Chickens running around …. Compost “brewing” ………… fresh vegetables and fruits maturing. These are the things I have become accustomed to. Autumn is in the air, the nights are much cooler. The garden is dying back, and I can feel winter creeping ever closer day by day. As always I am not ready to loose my hold on the summer, and growing lots of wonderful foods.
I wrote that a few days ago before our first frost. Saturday evening the temperature got down below freezing and killed off most of the garden. This morning when I left for work the windows of my car were covered in frost. Yes, fall is in the air. I hope winter is not totally unkind again this winter.
Yesterday was somewhat of a day of passage for me, I butchered our first chicken. I talked to our neighbor about coming over to help me. I just needed a little confidence to do it. We made an appointment for Sunday afternoon. I came in and got everything ready for Ralph. The water was boiled. I had sharp knives, cutting board, a bucket for the innards, and a machetti. Ralph didn’t show up. I was determined to do it anyway. I was nervous but I did it. I got it finished pretty quickly (I think) and put that rooster in the freezer. I know now that I can do it again.
Today I brought home 3 little chicks that I found on Craigs list. Some kids got them at the fair a few weeks ago thinking they would be fun, not realizing how much work they are. I didn’t realize how little they were when I said I would take them. Phil said he wanted to let them stay in the house where it is warmer. They are very loud … and cute. I am not sure what Molly and Mable think of them … they just sit and watch them. Hopefully they are big enough to go in with the other chickens soon.
I am feeling the panic of not getting things done in a timely manner. I needed to transplant berry bushes this fall and get the fence up for them to climb on. I haven’t gotten even one of them moved. The honey should have been harvested several weeks ago but it is still out there. I am afraid it is going to get to cold, plus I still need to treat the bees for parasites (again before it is to cold) and feed them to bring them back to strength. I have been picking up the potatoes as the chickens uncover them but they still need to be dug. The sweet potatoes also need to be dug. I don’t have any manure to feed the soil and we didn’t even shop for a tiller so I will again be doing it all by hand. (Our neighbor offered to do it, but I can’t let him). Phil tells me I am slowing down, and I guess I am but not that much!
(On to the present time the following weekend) With that being said .......... and my neglecting to post this, I must be slowing down!
Tomorrow morning I start a new adventure. I have been going to the gym faithfully for several months now. I have also been following the weight watchers plan and have dropped about 30 pounds. For the last month nothing has changed .... and I know it is all me, I am falling back into bad eating habits, and skip days going to the gym. I can't blame anyone but me. Tomorrow morning at 5:30 am I am going to be in Omaha at the gym with 3 other women and a personal trainer. We are going to meet twice a week for 6 weeks. I have never done anything like this before, I am nervous. I am friends with one of the women but don't know the other 2. I am at another leg of my journey to become healthier and smaller. I truly don't want to die from something I could have prevented like high blood pressure or a heart attack. I truly want to live a long healthy life and enjoy everything I have worked so hard for. I am looking forward to retirement. I wish I had been able to save more when I was younger, but there was nothing extra to save. I want to be able to live out my retirement years without wondering if I will be able to pay my bills. OK, enough of this. I need to go finish digging potatoes!
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