Homesteading Middles: Fall Cleanup

“I am sorry my beloved, but I can’t play with you, I need to get this done.”

“But WHY?!! I don’t want to do this anymore! This machine is too loud.”

“My dearest Dragon, winter is coming* and we have no choice. We need this wood to stay warm when it gets cold.”

Winter is coming and, like the ant, we must prepare.

Fix the hole in the floor of the chicken coop.

Spread ginseng seeds on a northern facing slope to see if ginseng cultivation is viable.

Seed the greenhouse with winter greens and claytonia.

Chunk trees that fell down for seasoning for next year’s firewood.

Harvest the final peas, basil, and peppers from the overgrown vegetable garden.

Prune the grape vines.

Split wood.**

Every day I see something to add to this list as I visit a different corners of the land. Oh right, we need to mow up around the Tentrr site, I wonder if I could bring a goat up there to graze?

Recently, I was moving stacks of bark from our splitting wood area to the hugelkultur, and I hear two excited voices calling out on the other side of the chicken coop.

“Blow wind blow!”

“Blow leaves to us!”

“Blow wind blow!”

“Blow leaves down!”

“Make the leaves FALLLLLL!!”

I look up from pulling the cart. Two rosy cheeked children with butterfly nets are calling to the wind. Calling to the sky and the Universe and the world to blow down oak leaves so they can catch them in their nets.

So I add that to my list.

Listen to my children call to the wind.

And the list feels lighter.

* Read The Game of Thrones and you will understand this meta joke.

** The push to get things done while the sun shines warm is paired with the anticipation of warm fires and snuggling with tea. Both And.