Hey there friends! How are you? The past week or so has been so busy. I’m hopelessly behind on my blog reading, commenting, and social media-ing. But I wanted to give you an update on what all’s going on here on the homestead. And then I’ll start to make my way to your respective blogs and social media accounts and catch up with you. I do hope you’re well and hanging in there.
The homestead has been busy, busy, busy. Fishing in PA has opened up somewhat. There are a lot of restrictions-one customer in the boat, masks at all time. Most clients are driving their own cars to the ‘put ins’. The lodging is slowly opening up too. Most repeat customers are keeping the same room for the foreseeable future. The dining room will not open up for the foreseeable future though. There’s no way to keep it cleaned and limit the number of people who go in there. So for now business is back to the usual. Or the new usual.
The chickens are growing like weeds! I’ll do a whole separate post on them but just a quick update for you. They are 8 weeks old now. They’re roosting at night without any help. I had a crate in the coop and they used that to jump up onto and then onto the roost, but I watched those little buggers last night and they’re just using it to stand on to try to get the best spot. So I took it away from them. We still have some work to do on the chicken run and the coop, but I purchased everything that was needed so now all we need to do is just do the work! And then later this summer we’ll expand the chicken compound. I’m so happy to have chickens back on the homestead.
And I finally purchased all the wood I need (hopefully) for the big garden expansion. I plan on having 5 raised beds plus the hay wagon raised bed. Four of the raised beds will be 3×10 feet and the other one is 3×13 feet. I can’t remember what the footage is on the hay wagon, but it’s something like 6×12. So hopefully that will be enough to do the garden that I’ve planned out. I did lose all the beans that I planted. I didn’t get them covered in time and I’m sure either the lack of water or the lower temps got them. But they were part of the experimental garden and were for drying. I’m sad about that but such is the life of a gardener. I just lost track of everything there for a few days and it was just enough time to wipe out the beans. The peas are looking good. And the strawberries are making a comeback from last year. My friend gave me some of her plants that she started. I’ll have to get everything planted and see if there are any holes. Then find a local source for filling in the gaps.
We still haven’t traveled very far from the homestead. I only go to the tiny grocery store in town when needed which has only been about 3 times in the past two months or so. One of the guides went to a really good grocery store on his way here and I gave him a list! I now have fresh produce. It’s not seasonal but that’s okay. We’ve literally been living off meat, potatoes, and eggs for two months now so when someone offers to pick things up from the store, you jump on that chance! I’m not ready to go to the nearest city or town with more population yet so I’ll give my order to whomever is coming this way and offers. I also did some major ordering online. I’ve got some supplies-both for my classes and for the homestead-coming in over the next few weeks. It’s nice to be in a spot where we can catch up.
I’ve been working on getting our stuff from storage. Did I tell you that we have most of our stuff in storage at my mother-in-laws? Some of that stuff has been in storage for 10+ years. I finally got most of the older stuff from there to here. I pick one day per week and load up Anna Lee. She and I make the trek, without stopping, to my MIL’s (about an hour and half from here). They sit on the porch while I load the truck (from the barn. If there’s anything in the house that I want/need, they have it sitting outside for me). Once the truck is loaded to capacity, I sit on the lawn and we chat for a few minutes. Then Anna and I hop back in the truck, turn the music up, and head home. Once home we unload everything into the house and then go through it. We make a donate pile, a trash pile, and a keep pile. Then over several days we put things up. Then once it’s all in its new home I go back and get another load. I’m not sure how much stuff we have left, but I’m thinking one more trip will clean out the barn. Then I’ll start on the stuff in the house. It’s nice to have my stuff here on the homestead again. And it’s nice to be able to clean some stuff out. But I’m to the point that I need to take some stuff to donate because it’s starting to take over the house. I’ve been pretty cut-throat about cleaning stuff out.
I’ve also added some crafting to my days. I made some pincushions to sell in my shop. They all sold out on pre-order. I’m happy to report that they all shipped out on Monday as I hoped they would. I’ll be listing some other fun things like pincushions and some more candles in the shop soon. Hopefully next week. I’ve got some commissioned work to get done first. That and get the garden planted. But I’m so happy to have some of this more crafty items on my to-do list. I love playing with fabric. So stay tuned!
I’m also happy to report that my Saturday Facebook Live videos seem to be doing well. I enjoy them. I even had one of my viewers make a pie! She posted it over on the pie post on facebook. You can see it here. I LOVE when you guys share these things with me!! I love seeing what you’re doing. This week I’m talking about foraging. Someone asked me about fiddleheads and I wasn’t sure I was going to find them this week. I was right. I didn’t find them but one of the guides was kind enough to find them and bring me some. So we’ll do a whole ‘foraging in the spring‘, what to look for, what you can find, and how you can use it. I think I’m going to have ramps (which we already discussed, but I’m going to show another way to prepare them), fiddleheads, dandelions, wild violets, and knotweed. But we’ll talk about a lot more than that-morel mushrooms, lilacs, etc.
