Yesterday was the second time I’ve taken paid-time-off (i.e. ‘vacation time’) to go “help out” on another farm. So far it has been the best way for me to learn new skills and meet new friends. I’ve also taken a few weekend days to work on other farms in the area. I’ve learned some new organic gardening techniques and how to properly use a scythe over at Abundant Dawn; how to identify and all of the great uses for locust trees over at Wild Hill Farms; how to install floor joists and locust-pole-stilts on a cabin at our friends’ Tommy and Amber’s place; and finally how to quickly process your own chickens over at The Walden Effect farm a few hours away.
Living a Simple Life
About getting back to the basics of living a happy, simple life.
I Deleted My Facebook Profile But We Still Have a Fan Page
I just deleted my Facebook profile because it was complicating my life. I’m all about technology, but we are also interested in simplifying our lives, whether that be through technology or the lack thereof. We try out different things and see if it makes our lives more simple or more complicated. For instance, pioneers didn’t have chain saws, but there is no way in hell I’d live without mine. I also make a living by telecommuting over the Internet, so our high-speed DSL connection is an absolute must-have. But Facebook?
Growing Accustomed to Life On a Farm
So, I’ve noticed lately that I’m becoming a little more accustomed to life here on the farm. For instance, I’ve given up on the idea that it is possible to stay clean and dry when I have 3 dogs and a creek. I’m on my second round of poison ivy. I’m not sure how I got it this time – probably from one of the dogs jumping on me or from picking up Smokey (our cat) who takes up residence under the pine trees where it grows like mad. But I’ve managed to stop having anxiety attacks when I see her trotting through there or when Clyde runs through patches of it here and there.
Volunteering On Other Farms to Learn What to Do on Yours
What Would You Do If You Could Not Fail?
I was reading the second chapter of “At Least in the City Someone Would Hear Me Scream” when I came across this simple, yet profound, question: What would you do if you could not fail?
Humming Birds Outside My Office Window (Video)
This is what I look at while working. It’s fun to watch them chase each other around like fighter pilots, but it’s even better when they get along – like these two…
Our Day on the New River Trail (Video)
We haven’t been posting much lately because, as usual, we’ve been working like mad-folk and by the time we plop down at night to eat dinner we are just too exhausted to think about writing a blog entry. But don’t take that the wrong way… A: I love writing the blog and sharing our experiences; it helps us feel connected to something larger even though we’re in the middle of the mountains; and B: The “exhausted” feeling we have is a good one. I like the way it feels to accomplish some important tasks around the place. For instance…
How to Subscribe to This Site by Email
Victoria from over at Ozarks Crescent Mural blog wrote to us requesting that we set up a Feedburner account for this website, as she enjoys reading the posts but doesn’t like to have to come back and check for new ones all the time. It was something I’d been meaning to do anyway, but it just kept falling by the wayside. Thanks for the motivation Victoria!
Pictures From Last Week Around the Farm
Here are a few pictures that have been sitting on the camera since last week.
Our Surrogate Turkey Mamma and Her Little Peepers
Our turkey hen went broody, but 30 days later I had to remove her eggs since they obviously weren’t going to hatch. But she wouldn’t get off of her nest so I took some chicken eggs and put them under her. It is been another 21 days and her marathon of broodiness has paid off with a little chick who probably thinks of itself as a turkey. There are still three more eggs under her, which we’ll give two more days before removing. Hopefully we will get another couple of chicks before then.
Solar Food Dehydrator – I Want One – I’ll Make One
I want one of these solar food dehydrators that hang from a tree branch, hook, or wherever you want to put them – but there’s no way in hell I’m going to pay nearly sixty bucks for one.
About Us
We're not technophobes or Luddites. We simply believe that people have lost some important things in the march toward progress. That is not to say progress and simplicity are mutually exclusive. We believe we can have both, and this site catalogs our journey as we try to do exactly that.