We just passed our 6 month anniversary, here at the new place. I can’t hardly believe it’s ONLY been 6 months! Oh my goodness… whenever I catch myself thinking that all our plans are not getting done and accomplished, I just have to set back a moment and think, ok, 6 months ago, we had no clue if we would be farm owners or not! We had really only just begun to formulate our battle plan and get the troops together!!! And now… six months.

We just have not had a routine day, yet. I really don’t think so. Everyday has been something of an adventure, some thing that needs to get done, some project in the works, something to get dirty with. Maggie and I went to get kerosene at the local gas station and I walked by a window and caught my reflection. Oh my gosh, I look like one of the natives!!! Plaid woolen shirt, dirty t-shirt, farm boots, good worn jeans… haha and a bandana over my hair… I look like some rural gal for sure. Proud to be dirty because it means we’re WORKING hard.. and getting stuff done. I got pony poop on my shoes and goat slobber on my arm and I’m pretty sure it’s muddy dog paws on my t-shirt. And I’m proud of it! Haha… okay, well, I do think I clean up pretty well, but it’s still kinda fun to be so ah, rough. And the best part? We’re not even the roughest looking at the Quicky Mart! There’s a dude with concrete and paint on his boots and a couple good layers of crud on his Carhartt jacket. There’s a lady with a couple youngins in muck boots and way dirtier t-shirts! And no one looks at you funny at all!

They smile now. That’s cool. Smile and nod, say hello. AIn’t really best of friends yet, but passing that six month mark says that they approve, at least this far. Of course, the winter will test us for sure and then, maybe, in the spring, if we’re still around and all, then we just might be accepted as bona-fide rural folk. That will be a day to celebrate! Probably buy a steer or something. Maybe build something dirty. That’s what we do out here to celebrate.

Jessy has been working on orders most of the day, and tending the inside stock. She’s my best chicken mom around when the chicks are little. But once they get big feathers and all, she doesn’t really want a lot to do with them. And she’s the kitten wrangler. The kittens are just about ready to start going to their homes… they are 8 weeks old on Wednesday. Cornelius bunny is doing fine. He was eager to get let out this morning and was much more happy to see Jessy. That made her happy. He was playing with the kittens for awhile and that was amusing.

Maggie and I were doing chores and all, but our goal was to get finished with the bunny hutch. The top apartment is all done, but the bottom two apartments were still waiting. So we got all the tools out and the wood and wire and such and got to it. We managed to get the floors installed in each side, and all the wood cut for the doors. Of course, we also had some fun with all the livestock and enjoyed the very beautiful day. I had to run a few errands, but that was fun too.

I like being able to run up the road to the neighbors and not even worry about getting your purse and all that. Just keys, car and go. It’s ALMOST close enough I suppose we could walk… but it always seems that we are toting this thing back or picking up that thing or transporting livestock or something! haha… One of these days, I’m gonna be driving my pony cart up there for a visit! That will be keen!

I’m waiting on a lady from Craig’s List to let me know her Black Copper Maran chicks have hatched… she has 9 in the incubator and I dearly want a few of them. 4 or 5 would make me a super happy gal. And she has Buff Orphinghams too… and I want a pair of them for my free range flock because they are good broody moms!

Tomorrow is go to town day, got practice with the band and a few errands to run. I think I’m going to get myself a good pitchfork. I have this pony poop fork/basket thing, and it’s great for like quick daily pickup, but I’ve been finding that I need something to spread straw with and to clean out the barn or the coop with a little more efficiently. A good metal tined pitchfork would be the best. I also have a lead on a whole bunch of pallets for free! I have this idea to make a garden fence out of pallets… but I need about oh, 20 or so I think. So, that’s another phone call and possible pickup! I wonder how many pallets I can get in a Blue load… I’m thinking at least 4 or 5 inside and then another 3 or 4 on the top! Yeah!

I keep thinking… things should be slowing down soon, but they aren’t. We have a half dozen projects we need to finish before it gets really cold, for sure. Got to get the winter hay in the big barn. I was going to store some in the pony barn but Cody taught me that it’s not gonna happen that way. He made a big mess of three bales yesterday, so I guess it’s all going to be stored in the big barn! Haha…

I need to get some fire board and tiles for the corn stove installation. I need to get that done sooner than later. Of course, this week is supposed to be wonderful, even highs in the 70’s! So, I have a little leeway, but still, I just don’t want to have to depend only on electric heaters and kerosene to stay warm when we procrastinate and it’s the middle of October and 32 degrees at night. No fun.

i need to find another small freezer, so that I can finish the last of our nuggets. We have 14 hens left and I checked on them yesterday and wow, they are getting big! My freezer in the mudroom and the inside freezer are jammed with chickens already! And with a piggy growing at the neighbors, well, I’ll need more freezer room for sure!

Oh the piggies are so cute and cool! I am SO going to do a few piglets in the early spring. I would like to be able to watch them grow every day. I know I can go and see Sir Loin any time I want, but it’s still sometimes a day or two between seeing them! They are so cute. They love their heat lamp and straw… they dig in it and snuggle all together. So cute!

The last batch of eggs should be hatching this week. They are my neighbors chicks and I will admit, when they are done, I think I’ll be cured of hatching eggs for at least a few months!!! Or at the very least, the next time, I’m going to be making sure I have the cash for the automatic egg turner!!! I have been turning eggs now since July! Honest! I hope these last babies hatch good…

I’ve been having the goats tethered out in the garden area, cleaning up the weeds and all. They are doing a great job. I have plans for out there and some plans involve some bed prep NOW… for garlic! But mostly, I want to whack back everything in my failed garden space, spread the compost I’ve gotten so far over top and them make some rows and trenches so that in the spring, I will be able to plant when I want to, not whether or not I have the time to get it ready. I plan on getting it mowed down, tilled, manured/composted and then covered with black plastic row covers. As much as I would like to do all this weeding and such, raised beds or green covers and all that, the fact is, it’s soil that has had weeds on it for at least 10 years and it’s awful to keep up on. Weeding that is. I tried. I tried and tried and I failed miserably. So, it’s going to be plastic for a few years until I get some of that weed seed killed and done for. I SO missed having a decent garden this year! I know, we were busy, but still, it’s no excuse. Haha… we MUST have a good garden for 2012. At least a half way decent garden for sure!

Well, just like how we get everything else done, you just keep at it. A little bit forward every day. The earth will not stop rotating if it takes us a couple days to finish the bunny hutch… as long as we keep at it, we’ll get it done eventually. The card system assures us of staying on task for the most part. I usually only like 2 cards for the farm on the bullentin board at a time. If you can’t work on one, you can work on the other. Too many cards and it takes toooo long to get them done and you loose your drive and spirit. Right now, we have Bunny Hutch Finish and Get Area Ready for the Corn Stove. WInter hay purchase and storage is coming right behind.

Well, it’s getting late and I have a couple business to-do cards to finish up before bed. Gotta keep both sides of the fence happy. I hope you are having a great productive week and that you will be able to see your goals accomplished! Feel free to comment with what you’re working on this week! We can share the load and urge each other on!!! Yahooooo!