Well despite the thunderblasters that have made their way through the area, I am happy to report we have been able to get a lot done here on the farm and still find time for fun. We are currently in the middle of the 1st hay cutting of the season. Nate and I have been taking notes on how to cut the hay and look forward to eventually getting the equipment and be part of the process. Believe it or not, despite it being hard work it looks like a lot of fun. I’ll let you know if I change my mind after I have a go at it.
Part of our daily ritual is to wake up, enjoy a good breakfast, and hit up craigslist for good deals on things we need to make this a working farm. We have managed to get free wood that helped build the chicken tractor and the garden boxes. Well after many days of searching we finally found a great deal on a new trailer we have been looking for in order to help us move items on the farm and to be able to pick up items we need for future projects. We are pretty excited about this find and are looking forward to painting it & doing some minor fixes to make it perfect.
We realized that in order to really get started on some of the bigger projects on our list we needed to stop and take a moment to organize inside and outside a bit first. Nate spent a few days cleaning out the shop and the sea crate. It looks amazing now. I will post some pictures in an album soon. I have been busy cleaning and organizing the inside. I now have a second shelf for canned goods and pantry items thanks to Nate. It is nice to go through and get a handle on what we have, what we need, and know where it will be in the future.
Life on the farm usually involves establishing routines. Routines are a good thing,especially with animals. For example, every morning I get up, feed the dogs, feed the cat, and feed the chickens. Well a few weeks ago I added another routine to our schedule and some how acquired 3 trainers in the process.
I decided to cut a path around the outside of the lower hay field so I could start running again. Well, those dogs learned that routine quickly. It has become a favorite part of their day. Simon loves to run down to the stream and catch fish, Truman (who avoids water as much as possible) runs down to the patch of trees by the river and chases rabbits & turtles, and of course Xander stays by my side the whole time but is ready to chase Simon if he tries to dive bomb us at full speed (which he does A LOT).
It is a beautiful view and great for running (minus the occasional tick), but boy do I get in trouble if I try to skip a day. Those dogs have grown to expect that daily run, rain or shine. Truman has taken to barking at me and running to the path if I dilly dally too much. Looks like they will make sure I get my daily dose of cardio in whether I like it or not. Fortunately, I think I was able to convince Nate to start joining me. It will be all the more fun that way, plus maybe the dogs will throw some of the dirty looks his way on those rainy cold days where the couch looks just too comfy to leave.
Of course we make sure we have some play time too. At least once a week Nate and I leave the farm and explore the area. I call it “Date Day.” We have gone to a couple amazing restaurants, checked out some great shopping areas, and of course seen a movie or two. We had the neighbors over for Memorial day and got the scoop on some other places to visit. We plan on checking out three neighboring lakes, some hot springs, Branson, go-carts and a diamond mine south of Little Rock. We also are looking forward to some good yard sales this coming weekend. Woohoo…shopping! Plus we have fun exploring the river, caves, and woods on the property. When the weather holds, we light up a great big bon fire and enjoy happy hour under the stars at our favorite little watering hole. Life is good on SweetWater!
Hope you are enjoying the site. We are working to make it better. I would like to add a guestbook or comment section. Nate is working on adding a way to donate to projects. Otherwise, Nate is finishing getting some items ready to sell on ebay, clearing the area for the second sea crate, and getting the sono tubes in place. I am cooking new recipes, playing with our new juicer so I can find tasty ways to use our growing garden, getting ready to prepare our big garden, keeping the place mowed and maintained so Nate can focus on the big projects, tending to the beasties, and helping where I can on the big projects.
~Adios for now. Always, Nate, Lily & the critter crew.
