The Farm - Week 2

Week two of farm life brought torrential downpours and straight-line winds. Neighboring communities lost power for multiple days. We were lucky to only miss out on the luxuries of electricity for only a few hours.

When the rains and winds calmed down, we were able to get a great deal accomplished. We successfully released our first monarch on the farm. We continued the seemingly endless cycle of unpacking and even were able to give many of our empty boxes to friends. We are making progress finding places for our items and actually starting to remember where we put our unpacked treasures. The house is slowly but surely becoming our home.

Our outdoor home is also improving. Spending five minutes a day sweeping away barn cobwebs and dust bunnies is unusually satisfying. The playset is back up. The garage is able to contain a vehicle, and our John Deere mower successfully finished its first round of mowing the lawn while also adding length to our growing trail.

We put up bird feeders and are thoroughly enjoyed the hundred (literally) of feathered friends we see each day. Our sandhill crane pair has made a number of appearances, announcing their presence with a thunderous trumpet. We’ve seen cardinals, grackles, finches, sparrows, and a Northern Harrier. We also found a deceased bird in our driveway. The girls gave it a proper burial near the wildflowers, with a rock labeled RIP in red crayon and a gravesite covered in Queen Anne’s Lace flowers.

We hosted our first guests and have more guests scheduled to visit this week. From farm friends to individuals engaged in restoration conversations, we look forward to learning about how we can develop a long term and sustainable land improvement plan.

Plus, with each passing week, we are inching closer to something we are all looking forward to . . .kittens.