The pics above are just some quick snaps I took with my phone. But they pretty much show you what we’ve been doing. I finally got back on the tractor for the season! Actually today is a mowing day so I need to wrap things up soon and get out there! Anna has been my faithful sidekick lately. She’ll be 5 this year and she seems to be calming down and settling into being a good partner in crime who listens! Finally! I’m infusing more oils for my salves and balms. They’ll be ready in a couple of months. The Mister’s mom gave him a 12 inch cast iron skillet from her collection. He’s in heaven. I found more wild blueberries growing on the property. I’ll have to start marking everything so I can go back and keep an eye on how they progress. They’re tiny. The bushes. They’re so little but they do produce berries. I just have to beat the wildlife to them! And I don’t know if you remember Gertrude the (plastic) Turkey? But she’s got her summer wears going one. She has one of my red, white, and blue bandanas on. She also has a homemade sign and a homemade grapevine wreath. So she’s all set!
So I’ve been a little remiss in updating you all on my Spring Bucket List and how I’ve been doing with it. I haven’t accomplished everything and some things are still in progress. Some things have to be taken off the list completely. But, if you recall from the OG post, here’s the list:
- Hike the Fingers Lakes Trail
- Trip to NYC
- Pick strawberries
- Plant a garden
- Get chickens
- Finish redecorating upstairs
So, I didn’t hike the Finger Lakes Trail, but I have been doing some hiking. For the most part I didn’t take pictures, but the last walk we did I took lots of pictures. I am starting to play around with new lens now. I normally use a 35mm, 1.8f but I’m branching out! We found lots of fun things last week on our walk. So much wildlife and nature–both alive and dead.
Obviously the trip to NYC has been postponed indefinitely. That’s unfortunate but understandable. I haven’t picked strawberries yet because they’re not ready yet! But that will stay on my to-do list! I’m not sure how everything will shake out now with social distancing, etc. but we’ll figure it out and try to get those strawberries picked! As for the garden, see above. It’s almost ready. Chickens are on the homestead so we can definitely check that one off the list! And I didn’t finish redecorating upstairs. Mostly because we’ve been getting our stuff from storage and going through it. The upstairs has taken a major back seat.
Okay. This was an especially long post! My apologies. There was sooo much to catch y’all up on. I’m sure I’ve forgotten a million things, but I’ll get back to posting updates on the regular. Tell me how you’re doing! I miss seeing you all.
’til next time
-k
xoxo
Bekah
Wow! You have been a busy lady. It must feel good to be getting so much accomplished and still finding time to enjoy walks outdoors and time for creativity. That’s wonderfully balanced 🙂
chickenlibrarian
Thanks Bekah! Sometimes I think that I overdo it though!! HEHE!
Bekah
I don’t know. Maybe you’re just filled with all-the-energy 🙂 Do you feel good tired or stressed tired at the end of the day? Do you wake up feeling excited (ok, maybe this happens after the first cup of coffee) to tackle your day or dreading the tasks that lie ahead?
I feel like one’s mental perspective on their day can really change what they accomplish and how they feel about it.
chickenlibrarian
Oh boy Bekah! You are about to open a can of worms. HEHE. I think mostly, I do have energy. I go to bed tired but I don’t always sleep well. I’m a fitful sleeper. BUT I don’t think that’s the issue. Or at least not the whole issue. I think the issue surrounds the pandemic and owning a small business that relies on income from teaching classes. In person. Which I can’t do right now. Obviously. So what do I do in the meantime? How do I keep the momentum going? How can I get the word out about my blog, my social media, my products, and teach classes? All that good stuff.
I also feel like I want to do all the things so I try to shove as much stuff into my day (because we don’t know how long the pandemic will last. Could open back up tomorrow or next week or next year). So I think I’m making up for lost time. And trying to get things done so when I do get busy again (because it will happen. Somehow, someway) I want to know that I’ve done as much as I can.
So…there you go! There’s the can of worms, opened, for the viewing, for discussion. Or not.
Shugunna Alexander
My busy busy lady, you have been doing it all. Please, continue to stay safe and as always take care of you!!! I love the videos, you are a natural.
chickenlibrarian
Thanks Shugunna! I’m really loving the videos too. At first I was very self-conscious…I mean, I’m talking to myself. And while I normally do that, this time I’m capturing it on camera. On purpose. HEHE. Anyway, things are good here. I’ve missed you though! xoxo
Tracy
I lovelovelove your photos posts, your slices of life. They are my favorites. Not that I don’t also love reading as well about your world… but the photos satisfy the curiosity we all probably have when we visit the blogs of people we “know” online. And, you really are a talented photographer! 🙂
Ah, the new “shopping” normal. We’ve done a lot of ordering online, but I finally decided to brave Wegmans during one afternoon that I had off this past week. It’s been about 10 weeks since I’ve been to a Wegmans. I went because, one, I had hoped there wouldn’t be a lot of people there on an afternoon during the week (there were more than I expected), and two, one of our local Wegmans is using that new scan and shop app. You scan the items as you shop, put them in a bag in your cart, and when you are ready, you simply walk up to a self-checkout, scan the code on your phone, and pay. Less interaction with people and faster in and out. I stocked up on a bunch of items. Anyhow, I suppose you do what you have to do… I, too, have been missing the fresh produce!
