November 2019 Walkabout

setting sun through the backyard maple

November is nearly over...

Thanksgiving is right around the corner…

and I am running far behind my projected preparations. (oh, so far)

Every year I think THIS November I will focus on my gratitude…THIS year I will make lists and posts of all the things for which I should give thanks…

And, every year something knocks me off course.

This year it was sickness and surgery, neither of which being huge events in themselves, but the combination was enough to make me feel like I have to cram a whole lot into the next several days and completely altered any focus on gratitude. Nose to the grindstone and all that jazz.

But, the “cold-crud” that had us both confined to our respective recliners, hacking and actually missing the Market completely one week (first time ever) has subsided. And, the headache and uncomfortably weird vision issues have resolved (somewhat) following my first cataract surgery. (cataract surgery has come a long way since the days of my grandparents...and while the whole process is strangely unsettling, I'll have to tell you all about it sometime)

So, after those slight detours, I think we're back on track.

Just in time for T'giving prep! (and, I suppose I should give thanks for that)

beginning of another pretty day

Despite my misgivings about the leaves, the colors were spectacular, although short-lived. Here are just a few shots.

the last redbud leaf

fiery maples 

misty autumn morning

more gorgeous color

(not a great shot, but...)
a bald eagle and a red-tailed hawk were flying together in the cloudless November sky
I could hear them screaming long before I saw them right overhead
pretty cool!

mid-air leaf
stuck on a cobweb
spinning in the breeze

burning bush berries

morning glory seed pods in the sunlight

pinecone stuck in the fence

beautiful leaves at the Market

So, now I have four days to focus on providing the family feast that marks the end of the growing season and a time to focus on all the things for which we are grateful.

FOUR days.

Getting all my preparations completed will be a challenge. Focusing on gratitude while doing so…is going to take challenge to a whole new level.

LOTS of history between those two photos

This year is slightly different in that yesterday was not just the final Market day of the season, it was our final Market day ever. Ever. For those who wondered, I don’t think the reality of the finality of that statement has quite sunk in yet.

While it wasn't our greatest season (or even close, for that matter) we did manage to set a personal record for one-day sales and sold every single chicken and lamb we raised. And, yesterday we sold 50 dozen eggs in a little less than 3 hours! All in all, a good season by any measure.

Moving on from the Market changes everything in our lives. Everything. Doing the Market isn’t just about showing up on Saturday morning. It’s a finely tuned choreography of animal husbandry, gathering/washing eggs, planting seeds, harvesting produce, planning for the next season, keeping up with the filing and the bills and countless other things. Any hiccup in the routine has far-reaching effects. Without it, we will have to completely re-define ourselves and our purpose.

The Market may never have been our dream, but it served us well for a lot of years. And, we are truly grateful for that. Customers became our friends and have supported us throughout the years. Our vendor friends feel more like family than our actual relations sometimes. The Market offered opportunities and exposure that we never would have experienced had we not become vendors all those years ago.

Definitely a reason (many reasons) to GIVE THANKS!

A few random views from around the farm...

November sunrise

a hen eyes the last volunteer tomatoes

stormy November skies

some unlikely friends

evening sheep grazing  

requisite sunset shot

doing chores before Market
one last time

There are a whole lot of posts lurking under the surface of the preceding paragraphs. After the holidays I will finally take the opportunity to sit down and write out some of those things that float across the periphery of my brain as I tried to keep up with that farming choreography. 

But for now, you’ll have to excuse me…I have lists to make and food to cook!

Hope you have a Happy Sunday! 

one of my cardinal friends looked right in the kitchen window!

Thank you for stopping by. Come back and “visit” again soon.

Here's a blast from the past if you need something to read...

 https://homesteadhillfarm.blogspot.com/2017/11/taking-things-for-granted.html