The Long and Winding Road

our lane

29 years ago today, the Boss and I rather inadvertently started the farm…I say inadvertently...

                          
   …because we both thought it just a date on a Friday night!

In the early eighties, I started working as a teller at the new savings bank in town and it would prove to be a life changing experience. I had never seen so many bearded men in flannel shirts and pick-up trucks! J

I distinctly remember the first time I met the Boss.  As I handed him the cash from his paycheck, I said “Have a nice weekend, sir!”  The other teller fell on the floor laughing. Literally. “Don’t you know who that was?” she gasped, her laughter uncontrollable. Inwardly cringing that I had somehow offended someone, I waited for her answer.  “that’s so-and-so’s little brother, Tommy…you called him SIR!  Baaaaahaaaa!” she dissolved into laughter again. While I never understood the hilarity of the situation, I think she finally stopped laughing when he asked me out…and I don’t remember her being a hysterical bridesmaid…

Personally, I thought it would be a first-date last-date thing.  You see, I knew I was 19 to the Boss’ 28…I knew that I had just spent a year in Bible college and the combination was generally a deal-breaker.  …well, maybe he wouldn’t ask. But, ask he did. As I answered, I hoped he would be chivalrous enough to at least take me home, but I remember mentally calculating the walk home in case he was not.  Thankfully, he didn’t ditch me…the Boss is nothing if not a Southern gentleman (most of the time).

And, we've been together ever since.

We found we actually had a lot in common. We had similar views on most topics. Religion, Politics, Morals and Ethics, Worldview and Life in general…but,the Beatles, from whom I “borrowed” the title…not so much.  But, I reckon you can't have everything.  We talked and talked…and after 29 years…we’re still talking. (okay…so, I really do most the talking…)

1st day of Homestead Hill

Our life together over all these years has been a long and winding road, to say the least.

We’ve lived in a townhouse, built a house in the county…moved multiple times…lived in my parent’s basement TWICE…and then built the farm from scratch. Here’s hopin’ we’re done movin’!

20th anniversary - yep, really went to Staples
looking at digital cameras


We’ve gone from new parents to empty nesters…watching our daughters grow up, get married and have homes of their own. Two weddings and a near fatal accident in less than two years…life never has to be THAT intense again!

We loved our life as part of the REDNECK YACHT CLUB spending weekends on our pontoon boat with bunches of friends (I think we both miss those days sometimes)

…only to find ourselves changing SO dramatically over time that we spent nearly ten years dressing “plain” and being pretty legalistic. While we really thought we were doing the right thing at the time, I guess now we’re just a little more middle of the road.

…and those are just a few of the high points.  There have been low, very low times.  We’ve loved and lost and felt betrayed.  We’ve hurt more than we thought was humanly possible and overcome what seemed like insurmountable odds.  We have faced serious sickness, heartache and frustration.  We know what it’s like to be homeless and un-employed. We have laughed and cried and….well, I think you get the picture. Life (for all of us) is a remarkable journey.

Yep, it’s been one heck of a ride down this long and winding road. I am certain neither one of us ever expected to be where we are right now (never in a million years)..and while we can’t be real sure where it’s leading…or what's around the next bend...

Farmers' Market 2012

                   






          I’m glad we’re travelling it together.





                 

Sunday Walkabout 11-25

Now that the Market is closed for the season and the feasting of Thanksgiving is behind us, it seems oddly anti-climactic somehow. Just another Sunday, just another blog post…

But…

This is post number 1000!

That’s a LOT of posts. (or, at least I think so) If you've been following along for any length of time, you've seen a lot of photos of the farm...

sometimes the eggs are "decorated"

FROSTY morning

wild rosehips

beautiful sunset

another gorgeous sky

moon-rise over the farm

And, read about LOTS of farm happenings...

For post 1000, I was hoping for something momentous to write about, but the farm in late November is not an exciting place by any stretch of the imagination. Although, without our attention, the eggs would pile to the rafters and the ewes would complain so loudly about the lack of grain that someone would surely investigate. But, other than that…nothing much happened around here this week. And quite honestly, farm updates and weather reports are getting a little old. (but, for the record, we got another INCH and a half of rain yesterday!)

sparrow "family portrait"

burning bush berries

do you see the woodpecker?

singing wren

THERE's the woodpecker!

