July 's warm moist days and long evenings are the perfect times to contemplate the journey. There seems to be color and scent everywhere flooding the senses. It is a great time to kick back and take it all in for a little while and celebrate the abundance of one's life.
It has been five years now since leaving the hustle and bustle of my past. When I first saw the house there was not a flower or plant other than straggley lawn grass around the house. This is what it looks like today.
The front porch still needs work but it is less noticeable being surrounded by a variety of summer blooming perrenials. I loved those columns from the first day I saw them.
The daylilles and the hollyhocks are past their bloom but their luschious leaves still frame the east side of the house. The old bourbon barrel stands guard in its corner.
The side porch seats have peeled down a bit more of their red paint revealing the lovely mustard underneath. This wonderfully shapely old bike will either go to the shop and be covered with knitting or become a planter near the front fence. I'm searching for a metal basket for the front and side saddle newspaper baskets for the back. We shall see. Today it got scraped of loose rust and sprayed with acrylic to protect its soft brown and worn blue finish.
Ah! Chickens! Can anything be more entertaining? They have multiplied and set up their little family groups headed by a rooster. The Buddy the Rooster and his two hens that we got last year, have thoroughly adapted and flourished. I've lost count of how many therre are now. They free range throughout the entire farm keeping the whole environment free of excess ticks and other pesky bugs. They roost in the trees and the ram shed in addition to the chicken coop. They also love hanging with the Ewes in the front pasture. In spring there are plenty of eggs to share with friends but by July those smart chickies hide their clutches and soon parade their babies around. Right now there are two little families of baby chicks.
The garden project has not been as successful the last three years for a variety of reasons having to do with weather and timing (plus focusing on the wool and yarn shop. ) Luckily, I can raid my down the road neighbor's peach tree. These beauties are almost ready to go into a pie.
Two new Shetland ewe girls, Coco and Ashley, joined us this spring and most of the rams born two years ago have found new homes. The pastures can now be managed better for breeding and hopefully, next spring, we will again have lambs born at All One Farms. Can't wait to see what the rest of the year brings!
