It’s Finally Beginning to Look Like a Farm…

Early every morning, the sun tries to send it’s golden rays through our bedroom window. Early. Far too early! But did you know, it can’t reach us for two reasons?

The first? We have an old duvet cover acting as a lopsided, topsy-turvy curtain. The sun lights it up, but it can’t get through. Even if it could, it wouldn’t reach us, because our mattress is still on the floor. No box spring!

They’re waking me earlier and earlier, these bright mornings. Like 5 am. On such days, I almost wish I drank coffee. But no! You understand just how I feel about that!

Instead of taking a dose of caffeine to wake me up, I don my dirty work clothes and stumble outside where the dirt abounds! Taking a handful of the brown earth, I stir it into a mug of hot water and presto! My morning coffee!

Kidding! I’ve actually been clambering up on the massive, old poplar stump under the birch tree. As I sit, I use my senses to soak up the delights of spring!

These mornings are beautiful, quiet, yet filled with the sounds and sights of nature. The wind plays in the treetops, a chorus of songbirds are always singing, sometimes I hear the pounding of a woodpecker and always, the peeping of our baby birds, now living outside in their moveable pens.

I hear our tom turkey and his constant spring calls, then a response from the woodland across the road. It’s the faint echo of another wild tom.

I sit on that old tree stump as I take it in. And did you know, it hit me the other day?

The place is finally beginning to look like a tiny farm! Yes, it is! Things are still rough and helter-skelter, there’s still construction garbage lying about, overturned buckets and bins, pallets and a few rock piles. The veggies aren’t yet big enough to show their stuff and the hedgerow is hidden in wild weeds. But I know what’s there and can see what will be!

Seedlings in the kitchen garden are growing with vigor. I can’t wait to see it fill out, to harvest our first produce from this wild land.

I can see our peeping baby birds from the old stump. We have covers on their cages to keep the crows away, and so far, we haven’t had any losses!

In the cottage beds, tiny perennials and self-seeding plants are no longer afraid to grow. They’re taking hold with a vigor I can almost watch!

There’s the hedgerow I didn’t expect to take hold, leafing out with all it’s might! Every single shrub and tree is showing signs of life. These little hazelnuts are just loving spring!

There’s the raspberry beds, the large turkey pen where a mama is brooding on a clutch of eggs, my currant bushes and the soon-to-be lawns I’ve cleared of rock and mulched with straw.

When I really stop to think about it, it’s amazing what we’ve accomplished so far!

Not a year ago, we bought this wild piece of earth, determined to make a tiny farmstead out of it.

Through careful planning and designing, management of our finances, through sweat, sore muscles, blood, sweat, tears and hard, hard work, we’ve created this.

‘Twas September when we first began clearing the land. Now, the beginning of June, it’s more than just hopes and ideas. It’s more than dreams and wishes.

It’s finally beginning to look like a farm. Wouldn’t you agree?