Sunday Walkabout 10-22

Life rolls on...

Ever get a snippet of a song stuck in your head and it occurs at odd and random times?  Or is that just me?

It happens all the time. And, occasionally it is even appropriate for sharing.

There’s little to say about this week other than...”life rolls on...” (thanks Little Big Town)

As life does indeed roll on, the season progressing and the weather changing, there are certain steps in the intricate choreography of small-scale farming so that the dance can continue. But, there is little margin for error and seemingly small things threaten sustainability. The somewhat regular occurrence of odd and random disruptions have made this year a challenge to say the least.

This week was no exception...

Last week, the Boss was complaining about a scratchy throat. But, it’s been dry and dusty, he’d been mowing grass, cleaning out the brooder. Surely it was just an allergic reaction of some kind.

Then he started sounding like Barry White. (surely you know Barry) That’s a sure sign that he’s getting sick...really sick. By the time last week’s Market was over,  the sexy sound of his Barry White-esque  baritone gave way to what can only be described as what I assume were the sounds of a wounded water buffalo. (no offense here Boss, trying to create a word picture) He said his throat was excruciating. There were snuffling efforts to breathe. And, then there was the coughing jag that left him struggling to remain upright.

That did it. He needed medical attention.

As another indicator of the seriousness, he asked ME to drive him to Urgent Care. (anyone who knows the Boss knows that he doesn’t do the passenger seat of a vehicle) At this point, I got a little scared.

So, for the second time in recent history, we were headed to Urgent Care on a Sunday evening, hoping to make it before they closed. (although there were no bathrobes involved this time)

They tested him for strep (which came back negative), gave him a couple of prescriptions (which couldn’t be filled until morning) and sent us on our way. But, not before we picked up some icecream (at the doc’s recommendation) to soothe that sore throat.

So, he spent a fair amount of time sitting in his recliner, wiling away the time attempting to endure what could only be described as “the mother of all head colds”.

Life rolls on...

I muddled through the best I could. Fortunately, there isn’t a whole lot to do. After one small job that requires any sort of bending (and what job doesn’t), I have to spend some quality time with my own recliner...and the heating pad.

We make quite a team. A rather pathetic team of the “halt and the lame” …or something like that. (more like the congested and the whiny)

…life rolls on…

Then we received the much-anticipated text…

New grandbaby had arrived quickly and safely. Garrett Kayde brings the grandson count to THREE! Big congratulations to Betsy, Josh and now-big brother, Karl.

While the Boss couldn’t visit the new addition, (can’t share germs with a baby!) he did manage to get the garlic beds tilled and dig the potatoes for this week’s Market.

tilling for garlic

digging 'taters

I don’t know how he found the energy, but he got the seedstock for 2018 planted as well. (no pictures of that since he got it done in record time)

Since I’m not doing a whole lot of farm work, I got to visit the new arrival several times during the week. Well, see...that's positive...

isn't he sweet?

During one visit, I managed to shut the car door on my thumb. Notice I didn’t say slam. That would have been a serious incident. I just caught the pad of my thumb in the little crack between the doors. (I still can’t figure out how I did this).  While it hurt, I didn’t realize the extent of the injury until much later, when it began to swell. As a matter of fact, I was rather surprised to see the damage. There was a big black bruise that throbbed with the slightest movement of my hand.

It was only then that I could rejoice about the lettuce crop failure. There is no way I could have picked lettuce with that thumb! Actually, I couldn’t do much of anything for at least a day. (even our supper menu had to be revised)

Thankfully, the swelling went down and it didn’t require medical attention other than a big bandaid.

I was able to go into town on Friday morning and pick up the layer chicks at the Post Office. On the way to town, I saw one more indicator that everybody is struggling with the current drought conditions. The line at the stockyard stretch out from the loading dock, down the road, around the corner and back over the bridge. If it had been much longer there would have been cattle in the middle of downtown. (in their trailers, of course) I wish I had taken a photo, I’ve never seen that many trailers. Needless to say, we’re all praying for rain.

These hens will give you some idea of how dry it is...
Chickens take dust "baths" to curtail any sort of skin irritants and parasites. It also helps them stay cool.

just a day at the "hen beach"

getting ready to shake out the excess dust

give it a little shake...

...and everybody got a dustbath!

they were healthy, but HUNGRY!

The chicks were tucked into the brooder where they will live until it’s time for them to join the layer flock in late winter. Their arrival moved us just a little closer to the 2018 season.

...aww, aren't they cute?

…and life rolls on…

Sadly, Market offerings were slim at best.

...sad days indeed...

This is getting old...this standing at the Market with very little stuff...the attempts at explaining why there is so little stuff...it’s affecting my current mood and my outlook for the future. But, I feel like I need to make the best of it, gloss over all the worries. Because quite honestly, the market customers do not want to hear all my mental wrangling (nobody does...not even ME!)

There is no way around the present situation...this year-long string of unexpected, unbelievable challenges...just through it.

...and we’re almost there.

Almost.

Maybe.

I find myself quoting “the little engine that could” quite often these days.

I think I can, I think I can, ithinkican, ithinkican...

...if we can just keep up enough steam and momentum to get through the end of the season (just 4 more Markets) then we can re-group after Thanksgiving. This isn’t the first time we’ve experienced challenges. (every year seems to present something new) But, I must admit, I think this year has been the hardest ever. ...and believe me, we have faced some hard stuff.

The Boss keeps saying that we’ll get “back to normal”. I beg to differ. Seismic life changes...those big things that come on like an earthquake...disrupt, if not destroy, normalcy. While life does indeed roll on, it is never quite the same.

Personally, it seems like we are stuck in a continual loop of change. And, while I realize that life is never static, that “normal” may just be an illusion, I would certainly welcome a season of relative calmness. Really. Because for every “Ithinkican, ithinkican…” there is a “but, what if I can’t?”

He keeps telling me that I really need to change my focus. Think positively…

So,…the good stuff...

big brother, little brother

2018 green garlic crop

next week's star crop

kitties in the backyard

pretty sunset

frosty fencepost

lots of broccoli

shadows on Sugarloaf Mtn

October maple leaf

Hope y’all are having a Happy Sunday! 

A sun-dog means a chance of rain!
(fingers crossed)

Thanks for reading. 

Come back and “visit” again real soon.

I don’t know, but I’ve been told
If you are not busy living, then you’re getting old
That always seemed to make good sense to me

Life Rolls On

La, La, La, La, La, La, Life Rolls On
La, La, La, La, La, La, Life Rolls On

Life Rolls on…. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uugqbRSaAKY  -Little Big Town

The Boss’ Market shots can be found HERE.