Can't Sleep

Insomnia.  It is NOT fun.  I remember reading (or hearing, it's been so long I can't remember) that a good way to fight insomnia is actually to keep a journal by the bed, and before laying down to write down everything that's on your mind.  Supposedly one of the reasons for insomnia is that the mind refuses to shut down thinking about whatever.  So writing it down helps the mind to relax, because it no longer needs to agonize over remembering those things.  So here I am, I don't have a journal by the bed, this will have to do.  You get to read about all the things running through my mind tonight.  It's mostly ideas I want to do tomorrow and Sunday... IF I can get some sleep!!!

First, the turkey pen, I keep trying to design it in my mind, figuring out how to fit everything together.  Trying to make it big enough for the birds to live in comfortably using supplies I already have on hand.  My wire is 3' high, and I think the lumber is 4', so the top wire will have to come down on each side an extra foot.  That shouldn't be a problem since I think the length of the wood is either 10' or 12', so I'll need to run 3 sections of wire over the top, but it will still leave either 1' or 2' of extra wire on the side.  The pen itself will actually only have 3 sides and a top, as the 3rd side will be the barn wall.  I plan to attach the pen to the barn with hooks so when the turkeys are finished with the pen this fall, the chickens will inherit it as their outside pen.

I was also thinking about the 2 large dog crates I have sitting out there and how if I were to connect them together, it would make a perfect chicken coop for the Marans, of which I have only the pair.  I'm not sure where all the connecting rods are, so I might need to wire them together.  I used one of the sides and the back of one crate for the big-bird pen gate, so I'll need to figure something else out for that.  I do have the door to the crate now, and will use the steel hanging water bucket for their water, but the nest aspect is harder to figure out.  I could use the standard rubber bowl, but if it rains, that's no good.  I need to be able to get to the nest regularly to collect, so I need to have it near the front of the run for that.  I have a wooden box, but that might be too small for them.

I really want to get the gardens planted this week-end.  I'm running out of time in more ways than one.  I want to plant English cucumbers at the back of the big garden, so they can run up the heavy trellis back there.  Then tomatoes through the bottom of that garden I think.  Peppers above those, then squash and cucumbers above that.  Onions and garlic around the periphery of that garden to help deter the groundhog a bit.  It's worth a try anyway!  It's the one thing he didn't touch last year.  In the secondary garden will be sweet potatoes at the very bottom for that heavy trellis, then beans just above those, watermelon and cantaloupe above that, and potatoes at the top.  I also have beets, green onions, eggplant, and carrots to plant, but I'll fit those in somewhere.

I took Aydi with me today to buy some flower plants for her to have her own little garden.  I picked up a cheap bag of mulch and several pretty flowers for her to tend, including a pair of gardenia bushes.  I have no idea where we'll put said garden yet though.  Between the buildings and the "orchard" and the gardens and animals, I'm running out of space!  I also have several trees to plant.  I know the blueberry will go next to the fence with the other one from last year.  I think I'll put the elderberry there as well.  I do think I've finally figured out what to do with the Concord grape.  The useless giant metal poles in the middle of the yard will become the grape trellis.  I thought about just stringing wire there, but I could seriously see the kids running hell-bent through there, forgetting about the wire and getting hurt.  Instead I'm going to put a section of welded-wire fencing for the grape to grow upon.  I think it will be safer for everyone in both the short and long run.  That really only leaves the Pawpaw tree.  Those supposedly can get quite large, so I really need to think about it.  Maybe behind the garage, next to the swingset.  I do think I want to mulch around some of these trees though.  Last year the weeds were terrible and are the biggest reason 2 of my little blueberry bushes didn't make it.

I also will need to setup my new watering system.  I got some nice metal raised sprinklers, a brass 4-way divider and a nice commercial grade hose, so hopefully I can get things the way I want for the most efficient watering of the gardens.

Sometime this week-end I need to mow the front yard, wash laundry, clean cavy tubs and cat box, sort through the bags of wool I was given, go get some llama fiber from a lady, fix some rabbit cages and move 2 others to the trash area, and help David whenever I can to get my building up.  But as you can plainly see, my plate is full of things that cannot wait anymore.

Week-End Work

What an incredible pair of week-ends it has been!  I've had two 3-day week-ends in a row, very rare!  Also a great opportunity to get some things accomplished.  Last Saturday was a major poultry swap that I attended.  I learned long ago that the real key to making money at those things was diversification.  So I took with me Silkie chicks (hatched by me) and RIR chicks (free from SS with the purchase of a bag of feed), the unwanted "Seb" gander, my toys & soaps, and also dug-up/potted Mulberry, Maple, and Lemon Balm plants.  I came away from the swap having sold all the poultry I took, several toys, and at least half the Mulberry trees.  I also picked up a started pair of Welsummer chicks to go with my older hen, and 2 pair of pigeons, a pair of Frillbacks and a pair of Show Rollers.  There were a ton more pigeons and a huge variety of other birds and livestock there, it was a great swap.

