside in a brand new shed. There are packs of insulation on the porch, waiting to be installed, and the wiring for our solar power is almost done.
But with the good news comes the bad. The tractor is broken again, with little hope of fixing it in the near future. The ceiling insulation requires a taller ladder than we own (in fact, we currently own no ladders at all, the last two having inconveniently died). Fencing for the chicken run must go in before the ground freezes, and at the same time we need to dig three large holes for our trash can "root cellars", or we'll lose our squash and onions. And for both the chickens and the cellars, we need to somehow find room in the budget for straw. It's wonderful to see all we have done, but overwhelming thinking of all we still have to do - and absolutely must do - within the month or so before the snow flies.
Will we finish it all? I honestly can't say. We've done so much but so little. This kind of life is simple, but certainly not easy.
Winter is closing in quickly, reminding us that we need to step up our efforts in preparation for the snowy months. We've put up almost 300 jars of food, along with some onions and squash that will go into cold storage. The chickens will soon be moving into their upgraded home, and the tools now reside in a brand new shed. There are packs of insulation on the porch, waiting to be installed, and the wiring for our solar power is almost done.
But with the good news comes the bad. The tractor is broken again, with little hope of fixing it in the near future. The ceiling insulation requires a taller ladder than we own (in fact, we currently own no ladders at all, the last two having inconveniently died). Fencing for the chicken run must go in before the ground freezes, and at the same time we need to dig three large holes for our trash can "root cellars", or we'll lose our squash and onions. And for both the chickens and the cellars, we need to somehow find room in the budget for straw. It's wonderful to see all we have done, but overwhelming thinking of all we still have to do - and absolutely must do - within the month or so before the snow flies.
Will we finish it all? I honestly can't say. We've done so much but so little. This kind of life is simple, but certainly not easy.
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