ANOTHER wet day

The slow time is greatly appreciated. But I feel change brewing. Something different is calling to me. December is right around the corner and the days will begin to lengthen once more and the Spring growing season will be here before you know it.

the obligatory Tgiving family portrait

my favorite photo from the day

serious play-time
dinosaurs AND paw patrol

Historically, some of our most life-changing projects have started in December.

The Boss and I had our first date in December 1983. Did you read this one? https://homesteadhillfarm.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-long-and-winding-road.html

We found out that we were going to become parents in December 1987. Here’s a post about our firstborn…

https://homesteadhillfarm.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-quarter-century.html

And, I am almost certain it was December when we eagerly claimed that amazing offer that had been made at the Thanksgiving table back in 1995…

https://homesteadhillfarm.blogspot.com/2015/11/give-thanks.html

So, it seems only fitting that the “next big thing” starts in December as well.

After years and years of writing strictly about the farm and closely related subjects, it’s time to branch out a little.

On December 1, I’m taking MY new website live.

 www.barbarawomack.com

That book so many of you have told me I NEED to write is beckoning.  If I’m ever going to get it finished and published, I need to focus on that for a while. My own website will give me a place to try out some other subjects, particularly those that have nothing to do with farming. And, a place to shamelessly promote my work without worrying that it somehow interferes with the farm brand.

So, I’m stepping back from the farm blog. No, not giving it up entirely. But, rather than struggle to come up with something interesting and enlightening every single week, it’s going to become a once a month kind of thing. (and if you’re one to keep track…look for it the last Sunday of each month) I hope to spend the time I would spend crafting a farm post writing something more substantive.

The 1000 posts on the farm blog have taken me from a bored rainy afternoon in 2009 (here's my first post)   on an extraordinary journey. We’ve “met” folks from around the world (some of those IN PERSON) and been given opportunities that would have otherwise eluded us.  I appreciate all of you who have taken the trip with me and ask you to come along for the next chapter.

Thanks for the love and support, y’all.

Hope you’re having a Happy Sunday!

 

moonlight through the maple branches

Come back and “visit” again sometime.

And, be sure to check out my new site, too!  www.barbarawomack.com

Stalking the Great Blue Heron

At first glance, Back Creek is pretty unimpressive.

Back Creek is a meandering little stream that seems to be of small consequence.  Its headwaters are on the other side of Mbrook Road and it flows through town with little attention from the public. If you drive through town, you cross it…but, I’m guessing no one ever gives it much thought.  It passes through the lower end of the farm…winding back and forth between the willow trees.  Then, it winds its way out toward the mountains where it joins the Middle River. The Middle River meets the North and South Rivers forming into the South Fork of the Shenandoah at Port Republic.  Then the South Fork and the North Fork join near Front Royal becoming simply the Shenandoah ….and flow into the Potomac at Harpers Ferry…which flows into the Chesapeake Bay and then into the Atlantic Ocean… wow!

Sorry…I lost focus. 

Back Creek...

One of the things we rejoiced over when finding this piece of property all those years ago was “live water”.  When buying/building a homestead, you want a dependable source of water.  When you find a stream, particularly a spring-fed stream, you are almost certainly guaranteed water…no matter what the circumstances. (or so that is the theory)  Back Creek has a reputation for NEVER having run dry.  While I honestly can’t attest to NEVER (we’ve only been here for a short period by community standards) I can say that while we have seen it low…oh so very low…we have not seen it dry. We have also seen it flood its banks in no uncertain terms…but, that is a story for some other time.

Back Creek provides a home to a great number of animal species, and life-giving hydration to far more.  Out toward the mountains it seems a little wilder, and the current generally runs a little faster.  It was out toward the mountains where I first heard “….oooooh….what is THAT?”  from a small person sitting  in the back seat, oh so many years ago.  When I looked out the window, I too said “oooh…what is THAT?”

THAT was a great blue heron…standing on one leg…fishing in Back Creek.  I didn’t know this at first glance; we had to do a little research in our trusty Readers’ Digest Animals of North America book when we got home. We still have the much used volume, although today’s searches generally involve the internet and not our family library.

