They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
(20 The girls have been listening to Les Misérables. ) We have a few. Clearing off tables. Even the rickety one.  Lunch break! A few more apples, and everything is rearranged, ready to chop them up and press them. One press inside, two presses outside, room for another press, then the straining station on… Continue reading One Day More…
As construction begins and CiderFest approach, and a camper is now parked next to the shop, driveway space is at a premium. We can't afford a giant log pile taking up space near the barn. So, last Wednesday... no, the other last Wednesday. The 16th... Daddy and the two middlest children tackled the remaining logs.… Continue reading Log Fest
At the farm there is a really big rock. It has been there since we bought the farm, just kind of sitting beside the barn. I rolled it a couple of times a few years ago, just to get it out of the way, so I could back the trailer up, but it has more… Continue reading Rolling Stones
This many banana slugs this large on the farm in August. There shouldn't be this much cordial and liqueur aging in the kitchen fridge at one time. It had to be moved to the shop to continue aging, out of the way of our daily food. There shouldn't be a band-aid case from the Pierce… Continue reading There shouldn’t be…
Rosary Ruck on Saturday morning. It was good to get out and moving again. 5 miles, slow, but still rehabbing my right heel from Captain's Career Course. After the ruck I swung by the farm to do chores and pick up my wine making supplies. Uncle Adam had already done the chores, and was splitting… Continue reading Splitting the Log
Seppi is six years old now! How did that happen? Time flies when you are having fun. Since Daddy missed his birthday because of the National Guard (Again!) So we had some man time the following weekend. Daddy worked a few extra National Guard days so Seppi tagged along when we went out to the… Continue reading Six-Year-Old Seppi
Tuesday, May 26th. Seppi saw me heading out to the wilderness with a shovel, a machete, and some clippers. He immediately ran to the tool shed to grab his hatchet and followed along. Yes, a five-year-old (almost six) has a hatchet. It is quite blunt, you couldn't cut a dandelion with it, but it is… Continue reading More Man Work!
There are days a man just needs to camo up and defend the homestead. If the only people available to camo up with are girls, I suppose they will do. But when you come down to it. When you get right down to it... A man's work is a man's work. Like this gap between… Continue reading Man Work
One of the most common suggestions we get from people who see our homestead is "You should rent a... [insert piece of heavy equipment here.]" Whether it is a backhoe, or a skid steer, or whatever, there is some truth in it. A lot of the projects we have done on the farm could have… Continue reading Because it is relaxing. Sometimes…
Sometimes doing school in the shop is fun. Sometimes it is not. Sometimes, when your sisters get done before you and get to play with the world's greatest toy (the shop vac), it is just downright awful. That's why it is important to have an incentive for a small man to work for. In this… Continue reading The Box
