Oh, it's just too good to be true. It's Saturday morning, I am HOME for a week, and lambing should be done. I am waiting for Raven, my gorgeous black doe, to deliver...so we are not out of the woods yet. The last two weeks at school were just too weird to write about. It makes the chaos of the farm seem so refreshing and normal. Matt doesn't know a thing. I've disciplined myself to leave work at work and farm at the farm. I asked Matt if we could go to Barnes and Noble tonight to celebrate. I gather up all the high dollar magazines in a big pile, get my cappucino and page through them. It's a great, inexpensive "night out." If I bought the magazines and brought them home I probably wouldn't have time to read them anyway. I am hoping there is a January "British Country Living" there, which has been my favorite magazine for years. AJ bought me a year's subscription when he was on active duty, but it's run out. Only a few are available here in the US. He's promised when he passes his officer board he'll get me another subscription (Mother's Day is coming - perfect). I got my electric bill and called them up to "negotiate." I belong to a coop and the people are great. Wendy in the office and I are old friends. I am running about $400 a month. I fed the hay insulation over the apartment to the sheep - what else could I do? - and I'm paying for it with electric. Another case of not having enough money costing more money. I have space heaters in the milk room to keep the pipes from freezing. They eat up $$ like crazy in the uninsulated room. Another project for next summer. With Matt working full time, starting next week, things will slowly be put in order. I moved to this pig-in-a-poke farm a year and a half ago, knowing it would be a "Ten Year Plan." Next year I will be buying hay from Auntie Jan - better hay, and, if I'm lucky, a better price. Next summer's teacher pay will go for hay instead of building this apartment. Three more months of winter here in the Great North Land, and the green grass will be back...so will the flies and the parasites, all part of the scheme of things here on the farm.
Maggie, go get some of that heater tape and wrap your pipes in it. It is tape with electric wire inside it. It's made just for keeping pipes from freezing. The hardware store should know what it is.
ReplyDeleteThen you can unplug those juice guzzling heaters.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy you vacation week as much as you can Maggie! God knows you've earned a break.
ReplyDeleteof course auntie jan and uncle dave will give you a good price. we're going to be too busy that first year to look for other buyers, and until we get our own equipment, we'll have to share the crop. you will get all you need, at a good price before we go looking for other buyers! we are so excited ......... quite a change is in the wind for us!
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