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January. The year started here, in the slanted little house. It was cold, very cold. Our new farmhouse was under roof and while real work continued there, I spent many shivering hours at the old farmhouse working on my fantasy farm in my head.
Oh, and driving my car into the river.
February. I wondered if the house would ever be finished. And what it was like to have heat and insulation as it hit zero back at the old farmhouse.
I was interviewed for an article that appeared in the local county paper. On that icy day, I was scared to drive up my own driveway at the new farmhouse and fell off my chair during the interview. I was calm, cool, collected, and ready to be a farmer.
March. We moved in!!!!!
And I promptly lost half my cats. Cats are so difficult to move.
The house wasn’t really quite finished. It was stressful and exciting and stressful. Did I mention the stressful part? But–I live on a farm!!! And there was heat and insulation and everything.
April. We took a trip to a chicken farm and I came away with dozens of eggs to hatch. After an incubator overheating incident, I got a fresh supply of eggs from the chicken farm, but couldn’t quite bring myself to throw out the ruined eggs. I was stunned to see one hatch, which was quickly followed by more from the second batch. After a month of turning, candling, waiting, hoping, I ended the month with my little flock, my first chickens.
And, thank goodness, lost cats became found cats as we settled into our new house and our new life on our new farm.
May. We built a chicken house so the chickens could finally move out of my office, and took a trip to a goat farm, preparing for the next step. Goats! And we started our first garden on our new farm, challenged by the loss of top soil from grading during construction. We perservered, determined to grow something even if it was only weeds, as spring burst into the lush beauty that is West Virginia.
I love spring on our farm.
June. The chickens grew and grew and even got a little scary.
Prepare to die.
And then we got a giant puppy!!!
How did I ever live without her before?
July. We finally named our farm, just in time for ducks and a duck pond.
And then we were, finally, joined by our first goats–Clover and her two babies, Nutmeg and Honey.
I was immediately obsessed with Clover’s magic udder and the dream of fresh milk.
The month closed with a feature story about my blog in the Charleston Daily Mail.
August. I started milking Clover.
Yeah. I can’t really explain that picture. But I did eventually go from a few scant tablespoons to a pint a day!! I was determined. And so was Clover…..
Meanwhile, the garden proved more abundant than expected. I love summer on our farm.
September. Clover thought up five thousand different ways to to foil my efforts to milk her. I perservered and threw a Chickens in the Road party, where I learned to make cheese. Take that, Clover.
After canning apricot, peach, and blackberry jam all summer, we picked apples at the old farmhouse for apple butter.
My pantry was filled with jams and butters. I love living in the country.
October. The chickens finally earned their keep and started laying eggs just as Clover and I signed a truce, agreeing to live to milk another day.
Or, you know, I agreed. Not so sure about Clover……
I was an honorary grand marshal in the Black Walnut Festival parade. I learned to use a pressure canner, adding green beans and tomatoes to our stocked pantry. And most of all, October was about the stunning show of color all around us on our farm.
I love our farm in the autumn.
November. The chickens gave me a a pink egg.
And then quit laying because they were just messing with my head anyway.
We started building a goat house and I started dreaming about sheep again as we saw our first snow on the farm.
December. We got snowed in and went sledding on our farm for the first time. The boys cut down our first Christmas tree for our new farmhouse and much of the month was spent in fun and frugal gift-making. 52 came out of the shadows at long last, and Clover dreamed of a man of her own.
Winter on our farm is wonderful. (I’m really digging the heat and insulation.)
This new farmhouse has already seen new friends and old friends and family from near and far. Good times and hard times. Tears and laughter, despair and hope. I’m looking forward to the next year and dreaming new dreams–new chicks, ducklings, baby goats, and, yay, little lambs! Oh, the farm babies we shall have! (Don’t forget the giant puppies, too!!!! Clover isn’t the only one who’s got a hot date in her near future. Coco has one, too!) And maybe, just maybe, a barn…… Who knows what else. There are so many things left to learn, so many experiences, so many surprises.
Life is a bold adventure.
This is my now. And whatever happens next…..
….I know it’s gonna be fun. Come with us?
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Thank you so much for sharing your farm, your family (animals included!) and your wonderful writing with us each and every day. I look forward to your daily post and daily picture each day (and often will peek in late and night to see if I can catch what’s new before anyone else). I hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful 2009.
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-Patty
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Your casserole [our version of it] was delish…thanks for the starter.
Now go sleep. I promise if you will.
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May 2009 bring you all the Blessings you can handle.
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I’ll be here, with bells on!!
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Sharing in your excitement and your journey is truly wonderful!
Thank you for opening the windows.
Cheers and best wishes for the new year!!!!!
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Your year in review allowed me to reminisce with you. Thank you for the gift you’ve given me without even being aware of it. The sharing of yourself.
Remember the old view masters? You put a disc in and looked through binocular like things at a 3-D image and felt like you could just step into the picture?That’s the feeling I get when I look at your pictures.
I love your stories, and have made several of your recipes.
Have a very happy new year
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Currently have 3 alpacas, 1 llama, 2 rabbits, 2 cats & 1 dog… (Power of suggestion is working – He is convinced that I need 2 pygmy goats…SO I am looking for 2 pygmy goats for this spring.. if you know of any pygmy goats for sale please let me know. I live in Malden (5 miles east of Charleston). Thanks
Happy Holidays to you & yours. :treehugger:
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Blessings in this new year!
BethAnn
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I first found your blog with your water witching post. I thought it was so funny, I’ve been hooked ever since.
Made the citrus potpourri…didn’t have pine needles, so I stuck in some bay leaves–pretty. My mil, sil and niece loved them…stepmother gets a basket next week.
I started the bourbon balls (except I used rum). They had soaked overnight and then, Christmas Eve, I discovered I had no powdered sugar–and the stores were closed!!
So, I made the cracker candy and used my soaked rum nuts with that!
You’re a peach, Suzanne. Thanks for all you do!! I hope you (and your readers) have a wonderful 2009!
Kris
Working hard at http://www.sccworlds.com
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your family, friends, hopes and dreams.
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Happy, happy new year to you, the kids, 52, Georgia, and all the critters great and small!
Thankyou for all your sharing this past year too, I know I have learned so much from you!
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I will come with you for the year 2009…..let’s make it a good one, or rather a magnificent one :flying:
hugs
Gwen
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Hope your holidays were really special this yr…mine sure was. My daughter Sarah was married the 27 of Dec. Beautiful girl, beautiful wedding. We really like her husband…he’s a very nice guy…rare these days…
Christmas was great…enjoyed watching the smallest of our grandchild open their gifts. Dinner was good and all was well at the Boylen home and hope yours was the same.
I really enjoyed your last book…can’t wait for the next one.
Fern…of course it’s snowing here in Ohio…nothing new there. :weather:
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