I’ve started doing this weekly recap because otherwise there’s so much that I forget by the end of the day, much less the week. And because the to-do list is never forgotten, at least not for long, I spend all my time thinking about everything still needing to be done and not enough feeling good about what’s already done.
I’m acutely aware that the most recent owners of this property left feeling overwhelmed and somewhat defeated. They spent 5 years trying to turn this property into their forever dream homestead, only to leave it all, moving to live next door to family for more support. And here we are, with less support than they had, not to mention the known chronic health issues.
But here we are, indeed, and with the same plan: to turn this into our forever dream homestead.
So, what happened this week?
I harvested garlic, shallots, and half the potatoes. These truly may be my favorite things to grow. This was my first year for shallots, first of many to come, because the lazy gardener in me loves the set-it-and-forget-it fall planting for both garlic and shallots. Also, tempura shallot blossoms are pretty tasty!
I spent more time trying to keep the deer and other critters off my plants. I think the most effective thing we’re doing is the least effort: the grass everywhere else is growing and hasn’t been cut. It doesn’t look like any of the forage cover crop took on the back field, but there are miscellaneous grasses and other weedy-type things coming up anyway. We’re a long way from healthy soil back there, and it’s unfortunately not anywhere near the top of the list. Fortunately, time will do some of the work while we’re working on other things.
A mini storm rolled past and snapped a small tree. We got none of the rain, but just enough wind to toss a few branches into the bird yard netting and take out a small previously damaged tree. The wire support lines held everything up, but two of the hooks popped out and will need repair.
Took the dogs to the vet for their annual visit. There’s not a huge list of things I miss from the old house, but the things I do miss, I miss deeply. Our old vet is one of those. Also, the friends we made along the way, and the view. Absolutely world class.
I’m almost through one of the mulch piles, the one accidentally dumped on the driveway because we were snowed in and couldn’t see where anything was. What a time that was. I’m sweating my way through all the garden beds, but we’ll need the tractor running to refresh the paths, much needed but also not at the top of the list.
What is at the top of the list? Bird-related tasks. Something tried to break into the bird shed this week, pulling off a small section of trim at the bottom of the door. Further inspection showed me the weak spot in the fence, completely my fault, as it was the only section of fence I hadn’t yet added the hardware cloth skirting. Which I have since done, along with adding hardware cloth to the door of the shed itself. Still more to do there, but there are also 14 chickens in my plant shed that would like their proper home too. Priority 1 and 2.
And despite that, I was starting more trays of seeds this week instead of doing those things. Can’t stop, won’t stop. Mostly zinnias, but I’m still trying to get more perennial cut flowers going, easier said than done despite Rudbeckia and Echinacea being “easy” to grow.
Meanwhile, the realities of living in the wild continue. Between all the critters eating my plants, from fungus gnats to spotted lanternflies to deer, it’s obvious we have more nature around everywhere. Except we really did think they were out there and not in here, but we’re being corrected. First the squirrels were in the garage, and that was honestly a little cute. Next were the mice, less cute. And now we’ve had three run-ins with roaches inside.
The first was honestly terrifying. Waking up to buzzing overhead, only to realize exactly what it was, and why do they fly? The next surprised Brian in his boot. Another terrifying way to show yourself. And the third just wandered out while I was trying to literally shake off the morning pains on my vibration plate. I’m also covered in bug bites, keeping a tube of anti-itch cream handy and applying it at a rate of one tube per week. The bugs are really getting annoying. An exterminator will be coming soon to handle the inside ones.
As I’m washing all the soft things, stuffies, and clothes near where the roach was seen, the washer has decided to stop working, so that’s a fun side quest for sooner than later.
If it sounds like a lot of hard stuff, well, it is. But it’s good work, honest work, satisfying work. There’s not been one minute when I’ve questioned this decision. That doesn’t mean we don’t need more fun here and there. And for today, that fun looks like the circus!
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