The herons seem to favor Back Creek.  I cannot imagine the fishing is all that good, but maybe they like the rural setting.  Maybe the winding path of the creek makes for an interesting flight. Perhaps they like cows and sheep…and the occasional goat. Maybe they find life in M’brook as pleasant as all the residents do.

Over the past fifteen years, we’ve seen the herons repeatedly.  They’ve frightened the sheep...hung out with the neighbors goats, and been spotted under the willows. We’ve seen them in the distance, gliding along like some odd leftover pterodactyl from some prehistoric era.

However, recently we have seen a heron numerous times down front.  We could get closer and closer. It didn’t appear to be frightened at all.  I got a couple of good shots and then I got a little overly zealous and crept closer.  I hacked a path through the weeds all the way to the creek. I think this annoyed him, because I haven’t seen him there in quite a while. 

One day, I tracked him down the creek under the willows until he finally disappeared into the weeds and brambles. I really…REALLY…wanted to get a shot of this bird in flight.

No luck. Good shot of his feet…and water droplets…

Then, as I was walking down the lane to the mailbox, I heard an odd noise. “CR-O-NNN-K!”   I was startled as I then heard sweeping wings and the heron flew from UNDER the bridge. It went swooping down the creek…all too sudden for me to take a picture.  I nearly fell off the bridge in my surprise. But, it was an awesome sight nonetheless.

The quarter-mile walk to the mailbox generally yields some kind of interest. Yesterday was no exception.  Again I heard the “CR-O-NNN-K!”… This time I was rewarded with TWO blue herons flying right at me. I started talking to myself.  “camera, camera….QUICKLY!...”  One veered off and went downstream while the other flew overhead…his long legs stick-straight behind him. He/she landed by the creek where it flows through the front of the farm.

Now, THAT was cool!

Oddly enough, this may be the same heron we saw all those years ago. They live for quite a long time.  This may be the great blue heron couple of M’brook. There are definitely two. Maybe they will take up residence under the willows. I don't think the farm will benefit from the herons living by the creek, but, I don't suppose we will have to worry about being attacked by minnows. 

It looks like I will be spending some time along Back Creek this winter...stalking the great blue herons.

Sunday Walkabout 5-1

sheep on fresh grass

It’s always somethin’!

…accompanied by a long sigh and an air of resignation has been uttered more times than I care to recall in the past seven days.

It’s been one of “those” weeks here on the hill. While nothing that happened could be remotely considered disastrous, every single day seemed to add some new problem or some different annoyance.

NEVER a good view!

Sunday afternoon Tbone’s amazing lawnmower repair came to an abrupt end when the PTO switch burned out on the Gravely. 

Back to the shop. 

It looked like the part would have to be ordered.

broiler processing begins

On Monday, we finally processed that first problematic batch of broilers. Only to find that we had lost over 50% (more like 60%) of the birds.  That’s a huge loss. Huge.  Paticularly on our small scale of production. We knew it was going to be bad, but we were honestly hoping it wasn’t going to be that bad. There is no way to recoup it, you just chalk up a loss and go on.  

To top the day off, when I got home from the town run, I backed the truck over the new rat trap. (with a rat inside) Definite case of the "mondays".

squashed rat trap

On Tuesday, I discovered that one of the lambs had a serious rectal prolapse. I will spare you a photo of this. If you imagine this as gross and disgusting, I can assure you that reality is far worse. There is a reason we refer to our guts as our “insides” and that is because that is where they belong. They should never be outside the body cavity and dire consequences ensue when this happens. So, it’s not only gross, it can be deadly.

destroyed onion set and healthy one

Wednesday, during a break in the rain, I went to fill in the misses in the onion beds. A couple of beds of onions had very poor germination. (I jokingly blamed this on the Boss’ planting technique) Upon further investigation, I found out the true reason. The yellow onions had been attacked by root maggots. 

