Evening update
I'm getting really tired of having a busy life that keeps my family and I away from home. I think I got to spend all of 25 minutes outside today between watering the garden this morning and the content I'm writing about in this post. Something's about to have to give, cause I want more time to spend on this property.
Not trying to sound ungrateful for a grocery store, but I'm tired of not being home.
Tonight, a few minutes before my alarm to get ready for work, I got a hankering to go see the chickens. And a good thing too.
I got out there and the pullets were huddled on the wall.
There was a wild bird in the run, and I think he was freaking them out. He looked rough when I got him. It looked like he had tried to fly through the wire may times because his face was raw and his wing feathers were tattered. Poor dude. I let him go in a brush pile and he flew off.
To me this reaffirms that I need a solid roof on the run, not just to prevent this kind of thing happening again, but for another water catchment. If a dumb grackle can get in there, a raccoon will have no issue whatsoever, and this terrible dry summer is making it ever more evident that we need a supplemental watering system. Probably swales too.
SIDE NOTE: should I build a pong out front?
I left the girls to sleep there, figuring that I couldn't catch them all and would just cause them extra stress.
The fat pretty one snipped at me. Sassy girl. I need to spend more time with them so they are less nervous around people. So far I'm the dude that chops down their house and bangs on it in a strange new place. I need to build a better relationship with them.
Of course, it needs noted that the man chicken was sensibly asleep in the coop while the nervous women stayed up stressing.
And there was a cicada on the fence shedding it's shell. Sam will like this picture tomorrow.
Even though I spent less than half an hour out there today, there's plenty that was seen and learned. I wonder how much better it could be if I spent a couple hours a day.
Ooh, and as I complain about running errands, I found an asset at the store today and snatched it up!
It's not Joel Salatin, but from the quick flip through, it's going to be very useful. From water catchment to root cellars, to livestock and off grid electricity, this book seems pretty well rounded and relevant to our goals here.
I'd like to say a special thanks to @mariannewest, @goldenoakfarm, @sugarcreek, and @janton for the badass informative interactions the last couple of weeks! You guys and gals are awesome, thank you for your service, you've been very relevant to what we're trying to do here. I've tried to express my thanks with @treeplanter votes as often as it crosses my mind, I hope you've all been getting them :)
Hope everyone sleeps well, I'll see y'all in a little while.
Stay relevant
Nate
You are more than welcome, I have been very blessed by our conversations.
Having worked multiple jobs while trying to parent and homestead I know how you feel.
I think your right about making your goals more specific.
A check list always gives me satisfaction. Plus keeps me on task. Lol
When your working your tired and I don't know about you but I'd be just brain dead sometimes. Making a list of things I wanted to do for the week and marking them off as I completed them helped me in a couple if ways....
With the check list I could look back at my list for the week and see and feel the progress.
Every step forward IS progress.
For such a worthy goal have patience with yourself.
Your hens are lovely! They will warm up to you quickly. With all new critters I have noticed a 30 day window.... Some settle quicker a few take a little longer but the majority make a big change around 30 days. They just need to settle.
So glad you got to the bird in time!
Blessings to you always!
Hang in there man. You've got a huge leg up on a lot of people, you have real goals! I think you'll get there, it'll just be step by step day by day, and eventually, you'll realize you made it! STEEM on man!
Man, it's just one day at a time. Eye on the prize, and constant small bits of progress.
At this point it's easy because everything can be progress. Hell, I raked leaves into a pile and called it a new compost bed lol! At some point, I'm gonna need to make my goals more specific. Until then, just keep trucking. :)
I appreciate the encouragement!!
good day to ya @nateonsteemit! thanks for the shoutout sir, it's easy for me because I believe in your vision and you are gettin it done! most people don't ever get to the planning stage even. cool photos and tremendous photo of the Cicada.
what does a grocery store have to do with your plans? I must have missed that connection.
The grocery store is one place we go too often that keeps me away from the garden. I feel like I should be making more groceries here so that I don't have to get groceries elsewhere.
I think it'll be cyclical process of not needing to go to the store so much and spending more time on the property. As each is true, each will be more true :)
That's one of the goals and visions anyways.
oh ok, I thought maybe you were working some at the grocery store too, now I get it. Yes, the vision is already taking place, in a year from now you won't believe the difference from this day!
Since I was a kid, I've liked cicadas, not that I like the bugs themselves, but there is a Polish tongue twister which translates to: "A cicada is buzzing in the hay." lol
Frank was feeling bummed to be back to work after 5 weeks off today, and felt pooped just thinking about doing groceries. We hope to have a veggie garden in the coming years and a green house. Super markets are fun and all, but home grown is better. I don't like having to go to the grocery store either.
I find the shadow of the huddles chicken in the picture pretty neat btw.
Everything in Polish is a tongue twister to me lol
So far our garden has given us a few okra. I think next year I need to get higher quality seeds. That paired with the better beds I'm working on should help us out a lot. I'd never thought of a greenhouse before. That may be worth a look...
The shadows are courtesy of my wife. :) She held the flashlight for me while I went in and investigated things.
Nice.
Green houses come in various shapes and sizes. I like the circular ones with solar panels but those are very expensive. There are some more basic ones too. It depends also if you have arduous Winters or not where you live. We're going to need one that can handle Canadian Winters.
Yeah, I was talking with @elfmyselfandi the other day and she talked about winter too.
What is winter?
HAHAHAHA lol
Short answer: Then you don't need to worry too much for your green house, you can find a less expensive one and you'll be fine.
Long answer: I like how pretty snowflakes are and I like looking at snow fall, but I don'T enjoy the cold so much. Although, snow absorbs sound and there is a quiet stillness when walking at night in the Winter that I find quite meditative.
We haven't had snow in a few years. I do like it though. Our cold season really is about a month or maybe two.
Lucky duck lol
Thank you so much for the shout out!! It is tough to be working and trying to do the homesteading thing - and maybe having a life as well :) But little by little - it will come together... We can only do what we can do...
Hope you also sleep well and take care of your pets because Pets are Family
In today's bussy life we are go far from our families.
I know, it's sad.
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STOPTo support your work, I also upvoted your post!