That was Saturday, on Sunday I turned the primary garden and prepped it into rows.  I was going to build the new big-bird fence to keep them contained, but realized I had a bigger problem that involved predators.  Something had grabbed one of the turkey hens and spooked her off the nest.  She was limping around.  Also the big gander, Godfrey was drooping his wings and looking generally pathetic as if he'd also been attacked by something.  Top it off by the increased alertness of the tom turkey (the flock guardian) and I knew I had to do something to protect them better if I was going to pen them away from the house.  See I had forgotten the reason I put them right up to the house last year was because of predator problems.  A dog broke through the fencing last year and grabbed Grace (Seb goose) by the neck.

So this past week-end (yes, Mother's day too), I cleared the inside of the fences of vegetation, or as much as I could, shored up the base of the side fence with 1x8 boards and laid brand-new 2-in poultry wire across the inside of the fence and around the garden.  I also cleared the vegetation of the back fence (the one that was taken out by a tree 2 years ago) and removed the 2 broken fence posts from the fence wire.  It's good solid wire back there, 6ft welded and very heavy.  Almost no rust on any of the wire, but I never actually finished that back fence in 1 corner.  I always meant to stretch it before securing it, but that would just have to be sacrificed for now.  On Saturday, David & I went and bought the materials for the foundation frame for my shed and he & Jessi spent that day building and leveling it.  Yes, he actually put it where I asked... for the most part. 

Sunday morning saw me up bright and early.  Before breakfast I managed to wash a load of laundry and mow the front yard.  Then I puttered around for a bit before traveling to buy the rest of the fencing supplies I needed.  Sunday Jessi helped my install 3 7ft heavy T-posts along the back fence, replacing the broken wooden ones.  yes I used a post driver. LOL and LOVED it!!  I don't know how I ever installed posts before getting this driver.  It's heavy, but cuts the time to install them significantly.  Then we pulled the wire across the last 2 posts and nailed it down solidly, if not exactly tightly.  I also nailed it to the old gate, which can no longer be used anyway due to excessive vegetation growth.

After that I cleared the rear yard of branches I had cut off the pecan trees and other debris.  Then I raked the secondary garden and had just barely managed to get the soil turned and ready for planting when the rains began and dark crept over everything.  In case you're wondering, I did not get anything planted, I still have to complete the other half of the fencing to restrict the big birds from eating all of the young garden plants!  Still, I feel very accomplished.  There's a smaller swap this Saturday and b-day party for Bubba Sunday, but in between I really want to get things finished up out there so I can start on creating a nice place for people in the back.

This Year's Garden

I have officially bumped our garden number to 4.  That means that probably at least half of this property is being worked every year.  The primary, the biggest of the plots I turn has been worked now for 3 consecutive years.  It's coming along nicely, the soil turns easily, very little weed vegetation to deal with annually (mostly invasive running weeds), and the rows are always even.  Roots and stones have essentially been eliminated.  This is the garden in which tomatoes and cucumbers tend to excel.  I plant a lot of those each year. 

The secondary garden is slightly smaller than the first, almost directly adjacent, but separated by a set of fruit trees.  The soil is very rich, it being only in it's 2nd year of being worked.  But there is still a substantial amount of weed vegetation.  This year a large number of trees took root in that garden, including Mulberries, which I'm in the process of transplanting to pots for resale.  They are apparently quite in demand locally.

The tertiary garden is very small, much older even than the primary, but extremely small.  It's a raised bed that I've been fighting with for years.  Originally it was merely a large pile of broken concrete and bricks; the shattered remains of a foundation to either a shed or hen coop (or both, since there once was both here that were torn down by previous tenants).  I became weary of this eyesore one year and determined to improve the view I used the larger bits of stone to build a retainer wall and proceeded to fill in the plot with dirt and manure.  However, it seems that no matter how much I add, the stones always keep rising back to the surface to foil me.  The birds knock over the wall stones and I'm constantly re-building.  On a good year though there are both strawberries and onions in that garden.

The newest garden is referred to as the side garden, it being located to one side of the house, slightly to the front.  This one is a little unusual as I took the time and effort to turn the soil and remove the grasses only to plant... grasses.  Timothy and Orchard grass to be specific.  Another ongoing effort to reduce the feed costs by raising some fresh fodder.  I will probably need to locate a scythe however, probably not going to be easy since when I mentioned it at the seed store, I was offered only blank looks in return.  "A what?!" said the clerk, "surely you've heard of the Grim Reaper?!" I replied in consternation, "he carries a scythe... a device that was once used to harvest grasses back before the invention of the tractor... an item I neither have nor need really." I suppose a sling blade would work as well, again, if I can locate one.  It's interesting how few people even know what equipment was around before the invention of the motor tried to make them obsolete.

I suppose though there actually is more than 4 gardens here, but those are the main ones.  If one were so inclined, one could also count the front herb gardens (a matched pair across the front of the house), the asparagus bed, the rhubarb patch, and the myriad herb pots as a sort of container garden.  Were I to attempt to account for everything, I'd also include this lot as a sort of orchard, there being fruit trees of multiple types here, including blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, and grapes.  The only thing missing are kiwi's!  I'm trying to remedy that, but you'd be surprised how hard it is to find a good self-pollinating kiwi these days.