We have never seen this problem on this scale and it was going to demand our attention...and action. And, I would have to stop teasing the Boss about my superior onion planting skills.

that little "blobby thing" is a root maggot
they burrow through the onion

On Thursday, we had a downpour. Since I didn't get the sides rolled down in time, we now have a new water-feature in both hoophouses. Then, I discovered potato beetles in the newly sprouted potatoes. LOTS of potato beetles...

procreating potato beetles

Friday revealed that we had either a disease or pest issue (or both) in the broccoli garden. The losses were numerous.

damaged broccoli plant

Saturday’s market morning was incredibly foggy (and cold) …and I had a horrible headache. The kind of headache that makes thinking a chore. So, any witty repartee or my little dog-and-pony show of agvocacy and food education that is usually part of the Market morning just didn’t happen. I guess I should have apologized to friends and customers alike.

misty, foggy morning
better for a nap that the Market

Ugh. What a week!

On the other hand…

It IS Spring!

We got the part for the Gravely locally (and despite the need to repair a flat tire, too) the Boss has it back in running order!

PTO switch

On the way to get the mower part, we stopped by the kids' new house and loved on GB #1 just a little.  

It rained! It was really dry. So, dry that Accuweather was talking about us. And, you know THAT can’t be good. But, after a month of little to no rain, we got over an inch and a half this week.  ...make that TWO inches!

The asparagus harvest has begun. (sorry, customers…we ate that…)

The vast majority of the brassicas have not been affected by the mystery problem.

first potato leaves

The potatoes are coming up!

The root maggots are only bad in one area. Red onions are not as susceptible, so they do not have the problem. (and, not all the yellow onions are affected)

We found a treatment for the lamb and administered it with little difficulty. She hasn’t made any vast improvement…but, she is no worse. So, I have a little time for some more research into a different solution.

It rained! Yes, I know I did that one already. We REALLY needed the rain.

I found some tiny peaches that somehow escaped that last hard freeze. While there are only a few, there are at least enough for a pie.

We'll keep an eye on these little peaches

there are the beginnings of a grape harvest as well

We had chicken for the Market! (and sold them all)

1st broiler of 2016

The tiny chicks moved out of the shop and into the brooder.

not so tiny anymore

Broiler batch #2 and Batch #3 look great. We process again in just over 2 weeks.

After weeks of waiting (and repeated customer requests) we had spinach AND claytonia for Market.

claytonia
lovely addition to early Spring salads

All the water means the hoophouses are growing like crazy. We had 147 bags of greens for sale. (we only brought back 10 or 12 (which is not a problem---we gotta eat, too)

Thanks to Amazon prime, the rat trap was replaced in just 2 days.

After more than 3 weeks in the shop, my regular camera was finally returned with the warranty work completed.

The grass is amazing and lush. That should make the sheep happy…and provide some good weight gains on the lambs.

it really is that foggy
and the grass is up to my knees!

Despite the weather AND my headache, we had a great Market day!

LOTS of greens

During the past week, I found a Don Henley album that I had somehow missed. Music is an essential part of my workday, (providing therapy AND motivation) so a new/different album is always welcome.

This one just seemed to fit...

I’ve got great expectations

I’ve got family and friends

I've got satisfying work

I've got a back that bends

For every breath, for every day of living

This is my Thanksgiving

And I don't mind saying that I still love it all

I wallowed in the springtime

Now I'm welcoming the fall

For every moment of joy

Every hour of fear

For every winding road that brought me here

For every breath, for every day of living

This is my Thanksgiving

For everyone who helped me start

And for everything that broke my heart

For every breath, for every day of living

This is my Thanksgiving

  

      -Don Henley

While it may not have been the best, or the most productive…I am indeed thankful for this week.

and

I hope you’re having a

Happy Sunday! 

Happy Sunday, y'all!

And here’s hoping the week ahead is pleasant and productive. It looks like we’re in for a good deal of rain. Time to get the hoophouses re-worked, re-pot the tomato plants and seed for the next round of transplants. I might even have time to clean the house! 

(Nah, that would take something along the lines of Noah’s flood---forty days and forty nights)

Thanks for stopping by!  Come back and “visit” again soon.

From the album “Inside Job” – Don Henley, My Thanksgiving https://youtu.be/mYvzeGNEIHk

Want to visit the Market virtually? Here’s the link to the Boss’ photos from this week.

https://www.facebook.com/stauntonfarmersmkt/photos/pcb.10153921016881141/10153921016081141/?type=3&theater