It must feel so good to surround yourself with your own items and “stuff.” It’s the nesting that so many of us need to do. Did you even tell us where you lived before you landed at the lodge?
Beans: after last year’s experience, we did not start them inside this year. We will direct sow (you still have time to do so, too!) and enjoy what we get – and what the deer hopefully won’t! My seedlings are so small this year. We are planting a week or two later than usual (various and sundry reasons), and I am hardening off on the screened in back porch. Still, my tomato seedlings are looking pretty small still. 🙁 Also, not one of my cucumber seedlings came up. UGH. And I tried starting them twice. Okay, shedding that frustration and moving on!
Must run… time to get ready for the day job. (Ugh, again.) While I am deeply grateful to have a job when so many are struggling, I wish I liked my job. I wish my work was reflective of my interests and philosophies. Well, at least I can say TGIF! 🙂
Have a GREAT Friday and weekend! 😀
chickenlibrarian
Tracy! You have no idea how much your comment made me smile…inside and out! I love taking pictures but am extremely hard on myself. It’s only been recently that I look at my photos and actually like them instead of picking them apart. or comparing them to some of my fav online peeps. I think we have our own style and that’s what sets us apart. I’ve had to keep that in mind. Am I a National Geographic level photographer? Nope (would love to be, but sadly, nope). But do I know what I’m doing and know my style? I think so. Anyway, I didn’t mean to get off on that tangent! It’s just always fresh in my mind.
Shopping. Our friends have been going to Wegmans. And bringing us groceries from there. That’s been nice. That was the grocery store I was referring to above. I still haven’t braved a ‘real’ grocery store yet. Just the one in town. I did go to a nursery recently. But there weren’t that many people there. I actually rode in the car with our friends. That was a huge step! But I’m back to self-isolating now.
I’m definitely still in the nesting phase of the pandemic. I’m not ready for another ‘get the stuff out of storage run’ yet since we still have piles of stuff to go through, deal with. I really need to take stuff to donate. I did see that the thrift store in town is open. So maybe I’ll brave that drop off soon. Then I’ll be ready to get back to sorting, getting loads, etc. But yes! I am loving the nesting. I made pillows today. I’ve had tea towels and fabric set aside (for years, I’m afraid) to be made into pillows. I finally did tht today! What a great feeling. I’m not the best sewist, but I don’t care. I did it!!
Beans! Oh, beans! I got ahead of myself this year! The garden wasn’t ready. It needed to be built! And the hoophouse wasn’t ready. It needed to be built. So I really jumped the gun this year. My friend and I were discussing how we really had wanted to see some green so we planted beans (unknowingly that the other was doing it) and we both decided that was a fail. So next year we’ve promised each other that when the time comes and we get the ‘itch’ to plant something, in March, that we’ll tell each other to plant salad!!
Anyway, I hope you are doing well. I’ve missed seeing all my peeps online. But I know everyone is settling into their new normal. Or not. And that it’s hard to be online right now, what with everything happening, both locally and nationally. But I miss you all!
Thanks for stopping in with all your words of wisdom! And for cheering me on!
xoxo
Leslie Susan Clingan
So crazy that about 6 weeks ago, you were kind of at the end of your rope or feeling like life and business was kind of stagnant. And look at you now!! So glad you got a second wind. Things are taking off in every area. Glad you are enjoying the live posts on Saturday. You pin cushions are adorable. Sure enjoyed all the photos of your kitty and the trinkets around your house. I am certain I would be in pig heaven wandering about checking everything out. Hurray for getting your things out of storage and back home with you. As a former military wife, I missed my things when we PCSed from one duty station to the next.
The pie looks scrumptious. You should do a pie recipe swap and link up!!
chickenlibrarian
Thanks Leslie! It was such a crazy time of uncertainty. I guess it still is. But 6 weeks ago all my classes were canceled and I wasn’t sure where my business was going. We didn’t have any income coming in and that was scary. Things have certainly calmed down and things are being figured out here on the homestead. I feel more centered, I guess! And still being able to teach, although it’s not the income-producing classes that I normally do, has helped. I love connecting with people and being able to ‘teach’ and entertain is really fulfilling. Although I do think, at this point, that the videos are more entertaining than educational! HA!
I like the sounds of the pie recipe swap. I was doing a pie along on a monthly basis with Dani over at Living Outside the Stacks, but we both got busy and then that went by the wayside. Tell me more about this link up business! How do I make that happen? I’d like to start back with the pie along! This would be a good opportunity to do that!
xoxo