The day that doesn't exist

I love leap day! Since it only occurs once every 4 years it feels like the culmination of a series of events. It's technically a day we skipped in pieces, and now must put back together as a whole. I've always felt for people born on this day, do they really exist more than once in 4 years? How did this day evolve anyway? Some elders were sitting around a fire one day, comparing their notes on the movements of the heavens and one of them, while poring over his charts and notes, says something like, "hey guys, I think we have a slight problem. There aren't an even number of days in an annual cycle. What should we do?" And then I bet it took them forever to think it over and ponder. I wonder if someone just had an epiphany and said, "I know! Let's just add an extra day every handful of years to account for the fractions!" Then someone else said something like, "but when would we add this 'spare' day to the calendar? It's pretty full already, ya know." And then someone else said, "well February has the fewest number right now, why don't we just add it onto that one?" And there were then shouts and rejoicing all around.

Do you ever wonder though, if there were no leap day, would our calendars eventually be off? Then spring might occur in November!

Family/Farm Goings-On

Wow has it ever been busy around here! If anyone thinks a WAHM or SAHM doesn't work their butt off, they ought to try it! The first inklings of spring are appearing. Early this year, but I'm good for it! I have seeds started in the house and plans to turn the big gardens in the back, plus a patch in the front to raise grasses. The kids are growing like weeds. I can't believe my youngest girl is 5 and ready to start school. She's far outgrown her current sleeping arrangement, so I've been trying to locate an alternative. I finally did find part of it yesterday on the side of a road, about 5 or 6 houses down. A perfectly nice mattress and box spring set. I only picked up the mattress though. Now if only I could find a frame for it...

All the kids are busy as ever with their extra-curricular activities. Both elder girls are trying out Track this year. Even if they decide they don't want to stick with it, I believe it will benefit them in ways they cannot yet imagine.

Upcoming Holiday Plans

I have a pretty good idea that most of my family doesn't really pay any attention whatsoever to any of my blogs, and that's honestly fine with me since it allows me the opportunity to write posts they probably ought not see. Nothing incriminating, of course, just not necessarily required to be completely known. In this instance, I'm going to talk about what items I have planned to give out this next winter holiday. Many are known by some, but not all, and that's usually the way I like it.

Now, last winter I purchased 2 large items, 1 for each of my youngest children. Little kids are generally so easy to please! I found a M&D dollhouse, complete with furniture, for my preschooler, who will be just barely old enough for it. Then I picked up a super-nice wagon for my toddler. This is one that has pneumatic wheels, wooden sides, and a domed cover over the top! Then I became stumped for my elder girls.

I'll be making several home-made gifts for the family too. Hats and scarves and mittens. Also slippers/socks and who knows what else. For my mother I was thinking of making a hands-free shoulder wrap or a shawl. For my spouse... I have no idea!! I also want to make some large crochet 'socks' to be used as stockings. I'm honestly not sure what else I'll put on the docket. Extended family will be receiving a dried goodies basket this year: puff-mallows (dried marshmallows), dried fruits, and maybe some veggie chips. Not much, but everything flavored with love.

Inner Peace

I have found over the years that there are some things that you have to worry over and other things that you don't. I have maintained my sanity through cathartic writing, though honestly not everything I write is intended to be read by anyone. There are a few things in my somewhat chaotic and hectic life that bring me quiet joy and true inner peace. One of them is the rare sight of my children in complete slumber... once you get past the drool that is. Another is my new beehive in the twilight. One that has given me quiet joy for many years is my chickens, just watching them do what chickens do.

One of the biggest is one that I discovered when I was a mere slip of a girl, maybe 8 or 9. At a time of true tribulation in my childhood, I discovered a love so deep and so profound that I keenly felt it's loss for several years during which it was lost to me. Between the age of 10 and 18, 8 years I felt the loss. Even though I didn't truly appreciate the loss for a long time. It was my love of the mountains. Sound corny? Well it isn't for me, not when you grew up as I did, a tractless, homeless nomad at the mercy of my unable-to-keep-a-job father and a mother trying to do the best she could.

I must admit that while I haven't had a chance to appreciate the youthful Rocky mountains, I do have a preference for the aeons-older Appalachians. I have come to appreciate the different ranges within them. The Blue-Ridge mountains do actually have a blue tinge to them. The Smokies are very much smoke-grey and cloudy in appearance. I have even witnessed the "purple mountains majesty" in the northern areas.

I've seen "hairy" mountains in the winter, where the bare trees over the snowy ground give the illusion of hair. I've seen "mottled" mountains where clouds in the sky cast individual shadows over massive ranges. I've even seen "red" mountains where the setting of the sun was at just the right angle to light them ablaze.

Every time I take a moment to look upon the distant range, a gentle peace comes over me. It is this that I will never take for granted, whether I live here 10 years or 80 years.