Wet Lawns

It has been a very wet spring around here. If it's not raining it's wicked humid and the sun is shining, making lawns look more like Jurassic Park sets than landscaping. I mowed the grass this morning and it felt like I should have had a machete and rope instead of my little push mower. The job got done and when I was through I raked up what I could of the fresh chop and handed it to the horses over their gate. In the mornings the sheep have free range on the back pasture's lush grass and the horses wait their turn. With little lambs I don't trust the excitable Jasper not to run one over. So While the two steeds were looking over their fence line like inmates at the herd of sheep ripping grass I gave them some take out. They accepted it but you knew it wasn't good as the real thing. They nibbled on it like I handed them a stale Hydrox when all they wanted was a double-stuffed Oreo field. First world horse problem. They'll make it.

The little twins are growing strong and no longer have long tails. They follow mom and can run like the wind when they want to. It's nice having them here, even if they are only staying till the holidays. Which reminds me, I need to call Greg Stratton about the two hogs in the barn. The girls, Whiskey and Rye are ready for their big day. They are large and eating me out of house and home, along with the chickens! I am spending (no joke) $180 a week deeming everyone fed here. Thats mostly going into bags of chicken feed (a fifty pound bag lasts two days) and three bags of pig grain a week. When all these chickens, pigs, and lambs are in the freezer I will be a lot less stressed out about grocery bills.

In contrast, my weekly grocery bill is somewhere around $35 bucks.

I am putting off a very important post about the future of Cold Antler Farm, and what it can manage to maintain. It's not bad news, just realistic news. A year into self-employment and things are rocky, to put it euphemistically. It's not so much an issue about money as it is about space, resources, and time. I would like to offer some of my American Bresse hens and Roosters to those interested in the famous farm bird of Europe, as well as expand the pork to a woodlot operation instead of the barn. I need to figure out new sources of income as well, mostly on the writing side of things. I have a big idea for a new book I am putting the proposal together for but like all "big ideas" in publishing it takes more magic to get it into a contact that it did to find this farm and move into it. But I am staying positive that its going places. I sure have been doing my research for it.

Tuesdays are slow around here, a day to clean and run into town for the Laundromat. I think I'm hosting some guests from Australia later for a game night with Tyler and Tara, so that should be fun. I love a game night and already have a crock pot full of pulled pork handy, so no one will be hungry while trading wood for sheep during Settlers. If that sentence confused you, it's just trading cards. On a blog where the writer actually trades real sheep for firewood it can get confusing, I know.

Sun is on his way back soon, soon as tomorrow. Thats something to look forward to. It'll make the mowing easier at least! And I'm meeting my dad for dinner in Bennington, which is a treat. He's up this way on a business trip and we are sneaking in some family time and a nice sit down dinner. Thursday is Ben Hewitt's talk here in town and after years of swapping emails and reading blogs I finally get to meet the fellow and his family! Very excited, and his book speaks volumes to me. It's called Saved, and it's about letting go of money as a way to happiness. Trust me Ben, I don't think money will make me happy but I do think it'll get the collection phone calls to stop. My goal is to pay off debt so I can find my way into the life this book talks about. It'll be inspiring for sure!