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My View on the Farm
I’ve decided to write a series of blog posts about our life on the farm. Today I’m writing about the view.
I sat down at the table in our yard, a place I do much of my writing during the warm months, but today there were distractions.
The stench of smoke floated over the wide hedge of trees that separates our property from town. This morning an automotive business near us went up in flames and black smoke. I can still hear the hum of fire engines hours later, and our driveway will likely be blocked off for the rest of the day.
My rooster, Howard, jumped onto the bench beside me. Yes, he has a chicken yard. He and the hens and the ducks also have many acres they can forage, but they think I’m the source of all treats, so when they see me, they come running. Mildred and Lucille, two of the hens, didn’t appreciate being ignored, so they pecked at my newly painted toenails.
And where is my trusty herding dog when I need help? She’s wandering with the chickens, as if poultry running around in the front yard is a totally normal and expected thing.
I can write with distraction. I started my first manuscript when I was homeschooling four young children. Back then I toted my laptop to every practice or event, making the most of the time spent waiting. I learned to write fast, and I developed the ability to set myself goals and reach them.
Even with this training, I sometimes get distracted, often by the view. After nearly nineteen years here, I’m still struck by the beauty of this place. Farmland stretches out in front of our yard. To the west, layers of blue mountains touch the sky.
For some people, this place would be horrifying. It’s rich with pollen. There’s an ever-growing list of needed repairs. Our 1898 farmhouse is chilly in the winter. The other day, the ducks actually sneaked into my kitchen! The dust…It’s endless. And sometimes, maybe often, farm animals break through their fences. Oh, and there’s the cougar.
But for me, this place is perfection. It’s where we’ve raised our kids and done life.
I love the view.
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Sleepy
Sometimes I feel like this too!
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How We Became Redneck Ranchers
Question: What’s worse than a child running into the house yelling that the steers are out?
Answer: A child running into the house yelling that the steers are GONE!
That’s how we were greeted not too long ago. Of course, it was a morning where we had somewhere to be.
Inspection of the steer pen revealed that they had broken a board leaving a gaping hole. And…the feed from the night before was still there. They must have made their escape soon after feeding time. Twelve hours is a very long time to wander. Visions of the beasts marching through town made my stomach twist.
We scoured the property for any sign.
They’d been in the garden. My broccoli…Gone!
To our great relief it seemed they’d headed for the west end of the property. Hundreds of acres would come between them and civilization.
Our oldest son took off running, the younger son took the quad, oldest daughter saddled the horse, and the youngest hopped in the truck with us.
Behind our property dirt roads twist around poking out here and there into various field. So many routes they could have taken. What a wonderful sound to hear one of the kids scream that they’d spotted them!
There they were, on a narrow path near the river. My oldest son haltered one, and we began the long walk home.
With the steers back home (I think they were happy to be back too), we repaired the fence and moved on with the day.
Wouldn’t you know it, they broke out again only few days later. My husband only had time for a quick repair because the sun was setting.
This is what I saw the next morning:
Yes, that is a Suburban blocking the hole. Classy, huh?
The fence is REALLY fixed now. On to other adventures.
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New Babies, BBQs and Friends
This post is much like my life…eclectic.
One of my favorite roles in life is that of Auntie. It’s like granny practice. Very early Friday morning, just a few hours after the close of my youngest daughter’s eleventh birthday, my new nephew was born. And he is soooo cute!
Each year we celebrate our youngest daughter’s birthday with a family barbeque. It’s a chance to spend time with friends, enjoy some not-so-good-for-you food and take in some sunshine. We’ve done this since she was quite little, and each year the rain takes a break for the party.
It’s become tradition to serve dirt pudding. Usually, I fill a couple flowerpots (specially reserved for pudding) and stick in a sprig of artificial flowers and a few gummy worms. This year I tried something different. They’re not as cute as the flowerpots, but the little dishes sure make it easier when close to thirty kids come at you wanting chocolate.
Click here for recipeAnother yearly tradition on the Nelson farm…the broken lawnmower. No matter how hard we try to be prepared, we can never anticipate what will bust. The other issue here is our not-so-much drainage. By the time we can drive a mower through the yard, the grass is knee-high. With only two hours until our guests arrival, my husband announced that there would be no revival of the rider that day.
I pulled the OLD push mower from the garage, hoping to at least chop down a patch of grass. I had to start by using zip-ties to hold the handle up. The throttle broke off many years ago, so it only has one speed. That lever you’re suppose to hold next to the handle, that piece that you let go of to stop the engine, it’s long gone. When the handle broke off during my oldest son’s turn at mowing, he had to reach way down and push the mower into a tall clump of grass to make the machine stop.
We borrowed a friend’s push mower. Wow. Did you know those things practically drive themselves?
The yard is still a jungle, but we did get that patch where we placed the BBQ and a few chairs. All those kiddos thought the tall grass was awesome. They played for hours out there.
All in all, it was wonderful!
How did you spend your weekend?
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